Digital Commons Network^™

What The Wild West Can Teach Us About Space Exploration, Kody George

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Currently, the laws governing property in outer space are inadequate and underdeveloped, yet space exploration by private entities is rapidly growing. In this legal vacuum, private companies’ actions heavily influence, and in some cases, provide the basis for, legal precedent. The policies that for-profit corporations prefer are different from those that most government actors will prefer and are much different from those that support the common heritage of mankind doctrine. Rewarding entrepreneurship, innovation, and investments by governments, while balancing the interest all mankind has in outer space is why this Article proposes a tiered, patent land system that would grant …

When Planes Fall And People Die: An International And Domestic Overview Of Disaster In The Sky, Clayton Rainey

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Commercial aviation disasters expose catastrophic breakdowns in engineering, regulatory oversight, corporate governance, and human systems. From the Boeing 737 MAX tragedies involving Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 to the recent domestic crash of American Airlines Flight 5342, modern aviation disasters have become defining legal events that test the boundaries of product liability, federal preemption, sovereign immunity, and transnational treaty law. This Article examines how aviation mass-casualty events evolve into complex litigation involving aircraft manufacturers, airlines, regulatory agencies, and governmental entities, and how those legal frameworks differ in international versus domestic contexts.

Beyond legal doctrine, this Article …

Universe Without A Cause: A Reply To David Lu, Daniel Linford

Philosophy Faculty Publications

David Lu has recently argued that denying the Modified Causal Principle (MCP)—that if the universe began to exist, then it has a cause—leads to the conclusion that we likely inhabit an Omphalos universe, one that began recently with the appearance of age. Lu goes on to argue that if the universe is likely Omphalos, then independent measurements of the universe’s age are unlikely to agree. I offer three families of objections. First, Lu’s probabilistic reasoning faces technical challenges and, even if those challenges are overcome, cannot rule out an Omphalos universe. Second, I propose an alternative hypothesis that does so. …

The Level Of Faculty Members' Awareness At The University Of Tabuk Of The Importance Of Using Artificial Intelligence Applications In Teaching According To Selected Demographic Variables, Mufleh Bin Qublan Bin Bajad Al Judea

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The present study investigates the level of awareness among faculty members at the University of Tabuk regarding the importance of employing artificial intelligence (AI) applications in teaching. To achieve this aim, the study examines the influence of several demographic and professional variables, including academic rank, gender, years of teaching experience, and the level of training in artificial intelligence. A descriptive-analytical approach was adopted, and data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a sample of faculty members in the College of Education. The results revealed no statistically significant differences in awareness levels attributable to academic rank, gender, or teaching experience. …

Interpretable Machine Learning For Bridge-Pier Scour Prediction And Flood Resilience, Adil Khan, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Bridge-pier scour is a leading cause of flood-induced bridge failure, yet practice still lacks transparent, physics-informed tools that link data-driven prediction with design guidance. This study develops an interpretable, physics-aware machine-learning framework to predict equilibrium scour depth and translate those predictions into actionable strategies for flood-resilient infrastructure. Using the 2014 U.S. Geological Survey Pier-Scour Database (569 laboratory cases), five models: Gradient Boosting, AdaBoost (Tree), XGBoost, Gaussian Process (RBF kernel), and Kernel Ridge (polynomial), were trained and evaluated with K-fold cross-validation. Model performance was evaluated using R², RMSE, and MAE. Gradient Boosting performed best, achieving training and testing R² of 0.99 …

Improving Medical Diagnostics With Vision-Language Models: Convex Hull-Based Uncertainty Analysis, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Taylor Patrick, Michel Audette

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In recent years, vision-language models (VLMs) have been applied to various fields, including healthcare, education, finance, and manufacturing, with remarkable performance. However, concerns remain regarding VLMs' consistency and uncertainty, particularly in critical applications such as healthcare, which demand a high level of trust and reliability. This paper proposes a novel approach to evaluate uncertainty in VLMs' responses using a convex hull approach on a healthcare application for visual question answering (VQA). For any VLM, temperature refers to a sampling parameter used in probabilistic generation, which controls the randomness of the model's output. The LLM-CXR model is selected as the medical …

Information About The South Dakota Law Review, South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Information About The University Of South Dakota, South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Quality Of Educational Climate In Ethiopian Health Sciences Education: A Comparative Study Of Public And Private Institutions, Yenuse Molla, Temesgen Fereja, Ayenachew Assefa, Tegbar Yigzaw

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Educational environment plays a pivotal role in shaping the quality of health professionals' training. In Ethiopia, disparities in institutional resources, governance, and student support systems between public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) have raised concerns about the overall quality and equity of health science education. This study aimed to assess the status of the educational environment in selected public and private HEIs and propose targeted recommendations for its enhancement.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional case study research design was employed. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was administered to final-year undergraduate students across medicine, nursing, midwifery, and radiologic …

Teaching Research To Undergraduate Nursing Students, Strategies And Theoretical Frameworks: A Scoping Review, Rquia Laabidi, Ouassim Mansoury, Samia Boussaa, Saloua Lamtali, Majda Sebbani, Mohamed Amine, Latifa Adarmouch

Health Professions Education

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify strategies and theoretical frameworks cited in the literature to facilitate understanding research.

Method: The search was limited to articles published in Pub Med, between 2010 and 2022, in the English language, describing an intervention, with a well-defined outcomes and year of implementation.

Results: A total of 30 articles were included. The results identified 10 theoretical frameworks and three main categories of pedagogical strategies. Based on the results, a taxonomy was proposed for teaching research to nursing students (prepare, involve and empower).

Conclusion: research teaching is complex, the literature relates …

Motivational And Self-Regulated Learning Strategies As Predictors Of Gross Anatomy Performance In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study, Kelly Reynolds, Marcus Roll, Karen Huhn

Health Professions Education

Background: Motivation and self-regulated learning strategies influence how students engage with and persist through complex learning tasks in health professions education. However, academic performance is multifactorial, and the contribution of these constructs in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education remains unclear.

Purpose: To explore whether aspects of motivation and self-regulated learning strategies are associated with and predictive of gross anatomy performance in DPT students.

Methods:  In this cross-sectional study, first-year DPT students from two U.S. programs completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) at the start of a gross anatomy course. Final aggregated course grade served as the measure …

Mapping The Use And Psychometric Characteristics Of The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (Osce) In Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Education: A Systematic Review, Luis Gómez Miranda, Tomás Reyes Amigo, Hernán Andrés De La Barra Ortiz

Health Professions Education

Purpose. Musculoskeletal disorders are a major cause of disability, underscoring the need for clearly defined and assessable competencies in physical therapy education. Although OSCEs are increasingly used in physical therapy programs, evidence regarding their design and psychometric properties is not yet fully characterized within musculoskeletal physical therapy education. This systematic review aimed to describe how OSCEs have been applied to assess musculoskeletal competencies in physical therapy education, summarize their structural characteristics and reported psychometric properties, and identify methodological gaps.

Method. A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Electronic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, …

Developing A Socio-Ecological Thriving Resilience Model For Student Teachers In Myanmar, A Crises-Affected Context, Shwe Ye Phyo, Erika Kopp

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The teacher education journey of student teachers in Myanmar has become more challenging due to the combined effects of COVID-19 and political unrest. Preparing resilient teachers in such contexts requires an understanding of the challenges student teachers face and the strategies they employ. Through focus group interviews with 12 final-year student teachers, the study explored their challenges and strategies during their teacher education journey. Using constructivist grounded theory, data were analysed, and a Socio-Ecological Thriving Resilience Model was proposed. Student teachers overcame both professional and personal challenges through the active use of their own resources and contextual ones. This demonstrates …

Initial Teacher Education For Inclusion: Does Practicum Bring Pre-Service Teachers Closer To An Inclusive Approach?, Constanza Herrera-Seda, Constanza Cárdenas Alarcón, Carlos Vanegas-Ortega

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Practicum is considered an essential element of initial teacher education for inclusive education. In this article, we explore its contribution to the pre-service teachers' adoption of an inclusive approach. We conducted a qualitative, multicase study of three primary teacher education programmes in Chile. Through episodic interviews, we produced data from 18 pre-service teachers. The main results showed that practicum causes various emotions, cognitions, and actions that interact with the adoption of an inclusive approach. Overwhelming pre-service teachers’ emotions related to exclusion can undermine their self-efficacy, leading them to avoid an inclusive approach. Also, the practicum tends to reproduce deficit- …

From Plans To Practice: Preservice Mathematics Teachers' Journey To Conceptual Understanding, Rolando B. Magat Jr

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines the journey of preservice mathematics teachers (PMTs) in the Philippines from lesson planning to classroom practice, focusing on fostering conceptual understanding. Using a case study approach, data were gathered from 15 PMTs in Metro Manila through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and lesson plan analysis. Findings reveal that PMTs face challenges in deep content knowledge, effective instructional strategies, and real-world application, often prioritizing procedural knowledge over conceptual depth. Additionally, engagement strategies and resource integration were key themes influencing lesson planning. To address these gaps, the study proposes Project M.A.S.T.E.R (Mathematics Application and Strategy Training for Enhanced Readiness), a …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Perceptions Of Relationship Skills For Future Work In Schools, Melissa Newberry, Elizabeth B. Hinchcliff, Chelsea Cole, Michael Richardson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study focuses on the perceptions pre-service teachers hold about their own abilities to form relationships with four stakeholders of schools: students, parents, teachers and administrators. Survey data from 257 students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in a mid-sized, private university in the Western US were collected, including their beliefs about relationship skills, experience with children/youth, and conceptions of relationship formation as practicing teachers. Results indicate high confidence in relationship skills, yet few ideas on how to translate those into action when it comes to forming professional relationships. These findings suggest that pre-service teachers may be underprepared regarding the relational …

The Possibilities And Challenges Of Generative Artificial Intelligence For Initial Teacher Education In Australia, Leanne Cameron, Matt Bower, Jihyun Lee, Damian Maher, Jon Mason, Miriam Tanti, Tianchong Wang

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on pre-service teachers (PSTs) and its future role in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses. Drawing from a polychronic and polyphonic research methodology (Jandric et al., 2019; Matusov et al., 2019), the six participants, experienced Initial Teacher Educators, identify the opportunities GenAI offers for enhancing teaching, streamlining administration, and providing personalized learning. They also articulate the challenges GenAI presents: bias, ethical and authenticity issues and copyright. The Teacher Educators agree that PSTs must become technically proficient and critically discerning towards GenAI content, and they highlight the need for personalized and context-specific assessment …

Investigating The Changes In Attitudes Towards Science Among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Enrolled In A Science Methods Course Using A New Version Of The Test Of Science Related Attitudes, Christopher S. Long, Becky Sinclair

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article examines the changes in student attitudes towards science among pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs), who were enrolled in a science methods course at a large public university in Texas, USA. A new version of the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) called TOSRA-3 was used to measure six dimensions of attitudes towards science. TOSRA-3 was created in an effort to create a more economical, 35 items versus 70 items, version of the original TOSRA. TOSRA-3 was found to be valid and reliable for use with PSETs. Factor analysis suggests a six scale structure with a Cronbach’s Alpha for each …

'Raissing’ Teacher Practice: A Case Study Of A Living Model Of Professional Learning In Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers, Joanne Yoo, Pauline Kohlhoff, Cathryn Moore, Susan Rowley

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Mentoring is essential for equipping beginner teachers with the skills to navigate the complexities of the classroom. It is paramount to any teacher education program, particularly in relation to learning the practical skills of teaching during placement. This current research presents a case study of a living model of professional learning undertaken within a practicum setting. It introduces a ‘RAISS’ model of professional learning in mentoring, which incorporates relevant, agile, impactful, sustainable and scalable activities that maximise learning for all stakeholders. This case study sheds insight into two pilot deliveries of a mentoring program that can be adopted by other …

Postgraduate Secondary Teacher Training Programs: A Global Scoping Review, Susan Ledger, Claire Bates, Jordan Smith, Elena Prieto, David Roy, Wayne Cotton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: Initial teacher education (ITE) programs are shaped by diverse political, cultural, and policy contexts, resulting in varied approaches to preparing secondary teachers. This study presents a global scoping review of postgraduate ITE (PG-ITE) programs across 58 countries, examining four key characteristics: program duration, entry requirements, curriculum, and practicum structure. Findings reveal substantial variation across all dimensions, reflecting differing national priorities and workforce pressures. While common structural features are evident, program design is shaped by underlying policy logics and assumptions about teacher preparation. By systematically mapping these patterns, this study provides a comparative contribution to the field and offers insights …

Framings Of Intercultural Competence In Australian Teacher Education: Conceptual Bases And Implications, James F. Toohey, Michael D. Carey, Peter R. Grainger

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Developing an interculturally competent teaching workforce remains an ongoing priority in Australia, yet preparation practices vary in their conceptual grounding. This theoretical paper examines four broad paradigmatic framings that inform strategies to develop intercultural competence in preservice teachers: cognitive, dispositional, critical, and linguistic. We analyse how each paradigm foregrounds particular assumptions about culture, communication, and development, and consider the implications of their partial application in teacher education. Rather than positioning these paradigms as competing models, the paper argues that they function as complementary lenses through which intercultural preparation can be understood and refined. Particular attention is given to the linguistic …

The Effect Of Stem Learning Experiences On Stem Semantic Awareness And 21st-Century Learner Skills Of Prospective Primary School Teachers, Ahmet Oğuz Akçay, Mehmet Arif Bozan, Engin Karahan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

STEM awareness and 21^st-century skills are recognized as two interrelated dimensions critical for the modern pedagogical competencies of pre-service teachers. This study examines how STEM learning experiences affect pre-service primary school teachers’ STEM semantic awareness and 21^st-century learner skills. STEM activities were implemented for six weeks with pre-service primary school teachers. The research was designed using a convergent mixed-methods approach. The study included 21 prospective primary school teachers who volunteered to participate. The “STEM Semantic Awareness Scale,” “21^st-Century Learner Skills Use Scale,” participant journals, and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. The …

Teachers’ Greater Perceived Knowledge Of Trauma Linked With More Favourable Attitudes And Less Burnout, Belinda Cicco, Donnah L. Anderson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers are required to meet the needs of trauma-affected students. While training improves teachers’ knowledge of trauma-informed care, it is not systematically implemented, risking teacher burnout and student progress. This cross-sectional survey investigated teachers’ perceived knowledge and attitudes regarding teaching students affected by trauma and three aspects of burnout (personal, work-related, and student-related). Australian primary and secondary teachers (N = 542) were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. Mediation analyses showed significant indirect paths, whereby greater perceived knowledge was associated with more favourable attitudes, which in turn was associated with less work-related, student-related, and personal burnout. Younger teacher age …

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly It Becomes This Is What Accepted Practice Is”: Factors Affecting Functional Grammar Teacher Training In Australian Schools, Anne-Coleman Webre

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australia has a long history of scholars bringing a functional approach to teaching grammar into pedagogy to support student literacy. This study explores how the ideas and practices from the approach make their way into teaching by investigating the implementation of a teacher training program, Lexis Education, through the perspective of the teacher trainers. Using nine interviews with twelve trainers, the study asks what factors have supported and challenged the implementation of the program in the Australian context. Utilising the substantialising framework as an analytic tool to categorize factors affecting teacher education into domains of influence reveals aspects of the …

(In)Visible Diverse Gender And Sexual Identities Of Pre-Service Teachers: Disclosure, Emotional Labour And Safety Work Within Initial Teacher Education(In)Visible Diverse Gender And Sexual Identities Of Pre-Service Teachers: Disclosure, Emotional Labour And Safety Work Within Initial Teacher Education, Saul A. Karnovsky, Matthew J. Phillips, Breeanna Melville

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australia is currently facing a significant teacher attrition crisis, with early career educators increasingly leaving the profession due to burnout, demoralisation, and adverse working conditions. This issue is exacerbated for teachers of diverse genders and sexualities (DGS), who encounter heightened levels of discrimination, exclusion, and mental health challenges within educational institutions. Despite broader societal progress, Australian schools and universities remain sites of persistent queerphobia, contributing to unsafe and unsupportive environments for DGS individuals. This article focuses on pre-service teachers (PSTs) enrolled in initial teacher education (ITE) programs. The study addresses an important gap in the literature by exploring how emotional …

An Examination Of The Cognitive Levels And Content Dimensions In Activities Developed By Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Within The Math Taxonomy Framework, Ayşe Tuğçe Bodur, Mevhibe Kobak Demi̇r

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study is to analyze the questions included in three-dimensional modeling activities developed by pre-service mathematics teachers in terms of the cognitive levels and mathematical content dimensions of the MATH taxonomy. This analysis aims to reveal which mathematical processes and skills the pre-service teachers prioritize in their instructional materials. Adopting a case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, this research examined activities developed by 26 secondary pre-service mathematics teachers, selected through convenience sampling, for teaching three-dimensional geometric shapes. Descriptive analysis was used to evaluate a total of 122 activity questions. Regarding content dimensions, it …

Collaborative Problem-Solving (Cps) In Supporting Critical Thinking Skills: A Case Study On Quadratic Function Material, Buaddin Hasan, Arif Hidayatul Khusna

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Theoretically, CPS can support students' critical thinking skills. However, more in-depth research is needed on how CPS can support students' critical thinking skills. This research aims to describe CPS in supporting students' critical thinking skills. Participants in this research were 24 10th-grade students consisting of 14 female students and ten male students. The 24 participants were then formed into 12 groups, with one group of two students. Data was collected by asking groups to solve a quadratic function problem. The research results show that CPS can support students' critical thinking skills because it provides opportunities for students to negotiate with …

Reciprocal Translanguaging In Peer Interaction: An Interactional Analysis Of Grammatical Co-Construction Among Indonesian Efl Learners, Erwin Ashari, Berlin Sibarani, Masitowarni Siregar

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines how reciprocal translanguaging operates in small-group peer interaction to support the co-construction of English grammatical understanding among Indonesian EFL learners. Conceptualized as a structured interactional process in which participants draw on their full linguistic repertoires to build grammatical meaning across turns, reciprocal translanguaging is analyzed through five excerpts of naturally occurring peer discussion focusing on observable moves of questioning, repair, metalinguistic elaboration, and confirmation among three fifth-semester university students at Universitas Riau Kepulauan, Indonesia. Drawing on qualitative interactional discourse analysis of recorded online peer discussions, the study examines how participants flexibly deploy Indonesian and English resources to …

“Oh, You’Ve Come To Visit The Yard?”: Phenotypic Capital, Intragroup Marginalization, And The Gated Sanctuary In Black Lgbtq+ Communities, Keith J. Watts, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Nicole Campbell, Laneshia Conner, Julian K. Glover, Janet K. Otachi, Dekeitra Griffin

Social Work Faculty Publications

Identity-based communities that share common characteristics, beliefs, and experiences (e.g., Black LGBTQ+ communities) have historically been conceptualized as protective bubbles that buffer Black LGBTQ+ individuals against the deleterious effects of systemic racism and cisheterosexism. However, this monolithic narrative often masks the internal power dynamics that divide belonging. This study explores the exclusionary dynamics embedded within these safe spaces, examining how internal hierarchies of skin tone, socioeconomic status, and gender performance function as proximal stressors. Guided by a critical constructivist paradigm, this study utilized Reflexive Thematic Analysis to analyze open-ended survey responses from 74 Black LGBTQ+ adults. Data were drawn from …

Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor

OER Materials

The goal of this inquiry-based lesson plan is to provide teachers and students with a place-based learning experience focused on exploring natural phenomena in the world around them. The lesson was established to provide learners with an experience to observe nature in Minnesota, by exploring the grounds at the MSUM regional science center. This lesson can be adapted to suit other outdoor learning environments. The primary goal of this lesson is to provide students with a cross-curricular, hands-on learning experience that takes place in their community and environment.