Swann, Elizabeth G.

This qualitative, micro-autoethnographic study explored the perceptions of four female doctoral
students at FAU that made up the founding and consistent membership of a self-created, self-directed,
and self-sustaining blendedlearning cohort focused on doctoral dissertation completion. The
participants also served as co-researchers of this study that investigated their motivation to persist
through their doctoral programs in educational leadership with a focus on the dissertation phase. This
study utilized group and individual interviews, spontaneous drawing, document review, and the SDLRS
instrument to collect and analyze data on the group’s formation, development, challenges, culture,
sustaining factors, and outcomes. Findings show that while this group of doctoral students faced
substantial challenges and distractions, their self-created cohort evolved through the stages of group
development into a viable and supportive community of practice based on their learner motivation
orientations achievement and affiliation, personal strengths, and strategies that included dependence
on technology; meeting structure, time management techniques, rules, sharing, critiquing,
accountability, artificial deadlines, and emotional support. This study fills a major void in the literature.
While research exists that examine doctoral cohorts, graduate student retention factors, and graduate
student peer mentoring, literature is sparse regarding the outcomes of self-created and self-sustaining
graduate student cohorts. Given the high rate of attrition among doctoral students across disciplines in
the U.S., the implications of this study include improvement of graduate student advising, suggestions
for supportive restructuring of graduate study programs toward increased retention, and the creation of
an empowering model for student cohort formation to be validated through further research.

This study explored the healthy aging process by: (a) examining the selected
demographics of older adults in South Florida; (b) examining technology use of older adults in
South Florida; (c) examining the health literacy levels of older adults in South Florida; and (d)
determining whether a relationship exists between older adults living in South Florida use of
technology and their health literacy levels. Variables explored included health literacy,
education, ethnicity, and technology use.
The sample study included 102 older adults (age > 60) living in South Florida that had
completed profiles on the South Florida Quality Aging Registry, a part of the Healthy Aging
Research Initiative (HARI). The ethnicities of the participants among the South Florida Quality
Aging Registry were African American (17%); Afro Caribbean (7.8%); Hispanic (10.7%); and
European American (63.7%). The education mean was 15, indicating that the majority of
participants had an education level equivalent to completing high school. The mean health
literacy score was 3.88, demonstrating that the majority of the participants had moderate levels
of health literacy. The mean technology use score was 7.5 on a scale of one through ten,
indicating that the majority of the participants had a moderate level of technology use. Analysis
of variance, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis was used to explore the
variables that may influence health literacy.

This study explored the healthy aging process by: (a) examining the selected
demographics of older adults in South Florida; (b) examining technology use of older
adults in South Florida; (c) examining the health literacy levels of older adults in South
Florida; (d) determining whether a relationship exists between older adults living in
South Florida use of technology and their health literacy levels; and (e) evaluating the
effects of health literacy as it relates to technology use in older adults in South Florida.
Variables explored included health literacy, education, ethnicity, and technology use.
The sample study included 102 older adults (age > 60) living in South Florida that
had completed profiles on the South Florida Quality Aging Registry, a part of the Healthy Aging Research Initiative (HARI). The sample size represented 22.3% of the total South Florida Quality Aging Registry population. The ethnicities of the participants among the South Florida Quality Aging Registry were African American (17%); Afro Caribbean (7.8%); Hispanic (10.7%); and European American (63.7%). The education
mean was 15, indicating that the majority of participants had an education level
equivalent to completing high school. The mean health literacy score was 3.88,
demonstrating that the majority of the participants had moderate levels of health literacy. The mean technology use score was 7.5 on a scale of one through ten, indicating that the majority of the participants had a moderate level of technology use.
Analysis of variance, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis
was used to explore the variables that may influence health literacy. There was a
statistically significant difference among Afro Caribbean and African American, Afro
Caribbean and European American, European American and Hispanic ethnicities related to their health literacy skill level (p < .01). Additionally, there was a statistically
significant difference among Afro Caribbean American and European American
ethnicities and technology use (p. < .01).