Refugees resettled in the United States are expected to quickly become self-sufficient members of society despite the numerous challenges they face due to adaptation and integration into new systems and ways of life. Issues with dietary and nutritional adaptation persist for resettled refugee communities in the United States and are not prioritized by national, state, or local policy and practice. This research aimed to help mitigate problems with food assistance benefits and healthy eating issues faced by resettled refugees in Hillsborough County through an applied intervention in local English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes. ESOL materials designed to teach refugee students about healthy eating and accessing, maintaining, and using food assistance benefits such as SNAP and WIC were piloted in two classes of intermediate to advanced English ESOL students. The results of this research indicate that ESOL classes can be an effective site for intervention for food assistance, dietary, and nutritional issues affecting refugee communities. Future applications for this research can help shape future programming for other populations and communities to better address similar issues and target students with lower English abilities.

The use of a Commitment-to-Change (CTC) statement to evaluate Continuing Education was investigated through a case study design. A CE event on communication disorders within the ICF-CY framework was evaluated by a Personal Commitment form and a follow-up survey. Results of a thematic analysis of statements and follow-up survey illustrate the important potential of this evolutionary approach.

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This primary goal of this study was to compare the levels of importance, satisfaction, and perceived engagement between adult learners and Tennessee Reconnect adult learners at two Tennessee community colleges. A two-group comparison research design using existing data from two survey instruments was used for this study. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics based on the scales and subscales of the two surveys: Adult Learner Inventory (ALI) and Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE). Because Tennessee Reconnect is a new program, very little literature has been conducted targeting this specific population. Therefore, this study attempted to add to this body of literature and fill the gap in literature in regard to the Tennessee Reconnect population. Sixteen statistically significant differences in importance and six statistically significant differences in satisfaction were found between adult learners and Tennessee Reconnect adult learners. These were found over all subscales, except learning process. In all these differences Tennessee Reconnect adult learners had higher mean importance and satisfaction levels. These findings show changes that have been implemented since Tennessee Reconnect (i.e., professional advisors, career counselors, extended hours of operation for student services, etc.) have led to an increase in the mean satisfaction rate among Tennessee Reconnect adult learners. Statistically significant differences were also found between adult learners and traditional college students in the areas of perceived engagement with student services and faculty. Adult learners showed higher mean scores for engagement with faculty inside the classroom and with student services such as tutoring and skills labs. However, adult learners also showed the lowest mean satisfaction scores with these same student services. These findings show there are areas that need improvement to better serve the Tennessee Reconnect population, including changes to tutoring services and skills labs. This study provides support for literature findings that adult learners are a different population of students with different needs and requiring different or modified accommodations for success.

Discrete-time Markov chain models can be used to make future predictions in many important fields including education. Government and educational institutions today are concerned about college enrollment and what impacts the number of students enrolling. One challenge is how to make an accurate prediction about student enrollment so institutions can plan appropriately. In this thesis, we model student enrollment at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) with a discrete-time Markov chain model developed using ETSU student data from Fall 2008 to Spring 2017. In this thesis, we focus on the progression from one level to another within the university system including graduation and dropout probabilities as indicated by the data. We further include the probability that a student will leave school for a limited period of time and then return to the institution. We conclude with a simulation of the model and a comparison to the trends seen in the data.

This thesis explores why instructors should use narrative intentionally and effectively with reflection to better understand adult students' perceptions of experiential learning activities in technical communication. The frequent use of narrative in technical discourse reminds us that the tone of technical texts is often appropriately informal, personable, and reflective. A closer analysis of narratives provides instructors with valuable opportunities to learn more about the motivations for and barriers to learning for adult students and to better understand how these students situate themselves in larger social and cultural narratives. Narrative serves many purposes in technical communication. Not only does narrative add a human element to technical discourse, but it also invites interrogation and inquiry into the technical communicator's decision-making process. For these reasons, narrative is commonly paired with reflection exercises in experiential learning programs as a way for students to make sense of their learning experiences. If instructors can capture the essence of how adult students make sense of their learning experiences, they can determine if experiential learning is an effective pedagogical approach to teaching technical communication to adult students. Using examples of ongoing, initial and summative, and alternative reflection exercises, I illustrate how narrative can be used to facilitate the learning process in adult students and gain access to these students' perceptions of experiential learning activities in technical communication.

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The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to investigate the success of students who use transfer articulation agreements to transfer from any of the 13 community colleges in Tennessee to one of the state’s public, four-year, locally governed institutions to complete a bachelor's degree. Data were collected from five 4-year public universities across the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Promise initiative was created to allow students the opportunity to begin postsecondary college careers at little to no cost. When combined with either the Tennessee Transfer Pathways or transfer articulation agreements, the goal was to create a seamless transition from two-year community colleges to four-year universities. Both the Tennessee Transfer Pathway and articulation agreements are designed for students to complete an associate degree prior to transfer; however, many students may not. The sample for this study consisted of 911 students who had completed at least 1 year or 2 semesters at the community college level prior to transfer or students who completed an associate degree at one of Tennessee’s community colleges. Transfer student population information was retrieved from institutional fact books, while additional transfer student enrollment information was provided by students who completed a 5 item, Likert-type survey. Eleven research questions were answered through data analyzed via independent-samples t-test, Pearson correlations, two-way contingency tables using crosstabs, and one-way analysis of variance. Statistically significant findings were found in the areas of anticipated need of credits towards bachelor’s degrees, use of articulation agreements, advisement and use of articulation agreements, gender and transfer agreements, and attainment of associate degrees and transfer agreements. Students who earned an associate degree before transferring had an anticipated need for fewer credits to complete a bachelor’s degree than students who did not earn an associate degree prior to transfer. Additionally, students who used university parallel agreements were more likely to seek advisement than students who did not use university parallel agreements. Findings also revealed that while male students were more likely to use transfer agreements than female students, female students are more likely to enroll in 4-year universities and complete a bachelor’s degree after their community college enrollment.

The Effects of Age, Employment, Marriage, and Education on Academic Motivation in Undergraduate Nursing Students Purpose: The amount of research on non-cognitive variables affecting motivation is limited in nursing students. By using Self-Determination Theory, faculty can determine what motivates students to learn which will allow the creation of a learning environment that promotes student achievement. Aim: To determine the effect age, marriage status, employment, and education level have on academic motivation in nursing students in the third semester of a baccalaureate nursing program within the framework of Self-Determination Theory. Method: A descriptive correlational design was used to identify the effect age, marriage status, employment, and education level have on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation in third semester nursing students (n = 39). After IRB approval, a link to an electronic demographic survey and Academic Motivation Scale-College Version 28 (AMS-C28) was distributed to students. Using SPSS-22, four independent t-tests were conducted to determine if differences existed between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and the variables age, marriage status, employment status, and education level. Results: The findings indicated the following variables had statistically significant relationships with extrinsic motivation: age (t=-2.108, df=30, p=.017, one-tailed) and employment (t=-2.117, df=37, p=.006, one-tailed). Intrinsic motivation was not statistically significant with any variable. Based on these results, unemployed students over 25 are more likely to be extrinsically motivated to learn. Conclusion: Understanding how non-cognitive variables affect motivation will assist nursing faculty in providing a learning environment that will increase student motivation to learn and graduate. Increasing graduation rates can positively affect the nursing workforce and patient care.