Digital Commons Network^™

Seeing Reading In First-Year Composition, Matthew Felumlee

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on a study of reading-into-writing strategies employed by students in two sections of first-year-composition (FYC) that were paired with a support course as part of an accelerated learning program (ALP) at a community college. Each FYC course was comprised of 11 students whom the college had deemed college-ready without the ALP course, and 11 students who were deemed at remedial levels in reading and / or writing and who were subsequently required to enroll in the ALP course. The study employs grounded theory methodology to identify and consider the many factors that influenced how reading was portrayed, …

Examining The Learning Of Students Participating In An Interactive Simulated Patient Experience, Mary Smyers

Theses and Dissertations

Simulated patients are becoming increasingly used in the educational program of future speech-language pathologists. The use of standardized patients provides the opportunity to teach students clinical skills in a controlled environment (Bradley, 2006; Zraick, 2012). Simucase, a speech-language pathology software program, allows clinicians to practice their assessment and treatment skills on virtual patients and is a valid method when teaching clinical skills. Thus, this project examined five undergraduate senior clinicians’ performance and reflection about the Simucase program and their own clinical knowledge. The undergraduate student clinicians engaged in controlled simulation experiences that shared similar characteristics to their current clients, and …

An Evaluative Study Of A Health Information Management Program Following A Significant Curricular Change, Jennifer Lynn Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to significant changes in the role of those who managing patient health information, Health Information Management (HIM) professionals. These changes have further led to significant changes in the educational training required for HIM professionals, leading to new curriculum requirements. Based on the need for well-prepared professionals in the changing HIM environment, it is essential to insure that educational programs are effectively preparing students for the new roles they will be expected to fill. This study is an in-depth case study of the HIM academic program at Illinois State University. The purpose …

Constructing A Data-Based Mortality Profile For Avian Tower Kills At Telecommunication Towers In Illinois, Rachel Dipietro

Theses and Dissertations

During spring and fall seasons, Neotropical migratory passerines travel nocturnally across the Western Hemisphere between their wintering and breeding grounds, often encountering man-made threats. One hazard that has gained considerable publicity in recent decades is the communication tower. While there have been many tower kill studies recorded, there has been no attempt at predicting the risk of towers based on their different attributes (e.g., height, type of light, landscape placement) spatially on a regional scale. The objective of this study was to create seasonal mortality profile maps in GIS for Illinois, based on tower attributes combined with key factors such …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Implementation Of Collaborative Technology Tools For Enhancing Collaboration And Student Engagement In Online Learning: Faculty Experiences And Student Perspectives, Ayshah Abdullah Alahmari

Theses and Dissertations

The appropriate implementation of collaborative technology tools in online courses leads to a culture of social learning where technology empowers students to take central roles in their learning. Yet, critical questions still exist about how faculty design, develop, implement collaborative eLearning activities using technology tools that support collaboration and student engagement in online courses, and what perspectives students have toward their experiences while participating in these activities. The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences of faculty members implementing collaborative technology tools in online courses to support collaboration and student engagement, in addition, to obtain the perspectives of …

Big Data And Sensor Network For Construction Material Testing, Yao Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Engineers and contractors need to have a precise understanding of the development progress of concrete strength in the natural environment, which helps to save project time and cost. However, current practice of concrete construction depends on published data, charts and curves from laboratory tests. The data would not show frequently changing environmental conditions in the real world, which can affect concrete quality significantly. The objective of this research is to design a reliable and accurate method to validate test data of the strength developments of concrete specimens in early stages. The approach includes the following tasks: (1) arrange sensors to …

Construction Of Reality: Symbolic And Social Practice Of Michael Kurzwelly’S Słubfurt And Nowa Amerika, Olga Kostyrko

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis is concerned with the analysis of two long-term community-based socially engaged art projects of German artist Michal Kurzwelly: “Słubfurt” (1999-2018) and “Nowa Amerika” (2010-2018). The research methodology for the analysis is drawn from the fields of art theory and criticism, and sociology. More specifically, in order to evaluate the social impact of long-term social art practices on the local community I borrow the criteria from the sociological discourse of bottom-up community development, while simultaneously, combining it with the insights from art criticism to discuss aesthetic dimensions of the work. I am arguing that Michael Kurzwelly’s projects are good …

Translating Le Fresne: Modeling Digital Scholarly Editions, Gabrielle Litwiller

Theses and Dissertations

With the advancement of technology and the complexity that a digital object can contain, the undergraduate student is able to take steps toward the original document. Through a digital medium, scholarly, editorial, and translational choices can be made explicit to the student and as he/she encounters the text, he/she can also have access to an understanding of elements of methodology and implications predetermined by the scholar. By making the translational choices of the scholar explicit, the digital edition can enable students to become aware of the translational and editorial process. Exposing portions of the translational and editorial process will enable …

Locating The Critical Component In Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge ( Tpack ): An Examination Of How Graduate Students Recruit Tpack And Critical Digital Literacy Into Classroom Practices., Vicki Ann Hosek

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to gain an understanding of how practicing teachers believe they are prepared to meaningfully and critically integrate technology into their classroom practices; and to understand how practicing teachers recruited those beliefs into their teaching practices. This included gaining an understanding of what they believed led to their engagement in the critical dimensions of technology use in their teaching practices. This mixed-methods study contained two phases. In Phase 1, 58 graduate students in a College of Education completed a newly developed Critical Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (C-TPACK) survey containing likert-scale and open-ended questions. A subset …

After Faith, Hope, And Love: The Unique Divergence Of Asceticism By Gregory The Great And Maximus The Confessor, Caleb N. Zuiderveen

Theses and Dissertations

In the late sixth and early seventh centuries, asceticism continued as a frequent expression of Christian devotion. Despite communications between the Eastern and Western Churches and a common patristic foundation, theology in the East and West during this time diverged on the results of asceticism. This paper explores this divergence by examining two theologians, Gregory the Great and Maximus the Confessor. Current scholarship has examined Gregory the Great and Maximus the Confessor on their own, yet the dialogue between each tradition and its implications remains understudied. Thus, this study contextualizes Gregory the Great’s On the Song of Songs and Maximus …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Series Of Vanadium ( Iv ) Complexes With The Kläui Ligand, Xiao Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Cyclopentadienyltris (dibutyl phosphito-P) cobaltate, {(C5H5)Co[(OR)2PO]3}– (R=Bu), is a tripodal ligand and also called Kläui ligand (R=Bu). The synthesis and characterization of several vanadium(III) and vanadium(IV) complexes containing Kläui ligand (R=Bu) as the catalytic models to catalyst the oxidation reaction of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) to 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone (3,5-DTBQ) are detailed here. Chapter II details the synthesis of the supersandwiches and Kläui ligand (R=Bu). Chapter III details the synthesis of vanadium monomeric complexes containing Kläui ligand (R=Bu). Chapter IV details the vanadium dimeric bridging complexes synthesized by different vanadium monomers from Chapter III. Chapter V details the catalytic activities of these vanadium complexes.

A Pokébalancing Act: The Management Of Japanese Cultural “Odor ” In Pokémon, Nicholas Raes

Theses and Dissertations

In this project, I analyzed two seasons of the Pokémon anime to discover patterns of cultural “odor” management employed by the show’s producers and editors. In the first season of Pokémon, the producers of the anime included many symbolic representations of Japanese cultural artifacts within the visual features of the show. However, between the Japanese and US versions of the season, most instances of Japanese linguistic text were either “scrubbed” from scenes entirely or replaced with English text. These techniques struck a careful balance between including and excluding Japanese specificity within the first season, subtly expressing to non-Japanese audiences the …

The Plight Of Wage-Earning Women In Peoria, 1905-1915, Cheryl Kay Fogler

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the conditions of wage-earning women in Peoria, Illinois, during the first two decades of the twentieth century. I present the plight of wage-earning women as well as the well-intended efforts of both local and national crusaders who helped the working women of Peoria survive and in some cases overcome hardships.

Investigating Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Reasoning When Learning Trigonometry Using The Line Segment Approach, Lawrence Ssebaggala

Theses and Dissertations

Review of the history of trigonometry content and pedagogy indicates the necessity and importance of trigonometry in the school curriculum (e.g., van Brummelen, 2009; van Sickel, 2011). For example, understanding trigonometric functions is a requirement for understanding some other areas of science, such as Newtonian physics, architecture, surveying, and several branches of engineering. Research indicates that teachers have a narrow and inadequate understanding of trigonometry, researchers (e.g., Hertel, 2013; van Sickel, 2011; Weber, 2005) posited that learning trigonometry in a way that fosters and advances quantitative reasoning can help alleviate difficulties faced in the teaching of trigonometry. Examining participants’ reasoning …

Resilience And Academic Achievement In Minority Students, James A. Britton

Theses and Dissertations

Students can thrive within school programs and sustain their capacity for success despite seemingly overwhelming obstacles. A model of school-based resilience can insulate students from risk and help students acknowledge challenges, embrace them, and learn as students encounter challenge and surmount it.

This study of a high school program analyzed the relationship between educational resilience and academic achievement through a direct measure of resilience. The research investigated whether a program increased resilience for minority and low-income high school students and whether stronger resilience was associated with improved academic outcomes. Students in the program produced significantly better academic outcomes, as measured …

Communication Between Home And School For Parents Of Children With Chronic Illness, Keri Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

A child with chronic illness has a physical or behavioral condition that affects the child’s daily functioning, lasts longer than three months, and requires medical intervention such as medication, hospitalizations, and/or home care (Newacheck, McManus, & Fox, 2001). Chronic illness interferes with all areas of development, including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development, and a growing number of children with chronic illnesses are attending school. Effective communication between parents and educators is essential so that accurate information about the nature and extent of the impact of chronic illness on children’s learning experiences and schooling can be shared and appropriate supports …

The Influence Of Social And Economic Factors On Breastfeeding And Rural Mothers, Rachel Ellen Borton

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known or understood about rural mothers and their experience with breastfeeding. The literature demonstrates a sound understanding of the factors that influence mothers and breastfeeding; however, it is unclear what factors influence breastfeeding among rural mothers. A search of the literature offered thousands of articles related to urban mothers and their breastfeeding experience, but few describe the rural mother’s breastfeeding experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the basic process that characterizes breastfeeding among mothers in the rural setting and to develop a theory based on the investigation of factors that influence breastfeeding among rural …

Does A Positive Illusory Bias Mediate The Moderating Effect Of Achievement Orientation On Response To Exclusion In Boys With Adhd?, Alexandria G. Fladhammer

Theses and Dissertations

Disturbed peer relationships have commonly been found to have long-lasting adverse impacts on children, including school dropout, substance abuse, criminal offenses, psychological maladjustment, and academic problems (Mrug et al., 2012). One subgroup of children well-known to struggle with their peer relationships are children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Hoza, 2007). These children often engage in high rate, intrusive behaviors and are excluded from peer interactions (Hoza et al., 2005). The frequent rejection that these children endure highlights the need for research focused on ostracism, the exclusion or ignoring of others by individuals or groups (Williams, 2007). Thus, the purpose of the current …

#Digitalactivism: Examining #Yesallwomen And Teaching Social Media Activism In Technical Communication, Karishma Verma

Theses and Dissertations

In May 2014, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others near

the University of California campus in Santa Barbara. A “hatred of women” was cited as the

reason for his crimes. This incident inspired the hashtag movement #YesAllWomen on social

media. Users shared examples of how although “not all men” engage in violent behaviors that

Rodger exhibited, all women go through their lives fearing. This thesis uses a technofeminist

framework to examine how the #YesAllWomen movement functioned as an online social

movement on Twitter to encourage conversation as well as promote change. I also discuss how

technical …

The Effects Of Noncontingent Praise ( Ncp ) On Classroom Behavior, Kelly Poirot

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reports on the effects of noncontingent praise (NCP) as a classroom behavioral intervention. Six teacher participants were trained to provide NCP to the classroom at their free operant level of praises and reprimands directed towards the classroom, either at fixed (NCPf) or variable (NCPv) rates. Class-wide rates of academic engaged time and inappropriate behaviors were collected to examine the student effects of the intervention. In addition, teacher perceptions of their relationships with their students, stress, and job satisfaction were measured both pre- and post- intervention. Treatment fidelity and intervention acceptability data were also examined.

Upon implementation of the …

Achieving Development In Destinations: Effects Of Tourism On Poverty, Inequality, And Quality Of Life, Jessica R. Linder

Theses and Dissertations

For decades, political scientists and development practitioners have focused on poverty and inequality alleviation, as well as increased quality of life as key goals for the field of development. Research focused on key concepts such as social capital and tools like microfinance and trickle-down tax structures for achieving these goals. Tourism, however, remained largely unstudied as a development tool, with most prior research focusing on sustainability and the economics of the industry. This study seeks to determine the effectiveness of tourism as a tool for development by examining its effects on poverty, inequality, and quality of life, as it becomes …

Analysis Of Grade Variances In Multisection Calculus Classes, S. Paul Shaffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore grade variances associated with multisection calculus grades. The method for the project was quantitative examining grade distribution patterns that existed between calculus sections at a public university void of an over-arching grading policy during the case study. Results showed that different grade distribution patterns by different instructors were primarily due to student-centric characteristics. The significant findings suggest that student grades are firmly in control of students. Only when course grade averages were at the extreme did evidence suggest that instructor-centric characteristics played meaningful role in student grade determination.

Teaching To Assess: An Evaluation Of Assessment Education For Secondary Teacher Candidates, Daniel M. Frederking

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the assessment instruction of a four-year undergraduate secondary education program and its alignment to the teaching standards and the summative teacher licensure assessment. Document analyses were conducted on the program’s syllabi as well as the assessment portions of the InTASC standards and the handbook of the edTPA. Results highlighted several areas of misalignment in the areas of categorical concurrence, depth of knowledge, and range of knowledge. Also of note, preservice teachers in different secondary subject areas are receiving different amounts of assessment instruction. Additionally, local edTPA data was examined to highlight areas of strength and weakness. Students …

Relationship Closeness And Joint Action Coordination, Vincent Tyler Cialdella

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers define joint action coordination as “two or more actors [coordinating] their actions under real time constraints with or without the explicit intention to do so” (van der Wel, Knoblich, & Sebanz, 2011, p. 1420). While previous research has investigated how the valence (i.e., the attractiveness or aversiveness) of interpersonal relationships affects interpersonal coordination dynamics (Hommel, Colzato, & van den Wildenberg, 2009), the present experiment examines the effects of relationship closeness on joint action coordination. First, dyads collaboratively completed a stimulus-control task on a computer. This task is used to assess general cooperative performance (Schloesser, Bai, Abney, & Jordan, 2015). …

Gender-Exclusive Language: Women’S Perception Of Linguistic Ostracism, Voice, And Power In Politics, Michelle Roxanne Grzybowski

Theses and Dissertations

Gender-exclusive language is a type of subtly sexist language that makes reference to a single gender group thereby excluding other gender groups (Stout & Dasgupta, 2011). Two studies examined how the use of gender-exclusive language impacts the experiences of women who were elected members of county boards. Specifically, the studies surveyed county board members in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin to determine whether the naturally occurring variation between the use of gender-exclusive language (e.g., using chairman to indicate both men and women) or gender-neutral language (e.g., chair or chairperson) was related to perceptions of ostracism and a sense of …

Future Melting Away: Water Stress As A Threat To Human Security In Bangladesh And The Role Of International Community, Farzana Afroz Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Bangladesh is considered as one of the frontline states in the global climate change; its policy agendas attempt to respond to the perceived security threats emanating from such changes. Water stress is one of the key problems the country is facing. Yet, links between glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, Bangladesh’s climate, growing water stress, and its implications for human security have seldom been studied. Drawing on the concepts of climate change, human security and water stress, the thesis examines the causes of Bangladesh’s freshwater crisis and its contribution to the human insecurity. Here in this study, the influence of …

“The Testing Served Its Purpose ”: High-Stakes Testing As A Method Of Categorization And Control In Young Adult Dystopian Novels, Rebecca Lorenzo

Theses and Dissertations

In “‘The Testing Served its Purpose’: High-Stakes Testing as a Method of Categorization and Control in Young Adult Dystopian Novels,” I examine representations of high-stakes testing in the Divergent, Legend, and Testing trilogies using educational, cultural studies, and dystopian/utopian scholarship. In chapters one and two, I examine each society’s system of high-stakes testing and the ideological indoctrination and physical repression used by those in power to maintain control of the citizenry, respectively. In the third chapter, I analyze the ways in which the state’s indoctrination, coupled with an exaggerated focus on the success or failure of specific individuals, creates competition …

What's So Bad About Hooking Up? : Factors Predictive Of More Positive Perceptions Following A Hookup, Jade A. M. Spaulding

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine factors predictive of a more positive perceptions following a hookup. The participants included 188 students from Illinois State University. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, the Hookup Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory, religiosity questions, attitudes toward hooking up questionnaire, emotional reactions to hooking up questionnaire, and the Social Academic, Romantic, and Sexual Hooking Up Reactions Scale. The current study found that participants who reported high global self-esteem, high sexual self-esteem, and positive attitudes toward hooking up reported less regret, more positive reactions, and fewer negative reactions following a hookup.

The Old Versus The New Equestrian Circus: Demonstrating And Promoting Equine Welfare, Veronica Painter

Theses and Dissertations

Circus is an art form that was originally considered as a humanitarian art, promoting equine welfare by shedding a new light on the horse and human relationship. During a time where horses were used for war, work, and transportation; fancy riding and liberty stood as the framework for a new togetherness between man and beast. The animal activist revolution centered on exotic animals in circus, yet the effects of these demanding pressures caused a major blow to the equestrian circus. This comparative study examines possible improvements to the industry in order to keep this art alive. Keeping up with eclectic …

Using Context Specific Measures Of Maximizing Tendency To Reduce Inconsistency In Findings, Thomas Holzhauer

Theses and Dissertations

The relation between maximizing tendency, the tendency to search for alternatives to make the highest quality decision, and its theorized outcome, regret, has mixed support in previous maximizing tendency literature. In the current study, it was hypothesized that measuring maximizing tendency in different contexts, as opposed to measuring maximizing tendency globally, could reduce this inconsistency. This hypothesis was tested by administering measures of maximizing tendency from different contexts and maximizing tendency without context and using the results in hypothesized models. The models were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and path analysis. Results showed that using context specific …