Digital Commons Network^™

.Pause., Richelle M. Dorris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

.Pause. is a series of fifteen abstract oil paintings that represent a visual inspection of changing mental/emotional states of being as we navigate life. My subject matter consists of natural and organic forms that twist, contort, overlap, and flow. These aspects—combined with dramatic and gradual shifts in color, movement, layering and lighting—create a bizarre environment of conflict and growth as well as a space for contemplation.

This series is a mixture of stylistic directions, including abstract representation, gestural, and nonobjective work. Perception is called into question as the visual information becomes more obscure. Outside elements, such as lighting and the …

Perceptions Of Maxine Smith Fellows On Barriers That Contribute To The Underrepresentation Of African Americans In Faculty And Administrative Positions At The Tennessee Board Of Regents, Sidney R. Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are underrepresented in full-time faculty and administrative positions at Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institutions. This study examined the perceptions of 11 Maxine Smith Fellows on the underrepresentation at TBR institutions and provides recommendations that could assist in increasing representation of African Americans in full-time faculty and administrative positions.

A qualitative method was used for the study. Each participant was required to participate in a recorded SKYPE interview. The researcher transcribed the interviews and analyzed the data using coding to derive overarching themes that provided findings based upon the research questions.

Based upon the analysis of data, the …

Postsecondary Students’ Perceptions Toward Accepting And Understanding Biological Evolution: A Qualitative Metasynthesis, Erin Childress

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative meta-synthesis is the exploration and analysis of postsecondary students’ perceptions towards accepting and understanding evolution. Evolution as a process and theory is a foundation for understanding the biological sciences. Within the scientific and educational communities, evolution is a central theme tying the fabric of the biological sciences together. A three-tiered analysis was used to determine postsecondary students’ perceptions towards accepting and understanding evolution. This meta-synthesis analysis was guided by the following research questions: (1) What perceived conflicts do post-secondary students face when learning about evolution? and (2) Based on post-secondary students’ perspectives, how do personal …

Citizen Preferences For Marine Environmental Policy, Amy Bainbridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing global population, combined with increased land use, has emphasized the demand for sustainable ocean management strategies. Among suggestions for these strategies is a closer examination of the visual impact that aquaculture sites may have on coastal homes, as well as perception and preferences on coastal issues including coastal hazards, impacts of development, and marine debris. Maine’s unique and extensive history, as well as geographic location makes it an ideal setting to study these vital coastal issues, as well as to assist decision makers with informed options for management and policy.

This research explores various coastal usages and issues …

Culturally Responsive Training For Secondary English Language Teachers, Tina Mccorkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative study, I investigated the effectiveness of a training intervention program to positively impact secondary teacher attitudes and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The study is relevant in Alvin Independent School District given the demographic shift resulting in an increase in Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher attitudes and perceptions of CRT to determine if there was a statistically significant difference according to pre- and post-survey data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRT program intervention. The CRT research from Ladson-Billings (1992) …

Physical Activity Environments In Rural Communities: Exploring The Relationship Between Community Perceptions And The Environment, Elizabeth M. Bye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To assess the physical activity environment, community perceptions of the physical activity environment, and the relationship between these variables in rural and/or underserved communities with high obesity prevalence.
Methods: The Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) was used to assess the programs and policies (PPA), town-wide amenities (TWA), and street segments (SSA) of the physical activity environment and the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS) was used to assess community perception of the physical activity environment within eleven rural and/or underserved communities. Each section of the RALA and RALPESS are further broken down into additional subsections in order …

Integration And Segmentation Conflict During Ensemble Coding Of Aspect Ratio, Elric Matthew Elias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The visual system often integrates information that "goes together". Once information has been integrated, summary information (e.g., average emotion or average size) can be extracted; this occurs during ensemble coding. Integration thus allows for fast and efficient generalizations about sets to be made. In contrast, the visual system sometimes segments input that does not go together. For example, the perception of objects can be exaggerated away from natural category boundaries (e.g., a perfect circle is a category boundary; it is neither "flat" nor "tall"). Segmentation allows the visual system to make quick categorical distinctions. Much of the time, integration …

Affect And Critique: Negative Dialectics And Massumi's Politics Of Affect, Heidi Ann Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brian Massumi's concept of affect offers a model of change that relies on sensory-affective modes of resistance to neoliberal power relations. Influenced by Bergson's concepts of time and space, Massumi develops an account of perception as the capacity to entrain with ontological, affective flows of becoming before they are captured and reduced to quantifiable forms. This requires a radical reconfiguration of the body as a zone of indetermination between the virtual field of unformed potentialities and the realm of determined existence. I argue that affect theory cannot fulfill its promise to open new political possibilities without the negativity of critique …

The Perception Of Online Degree Programs: An Instrumental Case Study Of Two-Year Community Colleges In Louisiana, Amy Cable

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there may be high demand for and an increased interest in pursuing distance education, the education obtained may not translate into jobs or careers, and the inability to secure a position is related to the hiring practices within organizations. Potential employers may hold a bias towards graduates of online degree programs. The purpose of this mixed-method, instrumental case study was to understand the hiring process within higher education and to understand the impact distance education and online degree education has on the hiring process within community colleges in Louisiana. The participants included administrators who served on a hiring committee …

The Effect Of Hyperarticulation On The Perception Of Palatalization In Russian By L1 American English Speakers, Ekaterina Kolshenskaya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigates a relationship between the ease of perception of a feature of secondary palatalization in Russian and a speech condition (casual and hyperarticulated). Forty-one L1 American English speakers – the students of the Russian program at The University of Mississippi – took part in two experiments. In addition, the research aimed to explore the influence of a hyperarticulated speech condition on a level of language proficiency of students (beginner or intermediate) and investigate whether students of a certain level benefit from hyperarticulation more. The results of two experiments shothat none of the groups of students benefited from …