Aura Wharton-Beck

This study aims to examine participants' experiences with adopting a virtual reality (VR)-based curriculum and their perceptions of the curriculum's effectiveness. Recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of VR-based curricula for educational training. However, research on utilizing VR to promote understanding of educational inclusion remains understudied. We conducted a mixed-methods case study to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) survey, in-depth interviews, and a focus group. We identified several themes that pose challenges and create opportunities for the participants. The challenges include access, physical adjustment, avatar design, pacing, and human connection. We examined the promises from three additional categories: technology affordances, impacts, and human-centered design strategies. Overall, VR-based inclusive curriculum could contribute to positive learning and boost engagement. The research findings can contribute to an understanding of participant acceptance and perceptions of VR as a platform for learning about sensitive and inclusive topics.

This study aims to examine participants' experiences in adapting a virtual reality (VR)-based curriculum on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the curriculum and outcomes. Utilizing a mixed-methods case study approach, the research team collected quantitative and qualitative data using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) survey, in-depth interviews, and a focus group. We identified several themes that pose challenges and create -opportunities for the participants. The challenges include access, physical adjustment, avatar, pacing, and human connection. We examined the promises from three main themes: technology affordances, impacts, and human-centered design strategies. Drawn from Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and TAM to further analyze the data, we concluded that VR-based DEI curriculum could contribute to positive learning and boost engagement. We further provide specific recommendations for VR integration. The research findings can contribute to understanding participant acceptance and perceptions of VR as a platform for learning sensitive diversity, equity, and inclusion topics.

Drs. Lederle and Wharton-Beck discuss a class they co-teach that examines how urban transportation infrastructure has historically influenced racial policies, using the Rondo neighborhood as a case study-and explores how things can be done differently today.

Dr. Rita Lederle is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. She is interested in improving infrastructure through materials, design, and construction and maintenance techniques. Her research focuses on concrete pavements and bridges, with an emphasis on practical, implementable solutions. Prior to joining the faculty of St. Thomas, Dr. Lederle worked as a structural design engineer for both the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation, where she was responsible for the design of new highway bridges and retaining walls, as well as repairs and rehabilitations of existing bridges.

Dr. Aura Wharton Beck is an associate professor in the School of Education. She began her career as a teacher for hearing impaired students in the Chicago Public Schools. Her leadership positions include mentoring and coaching teachers, serving as an adjunct faculty in higher education and as a public school principal. Education Minnesota captured her philosophy of education in a statewide television commercial titled "validatED." Dr. Wharton-Beck earned her EdD degree of the University of St. Thomas College of Education, Leadership and Counseling and in 2018 Aura joined the faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership as an assistant professor.

Applied Research for Contemporary Educational Leaders: Solving Practical Problems demonstrates the practical applications of research in addressing real-world problems related to educational leadership and environments. Rather than focusing on basic research, which is generally more centered on theoretical concerns, the book identifies specific issues and how to confront them with data-driven solutions. The textbook covers topics such as early career researcher impact, media influences on research approaches, qualitative and survey methodologies, observational and experimental research designs, and brand research. Subsequent chapters examine fieldwork research methods, narrative inquiry, the mechanics of doing research sampling, and the art of research writing. The book concludes with a discussion on research design that outlines descriptive and causal strategies and guides readers on how to compile and present a research report. Additionally, it includes a chapter on using SPSS (Statistical Packet for Social Sciences) for statistics in social work. Applied Research for Contemporary Educational Leaders is ideal for courses in applied research, educational research methodology, statistics for educational leadership, applied research seminar, and dissertation research. It serves as an excellent foundational tool for students embarking on applied research in education, as well as those aiming to strengthen their quantitative and qualitative research skills.

Dr. Aura Wharton-Beck, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, discusses her research about African American professional women ('Government Girls') working for the federal government during World War II. She became interested in this topic as a young girl when she found her mother's yearbook, Whirl-i-gig: A Pictorial Story of Midway Hall for Government Girls 1946 documenting her experience as a Government Girl.

This was the first time she had seen African American women in professional roles as statisticians, loan analysts, and financial computer analysts, opening her eyes to a greater number of opportunities and career options.

Her research included interviews with four Government Girls who were then in their 80's and 90's, outreach to local historical societies, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University, The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, The National Archives, Library of Congress, and The Minnesota Historical Society.

The 2020 global pandemic ushered in an unparalleled call to dramatically shift the focus of how school administrators responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition needed to ensure the continuity of instruction in a distance learning environment demanded a new level of urgency. The long-term impact of COVID-19 presents new leadership challenges and continues to amplify the need for change during the global health crisis. This study aimed to understand the preparedness of school administrators in the United States of America as they responded to the worldwide pandemic and their perceived opportunities and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study collected data from a survey and interviews to investigate how school leaders rose to the occasion while working through unprecedented challenges. The findings revealed several new opportunities: visionary leadership, resources to address disparities, increased community partnerships, and innovative instructional models. The challenges faced by school leaders encompassed the digital divide, staffing shortages, online instructional practices, communication with families, and staff professional development. This study offers specific implications for school leaders and educational leadership preparation programs.

The present historical case study was conducted in order to examine the unspoken narratives of six African American Government Girls who worked for the federal government during World War II. The present study documented the lives and experiences of six women employed by the U.S. federal government. Their deliberate decision to become civil service employees interrupted the expectation for Black women to work in domestic service positions. The story of African American Government Girls offers a counter-narrative of Black women in the diaspora. Results indicated a dramatic shift in the personal lives and professional careers of African American Government Girls. Federal employment allowed Black women to achieve financial emancipation, upward social mobility, and ultimately, a shift in the formation of their identity--no longer burdened by the limited vocational role imposed on them by society. These findings provide a more accurate and truthful account of the historical role and contribution of African American Government Girls to World War II.