Education Commons^™

Beyond Barriers: A Universal Design Guide, Sydney F. Bunk

Masters Projects

Research has shown that students with reported visual impairments are continuously underrepresented in study abroad programs, despite institutions promoting study abroad as a high-impact practice that benefits students of diverse backgrounds. Although study abroad participation has been increasing in recent years, students with disabilities, and particularly those with visual impairments, engage at disproportionately low rates. A lack of comprehensible information about program environments and available accommodations are contributing factors to this trend. This project is intended to improve the clarity of study abroad program materials through the development of a Universal Design for Study Abroad Guidebook. Guided by the principles …

The Big Five Personality Traits And Perceptions Of Generative Ai In Higher Education: A Canonical Correlation Analysis For Sustainable Digital Education, Mei Jiang, Shifang Tang, Qingwei Wang

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the multivariate relationship between college students’ Big Five personality traits and their perceptions of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Guided by sustainable digital education and expectancy-value theory, this study investigated whether personality profiles were associated with students’ knowledge of AI, attainment value, intrinsic value, utility value, perceived cost, and intention to use AI. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 375 students enrolled at a Southwestern doctoral-granting public university. Participants completed an adapted measure of generative AI perceptions and the Big Five Inventory, and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was conducted to …

Healing In Brave Spaces, Brian Arao, Michiko Kealoha, Jose Napoles

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article explores the evolution of the "brave space" framework, moving beyond its original application in social justice education to purposefully integrate a human rights-based approach to healing and community repair. Amidst increasing global divisiveness and legislative volatility, the authors argue that access to community healing is an intrinsic human right and a critical state of mental and social well-being. By centering the concept of "transformative agency," the paper illustrates how educators and administrators can utilize brave space praxis to analyze systemic trauma, foster interconnectedness, and restore human dignity.

The authors draw upon personal narratives and professional experiences in higher …

From Consumers To Creators: Social Media Information Literacy Of University Students., Thuy Thanh Bui, Quyen Trang Mai Nguyen, Tu Thi Thanh Nguyen, Minh Cao Luu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Social Media Information Literacy (SMIL) is increasingly important as social media platforms evolve. SMIL includes skills for navigating, evaluating, managing, creating, and engaging with social media content, aimed at effective information use and critical thinking. Using Heiss, Nanz and Matthes (2023) framework, this study surveyed 410 students via a self-assessment on a 5-point Likert scale. Results indicate students rated their SMIL as average, with the highest scores in appraisal and comprehension, and the lowest in digital creation. Female and senior students, as well as those in Education majors, rated themselves higher. Longer internet usage correlated with better SMIL, especially in …

Monopsony In Academia And The Gender Pay Gap: Evidence From California, Zhanhan Yu, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We investigate monopsony power in a highly skilled labor market made up of tenure-ranked faculty in the University of California system, and analyze differential monopsony power exposure by gender. We infer the campus-level labor supply elasticity by estimating the elasticity of separations utilizing individual-level faculty data and two instruments based on campus revenues and salary scales. We find that the “exploitation rate,” a common measure of monopsony power, is about 7% for tenure-ranked faculty. There is a statistically significant difference in the monopsony power experienced by male and female faculty that appears to account for a relatively small percentage of …

Decolonizing The Academic Library: Examining The Successful Indigenization Of Ubc And Unm’S Library Services, Emily T. Villars

School of Information Student Research Journal

This article examines decolonization and indigenization initiatives at two academic libraries: the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of New Mexico (UNM). It asks how these institutions have implemented indigenization in their libraries and what lessons can inform broader reconciliation work across North America. Through a comparative lens, it analyzes how national and organizational frameworks, such as the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations and the American Indian Library Association’s (AILA) organizational goals, can shape these efforts. The study highlights three core strategies: decolonizing access and classification, transforming library spaces, and expanding …

Ethically Integrating Ai In Occupational Therapy Education: Enhancing Learning And Practice For The Future, Amy Sadek, Sabrina Gowette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around since the 1950s and is gaining traction in higher education and among health care professions. In this era of technology, it is imperative we equip both educators and students to have tech centric skills to support learning, improve efficiency, and enhance skills. Faculty and students alike need to be able to understand the ethics behind using digital information, such as that from AI tools and sources. As educators and students become more reliant on technology, and specifically AI, it is imperative not to lose the human connection in education. Educators are an integral part …

An Investigation Into The Student And Faculty Knowledge, Perception, And Usage Of Chatgpt, Isabella Burns

Honors Theses

Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT) has become a significant topic in academia. Professors and university officials have been contemplating an all-out ban on utilizing such tools for undergraduate academic work. Sullivan et al (2023) noted “…student behaviors led some universities to ban the use of ChatGPT…” (p. 32). Instead of teaching students how to leverage ChatGPT as a powerful resource to enhance the learning process, universities have deemed use of ChatGPT unacceptable, equating its use with serious academic dishonesty offenses consistent with plagiarism (Hawdon et al., 2025). Directly copying from ChatGPT can constitute plagiarism and poses a significant issue for college-level studies, …

Protecting Free Speech And Promoting Civility: The Dueling Responsibilities Of American Colleges And Universities, Tara N. Parsons

International Journal on Responsibility

Freedom House estimates that 75% of the world’s population lives in countries that experienced a democratic decline in 2020. Even in long established democracies, liberal democratic values have been shaken. As democracy requires an enlightened citizenry cultivated by a college education, many American universities and colleges adopt civic instruction and engagement as a core responsibility and mission. However, growing anti-intellectualism has drawn increased scrutiny and suspicion towards the programming, curriculum, and core values of universities. Powerful political figures regularly accuse universities of stifling conservative voices and discouraging free speech. The tension between free speech and civic dialogue requires a reframing …

Attention To Their Uniqueness: Differentiation In A University Classroom, Robin Gingerich

MITESOL Journal: An Online Publication of MITESOL

University students come to campus with unique gifts and individual challenges. To meet the needs of diverse learners, one solution is differentiation. Differentiation involves deliberately planning lessons that address the unique learning styles of diverse learners by offering pedagogy informed not only by content, but also by the students themselves. While differentiation in elementary and secondary classrooms is considered best practice, professors in higher education face unique challenges when it comes to implementing differentiation. This paper examines definitions of differentiation, research on differentiation in universities, and, from the author’s personal experience, offers suggestions for university writing instructors.

A Quality Assurance Framework For Maintaining And Enhancing Academic Standards Of Ai-Infused Higher Education: Insights From Gcc Faculty Perspectives, Nina Abdul Razzak

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study addresses the gap in research on maintaining and enhancing the quality of artificial intelligence (AI)–infused higher education in a structured and systematized way by proposing a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) framework fit for that purpose.

Methods: The study employs a qualitative research design approach in the form of a constructivist or interpretive investigation, exploring in depth faculty members’ different perspectives and experiences in relation to AI implementation. The study combines a textual analysis of the international literature on the topic, with insights from four focus groups involving faculty members from various disciplines and colleges across the Gulf …

The Role Of Polarized State Governments In Higher Education Funding., Jackson Sinsel

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

• Polarization is something that has the potential to impact many aspects of daily life. The purpose of this study was to look at polarization in comparison to higher education funding allocations.
• A state-level analysis of 49 U.S. states from 1993-2010 was conducted.
• Overall, there was a statistically significant finding that as polarization increases, higher education allocations decrease

Student Higher Education Experience Journey From High School To Career Transition: A Holistic Approach, Musa Pinar, Matthew T. Luth, Coleen Wilder

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Hypocrisy Of The Wizards—A Proposal To Correct Incentives In Higher Education Loan Financing, Caden Benedict

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper explores the origins of the student loan debt crisis and proposes tying university incentives to graduates' repayment plans and disclosing median earnings for degrees before students apply. Specifically, while there are numerous factors explaining why the price of education has increased dramatically since the 1970s, this paper proposes solutions that will specifically target university moral hazards by requiring universities fund: (1) the current subsidies to federal student loan repayments under income-driven plans as the House of Representatives intended before the Senate removed "risk-sharing," and (2) bankruptcy law discharge amounts. Moreover, requiring universities to disclose the median earnings of …

The Lived Experiences Of Remote, Part-Time Faculty Members With Transformational Leadership: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study At A Private Christian College In Appalachia, Edward Christian L. Chicko

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of remote, part-time faculty at a private Christian college in Appalachia as they encountered transformational leadership in their professional roles. Faculty morale was defined as the emotional, psychological, and professional well-being of faculty as shaped by their perceptions of institutional leadership in a remote teaching environment. Guided by transformational leadership theory, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, this study examined how leadership behaviors influenced faculty engagement and institutional connection. A transcendental phenomenological design was used to examine participants’ lived experiences. Purposeful sampling recruited 11 …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Higher Education Faculty Towards Inclusion Of Racial And Ethnic Minority Students With Disabilities, Aimee Grace Regala

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of higher education faculty toward the inclusion of racial and ethnic minority students with disabilities at a historically Black college and university in the mid-Atlantic region in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Alexander Astin's input-environment-outcome (I-E-O) model. Transcendental study captured the essence of higher education faculty's experiences in implementing inclusive practices for racial and ethnic minority students with disabilities. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and focus group interviews. Data were analyzed through epoché, phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation to answer the …

The Lived Experiences Of Community College Faculty Working With Students With Cross-Categorical Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Michelle Rosalie Amenta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the preparedness towards disability for faculty members at community colleges. The theory guiding this study was Oliver’s social model of disability, as the theory explained the relationship between environmental, institutional, and attitudinal barriers and disabilities. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of community college faculty who instruct students that self-disclose their cross-categorical disabilities? The research sample included thirteen faculty members from community colleges in varied disciplines across the United States. Data collection consisted of individual interviews and focus groups, with analysis using Moustakas’ modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method …

The Experiences Of Service-Learning From The Perspectives Of Physician Preceptors: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Claudia Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of supervising medical students for physician preceptors at service-learning sites in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The theory guiding this study was the experiential learning theory, posited by Dewey and refined by Kolb, concerning service-learning and undergraduate medical education. This study explored four research questions presented to physician preceptors to examine the barriers to implementing service-learning requirements at medical schools. These questions stemmed from the central research question: What are the lived experiences of supervising medical students for physician preceptors at a service-learning site? This research …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Exploring Inclusion Of Latinos In Higher Education In Bilingual Programs, Carmem Charette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of promoting the inclusion of Latino/a students through bilingual programs at higher education institutions in the United States. To include Latinos in higher education administrators redesigned courses originally taught in English into Spanish and Portuguese at several colleges and universities nationwide. This qualitative research was designed as a hermeneutic phenomenological study, and three data collection methods were used: journal prompts, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. Data were collected from educational leaders, including administrators, deans, faculty coordinators, advisers, and professors, who shared their perspectives and experiences as …

Championing Success: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study On Higher Education Leadership’S Role In Supporting Women Of Color, Inez Annette Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and understand the role of higher education leadership in providing institutional support to women of color. The lived experiences of women of color as students was analyzed to understand the factors influencing their persistence at higher education institutions nationwide. The theory guiding this study was Rendón’s theory of validation as a process that encourages and supports students’ academic and personal growth, initiated by both in-class and out-of-class influences. This study focused on the Central Research Question: How do leadership practices and institutional supports in higher education influence the persistence of …

A Case Study Examining Why Students Succeed When Exposed To Peer Tutors, Van E. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to identify the impact of online peer tutoring on students’ perceptions of their success for students who participated in online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University (a pseudonym used for this research). This research was grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided a comprehensive framework for examining the factors influencing the effectiveness of peer tutoring among students. This study answered three research questions: How do online students use peer tutoring at Summit Faith University, how does online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University shape students’ perceptions of their success at Summit Faith …

Instructors' Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Hart Kains

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

Gender Equality, Diversity, And Social Inclusion: Validation And Development Of An Instrument For Higher Education, Nilo Jayoma Castulo, Maryfe M. Roxas, Arlyne C. Marasigan, Jayson L. De Vera, Ma. Laarni D. Buenaventura, Starr Clyde Sebial, John Michael Aquino, Bonjovi H. Hajan, Mark Ponce C. San Juan, Karen Abegail C. Lee

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Gender Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) are critical in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals number 4 (Quality Education), number 5 (Gender Equality), and number 10 (Reduced Inequalities), impacting various aspects of society, organizations, and individual well-being. While GEDSI remains a pressing concern worldwide, this study aims to design an instrument for the GEDSI situationer tool for students, administrative staff, and faculty members. The instrument undergoes a thorough validation and development process utilizing a mixed-method design. First, the item is designed through Focus Group Interviews (FGIs) on GEDSI in a prominent state university in the Philippines. Through exploratory Factor Analysis …

International Student Transition: An Autoethnographic And Archival Study, Abdulsamad Olajide Yusuf, Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Within the framework of a globalized university campus, this study investigates the process that an international student goes through while adapting to a new culture. Using autoethnography and archival research methods, this study recounts the personal and lived experiences of a doctoral international student navigating the cultural adjustment contexts of a southeastern public university, providing an understanding of how the challenges and opportunities faced by international students are historicized and located within a broader cultural and social context. This approach includes maintaining a reflexive journal, self-analysis, personal conversations, and analyzing historical records and correspondences, including policy papers, factbooks, and institutional …

Unique Undergraduate Experiences And Their Impact On Postgraduate Plans For St. Mary's University Psychology Majors, Angelina Robledo, Zoe Lozano, Jose Ignacio Guerrero Donoso

Posters - 2026

• The amount of research opportunities a student has available is linked to higher post graduate student success rate (Stoloff et al., 2015).

• The quality of different research experiences also matter (Love et al., 2007). Positive undergraduate experiences lead to higher levels of self-efficacy in undergraduate students.

• Students' soft skills are improved throughout various classroom activities, preparing them for post graduate opportunities (Marsh et al., 2016).

• Wayment and Dickinson (2008) found that students who participated in undergraduate research were more likely to get accepted to graduate school.
• Hypotheses
  • Attending sophomore retreat can reassure areas of interest for psychology undergraduates, which may …

Back To Basics: The Benefits Of Children’S Literature In Higher Education, Max A. Bufkin

Honors Projects

The historic undervaluing of children’s literature has resulted in little research or application of the genre in higher education. However, what research is available has shown that engaging with children’s literature as an adult can have many benefits, including better mental well-being, understanding of multicultural perspectives, and enhanced critical thinking skills. Due to patriarchal ideologies over who can and cannot engage with literature, as well as the work of children’s literature critics, the genre has been marginalized from much debate and discussion. Through student-centered learning and group reading sessions, college students from nearly every discipline can learn to utilize and …

Experiential Learning In Marketing Education: Student Reflections In A Client Based Project, Samit Chakravorti

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This paper explores student experience with a client based project in an upper division marketing class and its impact on development of work readiness skills, learning and satisfaction with the course. The client was a local small business food cooperative. Student reflection papers submitted at the end of the project were content analyzed based on preset categories to understand the impact of the project on the outcome variables. Analysis shows that for most students the project was interesting, relevant but challenging, increased their satisfaction and enjoyment of the course, and positively impacted learning of profession specific and foundational work ready …

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Asset And Deficit Thinking In English Instructors’ Mindsets And Feedback On Student Writing, Rebecca R. Simataa

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Educators are trained to diagnose and fix gaps in students’ skills and knowledge. This pedagogy often leads to deficit thinking, where instructors blame students’ identities or backgrounds for challenges in school. With deficit thinking leading toward inequitable outcomes, recent research has responded with asset thinking to recognize students’ strengths, yet its intersection with instructors’ feedback remains largely unexplored. Drawing on deficit thinking scholarship (Davis & Museus, 2019; Valencia, 1997) and Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model, this qualitative phenomenological study explored asset and deficit thinking in instructors’ mindsets and feedback practices. Participants consisted of five higher education English Language Arts …

The Role Of Institutes Of Higher Learning In Deepening Social Impact, Steve Loh, Janna Wong

Asian Management Insights

Institutes of higher learning do more than generate knowledge. At their best, they connect partners, evidence, policy and capability to make social impact more credible, cumulative and durable.