Scholarship Forum 2013

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  Cuyahoga County - A Case Study in Public Corruption

  Redd Branner

  Dr. Redd Branner presents a case study on long term government corruption. In particular, this case study explores the corruption of Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Ohio politics over a period of 20 years. This case will explore wealth, class and other factors that led to the corruption of the Cuyahoga County governing body. In this particular case study, the evidence is ongoing, and the outcomes are ongoing. The case study also discusses how the corruption affected the citizens / taxpayers of Cuyahoga County. Lastly, this case study will discuss the relationship between the public sector and business sector in terms of corruption in this particular case.

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  Using a Team Approach to Redesign the First Course in a Master’s LevelInstructional Design and Performance Improvement Program

  Barbara Carder, E’lise Flood, Joel Gardner, and Sharon Taylor

  The first course in the Instructional Design and Performance Technology Program at Franklin University is IDPT600 – Principles of Learning Theory. This program began two years ago using a cohort format. The first course ran several times during 2011 and 2012. The original design served us well but, as the rest of the program was being completed, we realized that we had several opportunities to improve IDPT600. In addition, feedback from faculty and students provided the impetus to redesign the course and make the learning opportunities for our students even more robust. This poster presentation describes the unique team process used to revise IDPT600. We also describe the course content and show how it better prepares our students for graduate studies and professional growth, aligns with industry standards, and features real world application.

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  Exploring the World through Humanities

  Vanessa Chappelear

  According to a recent report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, titled The Heart of the Matter, the focus of Humanities education and funding has declined greatly, while funding for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) has increased markedly within the past few years (Sciences, 2013). The National Endowment for the Arts, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts indicates that attendance to and participation in cultural and humanities programs has decreased significantly, (NEA, 2009). These reports are the premise upon which Vanessa Chappelear has designed her poster.

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  Effective Feedback: The "Jewel" of Student Learning and Success

  Lewis Chongwony

  While there is unanimity on the importance of effective feedback to promote student learning and success in both online and face-to-face environment, debate continues on how best to provide this feedback, especially in online settings where personal cues are scarce. Dr. Lewis Chongwony's paper posits that effective feedback does not happen by chance or in a vacuum. Deliberate creative effort must be employed in any learning environment to provide and continuously sustain effective feedback. Using face theory and transaction distance theory, this paper will highlight how “giving” rather than “attacking” student’s face, particularly in an online learning environment promote and enhance effective feedback. In addition, the paper will address the implications of high transactional distance in the provision of effective feedback.

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  Beyond Codes: Translating Genetics to Nursing Practice

  Rachel Choudhury

  Genetics in nursing practice has moved beyond the study of genes and heredity and now includes genomics, which considers both genetic and environmental causes of diseases across the lifespan. The National Coalition of Health Professionals in Genetic Education (NCHPEG) developed core competence frameworks required of nurses in the area of genetics and genomics. This shift in nursing practice has potential implications for baccalaureate-prepared nurses to have the foundation in genetic and genomic knowledge and skills. Nursing research studies have shown that a link exists between self-efficacy and acquisition of competencies. These studies also suggest that enhancing nursing student’s self-efficacy can narrow the theory-practice gap. The Franklin University RN-BSN program is unique, in that it includes a separate course in Genetics in Nursing and Healthcare (NURS425) to address the need for genetics/genomics competency in nursing. Rachel Choudhury's poster presentation will include teaching-learning strategies used to promote development of the mentioned competencies. The presentation will provide an analysis of the influencing factors and processes by which the RN-BSN students develop genetics and genomics self-efficacy in their current practice arena. Finally, implications on course enrichment will be discussed.

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  Advanced Technologies: Health Care Anytime... Anywhere?

  Danielle Hart, John Pilutti, and Leslie J. King

  Advanced technology in the medical profession has had a significant impact on the access, efficiency, and cost of health care delivery services over the past decade. Technological advancements in the medical profession can be bucketed into two main categories: mobile and biological/physiological. Some examples of mobile technology include web apps that can monitor a patient’s vital signs remotely and mobile phone attachments that can provide medical imaging data for doctors in the most remote areas of the globe. Remote patient monitoring and the use of mobile health apps to deliver timely, useful information to the patient about their health decision represent a significant shift in health care information delivery. Research conducted with a biological/physiological intent ranging from nanotechnology to molecularly modified proteins and genes designed to provide personalized medicine based on the “context of a patient’s unique biological state.” The health care industry is among the first to develop the semantic web through WC3 which launched the Health Care Life Sciences Interest Group to improve interaction and collaboration through adaptive data mining using the semantic web. “Connected devices” refers to the premise that the semantic web will make the meaningful connections between disparate bits of information through smart and connected devices. EHRs already use APIs (application programming interfaces) to securely share clinical content.

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  How Can We Improve Government Performance? Implementation Context and Key Factors Affecting Performance Outcomes

  Alexander C. Heckman

  Dr. Alexander Heckman discusses how we expect our governments to tackle a diverse array of problems and take on a myriad of responsibilities. Often, we are frustrated at their apparent lack of success at doing so. What are the key factors that impact how effectively government agencies perform? Drawing upon my own empirical research and the public administration literature, I present a framework for thinking about the answer to this question, along with ideas for how to improve government performance. Specifically, I focus on the impact of management quality on government performance; including its interrelationship with other important factors such resources, politics, and the nature of the problem situation. The poster also offers ideas for advancing scholarship that seeks to make practical recommendations for improving public management and government performance. Citizens and scholars interested in developing a better understanding of how to assess and improve government should find this poster offers valuable food for thought.

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  Freshwater Mussels as Biological Indicators

  Vera Kazaniwskyj, Y. Zhang, G. Thomas Watters, Kody F. Kuehnl, and Barbara A. Wolfe

  Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a devastating rhabdovirus affecting freshwater fishes worldwide. In 2005, a new genotype of VHSV (IVb) was discovered in Lake St. Clair and has consequently spread throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes. While it is widely known that freshwater fishes are hosts and transmitters of VHSV, little is known about the ability of invertebrates to take up and carry the virus. Our (Vera Kazaniwskyj, Y. Zhang, G. Thomas Watters, Dr. Kody Kuehnl, and Barbara Wolfe) objective in this study was to investigate the ability of freshwater mussels to accumulate and transmit VHSV by using two commonly occurring freshwater mussel species (Corbicula fluminea and Amblema plicata) and to assess the efficacy of freshwater mussels as bioindicators of viral presence. Experiments used inoculations of 100 and 200 Tissue Culture Infective Dose units of VHSV. Mussel tissues were tested for VHS at 72h, 120h, and 168h post-exposure using rt-PCR. Initial results indicate that freshwater mussels have the ability to harbor the VHS virus, especially when inoculated with high doses, and thus can serve as valuable indicators of viral presence. These results also indicate mussels are not likely to maintain VHS long term within their tissues, and are therefore not likely vectors of the disease.

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  Molecular Assessment of Three Reproducing Populations of the Clubshell Mussel (Pleurobema clava) Reveals Historic Hybridization with Pleurobema Sintoxia

  Kody F. Kuehnl and Michael G. Sovic

  The clubshell (Pleurobema clava) is a federally endangered species of freshwater mussel endemic to Ohio that is currently found in fewer than ten river systems in the United States (>85% range reduction). Two of the USFWS’s (1993) recovery goals are to establish ten viable populations and maintain any existing genetic viability. In order to recover the clubshell, conservation efforts including translocation and captive propagation have been used to augment existing populations. In order to maintain the genetic diversity and population level specificity, a molecular assessment is needed. In this study, we generated nuclear microsatellite data and mitochondrial (mtDNA) sequence data from three populations of clubshell to assess population structure.

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  Examining the Role of Perceived Religious Privilege

  Leslie A. Miller and Suzan Waller

  “Does perceived privilege surrounding religious affiliation in the workplace affect employees’ reactions to organizational justice?” We analyze what role, if any, religious diversity plays in the workplace; specifically what effects this diversity may have on employees' feelings and behaviors. We examine responses of 35 working adults attending Franklin University using a non-probability online questionnaire. The data show that religion is mentioned during interpersonal interactions, people do perceive that co-workers receive immunities based on their religion, and people are treated differently and worse because of their religious preference. The results, while a small dataset, show that religious diversity does have an effect on a workplace environment and with further investigation we would have more of an understanding of how this diversity impacts employees and the workplace as a whole.

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  Crime and Public Health: Interdisciplinary Approach to Education

  Karen Miner-Romanoff and Leslie J. King

  Dr. Karen Miner-Romanoff and Dr. Leslie King state that although crime rates have decreased in the last several years, they remain alarmingly high. Recidivism rates, in the meantime, continue to rise with up to half of all new prison inmates incarcerated for reoffending after their initial release (Matz, et al., 2012). As the costs of a failed criminal justice system becomes unsustainable, scholars search for new evidence-based, innovative and collaborative solutions to lower crime and increased public health and safety. As a result of this collaboration, some criminal justice and public health leaders are seeking to develop new theoretical and methodological linkages in order to effectively address the challenges (Matz, et al., 2012). Akers and Lanier (2009) proposed a theoretical framework called “Epidemiological Criminology” as a construct for scholars and practitioners to create the needed interdisciplinary linkages. In response to the necessity for public health and criminal justice to establish interdisciplinary linkages, it is necessary to develop academic curriculum to educate a new general of professionals prepared for this challenge.

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  Facebook Pilot Program:Does Social Media Enhance LearningOutcomes & Communities?

  Karen Miner-Romanoff and Erin Wehmeyer

  In the process of onboarding new adjuncts, the researchers wanted a way to create more integrated, social interactions between students and instructors. We initially decided to use a secret Facebook group for a single class, but as we read the research available and discussed our project, we decided to create a closed, Facebook group for the entire Criminal Justice Administration program – including students, alumni, faculty, advisory board members, and industry experts. Non-class materials will be posted on this site, questions will be posed, current events and videos will be posted, and criminal justice alumni, advisory board members, and adjunct faculty will be available to answer questions and provide expertise and advice. Additional experts in the field will provide career advice and answer questions, as well. This will all be done in a safe and nonjudgmental environment that will allow for free flowing dialogue not otherwise available in our highly structured online courses.

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  Using QR Technology to Promote Educational Excellence and Engagement

  Xiaopeng Ni

  QR codes have been applied widely, including marketing, advertising, entertainment, ticketing, tracking inventory, etc. These codes are intended to attract the potential consumers/users to enriched, instant, multimedia, and interactive information.

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  Designing Authentic Learning for Higher Education

  Xiaopeng Ni and E’lise Flood

  Dr. Xiaopeng (David) Ni and E'Lise Flood discuss the incorporation of real world components in traditional course may effect student learning. Students who learn decontextualized knowledge are likely to be able to answer items on a test, but often struggle to apply what they have learned when attempting to solve real problems. Learning that emulates real life is more likely to promote students’ motivation, engagement, transfer of learning and professional development.

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  Civic Sociology: Connecting Classroom to Community

  Terry Porter

  In 2011, The United State Department of Education led a national dialogue about strengthening students’ civic learning and democratic engagement as a core component of college study. This resulted in the formation of the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, who released their findings and recommendations in a study titled 'A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future'. Many in the field of higher education are joining this call for higher education to become more engaged in its public purpose and renew its dedication to educating students to “embrace the duties of active citizenship and civic participation”. Adult education and civic engagement have been connected since Benjamin Franklin founded the Junto in 1727. Eduard Lindeman, often considered the elder statesman of adult education, stated “Wherever adult education has been utilized as an instrument of social change…learning has invariably been accompanied by redirection of social aims and values. The complete objective of adult education is to synchronize the democratic and the learning processes” (Brookfield, 1997, p.76-77). Terry Porter's poster session focuses on the creation of an applied sociology course that connects sociological theory to active civic participation and social transformation. This applied sociology course will connect adult students to the communities where they live through service learning.

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  Advantages of Organizing and Maintaining an E-Portfolio

  Harlan Schottenstein

  Harlan Schottenstein discusses the advantages of organizing and maintaining an e-portfolio. Portfolio based teaching assessment in higher education has been used in teacher education for a long time but it is only recently taking hold as an assessment tool in higher education. Adjuncts should be aware of the importance in terms of it as an assessment tool but would be more compelled to develop an e-portfolio as part of their professional development. If there is any hesitation on the part of adjunct faculty emphasizing the personal and professional advantages would be a significant motivator.

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  The Politics of Ohio Medicaid Expansion

  Daniel Skinner

  Dr. Daniel Skinner's poster unravels the politics of Medicaid expansion in Ohio. Through graphic representations of key political, ethical, and policy dynamics, I show why Governor John Kasich has come to see the Medicaid expansion issue differently than most of the members of his Republican caucus, going so far as to call it “a matter of life and death.” This position, I show, owes in part to the different responsibilities that governors have within health care policy-making, as well as the unique politics of the state of Ohio. Medicaid expansion is likely to happen in particular because it promises to have a net positive impact on Ohio’s budget, bring billions of federal dollars into Ohio, and create thousands of jobs. After explaining why Kasich has positioned himself in support of Medicaid expansion, I suggest that Kasich and Ohio Republican’s resistance to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act more generally is likely to follow suit over coming months and years. This change of heart, I argue, is likely to occur for the same basic reasons that Medicaid expansion is all but assured.

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  Student Grade Book Exporter

  Erick J. Smith

  This was a new project I created for my Computer Science Practicum III capstone course (COMP 495) in the Summer 2013 semester. The project conception came from the following processes: 1. I copied all assignments from the course grade book and manually put them into my Google Task list. 2. I created an Excel spreadsheet that computed my personal statistics for the course and point goals needed to achieve a specific grade level. I directed my team in using the following final approach: a Chrome extension to parse the grade book web page, insert a task for each assignment into the user’s Google Task list and create a course file on Google Drive. The course file is read from an Android device and provides the statistical and achievement calculations. The final application was deployed to the Chrome and Play stores as an invite-only closed beta. The process reduced approximately twenty minutes of work down to around thirty seconds. When made public, this system will assistant other Franklin University students by: having tasks created for every assignment in a course and by having detailed information about their courses on an Android device.

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  Effects of 17β-Estradiol Exposure on Gamete Development and Viability in Freshwater Unionids

  David Sovic, Kody F. Kuehnl, Roman Lanno, and G. Thomas Watters

  Evidence of a functional role for vertebrate steroids has been demonstrated in a number of invertebrate species, including molluscs. This knowledge has generated interest into the possibility of invertebrate endocrine disruption due to exposure to both exogenous steroid hormones and xenobiotics which can mimic the action of these compounds. Exposure to the natural vertebrate estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2), for example, has been shown to induce accelerated gamete development in multiple mollusc species. Little information exists, however, for freshwater mussels, a group of exceptional conservation interest.

  Here, Daniel Sovic, Raoman Lanno, Dr. Kody Kuehnl, and G. Thomas Watters report the findings of two field studies on gametogenesis (Elliptio complanata, Pleurobema clava) as they relate to seasonal estrogenicity of extracts from Polar Organic Compound Integrative Samplers (POCIS) as determined using the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) assay. In order to investigate effects of E2 exposure on gamete maturation and viability in freshwater mussels, Elliptio insulsa were dosed at one of three exposure levels. Effects on ova and sperm development were determined on biopsies collected 10 days and 6 months post-exposure and biopsy-generated data were compared with histological sections of vicera collected immediately following final biopsy collection. Comparisons of data collected via biopsy and traditional histological techniques provided data to evaluate the potential for utilizing non-lethal biopsy sampling to assess Unionid gametogenesis.

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  Mitochondrial DNA Suggests Stonerollers (Campostoma anomalum) From Upper Shavers Fork Have Strong Genetic Similarities With The Recently Identified New River Form

  Michael G. Sovic and Kody F. Kuehnl

  A recent analysis of cytochrome b sequence data suggested the presence of two distinct lineages of stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) in West Virginia: one form that occurs throughout most waters of the Ohio and Potomac River basins, and a second that is restricted to the New River basin.

  In Michael Sovic and Dr. Kody Kuehnl's study, cytochrome b data are presented for individuals sampled from the upper reaches of Shavers Fork, a tributary of the Cheat River that is geographically proximate to, but not within the New River drainage. Haplotypes observed in the individuals from Shavers Fork are most similar to those from the New River. This result is consistent with the hypothesis of a historical connection between Shavers Fork and waters of the New River basin. In addition, if the two forms are formally recognized taxonomically, these data suggest that the range of the New River form may extend into Shavers Fork, and highlight the need for additional sampling in nearby drainages to better understand the full extent of the distribution of this unique stoneroller lineage in West Virginia.

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  Think Outside the "Values" Box

  Isidoro Talavera

  Dr. Isidoro Talavera states that the values of a community determine what is right within that culture or society. This presents the problem of whose ethics (and what values) we are going to “teach” (i.e., instill and enforce) via character “education” and/or ethical codes. Moreover, most evils are due to moral defects of character or upbringing quite as much as to lack of critical thinking. Many times we must think outside our cherished values to do the right thing. The right or wrong action (or practice), for instance, may be a function of the reasoning involved and the quality and weight of the evidence that supports it. One way to think outside our cherished values (or character “education”), then, is by improving ethical analysis and evaluation skills (i.e., critical thinking).

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  A Framework for Linking Organizational Climate and the Adaptation of eLearning Methodologies at Colleges and Universities

  Christopher Washington

  Recent educational transformation efforts employ advances in information technology to augment face-to-face teaching methods and pedagogies. Nearly 70% of U.S. higher educational institutions reported online learning as critical to their longterm strategy, and the proportion of students in the U.S. taking at least one online course is at an all-time high. These eLearning initiatives stem from a variety of motivations including increasing access to education, accelerating learning in difficult subjects, and reducing instructional cost to individuals and society. Most chief academic officers at universities rate the learning outcomes for online education “as good as or better” than those for face-to-face instruction (Allan and Seaman, 2013). Regardless of the reason to adapt eLearning methods, in order to make effective use of information technology as an aid to facilitate learning, educators must learn and practice new skills and abilities. The availability and effectiveness of e-learning methods does not necessarily result in the effective and broad adoption of these methods at colleges and universities. Although the relative quality of e-learning methods is widely recognized, a minority of academic leaders continue to believe that the learning outcomes for online learning are inferior to those of face-to-face instruction. Indeed, the current attitude of leaders contributes to an organizational climate that impacts the adoption of these methods at higher educational institutions. The author hypothesizes that a supportive organizational climate, one that cultivates an entrepreneurial orientation to using eLearning methods and supports the application of eLearning methods to real teaching and learning situations, contributes to effective institutionalization of eLearning methods. More specifically, the author proposes examining the relationship among entrepreneurial orientation of faculty, learning transfer climate of the institution, faculty self-efficacy in using eLearning Methodologies, and institutionalization of eLearning methodologies. The author presents a framework illustrating the proposed relationships among the variables.

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  Identifying the Secret Sauce of International Academic Partnerships: Exploring the Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Resource Commitment on Partnership Performance

  Christopher Washington

  There is a widespread belief that a positive relationship exists between an organization’s intangible assets and organizational performance. That is, organizations that cultivate intangible assets such as the ability to innovate and the ability to fully engage their human capital are said to execute more effectively and achieve better performance results than organizations without those abilities (Low and Kalafut, 2002). In recent years researchers have posited that the intangible assets of international partners launching franchises in new markets serve as critical factors enabling better performance results of the venture (Grewal, Iyer, Javalgi, and Radulovich, 2011). Although lacking a substantial research basis, the author advances the argument that the entrepreneurial orientation of international academic partners, and their level of human and financial resource commitments to partnership projects, positively influences their collective ability to implement academic programs in new markets. In the proposed conceptual model, the author proposes linkages among the entrepreneurial orientation of international partners, partnership resource commitments, program implementation outcomes, and program performance results. More specifically, the author seeks to review: the factors contributing to the success and failure of partnerships; what is known about the relationship between entrepreneurial orientations of organizations and partnership resource commitment; and what is known about the relationship between entrepreneurial orientations and program implementation outcomes. Lastly, the author proposes research questions to fully explore the relationships among entrepreneurial orientation of organizations, resource commitments of international academic partners, and partnership performance.