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Data-Driven Decision Making in the Community College Context
No full textThis case study explored how data-driven decision making occurred within institutional planning activities at a California community college. The problem statement for this research was that the practice of data-driven decision making for program effectiveness within community colleges has not been clearly defined and understood within the literature. The research question asked, "What enables data-driven decision making within a variety of routine planning activities, including how do practitioners employ data-driven decision making and what processes are utilized in data-driven decision making?" This study utilized a descriptive case study methodology. A descriptive case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a case in depth and within its real-world context (Yin, 2014). Using a combination of one-on-one interviews, document review, and observations, this study gathered data on organizational routines and processes, the people involved in planning, and the process and tools used within planning. Three major findings were that (a) data-driven decision making is enabled by organizational structure, dialogue, the availability of data reports, and support and guidance by institutional research professionals; (b) practitioners employ data-driven decision making by tracking various metrics, detecting barriers to goals, identifying needs, and adjusting practices accordingly; and (c) stakeholders within a college approach institutional planning with certain expectations and assumptions that reflect the college's broader culture. The findings indicated: (a) the design of the college's institutional planning structure and processes impacts how data-driven decision making is employed at a college; (b) stakeholders tend to form meaning together and dialogue about data is one avenue that facilitates the meaning-making process; (c) data collection is key, thus the research questions guiding data collection are also key; (d) the data-driven decision-making process includes using data to reach a decision as well as acting on or responding to the information or newly created knowledge; and (e) the practice of data-driven decision making is influenced by organizational culture. The recommendations suggest ways that community colleges, leaders, and practitioners can support or facilitate data-driven decision making within institutional planning activities.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 202
Characterization, feasibility, acceptability, target engagement, and efficacy of a novel exposure-based treatment module for bulimia nervosa
No full textAs many as 60% of bulimia nervosa (BN) patients treated with current approaches do not experience long-term remission, necessitating the development of improved interventions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most-researched treatment for BN and is widely considered the current first-line treatment. However, CBT may fail to sufficiently treat BN due to three reasons: 1. It does not effectively reduce patients’ fears related to overvaluation of body shape and weight, 2. It does not adequately improve patients’ distress tolerance skills and negative affect reactivity, and 3. It does not appropriately provide in-session opportunities to practice skills learned in treatment. One type of intervention that is well-poised to address these three limitations is exposure-based treatment (EBT). EBTs are behavioral interventions that immerse patients in feared situations to facilitate the development of new associations with feared or avoided stimuli. While exposure-based treatments (EBTs) hold promise for treating BN, their applications to disordered eating have been underexplored and previous applications of EBTs have not fully addressed the shortcomings of CBT for eating disorders. To address limitations of existing EBTs, a novel three-session EBT module was developed as part of a larger pilot randomized controlled trial of an acceptance-based behavioral treatment for BN. The present study aims to characterize and examine the feasibility, acceptability, target engagement, and efficacy of the novel EBT module for BN. Establishing the feasibility, acceptability, target engagement, and efficacy of the treatment module will inform protocol revisions and determine if larger-scale research and clinical dissemination is appropriate. Moreover, many clinicians have concerns about the feasibility and acceptability of EBTs (e.g., concerns that it is infeasible to deliver, concerns that it will be unacceptable to patients), resulting in the underutilization of EBTs in treating anxiety and fear-based disorders and especially in treating eating disorders. Therefore, there is additional need to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the EBT module. Patients (N = 17) completed personalized in vivo exposures and negative affect inductions. The EBT module allowed patients and clinicians to collaboratively design individualized exposures to target patients’ unique fears related to overvaluation of body shape and weight, as well as practice distress tolerance skills learned in treatment. In the present study, video coding of therapy sessions and patient/clinician pre- and post-session self-report data were used to conduct mixed methods analysis of the implementation of the module. Results indicated that the EBT module is indeed feasible to implement and is acceptable, and patterns indicated preliminary efficacy. Preliminary patterns suggested that the EBT module did not target the theorized mechanisms as predicted. Results from the present study will be used to revise the EBT module to ultimately create an innovative, effective EBT for BN. Findings related to feasibility and acceptability contradicted the concerns of clinicians found in prior studies as the module was deliverable and patients’ responses were highly positive. Additional exploration in research and clinical settings will improve our understanding of the untapped potential of EBTs for treating eating disorders.M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 202
Relationships Matter: Improving Student Engagement and Retention with Marketing Strategies
No full textCommunity colleges have traditionally struggled with student retention. A growing subset of today's community college students seek degree programs that will not only fortify their minds, but prepare them to meet current workforce demands. The post-recession view of community colleges as engines of change, relative to affordability and gainful employment, has prompted government officials and college leaders to explore ways to best meet students' needs from enrollment to graduation. This study examined the effects of infusing relationship-marketing strategies into academic advising practice to improve student retention. The researcher believes that service augmentation and relationship customization can significantly improve student-institution bonds. The conceptual framework for this study is grounded in Tinto's student engagement model (retention), Berry's relationship-marketing approach, and academic advising theory. The researcher used an explanatory mixed-methods design to explore the following research questions: (a) How can relationship-marketing strategies be used to improve the formation of affective advisor-advisee bonds? (b) How does academic advisors' implementation of relationship-marketing strategies impact student retention? And (c) What is the relationship between students' satisfaction with academic advising and retention rates? This research used an explanatory mixed-methods approach and a sample of 93 students and four professional academic advisors to examine the impact of relationship-marketing on student retention. The results indicated that relationship-marketing concepts, namely service augmentation and relationship customization were strong determinants of affective advisor-advisee bonds. The results also indicate that students' retention behavior was strongly determined by advisor-advisee bonds and a sense of belonging to the institution. Student satisfaction with the advising process was also a contributing factor in their decision to remain enrolled at the college. In addition, trust, honesty, and openness in the relationship-building process was a strong determinant of a student's decision to return. The findings of this study suggest that a comprehensive, authentic approach to developing, managing, and maintaining student relationships can impact student satisfaction with the university and their college experience.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 202
A Phenomenological Study: Exploring Chinese Junior High School Students’ Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Using Game-based Technology to Learn English in an English as Foreign Language Classroom in Shanghai, China (EFL-C)
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to determine the effectiveness of a video game called Scribblenauts based on the lived experiences of 30 junior high school, lower secondary Chinese speaking students in Shanghai. The problem in this study was the need to understand English language acquisition, problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as collaboration using game-based learning in China classrooms based on the lived experiences of Chinese Junior High School students who were enrolled at a language-training center studying English as a foreign language in Shanghai, China. In China, secondary school starts from grade six until grade twelve. The study was organized on the premise that video games help and motivate students learn constructively and autonomously as well as develop learners' communicative and academic competencies. This study explored how game-based learning becomes manifest in four dimensions comprising affective, behavioral, cognitive and social/cultural engagement. Game-based learning was explored in light of the Chinese middle school students' learning context. The overall organization of the literature review was based on three research questions that provided a rationale for the research questions. The research questions were: 1. How do Chinese junior high school, lower secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) students describe the influence of a video game on their ability to acquire English? 2. How do Chinese junior high school, lower secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners describe how playing video games contributes to developing skills such as creativity, innovation, and problem solving while acquiring English? 3. How do Chinese junior high school, lower secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) students describe their collaboration with peers while playing a video game? The researcher employed three focus groups of 10 students each to analyze 30 students' perceptions about how Scribblenauts promotes language learning and skill development (e.g. critical thinking) through the transcription of interview data. Student assignment portfolios were used to collect data about the participants' experiences playing video games. In addition, the researcher conducted 10 interviews as well as coded and generated themes based on the participants' responses. The study found that Scribblenauts, through its multiple solution in-game puzzle prompt activities, motivated and enabled students to engage in persistent, collaborative gameplay that stimulated vocabulary development as well as promoted student creativity and problem-solving skills. Chinese Junior high school students preferred utilizing games like Scribblenauts to traditional teacher-led forms of instruction because they believed the ability to take-action in the game was exciting. They further believed being able to brainstorm multiple solutions to problems helped them to learn as they explored the video game. This study concluded the following points: 1. Games like Scribbelnauts can be useful in the classroom for promoting creativity and collaborative problem solving when the level of game play allows students to understand what is to be achieved while motivating students to be persistent through giving them choices when responding to the challenges and feedback within the game. 2. The sustained interest of the student in the game and its relevant topics as well as the ability of learner to enter a state of flow while attempting to creatively solve problems in the game has a positive effect on students' language learning while they are immersed in the game. 3. Students are active in determining the value of using technology in the classroom in comparison to traditional methods utilized by teachers. In order for students to choose technology over traditional ways of learning, they need to perceive the technological learning experience as engaging as well as pedagogically meaningful. 4. Students perceive the ability to be creative, explore and take-action in game play as critical to the development of their creativity and problem-solving skills. Key recommendations from this study are that schools should create embedded course curricula objectives that center on using game-based learning technology to teach English. Schools should also allow students a voice in determining which technology should be utilized in the classroom as well as train staff and invest in resources to ensure all students have the opportunity to use technology. This study concludes that future research should increase the number and variety of participants in studies that utilize puzzle prompt video games, provide more structure for group activities, connect such games to school curricula objectives as well as be longitudinal in nature.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 202
A Microstructure-Driven Approach to Characterize Transport Phenomena in Porous Media of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells
No full textThe polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is an electrochemical device which holds great promise as an alternative power source for use in a wide range of applications. However, improvements in cell performance are necessary for the commercialization of PEFCs. Recently, significant research effort has been placed on understanding the influence of the internal structure (i.e., microstructure) of fuel cell materials on the transport of water and reactant gases in PEFC systems. One component of interest is the porous diffusion media (DM), which has been shown to be vital for achieving necessary water management to maintain efficient fuel cell operation. However, current modeling efforts rely primarily on bulk correlations or idealized/randomly selected structures for these porous materials, which may misrepresent the true morphology of the DM and potentially fail to accurately capture the related effects on transport within this component. The objective of this dissertation work is to establish a framework which combines recent advances in 3-D microstructure quantification and pore-scale analysis to evaluate the structure and related transport characteristics of fuel cell DM. The presented framework includes the following features: i) the microstructures of the materials of interest are quantified rigorously in 3-D; ii) small representative volume elements (RVEs) are selected which capture the important features of the measured microstructure datasets to within high accuracy, for reliable and computationally efficient modeling of transport behavior; and iii) a suite of microstructure analysis tools is developed to determine several difficult-to-measure key structure-related transport properties. Using this approach, an in-depth understanding of the structure-related transport characteristics of a fuel cell DM sample is achieved.Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics -- Drexel University, 202
Insight in TBI: What is its role in the relationship between cognition and vocational outcomes?
No full textImpaired self-awareness (ISA), among other metacognitive deficits, frequently occurs after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Research has shown that ISA is often observed with executive functioning deficits in TBI and is also linked to poor vocational outcomes post-injury. Metacognition literature has largely focused on offline measures of self-awareness (i.e., the report of symptoms as per different sources’ response on questionnaires), or focused on on-line measures of self-awareness (i.e., in-the-moment prospective or retrospective judgment of own performance). Past research has not merged these two methodologies to assess ISA in TBI to better understand the relationship to specific functional outcomes in TBI. The current proposal sought to compare offline (global) measures and on-line (local) measures to establish their relation to executive functioning deficits, as well as certain vocational outcomes. Findings from this project suggested that the offline measure utilized in this study (DEX) better captured ISA in this sample, though it was not related to executive functioning or vocational outcomes in TBI. Limitations and areas of future research, specifically in the context of rehabilitation, are discussed. Given that findings support that unemployment is a challenge for individuals who have experienced a TBI, continued research is warranted to better understand the role that insight and executive functioning play, and any relevant mediational relationships, within a larger and more representative sample to inform tailored vocational and self-awareness interventions.M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
The Position of Microbiology between Organismal Biology and the Applied Sciences: The American Type Culture Collection: 1911-1984.
No full textMicrobiology occupies an uncertain position within the life sciences. Microbiology is never fully assimilated into organismal biology, and maintains a deep connection to experimental and applied sciences. Competing and conflicting methods and theories in evolutionary biology are developed by bounded communities of scientists formed around their organism of study, driving and maintaining the separation between microbiology and organismal biology. The American Type Culture Collections (ATCC), a national museum of microbial cultures, acts as both a museum maintaining collections in service to the descriptive organismal biologies, and as a distribution center providing materials for external communities of researchers in the experimental and applied sciences. The ATCC is historically situated at the end of the "golden age of the American museum," characterized by the modern museum model in which function of museums extends beyond the collections to an external community, and the rise of experimental biology in the twentieth century. The ATCC becomes a new kind of museum housing live, replicable materials that can be distributed. The mission of the ATCC includes maintaining a dual function, seeking funding and support from external institutions affiliated with both sides of its mission, resulting in a tension when these two purposes are not compatible. The tension of this dual purpose forms the institutional identity of the ATCC, which acts as a boundary object between organismal biology and the experimental and applied sciences. Here the ATCC is shown to illustrate the uncertain position of microbiology within the life sciences.M.S., Science, Technology and Society -- Drexel University, 201
Connecting with the African American Community: Cultivating a More Diverse Donor Family
No full textThis thesis research looks into the African American donor community and how arts organizations are connecting with that community. The researcher interviewed Development and Community Engagement representatives from five performing arts centers in New Jersey to understand how the organizations included in this research currently connect with the African American community and cultivate donors in that same community. A donor assessment survey completed by respondents, mainly residents of New Jersey, looked to see if people were donating to arts organizations and if they felt these arts organizations were connecting with them through the programming presented. The survey found the majority of respondents have donated money to an arts organization, many donating 100 in a year. The majority also felt that arts organizations were communicating with them in a way that connected with them and the organizations also presented exhibits, performances, etc. that connected with them. The research offers recommendations to the field on how to connect with a diverse community to grow a more diverse donor population. Community engagement is key in cultivating this relationship. The more the entire organization's staff is involved in connecting with the community, from the board and executive leadership down to the ushers and box office personnel, the more authentic the connection will be. After completing the research, the question arises if race and/or ethnicity should be a consideration for development teams when connecting to donors. This study also found that many arts organizations do not ask their donors their race and/or ethnicity, resulting in a lack of knowledge on this donor demographic. This knowledge is important to have to show accurate donor data and dispel the assumption that most, if not all, donors are white.M.S., Arts Administration -- Drexel University, 201
Making Sense of Mattering: A Phenomenological Study of Black Deaf College Students and Academic Success
No full textResearch on the persistence of students in higher education has investigated a wide host of competing and intersecting factors (Astin, 1977; Tinto, 1997). Yet, insufficient attention has been given to the experience of mattering and its role in the persistence of marginalized groups such as Black d/Deaf college students. Mattering is understood as the extent to which an individual feels important or significant to the community or people around them (Schlossberg, 1998), and is deserving of greater consideration as part of the constellation of factors influencing persistence. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how Black d/Deaf college students make sense of their experience of mattering to others, and how that experience influences their academic success. Using a post-intentional phenomenological research design, the study explored the lived experiences of six Black d/Deaf students at Gallaudet University, a university dedicated to the educational needs of the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community. This study had three major findings: 1) all participants agree upon CHERISH/MATTER as the most accurate expression of their experiences of mattering through American Sign Language; 2) participants' shared experiences reveal new insights about the nature, directionality, and properties of mattering; and 3) mattering "matters" for the academic success of the participants. Out of these findings emerge new ways to conceptualize mattering theory. The findings can also inform the practice of faculty and student affairs administrators involved in the development and retention of Black d/Deaf college students and similarly marginalized groups.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201
The Dance of Attachment: Exploring Dance/Movement Therapy with International/Transracial Adoptees
No full textThe purpose of this capstone thesis was to write a journal article manuscript that could be submitted for publishing to the American Journal of Dance Therapy or another academic journal. The article written for submission explores the intersections between international and transracial adoption, attachment theory, and dance/movement therapy, with a particular focus on how dance/movement therapy might help to strengthen the attachment relationship between adoptive caregivers and adoptees. Previous research that highlights the connection between relational trauma and attachment patterns people form, in addition to attachment pattern concerns present among those who are adopted, serve as the foundational base for the article. The article’s main emphasis focuses on how the creative arts therapies and specifically how dance/movement therapy may serve as a way to help strengthen attachment patterns based on past research looking at the effectiveness these therapies have when working with those who have relational trauma. As proposed by the author, dance/movement therapy may help to foster a secure attachment between adoptive caregiver and adoptee through breath work, being mindful of space, mirroring and attuning to one another, and addressing implicit body memory. Reflections and future considerations for further exploration are also discussed.M.A., Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling -- Drexel University, 201