Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Adhd On Social Media Use: Navigating The Internet While Struggling With Environmental And Psychological Factors, Marcelle E. James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of 18 to 35-year-old adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their perceptions of the psychological and environmental challenges they face while navigating the internet, specifically social media. The theoretical foundation of the study was Barkley’s Executive Functional Theory. The four research questions examined the experiences of the participants and their unique challenges in life from a psychological and environmental perspective. Purposive sampling was utilized, and semi-structed interviews were conducted. The qualitative phenomenology perspective allowed participants to express their opinions without restrictions. The data was collected and analyzed using …

Parental Internet Mediation: A Phenomenological Study, Jossie Marino-Vega

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parental Internet mediation, which is the strategies parents use to control and supervise online content for children, has been transformed into a critical role due to the mixed outcomes of digital use. Baumrind's parental styles and Bandura's Social frameworks guide this study for its connection with parental mediation and children's learning. This qualitative research aimed to explore and describe how parents mediate and use the Internet concerning kids' development. Eleven mothers were interviewed with at least one student enrolled in kindergarten through 5th grade at an elementary school in Killeen, Texas. The data was analyzed using Moustakas's (1994) modification of …

The Impact Of Cello Training On Spatial Orientation Abilities In Adult Learners, Circe Diaz Gamero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic discourse lacks exploration of the effects that musical training during adulthood has on spatial orientation abilities through their connection between cognitive science and music education. This study seeks to address this knowledge gap through research that evaluates cello training effects on spatial orientation abilities in adult learners. The rising interest in non-medicine-based methods for brain function improvement and recovery establishes the urgent need to research possible cognitive advantages that occur when adults participate in music education. This research study adopted a convergent mixed-methods approach that studied adults with minimal musical background in an eight-week structured cello training program, aiming …

Critical Volunteer Stewardship: A New Model Of Volunteer Management For Churches, Kelly Lynne Reed Shaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In an effort to advance the kingdom without breaking the bank, today’s churches rely heavily upon volunteers to staff and operate a multitude of ministries. With biblical beginnings reaching well into the Old Testament, volunteerism and the call to serve remain an essential part of being Christian. Drawn from a unique blend of emergency management and human resource tactics, Critical Volunteer Stewardship (CVS) is a proposed model of volunteer administration that quickly identifies, assigns, and retains volunteer capital while building authentic interpersonal relationships. This researcher has implemented her CVS model at Captivate Community Church to mitigate the organization’s current inability …

The Impact Of Cold-Water Immersion On Mental Health: A Qualitative Study, Marcus Jean-Francois

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historically, Cold Water Immersion (CWI) was used for physical therapy and is now a potential non-pharmacological intervention for mental health illnesses such as depression, stress and anxiety. In this study in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, we examined the personal experiences on the psychological impact of CWI on mental health. We examined twelve participants between 20-35 years of age that had a self-diagnosed mental illness to participate in six CWI sessions over the span of three weeks. This study predicts that CWI will have a significant reduction in their mental health illness compared to baseline levels. Employing a Hermeneutic Phenomenological approach, …

The Moral Identity Of School Shooters As Perceived By Impacted Community Members: A Qualitative Study, Danielle Caprice Rand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated the moral identity of school shooters as perceived by impacted community members. The existing literature lacks agreement on the root cause of school shootings and has been unable to provide a unified identification of school shooters. Discussed throughout school shooter research was the lack of a moral identity in school shooters. Further, research on moral identity has not covered one specialized group of individuals: school shooters. Moral identity, the mien of an individual’s moral thoughts and behaviors, was researched as a potential predictor of school shootings. This study employed a case study research design and used …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study On Perceptions Of Pregnancy Bias And Career Advancement In Music Education, Chelsa N. Keathley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological research followed the perspectives of thirteen music educators across eleven states. The participants included five female secondary band directors, six male secondary band directors, one retired female secondary band director, and one male secondary administrator, along with the personal experiences of six mothers who currently serve as band directors in secondary music education. This study explored perceptions of gender bias within the field, focusing on issues such as the underrepresentation of women in secondary music education, negative societal perceptions regarding women in leadership positions, and the presence of a negative workplace culture. These factors were explored …

Parental Participation In A Christian Homeschool Co-Opertaive In A State In The Southeastern Us: A Single-Case Study, Emily E. Fowler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, single-case study was to explore parental participation in a Christian homeschool co-operative in a state in the Southeastern US, identified by the pseudonym Hope Homeschool Co-op. Christopher Watkin’s biblical critical theory guided this research, emphasizing how the Bible’s unfolding story centers around a relational God. This study examined the importance of having a Christian community to parents participating in Hope Homeschool Co-op. Using a single-case study approach, data were collected from 14 homeschooling mothers who had enrolled their families in Hope Homeschool Co-op during the 2024-25 academic school year. The Central Research Question asked, “What …

Generational Divide: Exploring Instructional Designers' Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence In The Instructional Design Process, Cynthia R. Malone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of instructional designers as they designed courses using AI technology and to understand their perceptions surrounding the integration of AI into the instructional design process. The theory that guided this study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), a framework that involves the pillars of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, which collectively influence one’s intention to adopt a new technology. Varying generational perceptions impacted instructional designers' adoption of AI. The central research question for this study asked, What are the …

Perceptions Of Students With Visual Impairments On The Current State Of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, And Belonging In Public School Secondary Instrumental Ensembles, Nancy J. Kerner-Durling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study examines the experiences and perceptions of students with visual impairments on diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) in secondary instrumental music ensembles. Despite the emergence of DEIAB initiatives in music education, little is known about how these initiatives are implemented for students with visual impairments in secondary instrumental music programs, as this topic has not yet been explored or documented due to the low incidence of this disability. Data was collected through interviews of former students with visual impairments between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two who attended public schools between the ages of twelve …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Spiritual Mindfulness Practices In Coping With Divorce Loss In Christian Women, Gale Louise Nicolai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aims to understand the role of spiritual mindfulness practices in counseling individuals who have experienced divorce. The theory guiding this study is the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, which recognizes the interconnectivity and mutual influence of biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. This data will be descriptive, using open-ended interview questions. Data analysis will be thematic. The study participants are women who self-identify as Christian at 1-10 years post-divorce. The independent variable is spiritual mindfulness practices. The dependent variables are women who self-identify as Christian at 1-10 years post-divorce.

The Role Of Standard Business And Biblical Principles In The Strategic Human Resource Management Practices Of Contemporary Protestant Churches, Brandon Marshall Mccutchen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) practices have consistently evolved in the for-profit business sector to support business profitability. Nonprofit organizations have also adopted strategic HRM practices. Despite their status as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, contemporary Protestant churches have not been included in the current literature discussing the use of strategic HRM practices in nonprofit organizations. Adoption of an HRM strategy varies across the spectrum of nondenominational Christian churches, and churches that are affiliated with a denomination. This qualitative study assesses the leadership perspective of five local churches to determine how standard business practices and biblical principles combine to create a formal …

Understanding The Essence Of The Experience: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Students' Engagement With Gamification In Higher Education Asynchronous Courses, Pamela L. Huntington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the nuanced academic lived experiences of students engaging in online asynchronous gamification activities at Central Valley Community College District (CVCCD), a mid-sized community college located in California’s Central Valley. The theory guiding this study is Landers’ theory of gamified learning as it provides a framework for understanding how the intentional integration of game elements, such as points, badges, and leaderboards, can influence learning-related behaviors and attitudes, aligning directly with the study’s focus on how gamification impacts student motivation, engagement, and cognitive experiences in asynchronous online discussions. The central research question …

Passing The Torch: Evaluating Documentation Quality And Its Impact On Nurses’ Perceptions Of Communication Across Va Care Transitions, Shannon Collier Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective communication during transitions of care is crucial to ensuring patient safety and optimizing outcomes. However, current practices may fall short in supporting clear and comprehensive communication among healthcare providers, particularly during complex care transitions involving Veterans who have received targeted care coordination intervention outside of their primary Patient Aligned Care Team. The absence of standardized tools for handoff documentation exacerbates fragmented communication and ambiguity about the transfer of care management responsibilities, potentially leading to avoidable errors and care coordination failures. This project aimed to investigate nurses' perceptions of the adequacy of communication during the transition of moderate to complex …

Where Is God In Times Of Order And Disorder: A Practical Approach To Life Events With God, Chinedu Festus Onuigbo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to uncover what six next-generation females in Colorado, USA, encompassing high school through post-college, have experienced as they answer the question, "Where is God in times of order and disorder." Next generation refers to persons currently 25 years and younger. Pew Research (2019) reports, next-generation demographic during the transition from adolescence to adulthood may undergo one or more of the following: fall away from faith, question the existence of God, depression, and identity crisis. This researcher using phenomenology explored his Study Concept, a practical approach to experiencing life events with God using threefold biblical …

Excitotoxic Neuronal Death Requires Superoxide Entry Into Neurons Through Volume-Regulated Anion Channels, Kate Harris, Seok Joon Won, Gokhan Uruk, Nguyen Mai, Devran Ogut, Yonghui Zhao, Litao Xie, Paul Baxter, Katharina Everaerts, Rajan Sah, Raymond A Swanson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neuronal death in stroke and other conditions stems in part from stimulation of

The Integration Of Agile Methodologies In Devops Practices Within The Information Technology Industry, Ashley Hourigan, Ridewaan Hanslo

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

The demand for rapid software delivery in the Information Technology (IT) industry has significantly intensified, emphasising the need for faster software products and service releases with enhanced features to meet customer expectations. Agile methodologies are replacing traditional approaches such as Waterfall, where flexibility, iterative development and adaptation to change are favoured over rigid planning and execution. DevOps, a subsequent evolution from Agile, emphasises collaborative efforts in development and operations teams, focusing on continuous integration and deployment to deliver resilient and high-quality software products and services. This study aims to critically assess both Agile and DevOps practices in the IT industry …

Conceptualizing Sociotechnical Changes In Higher Education Institution Fundraising Practices Resulting From Popia Compliance, Tendani Mulanga Chimboza, Ronica Ramsout, Wallace Chigona

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This qualitative inquiry investigates the sociotechnical changes in fundraising practices of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) resulting from compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) Act No 4 of 2013 in South Africa. POPIA imposes strict regulations for collection, processing, sharing and storage of personally identifiable information (PII). As the South African government continues to reduce subsidies in HEIs, a third-income stream has become important to support operational activities. A major source of a third-income stream for HEIs is fundraising. Fundraising practices are largely mediated through donor management systems (DMS) or Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM) that rely on …

Toward Secure And Inclusive Educational Metaverse: Insights For African Countries, Nkosikhona T. Msweli

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

The rapid growth of immersive learning platforms has introduced critical identity security challenges. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of over 200 publications (2005–2025) on AI and security issues in virtual educational environments, using Scopus as the primary source. Findings reveal a surge in research after 2022, with China, the U.S., and India as leading contributors, while African representation remains limited. Key concerns include cross-platform vulnerabilities, deepfake threats, and challenges in implementing blockchain-based identity verification. The study also highlights algorithmic bias and ethical issues in identity authentication, emphasizing the need for inclusive, transparent AI systems. The paper provides insights to …

Equity In Every Beat: Advancing Women’S Heart Health Through Early Identification, Education, And Partnerships, Cristy Ellen Jomoc, Patricia Etheridge

Global Advocacy

Equity in Every Beat: Advancing Women’s Heart Health through Early Identification, Education, and Partnerships is a global advocacy initiative addressing disparities in cardiovascular care among women.

Background: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women worldwide, yet it is frequently underrecognized and undertreated due to implicit bias, misdiagnosis, and barriers to care. With one in three women globally succumbing to heart disease, there is an urgent need for improved early detection and intervention. This initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), focusing on empowering …

Machine Learning Driven Email Phishing Detection, Selasi Tsatsu Ayekple, Ransford Fiifi Bekoe, Ebenezer Addy, Felicia Engmann

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Phishing attacks pose significant risks to cybersecurity, exploiting user trust through deceptive email content. This paper presents a machine learning based framework for detecting phishing emails using a 2024 dataset comprising over 80,000 labeled samples sourced from PhishTank and Kaggle. Features were engineered from URLs, email content, and metadata. Five models— Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest, XGBoost, and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN)—were evaluated. Simulated results demonstrate that ensemble models, particularly Random Forest and XGBoost, delivered optimal results, with near-perfect accuracy and recall. The study highlights the efficacy of combining feature-based engineering with ensemble learning to enhance real-time phishing …

Gratifications That Contribute To Compulsive Youtube Use Among University Students, Mkhululi Tshepo Ncube, Zweithini Mabhena, Wallace Chigona

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This study investigated the gratifications contributing to compulsive YouTube use among university students. Compulsive YouTube use, marked by an inability to regulate consumption despite negative impacts to the user, is analysed through the Uses and Gratifications Theory (U&G) and Compulsive Internet Use (CIU). Specifically, the study examined how different gratifications—such as emotional support, habitual viewing, and escapism—drive compulsive use patterns. A cross-sectional survey strategy was employed, collecting data from 175 university students through structured online questionnaires. The study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the relationships between the identified gratifications and compulsive usage behaviour. The findings …

How Can We Reduce Mental Health Disparities In Rural Areas?, Brenda Kinyumu

Global Advocacy

On a regular day, rural areas face a shortage of healthcare providers (Physicians) and have limited access to healthcare for their physical illness. Adding mental health to the equation complicates the situation. Different communities have distinct needs, thus requiring solutions tailored for each community. It is crucial to assess the specific needs of each community and customize interventions accordingly. 1/5 of the rural population, which is roughly 6.5 million people, suffer from mental health illness (Morales et al., 2020). According to the Mental Health America website, the Rural suicide rate is 18.3 &20.5 per 100,0000 compared to the urban rate …

Closing The Gap: A Global Advocacy Campaign To Promote Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis In Pregnancy, Marin Strong

Global Advocacy

Background: The risk of HIV acquisition is doubled during pregnancy compared to non-pregnant periods, and over one-third of vertical transmission of HIV (from mother to baby) is attributable to acute maternal HIV acquisition. Since 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a safe, effective prevention tool for pregnant and postpartum women at high risk for HIV acquisition. However, per the 2018-2019 Global Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy Survey, only 43% of WHO member states have policies in place aligned with supporting HIV PrEP in pregnancy. It is a critical time …

Employee’S Willingness To Engage In Information Security Incident Reporting, Ryan Moodley, Salah Kabanda

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Organisations employ several strategies for mitigating insider threats, and yet recent studies have shown that insider threats continue to surge. Strategies are mostly reliant on technological solutions and more recently, a human centered approach where the focus is on psychological profile and behavioural habits of the individual posing the threat (the insider). The role of employees in reporting the insider or in the reporting of security incidents has received limited attention. This paper, through a literature review synthesis, identifies the factors influencing an employee’s willingness to report an insider and consequently reporting of security incidents. Through a thematic analysis of …

The Shorthorn: December 6, 1979

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: December 4, 1979

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: November 30, 1979

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: November 28, 1979

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: November 20, 1979

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.