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Universal Design: Empathy Mapping
No full text, Our presentation introduces empathy mapping as the foundational stage of the Design Thinking process, emphasizing its value for understanding students’ needs, motivations, and behaviors. After outlining the five stages of Design Thinking (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test), the presenters focus on how empathy mapping supports user‑centered decision making. The deck explains that empathy maps help Learning Experience Designers move beyond assumptions, reduce bias, and form a shared understanding of diverse learners.
The presentation highlights why empathy maps matter: they uncover learner needs, reveal pain points, and guide clearer instructional decisions. Participants are shown how to use the map by developing a persona, identifying what the learner must do, and working through sections such as what the learner sees, hears, thinks, feels, says, and does. An example persona illustrates how two students in the same course may have very different experiences, reinforcing the idea that a one‑size‑fits‑all design is ineffective.
The session includes scenario‑based activities where groups build empathy maps and share high‑level insights. Closing slides emphasize perspective taking, non‑judgment, emotional understanding, and ongoing iteration. Participants are encouraged to revisit their maps as new research emerges and to use empathy as a driver of meaningful, learner‑centered solutions
Camera Foundations: Teaching Students Core Concepts to Produce More Meaningful Photos and Video
No full textView each video lesson using the links below:
Photography Lesson 1 - Exposure Triangle - https://vimeo.com/1152656947
Photography Lesson 2 - Composition - https://vimeo.com/1123371633
Photography Lesson 3 - Framing & Perspective - https://vimeo.com/1123372218
Photography Lesson 4 - Light - https://vimeo.com/1123372781
Photography Lesson 5 - Capturing Motion in Stills - https://vimeo.com/1123373159
Photography Lesson 6 - Video Angles & Camera Movement - https://vimeo.com/1123373475
Video transcripts are available as downloadable .txt files.
This instructional video series covers core camera fundamentals for both still photography and videography. Students will develop practical skills in composition, exposure, framing and perspective, and the creative use of camera movement and camera angles to communicate visual ideas clearly
Leadership Development for Chambers of Commerce CEOs and Boards of Directors: A Comparative Qualitative Case Study
No full textNonprofit organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, rely on effective governance to ensure organizational sustainability, strategic direction, and community impact. However, more than half of U.S. Chamber boards receive little to no structured leadership onboarding or development. Insufficient training for nonprofit boards and chief executive officers may hinder leadership effectiveness and organizational performance. This comparative qualitative study examined why some Chambers of Commerce effectively onboard and develop their boards of directors while others do not. Guided by Knowles's theory of andragogy, the study explored the lived experiences and perceptions of Chamber chief executive officers and board members regarding leadership development and onboarding practices. Participants included nine Chamber Chief Executive Officers and seven board members from Chambers across the United States. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to identify patterns in onboarding practices, leadership development experiences, and perceived organizational needs. Findings indicate that most Chambers provide onboarding; however, it is typically limited to a one-time organizational overview and is widely viewed as insufficient. Participants reported gaps in ongoing training, role clarity, and understanding of organizational functions. CEOs identified barriers such as limited time and financial resources, which may cause frustration but also highlight opportunities for support. Participants emphasized the need for customizable training tools, clearer role definitions, and continuous professional development to build a sense of shared purpose and resilience. This study contributes to nonprofit leadership literature by documenting persistent gaps in board onboarding and highlighting the need for scalable, affordable training grounded in adult learning principles to enhance governance and organizational effectiveness, fostering a sense of empowerment and progress among leaders
Highly Sensitive Person: A Way of Being – A Humanistic Synthesis of Lived Experience
No full textThe lived experiences of highly sensitive people (HSPs), understood through the construct of sensory processing sensitivity, are gaining increased attention among clinicians and comprise 20%–35% of the population. These clients describe deep thinking, emotional depth, overstimulation, and being able to notice subtle nuances, all of which differ from typical patterns. Despite this emerging visibility of HSPs, the counselling field lacks cohesive and non-pathologizing clinical frameworks capable of addressing the dual reality of sensitivity, both as a strength and vulnerability. Existing research focuses on quantitative methods that assess traits, stress, or links to psychopathology. This capstone synthesizes eight qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of HSPs. Using a humanistic, person-centred framework and a thematic synthesis methodology, the project integrates findings across line-by-line coding, descriptive themes, and analytic interpretations. The synthesis produced four themes: empathic resonance, identity, self-care, and emotional and perceptual amplification. Findings reveal that HSPs experience both profound depth and heightened overwhelm, are prone to transliminality and boundary thinness, navigate stigma while constructing affirming identities, and rely on pacing and grounding to stay regulated. These insights informed the development of the GENTLE framework, a person-centred, neurodiversity-affirming model for supporting HSPs. Together, the synthesis and GENTLE framework offer clinicians a cohesive, strengths-based lens for understanding sensitivity, challenging deficit-based narratives, and creating a culturally responsive and ethically grounded practice with HSP clients
To My Brother With Love: Our Kidney Transplant Journey
No full textMelody Rawlings, EdD, is an author and educator who is passionate about service, faith, and helping others live meaningful, purpose-centered lives. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s degree in science and technology. Her writing has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and in books published by Routledge, Cambridge, IGI Global, and Kendall Hunt.
To My Brother With Love offers a vivid first‑person account of the lived experience of kidney failure, dialysis, and a living donor kidney transplant, highlighting the intertwined roles of faith, family support, humor, and personal resilience in navigating a life‑altering medical journey. The narrative traces the bond between a brother facing organ failure and the sister who becomes his donor, providing insight into the emotional, spiritual, and relational dimensions of illness, caregiving, and recovery. Because it centers on meaning‑making through personal reflection, identity, and shared family experience, the book serves as a strong phenomenological case study for examining themes such as embodiment, vulnerability, altruism, spiritual coping, and the human experience of chronic illness and healing
Supporting Teachers Through Career Shocks to Prevent Attrition
No full textTeacher attrition is a complex problem; many factors can impact and influence teachers as they consider leaving the profession. High rates of teacher attrition can lead to teacher shortage, which poses problems for school districts, students, and for society. Career shocks are known to trigger deliberation regarding the future of one’s career trajectory, but have not been examined in the teaching context as an influence on attrition. This capstone drew attention to this gap in the research, explored and answered the question: How can the school system support teachers through career shock, reducing burnout and attrition? The Job Demands-Resources model was used as a framework to examine the impacts of career shocks and other barriers to teacher longevity in the profession. A review of the literature first explored contributing factors to burnout syndrome in education, teacher turnover intention, and teacher attrition. Next, the impacts of positive and negative career shocks on employees were examined. Finally, a review of various supports for employees who have experienced career shocks was presented. Recommendations for school districts and principals are offered to support teachers through positive and negative career shocks specific to the education context, focusing on support via the addition of job resources
Symptomatology and Mediating Caseload Variables of Community Mental Health Clinicians’ Vicarious Traumatization: A Causal-Comparative Investigation
No full textThis study addressed a research problem on community mental health therapists’ risk of vicarious trauma, a condition associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms and reduced clinical effectiveness. Because community mental health clinicians frequently treat highly trauma-exposed clients and often manage larger, more complex caseloads, understanding factors contributing to their vicarious trauma risk is critical for supporting therapist well-being and maintaining quality care for vulnerable populations. However, limited prior research has examined the relationship between occupational setting and vicarious trauma. Via a constructivist self-development theory lens, this quantitative, causal-comparative study investigated whether community mental health clinicians report greater vicarious trauma than therapists in other settings and whether caseload size or diagnostic composition mediate this relationship. Trauma therapists in the United States were recruited through social media platforms to complete an online survey on their occupational setting, caseload size and diagnostic composition, and vicarious trauma symptoms using the validated Vicarious Trauma Scale. Although an initial independent samples t-test found no statistically significant difference in vicarious trauma between community mental health clinicians and therapists in other settings, a post-hoc t-test revealed significantly higher vicarious trauma among community mental health clinicians compared to private practice therapists. Mediation analyses using multiple linear regression indicated neither caseload size nor diagnostic composition significantly mediated the relationship between occupational setting and vicarious trauma, though caseload data inconsistencies limit interpretation. These findings suggest occupational setting may influence vicarious trauma risk but is unlikely to act alone, underscoring the need for organizational supports and continued research on additional contributing factors to better protect clinicians’ welfare and treatment quality
A Qualitative Case Study on Examining Transformational Leadership Behaviors and Employee Commitment
No full textTransformational leaders are an essential asset for organizational change because transformational leaders have been linked to successful business innovativeness. However, employees influence the achievement levels, as organizational changes are significant in the peculiarities of their work routines. The problem addressed in this study was that resistance to change and decreased employee commitment are caused by a lack of transformational leadership when implementing change. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how transformational leadership could improve employee commitment and organizational change behaviors among healthcare administrative professionals working in healthcare organizations in North Carolina. The theoretical framework that guided this research study was transformational leadership theory, which distinguishes leaders who have strong motivational relationships with their subordinates and encourage them to accomplish desired results driven by innovations. The research methodology involved a qualitative case study design, with data collected through semi structured interviews with 18 participants from various healthcare organizations. The study identified seven themes and 13 subthemes from the three research questions. The three research questions translated the problem into specific queries to help identify issues related to employee commitment and resistance to change. The research questions were RQ1: How do transformational leadership behaviors increase employee commitment among healthcare administrative professionals? RQ2: How does transformational change improve employee commitment among healthcare administrative professionals? RQ3: What are ways that healthcare leaders can impact the change process among healthcare administrative employees? The three themes that were determined to increase employee commitment were communication, collaboration in decision-making process, and motivation. The two themes that were identified to improve employee commitment were leaders who serve as a role model during the change process and employee involvement in the change process. The final two themes identified for healthcare leaders to drive the change process were inspiring employees throughout the change process and preparing employees for change. The findings of this study suggested recommendations for practice. A recommendation for practice is for leaders to apply transformational leadership theory while implementing organizational changes. Another recommendation for leaders is to follow each step of Kurt Lewin’s Change model to understand organizational change behavior. A recommendation for future research is to examine how communication impacts the change process within healthcare organizations. A strong positive correlation aligns with the existing literature, which showed that transformational leaders drive the success of organizational change and commitment by communicating a clear vision of organizational goals. There was also a strong correlation between transformational leadership and individual performance and innovative behavior, which influences employee commitment to change
NEWGATHE: A New Nursing Theory
No full textDr. Helda Pinzon-Perez is an Associate Faculty in the Department of Nursing at National University, teaching in the undergraduate BSN program and the graduate NP program. Her research interests include the health of vulnerable populations in the US and globally, as well as Holistic and integrative health. Dr. Pinzon-Perez is bilingual (Spanish-English) and has taught in various countries of South America.This project involved the dissemination of a new Nursing Theory called NEWGATHE (Nursing Empowerment for Wellness Global Advocacy Theory) developed as part of my Nurse Practitioner Master's Degree graduate project. This OER includes a PowerPoint presentation with application case studies that will allow graduate Nurse Practitioner students practice and master the contents of the course Nursing 620 (Theories in Advanced Nursing Practice.) The objectives of this OER resource are (a) to facilitate access to Nurse Practitioner students to a new Nursing theory, (b) to disseminate a new nursing theory titled "NEWGATHE" which incorporates vital elements of the role of Nurse Practitioners, such as Advocacy, global perspectives, and inclusion, and (c) to motivate Nurse Practitioner Students to view medical care in a holistic and integrative way, incorporating a global perspective.
This project will improve teaching and learning by allowing graduate Nurse Practitioner Students become familiar with a new nursing theory (NEWGATHE) that has not been published yet. It addresses content gaps related to advocacy and inclusion, as well as a global perspective in the Advanced Practice Nursing role in conflict zones afflicted by war, as well as in impoverished and disadvantaged areas
Perceived Effectiveness of Training Modalities in Improving LGB Cultural Competency Among Mental Health Providers
No full textThe problem addressed in this study was that LGB individuals continue to report negative experiences in mental health care, such as encountering stigma or discrimination (Cronin et al., 2021; Ferlatte et al., 2019), and these experiences have been associated with a lack of LGB cultural competence among providers (Esteban et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2023). The purpose of this quantitative, exploratory study was to examine the relationship between mental health providers’ self-perceived effectiveness of various training modalities and providers’ self-reported LGB cultural competency. Guided by Kirkpatrick’s Model of Training Evaluation, this study focused on providers’ reactions to training and self-reported behavior in practice. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 166 participants. Participants reported the primary LGB cultural competency training modality they experienced (i.e., formal education, experiential workshops, or online modules), rated the perceived effectiveness of that training on a 7-point Likert scale, and completed the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and a hierarchical multiple regression. Results indicated no statistically significant differences in perceived training effectiveness across modalities. Results also indicated that perceived training effectiveness, as well as prior training experience and years in practice, were significant positive predictors of LGB cultural competency. The findings suggest that LGB cultural competency development may be a cumulative process influenced by professional experience and repeated exposure to training, regardless of the specific modality used, and providers may benefit from prioritizing training that they perceive to be effective. Future research should examine if specific training components shape perceived effectiveness and evaluate whether these perceptions relate to measurable improvements in provider behavior and client outcomes