Digital Commons Network^™

Repeating A Literacy Special Education Lesson In The Home With A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kasey Buchholz

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research paper was driven by the researcher’s interest in improving the early literacy skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, students who have typically been non-responders to previous interventions. As a former general education teacher in her third year of working in special education, the researcher taught explicit and systematic literacy lessons in the pull-out classroom and worked collaboratively with the student’s parent to replicate those lessons in the home. Quantitative data was collected through the computer-based assessment Renaissance Star 360 Early Literacy. After establishing a baseline level, additional data was collected during and after the intervention. The …

The Impact Of Math Applications On Basic Math Skills, Laura Brockelsby

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if iPad math applications can help improve students’ addition and subtraction fluency. The study looked specifically at the Teachley Math applications, Addimals and Subtractimals. The study took place in a combined first and second grade elementary school classroom. Students were introduced to the applications as a four-week math intervention. Students were given 10-15 minutes three times a week in class to work on the applications in the classroom. Student were given a pretest and a posttest to see if there was improvement on math fluency in these areas. Overall students …

Implementing Family-Centered Practices As A Family Service Coordinator To Improve Early Intervention Outcome, Ashlee Fincher

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Family-centered practices are a foundational part of Part C Early Intervention programs and are meant to enhance developmental outcomes for children with disabilities or delays, while supporting their families. This study examines how Family Service Coordinators (FSCs) can refine and enhance the implementation of these practices, focusing on culturally responsive approaches, building trust, and fostering family empowerment through capacity-building strategies. Using surveys and interviews, data were collected from FSCs and some of the families they serve in a Western state-wide Part C program to explore current strategies, challenges, and family perceptions. Findings revealed that while FSCs demonstrated confidence in implementing …

Impacts Of Whole Class Interventions On Student Outcomes, Katie Pedersen

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Classrooms around the country are shifting to become more inclusive. Teachers are faced with the challenge of meeting the needs of various student ability levels. It is imperative for teachers to maximize their instructional time to provide students with an elevated level of instruction that meets their needs. This inquiry-based study aims to determine the effectiveness of adding a whole class intervention to meet the needs of both target and non-target students. After a review of the literature the researcher surmised that adding a whole class intervention can positively impact both academic and behavioral/social emotional outcomes. The literature also suggests …

Revisiting The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis: Strategic Lessons For Today, Kendall Carll

Journal of Strategic Security

As the inhabitants of the Quemoy Islands sat down for dinner on August 23, 1958, three years of relative peace in the Taiwan Strait came to an abrupt end. In the weeks that followed, the Eisenhower administration deployed ships to the strait, worked to understand the Communists’ intent, and considered nuclear first use. Though Washington ultimately prevailed in the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, a critical review of the decision-making process enabled by newly leaked materials suggests catastrophe was closer than previously assumed. This article investigates the successes, the failures, and the nearly avoided contingencies that permitted a non-nuclear resolution to …

Understanding Russian Hybrid Warfare Against Europe In The Energy Sector And In The Future ‘Energy-Resources-Climate’ Security Nexus., Maurizio Geri

Journal of Strategic Security

To avoid escalations to full kinetic (military) wars is imperative to win the non-kinetic part of the so-called “hybrid warfare”, which use both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. The goal of the non-kinetic methods of hybrid warfare, or as others call it “grey zone” activities, or “subthreshold” tactics, is to defeat hearts and minds, as well as pockets, of adversaries, with social, political, and economic tools. This article focuses on energy as the crucial sector of the economic tools, and specifically uses an innovative approach, what the author calls the ‘energy-resources-climate security nexus’, as a new battleground for future strategic competition …

An Overview Of The Activities Of Different Actors In The Reconstruction Efforts In Borno, Nigeria: 2016 - 2023, Wazeer Murtala

Journal of Strategic Security

Nigeria-Boko Haram’s competition for dominance has been the subject of many scholarly works and commentaries. Evidence shows that Nigeria is emerging victorious in the military struggle and the country is building on this relative success by engaging in infrastructural reconstruction that is akin to post-war rebuilding. With Borno State as the focal point, this article summarizes the activities of different actors (local and international) in the reconstruction efforts. Through a qualitative survey of different primary documents such as reports, news articles, videos, and other relevant materials, this study finds that the reconstruction efforts in Borno State between the years 2016 …

The War Came To Us: Life And Death In Ukraine. By Christopher Miller. London: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2023., Amos C. Fox Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis Of Early Settler Artifacts Recovered From Gossman Caves And Prairie Complex, Zachry S. Poshusta, Joshua Sebree

Fall 2024 - Chemical Analysis Class Projects

Meskwaki Tribe: Lived in Jackson County, Iowa, until 1845.

European Settlers: Took over the land, building structures and forming townships.

Artifacts: Both groups left behind pottery shards, campsite remnants, and building foundations.

Study Focus: Analyzing artifacts using X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry.

Sample Sites: Gossman Prairie and Cave Complex.

Objective: Determine if both groups used local clay for crafting.

Elemental Analysis Of Luminescent Cave Formations Using X-Ray Fluorescence, Esther Farran, Joshua Sebree

Fall 2024 - Chemical Analysis Class Projects

Luminescent calcite formations (N = 21) were taken from nine karst caves in a valley in Northeast Iowa. Ten samples fluoresced bright blue under UV light and phosphoresced green. Four samples fluoresced dull pink instead of blue. Seven samples do not fluoresce as strongly as the other samples. An elemental analysis was performed on the samples using a Bruker Tracer 5g handheld XRF. Analysis shows some samples may experience fluorescence quenching by the presence of iron and some amount of fluorescence by manganese.

Going With The Flow: Quantifying Lead Levels Along A Natural Water Pathway, Kailah Thompson, Joshua Sebree

Fall 2024 - Chemical Analysis Class Projects

Lead contamination in natural water is a significant concern due to its toxic effects on both ecological and human health. Jackson County, with its historical background in lead mining and ammunition production, presents an ideal region to study lead’s movement and potential impacts in natural water environments. This research traces the journey of lead ions from a spring, through a creek, and into a pond, examining how lead concentrations change along the water pathway. The study uses differential pulse stripping voltammetry, a precise technique for trace metal analysis, alongside pH and temperature measurements to provide insight into factors that influence …

Soil Condition Variability: Carbon Analysis Of Prairie, Crop, And Forest Soil In Northeast Iowa, Jacqueline Heggen, Joshua Sebree, David Gossman

Fall 2024 - Chemical Analysis Class Projects

• Iowa’s soil supports crop growth, stores carbon, filters water impurities, provides a habitat for organisms, and stores and provides water and nutrients for plants.
• The availability of elements within soil is an indicator of the viability of soil.
• Total % carbon is the percent composition of carbon in the sample. Total organic carbon enters the soil through the decomposition of plants, microorganisms, and animals.
• C:H ratios can reveal the potential for microbial activity and soil fertility.
• Gossman property allows for the analysis of a variety of different soil conditions in one location

Identifying Pottery Extracts Using Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy, Evelyn Lopez, Joshua Sebree

Fall 2024 - Chemical Analysis Class Projects

• Located in Jackson County, Iowa, Gossman Farm fosters many unique environments such as caves, freshwater springs, and various soil environments.
• This research focuses on the pottery fragments found at Indian Cave located within the Gossman property.
• Pottery fragments have been recovered at Indian Cave by Dave Gossman. It’s believed that these pottery fragments are from the Native Americans that used to inhabit the area.
• By analyzing the pottery fragments at Gossman Park, insight can be given on the history of the settlers at Gossman Farm and the use of the pottery.

Crime Pays: Michigan’S Peculiar Funding Of Public Libraries Through Penal Fines, Cody James

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

No abstract provided.

Inexact Methods For Large-Scale Stochastic Programming, Niloofar Fadavi

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the development of inexact methods for solving large-scale stochastic programming problems, with a focus on two-stage and multistage settings. Stochastic programming is a robust approach for managing uncertainty in decision-making, with applications across various domains like supply chain management, power systems, and logistics. However, solving large-scale stochastic programming problems, especially those with a nonlinear structure, is computationally challenging due to the high-dimensional nature of uncertainties and the need for efficient optimization techniques.

This work introduces novel inexact proximal bundle algorithms designed to solve two-stage stochastic quadratic programming problems. The proposed methods utilize dual-based and partition-based approaches to …

Vitals, Your Very Favorite, Children's Health

English

11x17 page

Hospital Staff, Your Very Favorite, Children's Health

English

two-pages

Feelings And Emotions, Your Very Favorite, Children's Health

English

single-page

Going Back To School, Your Very Favorite, Children's Health

English

11x17 page

Health Matters! Coloring And Activity Book (80-Pages), Your Very Favorite, Children's Health, Lorraine Sheldon, May Bressler

English

Health Matters! is a English-language health literacy resource designed for pediatric patients and their families. Written at an approximately 6th-grade reading level, it supports patient education through engaging coloring and activity pages.

The content covers a wide range of health and wellness topics, including body systems, nutrition, mental wellness, patient safety, and social-emotional skills such as building friendships and navigating conversations when returning to school. Developed for use in both hospital settings and the broader community, the resource promotes learning through interactive, age-appropriate activities.

This printable PDF version contains the complete collection of activities and comprises 80 pages. The resource …

Git Gud: The Case For Virtual Prison Games In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Colleen M. O'Toole, Calvin V. Nguyen

Northern Illinois University Law Review

This Article aims to reframe the debate over how best to address the enormous financial and social costs of a criminal justice system which relies on traditional, brick-and-mortar prisons to control criminal behavior. Addressing the question of responsibility, it evaluates the role that judges and prosecutors play in perpetuating a persistent cycle of crime, arrest, and incarceration in a brick-and-mortar prison system, what this Article calls “Shawshank” prisons. Two forces which have shaped the criminal justice system are singled out for special attention: the bail system and the role of race in American politics.

After comparing the cost of the …

Vol. 45, No. 1, Fall 2024: Table Of Contents, Northern Illinois University Law Review

Northern Illinois University Law Review

Table of Contents and Masthead for Volume 45, Issue 1 of the Northern Illinois Law Review

An Indecent Proposal? A Remedy For Those Damaged By Judicial Malpractice, Michael G. Cortina

Northern Illinois University Law Review

Judicial immunity in the United States primarily exists so that jurists can exercise their duties to the best of their abilities without the fear that they may be subjected to liability should they commit an error in judgment. While such immunity certainly has a proper and noble purpose, the unintended consequence of it is sometimes that those harmed by improper judicial rulings have no civil remedy despite being harmed by a judge’s malpractice. At the end of this paper, the author suggests a possible remedy for those harmed by a judge’s errant decision if that ruling cannot be cured on …

Friends Of The Hilton M. Briggs Library, Fall 2024, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Friends of the Hilton M. Briggs Library Newsletters

Features:

Archive Collections Return to Renovated Storage Space in Lincoln Hall
Notes from the Dean of the Library
Briggs Library Joins Patent and Trademark Program
September Events Highlight Importance of Archival Collections and Historical Records to Contemporary Research

Student Resources And Retention Among Transgender And Nonbinary College Students, Miriam Liss, Talyn Derflinger, Laura Wilson

Psychological Science Articles

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) college students are more likely to drop out of college than their cisgender peers. While robust previous literature has focused on individually experienced stressors, this paper looks at the structural supports offered by the institution. One hundred and fifty-four TNB college students were asked about the resources available on their campuses, their sense of safety on campus, and whether they intended to drop out of college. Campus resources and supports were associated with a greater sense of safety, and in turn, less of a desire to drop out of college. Some resources such as a nondiscrimination …

Irian Christie's Art399 Portfolio, Irian Christie

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My art weaves together personal experiences and cultural heritage through drawings, paintings, and sculptures. Each piece tells a story about family, identity, and Indonesian roots, inviting viewers to engage with moments of joy, growth, and reflection. I draw inspiration from childhood memories, family traditions, and cultural symbolism, using bright colors and playful imagery to evoke emotions ranging from happiness to introspection. By sharing these personal narratives, I hope to encourage others to reflect on their own stories and connections.

Texture and pattern are essential to my work. I incorporate traditional Indonesian techniques, such as Batik—a wax-resist dyeing process—and woodworking, to …

Why Are You So Ashamed?, Katherine Gaylord

Women’s and Gender Studies Student Work

These comics were created by students in Dr. Stella Oh's WGST 3300: Race, Gender, and Graphic Novels exploring thematic topics of identity, loss, illness, disability, and caregiving. After reading creative and scholarly works addressing war, PTSD, social stigma, and graphic medicine, students engaged in creating several comics. Some of the student comics are featured in this collection. Communicating their ideas through the visual-textual medium of comics, students engaged in critical reflection of their readings and class discussions. Students produced their comics through software such as Illustrator, Canva, Procreate, and other media.

The Lead, Mid-Fall 2024, Lindenwood University

The Lead

The Lead is an electronic newsletter produced by the Lindenwood College of Education & Human Services.

Population And Distribution Of The Ashy Red Colobus Monkey In Community Forests In Biharamulo District, Northwestern Tanzania, Olivia W. Cox

Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology

This study was conducted in November 2024 using active observation searches and geospatial surveys to collect data. A total of 0.404357 km2 in the three forests was canvassed, and 108 individuals were observed. The study aimed to estimate the population and distribution of Ashy red colobus monkeys in three community forests in Biharamulo District, Northwestern Tanzania, where no previous research on the Ashy red colobus has taken place. A Bayesian negative binomial model and negative binomial regression model were applied to these findings to estimate 180 individuals in the three forests, with 40, 47, and 93 individuals estimated to reside …

Effects Of Land-Use Types On Avian Functional Diversity In Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, Ava Joan Boettiger

Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology

This research examined avian abundance and functional diversity across four human land uses— monoculture, mixed farming, rural, and urban areas—in the Kilimanjaro Region of Northern Tanzania. Conducted in November 2024, the study aimed to assess how different land-use types influence avian composition and functional diversity. A quasi-experimental design was employed, using purposive sampling to select study sites and systematic random sampling point counts to observe bird species present in each land-use type. A literature review was also conducted to classify species into families and categorize them into functional feeding guilds: predators, insectivores, frugivores, granivores, and nectarivores. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, …