Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Nutrition And Dietetics Students' Preparation For Clinical Practice Through Simulation-Based Learning Experiences, Danielle Marie Villano

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Simulation-Based Learning (SBL) has increased in Nutrition and Dietetic (N&D) programs, although the research supporting its usability in N&D students is lacking. There are limited quality SBL instruments available that have been validated and tested for reliability in N&D students preparing for clinical practice. This three-article dissertation was to test the reliability of three SBL instruments for N&D students completing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) during SBL activities. During the first phase of this study, two instruments were developed, and one instrument was modified from another SBL instrument that had been previously validated and used for nursing …

Validity Of Apple Watch, Garmin Forerunner® 935 And Geneactiv For Estimating Energy Expenditure During Close Quarter Battle Training In Special Forces Soldiers, Angela Uphill, Kristina L. Kendall, Alison Fogarty, Stuart Guppy, Hannah Brown, Travis Zomer, Simon Parker, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of three wrist-worn devices for estimating energy expenditure (EE) and heart rate (HR) during close “Close Quarter Battle” (CQB). Fifty male soldiers (mean ± SD: age 30.9 ± 4.6 years, height: 1.81 ± 0.64 m and body mass 87.3 ± 7.7 kg) wore three activity monitors (Apple Watch 5, Garmin Forerunner® 935 and GENEActiv accelerometer), a Metamax 3B metabolic cart and a Polar chest strap, whilst conducting a CQB training activity (duration: 26.6 ± 5.0 min). EE and HR data from each test device were compared against criterion measures using …

Substantial Increases In Healthcare Students’ State Empathy Scores Owing To Participation In A Single Improvisation Session, Brian D. Schwartz, Shane L. Rogers, Nicole Michels, Lon J. Van Winkle

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: To determine whether the 12-item state empathy scale could be modified reliably to measure empathy in healthcare professions students and to detect changes in their empathy owing to a single improvisation (improv) session. Methods: Three cohorts of students from two healthcare professions programs (total = 165 students) participated in an improv session. During the session, one of the researchers (BS) tasked the students with several improv activities. Participants’ self-reported state empathy scores were assessed at three time points (pre-improv, post-improv, and end of semester) using revised, in-class paper versions of the State Empathy Scale. Results: The exploratory factor analysis …

Enola, Justin Gibson

Theses

Enola, is a photographic collection of visual fragments without a beginning or end. These moments reflect on my inner psychological landscape, translated from pieces of stories, dreams, recollections. My project, inspired heavily by the town that I once called home, Enola, Pennsylvania, acts as a cultural origin point for my photographs. This work highlights aspects of the uncanny, the quiet, and the unfamiliar tendencies of life. These formulations usually manifest as dreamlike scenes. My work weaves these disconnected pieces into a cohesive reflection.

Color Change: Illumination And Observers, Che Shen

Theses

While color change is often associated with physical or chemical alterations in an object, this thesis focuses on perceptual color changes due to factors like color inconstancy under different lighting conditions, observer metamerism due to varying color matching functions, and individual differences in hue perception despite identical tristimulus values. Based on the complexities of color change phenomenon, a psychophysical experiment was conducted to establish the threshold of color inconstancy, where observers were tasked with categorizing colors under varying lighting. A major advancement in this thesis is the development of the Weighted Geometric Mean (WGM) model, an advanced chromatic adaptation model …

A Study Of The Impact Education Level Has On Unemployment Rates For Youths In Emerging Market Countries, Alia Aldhaheri

Theses

Economic stress endured by countries globally can be due to numerous socioeconomic factors, including unemployment, measured by the unemployment rate expressed in percentage (%). Various micro and macro socioeconomic variables, including the quality of education and vocational training in the countries and the availability of it, cause high unemployment rates. This study assesses the impact education has on unemployment rates and focuses on youths in emerging market countries to determine the nature of the relationship between the two variables. In addition, the study aims to predict which continents will have increasing unemployment rates for youths in the next five years …

Predicting Student Attrition In Higher Education Institutions In The Uae Using Machine Learning, Dezzil M. Castelino

Theses

UAE has made significant progress in the field of education, including Higher Education, by attracting students from all around the world to various colleges and universities. Student dropout or attrition is a major issue that is faced by Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Hence, we need effective techniques to identify student data that affects attrition. This research aims to explore the use of machine learning algorithms to predict student attrition at Rochester Institute of Technology- Dubai (RIT Dubai). In this research, the CRISP-DM (Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining) methodology was used as it is widely used in projects based on …

Creating A Unified Brand Identity For United Way Chapters In New York, Sarah Dejoy

Theses

Consistent and effective web design plays a role in enhancing the online presence and supporting the mission of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), which utilize online spaces to provide information to their constituents and the general public. This study centers on the web presence of United Way, presenting an analysis of the official websites of chapters in New York State. Visual rhetoric was used as the conceptual framework orienting the analysis, considering websites typically include written and visual texts intended to appeal to various audiences. The Brand Standards & Guidelines provided by United Way Worldwide were utilized to identify various website characteristics. …

Revisiting The Phenomenology Of Merleau-Ponty In The Context Of Contemporary Cognitive Science, Gareth E. Smith

Theses

Maurice Merleau-Ponty was a mid-twentieth century French philosopher whose work was influenced by the German phenomenologists Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. Merleau-Ponty went on to influence existentialism, philosophy of perception, the study of consciousness and subjectivity, and, eventually, contemporary cognitive science. His work uses phenomenological methods to examine embodied perception. He grapples with inherited philosophical questions about mind-body dualism and methods of inquiry. Like most twentieth century French philosophers, Merleau-Ponty engages with philosophical problems that were set by René Descartes in the 17th century. In fact, his main thesis—that the mental and the material are continuous through one's experience as …

Diskusi Tren Wisata Halal Dan New Southern Policy Di Korea Selatan: Promosi, Prospek, Dan Konsumerisme Agama, Amelia Burhan, Ph.D

Multikultura

Wisata halal menjadi peluang bisnis menjanjikan yang tidak bisa luput dari perhatian para pelaku industri pariwisata. Baik negara-negara Muslim maupun negara-negara non-Muslim berusaha menawarkan layanan dan produk wisata halal untuk memenuhi kebutuhan wisatawan Muslim dan menjadi ‘tujuan wisata ramah Muslim’. Tak ingin melawan arus tren, Korea Selatan (selanjutnya Korea) ikut memberikan perhatian besar terhadap wisata halal. Dikarenakan kelompok wisatawan Muslim terbanyak yang datang ke Korea berasal dari Indonesia dan Malaysia, Korea telah memfokuskan wisata halalnya khususnya kepada wisatawan Muslim dari Asia Tenggara. Mengingat tujuan New Southern Policy (NSP - Kebijakan Baru ke Arah Selatan) untuk meningkatkan hubungan Korea dengan negara-negara …

Fostering Creativity In The Workplace: Unlocking The Power Of Diversity Through Psychological Safety, Samantha Rosario

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

With a growing recognition of the advantages associated with forming culturally and cognitively diverse teams, understanding the crucial role of psychological safety in leveraging diversity for creativity and innovation is paramount. Additionally, since leaders establish the tone of the workplace culture, it's crucial to ensure they possess the necessary expertise to lead inclusively to establish psychological safety. This project aims to meet the demand for skill development by producing a facilitator guide and workshop presentation. These resources are designed to empower workshop leaders with the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to facilitate a workshop with the goal to promote workplace …

My Daily Grounds: A Journal Of Creative Alchemy, Kathleen A. Donovan

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

My Daily Grounds: A Journal of Creative Alchemy is a project intended to renew artistic confidence and prepare a mindset for a writing retreat in Ireland in June 2024 by revisiting childhood memories and exploring the impact of early domestic abuse through a visual journaling process. This endeavor aims to stir up the creative voice and find authenticity in creation by gathering and clarifying personal data visually, following the Creative (CPS) approach to unlock new insights and ideas for writing. The resulting essays will illuminate the unseen effects of trauma and are intended for publication, reflecting a co-creative process between …

Thriving In The Contemporary Business World: How To Empower Employees With The Creative Mindset, Skillset And Toolset., Ardjan Robbe Groskamp

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

In response to the increasing emphasis on creativity as a vital skill in today's professional landscape, this master's project explores contemporary academic research and literature to identify best practices regarding the creative mind, skill and toolset in an organizational setting focused on meeting employee needs. Drawing from a rich array of sources over the last five years, including academic journals, business reports, and books, the project synthesizes current trends and forecasts future developments in the field. The study aims to bridge the gap between the growing demand for creativity and the existing supply of solutions within organizational contexts. By applying …

An Experimental Test Of Mental Health Help-Seeking Intentions As A Function Of Demographics And Disorder Type, Alyssa Hartley

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current study sought to understand help-seeking behaviors for diverse psychological disorders across different demographic groups. Previous literature finds that help-seeking behaviors are greater in non-minority women in higher socioeconomic statuses, and greater for neurocognitive disorders. This study focuses specifically on university students (N= 276). Participants took diagnostic measures and then were told their scores were clinically elevated for either anxiety or ADHD. Participants were then asked qualitative questions regarding their help-seeking intentions. Findings that were consistent with previous literature are that women were more likely to help-seek than men, and participants in the ADHD condition were more likely to …

Teacher Support For Virtual Instruction In The Social Studies Classroom, Lindsay Weirich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study focuses on providing professional development for teachers using virtual reality in secondary social studies classrooms. Literature surrounding virtual reality for education focuses on the effects of virtual reality on student motivation and engagement. However, there are no current studies available to help instructional coaches or academic leaders provide adequate professional development for their staff on this topic. The purpose of this mixed-methods exploratory case study is to design a professional development founded on best practices in VR and instructional coaching to help support social studies teachers integrate VR in the classroom. Research questions include: 1) How do …

The Components Necessary In A Clinical Day Program For A Successful Transition To Traditional School, Erica Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what components of academic and therapeutic clinical day programs ensure success for students with mental health diagnoses as they transition back to conventional educational settings. This study focused on the importance of developing students' capabilities to fulfill their own needs within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs through coping skills, academic skills, and ensuring those skills transition to their traditional home school setting. The research questions guiding this study were: 1. How is “successful reintegration” defined for students with mental health concerns by the students, families, teachers, and other school staff? 2. What program …

Factors That Contribute To Challenging Behaviors With Early Childhood Students, Jennifer N. Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been an increasing number of students being referred to mental health services due to behavioral problems they exhibit at school. Behavioral and social concerns impede academic success for the individual child as well as their classroom peers. Many factors can contribute to challenging behaviors in early childhood students within rural and high-poverty communities, an elementary school in the South-Atlantic region of the United States is experiencing some of those factors. The purpose of this qualitative research study is to investigate some of the possible factors which contribute to challenging behaviors and how those factors impact academic achievement. The …

The Elephant In The Classroom: Understanding Teachers’ Implicit Biases In Grading Student Work In A Mathematics Classroom, Tina Marie Medina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on automaticity or the choices we make without conscious thought. Specifically, the study examined how math teachers improved their understanding of the practice and evolution of culturally responsive teaching by analyzing the lived experiences and metacognition of practicing middle school teachers as they assess student work in mathematics. The potential impact of implicit stereotypes, instructor expectations, assessment design, cultural considerations, and other variables on the grading process was investigated. The purpose of this case study was to uncover teachers’ implicit biases as it relates to grading student work in a middle school math class.

This qualitative study …

The Influence Of Researcher Disturbance On Raccoon Predation Of American Alligator Nests, Clarissa Tuten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are a dominant predator of American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) nests in the southeastern United States, using a combination of olfactory, visual, and tactile cues to identify nest locations. Studies on alligator nesting ecology typically require researchers to create paths through marsh habitat, potentially introducing visual and olfactory cues raccoons may use to locate nests. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of human visitation to alligator nests on the frequency of raccoon nest predation at two sites in coastal South Carolina, Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center (TYWC) and Santee Coastal Reserve (SCR). We hypothesized that …

Examining Teacher Knowledge And Preparedness: Teachers From India In South Carolina And The Implementation Of Udl Principles In General Education Classrooms, Lakshmi Surya Narayana Vishnubhotla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing student diversity and the global emphasis on inclusive education necessitate a critical focus on teacher preparedness in implementing inclusive practices within classrooms. Teacher preparedness in inclusive practices is essential to ensure all students thrive in a truly inclusive educational environment. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) promotes equitable learning environments by empowering educators to address the diverse needs of their students. This framework is aligned with inclusive education legislation and provides multiple ways for learners to engage, understand information, and express their knowledge. UDL recognizes learner variability and supports student self-determination by offering choices along the learning journey, fostering greater …

"Men Hunt, Women Gather." Perceptions Of Gender And Leadership In Outdoor Recreation In A Higher Education Setting, Elizabeth Marie Johansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation delved into the complex interaction between gender dynamics and leadership perceptions within outdoor recreation, particularly in the context of higher education. Utilizing Transformational Learning Theory, Critical Feminist Theory, and Conditional Outdoor Leadership Theory, this study aimed to uncover the nuanced ways in which gender influenced perceptions of leadership roles and behaviors in outdoor recreation activities based on participant’s experiences. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design, which included a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews to gain a more holistic understanding of participants' perceptions and experiences.

Findings suggest that despite progress towards gender equality in outdoor recreation …

Desire, Motivation, And Reasons: A Defense Of Humean Theory, Benton Anderson

Philosophy Undergraduate Honors Theses

The issue of motivation is vital to contemporary debates in metaethics. In this paper, I defend the Humean theory of motivation and one version of the Humean theory of reasons. First, I defend Michael Smith's direction of fit argument for the necessity of desire and Neil Sinhababu's inference that the Humean theory of motivation is the best explanation against objections. Then, I defend a telic desire theory of reasons by arguing against belief-based theories and noting problems with various desire-based, or Humean, theories of reasons. I conclude with optimism for the compatibility of moral reasons and the telic desire theory.

Program Curricula For Preparing Medical Professionals On Early Childhood Mental Health, Socio-Emotional Development, And Adverse Childhood Experiences In Primary Care Settings: A Phenomenological Study, Jesutomilola O. Olayemi

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Primary care settings serve as the frontline for addressing the holistic well-being of individuals and particularly for children, they play a pivotal role in shaping early childhood experiences. Pediatric primary care physicians are pivotal in addressing the scarcity of mental health resources for children aged zero to five. There is limited knowledge regarding the competence of pediatric primary care providers in providing developmentally appropriate mental health care in early childhood. Therefore, this phenomenological study examined how early childhood mental health, social-emotional development, and adverse childhood experiences and their related screening practices were integrated into the curricula for preparing prospective pediatric …

Regression Discontinuity Designs Within A Latent Variable Framework: Measurement Considerations For The Accuracy Of The Treatment Effect, Sarah Hammami

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Regression discontinuity designs are valuable quasi-experimental designs, especially when randomized control/clinical trials are ethically or practically challenging. Latent variables are prevalent in the social, behavioral, and educational (SBE) sciences—measurement assumptions have to be tested and met when using such variables. Not meeting those assumptions leads to biased results and (likely) erroneous inferential making. One way to minimize the impact of measurement assumption violation is to use latent variable modeling such as structural equation modeling (SEM). Soland, Johnson and Talbert (2022) conducted two simulation studies testing the effect of using a sum score (when the assumptions for using such a score …

Parental Child Rearing Beliefs And Children's Behavioral Problems: The Mediating Role Of Parental Involvement In Elementary School, Catalina Correa Ramirez

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The contributions that parents make to child development have been heavily investigated but the potential links between parents’ child rearing beliefs and school involvement levels have been overlooked. In this study, a model was proposed where parental involvement was examined as a potential mediator in the relationship between parents’ child-rearing beliefs and internalizing and externalizing outcomes in children. Using data from the NICHD SECCYD study, these constructs were examined in first, third, and fifth grade (N = 1128). SEM analyses supported our hypothesis regarding the mediating effect of parental involvement and it appeared to act as a potential mediator …

Stories Of Motivation And Values Of Small-Scale Farmers In Jamaica And The United States, Raquel Taylor

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Small-scale farmers add to global and local food systems through various means such as connecting communities to local food and support economies. Small-scale farms can address issues related to food and nutritional security. However, farming can be a challenging career to engage in, especially for those who are small-scale farmers. Matters related to succession, higher paying off-farm employment, policies, and more can make it challenging to engage in farming. Leaving the question of what would motivate someone to engage in small-scale farming. Motivation can be viewed through multiple lenses; this study chose to use self-determination theory to understand the motivations …

Spatial Hearing In Simulated Reverberant Classroom Environments, Gabriel Seth Evan Weeldreyer

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Spatial hearing provides access to auditory spatial cues that promote speech perception in noisy listening situations. However, reverberation degrades auditory spatial cues and limits listeners’ ability to utilize these cues for segregating target speech from competing babble. Hence, spatial unmasking—an intelligibility benefit from a spatial separation between a target and masker—is reduced in reverberant environments as compared to free field. This work tests the hypothesis that interaural decorrelation, the result of increasing reverberation, will broaden the perceived auditory source width with a cascading effect of reduced auditory spatial acuity and subsequently poorer spatial unmasking. To understand the perceptual consequences of …

Lessons In Persistence, Syble Heffernan

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LESSONS IN PERSISTENCE is a thesis that operates within the tradition of writing about trauma and resilience, taking up themes of mental illness, class, colonialism, loss of a parent, navigating queerness in a conservative Christian context, and reckoning with gender-based violence and expectations directed toward people socialized as women. The use of ecopoetics highlights the relationship between traumas to the earth brought about by climate change, war, and worldwide suffering, and those brought upon the human body (specifically marginalized bodies) by grief, illness, abuse, and the loss of self. The collection ultimately aims to establish explicit connections between internal and …

A Fish Out Of Water: An Examination Of Self-Identified Introverted Business Students' Perceptions Of Their Leadership Ability, Katie J. Jolicoeur

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Current American cultural and societal ideals favor personalities that are outgoing, positive, and talkative in nature, due to the rise of the Culture of Personality (Wilmot, 2019; Kim, 2012; Cain, 2013). Beginning with the industrial revolution and expanding rapidly midcentury, parents began to view children who are quiet as less favorable than those who are more gregarious, thus children and parents began forced socialization at an earlier age (Wilmot, 2019; Cain, 2013). Very little, if any, research has been conducted to understand the impact that the cultural ideal of favoring extraversion has upon undergraduate students seeking a degree in business, …

Vibratory Noise Impacts The Sensory Ecology Of A Funnel-Weaving Spider, Brandi June Pessman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Animals experience their world through diverse sensory systems, leveraging information from prey, predators, and potential mates to inform behavioral decisions. Environmental noise disrupts information via spectral or amplitude masking, degradation, or distortion, potentially leading to costly errors in responses. Critically, urbanization has accelerated the proliferation of novel noise sources, triggering significant shifts in communication, foraging, and predator-prey dynamics among urban wildlife. While vertebrate studies have illuminated urban animals’ flexibility to anthropogenic acoustic noise, a comprehensive understanding requires broader investigations across diverse animal taxa and sensory modalities. To address these gaps, my dissertation explored the impacts of anthropogenic substrate-borne (vibratory) noise …