This study documented the phenomenology of critical thinking as an outcome in institutions of higher education in Indiana. Applying a collective case study design, the study interviewed educators in three institutions of higher learning and reviewed the public documentation to contextualize critical thinking as an educational outcome in each case.…

With the increasingly widespread adoption of online learning, education is at an important crossroads. Spirituality and character building were once an important part of formal education. In the more secular modern era, many institutions of higher learning have neglected the spiritual aspects of teaching and learning. There is increasing academic…

Over the last decade, researchers have identified complex epistemic practices in online gaming communities. Such research invites the question: Can games engender these attitudes and behaviors, or do they merely provide an outlet for players already predisposed to these forms of knowledge production? This question poses both theoretical and design…

The moral reasoning development of college freshmen was investigated over the course of a semester. Participants were tested at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester and were either in a course that required active engagement in critical thinking (e.g. perspective-taking, reflection) about social and political issues or in a…

Insects are the most abundant and diverse group of animals on Earth. Though as a group they do far more ecological good than harm, previous studies have shown that human attitudes toward insects are mainly negative. Attitudes have affective (emotions) and cognitive (beliefs, mental representations) components that interact to influence behavior.…

The purpose of this study was to explore college leaders' experiences negotiating conflicts between personal and organizational values. This qualitative study utilized symbolic interactionism and involved interviews with five college campus leaders from various institutions. Analysis of interviews, observations, field notes and artifacts revealed…

This research examines advertising discourse in Russian and English as acts of communicative exchange and interpersonal relationship between advertising discourse participants. The purpose was to identify and describe the way that viewers process information contained in television commercials and how they become consumers moving from getting…

The purpose of this study was to compare the development of cognitive moral reasoning of nontraditional seniors enrolled in an adult, degree completion program with traditional seniors enrolled at the same university. A second comparison group consisted of a national group of traditional seniors. The moral development of all three groups was…