Millions of students continue to struggle academically throughout K-12, which can harm student access and retention in higher education. Also, with arts continually being removed throughout the K-12 education curricula, students have a lack of support toward enhancing their hidden talents and skillsets. This study describes the impact that the Meet & Teach program had on youth through experiential learning in relation to developing and enhancing their skillset in media arts. The two research questions that guide this study are: (a) How does the Meet & Teach program support skill development for higher education through experiential learning? (b) In what ways does experiential learning aid in increasing student’s interest in pursuing higher education? Data was collected from participants using pre and post-surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, as well as filmed and photographed observations. Data indicate that the Meet & Teach program supports skill development for higher education by developing participants’ various skillsets. Data also indicated that experiential learning aids in increasing students’ interest in pursuing higher education by providing access to hands-on experiences in the media arts. Further research is needed to identify other aspects that could strengthen the effectiveness of future media arts programming.

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Health literacy (HL) skills are necessary to understand the context of medical information provided to patients in all settings including the emergency room. People with low health literacy (LHL) have difficulty comprehending and implementing basic tasks such as understanding medication administration. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study guided by Orem’s self-care theory was to determine the effect of using the teach-back method for discharge instructions compared to standard written instructions based on parents’ learning style and HL skills assessed during their visit to the emergency room. The Newest Vital Sign (NVS) tool was reworded to assess the parents’ HL. A panel of experts reviewed the tool independently, judged appropriateness and accuracy of the questions, and suggested minor changes. Interrater reliability was assessed in a pilot study with 14 participants, and the strength of the agreement was classified as good (κ = 0.61–0.80) to very good (κ = 0.81–1.00). The NVS was used to determine the literacy levels of 16 participants. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test to compare the median scores in comprehension, adherence, and recall. Results revealed no statistically significant increase in comprehension adherence and recall when using the teach-back method (n = 9) compared to the standard written instructions (n = 7). The small sample size was a limitation. Modifying teaching methods for those with LHL to assure complete understanding of important health information will affect positive social change. Further research addressing low health literacy in parents who speak languages other than English is necessary to assure the results are applicable to the general population.

A quality patient experience is one of the highest priorities for hospitals as patients and families are looking to healthcare providers to meet their demands for quality service. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measures the extent to which providers effectively communicate pertinent information such as communication about medications. On a 20-bed intermediate care unit, the HCAHPS item scores relating to nurse communication and communication about medicine were inconsistent and, on most occasions, were below the comparison benchmark of the 50th percentile when compared to other like hospitals. The purpose of this quality improvement project guided by the patient-centered care model, needs based theory, and adult learning theory, was to test the impact of an educational module for nurses on best practices for teaching patients about medications. Thirty nurses consented to participate in the teach-back sessions. Results of the pre- and posttest, evaluating the nurses' knowledge and attitude about teach-back, were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and findings showed an improvement in knowledge scores (z = -2.833, p = .005). However, no statistically significant changes occurred in nurse attitudes toward teach-back. A comparison of descriptive HCAHPS scores on communication about medications and nurse communication showed that scores improved from a low of 58% top box to 74% after the teach-back education. These findings indicated that using teach-back could enhance communication about medications. Effectively communicating pertinent health information using teach-back may have significant consequences for nurse-patient-family engagement contributing to positive social change.

Numerous scholars have examined multiprocessors and techniques to decrease the heart failure readmission rate and to improve heart failure patient self-management. This project examined a new teaching method to create the experts' awareness of possible solutions to improve heart failure education in a small community hospital. The purpose of this project was the assessment of a new iPad heart failure patient pre-discharge education program video HFPDEV). Pender's health care model (PHM) served as a framework for this project. Five local nursing educator experts (master prepared) were asked to view a new iPad HFPDEV. After reviewing the 15-minute iPad HFPDEV, the local experts were asked to evaluate the video by completing a Likert-type survey, which evaluated the content, process, design, time, and functionality of the iPad HFPDEV along with a section for comments and recommendations. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the survey results. Four of the experts defined the content, process, design, and functionality of the iPad HFPDEV as 'excellent.' One defined the content, process, design, and functionality of the iPad HFPDEV as 'adequate.' All experts expressed recommendations to improve the IPad HFPDEV by doubling the iPad size with an enlargement of print for easy reading and erecting all teaching iPads on mobile stands. A future pilot project will evaluate the relationship of HF readmission rate to the iPad HFPDEV. Social change will occur when the organization provides HF patients with iPad HFPDEV that will increase HF self-management skills and decrease HF readmissions.

Patients with limited health literacy often fail to understand verbal and written discharge instructions, and they frequently return to the emergency department (ED) for care. Patients returning to the ED and 30-day readmission rate are core quality performance measures. The purpose of this project was to decrease repeat visits and readmissions to the ED by implementing components of health literacy programs within the ED on patient education and written discharge instructions. Change implementation consisted of (a) use of teach back method (b) modifying medical terminology to language that patient could understand (c) limiting use of words with more than three syllables and (d) discouraging nursing practice of copying and pasting other completed clinician notes in discharge notes. Following the tenets of the logic model and Watson's caring theory, ED nurses (n=45) at a veteran's healthcare facility participated in the modification of the ED discharge note design. A retrospective quantitative design was used to obtain data from 5,474 records related to each patient's language preference, educational level, and the readability index of the discharge note pre-and post-modification of the note. The comparative analysis of the descriptive statistics before and after modification of the discharge note indicated a decrease of 1.75% in the readability index of the discharge note, a 24% decrease in return visits within 30 days and a 40% decrease in readmission rate within 30 days. Healthcare costs and health disparities associated with health literacy decrease if patients comprehend discharge instructions. Understanding verbal and written discharge instructions correlates with healthy communities. Health literacy policies and technological innovation can promote health literacy and research on health literacy.

This qualitative study was an investigation of first-year teachers who completed their teacher preparation program at large, land-grant university in the west (n=16). It explored teachers' perceptions of their first teaching year centered around the questions of challenges and successes they had encountered, whether they felt prepared for their first year by their teacher preparation program, in what areas would they have liked more instruction during their teacher preparation program, and if they felt able to implement developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) within their classroom. Study findings indicated three main areas remarked on by teachers: creating and implementing instruction and assessment; experiences of teachers; and classroom organization, management, and procedures. All of the teachers within the study had comments within the area of creating and implementing instruction and assessment. About 46% of the comments within this theme referred to whether teachers felt able to implement DAP in their classrooms. Almost 77% of teachers reported that they were able to implement DAP within their classrooms. Fourteen of the teachers had comments coded within the theme of experience. Almost 68% of those comments fell within the subtheme of student teaching experience. Over half of the teachers expressed satisfaction with their student teaching experience. Fourteen teachers also commented within the theme of classroom organization, management, and procedures. About 73% of those comments were coded within the subtheme of classroom management. Teachers reported feeling both successful and challenged within this theme, and it was also identified as an area they would have liked more instruction in during their teacher preparation programs. Five less prominent themes were also delineated: special education, teacher intrinsic qualities, teacher characteristics, child and classroom characteristics, and parent and family issues. Study findings demonstrated, as well, that most teachers felt prepared for their first year of teaching by their teacher preparation program. The majority of teachers began first teaching in a public school setting and participants were teaching students ranging from pre-school to first grade. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis discusses the use of film in the composition classroom. It is divided into four chapters: The Argument, The Audience, Film as a Pedagogical Tool, and The Future. Chapter One (the Argument) discusses the different ideas about using media in the classroom, and how it is good practice to do so. New ideas on teaching from education expert Ken Bain (What the Best College Teachers Do) are presented. Bain suggests that as long as the instructor is confident in his or her subject, any innovative thing they do in class is all right. Malcolm Gladwell’s ideas from The Tipping Point are applied to the classroom: the Law of the Few, Connectors, Mavens, Salesmen, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Presentations couched within a Gladwell frame can prove to be extraordinarily effective. Chapter Two (the Audience) analyzes the Millennial students, and discusses their views on learning and media. These students see learning as a commodity and view modern media with a bit of contempt. Therefore, to use media in the classroom the instructor must be innovative. Chapter Three (Film as a Pedagogical Tool) examines various different applications of film use in the classroom. It also looks in depth at using David Mamet’s films in the classroom, especially Glengarry Glen Ross, The Edge, and The Verdict, which use classical structure to persuade and argue. Chapter Four (The Future) looks at the work of Howard Gardner and his theory five minds: the Disciplined Mind, the Synthesizing Mind, the Creative Mind, the Respectful Mind, and the Ethical Mind and how we must prepare to teach to them all. In the conclusion I posit that the students of today and the students of tomorrow will require new and innovative techniques to be taught effectively, and that film is versatile and flexible enough to do it.

This study explores the relationship between the length of student-teaching experiences and new teacher efficacy. Each year thousands of prospective new teachers endure the interview processes to be hired, complete induction programs, and begin their careers only to determine that the teaching profession is not what they assumed it would be. Local school districts spend thousands of dollars each year on orientation for these new teachers only to find them resigning within the first 5 years of service. Increasing new teacher efficacy is imperative to reducing new teacher attrition rates. The more student-teaching experiences an individual collects before entering the teaching profession may assist an individual in being prepared to contemplate the decision to enter the workforce. The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine the effects of the length of student-teaching experiences on new teacher efficacy. Teacher efficacy has been correlated with a variety of factors including student-teaching experiences; however, there is virtually no research comparing the length of the student-teaching experience and those teachers' self-efficacy. This study also seeks to determine if demographic features including gender, age, ethnicity, and years of professional experience affect the correlation. The participants in this study were teachers with 5 or fewer years of experience and working in Virginia public school systems throughout the state. Findings of the study did not reveal a significant relationship between the length of student-teaching experiences and new teacher efficacy, although several factors that were not controlled for could have affected the outcomes.