Digital Commons Network^™

To My Unborn, S.E. White

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Poolside, Robert Earle

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Contributors

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

The Lindenwood Review, Issue 15 (2025), Full Issue

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Cultural Linguistic Bias In Language Assessments For Children, Madison Wester

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Cultural linguistic bias is present in almost all language assessments for children, such as the Preschool Language Scales (PLS-5) and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5). Cultural linguistic bias is bias against those who speak a different dialect, such as African American Vernacular English or Appalachian English. Bias in these assessments leads to over-diagnosing children with language disorders, which is harmful in a number of ways. To decrease this bias, SLPs should take a language sample to assess a child’s natural language. However, this process can be time-consuming, which is why the use of online tools, such as SUGAR, …

A Marriage By Any Other Sign: Social Signification In The Way Of The World, Alyssa Alexander

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This paper analyzes William Congreve’s The Way of the World through the lens of Derrida’s theory of différance, arguing that the play destabilizes the fixed social categories of marriage and identity through linguistic performance. While many critics read Congreve’s portrayal of marriage as either reinforcing or satirizing Restoration social structures, this analysis emphasizes how language itself resists fixed meaning. Drawing on key scenes between Mirabell and Millamant, Waitwell’s reflections on autonomy, and Fainall’s contradictory claims of masculine selfhood, the paper demonstrates how the signs “husband,” “wife,” and “man” shift and defer meaning rather than affirm static roles. Characters do not …

Murder On Music Row: A Narrative Analysis Of Mass-Mediated Country Music And Independent Texas Red Dirt Music, Jennifer A. Worley

Communication Theses

This project employs Roland Barthes' narrative codes as a framework for textual analysis to examine the underlying structures and meanings within song lyrics from two contrasting traditions of country music: mass-mediated Nashville country and Texas Red Dirt. With a sample spanning a five-year period, the study explores how narrative forms reflect broader socio-cultural dynamics and economic forces. Drawing upon the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, particularly the works of Theodor Adorno and Karl Marx, the project concentrates on the commodification of cultural products and implications for authenticity and truth in cultural expression. Through a comparative analysis, the research reveals …

Implementing Video-Enhanced Patient Education With Crutch Teaching In An Ambulatory Surgery Center To Improve Patient Education, Amy Xiong Rn, Bsn, Medsurg-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: In a small ambulatory surgery center, the traditional verbal method of crutch teaching lacked standardization and did not optimize patient learning. Evidence showed that the use of videos could help to improve learning for patients with diverse learning styles.

Aim/Objectives: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate video-enhanced education in crutch teaching.

Methods: Video-enhanced crutch teaching was implemented with same-day surgery patients undergoing lower extremity surgery. Using a quasi-experimental, pre-post test and control group design, one group received the traditional teaching method, and the other received video-enhanced crutch teaching. Pre and post-surveys were used …

Improving Fluid And Electrolyte Intake In Chronic Kidney Disease (Ckd) Patients: Integrating A Mobile Application, Wubit Tilahun Raru Crnp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Managing fluid and electrolyte intake poses a significant challenge for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, resulting in health complications, preventable hospitalizations, and increased healthcare costs.

Aim/Objectives: This project aimed to use the KidneyDiet mobile application to improve fluid, electrolyte, and weight management and reduce hospitalizations in CKD patients and assess patient satisfaction with the app.

Methods: The project involved 33 adult CKD stage 4 and 5 patients identified at one primary care practice, with 18 attending application training. Eight active participants utilized the app to track daily intake of fluid, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus over 30–90 days. Data on …

Policy Analysis Of Hb0030: Empowering English Language Learners, Maria K. De La Cruz Salinas, Ann Katherine Welling

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The 1974 Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols ruled that schools are required to provide English Language Learning services, as failing to do so deprives English-learning students of a meaningful opportunity to participate in education and denies them access to an equitable education (Lau v. Nichols). Not providing English Language Learning support is in opposition to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974. In addition, the Every Student Succeeds Act requires all students with no exceptions to participate in school accountability assessments, which in Tennessee is the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment …

Process And Preliminary Results In Developing A Rural Teacher Intention Survey, Jennifer G. Whitfield, Devon Brenner, Diana Outlaw, Dana Pomykal Franz

The Rural Educator

Across the US, schools struggle to recruit and retain teachers in rural communities. While the body of research that documents rural teacher staffing challenges is increasing, more research is needed about preservice teachers’ decisions about where to teach and how their educator preparation programs (EPPs) may influence their decision. An important step in this process is collecting data regarding preservice teachers’ intentions to teach in rural schools before entering the profession and their perceptions of experiences in EPPs that may have influenced those decisions. In this article, drawn from a larger National Science Foundation collaborative research project focusing on the …

Reexamining The Relationship Of Georgia’S Rural World Language Teachers’ Efficacy To Teacher Attrition, Shannon Borum, Peter B. Swanson

The Rural Educator

U.S. schools, including those in rural America, have struggled with a shortage of world language teachers for decades. Using Bandura’s framework of self-efficacy teaching languages, the researchers conducted a study using the same methods as an earlier study of rural world language teacher attrition in Georgia. Contrary to those findings, results in the present study indicate that teacher efficacy is not a factor in one’s decision to remain in or leave the teaching profession in Georgia; environmental factors appear to be a stronger indicator of rural world language teacher attrition. The study also has implications for teacher and administrator preparation …

Nlp Analysis Of The Septuagint: Topic Modeling And Sentiment Analysis Of Biblical Domestic Terms, Anne-Duncan Enright

IPHS 484: Senior Seminar

This study conducts an exploratory data analysis (EDA) of topic modeling and sentiment analysis applied to the Septuagint (LXX – the Greek translations of the Old Testament and the New Testament in the original Koine Greek) as well as four English translations of the Bible (LSV, Darby, DR, and KJV). Utilizing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for topic modeling, I compare the Vulgate-based translations to Septuagint-based translations, discovering marked differences between the two categories of translations. The Vulgate is the Latin translation of the Bible done by Jerome in 900 A. D. which is already one step away from the original …

On The Borders: Black Women’S Multiple And Competing Social Identities And Expectations, And The Impact On Their Intragroup Leadership And Relational Experiences, Clover Baker-Brown

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Black women in the United States are often portrayed as a monolithic and unified group—defined primarily by racial identity and expectations of a shared understanding of common experiences. However, while racial identity is frequently foregrounded in public discourse, this framing often overlooks the overlapping of Black women’s multiple identities and the influence on their sense of belonging in their various groups. This omission can be subtle yet misleading. How Black women choose to self-identify may result in competing expectations or intragroup mistrust, which can impact their overall leadership and relational experiences. Black women's social identities are diverse, vibrant, and transcend …

Standardizing Social Determinants Of Health Factors From Heterogeneous Sources To Improve Data Fairness, Yifang Dang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) significantly influence health outcomes, yet their representation in computational models remains fragmented. This dissertation addresses this gap by constructing an SDoH ontology (SDoHO), leveraging it to improve large language model (LLM) performance, and using LLMs to extract new knowledge and enrich the ontology. The overarching goal is to establish a feedback loop where ontology development enhances LLM-based extraction, and LLM-derived insights refine and expand the ontology. The methodology is structured across three aims: (1) ontology construction, (2) ontology-assisted LLM enhancement, and (3) LLM-driven ontology enrichment, with a focus on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). …

Footloose: The Musical, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024-2025 Season Productions

No abstract provided.

Missouri Policy Journal -Volume 2, Issue 2 (2025) -Full Issue, Lindenwood University

Missouri Policy Journal

No abstract provided.

Monitoring Weight Loss Management And Patient Satisfaction By Utilization Of Phone-Based Check-Ins: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Katie O’Neill

DNP Projects

Background

Obesity is one of the fastest growing public health issues across the nation. Obesity is a critical factor in prevention of obesity-related non-communicable diseases (OR-NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease. The increase in obesity creates a global burden on chronic disease prevention for future healthcare systems. With the increasing popularity of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1’s) being prescribed, the level of provider communication should be evaluated and encouraged for successful weight management outcomes.

Project Goals

1.) Implement a phone call to patients on a GLP-1 to provide education on healthy lifestyle habits from October 2024 to December 2024. …

The Soulful Lawyer: Jungian Practices For Legal Professionals, Luis Chiesa

Buffalo Law Review

The legal profession faces a profound crisis of meaning, with lawyers experiencing some of the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse of any profession. While techniques like mindfulness meditation have gained traction as tools to address lawyer well-being, they often fall short of fostering the deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment that so many legal professionals seek. This Article explores how Jungian depth psychology and contemplative practices can address the root causes of dissatisfaction, or “dukkha,” within the legal profession. Drawing from Carl Jung’s concepts of persona, shadow, and collective unconscious, it examines how lawyers can unmask their …

Prophetic Prosperity: Unveiling The Next Frontier Of Socially Responsible & Sustainable Investing, Alyssa Carbone

Buffalo Law Review

Islamic finance, poised for a significant rise in prominence, stands uniquely at the intersection of religious adherence and modern financial systems. With Islam projected to overtake Christianity as the dominant world religion by 20501 and Muslims constituting the fastestgrowing religious group, expected to reach a global population of nearly 3 billion adherents in 20602, the demand for financial products aligned with the values of Islam is set to soar. Accordingly, Islamic finance, specifically Islamic capital markets, has strong projections of growth, even amidst economic instability in traditional Western financial markets.3 Yet, despite its promising outlook, Islamic finance remains largely unfamiliar …

Magna Carta And The Origins Of Legislative Power, Matthew Steilen

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Live In Fragments, Matthew Frye-Castillo

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Weekday Morning, Running Late, Tamara Kreutz

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

‬ ‭ Spiritual Geographies And Living Ritual:‬ ‭ Misali Island’S Caves In Swahili Religious Life In Zanzibar, Everett Gordon

Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

Caves along the East African Swahili coast are more than geological formations—they are spiritual landscapes where the boundaries between visible and invisible worlds collapse. This paper explores the ritual and religious significance of three caves on Misali Island, a small coral rag island off the coast of Pemba in the Zanzibar Archipelago. Drawing on vegetation surveys and three weeks of ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews with local fishermen, waganga (healers), and marine rangers, this study investigates how these caves serve as sites of prayer, healing, and spirit veneration. It argues that the practices performed within and around these caves exemplify the …

Take Me To Church: Transmasculinity In Gay Male Erotic Space, Kurt Mclaughlin

Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Digitization And Payment On Community Health Promoter (Chp) Motivation And Effectiveness In A Peri-Urban Community In Kisumu, Kenya., Fiona Yohannes

Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights

Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Kenya are the liaison between the community and higher levels of healthcare. As CHPs’ responsibility in the country has grown, stipends started being distributed, and digitization efforts have begun to support them. This ISP paper aims to investigate how recent digitization and payment of CHPs impact their motivation and effectiveness in a peri-urban community in Kisumu, Kenya. The project includes data analysis on CHP performance data from 2016 to 2021 and analyses of interviews with CHPs and CHAs in April of 2024. It was found that time was positively related to CHP performance. It was …

Program Evaluation: Family Centered Rounding To Support Communication In Pediatric Care, Kristy M. Schmidt

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Family centered rounding (FCR) is a pediatric evidence-based practice intended to bring healthcare teams, patients, and families together at the bedside in a collaborative approach to care planning. FCR emphasizes communication and shared decision-making between healthcare teams and families, leading to improved patient outcomes. Despite well-documented benefits of FCR, challenges such as inconsistent nursing participation, variability in practices, and workflow disruptions hinder implementation and sustainability of FCR.

Aim: This program evaluation was designed and conducted at an urban pediatric hospital to assess the processes, perceptions, and impact of FCR. The overall quality of FCR and the strengths and barriers …

Understanding The Born Free Generation: Perceptions Of Freedom And Identity, Ashley Grandberry

South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights

The end of apartheid promised unity and justice, but many South Africans born after 1994, known as the Born Free generation, feel those promises were mostly symbolic (Malila, 2015; Bowers et al., 2021; Statistics South Africa, 2021; Jordaan et al., 2022). Despite growing up in a "free" South Africa, the Black and Coloured population has inherited deep economic and social inequalities, faces high unemployment, and is often dismissed by older generations as lazy and ungrateful. For many, freedom feels more like a performance by the government than a lived reality. In this project, I interviewed two Born Frees and found …

What Is Order? An Exploration Of Exchange And Mobility Within The Streets Of Yaoundé, Cameroon, Quentin L. Messer Iii

Cameroon: Development and Social Change

This paper explores how order materializes as people, vehicles, and resources exchange on Yaoundé’s streets. Using qualitative and descriptive research approaches, it draws on primary data from interviews with prominent groups of informal sector actors, street vendors, and taxi drivers, as well as observations conducted throughout Yaoundé. The study also includes a literature review of twelve scholarly articles that assemble a robust foundational understanding of how “order” has been influenced and adapted within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past fifty years. The study reveals that kinship as a basis for urban order arose due to state distrust and mismanagement of …

Nessca: A Meditative Process From Dis-Ease To At-Onement, Jonathan Colley

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

In the beginning was the verb. I asked a coworker whose native language is Spanish how is John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word…” translated in the Santa Biblia. The Greek word logos translates to “word,” and many of us are familiar with the squeezing of the logos into English. Is it “word” the way that we use word-units to speak, write, communicate? This would be palabra in Spanish. Is it word as “reason,” logos as logic, as an ability to think through and make sense of and bring order to the seemingly chaotic existence we behold? This would …