Digital Commons Network^™

Parents And Health Care Teams Perceptions Of Communication In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Marjan Mardani, Haydeh Heidari

The Qualitative Report

Parents experience a lot of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Then effective communication between parents and members of the care team is an essential component of improving the quality of care. The present study was conducted by qualitative exploratory research method for explaining parents and health care teams' perceptions of communication in NICU. We selected 39 participants by purposive sampling. We collected data through in-depth semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. The transcripts were analysed using the conventional content analysis approach. Three themes were obtained by analyzing the data included, the nature of communication, the theme of factors affecting successful …

Using Chatgpt With Novice Arduino Programmers: Effects On Performance, Interest, Self-Efficacy, And Programming Ability, Donald M. Johnson, Will Doss, Christopher M. Estepp

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

A posttest-only control group experimental design compared novice Arduino programmers who developed their own programs (self-programming group, n =17) with novice Arduino programmers who used ChatGPT 3.5 to write their programs (ChatGPT-programming group, n = 16) on the dependent variables of programming scores, interest in Arduino programming, Arduino programming self-efficacy, Arduino programming posttest scores, and types of programming errors. Students were undergraduates in an introductory agricultural systems technology course in Fall 2023. The results indicated no significant (p < .10) differences between groups for programming rubric scores (p = .50) or interest in Arduino programming (p = .50). There were significant differences for Arduino programming self-efficacy, (p = .03, Cohen’s d = 0.75) and Arduino posttest scores, (p = .03, Cohen’s d = 0.76); students in the self-programming group scored significantly higher on both measures. Analysis of students’ errors indicated the ChatGPT group made significantly (p < .01) more program punctuation errors. These results indicated novice students writing their own programs developed greater Arduino programming self-efficacy and programming ability than novice students using ChatGPT. Nevertheless, ChatGPT may still play an important role in assisting novices to write microcontroller programs.

Credentialing Exam Hesitancy In Dietary Management Certificate Program Graduates: A First Look At Perceived Barriers, Sona Donayan

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Certified dietary managers (CDMs) lead their food services team by ensuring food quality, safety, and palatability while applying nutrition principles to food purchasing, storage, preparation, and service. Despite labor shortages and forecasted growth in both healthcare and food services management jobs, approximately 30% of credentialing exam candidates forego their exam within the first year after completing a didactic career technical education program approved by the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. Moreover, very few return to pursue their exam after the first year. This study explored, through the lens of the theory of planned behavior, the perceived obstacles contributing to …

Preparing Students For Adulthood: Comparing The Experiences Of Degree And Non-Degree Seeking Graduates, Lacee R. Boschetto, Brian K. Warnick

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The role of secondary education is critical to preparing graduates for adulthood. This study explored the transition experiences of high school graduates and factors that impacted their preparation for adulthood. This descriptive study focused on the experiences of degree and non-degree-seeking graduates. Surveys were distributed to students enrolled in a general education course at a state university and marketing research participants not enrolled in post-secondary programs. The survey sought to identify overall preparedness, responsibilities deemed necessary to teach in high school, and influence factors that prepared them for adulthood. The overall findings displayed that graduates seeking degrees felt more prepared …

Lifecourse Patterns Of Productive Engagement Among Rural And Urban Older Adults, Peter C. Sun

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Many older adults are engaged in productive activities that have important ramifications for health in later life. However, little is known about rural-urban patterns of productive engagement across the lifecourse. This dissertation used six waves (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study to identify patterns of working, volunteering, and caregiving activities over a ten-year period using multichannel sequence analysis and cluster analysis. The antecedents of the patterns were studied using multinomial logistic regression, and the associations of the patterns with longstanding rural-urban disparities in cognitive functioning and self-rated health were studied using multiple …

Reimagining Parent And Family Engagement For African American Children And Their Families, Dominique A. Horton

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Achievement gaps and mental health disparities for Black children have been written about extensively and still persist. Closure of these gaps have moved at a glacial pace. These disparities have significant implications for one's sense of agency. Black family voice has remained underutilized. Because of this untapped potential, it may be, that the pathway for more equitable outcomes have not been fully understood. Parent and family engagement is associated with positive outcomes, yet, gaps remain in realizing its full impact. Social work is also uniquely positioned to spearhead efforts to address educational concerns and scholars have begun to call upon …

De La Escuela Al Hogar: Centering Latine And Hispanic Student Perspectives On Caregiver Involvement In The Well-Being Promotion Program, Nicole G. Pacateque Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latine students often face systemic barriers to accessing appropriate mental health support, highlighting the importance of culturally responsive school-based interventions to address mental health disparities (Gonzalez et al., 2022; Jackson, 2021). Although many interventions incorporate caregiver involvement, limited research has explored how Latine youth experience and make meaning of caregiver engagement in school-based mental health programs (Hansen et al., 2021; Wildmon et al., 2024). This mixed-methods study centers Latine student voices by examining how Latine students experienced and interpreted caregiver engagement in the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a school-based positive psychology intervention implemented during the 2023–2024 school year across six …

Exploring A Tailored Approach For Coordinated Early Intervening Services ( Ceis ) Designed To Address Struggling General Education Students Targeted For Special Education, Denise Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative causal-comparative study examined whether early recuperativeDepartment of Education (DOE) Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) could significantly impact the number of underperforming general education students targeted for special education services resulting from not meeting Math and Reading grade-level state standards. Approximately 1400+ students were randomly selected from several elementary, middle, and high schools and enrolled for four years in CEIS in the Equliebeh School District. This study's findings were generated in response to several research questions that provided valuable insights into CEIS factors that impacted students' academic performance within the context of its programming. For instance, although some data …

Supporting Students With Chronic Pain: A Group Manual For School Counselors, Victoria Shinners

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this literature review was to examine the current literature on evidence-based interventions for working with youth who have a chronic pain condition. Interventions and other relevant information found were then used to formulate a school counseling group manual utilizing evidence-based interventions for school counselors to deliver to a group of students who live with chronic pain. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported intervention for use with people with chronic pain, adolescents, and group work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a newer modality that has promising research on efficacy for adolescents with chronic pain and …

“Feeding” The Cloud: Reducing Carbon Emissions From Social Media And Streaming Services Through Private Information Disclosure, Madison Hoover

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Despite their well-known negative aspects, social media and streaming services have become integral for consumers’ daily entertainment and social connection. Although most users have some idea of these services’ harmful mental impacts, they are typically unaware of the carbon emissions that result from them. This dissonance is not an accident, but rather the direct result of incomplete data and the omission of individual user-level estimates for carbon emissions in private governance reports published by social media and streaming companies. Where these governance reports do include user-level figures, they are not provided in a meaningful way such that users could consequentially …

Reading Mood In The Post-Oslo Palestinian Novel: Shame, Melancholy, Hope, Sayed Qashou

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Modern Palestinian literature was born diasporic. Produced from different positions in the Palestinian diaspora, multilingual Palestinian literature maps itself onto Palestinianess as a state of mind. In dialogue with affect theory, the dissertation supplements this understanding of Palestinianness with an account of mood in post-Oslo Palestinian literature. Specifically, I analyze shame in Ayman Sikseck’s Hebrew novel Tishrin (2016) and melancholia in Adania Shibli’s Arabic novel Minor Detail (2020 [2017]). By “reading the mood,” this dissertation examines how iltizam (commitment) in Palestinian literature registers the social and political ruptures that the collapse of the Oslo accords brought upon the Palestinian experience.

Piece Of Mine, Tiffany Belmonte

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis introduces an innovative mental health retreat grounded in the principles of therapeutic and adaptive design. The current state of mental healthcare architecture lacks a focus on human-centered design, primarily due to their enclosed spaces, overcrowded dormitories, and conforming layouts. Adaptive design in architecture advocates for a more user-centric approach by implementing a system that empowers individuals to customize architectural components, such as walls, roofs, doors, windows, and furnishings. This approach aims to foster individuality, flexibility, freedom, control, and comfort. Therapeutic design in architecture emphasizes the influence of spatial, lighting, thermal, and acoustic design on the human brain, mind, …

Canciones De Cuna En La Frontera: Las Canciones De Cuna En El Valle De Juárez / Lullabies In The Border: Lullaby Singing In El Valle Of Juarez, Emma Alvarez De La Rosa

The Agora

Resumen en español:

Las canciones de cuna desempeñan un papel importante en el desarrollo de los niños, el bienestar de la madre y las relaciones sanas entre padres e hijos. Estas canciones también representan acervos musicales de valores y tradiciones culturales. Este trabajo resume la investigación y los resultados obtenidos para mi proyecto final Honors Capstone para la New Mexico State University, que examina la preservación de las canciones de cuna en la región del Valle de Juárez y Ciudad Juárez. Basadas en análisis etnográficos y etnomusicológicos para entender su importancia en la historia y cultura de la región fronteriza, …

Importancia De La Sensibilidad Cultural Y Lingüística A La Identidad Autista En Clases Convencionales / Importance Of Cultural And Linguistic Sensitivity To Autistic Identity In Mainstream Classrooms, Thelma M. Solis

The Agora

Resumen en español:

La investigación presente argumenta que la sensibilidad cultural y lingüística a la identidad autista de niños con el trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) es importante porque ayuda a que sean comprendidos en sus clases convencionales, y por ende incrementa su autoestima y crea un andamiaje a su integración en la cultura académica. Las áreas problemáticas en el ámbito médico y académico son retrasos en diagnósticos de TEA en grupos minoritarios, evaluaciones psicológicas posiblemente deficientes en sensibilidad cultural y lingüística de culturas minoritarias, y clases convencionales generalmente diseñadas exclusivamente para estudiantes neurotípicos. Los objetivos son detallar prácticas de …

Permission To Play: A District's Initiative To Innovate Kindergarten And Promote Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Cristin Mcdonough

Dissertations and Theses

Kindergarten's original purpose was to promote socialization skills for young children using play. However, recent research has shown an increased focus on teaching literacy and math skills, combined with pronounced increases in more advanced academic tasks and activities. Given this shift in kindergarten, as well as a lack of professional development for teachers to assist them in promoting developmentally appropriate practices, the Kindergarten Innovation Cohort was created in the Portland School District to address these needs for both students and teachers. Using findings from interviews and field notes, the current study addresses the question: What does the implementation of the …

Interprofessional Curriculum Delivery: Experience Of A Primary Care Education Program, Jessica A Davila, Nancy D Harada, Kathryn Wirtz Rugen, Stuart C Gilman, Shubhada Sansgiry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Few post-graduate training programs offer a comprehensive curriculum that includes structured clinical experiences to teach interprofessional care. To address this need, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Academic Affiliations funded the Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education (CoEPCE) from 2011-2019 to provide interprofessional curricula for health profession trainees (HPTs), including physician residents, nurse practitioner residents, pharmacy residents, and psychology residents. We examined changes over time in curricular domains, system impacts, and program practices based on HPT survey data and the qualitative evaluation of narrative feedback. An annual survey was administered to participants. Indirect standardized ratios were …

The Pedagogy Of Play In Teaching Of Reading: Low Tech And High Tech Interactive Reading Methods, Elizabeth Klein

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Play is essential to the healthy growth and development of children. As children play, they explore new roles, try out new ideas, and bond with each other. Play increases language, cognitive, and social skills. How can the power of play be harnessed and shaped for educational purposes? How can teachers infuse play into the classroom to improve reading and related language skills?

Teaching reading requires a combination of teaching skills but also requires ways to motivate students to read. Whatever the reading level or ability, most students will enjoy reading and read more often when they connect to the text …

Exploring The Relationships Between Grade, Gender, And Immigration Status On Reading Motivation Among Multilingual Elementary Students, Bong Gee Jang, Selena Protacio

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

In this study, we aim to address this gap by investigating how various individual learner characteristics such as grade level, gender, and immigration status affected upper-elementary school MLs’ reading motivation in English. To achieve the goal, we adopted a three-factor reading motivation model that includes three interrelated constructs (instrumental, integrative, and social motivation) based on factors which have been found to motivate individuals to learn a second or additional language. The sample for this survey research included 132 MLs in fourth-to-sixth grades from six schools in a Midwestern state. Findings indicate that while social motivation, which is prominent in the …

Incorporating Books As Strength-Based Examples Of Characters With Dyslexia, Vera Sotirovska, Margaret Vaughn

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Incorporating books that facilitate inclusive understandings of dyslexia can be a challenging yet important pedagogical approach to promoting equitable practices. As realistically portrayed characters and stories provide a way for students to see not only themselves but also others, and enter different worlds, the need for multiple representations of children with dyslexia is necessary when working to create equity-oriented classrooms. First, we discuss strategies on how to select and use books with diverse representations of individuals with dyslexia. Next, we provide book selection criteria to guide teachers in curating their own classroom libraries with similar texts. Finally, we include activities …

Examining The Evidence For Selecting Reading Programs In A Large Urban School System, Francine Falk-Ross, Kathleen A. Gormley, Peter Mcdermott

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

There exist passionate debates about the best way to teach children to read. Since the Bush administration, school districts receiving federal funds have been required to have research evidence justifying their methods of teaching reading, and in recent years the need for evidence-based practices have intensified with the “Science of Reading” movement. Last year the country’s largest school system changed from balanced reading to three other programs for teaching children to read. In this study we examined the empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of the three newly adopted reading programs for the country’s largest school system. Our study consisted of …

Southern Adventist University Commencement Program Spring 2024, Southern Adventist University

Commencement Programs

Program for Southern Adventist University Spring 2024 graduation. The commencement service took place on May 5, 2024 at 9 am and 1 pm in Iles Physical Education Center.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald: Ways Of The Future, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period April 8 - May 5, 2024.

• Anderson, Alexandria. Letter from the Editor – Science, Technology & Business
• Anderson, Alexandria. Women in STEM Make Advances
• Novoselia, Mariia. Turnover on Fountain Square: Local Businesses Share Concerns & Success Stories
• SOKY Rentals Offers New Apartments
• Walk2Campus: Where Home Meets Community
• Bush, Camden. Can a Baseball Team Reduce Their Goals to a Math Problem?
• Hawkins, Kaylee. Student Business Owners Share Experiences – Gatara Townsend, Andrew Garrett, Brittiny Sadler
• Ivory, Larkin. Bikewalk BG, WKU CHHS Offer Chances for Healthy Lifestyle – Health & Human Services

Determining Art Teacher Success In The Art Classroom, Mark Jefferis

Art 895 Research Papers

The purpose of this research study which used historical research methods is to help develop criteria that can be used to determine the success of an art teacher in an art classroom and methods to assess the developed criteria. This research studied professional standards developed by national organizations for art teachers. Current and past art teacher assessment methods were reviewed analyzing their importance, their shortcomings, and their potential. Then criteria were created to more clearly define success in an art classroom and ways to assess the developed criteria were discussed to help school administrators and art teachers assess their practices …

Far Beyond Words: Analyzing Information Gained Through Nonverbal Communication Across Neurologically Diverse Populations, Addison Bracken

Honors Theses

Nonverbal communication (NVC) refers to all communicative acts except speech that convey messages through signals. Humans perceive and express emotional information through nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, proximity, body language and movement, gestures, eye contact, and haptics. NVC can be just as if not more informative than verbal language as long as the observer is aware of the communication’s meaningful cues. Recognizing the varying nonverbal communicative abilities of a neurologically diverse population allows for more significant interpersonal communication. Despite the different trends of NVC comprehension for populations with varying levels of neurological ability, these paralinguistic cues prove to be …

Elementary Art And The Pride Program: Discovering Effective Practices For Enhancing Accessibility To Curriculum And Instruction For Students Who Are Severely Impacted By Autism, Kara Lynch

Art 895 Research Papers

In this case study, I use my position as the school’s art teacher to examine the challenges faced, while in the art room, by students who are severely impacted by autism. Our elementary campus has created a PRIDE program that comprises students in grades K-5 who are severely impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities. This case study considers how educators can provide better access to curriculum and instruction for students who are severely impacted by autism. It also examines the importance of understanding this population’s needs to achieve a higher rate of success in the art room …

Test Anxiety Inflation, Brian Podkulski, David P. Valentiner

Honors Capstones

Mental health conditions are higher than ever worldwide, despite best efforts to increase public awareness and deliver informed solutions. To account for this rise, some suggested models argue that measures taken to ameliorate mental health problems are actually contributing to their inflation through iatrogenic effects. The current proposed study seeks to identify the possibility of iatrogenic effects on test anxiety as a product of psychoeducational material. The scope of this study includes the immediate effects of viewing a typical short-form informational video on core and adjacent symptoms of test anxiety. Participants will engage with our study entirely through an online …

Reimagining Work: Examining Work Under The Fair Labor Standards Act, Dustin W. Tucker

Honors Theses

The Fair Labor Standards Act is a document created in 1938 to protect workers in the United States. This literature review points to the idea that times have changed. The research presents a timeline to understand the fight for labor standards in the United States. Americans at one point in time were working 14-hour days leaving little to no room for anything else. The research presented offers context to working standards in America. The paper examines the Fair Labor Standards Act through a multi-perspective lens to understand how exactly the document meant to protect workers might be contributing to long …

Preschool Survival Guide: Gardening, Beth Ann Weaver

Honors Theses

Nature-based learning can be defined as utilizing nature in learning experiences to meet developmental domains. The benefits of nature-based learning and play in early childhood are significant. Children who engage in nature have active imaginations, learn new concepts and vocabulary, have respect for their environments, learn and understand biodiversity, have better problem-solving skills and so much more. Despite these benefits, the low prevalence of nature and science-based activities in early childhood classrooms continues to exist due to the lack of knowledge and confidence in these specific subjects. This thesis analyzes developmentally appropriate practices needed to effectively implement science and nature …

Expressive Therapies And Resiliency – Resistance In Mental Health: A Literature Review, Gabrielle Lopez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review evaluates the current literature on psychological resistance amongst human service professionals experiencing burnout and the effect of Expressive Arts interventions on resiliency. Concepts include identifying the main symptoms, risk factors, causes, and treatments for burnout in education faculty, medical staff, and clinicians. Qualitative, quantitative, and meta-analysis studies are included to identify the most prevalent intervention frameworks for reducing stress including Arts-Based and Mindfulness-compassion based techniques. The effectiveness of Arts-based tools on strengthening identity, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and meaning-making in combating burnout is presented. Based on analysis of the literature, the author proposes a three-step intervention framework for utilizing …

Identity, Intimacy And Power: From Self Consciousness To Self Trust: A Holistic Approach To Identity In Women To Support Authentic Expression, Aliveness, Freedom And Intimacy With Life During Times Of Change, Jennifer Shields

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This Dance/Movement Therapy Capstone Thesis is a literature review and heuristic exploration of women’s experience of the patriarchal effects on identity and intimacy. After establishing an understanding of power within the roots of patriarchy and its internalized effects on women’s relationship with their inner knowing this thesis aims to understand power in a new, counter cultural way that is tethered to a source within. Through the lens of Tantrik Hatha Yoga and Authentic Movement this thesis offers a counter cultural way to understand identity as layered, malleable and rooted in a relationship to awareness. This shift in relationship to identity …