The video game industry is a global multibillion dollar industry with millions of players. The process of developing video games is essential for the continued growth of the industry, and developers need to employ effective strategies that will help them to create successful games. The purpose of this explorative qualitative single case study was…

Qualitative researchers often have to decide whether to collect data using focus groups or individual interviews. We systematically compare these two methods on their ability to generate two types of information: unique items in a brainstorming task and personally sensitive disclosures. Our study sample consisted of 350 African-American men living…

This mixed methods study examines perspectives on failure in the classroom by elementary teachers new to teaching engineering. The study participants included 254 teachers in third, fourth, and fifth grade who responded to survey questions about failure, as well as a subset of 38 of those teachers who participated in interviews about failure. The…

The North Carolina Occupational Course of Study (NCOCS) program is an alternative diploma track with a vocational focus toward post school employment to assist students who would not otherwise graduate with a standard course of study. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the local causes of low post-school employment…

This year's conference theme, "Be Seen, Be Heard," reflected not only our goal of celebrating our achievements but also represented our intent of making sure everyone's voices are heard, especially during 2017's difficult political climate. The conference opened with a motivating address from Dean Laura E. Lyons, followed by an…

The purpose of this research study was to determine if trial and error learning was an effective, practical, and efficient learning method for Technology, Engineering, and Design Education students at the post-secondary level. A mixed methods explanatory research design was used to measure the viability of the learning source. The study sample was…

In 2012, the United States Agency for International Development allocated $137 million to fund seven universities to create "development labs" to advance social/economic progress and reduce poverty. International economic development has become a booming field and industry but is also highly contested. The function of the university as a…

Background: Women and students of color are widely underrepresented in most STEM fields. In order to investigate this underrepresentation, we interviewed 201 college seniors, primarily women and people of color, who either majored in STEM or started but dropped a STEM major. Here we discuss one section of the longer interview that focused on…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a new teacher induction program as implemented in a rural school district in central North Carolina. All beginning teachers with 3 or less years of experience, all school-based administrators, and all mentoring teachers were the target participants. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the…

Homeschooling continues to experience unprecedented growth across the United States, including in North Carolina. More than 2 million children nationally and over 106,000 children in North Carolina are enrolled in homeschools. North Carolina's original homeschool law had long been interpreted to mean that parents had to provide all academic…

This study evaluates dual enrollment programs through the eyes of North Carolina's community college chief academic officers (CAOs). Grounded in Tinto's theory of integration and the transformational leadership construct, a mixed methods approach was utilized to evaluate the perceptions of CAOs regarding the integration of high school students…

This applied dissertation was designed to describe and explain the dropout phenomenon occurring in a rural high school in southeastern North Carolina. Caucasian students were dropping out at a disproportionate rate compared to other ethnic groups in the school. Over the last 4 years, 68 students did not graduate with their prospective class at the…

Truancy issues are longstanding and the desires to develop programs that are effective have been just as enduring. More striking is the lack of evidence of a truancy program evaluation process that includes collaboration with the clients that it serves. Truancy intervention programs have a wide range of effects on participants from multiple ethnic…

This study sought to understand Black male physicians' perceptions of factors that contributed to their academic success while in medical school and residency. The researcher gathered information by interviewing six Black doctors and collecting their demographic profile data. The study used a qualitative, narrative inquiry design. This research…

Cyber bullying is the use of technology to harassment another person. Most acts of cyber bullying begin at home but the extent of these acts trickle into schools and disrupt learning opportunities. This new form of behavior leaves school districts unsure of how to respond while balancing legal and ethical responsibilities. This study analyzed…