Education Commons^™

Evaluation Of A Prototype Deep Learning-Based Autosegmentation Algorithm On A High Quality Database Of Head And Neck Cancer Radiotherapy Patients, Jihye Koo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is devoted to the study of deep learning-based autosegmentation in head and neck radiotherapy. Much of the work presented here is motivated by the need to introduce a clinically useful autosegmentation model for head and neck organs at risk, with the aim of reducing inter-observer variation in structure segmentation and enhancing time efficiency of the treatment planning process. This dissertation describes autosegmentation approaches, introduces a prototype deep learning-based autosegmentation algorithm trained with carefully curated local gold data, and presents a series of comprehensive evaluations to verify the feasibility of implementing the prototype model in clinical settings.

One of …

Saudi Parents As Advocates For Their Young Children With Disabilities: Reflections On The Journey, Sadeem A. Alolayan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although special education advocates have played an essential role in obtaining rights for individuals with disabilities, there is still much unknown about their motivations, challenges, roles, and the meaning they made from their experiences. Research into Saudi parent advocates of children with disabilities and their complex daily life issues have seldom been investigated, with rare studies that focus solely on Saudi early intervention services needs and supports. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of Saudi parents of children with developmental disabilities who are special education advocates in their communities. One of the goals of this study was to …

Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics And Internship Participation Of Senior Undergraduate International Students, Timothy W. Gjini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States higher education institutions’ mission is to support students' academic success and career development goals by preparing them to become globally competent citizens and workforce-ready graduates. With student workforce preparation at the core of their mission, there is concern that colleges and universities are not adequately investing in international students’ engagement in career-preparation practices (e.g., internships). As such, this quantitative, secondary-data study explored the relationship between senior international students’ demographic characteristics, the institutional environment (type and classification), and their internship participation behavior. Key variables were identified from three complementary theoretical strands, including Astin’s Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) Model (1988, 1993a, …

Self-Determination And The Lived Experience Of Employed Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Abdelrahman Mohammad Alzarie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literature reveals that self-determination is a critical predictor of employment at the post-secondary level for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). However, current research concerning self-determination in the post-secondary work of individuals with ID is scarce and primarily focused on the perspectives of parents or educators or has been driven by evaluating learning models of self-determination. Furthermore, individuals with ID were not adequately represented as participants in the current research, and their voices were not given the opportunity to be heard. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experience of six Saudi employed adults with mild ID who …

How Some Arboreal Salamanders (Genus Aneides) Jump, Glide, And Generate Lift, Christian E. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The jumping and subsequent aerial behaviors of arboreal lungless salamanders (genus Aneides) had never been investigated or described. The aims of this research were to (1) compare jumping performance within the family Plethodontidae with a special focus on arboreal species from genus Aneides, (2) describe the biomechanics and kinematics of aerial behaviors after a jump or extended fall, and (3) model airflow over the morphology of the most aerially adept salamanders to investigate if they are capable of generating lift. First, I recorded salamanders jumping, locomoting vertically, dropping, and flying in a vertical wind tunnel. Then, I laser-scanned and reconstructed …

Music As An Instructional Modality To Increase Attending Behavior Of Elementary Students, Zachary Grossman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Audio and audiovisual cues, when used as teaching tools, result in desirable learning outcomes for young learners when compared to visual cues alone (Havy et al., 2017; Kirkham et al., 2019; Sloutsky & Napolitano, 2003). Previous research has demonstrated that music can be an effective delivery method for teaching math in the elementary classrooms (An & Tillman, 2015; An et al., 2014; Azaryahu et al., 2020). However, the effectiveness of music at increasing attending behavior specifically has not been assessed in these studies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of music based instruction on students’ attending behaviors compared to non-music based …

The Redesign And Evaluation Of A Higher Education Online Instructor Certification Program, Lindsey W. Mercer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following exploratory case study is a program evaluation of a certification program for online instructors at a high-enrollment, 4-year research-intensive university in the southeast. Since 2014 the Online Instructor Certification (OIC) has operated as the predominant platform for preparing faculty to teach online at the site of study. The OIC contributes to meeting institutional strategic initiatives including accreditation and goals from the state board of governors. Using the Kirkpatrick training evaluation model, this study evaluated the OIC on the first three levels including how participants perceived the certification (Level 1), what participants learned (Level 2), and how participants applied …

Understanding And Measuring Family–Teacher Partnerships, Emily L. Baton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has long been acknowledged that there is an important bond between families and schools that enriches the child’s behavior and academic life. The benefits of parent–school partnerships in a child’s education extend beyond the child, benefitting the families and educational staff as well. Terminology, definitions, and practices within the continuum of parent–school partnerships (Goodall & Montgomery, 2014) currently vary. The three most common term of the continuum are (a) family involvement, (b) family engagement, and (c) parent–school partnerships.Firstly, this dissertation sought to build upon the knowledge around the terminology and definition used to explain families and the education system …

Teaching And Learning Together: Situating Information Literacy In The Library Social Services Landscape Of Practice Through Online Scenario-Game-Based Training, Denise R. Shereff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A scoping literature review and a qualitative case study were conducted in this dissertation research to explore formal information literacy instruction and professional development for librarians and social workers in the context of library social services. This research provides avenues for increasing understanding about how each is prepared to provide mental health and social service information and resources in public libraries.The scoping literature review was conducted on 19 studies published since 2002 focusing on librarians’ roles in information literacy instruction in social worker education. Articles were reviewed according to published Scoping Review guidelines. Trends were described regarding instructional and technological …

A Critical Analysis Of The Graduate Socialization Of Racially Minoritized School Psychology Students, Tatiana J. Broughton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

By centering the voices of racially/ethnically minoritized school psychology graduate students I sought to understand how racially minoritized individuals experience their socialization process into the field, to critique and expose oppressive structures in place in their graduate programs, and to utilize garnered information to provide implications to address and dismantle oppressive structure within school psychology programs. Additionally, I sought to provide insight for school psychology training programs by identifying antiracist practices that minoritized graduate students view as supports in their training programs. Participants were eight racial/ethnic minoritized graduate students who participated in one to two virtual interviews discussing their experiences …

Piloting A Spanish-Language Web-Based Tool For Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing, Gretter Manso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer genetic services (including genetic counseling and testing) help identify patients and families at increased risk of developing cancer so that steps can be taken to reduce risks or find cancers early. Receipt of genetic services in the Hispanic/Latinx population is low due, in part, to a shortage of Spanish-speaking genetic counselors. To address this concern, a 12-minute online tool designed to inform individuals about cancer genetic services was translated into Spanish. The objectives of this pilot study were to determine if the educational tool improves knowledge and informed decision making and to assess usability and appropriateness of the tool …

Comparing Mortality In Response To Simulated Climate Change In The Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Badius, And The Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Haley Depner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid transport of plants, produce, and goods out of its South American home, the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has invaded continents on a global scale. In the United States alone, S. invicta is responsible for an estimated $1 billion in damages annually. In contrast to the invasive fire ant, Florida’s native harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius, is a keystone seed disperser, providing seed relocation benefits to Florida’s sandhill wildfire-adapted habitats. Seed relocation reduces seedling competition for nutrients with the parent plant, reduces predation of seeds by rodents, increases nutrient loads associated with ant mound soils, and protects seeds from …

Teaching Science For Social Justice: Curriculum, Pedagogy, And Critical Science Agency In Independent School Classrooms, Selene Y. Willis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on social justice continues to be conducted in urban, diverse schools, while independent schools are traditionally overlooked and absent from research in many disciplines, including science education. This embedded case study uses a critical pedagogical lens to examine this gap in the research literature by examining and describing what it looks like to teach science for social justice within a suburban independent school in the southeastern United States.Research on social justice continues to be conducted in urban, diverse schools. In contrast, independent schools are traditionally overlooked and absent from research in many disciplines, including science education. This embedded case …

The Effects Of An Interactive E-Book On Promoting Idiomatic Competence And Motivation Among L2 Learners Of Arabic Language In Saudi Arabia, Alfaifi Adel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Native Arabic speakers used idiomatic expressions such as idioms, formulas, and collocations, in their daily communications. In learning Arabic as a second language (L2), effective communication requires “the ability to understand and use idioms appropriately and accurately in a variety of sociocultural contexts, in a manner like that of native speakers, and with the least amount of mental effort” (Liontas, 2015, p. 441). Yet, promoting L2 idiomatic competence in the classroom and beyond remains a difficult task (Liontas, 2006; Tabatabaei, 2012). The utilization of e-books in the learning environment in L2 teaching in the English language has received much research …

Hiv Stalks Bodies Like Mine: An Autoethnography Of Self-Disclosure, Stigmatized Identity, And (In)Visibility In Queer Lived Experience, Steven Ryder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines self-disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status within the context of communication between long-standing friends. For the purposes of my study, I define this type of friendship as those who have known me for at least two years and with whom I communicate regularly. These are friends who tend to know a variety of personal details about me, ranging from superficial to private and trivial to essential. I use autoethnography to ground the study in my lived experience. By doing so, I present intimate accounts of my communication with others across my lifespan to function as background …

Play-Based Pedagogies In Saudi Kindergartens: Examining Teachers’ Perceptions And Practices, Manal O. Alharbi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explored three Saudi kindergarten teachers’ play-based pedagogies. I conducted a qualitative case study (Stake, 1994) in order to examine these teachers’ perceptions of play and describe the ways they incorporated play into their classrooms. My research questions were: How do three Saudi kindergarten teachers perceive play-based learning? In what ways do three Saudi kindergarten teachers implement play-based learning? Participants taught kindergarten in a large private school that served early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students in Saudi Arabia. Classroom observations and interviews with the teachers were the central data sources. To analyze the data, I …

The Development, Validation, And Standardization Of A New Tool: The Dyscalculia Test, Stella Eteng-Uket

Numeracy

This paper describes a study that focused on developing, validating and standardizing a dyscalculia test, henceforth called the Dyscalculia Test. Out of the 4,758,800 students in Nigeria's upper primary and junior secondary schools, l randomly drew a sample of 2340 students, using a multistage sampling procedure that applied various sampling techniques. For data collection, I used the Test of General Reasoning Ability and Paper 1 of the Mathematics Achievement Test section of the 2021 National Common Entrance Examination, as well as the Dyscalculia Test introduced in this paper, which was developed and standardized in stages. My analysis shows that the …

Academic Advisors' Perceptions Of Implicit Bias In Interactions With Students: An Exploratory Case Study, Bobby A. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Academic advisors are crucial to the success of students who attend higher education institutions (e.g., Himes, 2014; Paul & Fitzpatrick, 2015; Smith, 2005). They guide students to complete their degrees in a timely progression and serve as a contact for students to help increase a sense of belonging on college campuses. Higher education literature presented evidence that suggested academic advisors demonstrate implicit bias while interacting with students they advise (e.g., Bahr, 2008; Grau & Zotos, 2016). Implicit bias may expose academic advisors to errors in judgment and decision making while assisting students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was …

Exploring The Phenomenon Of Hope In Adult Illiterate Haitians, Donita Grissom, Joyce Nutta, Edwidge Crevecoeur-Bryant, Sherron K. Roberts

Journal of Global Education and Research

Snyder’s hope theory depicts hope, through the frame of positive psychology, as a cognitive construct with the perceived sense of goal-directed, pathways, and agency thinking (Snyder et al., 1991). Hope levels have been measured in various countries; however, no research to date focused on Haitians. This study, conducted in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, addressed this gap by investigating hope, pathway, and agency levels derived from 135 Haitian-Kreyol adult literacy course participants. This manuscript reports scores of illiterate Haitians’ hope levels utilizing Snyder’s Adult Hope Dispositional Scale; the scores are explained by Snyder’s hope theory taking Haitian cultural and social landscapes into account. …

Defining Intercultural Competence: How Four Pre-Service Teachers Developed A More Complex Understanding Of Icc, Elizabeth C. Barrow

Journal of Global Education and Research

This manuscript is one part of a larger exploratory collective case study of pre-service teachers who participated in a student teaching abroad program for one-month in Germany. The objective was to ascertain if and how pre-service teachers with no prior training in intercultural competence (ICC) developed both their understanding and conceptualization of ICC. Data was collected before, during, and after the experience via focus groups, individual interviews, journal entries, and program evaluations. Data was analyzed using a priori codes compiled from Bennett’s (2008) characteristics of affective, cognitive, and behavioral competencies of ICC. Findings from this study indicated that a short-term …

Perceptions Of Leadership Styles In International Special And General Education Schools In The United Arab Emirates, Kaitlin M. Jackson

Journal of Global Education and Research

Given that school leadership styles are linked to educational outcomes, this study attempted to identify perceived leadership styles of school leaders in two types of schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): (a) international special education schools, which serve exclusively students with disabilities and (b) international general education schools, which serve primarily typically developing students. By utilizing primarily quantitative methods with supplementary qualitative analysis, this study also explored the influence of teacher demographic variables on perceptions of leadership styles. Results indicated a difference in perceptions of transformational and transactional leadership by school type based on teacher education level, as well …

Live-Learn-Work: Experiential Learning And Cultural Intelligence In The Internship Abroad, Lisa Lambert Snodgrass, Mehdi Ghahremani, Margaret Hass

Journal of Global Education and Research

In response to increasing demand for intercultural competency in global work environments, universities in the United States have expanded opportunities for study and internship abroad. However, there is comparatively little research on the program design for internship abroad programs and how it affects intercultural competency. This study presents a new curriculum model for the internship abroad called Live-Learn-Work (LLW) and evaluates its effects on the cultural intelligence (CQ) of undergraduate student participants in three different settings: Seoul, South Korea; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Lima, Peru. The design of LLW is unique in that it integrates a theoretical framework from Experiential Learning …

Engaging In Self-Directed Leisure Activities During A Homework-Free Holiday: Impacts On Primary School Children In Hong Kong, Vicky C. Tam, Phoebe Chu, Viola Tsang

Journal of Global Education and Research

Homework is a core pedagogical tool used by schools around the world. Yet concern for heavy homework load has been raised regarding stress on students and families and how it may overshadow opportunities for non-academic development. Drawing support from Self-Determination Theory and Hope Theory, an innovative intervention project was designed to create homework-free opportunities for school children to take part in freely chosen self-directed leisure activities. The project was implemented in four primary schools in Hong Kong during the Easter holiday in 2017 and 2018. A mixed-method evaluation was conducted to appraise the experiences of student participants as well as …

Approach To Problem Solving And Use Of Intuition By Engineering Technology Students, Meher R. Taleyarkhan, Anne M. Lucietto, Natalie L. F. Hobson, Therese M. Azevedo

Journal of Global Education and Research

Engineering technology students often forgo a methodical approach of solving or answering questions on assignments or exams in favor of an intuition-based approach, emphasizing educated guessing (Broberg et al., 2008). Faculty observations have noted these student solutions often provide explanations, usually sans calculations, to support answers the students believe to be reasonable when in reality deviated from the correct answer. An extensive study was developed to assess several distinctions between student intuition and use of cognition in problem solving, as related to a generalized student population. The study was comprised of a survey and interview. The survey utilized two instruments, …

Plastic Accumulation In Stormwater Pond Soils Across Socioeconomic And Watershed Development Gradients, Carley Defillips

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater runoff is a major vector transporting pollution along the land-to-sea continuum, with the mobilization of nutrient pollution in stormwater runoff being well documented. Although plastic is a pollutant of growing concern, few studies have focused on the potential role stormwater ponds play in mediating plastic transport. This study uses a combination of watershed development and socioeconomic variables to characterize plastic pollution patterns in dry stormwater ponds (those not inundated outside of times of major rainfall) at a watershed scale. Each pond basin was sampled for plastics embedded in the soil and laying on the pond surface using a systematic …

Modules, Mandates, & Morals: A Self-Study Of The Creation Of An Online Secondary Holocaust Course, Alexander C. Ledford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the process of the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of an online secondary Holocaust education course. Employing self-study methodology, it critically examines the decision-making of the researcher as they engage in the tasks of each phase of the ADDIE model of instructional. Special attention has been paid to the intersection of prevailing pedagogical and curricular recommendations from scholars in the fields of both Holocaust education and instructional design, a practice that has not received adequate scholarly attention. Drawing upon both bodies of literature, the researcher stresses the use of pedagogical practices which are put forward as …

Let The Devil Speak For Itself: Should Chatgpt Be Allowed Or Banned In Hospitality And Tourism Schools?, Faizan Ali, Chatgpt Openai, Inc

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

Since the inception of Open AI’s ChatGPT, its usage has been a polarizing topic. This is particularly true for the higher education sector, specially disciplines such as hospitality and tourism. As such, this opinion paper provides a balanced stance and outlines the benefits and limitations of using ChatGPT by students and faculty members in hospitality and tourism schools. This paper also outlines some ethical aspects revolving arounds usage of ChatGPT in hospitality and tourism schools.

Artificial Intelligence, Basic Skills, And Quantitative Literacy, Gizem Karaali

Numeracy

The introduction in November 2022 of ChatGPT, a freely available language-based artificial intelligence, has led to concerns among some educators about the feasibility and benefits of teaching basic writing and critical thinking skills to students in the context of easily accessed, AI-based cheating mechanisms. As of now, ChatGPT can write pretty convincing student-level prose, but it is still not very good at answering quantitatively rich questions. Therefore, for the time being, the preceding concerns may not be shared by a large portion of the numeracy education community. However, as Google and WolframAlpha are definitely capable of answering standard and some …

Establishing The Validity And Reliability Of The Locus Assessments, Tim Jacobbe, Bob Delmas, Brad Hartlaub, Jeff Haberstroh, Catherine Case, Steven Foti, Douglas Whitaker

Numeracy

The development of assessments as part of the funded LOCUS project is described. The assessments measure students’ conceptual understanding of statistics as outlined in the GAISE PreK–12 Framework. Results are reported from a large-scale administration to 3,430 students in grades 6 through 12 in the United States. Items were designed to assess levels of understanding as well as components of the statistical problem solving process as articulated in the GAISE framework. We discuss details of how the model used to develop the LOCUS assessments guided the gathering of evidence for validity and reliability arguments. Three types of validity evidence are …

Focused On Pedagogy: Qr Grading Rubrics For Written Arguments, Ruby Daniels, Kathryn Appenzeller Knowles, Emily Naasz, Amanda Lindner

Numeracy

Institutional assessments of quantitative literacy/reasoning (QL/QR) have been extensively tested and reported in the literature. While appropriate for measuring student learning at the programmatic or institutional level, such instruments were not designed for classroom grading. After modifying a widely accepted institutional rubric designed to assess QR in written arguments, the current mixed method study tested the reliability of two QR analytic grading rubrics for written arguments and explored students’ reactions to the grading tools. Undergraduate students enrolled in a business course (N = 59) participated. A total of 415 QR artifacts from 40 students were assessed; an additional 19 …