Digital Commons Network^™

The Sisu Of It All: Authentic Application Of Vital Skills, Samantha Hull

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the integration of multiliteracy and media literacy within the Finnish education system and the role of school librarians in supporting this initiative. Multiliteracy is defined as the ability to obtain, combine, modify, produce, present, and evaluate information across various contexts and tools, fostering critical thinking and learning skills. The Finnish national curriculum emphasizes collaboration between classroom teachers and librarians to enhance educational experiences, with public libraries serving as vital partners in promoting lifelong learning. The article highlights the importance of creating authentic learning environments where students can practice real-world skills, ultimately preparing them to be engaged …

Differences In Motivation For Biology Learning: A Measurement Invariance Testing And Latent Mean Comparison Approach, Ting Dai, Kuan Xing, Avi Kaplan, Jennifer G. Cromley, Kyle R. Mara, Tony Perez

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Educational and psychological research often involves comparing motivation across groups. It is critical to ensure that observed differences in motivation are true variations by group, not due to measurement biases. With a diverse sample of undergraduate students (N = 2200), this study measured internal consistency and gathered validity evidence based on the internal structure of five motivation scales. To compare motivation for biology between groups of undergraduate students, this study tested for measurement scalar invariance by group and, accordingly, conducted latent factor mean comparisons to understand true group differences. On average, female students held lower expectancy beliefs and self-efficacy …

Un Enfoque Sistémico De La Integración De Tecnología - A Systems Approach To Technology Integration El Marco Seti, Helen Crompton

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[El marco de Integración Socioecológica de la Tecnología (SETI, por sus siglas en inglés) ofrece una perspectiva sistémica de la integración eficaz de la tecnología en educación. A diferencia de otros modelos anteriores que se centran en la práctica docente —como TPACK y SAMR—, el marco SETI sitúa al educador en un conjunto complejo de sistemas socioecológicos, incluido el microsistema de los entornos escolares, el exosistema de las estructuras de apoyo a nivel de distrito y el macrosistema de las políticas nacionales y las normas culturales. Este artículo parte de conceptualizaciones previas de SETI y desarrolla el marco para mostrar …

Editorial: Ai's Impact On Higher Education: Transforming Research, Teaching, And Learning, Alyse Jordan, Ashley L. Dockens, Natalia Anastasia Pierson, Xinyue Ren

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[Introduction] This Research Topic provides a comprehensive examination of how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education. The collected studies reveal several interconnected themes that illuminate both the opportunities and challenges of AI integration in academic settings. This editorial summarizes these themes and articulates their significance for the future of higher education.

2025 Jan Term Course Catalog, Saint Mary's College Of California

Jan Term Course Catalog

No abstract provided.

Corporate Climate Targets: Science, Discretion, And Climate-Washing, Nadav Orian Peer

Publications

The use of corporate climate targets has exploded in recent years and now encompasses many of the world's largest and most profitable companies. In a corporate climate target, a company voluntarily commits to reducing its emissions in line with climate science and the Paris Agreement. The broad adoption of these targets raises important questions: are these commitments truly aligned with science in the way they are advertised, or do they raise "climate-washing" concerns; i.e., do they exaggerate the benefits and significance of the climate targets? This Article investigates the role that science actually plays within targets and explores different types …

The Undergraduate Spectrum 2025, Saint Mary's College Of California

The Undergraduate Spectrum

No abstract provided.

The (Im)Possibility Of Separating Rabbinic Texts Into Literary Genres: Form Analysis And Text Linguisticslysis And Text Linguistics, Rivka Ulmer

Faculty Journal Articles

This paper analyzes rabbinic homiletic texts from the perspective of form analysis in combination with text-linguistic theories. My study indicates that, from the perspective of functional considerations, it is not meaningful to lift small literary forms from a coherent text that depends on a co-text to create meaning. Additionally, the concepts of genre and parable need to be abandoned and replaced by text-type and mashal. The form-analytical description of rabbinic homilies is based on research performed at the Institute of Judaic Studies in Frankfurt am Main. The text-linguistic concepts are based on strict formalizations that demonstrate textual relations.These theories were …

A Method For Empirically Assessing Small Area Estimators Via Bootstrap-Weighted K-Nearest-Neighbor Artificial Populations, With Applications To Forest Inventory, Grayson W. White, Jerzy Wieczorek, Zachariah W. Cody, Emily X. Tan, Jacqueline O. Chistolini, Kelly S. Mcconville, Tracey S. Frescino, Gretchen G. Moisen

Faculty Journal Articles

National Forest Inventories monitor forest attributes across a variety of spatial and temporal scales in a given country. Increased interest in reporting and management at smaller scales has driven National Forest Inventories to investigate and adopt small area estimation (SAE) due to the promise of increased precision at these scales. However, comparing and evaluating SAE models for a given application is inherently difficult. Typically, many areas lack enough data to check unit-level modeling assumptions or to assess unit-level predictions empirically; and no ground truth is available for checking area-level estimates. Design-based simulation from artificial populations can help with each of …

Small Area Estimation Of Forest Biomass Via A Two-Stage Model For Continuous Zero-Inflated Data, Grayson W. White, Josh K. Yamamoto, Dinan H. Elsyad, Julian F. Schmitt, Niels H. Korsgaard, Jie Hu, George C. Gaines Iii, Tracey S. Frescino, Kelly S. Mcconville

Faculty Journal Articles

Nationwide Forest Inventories (NFIs) collect data on and monitor the trends of forests across the globe. Users of NFI data are increasingly interested in monitoring forest attributes such as biomass at fine geographic and temporal scales, resulting in a need for assessment and development of small area estimation techniques in forest inventory. We implement a small area estimator and parametric bootstrap estimator that account for zero-inflation in biomass data via a two-stage model-based approach and compare the performance to a Horvitz–Thompson estimator, a post-stratified estimator, and to the unit- and area-level empirical best linear unbiased prediction (EBLUP) estimators. We conduct …

About Face: Does Men’S Facial Symmetry Affect Evolutionary Trait Ratings?, Emma G. Kelly, T. Joel Wade

Faculty Journal Articles

Some past research indicates that facial symmetry increases ratings of attractiveness. However, more recent research finds that facial symmetry does not affect ratings of men's attractiveness, or is not an important component of men's facial attractiveness. But, prior research has not examined whether facial symmetry affects evolutionary trait ratings. The present research sought to fill that dearth by investigating whether male facial symmetry influences women's ratings of men's attractiveness and evolutionary traits. No significant effects for facial symmetry occurred. However, there were significant effects for ratings of evolutionary traits regardless of facial symmetry. Of the 19 traits, the traits: status, …

Using Abandoned Model Systems And Historical Literature To Teach Modern Concepts And Techniques In Cell Biology, Leocadia V. Paliulis, Gunar Fabig, Sandra Stein, Silke Tulok, Anja Nobst, Chukwuebuka William Okafornta, Thomas Kurth, Thomas Müller-Reichert

Faculty Journal Articles

The cell biology literature of the 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries is full of the seminal works that were critical for the development of our current understanding of biology but were done using model systems that are no longer commonly used. We argue that these historical papers are ideal for the development of course-based research experiences, both because the background work is conceptually and technically straightforward, and because the study of the abandoned systems stopped prior to the availability of modern techniques. These abandoned systems offer outstanding opportunities for teaching modern light and electron microscopy techniques, thus providing students with …

Justice And Restitution In Post-Nazi Romania: Rebuilding Jewish Lives And Communities, 1944-1950, Stefan Cristian Ionescu

History Faculty Books and Book Chapters

On 23rd August 1944, following the collapse of the pro-Nazi dictatorship of Ion Antonescu, Romania changed sides and abandoned the Axis to join the Allies. Justice and Restitution in Post-Nazi Romania explores the hopes, struggles and disappointments of Jewish communities in Romania seeking to rebuild their lives after the Holocaust. Focusing on the efforts of survivors to recuperate rights and property, Stefan Cristian Ionescu demonstrates how the early transitional government enabled short term restitution. However, from 1948, the consolidated communist regime implemented nationalizations which dispossessed many citizens. Jewish communities were disproportionality affected, and real estate and many businesses were lost …

Privileging Genetic Privacy, Natalie Ram

Emory Law Journal

Right now, research is being done on the genetic material or genetic information of practically every person in the United States, often without their knowledge or consent. These vast stores of research materials offer a tempting target for law enforcement, who have sought to obtain DNA profiles from as many sources as possible. This Article makes the case that this scenario should trouble us—and also that there are existing legal tools that could guard against it.

In so doing, it makes four contributions to the existing literature. First, it identifies the unique features of research genetic data that make …

The Effects Of Technology-Based Self-Monitoring Intervention To Increase On-Task Behaviors For Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Deris Cox Jr

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This study aims to assess the effects of technology-based self-monitoring interventions and to promote independent functioning skills for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It also seeks to replicate the findings of Rosenbloom et al. (2019). IDD typically appears in adolescents before the age of 18 and affects an individual’s ability to learn, reason, and manage daily tasks. Behavior analysis is a common approach used to teach individuals with developmental disabilities new skills, decrease challenging behaviors, and enhance quality of life.

“Tw-Ironic": The Ironic Consumption Of Media Examined Through Twilight, Sydney J. Rooney

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

“It’s so bad it’s good” is a phrase often uttered in order to justify watching, reading, or listening to a piece of media with a poor reputation. In the 20 years since the first novel’s debut, the Twilight saga has become renowned for its massive level of popularity and influence. However, it has also faced a great deal of backlash and criticism for a variety of reasons, which affected the nature of the fan base. Through analysis of short-form content, the ironic consumption of Twilight media is observed in contemporary times.

The John L. Roper Lumber Company: How Canals, Lumber Towns, And Railroads Changed The Tidewater Landscape, 1850-1900, Michael Thurston

Ph.D. Dissertations (Open Access)

This dissertation explores the impact of the John L. Roper Lumber Company during the second half of the nineteenth century. Following the Civil War, immigrants, poor whites, and men and women of color were exploited by southern industries that had earlier relied almost exclusively on enslaved labor. At the same time, rapid expansion of railroads granted access to timberlands previously out of reach for aspiring lumbermen. Public awareness of lumbering’s negative impacts generated calls for more government oversight and conservation. Land reclamation projects and environmental protections, along with economic stability and development, are legacies of the lumber industry which resulted …

Difficulties With Cultural Heritage Management In Syria: Daesh, Unesco, And Eurocentrism, Gracen L. Barter

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

This paper will discuss the difficulties with cultural heritage management in Syria, arguing that while all cultural heritage sites deserve to be protected in times of war, global attention and preservation efforts are disproportionately focused on celebrity sites which leaves vernacular sites unprotected and unknown. Therefore, in times of conflict, it is essential to adopt more inclusive heritage management so that more sites and communities are protected. To prove this, this paper will analyze two case studies in Syria, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra and the Armenian Holy Martyrs Church, and the differences in the global attention they …

A New Frontier In Political Communications: Analyzing The Electoral Influence Of The 1960 Televised Presidential Debates, Leah Spengler

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Although Kennedy’s success in the 1960 election is often attributed to his performance in the first televised presidential debates, I contend that the party affiliation of voters and proposed policies by Kennedy, specifically those targeting civil rights, held more weight in securing his victory. The Kennedy image had been carefully curated for over a decade prior to the election, and Kennedy’s performance in the first televised debates reinforced the calm and collected impression he wanted to make to the American people. While his debate performance held significance as it was the first to be televised and led to a discrepancy …

The War On Knowledge And How Everyone Is A Part Of The Problem: Through The Lens Of Science Communication And The Trump Administration, Aidan D. Valcich

CEG 450 Cultural, Environmental, and Global Studies Capstone

Science communication as an emerging field of study has become increasingly important in the age of the internet and rapid information dissemination. The work of science communication focuses on the complexities of communicating sciences between experts and non-experts such as politicians and laymen. The importance is not only communicating the science but also why everyone, not just the experts, should care. In what has been called the War on Knowledge, there has been an increase in attacks against science and academia. A major example of this is in the United States during both of the presidential terms of Donald Trump. …

Transitioning To Geothermal Energy For University Sustainability, Brian Koluch, Colleen Ohrtman, Kate Markowski, Kathleen Guinivan, Omar Kaziz

GLO-350 Earth 2050

Retrofitting Gerety Hall with geothermal heating offers Salve Regina University a strategic way to advance its Mercy Mission and improve sustainability. Geothermal systems would lower utility costs, cut emissions, and support the university’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Though the initial investment is high, federal tax credits and long-term savings would make the project financially viable. With early assessments already completed, moving forward would position Salve as a leader in environmental stewardship.

Reducing Food Waste For University Sustainability, Ava Cafasso, Colin Cassady, Aiyla Cruz, Zora Felix, Brendan Foley

GLO-350 Earth 2050

No abstract provided.

Signs Of Inequality: Addressing Deaf Healthcare Accessibility, Lillian G. Shay-Duran

GLO 100 Introduction to Global Studies: Policy Analysis Papers

Despite advancements in accessibility and accommodations, there remains a significant gap in healthcare access for the Deaf community. This paper explores some causes and effects of this gap such as miscommunication, ableism, and discrimination as key issues that are damaging to the Deaf community and lead to further health problems and stress. It also examines the difficulty of acquiring an interpreter through social, political, and economic lenses. This paper analyzes policies in action that address the rights of the Deaf community to adequate communication, and it gives recommendations to better support the Deaf community in navigating the healthcare system. Advocacy …

The Diary Of Mary Anna Violet: A Young Woman's Memoir Of Fashion In Gilded Age Newport, Ernest Jolicoer, Anthony Mangieri, Madison Capetta, Ella Cence, Kat Cole, Caroline Fenstermacher, Kayla Finnegan, Abigail Gibson, Ellie Heath, Lily Luskin, Elena Murdock, Claire Roane, Amelia Silvestro, Kai Thomas, Victoria Venditto, Madeline Walent, Stephanie Wills

ART405

Students taking an upper-level Art History class at Salve Regina University created the diary of Mary Anna Violet in the fall of 2024. Anthony F. Mangieri and Ernest Jolicoeur co-taught a class called Curatorial Practice and the Gallery Experience (ART 405), which focused on an exhibition of Gilded Age dress that they organized in Salve Regina University's Dorrance Hamilton Gallery.

Mary Anna Violet is not a real person. She is a hypothetical turn of the century protagonist whose point of view becomes the narrative device and interpretive lens through which this book explores fashion and the Gilded Age. Mary Anna's …

Scalable Machine Learning Framework For Adaptive Irrigation Management Of Maize And Soybean In The U.S. Midwest, Precious N. Amori, Derek M. Heeren, Yeyin Shi, Eric Wilkening, Ivo Z. Goncalves, Guillermo R. Balboa, Daran R. Rudnick, Abia Katimbo, Randall S. Ritzema

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Conventional soil water balance (SWB) irrigation scheduling tools, such as FAO-56-based Spreadsheets and the Spatial Evapotranspiration Modeling Interface (SETMI), rely heavily on manual inputs and periodic field measurements, leading to delayed recommendations and missed opportunities to prevent crop stress. More critically, these tools lack the computational scalability and adaptability to leverage the high-frequency, high-volume datasets now available through modern sensing technologies. As precision irrigation increasingly depends on integrating spatially and temporally nuanced field information, there is a pressing need for decision-support systems that can process Big Data efficiently and respond in real-time. To overcome these limitations, we developed and validated …

Enhancing Walking Culture In Egyptian Cities As An Approach To Energy Harvesting, Kareem M. Ali

Mansoura Engineering Journal

It has become possible to generate clean energy based on the physical effort of individuals, whether during the use of sports equipment or by converting kinetic energy (walking steps) into electricity instead of it being wasted effort. The World Health Organization’s recommendation to walk for at least half an hour daily helps to enhance public health. Therefore, the research proposes dedicating pathways within cities built with energy-generating technology from pedestrian movement and organizing regular walking races to help produce more electrical energy. This would provide part of the urban environment’s electricity needs, reduce the carbon footprint, and enhance public health. …

Behaviour Of The Internal Rc Slab-Column Connection With Both Correct And Incorrect Reinforcing Details, Momen M. Ali, Abdelrhman B. Harraz, Walid H. Shalaby

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Flat slabs without beams are common slab systems due to their simple formwork and ability to accommodate reduced story heights. Reinforced concrete slab-column connections are critical, especially internal connections with the final roof slabs. This research aims to compare the correct and incorrect reinforcing details of internal slabcolumn connections and examine how they affect the connections' behaviour. One of the most common problems in reinforced concrete structures is incorrect reinforcing details of slab-column connections, which is caused by insufficient experience and a lack of quality control. For this reason, numerical research is carried out. FE models for eighteen (18) specimens …

A Digital Paradigm For Shaping Smart Sustainable New Cities In Egypt, Hayam M. Omayer, Eman H. Ayad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Shaping the future of cities is a crucial responsibility that depends on today’s developers and designers. In light of the ongoing technological advancements across all fields, cities are obliged to harness this accelerated continuous progress to rescue from global challenges facing communities. Rapid urbanization, population growth, fragile infrastructure, and many other threatening environmental issues have prompted many governments across the world to expedite the digital transformation of cities to achieve sustainable urban progression. In Egypt, planning for smart cities is still taking its first step. Various significant economic, environmental, and social challenges are confronted. This research explores the pivotal role …

How Can Educators Distinguish Special Education Accommodations/Modifications From General Education Differentiation To More Effectively Support All Learners, Olivia R. Nelson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers often use the terms differentiated instruction, accommodations, and modifications, but research shows that these words are not always understood or used correctly. This thesis reviews current studies to examine how these differences affect teaching decisions, teamwork between general and special education teachers, and students’ access to grade-level learning. The literature shows that when definitions are unclear, teachers may provide the wrong type of support or lower expectations, which reduces students’ opportunities to learn challenging material. The review also points to the need for a common language, better teacher preparation, and continued collaboration. Understanding the differences among these supports is …

Here And Everywhere, Grace Gillio

Intertidal

No abstract provided.