Middle Tennessee State University: Journals@MTSU
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Exploring the Term: “Child-Centered”
Full text linkThe word “child-centered” is often used in education to describe a philosophy and approach to children’s learning. Some people may use the term “child-centered” to mean that they “care” for the children under their supervision or guardianship. In exploring the meaning of the word “child-centered,” the description goes deeper than simply “caring” for children, or having concern, affection, appreciation, consideration, and responsible guardianship of children, although being “child-centered” embodies these important characteristics
Filial Therapy for Children with Autism and their Caregivers: A Literature Review
Full text linkThis article provides an overview of Filial Therapy (FT) as a potential treatment modality for connecting caregivers and their children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The article first discusses ASD, focusing on children who experience it and their caregivers. Then, it explores the benefits of play therapy for children with ASD, followed by an explanation of how FT can be used as a form of therapeutic play to facilitate connection between caregivers and their children with ASD. Finally, the article suggests future directions and recommendations for research on FT as an accessible and effective treatment option for supporting children with ASD
Joshi, S. T. The Recognition of H. P. Lovecraft: His Rise from Obscurity to World Renown, Hippocampus Press, 2021.
Full text linkS. T. Joshi’s latest contribution to the field of Lovecraft Studies, a field to which he has tirelessly and notably dedicated his publishing career, offers a concept that is an invaluable addition to the Lovecraftian critical oeuvre—an overview of the way in which Lovecraft has been received and recognised over the past century, including both critical and academic voices alongside the response of lay readership. Indeed, Joshi presents a chronologically organised narrative of Lovecraft in print and (eventually) media, detailing Lovecraft’s own publication history as well as reviews and letters connected to Lovecraft. Joshi covers roughly a decade in each chapter and pulls from a large variety of sources in order to construct this history of Lovecraft’s writing. As a matter of fact, this chronology of Lovecraft in print is the real strength of Joshi’s book, and the most cogent aspect of his work in general. It is certainly meticulously researched, with an impressive attention to detail in terms of dates, names, locations and general information pertaining to each publication Joshi includes. However, the sheer volume of information included within the work leads it to feel, at times, little more than an annotated bibliography
Cameron, Brooke, and Lara Karpenko, editors. The Vampire in Nineteenth-Century Literature: A Feast of Blood. Routledge, 2022.
Full text linkVampire is other, a symbol that inhabits the edges of boundaries and exists in liminal spaces. The vampire is a figure that at once inspires fear and longing within itself and in those with whom the creature comes into contact. The Vampire in Nineteenth-Century Literature: A Feast of Blood outlines the cultural characteristics of the Victorian vampire figure, arguing that John William Polidori’s 1819 The Vampyre: A Tale solidified vague and fragmented folk tales and legends about the walking, life-feasting dead into a new version that set the standard for the Victorian literary vampire and beyond (1). The book also looks at other Victorian iterations of the vampire that contributed to its currently recognized version. Through collected essays focusing on four major themes—race and postcolonization, desire and sexuality, time and history, and adaptation (6)—this volume examines how the vampire represents shifting cultural norms and fears of the Victorians in an era of unprecedented social and economic upheaval. The collection also traces the wanderings of the vampire, “not[ing] the distinctly global exchange of ideas” (3) that contribute to its modern conception, as the volume explores the colonial influences of the monster (4)
Survival of the Tribe: How the Cherokee Nation Fought Genocide
Full text linkThe history of Indigenous Nations’ relationship to the United States colonial project and has long been a subject of extensive scholarly inquiry and community reflection. Among these nations, the Cherokee Nation stands out as one of the most frequently misunderstood. Utilizing an interview with Paul Douglas Matheny Jr. as a methodological framework, this study reveals that the narrative of the Cherokee Nation is far more complex than many scholars have suggested or, in some cases, explicitly argued. Drawing directly from Matheny’s testimony, this analysis traces the evolution of a coherent Cherokee identity across precolonial and postcolonial contexts. It demonstrates that the Cherokee Nation’s historical trajectory is better understood as a struggle to navigate and resist colonial power structures rather than a failure to assimilate into colonial society. This reinterpretation not only provides a more accurate scholarly depiction of Cherokee history but also has the potential to mitigate harm among Cherokee individuals who have experienced disconnection from their community over time
BAM! ZAP! POW!: TEACHING MICROECONOMIC CONCEPTS WITH COMIC BOOK SUPERHEROES
Full text linkOne part of the unwritten superhero code is that heroes should not charge for their services; however, this runs contrary to the entrepreneurial spirit. Some heroes are leaving money on the table by adhering to this code. Other heroes try to get involved in a business, but their superpowers do not include basic economic knowledge. In this paper we examine some fundamental microeconomic issues by examining why comic book superheroes do not earn a higher income. We provide specific references (and links) to comics and movie clips, as well as teaching tips and questions for instructors interested in teaching about markets and business decisions using a creative, non-textbook method
IMPACTS OF ASYNCHRONOUS DISCUSSION FORUMS ON STUDENT LEARNING: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
Full text linkUsing asynchronous discussion forums to mimic class discussion and participation has been around for some time but increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the current research on asynchronous discussion forums focuses on best practices for implementation but does not address its effectiveness on student learning. This research focuses on quantifying the impact of asynchronous discussion forums on student learning in an introductory principles of microeconomics course. An observational study using two treatments and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was used to estimate the models. The results indicate that participation in a discussion forum had little impact on student learning compared to an in-person format. The results show a boost in homework scores for upperclassmen but a negative effect on final grades for freshmen, compared to the control group. The results suggest that asynchronous discussion forums boost grades on collaborative assignments but do not translate into higher scores or improved learning on solo assignments such as exams or essays, nor does it lead to any improvement in final grades
A Class Dishonored: The Dishonored Franchise as a Critique of Victorian Idealism
Full text linkIn “The Steampunk City in Crisis,” Catherine Siemann suggests that steampunk fiction is written as “a city in crisis, a place where the imagined, steam-powered technologies create or address social problems and environmental disasters that echo historical ones” (51). In the appropriation of Victorian culture for steampunk, however, one component of that culture is frequently ignored: religion. Unlike other steampunk works, Dishonored (2012-2021), a game series by Arkane Studios, develops its central thesis by paying careful attention to the religious culture of Victorian England, bringing their spiritual experimentation to its natural conclusion. By taking this approach, Dishonored presents a much darker “city in crisis,” one in which the technology and world events of this fictional universe —a regicide, a plague, and a coup—rather than spurring its citizens to action, leave them in a state of paralysis. In this portrayal, Dishonored presents a relevant critique of the Victorians in two ways. First, the Victorians are criticized for clinging to Christian virtues while also shedding that religious sentiment. Second, they are criticized for promoting empire, in the void left by the reduction of Christianity, as a bastion against the dangers of a changing global landscape. In this dual criticism, Dishonored, particularly through its gameplay, highlights how non-aristocratic Victorians may have coped with a disaster, exemplifying how the idealization of progress in both religious and imperial thought is steeped in privileged interests
For the Greater Good: Establishing a New Scholarship Fund to Support Student Employees
Full text linkIn the fall of 2022, the Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest University launched an initiative to raise funds for academic scholarships that would support library student employees. While not unique among academic libraries, such scholarship programs are not common. This article shares not only the background and reasons why we pursued this initiative but also shares the methodology and research we did to implement the program
Richmond, Velma Bourgeois. Nordic Sagas as Children’s Literature : Victorian and Edwardian Retellings in Words and Pictures. McFarland, 2022.
Full text linkVelma Bourgeois Richmond’s Nordic Sagas as Children Literature: Victorian and Edwardian Retellings in Words and Pictures (2023) is part of a series of books dedicated to “establish the richness and diversity of Late Victorian and Edwardian children’s books that retold literatures of national and ethnic heritage” (1). The title promises to examine the link between Nordic sagas and their numerous revisitations in children’s literature. In the introduction, the author writes that her book “establishes an alternative tradition, different in significant ways,” (1) and the sheer number of collected texts and variations is ample evidence of her statement