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Spectrum, Volume 55, Issue 2
Get PDFHighlights include: SHU Nationally Ranked by Princeton Review - Campus Reactions on the Death of Charlie Kirk - Student Ambassadors Prepare for Tour Season- Women’s Field Hockey is Working Overtim
Challenges for Leveraging Explainable Artificial Intelligence in Audit Procedures
No full textThis paper discusses the challenges encountered by the audit industry in light of the dearth of well-labeled data and the increasing adoption of machine learning technologies. Although existing machine learning techniques have their merits, they have limitations when it comes to transactional data. Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) can be a potential solution for applying machine learning models in audit procedures. Primarily, this study discusses challenges related to dependence on preprocessing, verification of explanation, variation in XAI techniques, limitations for feature importance explanation, auditors’ attitude to XAI, and computation time. The paper provides some potential solutions for these challenges
Climate Change in An Urban Catholic School: Taking the Temperature With a Three-Pronged SEl Intervention
Get PDFThis Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examines the impact of a 10-week social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention on school climate at Newberry Catholic Academy, an urban Catholic school with high teacher turnover. The intervention, combining a book study, daily gratitude journaling, and common planning time, aimed to improve collaboration, collegiality, and belongingness among faculty. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study assessed changes in teacher perceptions and the effectiveness of each component. Quantitative analysis via the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test revealed significant declines in Professional Learning (p=.01), Feedback and Coaching (p=.03), and School Leadership (p=.01), highlighting a need for further inquiry. Qualitative data from weekly reflections and focus groups showed shifts from initial concerns to increased connection and respect, with common planning time identified as most beneficial for building community. Challenges included discomfort with vulnerability and time constraints, though gradual trust development was observed. Findings emphasize the complexity of SEL initiatives in high-stress environments and suggest adaptations for sustainable outcomes. Implications for future practice in similar settings and recommendations for enhancing SEL to support teacher well-being and retention are discussed
“That Middle School is Trash!!!!”: Public Knowledge About Local Schools on Social Media
Get PDFPurpose: Americans frequently turn to online social networking sites (OSNs) as a source of news and information. Yet the role of OSNs in knowledge formation about local public schools remains underexamined. This study explores how public knowledge about local schools is constructed on Facebook. Research Methods/Approach: This ethnographic case study centers on a large “private” Facebook group in the community of Oldtown (pseudonym). Drawing on digital public sphere theory, this study examines who posts about the schools on Facebook, what they post, and how interaction shapes the collective knowledge about local schools on Facebook and beyond. Findings: Posts with the highest levels of engagement offer negative framings of the local schools. Less than 1% of group members create these posts, and special interest actors largely determine which posts go viral within the group. These actors promote their agendas by bolstering engagement on select posts and by policing the comment section to limit positive feedback about the schools. Implications: When community members log into Facebook, they see a distorted portrait of the local public schools that is constructed through inequitable participation. Given increasing levels of school choice and growing dissatisfaction with public schools in some quarters, these findings shed light on how OSNs may contribute to public skepticism in local public schools. Implications for school and district leaders as well as considerations for researchers conducting work in “private” Facebook groups are discussed
Leveraging Elementary Teachers\u27 Social-Emotional Competencies Through Educational Neuroscience
Get PDFResearchers posit that the adverse effects of COVID-19 on student well-being will extend far past its onset (Lane et al., 2024). Therefore, researchers and education policymakers have prioritized enhancing students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) due to its significant benefits for academic achievement and overall well-being (Greenberg & Abenavoli, 2017; Greenberg et al., 2017; Jones et al., 2019). However, an essential component of the equation - teachers’ social-emotional competencies (SECs) - continually fail to be considered (Donahue-Keegan et al., 2019; Herman et al., 2020; Odak et al., 2023). While educational leaders recognize effective SEL programs’ benefits for students, many seek guidance on strengthening educators’ SEL knowledge and behavioral skills (Gimbert et al., 2021). Educational neuroscience provides a promising new solution to supporting teachers and students (Chang et al., 2021; Immordino-Yang et al., 2018, 2019; Loa et al., 2023; Sousa, 2019). This Improvement Science convergent mixed methods study investigated the impact of an eight-week educational neuroscience-based SEL intervention on developing teachers’ SECs. Participants were six suburban elementary teachers (second, third, fifth, and K–5) who received professional development (PD) through a series of 12 video sessions aligned to CASEL’s five competencies. Results indicated that while teachers valued learning about neuroscience, easily applied its practices to regulate their own emotions, and positively shifted their perceptions of students, current occupational demands impeded teacher efforts. A major implication of this study is the lack of a psychometric scale. Further research needs to be conducted to develop ways of measuring teachers’ SECs to mitigate this limitation
Use of a Knowledge Translation Approach to Promote Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines in an Experiential Learning Course Within an Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program: A Qualitative Study
No full textIntroduction. Teaching health sciences students how to evaluate and implement clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is challenging.
Review of Literature. Physical therapist education offers experiential learning opportunities to teach students how to evaluate and implement CPGs. Knowledge translation (KT) guides the process of moving research evidence into practice. Experiential learning using KT principles can teach students to assess barriers to evidence use and overcome implementation challenges. The purpose of this retrospective phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the beliefs, perceptions, and experiences of former physical therapist students\u27 who completed a neurologic elective course implementing 2 CPGs. Furthermore, how the course impacted their clinical experiences is also described.
Subjects. Nine third-year physical therapist students.
Methods. Students who participated in an elective experiential learning course developed using KT principles were recruited. Focus groups were held to determine the students\u27 perceptions and experiences with implementing CPGs in the classroom and during their clinical experiences. Content analysis was used to identify codes and categories, and they were aligned with the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research. Trustworthiness was established through member checking, peer debriefing, and an external audit.
Results. Students reported individual and contextual facilitators during the elective that supported CPG use. Students identified improved knowledge, confidence, and skill to perform the CPGs that facilitated their transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the clinic. During their clinical experiences, students discussed contextual factors, such as culture, environment, and patient population, which served as both facilitators and barriers to CPG use.
Discussion and Conclusion. Experiential learning enhanced knowledge, confidence, and skill with using CPGs and facilitated students\u27 integration of evidence-based practice into their clinical experiences. Where possible, physical therapy curricula should incorporate experiential learning with KT principles to help students identify barriers to CPG use and develop strategies to enhance future evidence-based practice implementation.
INTRODUCTION Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) provide recommendations to health care providers to help guide practice. Clinical practice guidelines are developed through a systematic and rigorous process to provide synthesized recommendations on the most effective examination strategies and treatment interventions supported by best evidence.1-4 The importance of using CPGs to improve patient outcomes has been highlighted by the American Physical Therapy Association and its components including the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy.1,2 Clinical practice guidelines are valuable to help guide practice with the goal to decrease inconsistencies in health care delivery.1-4
Studies consistently document the challenges with implementing CPGs into clinical practice.5,6 Barriers to using CPGs are related to the individual, organizational context, and the complexity of the evidence itself.5 Individual clinicians may experience lack of confidence or knowledge to implement the CPG. Organization barriers include resistance to change, leaders who are not supportive of the change, and lack of equipment. In addition, the evidence may be complex, costly to implement, and not accepted by patients, clinicians, and the organization.5,7 Despite these challenges, there is a need to improve uptake of evidence and CPGs into education and clinical practice to enhance consistency in care based on current best evidence.1-4,8,9 Physical therapist educators can positively influence doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students\u27 preparation and teach them to correctly translate evidence from the classroom to the clinic
Pioneer Times, Volume 1, Number 14
No full textHighlights include: Alum Miss Connecticut USA Spotlights Mental Health, Sacred Heart Pens Partnership with Notre Dame Prep Writing Club, International and Graduate Students Have a Place to Call Their Own, Present and future alums foster academic success through internationally recognized tutor program, Upcoming event
Pioneer Times, Volume 1, Number 16
No full textHighlights include: The Power of Giving: Why Supporting Your University Matters, Poll Reflects National Tension Around Sports Gambling, 20 Reasons to Consider Studying Abroad in Dingle, Ireland, 8 Career Paths You Can Pursue with a Social Work Degree, Upcoming Event
A Data-Driven Imputation Scheme for Cohort Studies: A Collegiate Basketball Casestudy
No full textMissing data remains a critical challenge in cohort studies. This study introduces a novel missing value imputation technique that integrates feature sensitivity and factor analysis with clustering and predictive modelling to enhance accuracy, reliability, and interpretability.
The dataset comprises 42 features collected from 16 collegiate female basketball athletes over 26 weeks, including sleep and cardiac rhythms, training loads, cognitive states, travel, and countermovement jump performance. The objective is to model the impact of these contextual stressors on athletic readiness, quantified via the Reactive Strength Index modified (RSImod).
When compared to state-of-the-art the proposed methodology reduces computation time by up to 35.71% (KNN), 29.41% (EM), 21.43% (MICE), 14.29% (CART), and 7.14% (XGBoost). It reduces RMSE by up to 12.20% and MAE by up to 10.77%. Moreover, RSImod predictions on the imputed dataset showed substantial improvements, up to an 80.85% reduction in MSE and a 79.99% increase in scores. Interpretability was enhanced using SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations), providing actionable insights for coaches and practitioners
Spectrum, Volume 55, Issue 11
No full textHighlights include: SantaCon Shutdown -- The Senior Experience: President’s 63 -- Courageous Dialogue with the Ramos Institute -- Alumni Rediscover SHU with Monthly Tours -- Back-to-Back Conference Champion