Digital Commons Network^™

From Answers To Understanding: Bridging The Gap Between Multiple-Choice And Open-Ended Questions, Kathleen A. Siren

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Assessment is central to effective teaching, and the structure of exam questions significantly influences both learning and instruction. Multiple-choice (MCQ) and short-answer (SAQ) questions are widely used and frequently studied, each offering distinct advantages and limitations for formative and summative assessment. This study examined a modified multiple-choice format, multiple-choice questions with explanation (MCQwE), for which students selected an answer and briefly explained their reasoning. Designed to combine the efficiency of MCQs with the diagnostic value of open-ended responses, MCQwE were implemented in an undergraduate speech science course and compared to traditional MCQs and SAQs in terms of student performance. Findings …

Teaching Through Disruption: Trauma-Informed, Community-Engaged Learning In A Graduate Csd Course, Teresa L. Boggs

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This article explores how a graduate course in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) was rapidly redesigned in response to a natural disaster to integrate trauma-informed and community-engaged learning. Following Hurricane Helene’s impact on Appalachian communities, a standard literature review assignment was transformed into a collaborative project where students created low-cost, developmentally appropriate language-learning kits for young children affected by the storm. Grounded in adult learning theory, trauma-responsive pedagogy, and high-impact educational practices, the revised course structure enabled students to apply clinical knowledge in real time while supporting families in crisis. Outcomes included increased student engagement, empathy, and professional competency. The …

Teaching Students To Identify And Adjust Linguistic Bias In Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Writing, Ann K. Holland, Mary Riotte, Abby "Po Jung" Lee, Angela Ayre, Sarah Friel, Mirza J. Lugo-Neris, Laura L. Wolford

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Biased and stigmatizing language is pervasive in healthcare records and has negative effects on clients’ care. While some research has studied how medical students may be taught to reduce stigmatizing language in their writing, the impacts of such trainings on clinical writing are rarely directly assessed, and little has been done to address this problem in speech-language pathology (SLP). This study assessed how a training module on biased language in clinical writing impacted SLP masters students’ ability to identify and correct stigmatizing language in a clinical report. Across two years, 120 students took part in this module. During the second …

A Brief Case Report About Mentored Self-Reflection In A Communication Disorders Survey Course, Paul W. Cascella

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This report describes and analyzes a 4 ½ hour experiential learning module for entry-level undergraduates majoring in communication sciences and disorders. The module emphasizes the importance of self-reflection to future audiologists and speech-language pathologists. It illustrates the curriculum planning process (i.e., content and self-rating tools) and introduces a mentored forum grounded in personalized and constructivist learning to foster three outcomes; foundational knowledge, caring, and the human dimension (Fink, 2021; 2001). As a result, students stated they learned about why self-reflection matters and how their own dispositions could be aligned with the professions’ expectations. Students found the activities engaging, interesting, and …

Online Recruitment For Interview Participants Impacted By The Criminal Legal System, Sarah Lageson, Carolina R. Caliman, Elsa Chen, Ericka Adams

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"As technology has altered communication, qualitative criminologists have turned to digital spaces for a cost-effective approach to recruit participants who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. This paper analyzes the limits and benefits of online recruitment, detailing our experience recruiting 93 interviewees online for a qualitative study of criminal record expungement. We compare three approaches: social media advertisements, Amazon’s crowdsourced MTurk platform, and the opt-in survey platform Prolific, and analyze the financial and labor costs associated with each. We detail our experience individually screening 685 interested participants to obtain 86 qualitative interviews suitable for analysis. Our experience shows …

Fragmented Responses: Variability In Law Enforcement And Prosecutorial Approaches To Sexual Assault Cases, Veronica Gonzalez

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Sexual assault (SA) remains a pervasive issue in the United States, marked by low reporting rates, inconsistent investigations, and limited convictions. In response, researchers and practitioners have promoted a range of best practices aimed at improving law enforcement and prosecutorial responses. This qualitative study draws on interviews with 13 law enforcement agencies and 12 prosecutors' offices to explore how recommended practices—such as victim advocacy, specialized units, interagency collaboration, and case reviews—are interpreted and operationalized in the field. Findings reveal substantial variability, shaped not only by resource availability but also by leadership priorities, organizational culture, and the ambiguity of guidance documents. …

"This Is Not A Scam!": Assessment Of An Awareness Raising Program Tackling Older Adults' Scam Victimization In A Multi-Method Study, Katalin Parti, Pamela Teaster, Susanna Rinehart, Charles Dye

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Interactive theatre has long been used to educate and empower communities and prevent crime across all age groups. Although older populations are disproportionately victimized through fraudulent online schemes, effective educational interventions, like interactive theatre, have not been utilized to increase crime awareness. This paper describes an explorational research project, analyzing the results of a theatre-based fraud awareness program aimed towards educating victims and their communities about scams targeting older people. The study employs a mixed-method research design to examine program impact. In applying multifaceted tools of data collection, such as survey, participant observation, and follow-up interviews, the research team identified …

Aging On Parole: A Thematic Analysis Of The Parole Officer’S Perspective, Angela Murolo

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"A growing proportion of people leaving prison are over 50 years old and will live at least temporarily under the supervision of a parole officer. While recidivism rates are lower for older people, there are physical, mental, and societal challenges that accompany advancing age that make successful reentry and reintegration a challenging experience compared to their younger counterparts. This presents novel challenges for parole officers who are tasked with supervising and counseling elderly people on parole. Surveys containing closed and open-ended questions were administered to N=25 parole officers to understand the differences in working with, counseling, and supervising older and …

Embodied Transcendence: Psychedelics And The Evolution Of Moral Abstraction, Emanuel Jas

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper explores the role of psychedelics in the context of evolutionary brain development and the conceptual capacity for moral realism. Drawing on theories from evolutionary anthropology, neuroscience, and moral philosophy, the first part provides a brief overview of human evolution and brain expansion. From here, recent empirical data from the neurosciences is assessed on the effect psychedelics have on the brain, along with speculations on the role of psychedelics in our hominoid evolutionary history—specifically, the capacity for phenomenologically rich, conscious, subjective experiences that are incredibly vivid and real. This imaginative capacity for transcendence and disembodiment could enable the realization …

Weaving Healthcare Needs Of Maine Law Enforcement Officers With Exercise Is Medicine, Patricia Hubel

Doctorate in Kinesiology

A law enforcement officer’s health is impacted by an occupation of high stress, shift work, sleep disruption, mental stresses, and primarily sedentary work which is interrupted by brief periods of highly intense physical demands (Adams et al., 2010; Boyce et al., 2008, 2009). This descriptive study explored the use of exercise is medicine by primary care practitioners on patients who are law enforcement officers in the state of Maine. It also examined physical activity and health of the law enforcement officers. An online survey collected demographic data, responses from two validated surveys, and information from their last physical examination. The …

Mind–Body Medicine Training For Incarcerated Men And Women, Julie K. Staples, Jesse Rice, Kathleen S. Farah, Sabrina N'Diaye, James S. Gordon

Student Publications

Background/Objective: Mind–body programs teaching mindfulness-based techniques have benefits for incarcerated people, as do programs in which individuals teach yoga to their incarcerated peers. However, there are no studies of comprehensive programs that combine a variety of self-care techniques with group support and enable people in prison to enhance their own well-being and then share what they have learned with their peers. This study evaluated the effects of such a training program in the United States. Methods: Thirty-eight incarcerated men and women began the 8-day mind–body medicine training and 31 completed the training. Mind–body techniques taught included soft belly breathing, meditation, …

The Effect Of An Educational Program Based On The Humanistic Approach On The Achievement In Social Studies Among Second Intermediate Grade Students, Ra’Aed Ahmad Salman Al Muhammadi, Ismael Hasan Abdullah

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

This research aims to identify (the effectiveness of a proposed This research aims to identify “The Effect of a Proposed Educational Program Based on the Humanistic Approach on the Achievement in Social Studies among Second Intermediate Grade Students.” To achieve the research objective, the researcher adopted the quasi-experimental design with partial control, specifically the design of a control group with pre- and post-testing. The research sample consisted of (60) second intermediate grade students, divided equally into two groups:(30) students in the experimental group and (30) in the control group. The preparation of the program went through three stages: planning, implementation, …

Investigating Efl Learners' Attitude Toward Emergency Remote Teaching: A Probe Into Learning Strategies, And Reading Achievement, Ihsan Dinnar Mohammad, Dariush Nejadansari, Zargham Ghabanchi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The experience of Iraqi university students with Covid-19 emergency remote learning – a situation compounded by political instability, substandard internet infrastructure, and scarce technological resources – remains a relatively underexplored area of academic study. To address this gap, the current study aimed to explore Iraqi EFL learners' attitude toward emergency remote teaching (ERT). Moreover, it sought to examine the relationship between learners' attitudes towards ERT and their reading achievement. Moreover, the researcher tried to find out the relationship between participants' reading achievement and learning strategies. Accordingly, 100 students from two leading universities in Iraq were investigated by focusing on their …

Translation Assessment Of The Conditional Sentences In “The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man” Story By Dostoevsky, Rana Sameer Abdulrahman

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

“The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” is a short story written by Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1877. This story is full of deep meanings about love, misery, responsibility and selfishness, and it is full of various grammatical structures. Due to its importance as an emotional story and as a literary text, it has been analyzed by a number of critics and researchers. Similarly, the translation is as important as its language, and it needs to be assessed systematically. The significance of the study is to identify whether the translator is familiar with the structure of Arabic conditional sentences and that he …

Utilising Reflective Journals As An Assessment Tool: A Case Study Of Kurdish Efl Post Graduate Students At Salahaddin University-Erbil, Qismat Mohammed Zahawi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

This study accentuates the notion that reflection profoundly aids students to profit from their own experiences. It aims at revealing Kurdish post-graduate students' perceptions toward utilising journal writing as an assessment tool. It also tries to uncover their language progress, metacognition, and self-awareness as a consequence of journal writing. Finally, it elicits challenges encountered by students when writing their journals. The current study is of qualitative-interpretive nature. Students' journal writing is the main tool of the study. Thematic analysis is carried out on data collected from reflective journals and a focus group interview including twelve Kurdish post-graduate students. Journaling resulted …

The Effect Of A Proposed Strategy For Teaching Sociology In Developing High-Order Thinking Among Fourth-Grade Literary Students, Basheer Abdul-Kadhim Mohsen, Saad Ali Zair

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The problem of the current research is summarized in the usual method adopted in most educational institutions (preparatory and secondary schools), which is limited to dictation, memorization and indoctrination and does not take into account individual differences between students, which leads to students not interacting with the material. Therefore, the objectives of the current research are determined by identifying the name (The effect of a proposed strategy for teaching sociology in developing high-level thinking among fourth-grade literary students). The research community represented the fourth-grade literary students, numbering (66 students), as the research sample. The researcher used the experimental design. Then …

Perceived Social Exclusion Among Mothers Of Autistic Children, Rahim Hamli Maraj, Zainab Hussein Dawood Salman

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Interaction with the environment is one of the basic pillars of the process of building civilization, as it represents the vital relationship between man and the surrounding nature. Investing in natural resources and harnessing them to serve society is what ensures the continuity and growth of civilizations. Hence, it becomes clear that any civilization cannot be built in isolation from the environment, as it is the incubator that provides man with raw materials, and it is also the field in which he tests his abilities to innovate and develop.The ancient Egyptian civilization is a prominent example of how to interact …

The Multi-Hatted Court: Community Courts As Boundary Organizations, Peter Dixon, Hadar Dancig-Rosenberg

Northwestern University Law Review

As a variety of the problem-solving court model, community courts have received significant scrutiny and debate. Do they help individuals by addressing the underlying needs that contribute to criminal behavior? Do they extend an unjust criminal legal system by making help conditional upon judicial involvement? This Article moves beyond such debates to ask how community court professionals and the communities who engage with them manage these and other tensions that are inherent to the model itself. As the second in a series of articles drawing on semi-structured interviews and focus groups with diverse stakeholders at the Red Hook Community Justice …

Critical Reading Competencies In Short Stories Among Iraqi Efl Female Students In Colleges Of Education For Women, Ayat Muthana Flaifil, Hanan Dhia Alsalihi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Critical reading is important for students to comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate texts effectively, but EFL students often face challenges due to a lack of linguistic knowledge and cognitive understanding, particularly with literacy texts like short stories. This study aims at identifying the level of Iraqi EFL female students' critical reading competencies (comprehension, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) in short stories. Finding out the differences in critical reading competencies across four categories. A sample of (200) female students is selected randomly from the Iraqi EFL second-year university students in English departments in the Colleges of Education for Women: University of Baghdad …

Pictures Of The Interactive Model Of The Saying Of The Original Model, A Reading Of The Qur’Anic Representations, Tahrir Qasim Saadoun, Nima Dahsh Farhan

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The importance of this research comes in accordance with the research in cognitive psychology and cognitive linguistics related to the renewed concept, along with the work of Roche, which presented anthropological and mystical concepts that investigate the mystical constants that have a universal form. The concept of the saying in the theory of archetypes depends on the concept of mental image and referential connotation, to highlight the relationship between perception and language within the framework of experimental realism, which is the basic starting point in cognitive theory. The problem of the research appears from the possibility of considering the associative …

Intergroup Bias Among University Students, Abdul Halim Rahim Ali, Hassan Hamid Abdul Obeidi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aimed to measure intergroup bias among university students, according to the variables of gender and nationality. The intergroup bias scale was prepared according to the social identity theory of (Henri Tajfel, 1982) and consisted of (29) paragraphs. The descriptive approach was employed. The research sample was selected using a simple equal random sample method, from (8) colleges distributed over (3) universities (Baghdad, Al-Qadisiyah, and Kirkuk). The scale was applied to the statistical analysis sample of (600) students. They extracted the psychometric properties of the scale from validity and reliability. The reliability of the scale reached (0.72) by …

Termination Of Conceptual Search: A Structural Account Of Meaning Stabilization And Conversion, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

Conceptual definitions form a recursive structure: words are defined by other words, which themselves require further definition. Traversing such definitions produces an open-ended branching process. Because the lexical system contains no intrinsic endpoint, conceptual understanding requires a termination operation that stabilizes meaning. This paper proposes that conceptual processing functions as an open-ended search over a definition graph and that stabilization occurs when this search is terminated. The termination mechanism depends on which cognitive layer is foregrounded. When Empathic modulation is foregrounded, termination occurs through contextual translation: concepts are stabilized once they can be mapped onto socially recognizable meanings. When Core …

Why General Ai Inherited The Body: A Structural Account Of Embodied Modulation Under Monolithic Imitation, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

General AI has pursued the replication of human-level intelligence without first decomposing human cognition into structurally distinct components. Human cognition, however, is shaped by embodied constraints such as mortality, survival pressures, finite lifespan, and physiological states. This paper argues that when cognition is treated as a single undifferentiated whole, embodied modulation is not accidentally introduced into AI systems but structurally entailed. Any attempt to imitate “human intelligence” under a monolithic model necessarily incorporates variability shaped by mortal embodiment. The tensions observed in contemporary AI systems are better understood as consequences of copying an undecomposed target rather than isolated implementation errors. …

High Dietary Fiber Is Associated With Improved Outcomes In Patients With Melanoma And Sarcoma Treated With Immunotherapy Regardless Of Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis And Social Vulnerability, Brittany C Fields, Raymond S Traweek, Kai Jiang, Russell G Witt, Ashish Damania, Yi-Ju Chiang, Nadim Ajami, Elise Nassif-Haddad, Emily Z Keung, Manoj Chelvanambi, Xiaotao Zhang, Christine B Peterson, Jennifer A Wargo, Carrie R Daniel, Christina L Roland, Ashley M Holder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Social vulnerability, dietary fiber, and the gut microbiome have been individually implicated in clinical outcomes for melanoma and sarcoma patients. This study hypothesized that increasing social vulnerability is associated with insufficient dietary fiber intake and negatively associated with microbiome composition and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Clinicopathologic data, baseline fiber intake, and gut microbiome profiles were assessed in 153 patients with melanoma or sarcoma treated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and prospectively followed. Patients' social vulnerability index (SVI) and fiber intake were evaluated for associations with microbiome composition, treatment response, and overall survival (OS).

Results: SVI percentile was 0.4 (interquartile ratio …

Simulated Hearing Loss In Healthy Young And Older Adults Results In Poor Reaction Time In Older Adults., Victoria Kowalewski, Nicoleta Bugnariu, Rita M. Patterson, Jessica Hartos

Pacific Journal of Health

Emerging evidence links hearing loss to increased fall risk in older adults, yet mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the impact of simulated hearing loss on reactive balance control in healthy young and older adults. Participants performed dual-task scenario involving auditory sentence repetition and unexpected surface translations. Hearing loss was simulated using Adobe Audition, applying frequency-specific attenuation based on moderate sensorineural hearing loss levels from the literature.

Speech-in-noise performance significantly declined under simulated hearing loss for both age groups (p < .001), confirming effective simulation, but not significant differences were found between age groups. Maximum COP-COM displacement (the scalar distance between Center of Pressure and Center of Mass) increased with perturbation intensity (Level 1 vs. Level 2: p < .001), but no significant differences were found between hearing conditions or age groups (p > .05), suggesting compensatory step execution was preserved.

Reaction time analysis revealed a significant interaction between hearing condition and perturbation level …

Decision-Making At The Edges Of Capacity: Brain Science And Caregiving, Dr. Julie Yonker

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Keynote address at the Disabilities Resources Symposium at City Hope Church in Grand Rapids on 3/14/2026. Attached is her powerpoint.

• Describe why our brains don’t like decisions
• Understand the impact of different types of decisions
• Value suggestions for more sustained decision making
• Consider a faith perspective

Caregiver Burden And Associated Socioeconomic And Clinical Factors Among Parents Of Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Patients In Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, Dyari Saleem Ismael Ali, Bahar Nasradeen Majeed

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) in children imposes a significant caregiving burden on parents, affecting their psychological and social well-being. Understanding this burden and its associated factors is crucial for improving family-cantered diabetes care. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the level of caregiver burden among parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and explore its association with sociodemographic, clinical, and management-related factors. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted at Dr. Jamal Ahmad Rashid Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, between November 2024 and February 2025. A total of 160 parents of children with T1DM were …

Stromal Vascular Fraction And Plasma-Jet: A Synergistic Approach To Enhance Acne Scar Treatment Outcomes, Pary Mohammed Ali, Jalal Hamasalih Fattah

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Acne scars represent a significant dermatological concern, manifesting as marks and indentations on the skin surface following severe or prolonged acne. Both Plasma-Jet and Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) have been used in a synergistic approach to treat moderate to very severe types of acne scars. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining SVF and Plasma-Jet in the management of acne scars. Materials and Methods: This prospective single-arm clinical trial was conducted from September 2024 to September 2025 at Rizgary Teaching Hospital and Zheen International Hospital in Erbil, Iraq. Twenty patients aged …

Age Of Menopause Among Women In Mosul City, Iraq, Omaima A. Zubair

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Low women's awareness of their health during the menopausal period is creating a global hidden problem that affects women's quality of life and their related families and communities. Objectives: The aim of this study was to find changes in the menopausal age after wartime conflict and assess women's knowledge of their health during this critical period. A mixed-method design was adopted. A mixed approach of a multistage cross-sectional study with a sample of 382 women aged ≥ 60 years attending primary health care centers in Mosul, Iraq, was included, supported by private in-depth qualitative interviews with 14 women. Proper …

Hba1c, C-Peptide, And Other Biochemical Indicators In The Management Of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Review, Israa M.Ali Alameen, Sumayah Mahmood Rafid, Baqer K. Hothefa, Farah Ali Hameed

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

The number of children and adolescents who are suffering from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) in Iraq is continuously increasing. Nutritional management and biochemical markers play a major role in controlling the disease. Several criteria are essential for assessing glycemic control and the course of the disease. Methods: This review examined published Iraqi research addressing two topics that have a direct effect on type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM): nutritional aspects (carbohydrate counting and dietary education) and biochemical markers (HbA1c and C-peptide). The findings were compared with those of other international studies. Results: Iraqi studies consistently recorded higher HbA1c levels and …