This dissertation presents a comprehensive review of the evolution of DIF analysis within educational measurement from the 1980s to the present. The review elucidates the concept of DIF, particularly emphasizing the crucial role of grouping for exhibiting DIF. Then, the dissertation introduces an innovative modification to the newly developed…

Firefighters face many high-risk situations, from battling fires to managing hazardous materials and medical emergencies. The inherent dangers of these scenarios are reflected in the statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration, which reported 141 on-duty firefighter fatalities in 2021. Recognizing the critical need for enhanced safety, the…

The use of simulation holds promise for the future of dietetics education in its ability to replace up to 30% of the 1,000 required supervised practice hours for the training of future Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Even more so, simulation is a teaching tool. When done well, such alternate learning experiences can challenge students in a…

In the discipline of nursing education, it is very important that nursing students complete their didactic and clinical education skills in order to practice as a registered nurse. It is also very important that they prepare and study to successfully pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and become licensed as a registered nurse…

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) in a variety of professional, military, governmental, and educational fields has continued to expand over the past several decades, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to this field. This study surveys 154 college students over 23 questions that include various demographics that can be used to…

Virtual reality refers to the technology used to create multi-sensory, three-dimensional environments its users can interact with. Occupational therapists may find virtual reality-based therapy appealing as it allows them to access many virtual environments and tasks that would be difficult to recreate in traditional settings. Despite literature…

The need for the current study is found in the lack of cohesive teams at the professional level in healthcare. Lack of teamwork in patient care can result in miscommunication, leading to medical errors and patient safety events. The use of interprofessional education early and often in health sciences education is viewed as a way to help…

The use of virtual reality in higher education plays a major role in addressing key areas of teaching, research, and learning. The applicable use of virtual reality sets the stage for ways to integrate an immersive environment, customizable based on higher education constituents preferences. The purpose of this research was to determine emerged…

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of critical thinking (CT) and clinical judgment (CJ) skills of senior level associate degree nursing students entering nursing orientation programs. The purpose of this randomized Solomon four-group pretest-posttest comparative study was to compare CJ and CT of senior level ADN students entering…

Introduction: Empathy is an essential trait for nursing. Empathy as a construct consists of a cognitive and affective domain. The construct is associated with decreased clinician burnout, reduced stress, and improved patient-centered care. Nursing education has recognized the clinical benefits of empathy and has implemented various educational…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of communication based simulated patient experience in graduate-level athletic training students and athletic training educators and clinical practitioners serving as mentoring coaches. This mixed methods study included the evaluation of the perceived confidence of athletic training students…

Data are an essential factor in the fourth industrial revolution, demanding engineers and scientists to leverage and analyze their potential for significantly improving the efficiency of industrial processes and their control systems. In classical industrial process control systems, the models are constructed using linear data-driven approaches,…

The present investigation aims to identify best practices to design virtual reality (VR) story-worlds to promote prejudice reduction and foster prosocial attitudes toward under-represented groups. Past research shows that VR, which allows the simulation of scenarios that would otherwise be prohibitively difficult or impossible in real life, can be…

Simulation has been considered a valid pedagogy for health professionals in education and actual practice. Its proper execution is vital for proper assimilation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes within the pre-licensure students throughout their curricular journey. High fidelity and multi-patient simulation scenarios were employed for beginner…

Virtual reality training has evolved from aviation warfighting usage, such as aircraft pilot training, to aviation maintenance. Aviation maintenance training should be an essential aspect of continuous maintenance personnel. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of training and understanding of virtual reality technology by senior…