Digital Commons Network^™

Distance Delivery In Economics: Faculty Perspectives, Joseph A. Farinella, Bradley K. Hobbs, H. Shelton Weeks

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Although a large number of colleges and universities have begun offering economics courses utilizing distance learning, limited empirical evidence has been presented on how economics faculty perceive this medium. We address this weakness in the literature by conducting a survey of academic members of the Economics professorate and examining their perceptions and attitudes toward distance learning. Specifically, we solicited information on current offerings using distance technology, the willingness of faculty to teach via distance delivery, perceived suitability of various economics courses for distance delivery, the degree to which requisite distance delivery technologies are used by faculty, and perceived stakeholder demand …

Stay To Play: Multi-Level Stakeholders And Motivation In Youth Sports Tourism, Brumby Mcleod, Ph.D., John Grady, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

In this study, the stay to play model of hosting elite youth sports events was investigated by exploring the various stakeholder perspectives in staging youth sport events, specifically soccer. This research explored the motivations and gaps among the event organizers, the housing authorities (booking agencies), governing bodies and leagues, as well as the destination marketing organization. This study explored the relationship, unique value proposition, and gaps between the services provided by the stay to play organizers and participants. By exploring these concepts, a better understanding of the stay to play model is achieved, and destination marketers and management associations can …

Sun, Fun, And Structure: What Resort Activity Schedules Reveal, Phileshia Dombroski, Ph.D., Kayla D. Mohney, Ed.D., Rebecca L. Moriarty, Ava Beal, Libby Scanlon, Emily Bailey, Cyan N. Kvacky

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Daily activity schedules are central to the guest experience in resort environments, guiding participation, communicating brand identity, and structuring leisure time. This mixed-method content analysis explored how resorts across the United States design and present these schedules, emphasizing accessibility and program diversity. Eighteen publicly available resort activity schedules were evaluated using accessibility tools (PAC 3, Adobe Acrobat, WCAG 2.2) and coded for 4,166 individual activities across eight categories. Findings revealed moderate adherence to accessibility standards. Most schedules met minimum font size and color contrast guidelines, but only 25% were compatible with screen readers and 80% lacked alternative text or structural …

Perceived Value Of Sport And Recreation In Aruba: Resident Perceptions Of Health, Lifestyle, And Physical Activity, Stephen L. Shapiro, Andy Gillentine, Jo-Anne Croes, John Wardlaw

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Sport and recreation play an important role in shaping community well-being, particularly in small island nations where health and tourism are integrated. This study examines how Aruban residents perceive the value of sport and recreation and how these perceptions vary based on the type of activity and children’s participation in these activities. A mixed-methods design was used across two phases. Phase I employed focus groups with residents, educators, and government stakeholders to explore themes of health, community impact, and education. Findings emphasized concerns over inactivity and identified sport and recreation as essential to promoting healthy lifestyles, sense of community, and …

Drivers Of Policy Support And Political Consumerism Behavior Among Water Recreationists, Mina Kim

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Individuals who engage in water-based recreation share a distinct bond with water quality due to their direct contact with aquatic environments during leisure activities. Increasing concerns about water quality have led to a rise in research exploring how environmental conditions and perceived risks shape environmental attitudes and conservation actions. However, it remains uncertain whether water recreationists extend their conservation efforts beyond those directly tied to their activities. To explore this issue, the present study investigates whether water-based recreationists in South Carolina support more stringent water management policies and engage in political consumerism behaviors, such as boycotting and buycotting. Data were …

From The Field To The Future: How Experiential Learning Supports Student Success, Joshua Carroll, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Field Experiences are often considered extracurricular, and not always a part of traditional college programs. However, these experiences can provide unique opportunities for learning, increase student confidence, broaden student perspectives of their chosen profession, and connect students with their environments, professors, and classmates. Because these programs often require a deep commitment from faculty, administrators, and the students, it is sometimes difficult to justify the resources required to successfully implement these courses. This project sought to identify several of the impacts that a field course may have on students, and to summarize these findings into sharable data for potential college and …

Alice Keane, J.D., Ll.M., Alice E. Keane

Faculty Research Mixer

No abstract provided.

How Did The Pandemic Change The Role Of Recreational Waters In Bringing Visitors? Analysis Of South Carolina Mobility Big Data, Seonjin Lee, Lori Pennington-Gray, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on nature-based recreational activities. Outdoor recreation became popular as an alternative to international travel with less risk of contagion. However, the question remains whether there was an enduring change in the role of natural resources in driving visitors. This study investigates the relevance of recreational waters, particularly lakes and beaches, to changes in patterns of domestic visitors to South Carolina between 2019 and 2023. All counties showed growth in recreational visitors, as well as diversification of visitors. However, the magnitude of the increase showed a significant difference based on geographical factors. Eight coastal …

The Random Lottery Mechanism As An Academic Incentive, Calvin Blackwell

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

The author shows the benefits of using the random lottery mechanism as a pedagogical tool. The mechanism’s primary advantage is to provide students an incentive to work additional problems without increasing the amount of homework the teacher must grade. In addition, this mechanism encourages in-class participation and can generate discussion of mechanism design.

The Effectiveness Of Using Electronic Slides To Teach Graphical Economic Concepts, Charles Kroncke, Lynnette Smyth

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Quiz results demonstrate that one-time exposure to learning graphical material from electronic slides produces no statistically significant advantage over exposure to the same material presented with “chalk and talk”. Previous electronic slide experience is not a significant explanatory variable for students who were exposed to the material via chalk. However, prior exposure to slides is the only significant variable influencing quiz grades for those students who were tested on material presented with electronic slides. The instructional benefits of using electronic slides in any course are not confined to that course but extend to other classrooms that likewise utilize this technology.

Does Macro/Micro Course Sequencing Affect Student Performance In Principles Of Economics Courses?, Andy Terry, Ken Galchus

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Using a sample of 870 students in the College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, we look at the question of whether and to what extent Macro-Micro course sequencing affects student performance in principles of economics. We find that the optimal sequencing involves having students take the two principles of economics classes concurrently. In addition, consistent with most prior research, we find that grade point average, major, and to some extent ethnicity and gender are significantly related to performance in one or both of the principles of economics classes.

Enhancing Economics And Finance Learning Through Automated Grading Of Spreadsheet Exercises, Douglas M. Kline, Thomas Janicki

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Instructors of undergraduate courses in economics and finance as well as other business school courses are increasing turning to spreadsheet applications to reinforce concepts presented in the classroom. As the number of exercises increases in these courses the grading and management of the assignments become an overwhelming burden. This teaching note discusses five techniques that were implemented to increase the number of learning exercises, while decreasing the instructors grading time and the opportunity for plagiarism. The key success factor was to implement an automatic grading program for Microsoft Office products reducing grading timing and plagiarism while increasing objectivity in the …

A Pedagogical Note On The Derivation Of Option Profit Lines, Hassan Shirvani, Barry Wilbratte

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

This paper presents a simple graphic method of deriving profit lines for complex option strategies which obviates the need for numerical calculations used in finance textbooks. Having mastered the underlying profit lines associated with simple option and stock investments, students can derive profit lines for complex strategies by following two simple graphic addition rules proposed in this paper. While these rules appear in elementary math books, most finance textbooks either ignore them completely, or apply them only implicitly without explaining their derivation. The result is that the teaching of option profit lines tends to become an unnecessarily arduous exercise.

What We Should (Not) Teach Students About Interest Rate Determination, T. Windsor Fields, William R. Hart

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

There are two general approaches to interest rate determination--Liquidity Preference and Loanable Funds. The standard textbook treatment usually presents these two approaches as if they were two ways of doing the same thing. Textbook authors then switch back and forth between the two approaches depending on which seems better suited for the problem at hand. We argue in this paper that the choice between these two approaches does matter. You simply can’t have it both ways—either the interest rate is determined in the money market or in the loanable funds market, but not both.

Improving The Coverage Of The Dupont Approach Of Financial Analysis In Finance Courses Through The Use Of The Net Leverage Multiplier, Robert J. Angell, Betty L. Brewer

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

This paper points out a deficiency in the coverage of the DuPont system of financial analysis in most finance textbooks and provides an alternative that more accurately aligns the analytical measures to the factors affecting a firm’s return on equity. Furthermore, we analyze data on firms to determine the extent to which the recommended alternative differs from the “standard” measures.

Enhancing Clarity And Completeness Of Basic Financial Text Treatments On Operating Leverage, Halil Kiymaz, Robert Hodgin

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

We review degree of operating leverage (DOL) discussions from nine current elementary finance textbooks and note incomplete treatments. We argue that textual discussions on DOL could aid the beginning student’s understanding by noting, in addition to fixed costs, the impact of other variables (unit variable costs, unit price, short-run output level). We further suggest that complete treatments should reference how the DOL measure fits into the larger business risk context, point to management’s role in influencing selected DOL variables as business risk parameters, and mention the measurement discontinuities of DOL at breakeven and profit maximizing output levels.

The Price Of Success: The Demand For An “A” In Economics Principles, Norman Cloutier, Dennis Kaufman

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

The demand for grades is an engaging topic for economics students. This study surveyed students to determine the maximum price they would be willing to pay for a grade of “A.” Survey results were utilized to estimate a well-behaved demand function and demonstrate basic principles of demand and elasticity. A probit model revealed that student demand conforms to economic theory, and in particular, that willingness to bid is associated with student financial endowments and “taste” for a purchased “A.” Significant gender differences were discovered; males were both more likely to bid and to be influenced by financial and intellectual endowments.

The Complete Set Of Explicit Yield To Maturity Formulas, Ricardo J. Rodriguez

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Obtaining general explicit yield to maturity (YTM) formulas is feasible for coupon bonds with integer maturities of less than five periods but, surprisingly, the literature lacks such formulas for three- and four-period bonds. I fill this void by providing the complete set of integer-maturity YTM formulas. Although the new formulas are unwieldy, they may be computationally advantageous over iterative methods of finding the YTM. Indeed, I present simulations indicating that the three-period YTM formula may require as little as one-third of the computation time needed with trial and error methods. Similarly, the four-period formula also produces substantial computational savings.

A National Survey Of Teaching Methods In Advanced Placement Economics Courses: More Chalk And Talk?, Dennis L. Placone, Claire Melican

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Becker and Watts conducted national surveys in 1995 and 2000 of those teaching economics at post-secondary institutions to investigate teaching methods used in undergraduate courses. Surveys similar to Becker and Watts were sent to AP economics teachers. We compare the teaching methods used in college classes with those used by AP teachers. Compared to principles courses in economics offered at the colleges, the typical high school AP Economics class has a smaller number of students, the teachers are more likely to use classroom discussions and the high school teachers use lectures less often than do college instructors of economics.

A Project For The Introductory Financial Management Course Designed To Involve Students With Online Financial Information And Analytical Tools, James B. Pettijohn, Gay A. Ragan, Kent P. Ragan

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Finance-related websites have proliferated, and students have become more Internet-savvy with increasing usage of the World Wide Web. Furthermore, finance professionals regularly use such finance-related websites (Association for Financial Professionals 2002). Given these facts, in this paper we demonstrate efficient and effective ways to use a semester-long, yet manageable, Internet-based research project designed to involve students with online financial information, data, and analytical tools, while reinforcing topics encountered in the typical introductory financial management course. We also suggest how to use pedagogically-sound practices to systematically alter the complexity of the project, and use a scoring guide to simplify grading.

Fall 2025 Full Issue, Undergraduate Research

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

No abstract provided.

Spiny Orb Weaver, Jasmine M. Roncevic

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

This scientific illustration depicts the spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis), a distinctive arachnid known for its characteristic hardened, spiny abdomen. Spiny orb weaver spiders enjoy warm, tropical, and subtropical environments and are primarily found in the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, and South America. They live in wooded areas, citrus groves, and shrubby gardens. I’ve encountered spiny orb weaver spiders in my food forest where they like to set up their orb-shaped webs and feast on flies, mosquitoes, and moths.

This scientific illustration depicts the spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis), a distinctive arachnid known for its characteristic …

Darkling Beetle, Jasmine M. Roncevic

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) are holometabolic insects. Darkling beetle is the common name of the large family of beetles Tenebrionidae which has more than 20,000 species. The T. molitor species gets its name from the yellowish appearance of the larvae. During its lifespan, a darkling beetle experiences a complete metamorphosis in four distinct stages: Egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The eggs hatch within 4 to 19 days after the female oviposits. It takes about 3 – 4 months for an egg to develop into an adult, or the beetle stage.

During the adult stage, the beetles are initially whitish and …

Horseshoe Crabs, Jessie M. Roncevic

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are fascinating animals known as “living fossils.” Older than dinosaurs, horseshoe crabs are arthropods, closely related to spiders and scorpions. Many shorebirds, including red knot, depend on the eggs of horseshoe crabs during migration. Horseshoe crabs are captured and bled alive for their blue blood. Rich in limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), their blood is used for the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test, which is used worldwide to detect bacterial toxins in pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Horseshoe crabs have an intricate anatomy, so I spent a lot of time researching it before I started drawing them. When …

Floridians, Michael Anglim-Lindros

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

The purpose of this piece is to explore species present in Florida by depicting native species alongside commonly seen non-native ones. I decided to focus on mammals, specifically those I have personally observed while living in North Florida. By illustrating their unadorned skeletal remains, I hope to inspire viewers to consider the similarities, differences, and relationships among these organisms, as well as the lives they lead on shared land.

The species depicted in this piece are (clockwise from middle) Homo sapiens (human) - non-native; Tadarida brasiliensis (Mexican free-tailed bat); Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo); Sciurus niger shermani (Sherman’s fox squirrel); Odocoileus …

Blue Bottle, Prathna Nirav Patel

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

This piece consists of a series of individually shaped bottle forms, connected by a shared base and continuous surface. It is influenced by repetition, using similar forms differing in shape, height, and proportion to create unity and visual balance. The repetition of related shapes creates visual rhythm, while the differences between them add interest. This contrast between balance and variation reflects my interest in exploring how uniformity and difference can exist in a single object. I threw seven individual bottle forms on the wheel and arranged them in a straight line to highlight the contrast between the linear arrangement and …

Papernest Media: A Collaborative Multimedia Research Project, Susie V. Mabry

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Papernest Media is a collaborative multimedia research project that contextualizes the history and contemporary status of insect commodities as traditional food, tourist fare, and natural dye in Oaxaca, Mexico. Our interdisciplinary team of Anne E. Pfister, PhD in Applied Medical Anthropology, Alex Kledzik, BA in Sociology and Susie Mabry, UNF International Studies, came together in 2024 to produce a short film accompanying the exploratory phase of a larger ethnographic investigation. In July 2024, we traveled to Oaxaca during a peak season and the annual Guelaguetza festival to investigate the touted sustainability of edible insects in a region known for its …

Juntos Hacemos El Cambio Por Nuestros Mares, Alanis N. Davila Marquez

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Notas preliminares

Juntos hacemos el cambio por nuestros mares es una obra de teatro escrita colaborativamente por el curso IDS 1932 (FYE) Teatro para la salud, de la profesora Dr. Nuria Ibáñez y representada por la clase el 3 de noviembre de 2024 en Museum of Contemporary Art de Jacksonville, producida por las profesoras Dr. Maureen McCluskey y Dr. Nuria Ibáñez. La obra reflexiona sobre la relación entre nosotros los humanos y el océano, explorando profundamente cómo nuestras acciones afectan la salud de los ecosistemas marinos y, al mismo tiempo, nuestra propia salud. Al escribir la pieza buscábamos traducir las …

Probiotic Intervention In Managing Chronic Stress, Bianca Opdenbosch

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Chronic stress can induce gut dysbiosis which contributes to the dysregulation of the gut-brain axis and leads to anxiety and depressive-like symptoms. The gut-brain axis relies on nervous, immune, and endocrine interactions. Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance within the gut microbiome, disrupts gut-brain communication, impairing gut barrier integrity, inflammation regulation, and hormonal and neurotransmitter production. These gut changes contribute to mood disorders resulting from stress, and thus it is important to implement dietary interventions, like probiotics, to help mitigate these effects. Research highlights the potential of probiotics to act as an intervention to combat stress-induced gut dysbiosis and replenish beneficial bacteria …

Rewilding The Built Environment: Navigating Economic, Political, And Social Barriers To Urban Ecological Restoration, Carly E. Smith

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Urban rewilding offers a nature-based approach to restoring ecological processes in cities while advancing climate resilience, biodiversity, and public well-being. Unlike conventional green infrastructure, rewilding allows ecosystems to develop with minimal intervention, emphasizing succession, complexity, and long-term adaptability. This paper examines the political, economic, and social factors that frame how rewilding is understood and implemented in urban planning. Governmental frameworks often prioritize order, predictability, and short-term results, making it difficult to accommodate the uncertainty and ecological complexity that rewilding requires. Economic models struggle to capture its long-term value, frequently overlooking ecosystem services or reconciling competing land uses. Social perceptions of …