The need for the current study is found in the lack of cohesive teams at the professional level in healthcare. Lack of teamwork in patient care can result in miscommunication, leading to medical errors and patient safety events. The use of interprofessional education early and often in health sciences education is viewed as a way to help…

This dissertation responds to what Sarah Kavanagh and Katie Danielson (2020) call a "raging fire of debate about the relationship between justice and practice" in the scholarship around teacher education. Expanding upon the research focusing on clinical simulations for teacher education as well as the critiques of Practice-Based Teacher…

As the number of STEM opportunities and the need for a scientifically literate society increases, educators in STEM fields require tools that help support these needs. Chemistry is one STEM content area that would benefit from exploring educational technology that supports conceptual understanding. An action research study was conducted to…

This study examined whether athletic training students in a four-year undergraduate entry-level accredited athletic training program in a postsecondary institution perceived the PEARLS model as effective in providing feedback. Although students look to the feedback process to help them better understand their skill and performance level when…

The purpose of this study was to increase first-semester Historically Black College and University (HBCU) nursing students' simulation exposure by 50% using the ATI education platform and measure student perceptions of readiness for clinical rotations. This study addressed the research gap of simulation in beginning nursing courses and the impact…

The topic for this study was police cadet perceptions of learning using video simulators. The main research question for this project was: "How are video simulators perceived by police cadets as a learning method at the police academy?" The participants for this qualitative study were 16 recently graduated police cadets from an anonymous…

While 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…

This study investigates the role of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) in facilitating Transformative Experiences (TE) and enhancing everyday engagement with learning. Using the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) model, this research integrates IVR's unique affordances--presence and agency--to examine how immersive learning…

As the number and complexity of instructional tools have increased, universities have rapidly adapted to ensure their students have the necessary tools and resources for academic success (Rafi et al., 2014; Rafi et al., 2020). One of these adaptations has been the creation of virtual learning platforms using Virtual Reality (VR) technology. This…

With a recent interest in virtual reality, educators have begun to explore how using technology can mitigate feelings of Foreign Language Anxiety, or FLA. For this dissertation, the author has co-created a virtual reality conversation scenario to test with novice and intermediate-level Spanish students at the University of Wyoming. The research…

Online courses include the design for student interaction to support effective learning. Studies have shown that online discussion boards are a useful option to engage students. However, with new emerging digital technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), the question remains to what extent or in what ways these immersive technologies can be used…

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the use of live actor improvised simulations as an innovative teaching tool in the development of social justice advocacy competencies for school counselors in training (SCITs). The feminist theoretical framework that guided the design of this study is from the challenges of bell hooks in her…

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate student responses to three different instructional strategies used to fulfill level I fieldwork requirements: traditional in-clinic rotation, a combination of virtual simulation and traditional in-clinic rotations, and virtual simulation. A multi-decade occupational therapy (OT) fieldwork…

College recreation programs are an ideal way for students to participate in physical activity while on campus. These programs can offer a diverse range of opportunities for individuals to participate in various sport and fitness activities. By integrating virtual reality (VR) technology these programs expand their offerings and allow students to…

Both fashion design and education are areas where new technologies can have a significant impact. This dissertation examines the potential of virtual reality (VR) for fashion design education and focused on the profound affordances that virtual reality offers - immersion and agency. Using a phenomenological approach, the study combined arts-based…