Digital Commons Network^™

We Are Each One Second Away From Being Someone Else's Patient, Paul B. Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Editorial

Socio-Informed Policing: Applying Bourdieu To Mandatory Police Reform Training, Neil T. Shelton El

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Contemporary U.S. police reform policies rely on officer training as a primary mechanism to address issues of law enforcement legitimacy and accountability. Yet, despite legitimacy-based curricula such as procedural justice, research indicates that this training struggles to produce durable changes in police practice. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to examine officers’ perceptions of mandated reform-oriented training. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the study conceptualized police training as a sociological process shaped by habitus, forms of capital, and the policing field. Data were collected from six officers in a large urban police department to examine how they internalize, …

The Relationship Between Culturally Based Mentoring And Academic Persistence In African-American And Latino Male Community College Students, Corey M. Williams

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Men of color, particularly African American and Latino males, continue to experience disproportionately low rates of persistence and degree completion in community colleges. While prior research has often focused on individual deficits, less attention has been given to the institutional conditions and relational supports that shape student success. This study examines how culturally grounded mentoring influences persistence, student involvement, and overall student success among men of color in a community college context. Grounded in Tinto’s theory of student persistence and Astin’s theory of student involvement, this qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of participants engaged in a structured mentoring …

Edu 40 Field Work Seminar, Tonya L. Johnson

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 30 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and links to OER textbooks and ZTC readings.

Exposome In Relation To Psychopathology And Physical Pain In Adolescence, Alexsia E. Newman

Honors Scholar Theses

The overall well-being of adolescents is dependent on a variety of factors during development, including both mental and physical health. Mental health, or psychopathology, which includes internalizing and externalizing problems, represents a common and persistent concern among youth. Physical pain is another important aspect of adolescent well-being. Although prior research has examined associations between mental health and pain, less is known about how these relationships unfold over time, and few studies have considered the role of multilevel environmental factors. This honors thesis explores the predictability and bidirectionality of mental health and chronic pain in developing adolescents, and tests associations of …

From Feelings To Function: An Occupational Therapy Perspective On All Things Regulation, Caroline Travaglin

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Social-emotional learning (SEL) and self-regulation are essential components of childhood development that support participation in daily activities, social interactions, and overall well-being. While SEL is commonly addressed in school-based settings, there is a gap in the carryover of these skills into the home environment; where caregiver understanding and implementation play a critical role. This doctoral experiential capstone project, From Feelings to Function: An Occupational Therapy Perspective on All Things Regulation, aimed to address this gap through the development and implementation of a caregiver-focused educational program in an outpatient pediatric mental health setting.

The project involved the creation of online modules …

Aiding Our Heroes: Addressing Gaps In Care For U.S.A. Veterans With Disabilities In Low-Income Areas, Marisa E. Gabriel

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Veterans with disabilities living in low-income areas must overcome significant obstacles to access affordable rehabilitative care. These challenges alongside physical and mental health concerns severely impact their independence, social participation, and overall quality of life. Following military service, many veterans experience additional physical and mental health difficulties that contribute to financial burdens and stressors and increase the demand for community resources. However, inflated healthcare costs and limited service availability leave many veterans without the support they need despite existing resources. Many veterans, particularly those in underserved regions, face further barriers due to geographic isolation, financial constraints, and lack of transportation …

Transforming The Future Of Accessibility In Healthcare For The Hearing-Impaired Population, Loredana Randazzo

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Healthcare is continually evolving to meet society's changing needs; however, accessibility remains a persistent challenge for individuals with hearing impairments. This doctoral capstone project, Transforming the Future of Accessibility in Healthcare for the Hearing- Impaired Population, identified gaps in current healthcare systems through scholarly publication reviews, rounds of needs assessments, AOTA critical appraised topic, and individual interviews. Collected evidence informed the development of educational workshops for current students enrolled in healthcare-related degrees who will shape the future of healthcare practice. Workshops highlighted etiology and functional implications of hearing impairments within healthcare settings, informed participants of existing healthcare gaps, provided evidence-based …

Impact Of Occupational Therapy–Led Education On Adaptive Snow Sports Staff And Volunteers Working With Individuals With Diverse Diagnoses, Olivia L. Hall

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

This doctoral experiential capstone project, titled “Impact of Occupational Therapy–Led Education on Adaptive Snow Sports Staff and Volunteers Working with Individuals with Diverse Diagnoses,” was developed to address a gap in educational training for adaptive snow sports instructors. Notably, there is limited research examining the education and training provided to staff and volunteers within adaptive sports programs, further emphasizing the need for this work. The project was implemented at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area and included three instructors participating in the adaptive program. Educational sessions were delivered through a combination of group-based and individualized formats, conducted live and synchronously via Zoom. …

The Effectiveness Of The Fishbowl Strategy Int Eaching Mathematics On Developing Creative Thinking For Fourth Grade Students In Basic Education In Dhofar Governorate, Sabah Abdalla Elsayed, Najawa Said Al-Hatmi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The fishbowl technique improves the sharing of ideas in a structured conversational environment, adding depth and excitement to creative thought; it further promotes active observation and a secure discussion atmosphere, fostering the development of innovative solutions among learners, therefore; the current research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Fishbowl strategy as one of the active learning strategies in teaching mathematics to develop creative thinking among fourth-grade students in basic education in Dhofar Governorate. An experimental approach with a quasi-experimental design was applied, where a sample consisting of two groups was selected: an experimental group (which studied using the Fishbowl …

The Lived Experiences Of Master's Level Counselors In Professional Counseling Association Leadership, Catalina R. Kraft

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Leadership and advocacy are essential for all counselors (Lewis, 2022; McKibben, 2016; Paradise et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2022). However, within research and professional counseling associations, there appears to be a bias in which counselor educators are the expected, default leaders within the counseling profession (Burns, 2015; Kleist, 2018; Speciale & Goodrich, 2020). While counselor educators may have experience as counselors, they primarily work in academia, so their experiences do not authentically represent the needs of professional counselors. Counseling leaders need to represent and understand the people they serve: counselors. Therefore, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of master’s …

Exploring How Parental Involvement Impacts Police Encounters And Delinquent Behaviors Among Black Adolescent Girls, Danielle Porter, Elizabeth A. Otto, Dyamon Brown, Jasmine Alli, Robyn Douglas, Noni Gaylord-Harden

Presentations

Adolescents’ contact with police is a complex outcome that is influenced by both individual behavior and the broader social context. Specifically, while delinquent behavior can lead to more police contact (Crutchfield et al., 2012), hyper-surveillance often occurs in marginalized communities, increasing unjustified police contact for youth of color (Campos-Manzo et al., 2020; Geller, 2021). Indeed, racial disparities in police contact during adolescence persist even after accounting for delinquent behavior (Campos-Manzo et al., 2020; Crutchfield et al., 2012). Thus, it is important to identify factors that may protect Black youth from contact with police. Parental involvement refers to parents’ active and …

Interventions For Reducing Barriers To Future Employment Success In First-Generation College Students., Kellie M. Burke

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise a significant and diverse segment of the U.S. undergraduate population, yet they remain disproportionately vulnerable to barriers that impede both academic achievement and career advancement. These challenges, rooted in intersecting factors (e.g., race & gender), are amplified by institutional structures that inadequately address the realities faced by FGCS. Despite the proliferation of career development programs, internship participation, and subsequent employment, among FGCS remains notably low, revealing persistent gaps in support, access, and program efficacy.

This qualitative study evaluates the Rising Leaders Program, an agency-driven intervention designed to promote career readiness for FGCS at Kentucky universities …

Assessing The Relationship Between Professional Discipline And Perceptions Of Team Functioning Within Hospital-Based Multidisciplinary Child Abuse Teams., Nikki Roth

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

Abstract

Assessing the Relationship Between Professional Discipline and Perceptions of Team Functioning Within Hospital-based Multidisciplinary Child Abuse Teams

Nicolle Roth

04/03/2026

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach, professionals from various disciplines collaborating to solve a problem, has been used for decades in both child welfare and medicine. Benefits of the multidisciplinary approach have been documented through studies in both in the field of child abuse and the medical field and include improved outcomes, shortened intervention timelines, and economic advantages. Although multidisciplinary teamwork has been shown to be effective, not all professionals have the same level of skill in working within a …

Soft-Floor Auctions: Harnessing Regret To Improve Efficiency And Revenue, Dirk Bergemann, Kevin Breuer, Peter Crampton, Jack Hirsch, Yero S. Ndiaye, Axel Ockenfels

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

A soft-floor auction asks bidders to accept an opening price to participate in a second-price auction. If no bidder accepts, lower bids are considered using first-price rules. Soft floors are common despite being irrelevant with standard assumptions. When bidders regret losing, soft-floor auctions are more efficient and profitable than standard optimal auctions. Revenue increases as bidders are inclined to accept the opening price to compete in a regret-free second-price auction. Efficiency improves because a soft floor allows for a lower hard reserve, reducing the frequency of no sale. Theory and experiment confirm these motivations from practice.

Early Childcare Attendance And Cognitive Skills In Adolescence, Ingvild Almas, Nina Drange, Costas Meghir, Henrik Daae Zachrisson

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper examines the impact of early childcare on academic achievement for children in grade 5 and grade 9, based on a 2003 policy expansion that created quasi-random variation in slot availability for children aged 1–2. Starting childcare one year earlier increases math scores by 9.7% of a standard deviation (SD) in grade 9. Children whose mothers do not hold a high school diploma benefit by a significant 0.28% of a SD at grade 9, reducing the math achievement gap from children of higher-educated mothers by about one third. We also present evidence of strong improvements for children of immigrants.

Evolving Humanity: Educational Leadership And Research In A Technological Age, Winona State University, Matthew G. Howard, Kari J. Johns, Peter Johnson, Kateri J. Johnson, Kelly Muller, Kate Glogowski, Niesha Conley, Sara Welch, Kristin E. Brendt, Cody B. Henrichs, Lance Davis, Kate Macdonald, Jody Shong, Oscar Uribe Mardones, Stacy L. Schilling, Allison R. Grainger, Kristen Fenlason, David E. Kline, Rachel Nihart, Rebecca R. Simataa, Steven M. Baule

Education Doctorate Books

The essays in this book are selected from Winona State University (WSU) doctoral students as part of the 2025 summer  WSU Doctoral Residency course. The residency course is a core portion of the WSU Education Doctorate Program.

Quote from the back of the book:

Our Doctoral students and doctoral graduate faculty are community members sharing experiences, asking questions, exploring our world, celebrating successes, and learning from missteps. We build and reconstruct our community as we learn, but never forgetting the end goal. We are together on this journey. This is the exciting part of learning. - Rhea Walker, Professor, WSU …

Embodied Horror: Women And Medical Authority In Video Games, Jocilynn Denise Colombo

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

Through a critical analysis of interactive horror, this paper argues that video games can function as ethical diagnostic narratives that uniquely expose systemic failures surrounding women’s bodies and medical authority. Focusing on Silent Hill 3 (2003) and Alice: Madness Returns (2011), I examine how these games render harm legible through player participation. By requiring players to move characters through hostile environments and make decisions within systems that simultaneously grant and restrict control, these games foster identification and complicity by positioning players directly within the structures they critique.

While feminist horror scholarship—notably from Julia Kristeva and Barbara Creed—has explored societal anxieties …

Technostress, Worker Wellbeing, And Ethics: An Integrative Review, Mackenzie Moreno

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Rapid advances in workplace technologies have led to increasing concerns about technostress and its implications for worker health and wellbeing. While the technostress literature has at times addressed psychological and physiological wellbeing outcomes, these outcomes have not been examined consistently, and explicit integration of ethics is largely absent. This integrative review addresses these gaps by synthesizing empirical findings on how technostress impacts worker health and wellbeing, and by examining the extent to which ethical considerations are integrated into the extant literature. Drawing on these findings, the review proposes a theoretical model of technostress mechanisms. Finally, it summarizes organizational recommendations for …

Coach Us If You Can: Development And Validation Of A Team Coachability Measure, Mounica Reddy

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Coaching research has largely focused on the coach or manager, with less attention given to the coachability of those receiving feedback (Shannahan et al., 2013b). However, individuals who receive coaching (i.e., coachees) are active participants in the coaching process and can improve or undermine the effectiveness of these practices (Gregory & Levy, 2010; London & Smither, 2002). Although coachability has been examined at the individual level, it has not been directly examined in team settings despite the centrality of teams to modern work (Bisbey & Salas, 2019; Mathieu et al., 2017). This dissertation developed and validated a new measure of …

The Effects Of Parental Psychological Control On Adolescent Social Behavior And Outcomes: A Moderation Mediation Model, Bailee Hill

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Adolescence is a salient developmental period in which family and peer contexts jointly shape youths’ social behavior and adjustment. One family process that has received sustained attention is parental psychological control, a form of intrusive parenting characterized by guilt induction, love withdrawal, and autonomy suppression (Barber, 1996). Although prior research consistently links psychological control to adolescents’ maladaptive emotional and behavioral outcomes, less is known about the mechanisms through which these parenting practices extend beyond the home to influence adolescents’ social behaviors and social standing within school contexts.   Social behaviors within peer groups, particularly relational aggression and prosocial behavior, represent key …

Silent Or Silenced? A Systematic Review Of Deaf And Hoh Workers In Io Psychology Research, Lora Bishop

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) workers report routinely missing workplace information that hearing colleagues receive through informal and ambient channels, as well as constrained participation in environments where communication norms treat hearing as the default. Despite over a century of research, this literature remains largely outside flagship industrial-organizational (IO) psychology journals. This dissertation conducts an integrative systematic review of 48 empirical studies published between 1919 and 2025, examining workplace outcomes and methodological patterns, the theoretical frameworks deployed, sampling and reporting practices, and the framing and identity-language conventions through which the literature engages DHH workers. The review appears predominantly in WORK and …

Workplace Identity Disclosure: A Systematic Review And Psychometric Meta-Analysis Of Measurement And Correlates, Daniel Ryan Charles

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Workplace identity disclosure (WID) is a central process through which employees manage concealable stigmatized identities at work, yet the empirical literature is fragmented by inconsistent construct labels, varied measures, and uneven coverage across identity domains. This dissertation conducted a systematic review and psychometric meta-analysis of quantitative studies examining WID and related constructs. WID was defined as an umbrella construct encompassing disclosure-related behaviors through which employees make a concealable stigmatized identity known, more visible, or less hidden at work. The final review included 37 reports and 38 independent samples. Corrected bivariate associations were estimated for construct pairs represented by at least …

Exploring The Roles Of Grit And Health Anxiety In The Relationship Between Discrimination And Pain-Coping Among Adolescents And Young Adults, Giselle Mcpherson Isbell

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Chronic pain is a complex and highly prevalent concern that can significantly disrupt functioning during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Pain during this developmental period may interfere with academic engagement, social relationships, emotional functioning, and the transition toward independence. Psychosocial stressors such as discrimination and heightened health anxiety may negatively influence pain experiences and coping, whereas protective psychological characteristics such as grit may buffer these effects. The present study examined the relationships between discrimination, health anxiety, grit, pain outcomes, and coping strategies in emerging adults with chronic pain. Participants completed self-report measures assessing discrimination, health anxiety, grit, pain intensity and frequency, …

See These Great Speakers And Their Programs At Annual Session!, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This feature highlights the speaker lineup and curriculum for the 2026 MDA Annual Session in Grand Rapids. The program offers diverse continuing education tracks for the entire dental team, including pediatric dentistry, oral pathology, risk management, and practice growth strategies. Notable speakers include clinical experts, legal professionals, and motivational keynotes. The document also explains the transition to a simplified registration system using one-day or full conference passes, allowing attendees more flexibility to choose sessions on-site without pre-registering for individual courses.

Rooted In Wonder: Cultivating A Connection To The Environment Through Nature-Based Learning In Central Mexico, Mikaela Tennis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Children are spending less time outdoors and feeling increasingly disconnected from the natural world. This reduced exposure and lack of interaction limits opportunities to form early connections with nature, which have lasting benefits into adulthood. Nature-based learning approaches have been proven to increase a sense of nature connectedness, which in turn strengthens one’s environmental attitudes and behaviors while supporting mental health and well-being. To address limited access to nature-based learning experiences in Central Mexico, this capstone draws from research on nature connectedness, nature-based learning, and nature center design to answer the question, How can a nature-based learning center be designed …

An Informal Environmental Education Curriculum To Help Learners Reconceptualize The Idea Of The “Wild”, Kimber Hendrix

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Philosophers posit that the “wild” is something often portrayed as elusive, dangerous, or out of reach. Research indicates that exposure to outdoor environments can yield positive outcomes. This project is designed to take learners into a specific outdoor environment and utilize Restorative Justice and Coyote Mentoring Techniques in order to assist them in reconceptualize their idea of “wild”. This project evolved into a ten-lesson curriculum designed for fourth- to sixth-grade learners, but it could be adapted for learners of any age. The curriculum is designed to take place in a consistent outdoor setting so that learners can build a relationship …

Home And School Connection: Enhancing Middle School Literacy Through Family Involvement, Katherine Loveless

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

With continued declines in literacy rates within the United States and a notable lack of parental involvement within a middle school student’s educational journey, this capstone project looks to address both issues with a single project around middle school literacy nights. By means of an in-depth review of timely and relevant literature this capstone addresses the barriers that are frequently encountered for literacy based events such as rivaling expectations for involvement, socioeconomic barriers, scheduling conflicts, and language barriers. Through the development of this project, a resource-based website was created for event hosts, school leadership, and parents to rely on to …

Building Teacher Capacity To Support Newcomer Multilingual Learners In Upper Elementary Classrooms, Grace Getchell-Ochoa

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As classrooms become more linguistically diverse, many teachers are working with newcomer multilingual learners and questioning how best to support their learning and engagement. This capstone project explored the question: How can a web-based resource platform enhance teachers’ knowledge and practices for interacting with and engaging newcomer multilingual learners in upper-elementary classrooms? The purpose of this project was to create a practical and accessible resource that helps bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. This project was influenced by research on language development, structured student interaction, and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (Alvarez et al., 2023; Umansky et al., …

How Can Professional Development Be Designed To Better Equip Teachers To Support Multilingual And Immigrant Students Emotionally, Socially, And Academically In U.S. Elementary Schools?, Safiie Seitaptiieva

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines how professional development can better support teachers working with multilingual and immigrant students in elementary classrooms. Research highlights that culturally responsive teaching, inclusive curriculum design, and social-emotional learning are essential for improving student engagement and academic success in diverse learning environments, and this project draws on these frameworks to explore how educators can create more equitable and effective instructional practices. The study uses a qualitative approach, combining a review of existing research with professional classroom experience in the United States, and focuses on strategies such as adapting instruction, building meaningful relationships, and creating accessible learning environments …