ScholarSpace

ScholarSpace is an open-access, digital institutional repository for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa community. ScholarSpace stores the intellectual works and unique collections of the UH at Mānoa academic community and also provides a permanent web location for those accessing these resources.

Request Access to Upload

Photo by @inspiredimages

Communities in ScholarSpace

Select a community to browse its collections.

Recent Submissions

Social and Emotional Awareness: Communication Between Peers
(2026-04-21) Alexandra Murphy; Peter Leong
High school students in Hawai’i lack social and emotional awareness skills when transitioning into adulthood. These students tend to base a lot on what they learn in their home life, interactions at school, relationships with peers, social media, etc. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL, 2025). Island Pacific Academy (IPA) wants to help its students by creating an advisory curriculum that can help teach students skills like communication between peers, so that they can then apply them in their everyday lives. An online course was created about social and emotional awareness, specifically communication between peers. Each lesson focuses on a different overall topic: lesson 1 is communicating within my circle; lesson 2 is communicating outside of my circle; and lesson 3 ties it all together and is about communicating professionally. An online course introducing these three topics offers flexibility and accessibility. Online learning platforms also incorporate multimedia tools such as videos and interactive activities that can help them apply these communication skills in real-life situations. Evaluation was conducted with a pre- and post-survey given along with the module. Overall, the instructional module was easy to navigate, but the content was not always applicable to students. Some of the content was not appropriate for the age group, which created disengagement. The instructional module helped some students, whereas other students felt they already knew the information. Rise 360 proved to be effective in keeping engagement up for the students since we could include different embedded videos and interactive knowledge checks throughout the module. The use of Rise 360 was great for the students to have a different way of learning the content asynchronously, but there are drawbacks when it comes to tracking information and receiving results from any knowledge checks. Recommendations for future iterations would include working closer with the subject matter experts to have the most appropriate level of content for the students, as well as making sure that any interactivity was included for a reason. The amount of interactive blocks that can be included in Rise 360 can be overwhelming, so making a well-thought-out plan on how each lesson should be built would be more impactful for future students.
Sentiment analysis in virtual exchange: Comparing lingua franca and L1-L2 synchronous interactions
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-05-18) Vinagre, Margarita; Giralt, Marta; Wigham, Ciara
This study aims to contribute to the growing body of literature examining the socio-emotional and cognitive trajectories of participants in Virtual Exchange (VE). While sentiment analysis has been applied to asynchronous VE interactions and post-exchange written data, its use in analyzing oral interactions within synchronous VE settings remains limited. This research analyzes data from a VE in which Spanish, French, and Irish undergraduates collaborated via videoconferencing. Student dyads interacted using either English as a lingua franca (Spain-France) or bilingually in English and Spanish (Spain-Ireland), and the study examines differences in socio-emotional responses between the two groups. Using LIWC (Linguistic Enquiry Word Count) and supported by content-based qualitative analysis, findings revealed significant increases in word count, positive emotion, affect, and social processes, alongside reductions in negative emotion and anxiety between initial and final interactions. Notably, Group 2 (the L1-L2 group), despite having students with lower proficiency levels in the target language, showed higher results in positive emotion, social, and cognitive processes. This occurred even though they produced fewer words in the L2, highlighting the potential of employing both the L1 and L2 to enhance socio-emotional outcomes in VE.
Using an Instagram Microlearning Instructional Module to Raise Awareness of Financial Behaviors of Au Pairs in America
(2026-05-14) Jimena Andrea Riano Tellez; Dr. Peter W K Leong
Au pairs in the United States, who are primarily young women between the ages of 18 and 26, often face significant financial challenges due to limited weekly stipends, a lack of familiarity with the U.S. banking system, and the "culture shock" of American spending habits. To address this gap, this project developed and evaluated an Instagram-based microlearning module. Using the ADDIE model, the instruction focused on three core objectives: shifting from a currency conversion to a purchasing power mindset, navigating U.S. spending culture, and introducing basic banking vocabulary. The module utilized mobile-friendly multimedia to match the social media habits of the target audience. The evaluation process involved usability testing with three former au pairs and a learning effectiveness study with twenty active participants. Results showed significant improvements in knowledge across all categories, and participant feedback was positive regarding the module's relevance and the accessibility of the Instagram platform. This project highlights social media as a powerful platform for delivering culturally sensitive financial education to exchange participants. Future plans include expanding the module into a live resource library and improving the payments section with additional practical examples. Keywords: Au Pairs, Financial Literacy, Microlearning, Instagram, U.S. Spending Culture, Purchasing Power, Cultural Exchange, ADDIE Model, Mobile Learning, Social Media, Tipping, Sales Tax, Banking Basics
Designing for Implicit Interactional Feedback: A Game-Based Approach to Asynchronous Language Learning
(2026-04-21) Quezon, Justin; Leong, Peter
Asynchronous language learning tools have become commonplace due to shifts in technology and access to online learning. However, many tools prioritize immediate correction and validation over implicit interactions that facilitate self-correction, such as confirmation prompts or recasts. As a result, learners who use these tools have limited exposure to exchanges found in authentic conversation. A game-based module was designed to incorporate implicit interactional feedback as a learning strategy for beginner Japanese language learners. The module incorporated adult learning principles, multimedia principles, and game-based learning strategies to create a situated, low-stakes learning environment. A usability evaluation involved individual, synchronous sessions with beginner learners and a native Japanese speaker. Learning effectiveness data was collected from 15 participants via an asynchronous playthrough, and attitudinal data were collected via a post-instruction questionnaire. Usability testing results led to additional audio interactions and refinements in in-game instruction. Learning effectiveness results demonstrated high overall performance in module assessments, and participants reported positive engagement and heightened confidence. The role of implicit interactional feedback was inconclusive, likely due to the module’s short duration. The game-based format showed promise as an engaging instructional method, with participants responding positively to the gameplay, use of audio, and task repetition. Future iterations should expand content and game duration to increase the likelihood of implicit feedback encounters during gameplay.
Puna ʻIli: Designing an Accessible and Culturally Sustaining Digital Learning Environment for Beginning Homesteaders
(2026-05-12) D. Māpuana Carey; Dr. Peter W K Leong
Agricultural landowners venturing toward alternative lifestyles, or homesteading, face a multitude of challenges such as: uncertainty of income, lack of experience, safety and hazard concerns, and risk of losing time and monetary investment (Smith & El‑Swaify, 2006). These challenges are further exacerbated for homesteaders looking to acclimate to agricultural production in the volcanic influenced soil composition of the Puna region of Moku o Keawe (Hawaiʻi Island). This project looked to develop a culturally-based and localized instructional intervention to bridge a gap in knowledge for new and beginner homesteaders acclimating to agricultural crop production in lava impacted environments. To address this gap in instruction, an informal, blog-style mobile learning website was designed to guide beginner homesteaders in foundational ʻike (knowledge). Through the framework of Place-Based Learning and Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the instruction was developed into three modules to acclimate beginners to Puna’s volcanic environment and cultural epistemologies, build foundational knowledge in soil variation for crop production, and apply culturally appropriate and sustainable crop production practices. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed instructional website, three usability sessions reviewing language and content, visual design, and user ease of navigation were conducted to help improve instruction prior to participant testing. Following multiple iterations of the instruction, a pre-instructional and post-instructional survey were administered to evaluate the overall learning and attitudinal effectiveness of 18 new and beginner homesteading participants on Moku o Keawe.
Using AI to Create Personalized, Structured Training Schedules for the World Marathon Majors
(2026-05-13) Paradise, Rosalie; Dr. Peter W K Leong
Training for a marathon requires discipline, structure, and support. Many people are able to achieve their goals by joining training groups, or getting advice from an online or an in-person coach. However, some runners lack access to personalized training plans due to factors such as location, financial status, social circumstances, or work schedules. Using Generative AI (GenAI) to create a structured, personalized training plan is an alternative to a human coach or training group. However, the quality of training plans created by GenAI can vary dramatically depending on the input. If runners do not know how to create accurate context-based prompts, the training plan will not be very useful. Therefore, the goal of this project was to design and evaluate instruction that assists runners in using GenAI to create structured, personalized marathon training plans that will guide them to their marathon goals. The instructional design employed a mix of direct, indirect, and experiential learning strategies. A usability study with three participants was conducted, yielding largely positive feedback with 68% positive comments overall. Navigation was reported as intuitive with 82% positive comments, and content was comprehensive with 75% positive feedback. The primary usability concern was the Worksheet Functionality with 59% negative comments, which resulted in converting the original Google Form into a clearer, editable Google Doc. Learning effectiveness was measured with pre- and post-assessments by participants (n=15). The average score on the post-assessment (89%) showed a significant improvement of 21% over the pre-assessment (68%), demonstrating high instructional effectiveness. Furthermore, post-survey attitudinal results showed that 100% of participants would recommend the website, and on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not helpful and 5 being very helpful, participants reported an average score of 4.3 regarding GenAI's usefulness for creating personalized training plans. These results suggest the instruction successfully met its goal of teaching middle-aged runners to leverage GenAI for their marathon training.
Ayo Bermain LIBI: Demystifying Indonesian Affixes through a Visual-Spatial Practice Tool
(2026) R. L. Hughes; Dr Peter W K Leong
Indonesian as a foreign language, also called Bahasa Indonesia bagi Penutur Asing (BIPA), students often struggle to use the correct grammatical structures when languaging, even at more advanced levels of study. This is due to the differing linguistic structures of Indonesian compared to western languages. Because of the large number of grammatical changes words in Indonesian can undergo, BIPA students often mix up or mis-use these forms. To support BIPA learners, a visual-spatial learning aid was developed. This learning aid, “The LIBI Game,” made use of gamification, grammar in context, and interaction with word parts to scaffold these grammatical changes for learners. The learning aid was tested with Indonesian speakers (n = 17) across three levels of speaking ability. The target audience gave positive feedback, indicating the learning aid was effective in some regard. Its largest strengths were the use of color and proximity in the visual design of this tool. However, more work is needed for future development in the areas of linguistic support and true spaced repetition. Additional development of “The LIBI Game” should take into account the learning levels uncovered in this study. Keywords: Indonesian, foreign language education, BIPA, affixation, visual-spatial
FlourishED: Stress Management and Well-Being Strategies for Preservice Teachers
(2026-05-11) Justice Kanaulu; Dr. Peter Leong
FlourishED is a web-based well-being module designed to address a gap in teacher preparation, where preservice teachers are expected to manage stress, but often receive limited direct instruction in well-being practices (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2017 ), despite high levels of stress, burnout, and attrition in the profession (Agyapong et al., 2022 ). To address this problem, an instructional module was designed using the PERMA framework and evidence-based practices from positive psychology, including gratitude exercises (e.g., Three Good Things) (Seligman, 2011), breathing strategies (HeartMath, 2016), and AI-guided meditation to support personalized reflection and stress reduction. The module was evaluated through usability testing and attitudinal and learning assessments. Usability testing (n = 3) involved task-based navigation to identify issues in structure and clarity, resulting in revisions to layout and instructions. Learning and attitudinal data were collected from participants (n = 15) using pre- and post-surveys measuring awareness, confidence, and perceived ability to apply well-being strategies. Results indicated improvements in participants’ understanding of stress management techniques and increased confidence in their ability to apply these strategies. Findings suggest the module was effective in addressing the identified problem, with recommendations for future work including expanding sample size, refining content, and further exploring personalization in well-being instruction.
Improving Signage at Kapo'o with Mālāma Pūpūkea-Waimea
(2026-05-11) Weber, Honor; Phelps, Hannah; Colombo, Giada; YinPhan Tsang
Project outputs of NREM 601 graduate student group working with Mālāma Pūpūkea-Waimea community group in Spring 2026.
A Framework for Assessing Educational Benefits and Improving Communications of the Paʻēpaʻē o Waikolu Program
(2026-05-08) Bekins, Sophie; Li, Timothy; Margerin, Isabella
Project outputs of NREM 601 graduate student group