Digital Commons Network^™

Hands-On: Integrating Active Learning Into An Upper Extremity Occupational Therapy Elective, Jennifer Radziak, Katie Jones, Kelsey Picha

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In an effort to provide students with advanced clinical practice skills, several occupational therapy elective courses were developed. The current article describes an educational innovation that involved an in-person elective course for graduate second year Master of Science in Occupational Therapy students that focused on the upper extremity. The course was team-taught, promoted active learning, and used unique activities to engage students in the learning process. Relevant evidence-based practice literature and clinical guidelines were incorporated into the course to teach students about the treatment of upper extremity conditions. The active learning strategies implemented in the course included fresh donor dissection, …

(Wp 2026-01) Du Bois And Veblen's Concepts Of Relative Position: Common Ground Or Stratification Economics And Institutionalist Economics, John B. Davis

Economics Working Papers

W. E. B. Du Bois and Thorstein Veblen employed the concept of relative position. Du Bois' thinking reflects how for Stratification economics people's relative positions explain racial discrimination and segregation. Veblen reflects how for Institutionalist economics people's relative positions explain the role institutions have in the evolution of the economy. Racism in the US marginalized Du Bois' contributions, leaving a divide between his and Veblen's thinking and also between Stratification economics and Institutionalist economics. This has limited the perceived importance of the concept of relative position in economics, leaving it with the 'position-less' asocial individualism of Neoclassical-mainstream economics. This paper …

Hiv Testing In African American Churches: Results From The Taking It To The Pews Cluster-Randomized Trial., Jannette Berkley-Patton, Carole Bowe Thompson, Alexandria G. Bauer, Marcie Berman, Kelsey Christensen, Andrea Bradley-Ewing, Kathy Goggin, Delwyn Catley, Eric Williams, Cassandra Wainright, Kathryn P. Derose, Alex Geyer, Frank Thompson, Lesha Dennis, Stephen Smith, Jenifer E. Allsworth

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

To examine effects of a multilevel, religiously-tailored HIV testing intervention, Taking It to the Pews (TIPS), on receipt of HIV testing with African American church-affiliated populations, 14 African American churches (N = 1,491) were randomized to TIPS or a multilevel, non-tailored HIV education attention-control arm in a cluster-randomized trial (Kansas City urban area, 2013 to 2019). Receipt of an HIV test was examined using objective data and participant self-reports (last 12 months), including self-reported exposure to intervention components. Overall, 471 HIV tests were completed; TIPS intervention churches conducted significantly more tests than controls (339 versus 132, p = 0.003). Also, …

A Conceptual Framework For Improving The Oral Health Of Children With Disabilities, Shiamaa Al-Mashhadani

Peninsula Dental School Theses

AbstractTitle: A Conceptual Framework for Improving the Oral Health of Children with DisabilitiesShiamaa Shihab Al-MashhadaniIntroduction:The effect of good oral health contributes to improving general health, well-being, and quality of life. Children with disabilities are more likely to develop oral diseases than the general population. They are disproportionately affected by dental diseases such as high dental caries, periodontal disease prevalence, missing teeth, and malocclusion. There are many challenges that children with disabilities and their carers experience regarding oral health, including access to dental care, availability of preventive interventions, oral health literacy, and education.This study aims to understand the personal experiences and …

Factors Related To Deviant Behavior, Chiara S. Popp

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Understanding the factors that contribute to deviant behavior across the life span remains an important goal in psychology and criminology. Guided by life course theory, the present study examined whether childhood trauma, social connectedness, perceived childhood socioeconomic status, and key life transitions are associated with deviant behavior in adulthood. The purpose of this research was to better understand how early life experiences and social relationships may shape behavioral outcomes later in life. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with adult participants in the United States, aged 18 to 55. Participants completed measures assessing adverse childhood experiences, perceived childhood socioeconomic status, …

Honor Of Culture, Gender Socialization And Behavioral Outcomes In College Students, Ana Maria Moreno Henriquez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Honor of culture is a culturally based concept that involves holding a strong defense for  the dignity and reputation on one’s family and self. This thesis focuses on the relationship between this honor of culture and gender socialization in the behavioral outcomes of college students, who are in a highly important learning phase of discovering their identity and independence from familial values. Participants were University of Central Florida (UCF) students who completed an online Qualtrics survey, which included an Honor of Culture Scale (Rodriguez Mosquera et al., 2016), Gender Role Beliefs Scale (Kerr & Holden, 1996), the Short Dark Triad …

A Feminist Analysis Of Forensic Psychology: Ethics, Power, And Practice In Carceral Systems, Sarah Mcgarry Gray

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Freedom Beyond Colonialism: Fanonõs Critique Of Nžgritude As Liberation, Fiona Martinelli

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Virtual Reality And Creativity In Visual Art Education: The Mediating Role Of Exploration Within A Project-Based Learning Framework, Lidan He, Shaharuddin Bin Md Salleh

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly integrated into creative education for immersive, interactive learning. While prior research confirms VR’s potential to enhance learning outcomes, its support for creativity remains underexplored. This study examines whether exploration mediates the relationship between VR use and creative performance within a project-based learning framework. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 80 second-year visual art students, who were allocated by intact sections to either a VR–PBL group or a traditional PBL group. Over four weeks, students completed an illustration-based design project. Creative performance was rated by experts, and exploratory behavior was measured using the Experiential Learning Survey, …

Large Language Model-Based Automated Item Generation In Stem Assessments: Historical Mapping And A Scoping Review Of Empirical Studies, Moses Oluoke Omopekunola

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Educational assessments, from low-stakes classroom tests to high-stakes national examinations, require item pools that are valid, fair, and secure. Automated Item Generation (AIG) aims to efficiently produce large pools of calibrated test items. This paper adopts a two-part design: (1) a brief historical mapping situating LLM-based AIG within the broader AIG trajectory; and (2) a scoping review of empirical studies on LLM-based AIG for STEM assessments, published between January 2022 and January 2026. A structured search of ERIC, Lens and OpenAlex yielded 1,267 records; after deduplication and screening, 7 studies were retained for synthesis. In all studies, LLMs were primarily …

Teacher-Guided Video Instruction For Dance Appreciation: A Design-Based Research Study, Cuiqing Meng, Tiantian Zhou

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Video is widely used in dance appreciation courses; however, unguided viewing often leads to passive observation rather than analytical understanding. Grounded in multimedia learning theory and instructional scaffolding, this study employed a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach to develop and evaluate a teacher-guided video instructional model in a dance appreciation course in a Chinese university. The DBR process involved iterative phases of design, implementation, analysis, and refinement within an authentic classroom context. A convenience sample of 23 undergraduate dance majors participated in the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of Likert-scale items and open-ended responses. Quantitative data were …

Digital Transformation And Artificial Intelligence In Education In Vietnam: A Bibliometric And Systematic Review, Minh-Anh Thi Nguyen, Van-Quynh Ha

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Globally, digital transformation (DT) is reshaping education through data-driven innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging learning technologies. These transformative forces are influencing not only instructional methods but also governance, equity, and sustainability in education. Within this context, the study provides a comprehensive review of DT and AI in Vietnam’s education sector. Combining bibliometric mapping with a systematic content analysis, it synthesizes recent scholarly developments to reveal key research trends, methodological orientations, and conceptual structures. Five thematic clusters are identified, including digital competence, institutional transformation strategies, AI literacy, and learner engagement, potentially reflecting a shift from institutional readiness toward learner-centered innovation. …

Determinants Of Generative Ai Adoption In Teacher Education: A Ttf–Tpb Model Tested With Pls-Sem, Peter A. Partey Dr., Emmanuel Quayson, Samuel K. Adjei, Joseph Antwi

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Abstract

The integration of generative AI in education necessitates a clear understanding of the factors influencing its adoption by preservice teachers. This study examined the predictors of generative AI use and its impact on the academic performance of preservice teachers in Ghana, employing a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 783 preservice teachers using structured questionnaires measuring task characteristics (TskC), technology characteristics (TechC), task–technology fit (TTF), attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SJN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), use of generative AI (USE), and academic performance (AP). The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis revealed that TskC and TechC …

Enhancing Academic Literacy Through Ai-Supported Writing Analytics In Multilingual Higher Education, Riki Nasrullah, Septia Rizqi Nur Abni

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the longitudinal impact of AI-supported writing analytics on academic literacy in multilingual higher education. Using a quasi-experimental design over two semesters with 124 undergraduates, the treatment group employed a GPT-based analytics tool, while the control group relied on conventional feedback. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design and repeated-measures analyses, the study found significant group effects and significant Group × Time interactions, indicating that the treatment group achieved larger and more sustained gains in academic literacy. Process-oriented indicators and learning analytics further showed a shift from surface editing to global revision, accompanied by deeper metacognitive engagement.

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: How Educators’ Perception, Readiness, And Well-Being Shape Performance, Fatimah Pohan, Dicky Aprillo Siregar, Muhammad Bangun Siregar

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, but its effectiveness depends on how educators perceive, adopt, and psychologically respond to the technology. This study examines the effects of educators’ perception of AI and AI adoption on self-reported educators’ performance through AI readiness and psychological well-being. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, Readiness for Change Theory, and the Job Demands–Resources framework, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 121 educators at private higher education institutions in North Sumatra, Indonesia, using purposive sampling of active educators. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. …

Coding, Machine Learning, And Game Engines In Initial Teacher Training, Sara Redondo-Duarte, José Manuel Sáez-López

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study evaluated the integration of coding, visual block programming, game engines, and machine learning (ML) modeling in initial teacher education. The aim was to examine the feasibility of this instructional approach and its association with pre-service teachers’ computational knowledge and attitudes toward programming and artificial intelligence (AI). A one-group pretest-posttest design was implemented with 129 undergraduate students enrolled in Primary Education degree programs at two public universities in Spain. Knowledge of computational concepts was assessed with a 10-item test analyzed using a paired-samples Student’s t-test, while attitudes toward programming and ML were evaluated with two Likert scales analyzed using …

Investigation Of Dean’S Transformational Leadership Profiles And Digital Transformation Maturity In Guangxi Public Higher Vocational Colleges, Lili Ding, Jamilah Binti Ahmad, Yuqiang Luo

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Background: As China builds an innovation-driven economy, vocational education provides essential skilled workers for key industries, helping to elevate vocational colleges into crucial centers for talent development and social mobility. In this context, the dean’s transformational leadership may play an important role in supporting institutional digital transformation.

Research Question: How do deans’ transformational leadership domains predict institutional digital transformation maturity across leadership and pedagogy in vocational education?

Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combined a faculty survey with semi-structured interviews. Valid survey responses from 30 faculty members were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression, followed by thematic analysis of …

A Model For Virtually Integrated Care In A Long-Term Care Hospital: Improving Nurse Satisfaction While Reducing Overtime Costs, Lisa Kalafus

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

AbstractA Model for Virtually Integrated Care in a Long-Term Care Hospital: Improving Nurse Satisfaction while Reducing Overtime Costs Challenges related to workforce shortages, along with recruitment and retention are projected to continue for years to come as the need for health care grows and the demand for nurses exceeds the supply. Hospitals must continue to focus on the reduction of nurse turnover and proactively address underlying causes of nurse dissatisfaction. Increased workload has a negative impact on job satisfaction. The documentation requirements alone are considered a top indicator of nurse workload and take a significant amount of time away from …

Mental Health Screening And Referral For Adults Experiencing Homelessness, Jennifer Lee Ramsey

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Mental health disorders affect 26–50% of the 541,484 adults experiencing homelessness in the United States, with a bidirectional relationship between homelessness and mental illness that perpetuate each other, reinforcing difficulties maintaining housing and employment, straining relationships, worsening psychiatric symptoms, and increasing barriers to care. (Nilsson et al., 2024; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023; Fazel et al., 2014; National Coalition for the Homeless, 2017; Saldua, 2024).This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project addresses these disparities by developing and implementing a mental health screening and referral program at a homeless shelter. The program used the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), …

Cognitive Prosthetic: An Ai-Enabled Multimodal System For Episodic Recall In Knowledge Work, Lawrence Obiuwevwi, Krzystof J. Rechowicz, Vikas Ashok, Sachin Shetty, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Modern knowledge workplaces increasingly strain human episodic memory as individuals navigate fragmented attention, overlapping meetings, and multimodal information streams. Existing workplace tools provide partial support through note-taking or analytics but rarely integrate cognitive, physiological, and attentional context into retrievable memory representations. This paper presents the Cognitive Prosthetic Multimodal System (CPMS)—an AI-enabled proof-of-concept designed to support episodic recall in knowledge work through structured episodic capture and natural language retrieval. CPMS synchronizes speech transcripts, physiological signals, and gaze behavior into temporally aligned, JSON-based episodic records processed locally for privacy. Beyond data logging, the system includes a web-based retrieval interface that allows users …

Contextual Scaffolding And Self-Efficacy: Supporting Computer Skill Development Among Blind Learners In India, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Yash Prakash, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Inclusive computer literacy education efforts, broadening the participation of blind or visually impaired (BVI) individuals, have gained traction in recent years. Existing literature investigating these efforts primarily draws evidence from affluent Global North contexts, where accessibility resources and legal frameworks are relatively more mature. Little is known about the in-situ teaching and learning challenges faced by trainers and BVI students, respectively, in resource-constrained, multicultural Global South countries like India. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a four-month contextual inquiry at two computer training centers catering to 94 BVI students in India. We notably observed a rigid, experience-driven training environment …

Memebuddy: Dialog-Style Audio Representations For Engaging Non-Visual Meme Experiences, Chirag Bhansali, Vikas Ashok, Hae-Na Lee

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Image memes are a pervasive form of online communication, widely used to convey humor, opinions, and cultural references. Prior work has explored making memes accessible to blind users, primarily through auto-generated descriptive captions. While these approaches improve comprehensibility and sometimes incorporate prosodic or emotional cues, they often fail to capture the humor, narrative structure, and contextual nuances that make memes engaging. We present MemeBuddy, a system that models memes as dialog, generating structured, multi-turn audio representations using role-based speakers. MemeBuddy reinterprets a meme as a conversation between two speakers, integrating extracted meme text with contextual knowledge implicitly inferred by a …

Replicatorbench: Benchmarking Llm Agents For Replicability In Social And Behavioral Sciences, Bang Nguyen, Dominik Soós, Qian Ma, Rochana R. Obadage, Zack Ranjan, Sai Koneru, Timothy M. Errington, Shakhlo Nematova, Sarah Rajtmajer, Jian Wu, Meng Jiang

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The literature has witnessed an emerging interest in developing and evaluating AI agents for automated assessment of research claims in scientific papers. Existing benchmarks focus primarily on the computational aspect of this task, testing agents' ability to reproduce or replicate research outcomes when having access to the code and data. This setting, while foundational, (1) fails to capture the inconsistent availability of new data for replication as opposed to reproduction, and (2) lacks ground-truth diversity by focusing exclusively on fully reproducible or replicable papers, thereby failing to evaluate an agent's ability to identify non-replicable research. Furthermore, most benchmarks only evaluate …

Toward A Centralized Cross Domain Database For Reproducibility And Replicability Studies, Rochana R. Obadage, Sarah Rajtmajer, Jian Wu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Reproducibility and replicability (R&R) are structural properties of scientific knowledge, yet existing R&R evidence remains fragmented across domains and initiatives. We present an ongoing effort to develop a centralized, cross-domain database of R&R studies that links published works to their corresponding R&R attempts and supporting assessments. Bibliographic metadata and title-based matching through scholarly indexing services identify canonical records and persistent identifiers. A heuristic, uncertainty-aware matching algorithm supports intra-source and inter-source deduplication, complemented by manual review of ambiguous cases. A unified schema accommodates heterogeneous assessment frameworks and records original studies, R&R studies, assessments, aggregated summaries, and source provenance. The database currently …

The Balance Of Power In Ukraine And Deterrence Effectivenes Against Nuclear-Armed Russia, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised several significant questions regarding the impact of deterrence, the European balance of power and the ability of current security frameworks to restrict the actions of nuclear-armed revisionist powers. This paper uses an integrated theoretical framework consisting of deterrence theory, the balance of power theory, the security dilemma and neorealism to analyze the dynamic relationships between Russia, Ukraine and the Western alliance. The primary contribution of the paper is to develop a comprehensive analytical framework to evaluate the relationship between different aspects of deterrence (i.e., to prevent an initial attack, to limit further escalation and …

Dgamlss: An Exact, Distributed Algorithm To Fit Generalized Additive Models For Location, Scale, And Shape For Privacy-Preserving Population Reference Charts, Fengling Hu, Jiayi Tong, Margaret Gardner, Chris Adamson, Sophie Adler, Aaron F. Alexander-Bloch, Evdokia Anagnostou, Kevin M. Anderson, Ariosky Areces-Gonzalez, John Blangero

Human Genetics Publications

Motivation There is growing interest in estimating population reference ranges across age and sex to better identify atypical clinically-relevant measurements throughout the lifespan. For this task, the World Health Organization recommends using Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS), which can model non-linear growth trajectories under complex distributions that address the heterogeneity in human populations. Fitting GAMLSS models requires large, generalizable sample sizes, especially for accurate estimation of extreme quantiles, but obtaining such multi-site data can be challenging due to privacy concerns and practical considerations. In settings where patient data cannot be shared, privacy-preserving distributed algorithms for federated …

Using Laughter As A Tool In Pediatric Dentistry, Stephen Ghezzi Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article explores the physiological and psychological benefits of humor in pediatric settings. Laughter counteracts the "fight or flight" response by releasing dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which reduce stress hormones and muscle tension. It also triggers oxytocin, fostering trust between patients, caregivers, and staff. The author encourages practitioners to use lightheartedness, such as "dad jokes," to mitigate the anxiety often associated with procedures like restorations or extractions. By shifting the body into "rest and digest" mode, laughter improves the overall well-being of the dental team and patients alike.

Pediatric Dentists’ Best Practices When Treating Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A National Survey, Samita Gumber Bds, Mds, James R. Boynton Dds, Ms, Larry B. Salzmann Dds, Rodney J. Vergotine Bchd, Msc(Dent), Faapd, Fiadt, Fabpd, Ficd, Marita R. Inglehart Dipl. Psych., Dr. Phil., Dr. Phil. Habil

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This national survey evaluates how pediatric dentists manage patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While most practitioners collect data on oral hygiene and verbal communication, fewer assess social interaction or sensitivity-related characteristics. The study suggests using supplemental intake forms to plan appointments based on individual needs and functioning levels. Key accommodations reported include behavior guidance, modified appointment times, and operatory adjustments. Results indicate that increased professional experience with ASD correlates with more comprehensive data collection and a higher perceived value of that information. Ultimately, partnering with parents is vital for creating successful dental encounters for children with ASD.

Procedural Apartheid? How Racial Harassment Cases And Their Proponents Are Subject To Separate And Unequal Due Process, Suzette M. Malveaux

Scholarly Articles

This article makes three unique contributions. First, it introduces the theoretical framework and coins the term “procedural apartheid.” Simply put, when race is invoked as the basis for misconduct, procedural protection is meted out inequitably, often to the detriment of people of color. This phenomenon is situated in the law’s larger project to preference colorblindness over race-conscious ameliorative efforts. The article invites the reader to broadly consider where separate and unequal proceduralism exists because of the centrality of race. This article deploys the term “apartheid”—not literally, but strategically—to highlight the systemic legal and racial nature of this hierarchical divide.

Second, …

Opioid Abuse: Community Education, Meggan N. Wolff-Jackson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The opioid epidemic in the United States has persisted for over two decades and has become one of the leading causes of accidental deaths nationwide (Robert et al., 2022). The opioid crisis represents a widespread public health emergency that extends beyond individual and community boundaries, imposing burdens on both the national economy and the healthcare system (Kyei et al., 2024). Although the opioid epidemic is a global concern, it is particularly concerning in the target community located in the western part of North Carolina. This region has some of the highest rates of opioid overdoses within the state, with 118 …