As student enrollment in colleges across the United States continues to diversify, teaching and learning practices must keep pace with demographic shifts. The growing majority of today's college student body, dubbed post-traditional learners, is older, racially and ethnically diverse, more experienced in work and life, and stretched by competing…

This dissertation explores the challenges faced by contingent faculty in an online legal studies program in navigating evaluation systems and seeking evaluative equity. The study delves into the experiences of contingent faculty members who lack formal training in education and primarily rely on student evaluations for feedback. The data for this…

The problem addressed in this study was that online training designers experience barriers when implementing evaluations to assess knowledge transfer after 3-6 months. This qualitative exploratory case study aimed to explore online training designers' experiences and perceptions regarding the barriers faced when working with project stakeholders…

The overrepresentation of English Language Learners (ELL) in special education in the United States has been an ongoing concern for researchers and educators for many years (Dunn, 1968). Despite these concerns, there continues to be limited research in the areas of the assessment and classification practices of school psychologists when working…

This research project explores how awareness and participation in Christian spiritual disciplines increased among adults involved in Sunday school revitalization at Temple Baptist Church in Gainesville, Texas. The first two chapters include a biblical and theological basis for the spiritual disciplines and a brief historical sketch of Christian…

Across the country schools have continuously looked to find ways to increase student achievement. In response to state and federal policy, school districts have used evaluative processes and accountability measures to increase teacher effectiveness. Despite a significant body of research that supports the effect of supervisory practices on teacher…

The three articles included in this dissertation are connected through theory and practice. Study one identifies the factors influencing Extension agents' participation in supplemental professional development opportunities using Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior. Study two was a systematic investigation of Extension personnel's…

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a term for various methods by which universities accredit student experiential learning. One such method is the academic portfolio, a written reflective process in which students demonstrate that their personal or professional learning fulfills university outcomes. Proponents of academic portfolios claim that…

A program assessment was used to provide the status of the Parenting on Purpose (POP) program. The experiences of active facilitators and participant completers were assessed to evaluate the intended outcomes of the training. The program faced the reality of never being reviewed or having any evidence supporting continued use or greater…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) and emotionally resonant videos on knowledge retention for adult learners at a contractor safety training organization supporting the energy industry. The intent of this research was to determine if traditional computer-based training (CBT) can be made more…

This study collected and examined the beliefs, opinions, and perceptions of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) at three public universities in the Pacific Northwest. This study used a qualitative multiple-case study design and provided the opportunity to collectively compare data collected on each campus and across the three campuses. Through…

Failing to adequately prepare law enforcement officers for middle management leadership or supervisor roles can prove to be a hinderance to the operations of the organization as well as having a negative effect on moral and retention of quality officers. This study sought to investigate causes and find solutions to quality leadership development…

Simulation learning experiences have become an accepted form of andragogy in speech-language pathology following a revision of the 2016 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Standards allowing students to count simulation hours towards their required hours for graduation. There is a lack of research in the field of speech-language…

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults can be significantly impairing across various life domains. As manifestations of ADHD in adulthood become increasingly recognized, however, research has started to address diagnostic challenges inherent in the clinical evaluation of adult ADHD. One such challenge is the reliance on…

The Human-focused Facilitation (HFF) program was evaluated to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the processes used to build facilitator knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This study used an explanatory sequential, mixed-methods design to analyze data from Human-focused Facilitation participants and a focus group that did not participate…