Education Commons^™

Making Mindful Moments: Encouraging Self-Care Practices With Resident Assistants, Michael Herbison

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this intervention, we will be discussing the use of mindful practices and how they will be incorporated into training for the residence life and housing staff. Through experience and research, there is a recognition of the amount of stress that impacts the resident assistant’s (RA) day to day life. Often times, an RA will neglect their own health for the sake of helping others. These stressors can then not only impact their work performance, but their mental health as well. Through a mindful practice training, the RA will be able to identify resources that they can utilize in their …

Severing Ties With Traditional Service-Learning In A Neoliberal Society: Implementing Transformational Service Through Moral Reasoning, Feminist Ethics Pedagogy, And Critical Consciousness, Abigail Demcher

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis critiques traditional service-learning from a neoliberal perspective. More specifically, I address how whiteness and competitiveness insert themselves into traditional service-learning in colleges and universities revealing their connection to neoliberalism. This Critical Action Research thesis explores reaching Transformational Service through models and theories of moral reasoning, feminist ethics pedagogy, and critical consciousness. In this thesis I propose a Social Change and Awareness Pilot Program for fourth-year students, which will impel them to understand and target their passions of social justice and dispel toxic traditional-service-learning ideologies. Solid leadership of this program would involve long-term collaboration and effective communication with communities, …

The Black Feminist Scholar Collective: Empowering Black Women In Higher Education, Mariama Quist

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis addresses how a Black feminist approach in higher education institutions can contribute to the success of African American women students at predominantly white institutions. More specifically, I examine the barriers African American women students face and their strategies to seek support at their university. I utilized the methodology of Critical Action Research to analyze the interlocking systems of oppression that affect African American women as they navigate their undergraduate careers. In this thesis, I propose an organization, the Black Feminist Scholar Collective, that will empower African American women attending PWIs through mentoring, workshops, and smaller programs. The …

Getting Ahead Of The Game: Financial Fundamentals For Prospective College Students, Dia Taliaferro

West Chester University Master’s Theses

As the cost of college and student loan debt increase, there is also a concern with the lack of financial literacy from Black low-income students. Students are eager to attend college and obtain a college degree, yet they are barely prepared academically and financially. Not only are students unaware of the total cost to attend college but their support system (parents/guardian and family) are also not familiar with the basic financial fundamentals to prepare for higher education. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the influences and resources available to Black low-income students. Colleges and universities can support prospective …

Interrupting The Urgency Of The Undecided Student: An Intentional Advising Approach, Nicole Phillips

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The most significant decision in college a student can make is their choice of major. A popular opinion in order for students to persist and succeed in college is to declare as early as possible. However, research has found that many students entering higher education are not ready to make a commitment or unsure of their career aspirations. In this thesis, I will present a historical overview of the undecided student by addressing the characteristics such as self-efficacy and anxiety, provide a developmental aspect of indecision such as the lack of career identity, and introduce related theories such as the …

Polaris: Guiding Students On Their Journey To Global Citizenship, Tanna Frank

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis examines the need for a shift in the mindset behind education abroad programming. As the term global citizenship begins to appear in more university mission statements and institutional goals, education abroad programming should shift from a human capital mindset to one that promotes the values of becoming a global citizen. My intervention aims to foster global citizenship within students and give back to the global communities that partner with education abroad programming by incorporating a critical pedagogy of place. Students will learn what it means to be a global citizen and how to embrace these values by centering …

Restructuring Enrollment Management Policies At Hbcus: The Next 184 Year Initiative, Kathleen Rzucidlo

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created in the early 1800s during times of segregation and explicit racism. HBCUs continue to play a very key role in educating students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds but continue to focus on the development of Black students in the United States. Currently there are 101 HBCUs in 19 states and in Washington D.C. and the Caribbean. For my thematic concern, I will be tackling the concern of why being student success focused in enrollment management approaches are critical at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and how student success and support practices …

Housing 365: A Response Rooted In Supporting Students During Academic Breaks, Abigail Mccourt

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this thesis, I explore how higher education can improve their Residence and Housing Services for students experiencing housing insecurity. Incorporating a comprehensive housing plan, Housing 365 is a response rooted in supporting students through academic breaks when they can be most vulnerable. For students to be considered basic needs secure, their basic needs must be satisfied. My proposed intervention sets a standard to ensure all college students are considered housing secure. Meeting students’ basic needs requires an ecosystem where multiple systems work together to support students. This collaboration allows individuals to thrive across multiple domains including academic, economic and …

A Community Of Friends: A Proposal For A Supportive Living Learning Community Centered On Body, Mind, And Soul, Stefan Martyniak

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis hopes to develop an experimental, multi-themed, Living Learning Community centered on multiple dimensions of college student well-being. These dimensions include the mental, spiritual, environmental, ecological, economic, social, and structural which all impact student success, potential, growth, and satisfaction of students in different ways. This community hopes to expose students to alternative ways of being and living. In this program students will be exposed to a variety of experiential learning opportunities in order to strengthen their awareness of mental health topics and their and ability to advocate for themselves and others in order to seek help. To explore and …

A Literature Review Of Quantum Education In K-12 Level, Yuming He, Shenghua Zha, Wu He, Theo Bastiaens (Ed.)

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Quantum computing is an emerging technology paradigm of computing and has the potential to solve computational problems intractable using today’s classical computers or digital technology. Quantum computing is expected to be disruptive for many industries. The power of quantum computing technologies is based on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics, such as quantum superposition, quantum entanglement, or the no-cloning theorem. To build a highly trained and skilled quantum workforce that meets future industry needs, there is a need to introduce quantum concepts early on in K-12 schools since the learning of quantum is a lengthy process. As fundamental quantum concepts derive …

Disability And American Education, Kiel Harell

Education Publications

Disability and American Education is a 2 credit, in-person, undergraduate course offered at a public liberal arts university. It is designed to introduce students to issues related to disability in the context of American schools, both P-12 and post-secondary. In addition to introducing students to classroom practice, the course focuses on important theory in Disability Studies and the social and political history that has led to our systems of special education.

Transitional Challenges In Technology Adoption Among Academic Communities In Indian Higher Education Institutions, Elangovan N, Guydeuk Yeon, Sebastian Perumbilly, Sarah Hormeila Awungshi

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Due to the lockdown and remote working practices, academic universities around the world have been forced to adopt new technology. Online courses and exams enabled the use of new applications. During the pandemic, innovative technological adoption became faster, overriding the usual diffusion time lag. The transition was so fast that it presented a slew of new challenges to India's academic communities. An open-ended online survey was used to gather data from faculty members, students, and non-teaching staff at higher educational institutions. Several concepts about transitional challenges emerged from the qualitative data analysis. The results revealed the significant commitment needed to …

A Comparison Of Artificial Neural Networks And The Statistical Methods In Predicting Mba Student’S Academic Performance, Ojoung Kwon, Harry Hui Xia, Serin Zhang

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

MBA has become one of the most popular and vital professional degrees internationally. The MBA program admission process’s essential task is to choose the best analysis tools to accurately predict applicants’ academic performance potential based on the evaluation criteria in making admission decisions. Prior research finds that the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) are common predictors of MBA academic performance indicated by graduate grade point average (GGPA). Using a sample of 250 MBA students enrolled in a state university with AACSB accreditation from Fall 2010 to Fall 2017, we test and compare the effectiveness …

Teaching Trauma In Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life, Kat Shuman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, this thesis outlines how to ethically and effectively teach literature that deals with trauma. My personal teaching philosophy as well as the current pedagogy surrounding trauma literature preface a detailed syllabus, lesson plans, assessments, and activities that would be useful in teaching a course centered around literature that deals with trauma. This thesis highlights the merits of teaching trauma fiction in the literature classroom.

Csbs Statements, V23, 2021, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Social And Behavioral Sciences.

CSBS Statements

Contents:

From the Dean --- 4
Shining Bright --- 5
Mapping Connections --- 8
Saving Faith --- 10
Coping with COVID --- 12
Addressing Adversity --- 14
College News --- 16
Student Spotlight --- 21
Alumni Highlights --- 26
Class Notes --- 32
Annual Giving --- 34

Playing At The Crossroads Of Religion And Law: Historical Milieu, Context And Curriculum Hooks In Lost & Found, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

This chapter presents the use of Lost & Found – a purpose-built tabletop to mobile game series – to teach medieval religious legal systems. The series aims to broaden the discourse around religious legal systems and to counter popular depiction of these systems which often promote prejudice and misnomers. A central element is the importance of contextualizing religion in period and locale. The Lost & Found series uses period accurate depictions of material culture to set the stage for play around relevant topics – specifically how the law promoted collaboration and sustainable governance practices in Fustat (Old Cairo) in twelfth-century …

Teachers’ Experiences Of A District’S Transformational Leadership Design Program: A Qualitative Study, Jarit Unrau

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Facing the rapidly changing 21st-century education, educational organizations strive for innovative ideas to continuously motivate their teachers to enhance student performance. iLead is a district’s pioneering attempt to incorporate transformational leadership's essential elements, the four I’s, Inspirational Motivation, Idealized Influence, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualized Consideration, into its program design and implementation to develop a collaborative learning culture through teacher motivation and the focus on improving student achievement. The iLead program has drawn statewide attention by winning the 2020 California Golden Bell Awards recently. The annual awards promote excellence in education and recognize prominent California schools’ and districts’ programs and exemplary …

California Elected City Council Women Of Color: Building A Collaborative Vision With Inclusive Voice, Beatriz T. Valencia

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Following the U.S. presidential race of 2016, large numbers of women—particularly women of color—made the decision to run for political office for the first time at both the national and local levels. It is imperative that these women’s campaigns and victories are studied as a means to resist essentialism and honor the unique perspectives and histories of the voices of women of color in these political roles—roles highly underrepresented in literature and society at large. This dissertation focused on the victory speeches of 48, first-time, California city council, elected women of color (EWOC) with the aim of understanding their campaigns …

Developing A Measure Of Social, Ethical, And Legal Content For Intelligent Cognitive Assistants, Clovia Hamilton, William Swart, Gerald M. Stokes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

We address the issue of consumer privacy against the backdrop of the national priority of maintaining global leadership in artificial intelligence, the ongoing research in Artificial Cognitive Assistants, and the explosive growth in the development and application of Voice Activated Personal Assistants (VAPAs) such as Alexa and Siri, spurred on by the needs and opportunities arising out of the COVID-19 global pandemic. We first review the growth and associated legal issues of the of VAPAs in private homes, banks, healthcare, and education. We then summarize the policy guidelines for the development of VAPAs. Then, we classify these into five major …

Websites Of Interest, Kristen Cvancara

All Resources

List of websites of interest used in the CETL 2021 Faculty Fellows Cohort: The Socially Just Classroom at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Online Versus In-Person Mathematics Instruction: A Comparison Of Two Instructional Models, Chelsea J. Fisher, Catherine Henney, Patrick Marcolini, Allison Yoder

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Our paper explores the differences between online and traditional, in-person teaching and learning modalities, looking specifically at courses preparing teachers to be mathematics teacher leaders. In the context of current research on the teaching and learning of mathematics in an online setting, we share our own experiences. We describe the preparation for and teaching of online mathematics, focusing on establishing norms and the use of technology. The changing teaching and learning opportunities of the 21st century require discussion of these vital issues. We include stories of interactions between candidates and teachers and among groups of candidates in mathematics courses, detailing …

Instructor Perspectives: Transitioning From Face-To-Face To An Online Or Hybrid Graduate Level Mathematics Education Course, Heather Nunnally, Toni P. Sorrell, Kristina C. Anthony

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

In this paper, the authors reflect on their transitions from teaching a face-to-face mathematics education course for teachers to teaching using an online or hybrid model. As three veteran educators at two different universities, we share lessons learned in constructing and implementing an online or hybrid learning environment. For us, learning to be flexible in how students completed assignments was important. Although we faced many challenges, we looked at the experience through a novice learner’s lens, and recognized that each of us grew from teaching these classes. We found that the instructors’ experiences in working with mathematics specialist candidates in …

The Role Of A Mathematics Content-Focused Coaching Project In Preparing Mathematics Specialist Candidates To Coach, Toni P. Sorrell, Jamey Lovin

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the mathematics content-focused coaching (MCFC) process from the perspective of coaches in their work with teachers, specifically, the effective strategies and techniques used by the mathematics coaches as they work with teachers and focus on mathematics and student learning. We discuss the MCFC project, assigned in many mathematics specialist preparation program leadership classes, in detail. Then we discuss the reflection the participants submitted in a course in which this project was assigned at two different universities and the ways in which these submissions can be used as a reflective activity and …

Online Education: Transferring Personal Experiences To Professional Development, Tracy J. Proffitt, Erica R. Miller, Elicia M. Fleshman

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

In this paper, we discuss how one candidate’s experience as she participated an online mathematics specialist program bolstered her confidence and ability to provide online professional development for her teachers. We include personal accounts by the mathematics specialist program instructors, the mathematics specialist candidate, and an elementary school teacher to illustrate how the experience of completing online graduate courses led to the candidate providing online learning opportunities for teachers. In particular, we highlight the importance of building relationships and using high-quality mathematical tasks in both the online preparation program and the online professional development. This case study provides evidence that …

Virtual Mentorship Of Teacher Leaders: The Ripple Effect, Joan Kernan, Joy Denoon, Eric Roberts, Tammy Sanford

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Abstract

In this paper, the authors reflect on the first completely online mathematics specialist preparation and mentoring program. Candidates across Virginia successfully completed this program and are now serving as teacher leaders, interventionists, department leaders, instructional coaches, mentors, and program specialists. They are impacting mathematics instruction across the state at all levels. As two mathematics specialists serving as mentors and two candidates, we share our thoughts and ideas as we continue to learn from our mentorship process. The goal is to provide continuous professional development as candidates share problems, successes, research, and best practices to improve mathematics teaching and learning. …

A Relationship Built To Impact Instruction: Developing And Sustaining Productive Partnerships Between Mathematics Specialists And Principals, Nathan D. Potter, Hannah Adera Rooney, Melody Locher, Debra Kinsey

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

How does the mathematics specialist provide a profound and lasting impact on instruction? We believe that a productive partnership between the principal and specialist, which we will call the principal-specialist relationship, is at the crux of the matter. When the principal-specialist relationship is built upon a foundation of a shared vision, clear roles, communication, and trust, both the teachers and students in the school benefit. We will explore the impact of the principal-specialist relationship on teacher success during the era of distance learning as necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to explore how these ideas come alive in the …

An Examination Of Middle School Students’ Attitudes Toward Science, Michelle L. Schpakow, Jillian L. Wendt, Kelly Paynter

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

For more than 40 years, researchers have been studying the persistent underrepresentation of women in science. Today, the gender gap has narrowed in some, but not all, disciplines of science. To better understand the impetus of this continuing problem, the attitudes of middle school students toward science were examined using a causal-comparative design based on biological sex across four attitude constructs: attitudes toward school science, desire to become a scientist, value of science to society, and perceptions of scientists. A sample of 450 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade science students located in suburban, central New Jersey responded to Likert-type items on …

Grand Valley Magazine, Vol. 20, No. 3, Winter 2021, Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley Magazine

Grand Valley Magazine is a quarterly publication about Grand Valley State University produced by University Communications since 2001.

Claremont College Students’ Perceptions Of Sexual Education Effectiveness: An Analysis Of Demographic Characteristics And Values, Michelle Calcany Blair

Pitzer Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper is to determine college students’ attitudes and evaluations of their K-12 sex education while considering demographic factors; in doing so, one can provide young adults with more autonomy over their education while better understanding how to make sex education more effective. The demographic factors that were considered along with student responses were: state of schooling, whether their schooling was religious or non-religious, whether one’s school was public or private, political affiliation of the school and neighborhood, race of the participants, and gender of the participants. These factors were deemed relevant for helping shape how people …

Physical Activity Promotion And Support: Meeting Caregivers’ Unique Needs, Gina B. Gonzalez

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The benefits of engaging in regular physical activity are extensive and can have a profound positive effect on one’s overall health (1). Numerous recent scientific reviews (2) further underscore the important role physical activity plays in achieving optimal health and preventing noncommunicable disease. For example, physical activity reduces risk of several types of cancer (3), ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, heart failure, and premature mortality (4). Among older adults, physical activity can improve cognitive functioning (5), reduce the risk of fall-related injuries, and delay the loss of physical function and mobility (6). According to Healthy People 2030, the nation’s health …