Education Commons^™

Balance Control And Exercise-Based Interventions In Older Adults, Youngwook Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Loss of balance and consequential falling, caused by natural degenerations in the sensory and motor systems with aging, are critical issues that require constant research exploration to ultimately improve the quality of life in older populations. Balance can be simply classified into static and dynamic balance, and the latter is more associated with common causes of falling in older adults. There are numerous ways to improve dynamic balance, and exercise training has been considered the most beneficial intervention for that purpose. Specifically, aquatic exercises have been suggested as a promising modality because several properties of water, including buoyance and hydrostatic …

Testing The Efficacy Of Leadership For Empowerment And Abuse Prevention (Leap), A Healthy Relationship Training Intervention For People With Intellectual Disability, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn, Elizabeth P. Cramer, Molly Dellinger-Wray, Caitlin Mayton, Allison D'Aguiliar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) is an abuse prevention intervention for people with intellectual disability. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the intervention’s efficacy. Findings indicated no significant differences in scenario identification questions depicting acceptable or concerning situations. However, statistically significant improvements were noted in participants’ depth of understanding, including their ability to correctly describe why a scenario was abusive or exploitative and what to do next when confronted with unhealthy situations. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed.

Testing A Wellness Indicators Measure For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Matthew Bogenschutz, Michael Broda, Sarah Lineberry, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background and Purpose: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have health and wellness issues that are not as good as people without disabilities. States are required to monitor health and wellness for people with IDD who use many disability services. However, there are few ways to monitor wellness between states or at different points in time. In this study, we share a new model that states may use to monitor wellness of people with IDD.

Methods: We used data from a survey called the National Core Indicators (NCI) to develop this model. First, we developed the model using …

Promoting Inclusion Of Adults With Disabilities In Local Fitness Programs: A Needs Assessment, Samantha M. Ross, Bridgette Schram, Kathleen Mccarty, Nicole Fiscella, Willie Chun Wai Leung, Kayla Lindland

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Fit-Pals* is a university-based, service-learning program with a mission to prepare adults with disabilities to engage in lifelong physical activity. We conducted a Needs Assessment to evaluate recent programmatic partnerships with community-based fitness organizations. We aimed to (1) evaluate organizational perceptions of Fit-Pals’ partnership efforts, and (2) identify perceived organizational needs to improve inclusion practices. Representatives from each of our seven partner organizations participated in an online-survey, follow-up interviews, and a stakeholder meeting. A thematic analysis of survey and interview responses highlighted areas for programmatic growth related to training in disability awareness and fitness accommodations, and improved communication across all …

College Students’ Knowledge Of And Openness To Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Louis W. Turchetta, Valerie Ryan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

College students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges due to limited understanding of this condition. This study investigates college students' awareness of and openness to peers with ASD using an educational intervention. Data were analyzed via a pre–post survey design with two groups.

Factorial analysis of variance showed no significant differences between groups. However, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significant differences in the treatment group’s ranks on the openness scale and knowledge scale between pre- and post-intervention surveys. Findings yielded small (openness) and large effect sizes (knowledge) as expected. Brief educational interventions in required courses can thus potentially enhance …

Community Conversations: Finding Solutions To Increase Employment For Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, James Sinclair, Kyle Reardon, Katherine W. Bromley, Christen Knowles, Dana Cohen Lissman, Megan Kunze

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This study describes the implementation and findings of a pilot community conversations event in the state of Oregon to identify innovative solutions to under- and unemployment experienced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The event was facilitated in partnership with the University of Oregon UCEDD, local Arc chapter, and other relevant community stakeholders. A total of 36 diverse individuals (e.g., school personnel, business owners, individuals with IDD, and caregivers of individuals with IDD) participated in a two-hour community conversations event about how to improve employment opportunities for those experiencing IDD. Participants engaged in discussions about solutions to employment …

Parents’ Beliefs Regarding Shared Reading With Infants And Toddlers, Emma Brezel Mbe, Libby Hallas-Muchow Ms, Alefyah Shipchandler, Jennifer Hall-Lande Phd, Lp, Karen Bonuck Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Parent beliefs about reading to young children- and factors related to such beliefs- affect a child’s reading skill. But, little is known about parent beliefs about reading to infants and toddlers. To fill this gap, three University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) studied 43 English and Spanish speaking parents of children aged 9-18 months. The three UCEDDs were working on a project to create a children’s book that had tips for parents about how their one year-old learns and grows. The UCEDD study survey asked about parent beliefs about reading to young children (4 questions) and factors related …

Daily Life Experiences Of Families Of People With Disabilities During Covid-19 Pandemic, Evan E. Dean, Karrie A. Shogren, Courtney Sanchez, Sean Swindler

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background. For people with IDD and their families, COVID-19 has introduced additional challenges including significant disruptions to daily life and increased risk in accessing services and supports. Understanding how families are adapting and navigating through the crisis is critical both to inform ongoing supports as the pandemic continues and beyond as there will likely be ongoing changes in service and support delivery both directly and indirectly related to COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to survey families in one Midwest state in the U.S. to document experiences during COVID-19 with a focus on understanding how families are navigating current …

Advance Care Planning Within Individualized Care Plans: A Component Of Emergency Preparedness, Heather L. Church, Christina Marsack-Topolewski, Jacqueline M. Mcginley, Victoria Knoke

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Federally-legislated Medicaid requirements for recipients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) to have a person-centered plan (PCP) do not specifically require that advanced care plans (ACP) be a component of the plan. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has provided a salient reminder of the importance of incorporating ACP within the PCP for people who have IDD. As demonstrated by situations arising from COVID-19, emergencies and crises can dramatically alter access to care for people with IDD. This paper synthesizes results from an environmental scan related to ACP for adults with IDD. Findings suggest that the use of ACP, particularly when …

Editorial: Increasing Accessibility In Academic Publishing And Upcoming Initiatives, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This editorial provides an overview of the current issue, and then several initiatives that DDNJ is working on to increase the accessibility of academic publishing. This editorial introduces our new podcast and our upcoming presentation at the Fall 2021 AUCD Conference.

The Origins Of University Centers On Developmental Disabilities: Second Generation Expectations And Growth, Bryce Fifield, Marvin G. Fifield

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Part two of a two part publications tracing the evolution of University Centers on Disabilities. Originally University Affiliated Facilities evolved into University Affiliated Programs on disabilities. Early expectations outlined by President Kennedy's Committee on Mental Retardation grew as funding for disability services and programs became available. Key legislation, program developments and organizational decisions are described for the time frame of 1970 through 2000.

Surveying Teachers' Preferences And Boundaries Regarding Human-Ai Control In Dynamic Pairing Of Students For Collaborative Learning, Kexin Bella Yang, Luettamae Lawrence, Vanessa Echeverría, Boyuan Guo, Nikol Rummel, Vincent Aleven

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Orchestration tools may support K-12 teachers in facilitating student learning, especially when designed to address classroom stakeholders’ needs. Our previous work revealed a need for human-AI shared control when dynamically pairing students for collaborative learning in the classroom, but offered limited guidance on the role each agent should take. In this study, we designed storyboards for scenarios where teachers, students and AI co-orchestrate dynamic pairing when using AI-based adaptive math software for individual and collaborative learning. We surveyed 54 math teachers on their co-orchestration preferences. We found that teachers would like to share control with the AI to lessen their …

The Intersection Of Cultural Context And Research Encounter: Focus On Interviewing In Qualitative Research, Rebecca Yvonne Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This article discusses the influence of the cultural context on the interview process. With literature demonstrating the role of spatial context on interviews, the article contends that similar consideration should be given to cultural contexts of research studies. Focusing on the cultural context where the interview takes place and the interactions during the interview can help researchers understand and analyze interview material. Interview forms such as conversation/interview bombing emerged from the interaction of cultural context with the interview process. This points to the need for qualitative researchers to explore how the cultural context shapes their research encounter. Such focus will …

Informational Signage Increases Awareness Of A Rattlesnake In A Canadian Urban Park System, Jonathan D. Choquette, Alexis V. Hand

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–snake conflict results in negative outcomes for people and snakes, and if left unmanaged, could undermine conservation efforts. One approach to managing conflict between people and snakes is to use signage to inform members of the public on the presence of venomous snakes and measures to prevent snakebites. To be an effective tool, however, signs must first be noticed, then read and understood by the target audience. As part of conservation efforts targeting eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) in southwestern Ontario, Canada, we tested the effectiveness of signage at increasing awareness of its presence, status and threats, and …

Professional Education To Reduce Provider Stigma Toward Harm Reduction And Pharmacotherapy, Sandra H. Sulzer, Suzanne Prevedel, Tyson Barrett, Maren Wright Voss, Cassandra Manning, Erin Fanning Madden

Extension Research

Aims: A novel professional training was developed to reduce stigma toward harm reduction and pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders.

Methods: The training was delivered over three sessions to n = 147 health professionals in Utah between 2019 and 2020, including n = 40 substance use disorder treatment professionals. Pre and post-training survey measures provided evaluation information on knowledge, attitudes, and planned action regarding harm reduction and pharmacotherapy. Items were grouped into a stigma score, and multilevel modeling, regression analyses, and McNemar tests were used to quantify changes in overall stigma toward harm reduction interventions both before and after the training. …

A Hybrid Peer Support Training Model For Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Maren Wright Voss, Amy Campbell, Amelia Van Komen

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University (USU) Extension created a hybrid educational program to address barriers to participation of the Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) trainings before and during COVID 19. This article provides an overview of the CPSS pilot program and discusses early program outcomes.

Examining The Influence Of Instructor Interventions On Group Collaboration, Luettamae Lawrence, Taylor Tucker, Emma Mercier

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Collaborative problem solving is often used in STEM higher education courses to support conceptual knowledge and teamwork. However, course teaching assistants (TAs) often lack the collaborative pedagogical knowledge necessary to orchestrate this form of learning. In this paper, we examine TAs’ orchestration strategies and technology used to understand how these factors influence groups’ collaboration. Contributions from this paper describe the interplay among technology, strategies, and groups’ collaboration toward understanding how to support collaboration in these courses.

Towards Bringing Human-Centered Design To K-12 And Post-Secondary Education, Saadeddine Shehab, Mike Tissenbaum, Luettamae Lawrence, Daniel Rees Lewis, Matthew Easterday, Spencer Carlson, Adam Royalty, Helen Chen, Sheppard Sheri, Shelley Goldman, Annie Camey Kuo, Kimiko Lange, Melissa Mesinas, Rose K. Pozos, Dhvani Toprani, Mona Alqahtani, Yu Xia, Marcela Borge, Keith Sawyer

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a growing field that has the potential to positively impact students’ learning. A general consensus on the terms, practices, scaffolds, and assessments of HCD can foster its effective implementation in K-12 and post-secondary education. This session brings together researchers whose work is focused on implementing HCD across K-16 classrooms. It aims to develop a coherent definition of HCD, its methods, practices, and assessments, to help frame the field and reduce ambiguity at a critical time in its broader adoption.

Case Studies In The Classroom: Assessing A Pilot Information Literacy Curriculum For English Composition, Rachel Wishkoski, Katie Strand, Alex J. Sundt, Deanna Allred, Diana J. Meter

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Purpose

This mixed-methods study assesses a pilot library curriculum in a general education English composition course. Case-based learning (CBL), a form of problem-based learning (PBL), was used to scaffold information literacy skills and concepts across sessions. This article explores the approach's impact on student learning and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were enrolled in four sections of an undergraduate composition course. Two sections were taught with the CBL library curriculum, and two with the standard library curriculum as a control. Pretest/posttest surveys included quantitative and qualitative measures to assess students in several areas of information literacy. Weekly reflections from a subsample of …

Exploiting A Grading Policy Shift As An Instrument To Estimate Impact Of Grading On Teacher Evaluations, Gavin Johnson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Professors at a university plausibly have an incentive to give higher grades to students, and these higher grades will be reflected in student evaluations, which are used to assess teaching quality, which could have career impacts. This paper takes advantage of a policy shift at the business school at Utah State University that introduced suggested caps on the average course grades that teachers gave. This allowed instrumental variable analysis to correct for bias in OLS estimations of these impacts. The correlation between grades and students' evaluations of teachers was found to be positive suggesting that student evaluations of teachers are …

Explorations Of Designing Spatial Classroom Analytics With Virutal Prototyping, Jiwoong Jang, Jaewook Lee, Vanessa Echeverría, Luettamae Lawrence, Vincent Aleven

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite the potential of spatial displays for supporting teachers’ classroom orchestration through real-time classroom analytics, the process to design these displays is a challenging and under-explored topic in the learning analytics (LA) community. This paper proposes a mid-fidelity Virtual Prototyping method (VPM), which involves simulating a classroom environment and candidate designs in virtual space to address these challenges. VPM allows for rapid prototyping of spatial features, requires no specialized hardware, and enables teams to conduct remote evaluation sessions. We report observations and findings from an initial exploration with five potential users through a design process utilizing VPM to validate designs …

A Self-Advocate’S Perspective On The Covid-19 Pandemic, D.R. Reff

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This article summarizes the experience of a self-advocate from Idaho during the COVID pandemic. This article addresses issues of social isolation, mental health, and social supports.

Autistic College Students And Covid-19: Anxiety, Support Needs And Responses By Specialized Programs, Jessica Monahan, Laurie Ackles, Amy D. Edwards, Brian Freedman, Pamela Withers Lubbers, Sara Sanders Gardner, Cherie A. Fishbaugh, Jane Thierfeld Brown

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Providing resources and support to college students during the COVID-19 global pandemic has produced unique challenges for all students, particularly those with autism. In March 2020, halfway through the spring term, the COVID-19 global pandemic forced most institutions of higher education across the country to move all instruction and support to an online, remote format, including those for students with autism. Colleges and autism support programs are now grappling with how to effectively support students amid a global pandemic. Yet there is little information available about how students’ needs have changed with this new environment. In this exploratory study, 76 …

Using Quality Improvement (Qi)-Focused Evaluation To Redesign Direct Home- And Community-Based Services During The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency:, Marcia Moriarta, Anthony Cahill, Heidi Fredine

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Like many UCEDDs in the Developmental Disabilities (DD) network, the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico offers direct service programs in home and community settings. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, services were delivered in-person to about 1,000 families across the state including clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or from at-risk communities. In March 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19, a public health emergency was declared in New Mexico and home and community services were stopped throughout the state. This meant direct service programs at the Center had to turn to telehealth …

Using Telehealth To Adapt Service Delivery For Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Maureen Russell, Cathron Donaldson, Jill Pleasant, Kelly Roberts

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Staff from the Institute for Human Development (IHD) at Northern Arizona University have provided evaluations for children with developmental disabilities (DD) in Arizona communities for over 20 years. These evaluations include Developmental Evaluations, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluations, and evaluations for eligibility for Part C of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) early intervention services. Following the evaluations, IHD staff may provide interventions that consist of training, coaching, and direct services.

Evaluations and follow-up interventions have historically been provided in homes, the community, or a clinic setting by interdisciplinary teams that consist of two or more of the …

Acknowledgments, Matthew T. Wappett Ph.D.

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Changing Needs Of Individuals With Disabilities In The Time Of Covid-19 As Observed By A Family Navigation Program In Miami, Fl, Gabriella Llano, Allison Kumnick, Jean-Paul Bryant Ms, Nancy Torres Ms, Jeffrey Brosco Md, Phd, Maite Schenker Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Family Navigator Program (FNP) is designed to help families navigate the complex system of services available to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), chronic health conditions, mental health issues, and other special health care needs. Based at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami, the FNP is free and available to all families in South Florida. Most families enrolled in the FNP are receiving medical services from a university clinic; however, the program also accepts referrals from outside agencies and self-referrals. The aim of this study was to investigate the needs of families enrolled …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Disability Services And Systems: Perspectives From The Field, Ronda Jenson, John Tschida

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Virtual Advocacy: Lived Experience Takes Center Stage During And After Pandemic, Gyasi Burks-Abbott, Amanda V. Gannaway, Amy Szarkowski, Jason M. Fogler, David T. Helm

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

COVID-19 forced a significant change for participants of the Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) typically held annually in Washington, D.C. The DPS is a policy event that both informs its participants about current policy and supports attendees visiting Capitol Hill to meet with legislators. In 2020, the DPS event, which took place during the early phase of the pandemic, was shifted from “on the Hill” to “across the screen”. Through the various lenses of an autistic self-advocate, a mother of a child with a developmental disability, and faculty of a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program, this paper …

Perspectives Of Immigrant Families And Persons With Disabilities During Covid-19, Diana Rodriguez Lmsw, Kathleen Mcgrath Msw

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: The health, economic, social, political, and psychological consequences of COVID-19 have been deeply felt on a global level. Persons with disabilities, including those from Hispanic/Latino immigrant communities, have faced unique challenges during both the peak and fallout of the pandemic. Throughout both the United States and New York City, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color. However, the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities among immigrant and communities of color is still unfolding.

Aims: In this paper, we aim to better understand the compounded stress of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by immigrant families who have a child with …