Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Second Language Acquisition For University Students With Learning Disabilities: A Mixed-Methods Study, Nelson Leung

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Second language acquisition at the university level presents notable challenges, particularly for students with disabilities. Despite its significance, this area has remained underexplored in academic research. This study bridged this gap by investigating the specific challenges and effective strategies employed by students with disabilities in second language learning. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combined a cross-sectional survey with in-depth interviews of students with disabilities taking world language courses. The focus was to identify specific obstacles and effective practices in this context, with the goal of offering concrete recommendations for more inclusive teaching methodologies and enhanced support mechanisms in university …

The Effects Of Burnout And Secondary Trauma On Parole Officers Working With Elderly Inmates, Kiley Leeann West

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of working with aging inmates on parole officers. Overall, previous research has shown those who work with parolees experience secondary trauma and burnout due to long contact hours, and lack of job training and resources. Research, however, has been limited on parole officers who work with the elderly offender population. Arguably, older inmates face unique obstacles that are in addition to the general offender population such as chronic health conditions, physical disabilities, and lack of family support. As the number of elderly parolees continues to increase, parole officers who work …

The Impact Of The News2 On Self-Confidence And Anxiety In Nursing Students, Ashley Barnes

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

The purpose of this pre-and post-interventional design study was to determine the impact of the National Early Warning Scale 2 (NEWS2) on self-confidence and anxiety levels of undergraduate Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) senior level nursing students during a clinical deterioration simulation. New graduate nurses and experienced nurses report a lack of self-confidence and increased anxiety when caring for a patient experiencing clinical deterioration or decline. Senior level nursing students self-reported their self-confidence and anxiety levels using the Nursing Anxiety & Self-Confidence with Clinical Decision Making (NASC-CDM^Ó ) scale before and …

“Our Experience Is Fragmentary”: Partial Redemption In Marilynne Robinson’S Gilead Tetralogy, Zachary Stevenson

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Although the characters and thematic throughlines vary across the four books in the Gilead series, each book takes an interest in the reality of division and considers ways of negotiating and healing that division. Whether the divisions are theological, familial, socioeconomic or racial, their presence haunts the text and the question of their resolution always hovers near the surface. Taken together, these considerations of difference across the four books demonstrate that Robinson populates her novels with chasms that her characters bridge, but only partially so. This coexistence of alienation and reconciliation allows Robinson to articulate a vision of Christian community …

2024 Spring Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Spring 2024 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, May 3, 2024.

The Lived Experience Of New Graduates Transitioning Through The Nclex, Kristie Lynn Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, thousands of seemingly qualified nursing candidates are unsuccessful at taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Given the ongoing nursing shortage and instability in healthcare personnel created by COVID-19, it is important to ensure that all qualified candidates enter practice promptly. Research related to the lived experience of the graduate nurse is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to extend the current understanding of graduate nurses’ experience in graduating from nursing school and preparing to take the NCLEX. This study is a thematic analysis of the graduate nurses’ lived experience as they transition from school to …

Evaluating The Qualitative Aspects Of A Community College Academic Success Program, Joselito Dacillo Coquilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College academic success programs (ASP) frequently include both quantitative and qualitative key performance indicators (KPI). While the quantitative KPIs are typically programmed for evaluation within an ASP’s implementation, evaluating qualitative KPIs is resource intensive and therefore, sometimes overlooked. The problem addressed by this study was the need to evaluate the qualitative KPIs in a large community college system’s 2016 ASP (2016-2020). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to conduct a summative evaluation to determine the extent to which the college achieved its ASP’s qualitative KPI objectives from the perspectives of students. The study was guided by Tinto’s involvement …

Volume Cxliii, Number 21, May 3, 2024, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Seeing Is Believing: Religious Views, Perceptions Of Pollution, And Environmental Attitudes, Katelynn (Sage) Shadoan

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explores the intersection of religious beliefs, perceptions of pollution, and environmental attitudes among Americans. Drawing upon Lynn White's seminal argument regarding Christian theology and its implications for environmental stewardship, this research investigates the role of biblical literalism in shaping environmental attitudes, particularly among conservative Christians. Using nationally representative survey data and logistic regression models, the study examines how the perceptions of pollution moderate the effects of views of the Bible on environmental concern. The findings reveal that while perceived pollution exposure is strongly associated with environmental attitudes, it does not moderate the association between biblical literalism and environmental …

Asian American Represenation In Sitcoms, Anna Blake

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Representation of minorities in the media is powerful in shaping the public’s perceptions of a community or group. Some well-known Asian stereotypes are that they are good at math, tiger moms, and foreigners. In the literature review, I found that in addition to those common stereotypes, Asians were commonly portrayed as model minority myth, kung fu master, dragon lady/lotus blossom, and family-oriented. Using a quantitative content analysis approach, I examined how Asian Americans are portrayed in American sitcoms and searched for positive and negative representations. I analyzed 24 episodes of Fresh Off The Boat, which aired from 2015 to 2020 …

Withholding In Shakespeare: An Analysis Of King Lear And As You Like It, Nylene R. Ward

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Shakespeare is a name familiar to most people who have had the opportunity to study beyond the third grade. Withholding is a practice that isn’t as well known to us until we reach teenage and young adult years. This essay examines both of these topics, exploring the causes and effects of withholding in King Lear and As You Like It while comparing them to real-world definitions and findings. No concrete resolution is formed, instead leaving the outcome to readers as they consider the ethical, relational, and logical implications of the adult hide-and-seek that is withholding.

Student-Parent Needs: A Study At Coastal Carolina University, Breton Poster

Honors Theses

This article focuses on Student-Parents as an under-represented group on Coastal Carolina University’s (CCU) campus. Student-Parents face many additional difficulties in their college experience, compared to traditional students. The goal of this study is to bring attention to the needs of student-parents on CCU’s campus and determine how certain stress factors related to being a student-parent can influence their college experience. We found that a majority of student-parents on CCU’s campus faced high levels of financial stress, academic stress, and social stress. As a result, we suggest providing additional resources for student-parents to use on CCU’s campus to help combat …

Dear Dad,, Kimin Kim

Theses and Dissertations

A father-to-son relationship is often described as cold, distant, and detached. Mine was no different. A son looking for his father's approval for his entire life, realizing the approval has to be given by himself, not from his father.

Prevalence And Predictors Of Secondary Traumatic Stress In A National Sample Of Emergency Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study, Christian Paige Owen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Emergency nurses experience traumatic situations as part of their professional role, leaving them vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress (STS). The distressing behaviors and symptoms of STS negatively impacts their well-being and ability to provide high quality care. Studies report that emergency nurses experience high levels of STS but less is known about how STS is influenced by their coping strategies and work-related factors. Further evidence is needed to better understand predictors of STS in order to support strategic efforts to improve the well-being and retention of nurses working in trauma-prone environments.

Aims: The specific aims of this study sought …

The Liminal (Vowel) Space Of Womanhood: Fundamental Frequency, Formants, And The Intersex Body In Brazil, Ashlee Dauphinais Civitello

Foreign Languages and Literature Faculty Publications

Despite the significance of intersex constituencies for explaining the social nature of sex and gender, intersex linguistic and social practices remain a yet unexplored frontier within sociolinguistics. This article examines fundamental frequency (F0) and vowel formant (F1–F3) production by participants with Turner Syndrome (TS), one of the most common intersex chromosomal conditions, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This analysis demonstrates significant differences in fundamental frequency and F3 among different participant groups. I argue that height, growth hormone, and chromosomes are fundamental in constructing womanhood for TS women. Along with relevant ethnographic data, these results call for a re-examination of the …

Unwanted Pursuit Behaviors & Emotional Reactivity To Former Romantic Partners: An Eeg Study, Ameer Abdel-Muhsin

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Romantic relationships are extremely important connections for humans to make. When these relationships end, one partner will sometimes engage in unwanted pursuit behaviors (UPBs) to attempt to continue communication the other. Although previous research has demonstrated that these UPBs can result in psychological distress among victims, little is known about how they influence one’s emotional reactivity to the perpetrator. This study therefore sought to investigate the link between cyber and in-person UPBs and neural indicators of emotional reactivity when viewing photos of an ex-partner. Participants (n = 18) who experienced a breakup were asked to view pictures of their …

Attachment To Diagnostic Labels: Social Media, Over Identification, And Self-Efficacy For Personal Recovery, Robert Oehler

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This study explored the relationship between self-diagnosis, social media exposure, and how individuals interpret a diagnostic label. Different attitudes toward one’s diagnosis impact an individual’s attitudes toward therapy, compliance with care, and general psychological well-being. One such attitude is over-identification, how attached an individual is to their diagnostic label and how they see a diagnosis as a part of themselves, as this could have implications for their self-concept and attitudes toward therapy. We will ask the following questions: Firstly, do individuals with different diagnoses show meaningfully different levels of attachment to their diagnosis? Secondly, do individuals vary in their social …

Impact Of Social Integration On Student Persistence In Commuter Students, Julianna Paolini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively examine the ways in which social integration impacts student persistence in the commuter student population on the Glassboro campus at Rowan University. Additionally, this study examines the levels of social engagement in the commuter student population and in what ways is their engagement impacted. The sample consisted of 159 participants who commute to Rowan University’s main campus who are enrolled as undergraduate students. Participants were surveyed utilizing a Qualtrics survey that was distributed to students starting in December of 2023 and ending in February 2023. The survey consisted of questions about the …

The Academic Disposition And Sense Of Belonging Of Food Insecure Students In Select New Jersey Public 4-Year Institutions: A Case Study, Scott K. Snowden

Theses and Dissertations

Improving college degree completion is a focus of higher education administrators across the United States. There are many barriers to student success (Astin & Oseguera, 2005; Tinto, 1993) and food insecurity is one of these barriers impacting academic performance, persistence, and degree completion (Hege et al., 2021; Maroto et al., 2015; Payne-Sturges et al., 2018; Silva et al., 2017; Woerden et al., 2019). Food insecurity impacts 13.5 million households in the United States (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2022). This concurrent mixed method embedded multiple-case study explored the academic disposition and sense of belonging of racially diverse food insecure students enrolled in …

Addressing Burnout, Stress And Self-Care In Graduate Students At Arcadia’S University Counseling Program, Lorraynne Moura De Amorim

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Burnout is a threat to both graduate and licensed level clinicians (Warlick et al., 2021). Burnout and stress can lead to professional impairment and result in unethical practice (Daly & Gardner, 2020; Warlick et al., 2021). Self-care is described in the literature as a protective factor to cope with burnout and stress (Butler et al., 2017; Callan et al., 2021; Daly & Gardner, 2020; Warlick et al., 2021). The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics reinforces professional’s ethical duties of monitoring sign and symptoms of impairment, which could interfere with their practice (ACA, 2014). The purpose of this study was …

Ethnic Identity Development And South Asian Stereotypes In 'Never Have I Ever', Priya Dutta, Allison Noyes

Honors Thesis

Intersectional media serves as poignant representations of marginalized communities, and as few positive models exist, researchers must explore the efficacy and impacts of celebrated works on consumers’ perspectives.

“Ethnic identity is less a process of ‘being’ and more a process of ‘becoming…’ The factors that form an ethnic identity allow its members to establish their distinguishing features from other groups, creating a sense of solidarity, belonging, and connection within their own definable cultural group through customs and celebrations, like festivals and religious gatherings, as well as through particular cultural artifacts, like a style of dress” (Stuart Hall, 1996). I will …

間, Lele Dai

Theses and Dissertations

LeLe Dai makes contingent participatory public interventions using sensory materials such as sound, flickering light, and water. This paper examines their works through the lens of Chinese character Jian (間), meaning “gap/slit/incision,” to investigate the concept of “in-betweenness.”

The Diamond, May 3, 2024, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Sioux Center Hospitality Industry Booms in Response to Dordt Events; Dordt Forms Future Vision for Chapel; Dordt Wind Symphony to Perform at Prestigious Concert
• News: Several Co-ed Intramurals Now Include All-Female Teams; Navigating Options in the Sioux Center Housing Market for Immigrant Families; Brown and Walczak Awarded Student Employee of the Year
• Feature: Gary De Vries Says Farewell to Ag Department; Mylia Wagenaar Elected Student Body Vice President; Dordt Grads Take on the Boston Marathon; A Look into Arizona Christian's Student Newspaper
• Senior Reflections: So Long, Farewell; My Final Opinion; Goodbye, Dordt; Gone But Not Forgotten; Diamond Life …

Opportunity And Oversight: The Nil And College Football Through The Lens Of Ole Miss, Emma Harrington

Honors Theses

Since 2021, student-athletes have been reaping financial benefits of the commercialized use of their name, image, and likenesses (NIL). In addition to engaging in direct endorsement contracts with third party businesses, student-athletes are likewise working with NIL collectives to secure novel forms of funding opportunities. In this thesis, the current system of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) utilized in collegiate athletics will be examined. While NIL can be a beneficial source of income and exposure to student athletes across the country, the set of rules, or lack thereof, in effect is not substantial enough to maintain a safe and healthy …

The Emergence Of Approachable Luxury In The Grocery Industry, Joseph Curcio

Honors Theses

This thesis examines various trends in the grocery industry that have led to the new age grocer. These trends are centered around the emergence of approachable luxury products on grocery shelves and new grocery stores centered around an approachable luxury approach. Due to the subjective nature of the term “luxury,” it is hard to define, but multiple academic definitions from the Journal of Business Research are analyzed.

The timeline of the luxury grocery is outlined – beginning with traditional Iberian shops to the emergence of the new curated grocer to the revitalization of big box stores. The thesis includes psychological …

Theological Songwriting, Jake William Dimas

Senior Honors Theses

Music affects people deeply. Because of this, Christian songwriters have a responsibility to write songs that are theologically accurate. To provide a comparison to the experiment that took place for this paper, Chris Tomlin’s biography, songwriting influences, and music are presented and discussed. The experiment began with exclusively Christian songwriters being given an initial questionnaire. A song prompt was then given to each songwriter, and once returned, the songwriter was given a questionnaire. This step took place once again for the other prompt. The songs produced by the songwriters were then analyzed, being compared with one another and with the …

Good Medicine Vs. The Gender Binary: An Analysis Of Existing Research On The Effects Of Gender-Normalizing Care For Intersex Patients To Determine The Research Gaps That Must Be Filled In Order To Create Inclusive Clinical Guidelines For All Intersex People, Aimee R. Etheridge

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis examines the medical treatment of intersex individuals through a public health and critical gender theory lens, evaluating whether current gender-normalizing interventions are evidence-based healthcare practices or reflections of the institutionalized gender binary in Western medicine. The study reviews existing literature on intersex prevalence, contemporary standards of care, the physical and psychological consequences of gender-normalizing surgeries and hormone therapies, and the decision-making processes that guide treatment for intersex children. Findings indicate that many interventions, including genital surgeries and gonadectomies performed during infancy or early childhood, often occur before patients can provide informed consent and may result in long-term complications …

Improvement Of The Seismic Safety System For The Population And Territory Of The Republic Of Uzbekistan, Muslima Аbdurakhimkho‘Jayeva, Oyqiz Yokubjonova, Oydin Khasanova Docent

Technical science and innovation

Central Asian seismologists show high magnitudes of potential future earthquakes (8 and higher), which corresponds to a probable level of macroseismic intensity of 9 or more points. Considering that zones with a high level of seismic hazard coincide with densely populated areas, as well as taking into account the seismic vulnerability of existing buildings, it can be stated that in Each existing level of seismic risk is very high and the consequences of future earthquakes can be catastrophic.

In recent years, large-scale comprehensive measures have been implemented in the Republic of Uzbekistan to develop the fields of seismology, ensure earthquake …

Trust In Government And Policies Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: The Before And After Comparison In The European Sample, Julia Match

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research explores the relationship between COVID-19 policies and mortality rates and the level of trust in government in Europe. This study looks at the stringency of measures, as well as their effectiveness as shown through high or low mortality rates, to see if there is a relationship between those factors and increases or decreases in trust in 2020. The Eurobarometer is the dataset for trust in government, with a focus on the data from Summer 2020, the first Eurobarometer after COVID-19 began. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center was used for cumulative mortality, and Shvetsova et al., 2022 provided …

Silent Killer – Exploring The Loneliness Epidemic, Stigma And Awareness Among Post-Covid College Students, Natasha, Holland

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic (Covid), American society has experienced what national officials have declared a public health crisis. This research aimed to explore the impact of America’s Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation on traditional college students by identifying how perceptions of loneliness stigma and levels of awareness about loneliness affected the loneliness experiences of participants. Research spanning the last several decades has converged, revealing the vast and significant health and well-being outcomes associated with social isolation and loneliness. A lack of social connection and the loneliness it inflicted is linked to many adverse and dire consequences …