There has been a great deal of news, discussion, and outcry regarding the lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related fields, be it industry or academia. On many comparative lists regarding STEM students and workers, African American males are an unacceptably low percentage of the population. The problem is quite…

In response to the problem of rapid increases in higher education offering more programs in a hybrid format after COVID-19, educators questioned the best way to make these changes in delivery in such fields as health sciences and specifically with students in an associate degree program of science radiologic science. To achieve an answer, this…

This dissertation examines two key axes of inequality in higher education -- gender and socioeconomic status (SES) -- in terms of differences in college persistence and college major using the nationally-representative High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. While gender differences in terms of STEM majors has been oft-studied, this dissertation…

The education of students on existing and emerging technologies in higher education environments requires access to complex software. The rise of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon in many postsecondary educational institutions, along with the increasing complexity of technological coursework, creates challenges for students needing…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of instruction that challenges students to answer questions in a practical manner using their understanding of learned course content. The question at the heart of this study concerns if and how faculty in one institution are currently using PBL. I used an exploratory descriptive case study to research the…

This qualitative study examines the semiotic meanings communicated through multiple representations in the teaching of an advanced undergraduate course in biology. Scientific discourse is intrinsically multimodal in nature; in other words, science is discussed and researched using multiple modes that convey meaning (Lemke, 1998). Therefore, to…

Introductory computer programming (i.e. CS1) is the entry point into the computer science major at higher education institutions worldwide. It introduces foundational concepts to students that are then built upon in future courses. Computer science as a whole has struggled to attract and retain students in the major, particularly women and…

One way to bring about change in higher education is to introduce professional development programs for higher education, however these programs have been found to be ineffective at promoting positive change for individuals and departments. To address the need for better programs, I worked on two projects: one project attempts to identify a way to…

Instructors make many decisions all the time directly impacting students. They commonly make choices around how their students will actively engage in their own learning. A widely used engagement practice is to invite students to voluntarily participate by having them ask or answer questions in small- and large-enrollment science classrooms.…

This dissertation explores the institutionalization of sustainability studies within undergraduate programs in the United States, investigating its implications for interdisciplinary structure, faculty expertise, and curriculum focus. It specifically examines how sustainability studies differentiates itself from the established field of…

While the cybersecurity landscape continually evolves, with new technologies, attack vectors, and defense mechanisms emerging regularly, cybersecurity certificate programs remain challenged to stay current and relevant, often resulting in the delivery of outdated course content in existing programs. Scholars note that the absence of standardized…

This dissertation explores the diversity and depth of scholarship at the intersection of feminist studies and science and questions where and how these inquiries might be taken up in the university curriculum. The dissertation theorizes a postmodern, reconceptualist curriculum as it intersects with critical and complexity theories that takes up a…

Contributions to conservation biology research are traditionally approached from an ecology and evolutionary biology perspective, but education research can be equally valuable. Population genetics research can inform management decision-making while education research can improve how we teach conservation. My dissertation tackles conservation…

This dissertation explores technological affordances in blended learning, their influence on the flexibility of statistics and data science curricula, and students' satisfaction with learning. While blended learning is often perceived as a flexible learning approach, its correlation with flexibility lacks substantial evidence in existing…

Educational reforms have a tendency to fade or divert in unproductive ways. To disrupt this cycle and understand why unwanted practices persist and new ones distort, the supports that sustain practices need to be considered. In this study, I use action research to examine the supports of institutionalized patterns of practice within the classroom…