Objective: To document the information on medication abortion on university Student Health Center (SHC) websites. Study Sample: Four-year bachelors granting public universities' Student Health Center websites. Methods: We conduct thematic content analysis for medication abortion-related information on 547 SHC websites in the United States as of…

Purpose: Studies tracking changes in physical education (PE) policy adherence after an intervention are scarce. In California, successful litigation against 37 school districts for not providing adequate PE time compelled district schools' teachers to post PE schedules online or on-site for 3 years. We performed a follow-up study 4 years after the…

This qualitative case study used the Technology Acceptance Model as a framework to guide this study of the social media practices of thirteen Community Colleges within the Central Region of California. The problem addressed by this study was that the California Community Colleges are not meeting the goals of Chancellor's Vision for Success to be…

Based on the past sixteen years of experience with an online collaborative endeavor offered across differing university types, as well as modes of instruction, the best practice found that by fostering student peer exchanges on a collaborative web site students reached a high level of achievement in these courses. Findings indicate that despite…

How does the presence of information, or lack thereof, affect consumer behaviors and firm outcomes in the context of digital economy? My dissertation examines this broad question in three different empirical contexts. In the first chapter, I study how providing brand information influences the performance of job ads on an online job search…

Purpose: Health authorities recommend schools play a major role in providing and promoting physical activity (PA). School choice legislation has led to increases in both public charter schools and private schools, and these have greater flexibility in curriculum, staffing, and other practices than traditional public schools. Most schools have…

This study explored the effects that social networking sites use has on the academic performance of middle school-aged students in a small district in California. It identified risks and benefits associated with social networking site use and how those affect student achievement. The study examined parental usage guidance and scrutinized…

Practical educational assessment tools for adolescents champion student voice, use technology to enhance engagement, highlight discrepancies in school experience, and provide actionable feedback. We report a series of studies that detail an iterative process for developing a new school climate assessment tool: (1) item generation that centres…

Purpose: Quality physical education (PE) reaches many objectives (e.g., knowledge, physical fitness, and physical skills) and could provide at least half the dose of recommended daily physical activity for youths if their opportunity to learn is provided according to national professional recommendations (min/week) and related state mandates. A…

The Pacific Crest Trail is a National Scenic Trail that runs from Mexico to Canada. Use of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) has increased in the past 20 years. It is important to understand how an increase in use can impact the environment and sustainable practices, land management practices, and the hiker experience. Participants included 15 land…

Background: Schools are important venues for providing and promoting physical activity, but little is known about how school websites are being used for these purposes. Completing a content analysis of existing school websites is essential to understanding their function and value relative to supporting physical education (PE) and physical…

Remediation reform is an influential policy movement in U.S. higher education that aims to increase college completion rates. College first-year reading and writing course requirements have been a major focus of this movement, particularly prerequisite "developmental" course sequences for entering students who are deemed underprepared…

This study explores the discourse, and identifies the predominance of the language of commercial capital now dominating the two State University Systems in California, the State University of California and the University of California. Data for analysis were from the webpages of the thirty-three campuses of these systems. Lexical analysis was…

Research indicates that when instructors interact with students online their academic engagement increases, yet there is little research on student peer interactions and its effectiveness in terms of academic engagement. This study evaluates peer deliberations on a collaborative website for students enrolled in an American politics course at two…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a critical discourse analysis of media produced by higher education institutions. The study aimed to uncover how universities manifest diversity, social justice, and neoliberal discourses in their marketing efforts. Diversity discourses differentiate from social justice discourses in that they do not…