Higher Education Commons^™

Training University Tutors To Work With Bilingual Students, Sara Incera, Haleigh Hamilton, Angie J. Marroquin, Socorro Zaragoza, Trenia Napier, Lara Kristin Vance, Ashley Matthews Sweat, Judith L. Jenkins

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

The purpose of this project was to train university tutors to improve their support of bilingual students (ESL/ELL students). We developed an evidence-based training session that emphasizes university connectedness and cultural inclusion. This one-hour training included background information, tutoring tips, and time for discussion. The majority of tutors (44 out of 47) reported learning something helpful they could use when tutoring. While this intervention was specifically designed to target bilingual students, most evidence-based tips discussed here are applicable to all students. It is crucial to provide tutors with the skills and resources necessary to better connect with their students.

Fiction, Literature, And Visual Art As Case Studies In Introductory Courses, Kelly Grenier

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

This paper explores the usage of art in the college classroom to teach political theories and concepts. Rethinking how instructors can teach introductory political science courses to students socialized in a contentious political culture, this paper argues that art-based assignments in lieu of traditional case studies are well-suited to this challenge. Offering examples from an introductory political science course, this paper demonstrates the approach in action and offers suggestions to apply this approach in other disciplines and institutional settings.

In-Class Laptop Use For Student Learning: A Pilot Study, Jiyeon Park, Abigail Aulbach

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

While laptops are considered an effective and critical learning tool, the effects of in-class laptop use on student learning remain controversial. Although many recent studies have found that in-class laptop use may produce negative effects in higher education, college students increasingly utilize their laptops in classrooms. To effectively integrate laptop use into lessons, we examined the effects of behavior strategies concerning in-class laptop use by undergraduate students. Throughout the course of a semester, participants were provided visual prompts, including "Red", “Yellow,” and "Green" codes, in accordance with class activities. The students’ attitudes and perspectives regarding the strategy were surveyed and …

Transforming Education: Using The Connectedness Cycle As A Framework For Instruction, Kimberly Vigil

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

The connectedness cycle is an emerging framework for practice that advances the understanding and implementation of relationship-rich educational practices. These relationship-rich educational practices allow for more meaningful student engagement, and they serve to enhance academic outcomes. When embodied and implemented by faculty, the connectedness cycle has the ability to transform education.

Using Interteaching In A Fully Asynchronous Online Honors Seminar Course, Steffen Wilson, Steven Shisley Dr.

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

This paper describes the modification of the Interteaching approach to simulate a seminar course in the asynchronous online course format. Each unit began with students answering a set of questions about a reading. Next, students had an interteaching discussion by reading and provided a brief comment on their classmate’s answers to each question. After this discussion, students completed a record sheet summarizing their reaction to the discussion and providing the course instructor with any remaining questions about the article content. Each unit ended with the course instructor providing students with a recorded wrap up video that discussed their unanswered questions …

Establishing A Sense Of Community While Meeting The Needs Of Online Adjunct Instructors, Melissa Weber

Dissertations and Theses

As online adjunct instructors continue to fill an instructional role and meet the needs of online learners, university leaders need to look for ways for professional development to increase online adjunct instructors’ sense of community and meet their diverse needs. The critical problem of this study recognized that online adjunct instructors have different needs than those of on campus faculty; these needs are not being met by traditional means currently used in university settings. Therefore, the overall goal of this qualitative phenomenological study sought to explore how university leaders could establish a sense of community while meeting the professional development …

Internal Funding Newsletter, Academic Year 2022-2023, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Internal Funding Newsletters

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is committed to exceptional education, groundbreaking research, and the life‐long success of our students and alumni. The 2022‐2023 Academic Year brought many exciting opportunities for us to invest in a multitude of funding programs that promote research and creative activity. This year’s programs provided over $350,000 for student and faculty projects that reflect the broad range of scholarly interests of the UNO community, including a women’s suffrage graphic novel and traveling exhibition, development of a robotics‐assisted drug discovery platform, workplace problem solving, and the effects of bison and cattle grazing on milkweeds and Monarch …

International Social Work Field Education, Shelli Gregory

DSW Capstone Projects

International Social Work Field Education (ISWFE) involves a set of unique challenges. For the literature review of this capstone project 20 peer-reviewed journal articles written between the years 2009 and 2018 were reviewed to answer the following research question: What are the unique challenges associated with ISWFE and the best practices for combatting these challenges? The challenges most frequently mentioned in the literature are the perpetuation of colonial mindset; students experiencing emotional vulnerabilities, stress, & distress (guilt, shame, loneliness, fear, helplessness, isolation, and homesickness); supervisory issues; language barriers; funding; culture shock, disequilibrium, or clash; safety concerns; administrative problems such as …

Understanding The Implications Of Work Based Learning For Students Pk-12 School Systems Institutions Of Higher Education And Hosting Organizations, David Naff, Amy Corning, Meleah Ellison, Albion Sumrell, Zehra Sahin Ilkorkor, Jennifer Murphy, Ciana Cross

MERC Publications

This literature review by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) and Institute for Collaborative Research and Evaluation (ICRE), in partnership with the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) and State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) explores work-based learning and its implications for PK-12 institutions, institutions of higher education, and hosting organizations (e.g. employers). The report also provides background information about the foundations of work-based learning and concludes with a series of recommendations for practice, policy, and future research related to work-based learning. There is also an accompanying podcast episode where report authors discuss the key takeaways with …

Addressing Social Determinants Of Mental Health To Improve College Access, Retention, And Completion, Rumbidzai Mushunje, Natese Dockery, Mickey Lin, Kaprea Johnson, Kristen Toole, Sarah Henry, Alexandra Gantt-Howrey

Journal of College Access

Addressing non-medical factors that adversely impact mental health, wellness, and academic persistence is important to increasing access to college for vulnerable college students. This systematic review synthesized 63 articles on interventions to address college student SDOMH challenges. Researchers found that SDOMH themes were addressed in intervention studies at different rates, specifically, healthcare access and quality (n = 27, 42.3%), education access and quality (n = 24; 37.5%), social and community context (n = 11; 17.4%), economic stability (n = 3; 4.7%), and neighborhood and built environment (n = 1; 1.6%). Implications for higher education stakeholders conclude.

Chatbots En La Motivación Para El Desarrollo De La Comprensión De Lectura En Estudiantes De Una Institución Universitaria Privada En Colombia, Martha Patricia Castellanos Saavedra

Theses and Dissertations

Más del 40% de los estudiantes de una institución universitaria privada en Colombia presentaron un desempeño por debajo de la media nacional en las pruebas estandarizadas de egreso de la educación superior, denominadas Saber Pro, específicamente en las competencias genéricas, como razonamiento cuantitativo, comunicación escrita, inglés, competencias ciudadanas y lectura. Esta última, es ampliamente relevante para generar los pilares del conocimiento y las competencias de orden superior, como crear, analizar y evaluar, que fomentan la autonomía del estudiante y su aprendizaje. Sin embargo, su desarrollo demanda un apoyo personalizado de compleja gestión para los docentes, dada la cantidad de actividades …

How Subordinates Describe Their Leader’S Political Skill And Their Organizational Citizenship Behavior (Ocb) During A Merger In The Airline Industry In Arizona: A Descriptive Perspective, Conrado Dela Cruz Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how subordinates describe their leader’s political skill and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) during a merger in the airline industry in Arizona. This study aimed to provide further exploration on leader political skill relating to mergers in the airline industry and if leader political skill can positively influence merger outcomes by increasing subordinate OCB levels during a merger through the breadth of information provided by the participants of this study.

The study used a qualitative methodology with a descriptive design to capture the rich descriptions of how subordinates from a …

Haitian Immigrants Lived Experiences With Police In South Florida, Christie Laroche

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a qualitative phenomenological exploration of the interactions between Haitian immigrants residing in South Florida and law enforcement. Despite existing research on the experiences of Blacks with the police, there is a noticeable gap concerning the unique encounters of Haitian immigrants, who bring distinct cultural, historical, and linguistic backgrounds to their interactions with law enforcement. Given the increasing population of Haitian immigrants in the United States, this study sought to comprehensively examine their encounters, treatment, and experiences with the police, including aspects such as demeanor, contact handling, and the resultant impact on their perceptions. Through in-depth interviews with …

Forest County’S Historically Underrepresented Rural Students And Barriers To College, Tracy Ash

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study used newly collected survey data from the Perceptions of Educational Barrier Scale – Revised (PEB-R; Gibbons, 2005) to examine the reported educational barriers of students who are currently enrolled at the University of Midwest and who graduated from one of the five designated rural high schools in Forest County, Illinois. The research sample consisted of 29 students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the PEB-R mean scores of reported educational barriers to post-secondary opportunities of historically underrepresented students who graduated from any of the five rural high schools in Forest County and …

Black Male Sense Of Belonging At Predominantly White Institutions, Christopher M.D. Mitchell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to identify the sense of belonging of Black male students attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). In many cases, Black males feel they do not belong in collegiate environments in the United States. Thirty-nine Black males attending a mid-sized Midwestern university were surveyed using the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfactions and Frustrations Survey and the College Persistence Questionnaire. One interesting result was a significant correlation between social integration and relatedness satisfaction, indicating Black males feel like they belong in the collegiate environment when they are integrated socially with students and faculty who look like them. This …

Interactions Of Sexuality Training, Sexual Awareness, And Comfort With Sexual Discourse In Counselors-In-Training, Katie Adeline Rodenkirch

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Since the initial call to action nearly half a century ago, sexuality training has not been made a core component of counselor education. Despite this, upon graduation counselors are expected to be able to handle diverse client needs, some of which are likely to be sexual in nature. Nevertheless, there is limited research regarding counselor sexuality education or factors influencing counselor-in-training comfort with sexual discourse. The purpose of this research study was to determine the relationship(s) and interaction(s) between counselor-in-training sexuality training experience, sexual awareness, and comfort with sexual discourse. The study also explored group differences based on gender and …

Feedback In Context: A Case Study Of Students’ Perceptions Of The Role, Value, And Use Of Instructor Feedback In A College Writing Course, Susan J. Roach

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This case study investigated first-year composition students’ perceptions of instructors’ written feedback. Participants reported on their understanding of the role of feedback, how they processed feedback, and if and how they used it. Thirty-one participants completed a short online survey; the responses were analyzed to identify students who exhibited a range of attitudes and practices. From this group, 15 students were chosen to participate in semi-structures interviews that included a think aloud exercise that asked them to go over previously graded drafts from their class. The findings of this study support that, although students profess they appreciate and see value …

Faculty Engagement With Universal Design For Learning In The College Classroom, Erin Wilhelm

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore faculty engagement with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the college classroom. Specifically, this study sought to uncover how instructors of record of Middleview University (MU) use and experience UDL-based tools and pedagogy. The lived experiences of the participants were examined to reveal any possible challenges, benefits, and level of professional preparedness concerning UDL principles and their application to the classroom.Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and the collection of course artifacts and institutional content were the primary sources of data. The findings of this study revealed that, although the participants did …

The Transition Into Higher Education For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Tj Estabrook

Masters Theses

There are more students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in higher education now than ever before and these students need to be supported in ways that will guarantee their success. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of six students with ASD as they transition into higher education through the use of semi-structured interviews. What was discovered is that students with ASD typically overestimate the difficulty of academics and underestimate the amount of social interaction they will encounter at the college level. These students are able to identify aspects of themselves that help them to succeed …

Academic Faculty Perceptions Of Student-Athletes, Jacob M. Mueller

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to find what perceptions did academic faculty have of student-athletes, if any, at a midsized Midwestern Division-I institution. The study addressed a gap in literature that existed of researched perceptions academic faculty members had of the student-athlete population as there was a lack of literature related to student-athletes through that lens. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Identity Theory for theoretical conceptualization of the data, the study was able to find tangible evidence for the existence of perceptions of student-athletes from academic faculty and what behaviors, exposure, and experiences related to …

Fraternal New Member Processes: An Alumni Perspective, C J. Gibson

Masters Theses

Hazing has always been an issue in fraternities and sororities. Even though there has been a push to reduce the amount of hazing through research and trainings, it continues to cause harm to the community. The purpose of this study is to gain incite from fraternity alums toward understanding the use of hazing activities while orienting fraternity men to the organization. This study examined the issue from the individuals experience, to their role in inducting new members, and now as alums to gain insight in to why chapters continue to that cycle. Results showed that individuals in groups social construct …

The Role Of Time Perspective In The College Major Selection Process, Anders C. Voss

Masters Theses

This phenomenological study examined the experiences of formerly undeclared college sophomores as they navigated major selection and how their time perspective influenced their decision-making process. This study applied time perspective theory to the issue of major selection for college students, an undertaking that offers a new perspective on the professional practices of academic advising and career services on college campuses. This study utilized semi-structured interviews of four female-identifying formerly undeclared students. Participant responses revealed that negative future time attitudes and a lack of future orientation can both contribute to behaviors that defer career decision-making. In contrast, professional staff and faculty …

Assessing The Knowledge On Sustainability And Barriers To Daily Sustainable Practices Among Faculty And Students In Higher Education: The Case Of Eastern Illinois University, Joel Edem Holison

Masters Theses

The concept of sustainable development gained prominence with the publication of the Brundtland Report, which emphasized economic progress without jeopardizing future generations' well-being. Following that, the Education for Sustainability (EfS) program was created by the United Nations to raise sustainability awareness. However, the transition to sustainable living is fraught with difficulties, including a lack of knowledge, financial constraints, infrastructure gaps, and political ideologies. This study focuses on sustainable practices among Eastern Illinois University (EIU) students and faculty, as well as the barriers to daily sustainable behaviors. As independent variables influencing sustainable practices, the study evaluates sustainability knowledge/awareness, personal financial situation, …

Compassion Fatigue Among Resident Assistants At Five Illinois Public Institutions : A Mixed Methods Approach, Téa E. Wheat

Masters Theses

Compassion fatigue, a stress response caused by helping those who have experienced trauma, is a rapidly rising problem for student affairs professionals (Carter, 2019). Among student affairs professionals and paraprofessionals, the resident assistant (RA) is potentially one of the most susceptible populations to compassion fatigue, due to working where they live, which creates a constant need to be on. In addition, they are expected to support students who are increasingly presenting with mental health challenges. This explanatory mixed methods method study sought to first determine the prevalence of compassion fatigue, including its components burnout and secondary trauma, among RAs at …

The Relationship Between Fully Online Gateway Science Courses And Student Academic Performance In Health Career Associate Degree Programs At Regional Community College, Mukesh George

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The severe shortage of healthcare professionals creates an increased demand for new graduates in Allied health and Nursing programs. Gateway science courses to HCAD programs such as A&P are often considered predictors of student success in Allied health and Nursing programs. A&P courses have been traditionally taught face-to-face, and the COVID pandemic has forced institutions to switch these courses to a fully online format. Despite its increased popularity, the impact of fully online gateway courses on student academic performance in HCAD programs needed to be clarified. This quantitative study examined the relationship between fully online gateway science courses and student …

What A Difference A Day Makes. A Qualitative Case Study On Student Experiences Of Involvement In Clubs And Organizations During Covid-19, Luevinus Muhammad

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the experiences and sense of belonging for Valiant Region College (pseudonym) students who served as club leaders/officers during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school year. Twelve students total were interviewed either individually or within focus groups and shared their personal experiences, trials and triumphs as they navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study highlighted four themes: (a) the importance of in-person activities, (b) participants felt a sense of belonging with face to face (F2F) engagement prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, (c) students struggled to create involvement activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (d) …

The Quality Of Centers Of Teaching And Learning: What We See And What We Don’T, Darrell H. Robin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

An institution of higher education will create a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) as a hub for pedagogical and professional development for its faculty. While CTLs have developed over the past fifty years, their administrators and staff have endeavored to develop, strengthen, and enhance quality pedagogical skills for anyone who teaches for the college from adjunct instructors to tenured professors. Specifically looking at how Illinois community college CTLs provide professional development opportunities for educators, this critical summative content analysis considers what CTLs value in their professional development along with the types of support they provide faculty. Relying on the …

"It Solidified My Position That I Should Be In Science": A Case Study On How Participating In A Stem Intervention Program Influences The Science Identity Development Of Low-Income Students In Stem At A Community College., Manuel Rodriguez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Individuals coming from low-income backgrounds, particularly women and people of color, are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM fields. The low representation is often attributed to low enrollment and completion rates in STEM programs. Community colleges play a crucial role in increasing diversity in the workforce. However, there is not much information about how community college students’ experiences in STEM academic programs supports their science identity development. The purpose of this case study was to understand how participation in a STEM intervention program assisted low-income students in their science identity development. Science identity development has been used to understand how students’ interactions …

Who Helps The Helper? A Phenomenology Of The Impact Of Secondary Trauma During Covid-19 On Student Affairs Professionals In Dean Of Students Offices, Case Management Roles, Residential Housing And Cultural Resource Centers, Jeffrey M. Salmon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Student affairs professionals (SAPs) are no strangers to experiencing secondary trauma as their work in multiple fields brings them in close contact with students in crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education found its world turned upside down and students were facing heightened trauma due changing class modalities, problematic finances, disruptive living situations, lack of basic needs, as wells as virus-related death and sickness. This phenomenological research study examines the essence of secondary trauma specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by SAPs who work as Deans of Students, Case Managers, Housing Professionals, and Cultural Resource Center Professionals. This research interviewed …

Exploring The Relationships Between Student Perceptions And Educational Technology Utilization In Higher Education, Ana-Paula Correia, Karly Good

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the perceptions of educational technology use among college students at a small liberal arts university in the United States. Using institutional data analytics, 34,480 survey responses were analyzed to understand how students perceive the use of technology in the classroom and its relationship with teaching methods, progress on learning objectives, and course features. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, revealing a positive correlation between the use of educational technology and effective teaching methods, progress on learning objectives, and overall satisfaction with instructors and courses. However, it is important to note that the study is correlational in …