MFA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This thesis investigates the ways in which drawing can be used to improve memory. Human memory can often be unreliable. Because of this, memory refresher systems called mnemonics are frequently used in written and visual learning systems to aid in the recall of important information. Among the many forms of visual mnemonics, drawing has proven to be a successful aid. Previous research into the topic has shown drawing to be highly effective in elevating recall. Unfortunately, drawing mnemonics are not widely utilized. Additionally, there has been limited academic discussion or research from the perspective of artists or designers. There has yet to be any form of research into how skills developed as an illustrator can improve the success of drawing-based mnemonics. The improvement of perception has been shown to improve the memory of professionals when working in their fields. Additionally, improving in drawing has been shown to improve an individual's perception and mental visualization. This research aims to isolate the elements of drawing education that can be learned to improve one's perceptual skills and the mnemonic quality of drawing. The tests conducted throughout this research also utilize AI image generation to test and strengthen mental imaging and perceptual abilities. Findings from the thesis demonstrate the beneficial uses of drawing and artificial intelligence to improve mental processing in artists and non-artists.

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2024, Education

As part of comprehensive whole-family out-of-school-time programming, parent engagement and education play an important role in addressing achievement and opportunity gaps in low- income neighborhoods. Parent groups have the potential to be a unique space of social justice work by creating supportive, innovative spaces to build social capital and organize around common action goals. This photovoice study looks specifically at “Parent University,” a parent out-of-school-time meeting group that focuses on empowerment education by providing opportunities for parents to meet, engage in rich consciousness raising dialogue, identify areas in need of change, and create and implement action for social change. This study will use photovoice, a participatory action research methodology, to examine the role of an urban after-school adult education program in developing and implementing community-based needs assessment. The study will also examine the identification of community need, the process of identifying issues of concern, and the tools and action steps to create collective change. Freire's critical consciousness theory, through his four stages of raising critical consciousness, was used to develop the conceptual theoretical framework through which the data was analyzed. Data was gathered through images and narratives produced by 20 caregiver participants using the photovoice SHOWeD method (Hergenrather et al., 2009). The findings constructed from the data generated themes of Resilience, Community Restoration, Abandonment, and Hope. Thematic analysis was used to explore and evaluate the collected data to identify themes and patterns. The photographs were then used as codes/tools to facilitate a discussion. They were then decoded through the discussion, during which the ideas and thoughts from the participants' lived experiences were shared. The findings will inform educational specialists, policymakers, practitioners, and other relevant officials work (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Abstract Perception of Belonging in the High School Art Classroom Melinda Russek There have been a growing number of problems in high school art classrooms. Symptoms of the problem post-COVID-19 include apathy, lack of engagement, and cell phone use. Several solutions to increase student engagement and belonging and build social skills are under-explored. Art teachers in this study are eager to find solutions these problems and new ways of interacting with students that builds school community and culture and reflects on current trends in the art world. One method stands out: collaborative learning with team projects. This study contributes to the art teacher community, adding structures that include all diverse students equally, and using action research in the future to improve methods of collaboration in the high school art classroom.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Cross-Cultural, International Education

This research study explores the lived experience of nine international graduate student mothers (IGSMs) in the United States. This phenomenological study investigates the identity development of the nine international graduate student mothers (IGSMs) from six countries with diverse academic and cultural backgrounds as they navigate the dual roles of motherhood and educational pursuits. Through in-depth interviews, this research delves into the challenges and strategies IGSMs employ to balance their responsibilities, shedding light on the unique intersection of cultural, academic, and maternal identities. This study utilizes Bronfenbrenner's bioecological system theory to examine the multifaceted influences on their experiences, including personal, social, and institutional factors. The findings reveal that these mothers navigate complex interactions within their immediate and broader environments, leading to a continuous redefinition of their identities. Key themes include the balance between motherhood and academics, resources available to assist IGSMs, and the significance of the spouse's role, education, and cultural influence on IGSMs in identity development. The study underscores the importance of tailored support systems in graduate education to enhance the well-being, academic success, challenges, and resilience of IGSMs. The study provides implications for policymakers and educational institutions to foster more inclusive and supportive environments that could build a sense of belonging toward the host country's culture.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

COVID-19 changed how faculty members approached teaching in higher education in the United States. This study specifically looks at the changes in faculty-student interaction (FSI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. While extensive literature exists on the topic from the student perspective, the disruption in education necessitated a more extensive study of the faculty perspective. A multiple-case study methodology was employed to explore the experiences of a small cohort of faculty members at a single institution and how they fostered positive interactions with students from Spring 2019 through Spring 2023. The data collected included semi-structured interviews, course syllabi, teaching philosophies, and a pre-interview questionnaire with demographic data. The findings revealed that faculty initially faced hurdles engaging with students but swiftly devised strategies to adapt. Their approaches primarily emerged from internet searches and conversations with other faculty in their communities of practice. Additionally, faculty members who taught prior to the pandemic used their prior teaching experience but also credited having access to course materials designed for online learning as a strategy for positive interaction. Finally, returning to in-person teaching with social restrictions presented significant challenges in comparison to teaching online. A key implication for practice is requiring faculty to teach asynchronous courses periodically to ensure familiarity with best practices for online learning and access to updated teaching materials. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

How might teacher educators build a reflective and supportive community of practice with pre-service teachers? How might a visual (intermedia) journaling practice support critical and reflective thinking? How might an arts-based intermedia approach to analysis inform teacher educator pedagogical methods? These questions evolved and emerged throughout my research process during this dissertation study. As an artist/researcher/teacher I used an arts-based research paradigm to guide an emergent research practice focused on understanding the potential of arts-based reflective practice in an art teacher education program. The study was conducted with two groups of undergraduate student participants enrolled in pre-service teacher education coursework. Parallaxic praxis, emerging from a/r/tography, was a guiding research methodology and pedagogical approach used to maintain a creative, living inquiry throughout the study. This methodology supported opportunities and potential for the researcher and participants to generate arts-based study data and engage in performative processes documenting their experience with creative reflective practices. The learnings from the first participant group informed decisions and activity design for participant group two. Participants actively engaged in self-directed and co-designed intermedia reflective activities throughout the cycles of the study. Along the way, poetic inquiry surfaced as a central method for analysis and to generate research renderings, primarily in the form of found poems. The research renderings were conceptualized into a research exhibition designed to be experienced through multiple modalities including an exhibition in an art gallery and a virtual online exhibition. This dissertation illustrates where the research process led me as the researcher, and my students, as participants. Through the renderings in the research exhibition, the process of analyzing data using poetic inquiry highlights benefits and cha (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2024, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

The goal of this thesis is to compare the current methods to generate pigment from AMD, test the pigments for their chemical and elemental compositions, and determine whether the pigments generated meet ASTM and market standards. The pigments were also evaluated to find their associated color numbers and compared to existing pigments collected from pigment companies. Iron oxide sludge was generated and collected from Truetown, OH by oxidizing and settling AMD. This sludge was tested for quality with the intent of making pigments from dried iron oxide. The sludge was dewatered or washed to represent potential treatment methods, then dried and ground into a fine powder. The powder was tested for iron oxide, sulfates, lead, organic coloring matter, moisture content, and ignition loss using ASTM standard methods. It was tested for its X-ray patterns using X-ray diffraction and for 31 elements using X-ray fluorescence. It was finally tested for its performance as an oil paint and its color spectrophotometry. These experiments were repeated for several examples of pigments from existing industry, including artistry and concrete dyeing. The results of these experiments showed that AMD pigments are generally lower in impurities than artist pigments, but higher than expected in sulfates. They are also amorphous but contain no toxic levels of metals. The experiments consistently showed that pressing was more effective than washing for removing impurities. The AMD pigments were also determined to be a different color than any of the collected pigments on the market, and would need to be identified as its own, separate color. Based on these conclusions and its derivation from AMD, it is suspected to be the iron oxide mineral known as Shwertmannite.

MFA, Kent State University, 2024, College of the Arts / School of Art

Racial tensions in the United States have begun to influence the field of Art Education, prompting critical examination of certain pedagogical frameworks. Central to this discourse is Critical Race Theory (CRT), an analytical lens that outlines the systemic inequities entrenched within social institutions. CRT underscores the marginalization experienced by Black American citizens within American society and delineates principles reflective of their shared experiences. Notably, CRT has faced scrutiny and opposition from various perspectives, particularly from parents of students in K-12 schools who perceive it as divisive and accusatory, often assigning fault to present-day White students for historical injustices. Implicit biases inherent within societal structures further complicate these dynamics, shaping perceptions and influencing educational practices. Despite these challenges, CRT is beginning to play a significant role in shaping curricular approaches within the field of Art Education, fostering an environment conducive to creative exploration and critical engagement with social issues. Educators who prioritize the integration of CRT principles and social justice learning into their pedagogy serve as catalysts for meaningful dialogue and transformative learning experiences. With that said, this thesis will delve into the nuances of CRT, its profound impact on American society, and its relevance within the contemporary K-12 art classroom.

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2024, College of Education

The researcher investigated the effects of learning in an integrated curriculum environment in a Midwestern urban school among 7th grade students. The control group consisted of students who were enrolled in just a 7th grade social studies class. The test group consisted of students who were enrolled in both a social studies class and visual art class learning about Ancient Greece. The implications of this study have both quantitative and qualitative results. The quantitative show mixed results in the control group vs. the test group in their assessment scores. However, the qualitative results showed an increase of enjoyment in teaching for teachers and learning for students in an integrated learning environment.

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of the Arts / School of Art

Craft media in K-12 art classrooms are often given less attention than so-called fine art media, allowing students less access to the materials and processes involved in disciplines such as textiles, metal, or woodworking. Through a case study with a secondary craft teacher, as well as interviews with three secondary art teachers who center craft in their curricula, this research has examined the challenges, benefits, and social implications of craft education. Implications from this research indicate that greater focus must be placed on craft in preservice art education training in order to address the imbalance between craft and the so-called fine arts.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Art Education

This dissertation shares the process of developing and implementing a fractal inspired design curriculum. The methodology takes on a combination of a participatory action research methodology and several codesign methods. The results of the dissertation are presented in a three-article format. The first article shares the experiences of implementing the fractal curriculum with the general public through three guided nature walks. The second article follows the process of codesigning a fractal curriculum with experienced educators. The third article describes the implementation of the fractal curriculum in an undergraduate studio.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

This thesis documents my journey as a first-time teacher educator in a college setting. After teaching in K-12 classrooms for over fifteen years, I transitioned to a graduate student in art education to focus on developing a stronger teacher identity. Through the lens of a reflective practitioner, I examined the efficacy of an arts integration course in a teacher preparation program. The research conducted in the ARTEDUC 3900 course at Ohio State University explores the importance of arts integration in preparing pre-service elementary teachers. This course builds a teaching knowledge base, encourages artistic inquiry, and provides practical classroom applications. Its objectives include fostering interdisciplinary collaborative communities of practice, nurturing a positive connection with creativity, and developing reflective practitioners. Grounded in action and arts-based methodologies, I often found that the lines between teaching and learning blurred. Embracing the study's cyclical nature, it highlights the efficacy of action research in shaping pre-service educators' experiences and practices through ongoing experimentation, reflection, and collaboration. The findings highlight the multifaceted benefits of the arts-integration curriculum, such as enhancing educator preparedness and promoting collaborative and reflective practices among educators.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

The contemporary glass world is a place of diverse making that ranges from fine art to design to craft. Artists in the field fluctuate from formally educated with MFAs to individuals who are self-taught, trained through various apprenticeships and/or piecemeal educational experiences. How glass artists define success in their field, and how they chart a potential trajectory towards it, are questions that seem as though they should have clear answers. However, as the number of graduates from art programs increases, as well as the cost to start and sustain a career in the field, there is precariousness about how to maintain a successful practice. Additionally, the glass profession remains male dominated even though more females currently graduate from higher education programs throughout the US. This study focuses on female glass artists from emerging to established in their careers through qualitative interviews with 27 participants, and 7 participant observations, to reflect on the challenges and successes they have experienced and to provide a survey of the field at a time that women are seeking parity. Their stories and experiences are cross referenced with descriptive quantitative data gathered from the institutions they have interacted with as artists, students, educators, and/or administrators. The analysis and interpretation of the collected data summarizes emergent themes, and focuses on core challenges, and successes that participants encountered, while highlighting strategies that participants employ persist in the field. Utilizing portraiture methodology with narrative analysis and auto-ethnographic inclusions throughout, I provide a critical survey of the field, how female glass artists are currently working within its limitations, and how they define success.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Art History (Fine Arts)

ABURAM,ERIC M.A., May2024, Art History Comparative Study of Ato Delaquis and Ablade Glover: Ghanaian Contemporary Artists in the Era of Globalization Director of Thesis: Andrea Frohne This study compares the education and artwork of Ato Delaquis and Ablade Glover using methodologies of iconographic analysis, formalism and globalization. The two artists received formal education and training from universities in Europe and America. Although in different periods, both artists locally received formal education in Ghana at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). It is evident from the educational background of Delaquis and Glover that both artists have enormous exposure through education, which as explained, has influenced their color palettes and artistic styles. However, the two artists differ in terms of the focus of their paintings and the messages drawn from the works. The primary artistic focus of Delaquis were on horsemen and landscapes, which were meant to primarily discusses and compare the history, culture and economic characteristics of Africans in the period before colonialism, during colonialism, as well as the post-colonial era. On the other hand, the paintings of Glover, which focused on vibrant scenes of Ghanaian life were largely in the form of lorry parks, urban landscapes, shanty towns, and crowded markets. His realistic artworks focused on the immediate environmental challenges of Ghanaians, and the courage of African women in the marketplaces.

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2023, Education

This is a critical-phenomenological qualitative research study in which young people who participated in Social Justice Youth Arts (SJYA) programs during their teenage years engaged in a series of semi-structured arts-based interviews focused on recollecting their lived experiences in those programs and the years since. These interviews investigate the ways in which the principles of Healing-Centered Engagement (Ginwright, 2018) were present within these young people's experiences of those programs, as well as the extent to which those experiences may have encouraged or cultivated a lived praxis of the principles of the contemporary abolitionist movement (Kaba, 2021; Kaepernick, 2021). This study describes how these young people's engagement with SJYA programming encouraged their process of identity formation as artists and activists, and how the durability and evolution of those self-identifications manifested in their broader social and behavioral context over time. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

There has been a movement in American archaeology since the late 1980s to improve public outreach efforts and open sites up as spaces for community learning. While certainly many projects have, with good intentions, created publicly accessible spaces in the physical sense, little attention has been paid to whether these initiatives offer quality educational benefits. This is particularly true of sites with settler histories. This paper problematizes the effectiveness of archaeologists as the designer and leader of publicly oriented educational programming and looks at the ways in which collaborating with museum educators strengthens teaching and learning onsite. By examining the Frost Town Archaeology Project (FTA), a historical archaeology site with a focus in public outreach, this thesis looks at the ways in which museum professionals and archaeologists worked together to create a learning environment centered around focus, care, storytelling, empathy, relationality, and compassion. These “seeds” opened pathways for facilitating conversations which challenged the mythicized narrative of the American settler. This work encourages archaeologists to work with and learn from museum educators whose expertise in publicly centered pedagogies can help to improve both the programming and community building efforts occurring on open sites.

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Art

Critical Race Theory is a school of thought that targets inequality and challenges established thought on racial disparities in society to identify and dismantle the systems that support these inequalities. Like many other societal systems, education can promote racial inequalities, funneling marginalized students into the school-to-prison pipeline. CRT can guide art educators to self-reflect and transform their art instruction and curriculum to promote environments and pedagogies that create equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all students. Through a series of interviews with educators teaching through a CRT lens, the research has identified academic obstacles facing diverse students, examples of systemic racism upholding white supremacy, and strategies educators use to advocate for a higher-quality, equitable, and inclusive art education. Through the stories and experiences of art educators influenced by CRT principles, we can begin to understand the impact a socially ethical, inclusive, and equitable CRT-inspired instruction can have on a student population.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

Arts administrators labor to bring arts, artists, and audiences together. They develop policies and implement them as practice as they navigate, follow, and disrupt professional norms. This research is grounded in concerns for arts administrator well-being, weary of paying a passion tax, committed to creative ideologies. While worker well-being has become more central to occupational discourse with COVID-19 and social justice movements, more research is needed to understand how well-being is understood and addressed in arts administration. Additionally, as a creative field we know little about how practitioners use creativity in their work, and how it is supported. I argue that attention to bodies, minds, and generally accepted, broad benefits of creativity can improve the practices, policies, pedagogies, and profession of arts administration. The two main research questions of this inquiry seek new knowledge about the embodied experiences of arts administrators and the role of creativity in their lives. It also asks what queer theory might teach us about arts administration and the political stakes of connecting corporeal and systemic bodies in nonprofit arts administration. To begin answering these questions I employ an arts-based inquiry, utilizing creative approaches to study design (arts-based, queer, emergent), data collection (walking, making art, embodied), analysis (narrative, artful, discourse), and presentation of findings (visual, auditory, literary). A queer theoretical framework performs a queer study of bodies in a heteronormative field and researcher reflexivity as well as applying queer theory to rethink power, norms, failure, and joy in the field. This inquiry involves 23 participant collaborators who identify as full-time, nonprofit arts administrators working in the United States. They responded to snowball sampling recruitment strategies for an online call for art/ifacts or iterative interviews soliciting interest in being reflexive and c (open full item for complete abstract)

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2023, School Psychology

Social skills are critical for a child to establish and maintain relationships and perform in society. Evidence-based social skills training (SST) programs delivered in school at tier 2 are an efficient way to provide interventions to students. Thoughtfully combining visual art with an SST program provides students the opportunity to engage with content in a more meaningful way. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a small group social skills intervention that utilized visual art experiences and activities to support the development of social skills for students in elementary school. Students received SST in one of two groups; the only difference between groups was the inclusion of visual art components in the experimental group. Weekly direct behavior ratings (DBRs) and pre/post administration of the SSIS-RS were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Findings suggest that embedding visual arts components in an SST program can be an effective strategy to teach social skills. Implications for effective delivery of an SST intervention delivered through the arts are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

The problem addressed in this critical autoethnographic study concerns the lack of higher education opportunities for musicians in the state of Sonora, Mexico and the ways in which that impacts music educators from the region. In particular, I look at the different paths music teachers take to follow their vocation by critically examining my privileged music education story. I base this critical lens on a framework of capital to understand the types of resources and forms of capital that are needed to study music professionally in Sonora. This study is presented through stories and poems that reflect the realities of my music education journey as well as the stories of this study's participants. The primary research question was: What factors, including social class, impact the availability and accessibility of resources and professional development opportunities for music educators in Sonora, Mexico? To collect my data, I employed individual/personal and what I call “collective” forms of data collection through journaling/creative writing and interactive focus groups. The creative writing I engaged with included letter-writing, poems, and vignettes. I did some of my personal writing before and after conducting the interactive interviews to constantly reflect and embody the practice of meaning-making. This study included 19 participants who are active music educators in Sonora and who were assigned to three focus groups. Upon completion of the nine interview sessions (three per group), I began to engage with the collected data by relistening to interviews, reading Spanish transcriptions and thinking about the possibilities for selecting and translating such stories. After identifying important moments in participants' narratives, I reread my selections to identify different forms of capital that were represented. The four forms of capital with which I framed my analyses are economic, social, cultural, and human capital, which I based on literature by Becker (1964), (open full item for complete abstract)