Digital Commons Network^™

Who's Got Your Back? Pod Mapping And Community, Winnie Tam Hung

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

In-Class Activity - Intersectionality Lecture— “Women Get The Right To Vote”, Bernadette Ludwig

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

In-Class Activity - Voter Education And Registration— Nonlegal Barriers, Bernadette Ludwig

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

In-Class Activity - “Gender And Voting”— Intersection Of Voter Participation And Priorities For Different Gender Groups, Bernadette Ludwig

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Course Syllabus - American Democracy A Draft Syllabus Outline For A University-Level, Advanced Undergraduate Course, Michael Landis

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Course Syllabus - Graphic Democracy: Cartoons, Comics, And Voting Rights In America, Sarah Hamblin

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Activity - How To Close-Read Comics: Youth Voting And The 26th Amendment, Sarah Hamblin

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Activity And Assignment - Data Comics And Gerrymandering, Sarah Hamblin

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Active Learning Activity - You And Your Community: Considering Personality When Getting Involved, Chris Garris

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Activity Campaign Finance, Dark Money, And Comics Journalism, Sarah Hamblin

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Course Syllabus - Introductory Psychology (Civic Engagement Emphasis), Chris Garris

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Assignment - Democratic Discourse: Policy Letter To Your Representative, Chris Garris

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Activity - Reimagine Democracy Poetry, Metaphor, And Civic Responsibility, Daneen Bergland

Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholars

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Abilities Of Potentially Beneficial Bacteria For Increasing Nitrogen-Use Efficiency In Maize, Lexie R. Foster

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Global agriculture relies heavily on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer to meet the current global food demand. Unfortunately, the average nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) of maize (Zea mays) is approximately 50 percent. Improving the NUE of maize is essential for meeting the growing global food demand while also decreasing the negative environmental impacts caused by losses of nitrogen fertilizer due to runoff and volatilization. Harnessing the symbiotic relationship between plants and the soil microbiome may be one method for increasing the NUE in crops such as maize. In the present study, a set of potentially beneficial bacterial species …

Is Mechanism Of Injury Associated With Outcome In Spinal Trauma? An Observational Cohort Study From Tanzania, Chibuikem Ikwuegbuenyi, Julie Woodfield, François Waterkeyn, Scott Zuckerman, Beverly Cheserem, Andreas Leidinger, Albert Lazaro, Hamisi Shabani, Roger Härtl, Halinder Mangat

General Surgery, East Africa

Background Traumatic spinal injury (TSI) is a disease of significant global health burden, particularly in low and middle-income countries where road traffic-related trauma is increasing. This study compared the demographics, injury patterns, and outcomes of TSI caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs) to non-traffic related TSI.

Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using a neurotrauma registry from the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) in Tanzania, a national referral center for spinal injuries. Patient sociodemographic characteristics, injury level, and severity were compared across mechanisms of injury. Neurological improvement, neurological deterioration, and mortality were compared between those sustaining TSI through an RTA versus …

The Aridification Of The Great Salt Lake, David Thompson

Ballard Brief

Throughout Nepal, brick kilns employ thousands of families annually for the seasonal work of crafting and shipping bricks. As families migrate between work in brick factories and agricultural work at home, more factors block their children from a complete and quality education. The open invitation to begin working with their parents and to help provide for the family becomes a strong temptation that causes many children to give up on school. In addition, Nepal's lack of law enforcement frequently allows children to drop out of school early without consequence. Their parents do not attempt to stop them either, making little …

Ensuring The Effectiveness Of Reading And Mathematics Interventions, Bethany Lange

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

With an increased pressure in standardized assessment performance, teachers have the difficult task of ensuring all students test at grade level. The goal of making a connection to each student’s learning style can be a daunting task, but positive results are possible. With research in mind, a school improvement plan was created to ensure the time spent during reading and mathematics interventions is effective. This plan creates a way for educators to assess students and develop the best plan of action for each student’s learning style.

Improving Students’ Sense Of Belonging At School: A School Improvement Plan, Madison Alvarado

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Robust research proves the importance of students' sense of belonging at school and its correlation to academic achievement, positive behavior choices, and a student's overall well-being. This school improvement plan was created to implement strategies that will lead to a significant increase in students' sense of belonging at school. The plan includes incorporating professional development that provides educators with a well-rounded understanding of what a sense of belonging entails, along with structures to help increase it in the students they support. The plan also introduces a student program designed to boost students' positive interactions and, thus, increase their sense of …

Implementation Of Universal Design For Learning In The K-12 School Setting, Jaecy Hauge

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

I am proposing a school improvement plan for Okoboji Elementary School. The goal is to implement a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) with best practices to support increased student achievement. Your support and active participation are crucial in this process. With your valuable input, we can successfully apply this flexible approach to teaching and learning, which has the potential to significantly improve student achievement. UDL operates through a framework that follows three core principles: representation, action/ expression, and engagement. UDL is based upon the most widely replicated finding in educational research: learners are highly variable (CAST, 2024).

Implementing A Flipped Classroom Model: An Improvement Plan For Professional Development In Flipped Classroom Implementation, Nick Demoss

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan focuses on the implementation of the flipped classroom model at Carlisle Middle School to enhance student engagement and academic performance. The three-phase plan begins with research-based professional development for educators on effectively implementing the flipped classroom model. By reversing traditional teaching methods, this approach enables students to access instructional content outside the classroom via short videos or articles, while in-class time is dedicated to active learning, collaborative projects, and personalized instruction. This initiative aligns with the Carlisle Community School District’s mission of "Character, Service, and Excellence in Everything We Do," aiming to address disengagement and foster …

Building A Foundation Of Phonemic Awareness In Preschool Children, Marti Meissner

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Building strong foundational literacy skills in preschool children has influences academic success positively in all curriculum areas, throughout their school years. Developing phonemic awareness skills is the biggest predictor of future reading success. Providing play-based instruction in the preschool environment is developmentally appropriate. However, researchers have shown that without direct, systematic instruction preschool children show little growth in these literacy skills. Studies have shown that the teacher professional development is necessary in their delivery of explicit and systematic instruction that focuses on phonemic awareness skills such as rhyming, segmentation, alliteration, and beginning and ending sounds in words. Following research findings, …

Enhancing Inclusion Through Universal Design For Learning And Collaboration, Arianna Lumpa

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan focuses on enhancing student inclusion in the general education setting. Inclusion is a crucial topic in schools and this plan aims to clarify what it means and how it can effectively be implemented. The plan explores the barriers and challenges of inclusion, the perspectives of educators and leaders, the role of collaboration, and the use of Universal Design for Instruction in a supportive environment. Research shows that inclusion of students with disabilities is a highly effective strategy that can support students’ academic achievement when implemented correctly. The implementation of this school improvement plan will be facilitated …

Upper Elementary Reading Intervention: A School Improvement Plan, Ginger Wardlow

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Upper elementary students in grades 3rd-5th who struggle with literacy skills can benefit from intensive reading intervention. Many districts have plans in place for students in the early elementary grades. This plan was created to target the 3rd-5th grade student population who is not often receiving intervention despite a deficit in literacy skills. Literacy skills play into all aspects of a student’s education career thus making them an important skill for academic success. This plan allows for educators to work collaboratively to meet student needs through a realistic plan to implement reading intervention with a focus on fluency, phonics, decoding, …

Effectiveness Of Reading Interventions: A Comparison Of Reading Recovery And Systematic Phonics Instruction, Kata Shindelar

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

For many students, early reading intervention is necessary for learning to read. The purpose of this action research project was to determine the effects of Reading Recovery intervention and systematic phonics intervention on first-grade students’ reading skills and to determine how the two interventions compare. For this study, the researcher selected 8 at-risk first-grade students who had academically similar reading skills. Students’ academic levels were determined using the Observation Survey assessment and Early Reading FAST assessment. After initial testing, four of these participants were given a 14-week Reading Recovery intervention and the other four were given 14 weeks of systematic …

Effectively Teaching Non-Verbal Students, Lisa Vincent

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This inquiry-based research explores teaching strategies and assessments that minimize frustration in nonverbal students, thus preventing behaviors that hinder learning. Conducted through a literature review and Google questionnaires, the study also involves distributing questionnaires to special education teachers during professional development workshops. Findings indicate that student-centered approaches and preferred teaching strategies effectively engage students and reduce frustration, regardless of whether teachers are in general or special education. Positive teacher-student relationships were also found to impact student frustration levels significantly. These results highlight the importance of implementing student-centered approaches and fostering positive teacher-student relationships to enhance student learning experiences.

The Impact Of Using Professional Development To Support Language Development Focused Adult-Child Interactions With Toddlers, Denise Mccarty

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Young children learn language through interactions with their caregivers. The quantity and quality of interactions between caregivers and children impact later language outcomes. A research gap exists around childcare and the interactions between adults and toddlers. Does professional development on evidenced-based language-boosting strategies provided for childcare workers improve outcomes regarding the quality and quantity of interactions with toddlers in childcare settings? A small group of childcare providers were observed and offered professional development to determine if these strategies could be effectively utilized in the childcare setting. The research revealed that when given the opportunity to learn and improve the quality …

The Impact Of Incorporating Technology On Student Engagement And Achievement In An Elementary Classroom, Amanda Donahoo

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Schools across the country face distracted students who struggle to focus, leading to less engagement and lower academic success. Research has shown that student learning outcomes are often influenced by their level of engagement and that technology can be utilized as a powerful tool for motivation. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of incorporating educational technology, such as one-to-one computers, tablets, and interactive lessons, to increase student engagement and academic achievement so that elementary schools will benefit. Based on a literature review on technology’s impact on education, an online survey was distributed to elementary teachers at a rural, public …

The Intersection Of Culture And Character In Diverse Classrooms, Laura Balmer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This inquiry-based project aimed to fill a gap in the research about the way a thorough understanding of students’ culture can and should influence teachers’ methods of building character in diverse classrooms. The main cultural consideration in this qualitative research involved the cultural frameworks known as individualism and collectivism. The researcher surveyed ten teachers of diverse classrooms, asking them to thoroughly and reflectively answer eight questions related to culture and character. An analysis of the responses revealed a basic understanding of the cultural frameworks, an agreement that culture does influence character, and a desire to understand more about effectively teaching …

Improving Student Outcomes With Project-Based Learning, Tyler Archer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This capstone project analyzes the impact of Project-Based Learning (PBL) on student outcomes at Indianola High School, specifically focusing on student engagement, self-efficacy, and academic achievement in a U.S. History classroom. Recent declines in student performance, specifically in math and reading, indicate that changes are needed. This study examines the potential of PBL to increase content mastery, critical thinking, and historical inquiry skills among high school students. Through a comprehensive literature review and an action plan created for the specific needs of Indianola High School, this research identifies key benefits and challenges associated with PBL. The research suggests that PBL …

Does A Co-Teaching Model Increase Math Assessment Scores?, Kate Jackson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research findings demonstrate that using a co-teaching model improves assessment scores in math. Not only do scores increase in math, but the co-facilitating model also has proven to increase inclusion and self-efficacy among students. Studies have shown that having two educators in the classroom allows for the model of one teach and one assist to be highly beneficial. This plan includes a school improvement plan that outline demographics of the school, what the problem is, and actions to take to combat the issue.