Digital Commons Network^™

The Rise And Fall Of Airbnb In New York, Nomin J. Ujiyediin

Capstones

The homesharing website Airbnb has been a controversial presence in New York City and New York state for years. This capstone explores the company's political contributions, lobbying and public relations strategies in the city and the state.

A link to the project can be found here: http://nominuj.com/airbnb

Building Allas: Creation Of An Asthma And Allergies App, Benjamin J. Cochran

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this project was to determine the potential need for an app to allow patients to self-manage their asthma and allergies. Through a substantial literature review, the need for an app as well as a desire for this population to manage their disease was demonstrated. Determination was made to have three separate components to create an all-inclusive app, an education component, an asthma tracker, and a personalized allergy profile. The app was storyboarded before being sent to providers and small focus group for proof of concept and functionality of components. The app, ALLAS, was constructed and housed on …

Optimizing Engagement In The Acute Care Setting: A Nurse Driven Staffing Model, Denise D. Fall

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Health care is on the threshold of major reform. Central to this reform will be the ability to maximize patient outcomes and resource allocation. The delivery of nursing care is essential to these concepts. Nursing care delivery impacts both patient outcomes and labor costs. Every aspect of care delivery has changed over time: length of stay, acuity, payment methodologies, documentation, technology, and regulatory requirements. Yet the model by which we allocate resources to the bedside is based on an archaic notion and forecasting model around one variable. The development of effective nurse staffing strategies will ensure those delivering care are …

Accessibility And Technology: Remote Access To Art Through Telepresence Robotics, Jenna M. Hebert

Master's Projects and Capstones

This capstone project details a proposal for a remote tour pilot program and community partnership written for the Art Institute of Chicago, Snow City Arts and the John H Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. The proposal seeks to provide a model for remote accessibility to art museums for visitors with mobility disabilities. The pilot program utilizes telepresence technology as a tool for providing remote tours and for emulating the social benefits of a museum visit. Within the program, telepresence technology becomes a mechanism for communication and collaboration between the museum and members of the community, allowing individuals previously unable …

Jiji Can Talk! An Oral Language Strategy Guide For Blended Learning Math Classrooms Using St Math, William Menz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how can an oral language strategy guide be created to support ELs language development in the elementary math classroom that uses ST Math. The capstone outlines strategies that can be paired with online content from ST Math to help ELs and native speakers develop oral language around the math puzzles presented in the standards based curriculum. By simultaneously addressing conceptual understanding of math content and English language development, the strategy guide works to meet the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the Principles of Math Instruction for ELs using ST Math, …

Active Learning Tour Route: Engagement In An Unconventional Environment, Hattie Molina

Honors Projects

When guest attend Bowling Green State University for a campus visit, a majority of their experience is comprised of tour guides talking “at” them. The campus tour is made up of a lot of facts and stories provided by the tour guide, but few questions by guests or based on comments from guests. One way to solve this is to create an Active Learning Tour route where guest are the center of their own campus learning experience. According to the research, the components of Active Learning have many facets that branch into other aspects including technology and humor. The aim …

The Development Of An Online Divergent Thinking Test, Jiajun Guo

Doctoral Dissertations

Divergent thinking (DT) tests are the most frequently used types of creativity assessment and have been administered in traditional paper and pencil format for more than a half century. With the prevalence of computer-based testing and increasing demands for large-scale, faster, and more flexible testing procedures, it is necessary to explore and test the usability of computer-based divergent thinking tests. Yet few studies have focused on the use of technologies in the assessment of creativity, including divergent thinking tests.

The purpose of the present study was to design and test the feasibility of an online divergent thinking (DT) test. The …

Up In Smoke: Using In-School Tobacco Education And Media Literacy To Reduce Smoking Initation Among 7th Grade Students In A Suburban Setting, Cynthia Ford Pulley

Dissertations

ABSTRACT Purpose The uptake of smoking by youth under the age of 18 increases the likelihood that they will become lifetime smokers. The CDC recommends best practices regarding tobacco prevention. Among them are Community Policies for tobacco-free zones, community initiatives, anti-tobacco media campaigns, and access to quit-smoking resources. The last of these best practices is a recommendation to provide education in the schools. The subject of this research was the implementation of an in-school tobacco curriculum based on Media Literacy, which provides youth the ability to critically evaluate media messages that equate the “cool” smoking habit with beauty, confidence and …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Workplace Culture Of Women In Information Technology Careers, Andrea Hemphill-Merrills

Dissertations

The information technology (IT) industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. According to the U.S, Department of Labor and Statistics (2015), employment opportunities are it is projected to grow by 12 percent from 2014 to 2024. While the number of employed women have increased, this has not been the case in the IT industry where the number of women has been in consistent decline since 1991. In order for the U.S. to be able to fill the demand for IT professionals, it must have access to a talent pool that includes women. There are many …

The Effects Of A One-To-One Ipad Initiative: A Case Study, Michael Flanagan

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the ways that teachers in a single private middle school integrated one-to-one tablet use in to their classroom practice. The case study also explored how and in what ways the students and teachers perceived that school-provided one-to-one student access to tablets affected student learning. The review of relevant literature included the use of technology in instruction, external factors affecting teachers, and the perception of the effect of technology on student learning.

Over the last thirty years, there has been an increase of computer and tablet use in the classroom (Harold, 2016; Reidel, 2014; Smerdon, Cronen, …

Connections With The Current Generation Of College Students Using Digital Marketing Practices, Michael Galindo

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Higher education professionals in college and university admissions utilize various forms of communication in enrolling their fall class. The problem with the digital generation, also known as the Millennials, is that students have disconnected from the personal touch - the connection that is established between the student, their admissions counselor and the institution. Often it is found that this connection helps prospective students find that perfect fit in selecting a college.

This study identifies several technological approaches and evaluates their effectiveness in undergraduate admissions recruitment. A review of the literature revealed that recent technological advances such as social media, personal …

Decision Making In The Backcountry While Carrying A Cellular Phone, Quinn S. Linford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain understanding about the influence of technology, specifically cellular phones, on decision making during potentially risky situations in the backcountry. Previous research in this area is contradictory and some studies indicate technology is influencing people to take more risks while others suggest it is not. Further confounding the relationship is the fact that previous studies have found people may be taking more risk in the presence of technology were based largely on respondent perceptions, not observation data. The current study used a scenario-based decision model to examine the difference in decision making between …

The Effects Of Technology On Students’ Retention Of Letters And Sounds, Amanda Garcia

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research was conducted to determine if the use of technology, specifically the interactive SMART board, would lead to higher student assessment scores on the district tests for letter identification and letter sound recognition. The research was completed in a full-day traditional public school transitional kindergarten (TK) class. Data was collected using district-wide alphabet assessments, teacher observation journals, student conferences, and student checklists used by a classroom instructional assistant. Letters of the alphabet were divided into two equal groups based on letter formation and level of difficulty identified through research. One group of letters and sounds was taught using …

Meaning In Motion, Kara Hendrickson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis essay and accompanying exhibition examine the capacity of interactive art to stage situations for participants to explore embodiment. In presenting the four-part interactive suite "Body Language" by Nathaniel Stern, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with digital projections that track and respond to movement by producing animated text and spoken utterances. Through the juxtaposition of motion performed by the viewer’s physical body with computer-generated words and speech, "Body Language" explores the complex ways in which the body and language depend upon each other to create and communicate meaning. This essay also proposes that the gallery uses its power …

Digital Video As A Summative Assessment Tool, Meghann Peterson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research study examined the effects of video production on student engagement and learning in a tenth grade English classroom. The study participants totaled 76 students in a large suburban Midwest high school. Over a period of five weeks, students worked in groups to read, analyze and make a video about a book of their choosing. The standards based project assessed their understanding of theme, characterization, and the cultural significance of their choice novel. Students worked collaboratively to answer questions about these aspects of the book and then complete storyboards and scripts for their videos. Throughout the study, the …

Choice-Based Assessments And Their Use With 1:1 Technology Devices, Joshua Ottow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Choice-based assessments are classroom activities in which students are given some element of choice in how they meet defined learning objectives. As educators seek to adequately prepare students for the rapidly changing world that they will enter after high school, they have placed a greater focus on the types of assessment practices used in the classroom. Choice-based assessments, particularly when used with a 1:1 technology device, may have the impact of increasing student motivation to learn and enhancing the development of skills that they may need after high school (Schwartz & Arena, 2013; Tapscott, 2008). To date, there has been …

An Analysis Of Secondary Integrated Stem Lesson Plans: Common Characteristics, Learning Expectations And The Impact From The Teacher's Definition Of I-Stem, Jacob Hayward

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated teachers’ understanding of their definition of I-STEM (Integrated STEM education), how those understandings manifested into lessons and associated lesson artifacts, how they assessed students in such lessons, and what factors or rationales supported their ability to conduct or not conduct I-STEM lessons. A survey was sent to the members of four professional organizations representing I-STEM disciplines to solicit their participation in this project. Ten teachers ranging from grades 9-12 participated in this study. Of those who responded, six teachers identified with National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), three teachers selected International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA), …

Managing One-To-One Initiatives: Implementation Analysis Through Expert Elicitation, Jordan R. Selvidge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to identify and analyze issues in the implementation of one-to-one computing initiatives and provide solutions for improvement. An understanding of the implementation process was developed through the analysis of data collected through 27 interviews with teacher experts in the field who have worked with the implementation of one-to-one programs. Teachers were purposely selected from the following groups: those who were completing their first year of teaching, those who had between two and ten years of teaching experience, and those who had eleven plus years of total teaching experience. This study distinctly addresses one-to-one initiatives …

Technology Adoption By California Central Coast Contractors, Nicholas A. English

Construction Management

Technology is trending in Construction, but it is unclear if smaller contractors have kept up with these trends like larger national companies have. This survey of San Luis Obispo County specialty and general contractors queried technology adoption, specific software use, estimator age, and opinions of various estimating attributes. It found that the majority of contractors use traditional estimating and quantity takeoff methods, the majority of contractors are 31 years old or older, and that local estimators value experience and knowledge as opposed to computer expertise. Local contractors recognize the value technology can provide, but have not adopted it in a …

Accommodating Students Different Learning Styles With The Use Of Technology, Jaime Prieto

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The understanding of different learning styles is crucial for student academic success. The area of concentration pertaining to this topic includes the cognitive development during the adolescent age group selected. To create a good academic foundation, the teacher must exhibit different forms of learning styles to the students to create awareness and a good academic foundation. With the mass inclusion of technology in our society and education system, this research will attempt to understand the positive and negative effects of technology on effecting the students’ ability to use their effective learning style. Through the use of literature reviews and interviews …

Using Minecraft To Integrate Common Core Activities Across Elementary School Curriculum, William A J Couling

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Minecraft, an open world sandbox game rich with educational possibility, has been a growing sensation among elementary age children across the US. Though there has been some experimentation in a number of schools across the United States, there has been no mass movement to embracing Minecraft as a virtual learning environment. With advances in the fields of Virtual Learning Environments and the new wave of educational thinking known as the “Maker Movement,” the modern educational field has an opportunity for radical new ways of teaching. Using an elementary school as a model in the Monterey Bay area, I surveyed a …

Globalization And The Rise Of Militant Islamic Social Movement Organizations: The Case Of Uamsho (Awakening) Group In Zanzibar., Deogratius Mshigeni

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation set out to explore how specific aspects of globalization affect the growth and development of particular militant neo-fundamentalist social movements and in what ways globalization affect the resources and collective identity of these movements. To examine this, I conducted ethnographic and archival research and in-depth interviews with 40 activists in the UAMSHO (AWAKENING) group in Zanzibar, which is associated with the rise of violent activities since the first multiparty elections, held in 1995. Most of these activities have been associated with the UAMSHO (AWAKENING) group, that adheres to strict neo-fundamentalist views of Islam, and which calls for Zanzibar …

Essays In Health Economics, Xiaohui You

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research consists of three essays in health economics. The first essay is an analysis of Australia's healthcare expenditures based on aggregate time-series data, 1971-2011, using unit root and cointegration tests. The second essay presents econometric estimates of the short- and long-run effects of income and technology proxy on healthcare expenditures using 1991-2009 US state level data and alternative panel cointegration techniques. The third essay examines the association of two important personal health factors - gaining employment and health status - of US working-age individuals and their prescription drug utilization and expenditures, using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data for …

Identifying And Preventing Insider Threats, Matthew D. Waters

Honors Theses

Insider threats, or attacks against a company from within, are a pressing issue both domestically and internationally. Frequencies of these threats increase each year adding to the overall importance of further research analysis. In fact, many case studies have been conducted which state that these employees who participate in insider attacks tend to exhibit certain personality and characteristic traits, as well as certain observable behaviors, that would indicate to other employees that an attack is imminent. It is hypothesized that companies will be able to take a more preventative stance of security as opposed to a reactive stance by identifying …

The Limits Of Regulation: A Case Study Of Virtual And Intangible Harm, Nachshon Goltz

PhD Dissertations

This dissertation deals with the limits of regulation through the analysis of virtual and intangible harm and the capacity of regulation to prevent or at least reduce such harm. The case study at hand is the potential harm to childrens imaginative development in virtual worlds. A comparison is drawn from the regulation of online advertising to children in Canada and the US. Based on a review of the literature in chapter 1, it is suggested that there are serious and long-term consequences to an underdeveloped imagination, including pathological phenomenon and lack of imaginative ability. As with other harms to children, …

Modernizing Our Methods: Incorporating Technology In Undergraduate Applied Violin Lessons, Jaya Kristina Varma

Open Access Dissertations

Technology has become a part of education in many areas. However, there is no current model for incorporating technology into applied violin lessons at the undergraduate level. This project provides background research in the areas of learning with technology, designing technologically-integrated courses, and currently available resources and tools for music studies. As a result of the research, a course map for a technologically-integrated course in violin has been developed. Recommendations for further study are included.

Teaching Culinary Skills Using Video Modeling To Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury, Sarah Castro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) often need to be taught independent living skills in order to reintegrate into community settings. This study examined the use of video modeling to teach culinary skills to three individuals with TBI. Video modeling is easily accessible, inexpensive, and not reliant on an additional person to directly teach skills. For all three participants, video modeling resulted in increases in cooking skills using a task analysis created for each food item prepared. For one participant, the skills maintained over two weeks and generalized to a novel food. For another participant video modeling was insufficient in …

Women On The Board Of Directors And Their Impact On The Financial Performance Of A Firm: An Empirical Investigation Of Female Directors In The United States Technology Sector, Obinna Mogbogu

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses a sample of S&P 500 firms in the United States technology sector to investigate the likely relationship between female directors and financial performance of firms measured by return on average assets and return on average equity as the two accounting based measures of performance. Reasonable theoretical arguments drawn from resource dependency, human capital, agency, and social psychology theory, suggests that the gender diversity of the board of directors may have either a positive, negative, or neutral effect on the financial performance of the firm. Using nonparametric statistics approach, we find a small negative relationship between female directors …

Shifting Temporalities: The Construction Of Flexible Subjectivities Through Part-Time Retail Workers’ Use Of Smartphone Technology, Jessica Fanning

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Drawing on past and recent literature in political economy and feminist media studies, this research extends current work on technology’s disciplinary and liberatory potential for labour. This is done using an investigation of part-time retail workers’ use of smartphones in the management and experience of always-on work styles, the encroachment of work on non-work time, and whether there are alternative uses of these same technologies. Semi-structured interviews with a sample of part-time retail workers analyzed with a grounded theory approach are used to investigate participants’ direct experiences. The data reveals that the theme of gender is not as strong as …

Learner Agency And Responsibility In Educational Technology, Michael Thomas Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

Though the topic of learner agency has received relatively little discussion in the literature of educational technology, it is nevertheless a significant and actually omnipresent concern of both scholars and practitioners. Through the journal-ready articles contained herein, I show how theories of learning and certain practices of instructional designers reflect implicit positions on the agency of learners. I also discuss agency in more concrete terms as the responsibility for learning that is shared with learners in instructional design contexts. In addition, I provide practical suggestions to help designers keep the learner at the forefront of their design thinking. Through this …