Digital literacy is a powerful tool for learners, and educational institutions and programs are tasked with the responsibility of developing frameworks, models, guidelines, or strategies within a digital literacy initiative to equip the learner. However, a lack of clarity and consensus on what constitutes digital literacy hinders developmental…

Student veterans may encounter educational barriers that can impact transitions to college. This research focused on veteran transitions to college during onboarding. Onboarding is beneficial in a higher education setting and, when properly deployed, can help ease transitions. This study involved the development, implementation, and assessment of…

Moral decision-making models in game environments have been increasingly reported in research. These models, however, focus on identifying affordances and goals of games and educational interventions rather than tracing the process of moral decision-making in game worlds. This dissertation study addresses this gap in the literature by presenting…

This qualitative historical single-case study examines how a practitioner-directed approach to professional development for teachers resulted in successful technology integration in a newly unified school district in California's Central Valley. The study details the process of creating and implementing a professional development plan for newly…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how the military and veteran services offices in public institutions are supporting student veterans in their higher education journey. This study was aimed to allow Chief Military and Veteran Services Officers (CMVSO) in 4-year public institutions to identify challenges and opportunities in…

This project was designed to develop a Bible curriculum that trains parents to be primary disciple-makers of their children at Covenant Preparatory School in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Chapter 1 explains the purpose, goals, context, and rationale for the project. Chapter 2 provides a biblical and theological basis why parents are to be the…

The shooting on Virginia Tech's campus that left 32 dead in 2007 and other incidents since then resulted in active threat preparations at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States. Little is known about how emergency managers understand campus preparedness and what enhanced learning in the implementation, training, and…

Hegemonic institutions continue to promote the importance of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives (DIB). However, the persons in power creating these initiatives are often White men and women (Bischel and McChesney, 2017), that do not understand the complexity of the lived experience of Black, Brown, and African American people within…

New graduate advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) face multiple challenges when entering an autonomous practice, including challenges acquiring clinical competency, gaining clinical knowledge regarding their specialty area, and expanding their clinical skills to perform the new job effectively. Some of this clinical knowledge and exposure…

Recent governmental education reform measures have emphasized school improvement by requiring schools and districts to improve school performance, including student achievement, through many avenues including professional development. Professional development is no longer concentrated solely on teachers; it now includes administrators the…

Bullying and peer victimization are prevalent concerns among educators, psychologists, and families alike. In recent years, research has indicated an increasing prevalence of bullying incidents among elementary school-aged children, with growing concerns about the long-term effects of bullying involvement on bullies, bully-victims, victims, as…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in the wake of the September 11th 2001 terrorist events. DHS's formation, the largest reorganization of a governmental agency in over 50 years, brought a new emphasis on the protection of the nation, its citizens and its infrastructure to government emergency management policy. Previously,…

Working adults planning to pursue higher education programs to advance their careers often face conflicting demands. Colleges and universities are challenged to offer non-traditional programs with more scheduling flexibility, allowing adult learners to manage multiple work, family, and other obligations while attending school (Dana, 2013;…

Capitalism and education can appear like unlikely friends at first, yet for-profit educational ventures continue to grow in size and revenue year after year in the United States. How can the government-controlled (and partially funded) educational institutions capitalize upon the opportunity without modifying the mission and vision of the…

This dissertation discusses the development and assessment of a parent intervention and training program. Out of concern for the sexual health of adolescents in the United States, both parents and researchers have called for programs assisting parents in the sexual education of their children. Encouraging sexual communication and increasing the…