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Exploring the frontier of artificial intelligence applications in accounting and auditing: three essays on foundation model implementations with emphasis on large language models
No full textThis dissertation delves into the integration of foundation models in accounting and auditing, showcasing their potential to revolutionize the field. The first essay explores the abilities, mechanisms, and implications of Large Language Models (LLMs) within the accounting domain. First, this study demonstrates LLMs' abilities, then discusses selected mechanisms crucial for the accounting community and their practical implications. Furthermore, this chapter analyzes the lifecycle of LLM research, outlining their role in developing sophisticated accounting systems. The proposed lifecycle analysis can be generalized to encompass other technologies that hold the potential for developing a variety of systems. This chapter serves as a basis for the knowledge presented in the following two chapters. The second essay proposes the concept of artificial intelligence co-piloted auditing, emphasizing the collaborative potential of auditors and foundation models in the auditing domain. Auditors’ capabilities are enhanced through artificial intelligence in a variety of audit tasks. To exemplify the potential of this co-piloted audit paradigm, this paper illustrates a systematic fine-tuning approach of foundation models using chain-of-thought prompting that enables instruction learning, in-context learning, and sequential reasoning. The chapter provides a detailed description of the formulated prompt protocols and the corresponding responses from the model in different tasks. The findings underscore the transformative role of foundation models in reshaping the future of auditing and advocate for continued exploration in this area. The third essay proposes a future version of AI-based multimodal auditing in practice. Taking advantage of foundation models’ potential in multimodal data integration, data of different modalities are connected automatically. Tabular, textual, image, and other formats of data are integrated into one system. Auditors can use natural languages to give instructions and finish diverse audit tasks. The paper then designs a methodology with a prompt template and implementation strategy for multimodal tasks. This chapter evaluates the feasibility of the idea through the designed zero-shot prompting application to a simulation case study with five experiments. The result shows the latest LLMs can complete the five audit-related tasks, proving the feasibility of developing an auditing system for multimodal data leveraging foundational models.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
She loves me, she loves me not: deciphering India's hedging approach to U.S. security cooperation
No full textFaced with China’s emerging status as an economic and military competitor, the U.S. has actively sought to leverage India as a key partner in its strategy to contain China’s growing regional influence. While the U.S. is often referred to as India’s “natural partner” in the Indo-Pacific by both Indian and American leadership due to their purported shared values and mutual vision for a rules-based international order, Indian behavior has been puzzlingly inconsistent in response to U.S. efforts to forge closer defense ties. Despite progressively tilting in favor of the United States, my analysis substantiates that India nonetheless pursues a hedging strategy, comprised of cooperative and non-cooperative features. Emblematic of a hedging strategy, India, at times, cooperates with the U.S., engaging in selective American-led security endeavors; and at others, either remains indifferent to American overtures, or periodically, declines and pursues behavior that undermines the strategic relationship. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, case studies, and archival research, my dissertation seeks to enhance U.S. strategic planning in the Indo-Pacific by examining the following question: Under what conditions does India pursue a hedging strategy towards geostrategic and military cooperation with the U.S. in countering regional threats?Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Beyond degrees: exploring recent college graduates’ digital badges
No full textWhile important to many employers, a college degree does not necessarily indicate graduates’ skills and competencies. Colleges need a more updated model that will allow students to acquire 21st-century workforce skills and help showcase and verify their competencies to potential employers. Digital badging emerges as a promising solution to help bridge this gap. Through thirteen interviews with recent graduates and an analysis of the digital badges earned by the interview participants, this qualitative study explores graduates' perspectives on the impact of digital badges on their employability and the design features of their digital badges. The goal is to assist higher education institutions in making informed decisions regarding the implementation of digital badges. Moreover, a deep understanding of graduates’ digital badging program design features will provide educators with models for creating digital badging programs that can help build college students’ skills and competencies and increase their employability after graduation. The overall questions framing this study are: What are the design features of recent college graduates’ digital badging programs and their perspectives on them and what are the experiences and perspectives of recent college graduates who earned a digital badge?Ed.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Real talk: exploring world language teachers’ beliefs and practices related to authentic texts
No full textLanguage is connected to a people, culture, history, and communicative purpose. One way world language teachers help students explore the intersections of culture and language is through the use of authentic texts, such as films, newspapers, podcasts, videos, music or short stories (see: Pinzón, 2020). While the research points to the success of using authentic texts in the world language classroom, there are fewer studies from teachers’ perspectives about their beliefs and practices related to authentic texts. Drawing on Borg’s (2009) theory of language teacher cognition and raciolinguistic ideologies (Flores & Rosa, 2015) this qualitative interview study sought to examine the following questions: 1) What are middle and high school world language teachers’ beliefs related to authentic texts? 2) What are middle and high school world language teachers’ practices related to authentic texts? 3) What do teachers’ reported beliefs and practices about authentic texts suggest for future PD initiatives? To better understand teachers’ beliefs and practices related to authentic texts, 14 middle and high school world language teachers were interviewed over three months. Teaching materials were also collected from each participant to uncover connections between how teachers define and use authentic texts. Data were analyzed by transcribing and coding the interviews and reviewing notes related to the teaching materials. Charts and notes helped illuminate patterns in the codes, and I used memoing as well as my theoretical framework and research questions to identify patterns between codes which led to larger themes in the data set. This study found that teachers’ beliefs related to authentic texts had less impact on their teaching practice than did their overall pedagogical beliefs. Teachers were found to use a wide variety of texts in their classes, but how they used them reflected their instructional goals. While the majority of teachers used authentic texts to help their students make connections between language and culture, only one teacher used a critical approach to language pedagogy in his classes. These findings suggest that the term “authentic texts” might be irrelevant and that what’s more important is the types of texts teachers use and how they use them. These findings also suggest that in-service world language teachers would benefit from professional development to support them in using authentic texts through a critical lens which foregrounds not one language but the linguistic diversity of the target-language communities.Ed.D.Includes bibliographical reference
How do teachers in New Jersey lose tenure based on teachnj legislation: a qualitative content analysis
No full textThis dissertation examines the impact of the Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act on teacher tenure revocation in New Jersey. Employing a qualitative content analysis approach, the study analyzes 270 arbitration decisions from 2012 to 2023 to identify the specific legislative provisions that most frequently led to tenure loss. The research reveals that conduct unbecoming is the most prevalent charge resulting in tenure revocation, followed by inefficiency. Despite the Act's intentions, removing ineffective teachers remains challenging due to legal complexities, procedural requirements, and the infrequency of revocations. Notably, student growth measures, a key component of the legislation, had minimal direct impact on tenure loss decisions. The study finds that while TEACHNJ has streamlined some aspects of the tenure charge process, its overall impact on improving student achievement through teacher accountability needs to be realized. This dissertation provides insights into the implementation of TEACHNJ, highlighting the tension between rules-based and standards-based approaches in tenure decisions. It also compares New Jersey's experience with national trends in teacher evaluation reforms. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the challenges of education policy implementation and its implications for teacher accountability and student outcomes.Ed.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Electronic report influence on ED throughput
No full textPurpose of Project: Increased throughput time in the Emergency Department (ED) has been an ongoing issue not only in the United States but internationally as well. Verbal report was often hampered due to phone calls during handoff as emergencies and issues arise on both floors. This project aimed to improve throughput time by using a standardized electronic report. Methodology: Education was provided in the ED and the medical unit. Patients were excluded if they had altered sensorium, on a 1:1, receiving a blood transfusion or on a heparin drip. Evaluation was done with staff members using a survey based on a Likert-type scale which consisted of six questions with responses ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Higher scores indicated a positive perspective; the highest score possible was 30.
Results: Over a 4-week implementation period there were a total of 51 patients (N=51) who were involved in the process change and 34 nurses (N=34) who participated. There was an unexpected increase in the throughput time from 151.43 minutes pre to 240 minutes postimplementation. Negative feedback was received from the nurses on the medical unit, which consisted of statement such as, “was unsafe and created more chaos”. The average scores on the six-item survey were largely positive for the ED staff and lower for the medical unit staff (M = 24.4 ED; M = 17.11). In addition, the components of an effective electronic report were not evaluated in preimplementation as the report was verbal. Evaluation of effective report during implementation resulted in 24 of 51 (47%) patients with zero components missing.
Implications for Practice: Results of the project indicated that using a standardized SBAR form electronically to give report did not show an improvement in throughput time. Further investigation and change are needed in the process flow before implementing to ensure safety.D.N.P.Includes bibliographical reference
Would a simulation-based education program for perioperative staff increase performance and comfortability during intraoperative cardiac arrest for non-cardiac surgery?
No full textPurpose of Project: The purpose of this project was to assess the effects of simulation-based educationsurrounding the event of an intraoperative cardiac arrest. The Association of Perioperative Registered
Nurses (AORN)’s intraoperative cardiac arrest crisis checklist was modified and utilized to compare the
initial simulations to subsequent simulations with the operating room (OR) staff. Our goal was to have
more checklist criteria met and quicker response times to interventions on the final day of simulations
as compared to the initial day. Methods: We conducted a quality improvement project utilizing 3 groups per day over 2 simulation-based training days that were 6 weeks apart with the perioperative staff at a large teaching hospital in an urban setting in the Northeast of the United States between January and February of 2024. A total of 47 staff members were present on Simulation Day 1 and 51 were present on Day 2. An analysis of the data comparing times to interventions on the crisis checklist was performed between both simulation days. In total, six cardiac arrest simulations were conducted. A debrief and feedback session wasconducted at the end of each simulation day, as well as one final debrief after the results were calculated. Results: Averages were drawn from all groups on both simulation days, and then were compared.Results are as follows when comparing Day 1 with Day 2. Checklist criteria met: 10 of 13 v. 9.7 of 13.
Averaged times to announce crisis: 16s v. 10.7s, call for help and emergency cart: 29s v. 16.3s, float
personnel to enter room: 43s v. 47.3s, emergency cart in the room: 55.7s v. 40.3s, first chest
compression delivered: 43s v. 16s, defibrillator pads applied: 102s v. 112.7s, first shock delivered: 201.7sv. 167.7s, jet syringe assembled: 153.7s v. 157.7s. Overall times to treatment decreased by 9.42s. Self-reported IOCA comfortability from pre- to post-simulation implementation increased from a 2.8/5 to 4.3/5 on the Likert scale survey assessment. Implications: Research suggests clinician education and simulation training play a key role in improvingoutcomes during an in-hospital cardiac arrest. By achieving better outcomes during the final simulation
day, the hospital could include emergency simulation scenarios as part of an annual competency to help
improve overall performance and comfort during a future, real-life event. Keywords: “simulation-based education”, “intraoperative cardiac arrest”, “mock code”D.N.P.Includes bibliographical reference
Implementation of a mindfulness application to improve burnout in ICU nurses
No full textPurpose of Project: This DNP project was a quality improvement initiative dedicated to evaluating the effectiveness of mobile mindfulness practices on burnout levels of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Methodology: The project began with the education on the effects of mindfulness to ICU nurses, introduction to the Insight Timer ® mobile application, and the administration of a baseline burnout assessment tool (BAT). Burnout levels were obtained prior to and after implementation of mindfulness exercises. Results: At the completion of the data collection period, 15 ICU nurses participated in the burnout assessment tool surveys. A paired samples t-test was used and identified a statistically significant decrease in burnout levels when pre-and post- BAT levels were compared after the implementation of the mindfulness exercises utilizing the Insight Timer® application. Implications: This project identified the benefits of mindfulness practices on burnout levels of ICU registered nurses. The easy accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and user-friendly features of a mobile application to provide mental health services to critical care nurses is crucial to maintain an overall improved quality of life.D.N.P.Includes bibliographical reference
Implementation of the teach-back method in an inpatient pediatric department
No full textPurpose of the Project To increase patient caregiver satisfaction in regard to medication education, by implementing a standardized, evidence-based teach-back strategy by registered nurses within a pediatric inpatient department.Methodology Registered nurses (n=14) at a pediatric medical-surgical inpatient department in NJ were provided with a teach-back training module provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Surveys assessing nursing conviction and confidence were administered pre- and postintervention. Observation of nursing participants during medication administration teaching occurred pre and postintervention. Surveys assessing patient caregiver satisfaction were administered pre- and postintervention (n=40).
Results RN Conviction: preintervention M=8.86, postintervention M=9.57, (t(13)=-2.347, p=.018). RN Confidence: preintervention M=7.79, postintervention M=9.21, (t(13)=-3.822, p=.001). RN Frequency: 50% of nurses had increased frequency. RN Element Use: preintervention M=6.1429, postintervention M=9.3571, (t(13)=-4.418, p=<.001). RN Performance: preintervention M=7.2857, 60.7%, postintervention M=10.0714, 83.9%, (t(13)=-7.320, p=<.001). Patient Caregiver Satisfaction: preintervention satisfaction score sum M=33.95, postintervention satisfaction score sum M=34.35, (t(38)=-.210, p=.418).
Implications for Practice Overall, data and statistical analysis revealed training on the teach-back method significantly increases RN conviction, confidence, and performance in providing patient/patient caregiver education and thus, increases patient/patient caregiver satisfaction. Improved clinical practice improves the patient experience, as supported by previous studies in the literature and concluded with this project.
Keywords: teach-back, RN conviction, RN confidence, RN performance, caregiver satisfaction, NursingD.N.P.Includes bibliographical reference
Simulation-based training with cognitive aids to increase provider preparedness for intraoperative malignant hyperthermia crisis
No full textPurpose of Project: Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) presents as a hypermetabolic crisis when susceptible individuals are exposed to volatile agents and/or succinylcholine. MH is a low frequency, high risk crisis that occurs in 1:100,000 people. Patient outcomes are directly linked to prompt recognition, response, and treatment by healthcare professionals. Anesthesia professionals are often first-line in the initial recognition of MH and are commonly designated as leaders in perioperative crises. Few providers have experienced an MH crisis, and therefore lack confidence in proper recognition and management. Methodology: Quality improvement project at a 289-bed community teaching hospital. An education session was followed by implementation which included two simulation days. The target sample size was the 81 members of the anesthesia department. Actual sample size was 31 participants the first day and 34 on the second day, each divided into two separate groups with 15-17 people per session.
Results: Microsoft Excel and SPSS software were utilized for data analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was used to establish statistical significance. A McNemar test for key action items met versus not met between simulation day one and day two (p= 0.375). A type II error may exist due to limited sample size. Data collected for time to meet each key action item between simulation day one and two was analyzed using a paired samples t-test (p=0.056) , however correlation was significant (p<0.001), indicating that repeat simulation is correlated with improved times. Qualitative data collected indicated staff satisfaction with simulation training and use of cognitive aids to guide crisis management.
Implications for practice: Simulation-based training should be utilized for annual competencies in any facility that performs anesthesia with triggering agents. Training will continue to be a part of annual training sessions at the site of implementation moving forward.D.N.P.Includes bibliographical reference