Digital Commons Network^™

Critical Media, Information, And Digital Literacy: Increasing Understanding Of Machine Learning Through An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Course, Barbara R. Burke, Elena Machkasova

Irish Communication Review

Widespread use of Artificial Intelligence in all areas of today’s society creates a unique problem: algorithms used in decision-making are generally not understandable to those without a background in data science. Thus, those who use out-of-the-box Machine Learning (ML) approaches in their work and those affected by these approaches are often not in a position to analyze their outcomes and applicability.

Our paper describes and evaluates our undergraduate course at the University of Minnesota Morris, which fosters understanding of the main ideas behind ML. With Communication, Media & Rhetoric and Computer Science faculty expertise, students from a variety of majors, …

Provost Newsletter - July 24, 2020, Office Of The Provost, Wright State University

Office of the Provost Newsletters and Announcements

The Newsletter from the Office of the Provost regarding Course delivery options for the 2020 Fall Semester as a result of COVID-19.

Painted Over In Brown: Border Art As Visual Discourse Of Resistance, Nicole Rivera

Communication ETDs

Borders are created to colonize both land and body. The politically constructed line between the United Stated (U.S.) and Mexico impose physical and emotional trauma through border militarization and immigration policies that consequently separate families and criminalize individuals. Rhetoric centering xenophobic divisions has normalized violence against brown bodies. The relentless effort to continue this divide has led to a genre of art that manifests on the border wall. Artist use the U.S.-Mexico border as a canvas to resist and challenge migratory criminalization by visualizing their opinions to redefine this 1,954-mile line. This research is centered in the study of communication …

So Many Choices: An Experimental Study Of Digital Television Choice, Customization, And Satisfaction, Johanna Lee Hoener

Dissertations and Theses

Internet streaming television is increasingly available in society and is changing the way television is viewed by creating more and more choices for consumers. We no longer watch the same three channels on television, now the consumer controls when, where, and what to watch. Producers of this digital media landscape provide customization mechanisms that consumers also engage in, creating tailored presentations of content.

This study seeks to understand what the large landscape of choice does to our satisfaction in viewing choice and what part customization plays in that satisfaction through an experimental-survey design. Drawing from choice literature which points in …

Talking About Race In The College Classroom: An Analysis Of Facework, Katelyn Doherty

Media and Communication Studies Presentations

A review of research on talking about race in the college classroom revealed that scholars have focused on identifying students’ struggles and considering the impact of intense discussions have on students. Specifically, Miller and Harris (2005) found that White students struggled with feeling that their opinion on racial issues mattered and with learning to accept their privilege, and Sue et al. (2009) found that Black students struggled to feel understood and with the pressures they felt were placed on them by students and instructors. Because these discussions have been found to involve conflict, disagreement, and discomfort, this study seeks to …

Volume 57, Number 1, Spring 2020 Speaker And Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digitized issue (Volume 57, issue 1, Spring 2020) of Speaker & Gavel.

Walmart's Opioid Stewardship Initiative Rhetorically Constructed As An Act Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Rachel Kaplan

Speaker & Gavel

Walmart is the largest publicly owned retailer in the world (Fishman, 2008). Walmart operates in a contested rhetorical environment because of an aggressive pricing strategy, low-paying wages, and discrimination claims made by women. This paper argues Walmart created several Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs to help improve corporate image and reputation. CSR encourages companies to consider a triple bottom line: people, the environment and profit. Consumers who practice socially responsible consumption choose to support companies they perceive give back to the community, participate in CSR initiatives to help people, and incorporate sustainable practices into the lifecycle of their products. This …

Exploring The Impacts Of An Open Door Policy And A Mindfulness Room At The Intercollegiate Speech (Individual Events) Tournament, C. Austin Mcdonald Ii, Samantha Burke

Speaker & Gavel

Two distinct tournament features were offered at a regional intercollegiate individual events swing: 1.) an open door policy for all competition rounds and 2.) a mindfulness room for students. A 16-item survey (with both qualitative and quantitative prompts) was administered at the conclusion of the swing to gain a sense of participants’ perceptions of past tournament experiences and experiences with the newly implemented features. Seventy-one (n=71) respondents participated (competitors, coaches, tournament staff, and hired judges). Analysis of the data revealed: 40% of participants had felt the need to leave a round in the past (a disproportionate 80% of which were …

Front Matter

Speaker & Gavel

Front matter and table of contents for volume 57, issue 1 of Speaker & Gavel.

The Guardian, Week Of July 20, 2020, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the week of July 20, 2020. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Lindenwood Digest, July 17, 2020, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Andrews University Summer Graduation August 2020, Hannah Gallant

Andrews Agenda: Campus News

No abstract provided.

Interest-Driven Sociopolitical Youth Engagement: Art And Gun Violence Prevention, Janíce Tisha Samuels

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This exploratory case study examines the National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence intervention launched in Chicago in 2017 that used public art and new media creation to engage youth in activism for gun violence prevention. Five African American and Latino youth artists participated in the program; the study focuses on three of the participants’ experiences. The researcher’s goal was to determine whether the unique mix of media and education practices used to develop and deliver the intervention curriculum impacted participants’ art practice, understanding of gun violence, and/or self-concept. A theoretical thematic approach to coding was applied to the audio, …

Can Middle Schoolers Learn To Read The Web Like Experts? Possibilities And Limits Of A Strategy-Based Intervention, Angela M. Kohnen, Gillian E. Mertens, Shelby M. Boehm

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper describes the strategies 8^th graders used to evaluate the credibility of unfamiliar websites after a curricular intervention. Website topics were somewhat contested, and students could navigate the open web in order to assess the credibility of the sites. Findings reveal that students were more likely to leave the presented webpages and investigate the sources before making a credibility judgment after the curricular intervention. Furthermore, after the intervention students were more likely to prefer a more credible source of information over a less credible source when the two sources were presented. However, few students improved in their ability …

Bridging The Gap? The Impact Of A Media Literacy Educational Intervention On News Media Literacy, Political Knowledge, Political Efficacy Among Lower-Educated Youth, Sabine Geers, Mark Boukes, Judith Moeller

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Scholars generally agree that there is a gap between lower- and higher-educated citizens on civic competence, which solidifies during adolescence. This two-wave panel study examines how an educational intervention focused on media literacy influences civic competence among lower-educated youth (age 16 to 26). Additionally, the level of civic involvement among participants is tested on three measures of civic competence: news media literacy, political efficacy and political knowledge. The findings suggest that the educational program has influenced the level of political efficacy and news media literacy. Furthermore, participants with the most active involvement in the program, i.e. co-created the educational video …

Early Adolescents' Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Gender Representations In Video Games, Helen Liu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study investigated adolescents’ perception and attitudes towards gender representation in video game covers, and the degree to which these depictions may influence their notions on gender and identification. Seventeen participants ranging from ages 12 and 13 participated in semi-structured interviews to explore this topic. This study’s conceptual framework encompassed social cognitive theory, gender schema theory, and cultivation theory. Findings suggest that gender representation in video games does influence the majority of participants’ notions of gender. However, there are differences between how males and females’ approach, interpret, and respond to this type of media. Findings also showcased that evidence of …

Intergenerational Food-Focused Media Literacy In Jamaica, Michelle R. Nelson, Rachel Powell, Cagla Giray, Gail M. Ferguson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media use has been linked to unhealthy eating, but there is evidence that parent discussion about media and media literacy can inoculate against negative media effects. Therefore, we examined the relationships between mothers’ food-focused media literacy and their discussions about media and their adolescents’ food-focused media literacy in a survey of 82 mother-adolescent dyads in Jamaica, a middle-income country where obesity is rising. As expected, mothers’ food-focused media literacy was both greater than and positively related to their adolescents’ food-focused media literacy. The nature of the discussion (i.e., emotional intensity) about the time adolescents spent using media (TV, computer/electronics) positively …

Exploratory Study Of Communication As A Psychosocial Factor Influencing Safer Sex Experiences Among Individuals Who Identify As Polyamorous, Cecilia Brooke Cholka

Communication ETDs

Even with over three decades of research on and promotion of safer sex, the rates of sexually transmitted infections continue to rise in the United States (CDC, 2017). Although communication about risk and protective factors is key to the promotion of safer sex behaviors, the meaning and impact of such communication is contingent upon culturally grounded understandings of safer sex among individuals of diverse sexual subcultures. This dissertation focuses on individuals who self-identified as polyamorous, a style of non-monogamy, and their understandings and experiences with safer sex. Drawing on the application of the AIDS Risk Reduction Model and narrative inquiry …

The Guardian, Week Of July 13, 2020, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the week of July 13, 2020. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Identifying, Understanding And Combating Complex Inequality: The Fight To Make The Invisible, Visible, Rachel Whitt

Black History at UNM

Dr. Nancy López, professor of sociology at UNM and director of the Institute for the Study of “Race” and Social Justice, explains the role of complex inequality in fueling social unrest. Complex inequality is rooted in decades of disparities towards minorities, particularly Blacks, Latinx, people of color and Native American communities. López outlines how invisible, deeply embedded injustices are common practice in the United States citing research that shows there are compounding challenges facing marginalized communities. These hurdles are multifaceted and cannot be distilled down to single data points. Recognizing the experience of marginality is layered and must be viewed …

Setting The Future Of Digital And Social Media Marketing Research: Perspectives And Research Propositions, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Elvira Ismagilova, D. Laurie Hughes, Jamie Carlson, Raffaele Filieri, Jenna Jacobson, Varsha Jain, Heikki Karjaluoto, Hajer Kefi, Anjala S. Krishen, Vikram Kumar, Mohammad M. Rahman, Ramakrishnan Raman, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Jennifer Rowley, Jari Salo, Gina A. Tran, Yichuan Wang

Marketing and International Business Faculty Research

The use of the internet and social media have changed consumer behavior and the ways in which companies conduct their business. Social and digital marketing offers significant opportunities to organizations through lower costs, improved brand awareness and increased sales. However, significant challenges exist from negative electronic word-of-mouth as well as intrusive and irritating online brand presence. This article brings together the collective insight from several leading experts on issues relating to digital and social media marketing. The experts’ perspectives offer a detailed narrative on key aspects of this important topic as well as perspectives on more specific issues including artificial …

Communicating Uncertainty During Public Health Emergency Events: A Systematic Review, Pradeep Sopory, Ashleigh M. Day, Julie M. Novak, Stine Eckert, Lillian Wilkins, Donyale R. Padgett, Jane P. Noyes, Fatima A. Barakji, Juan Liu, Beth N. Fowler, Javier B. Guzman-Barcenas, Anna Nagayko, Jacob J. Nickell, Damecia Donahue, Kimberly Daniels, Tomas Allen, Nyka Alexander, Marsha L. Vanderford, Gaya M. Gamhewage

Honors Scholarly Publications

To answer the question, What are the best ways to communicate uncertainties to public audiences, at-risk communities, and stakeholders during public health emergency events? we conducted a systematic review of published studies, grey literature, and media reports in English and other United Nations (UN) languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. Almost 11,500 titles and abstracts were scanned of which 46 data-based primary studies were selected, which were classified into four methodological streams: Quantitative-comparison groups; Quantitative-descriptive survey; Qualitative; and Mixed-method and case-study. Study characteristics (study method, country, emergency type, emergency phase, at-risk population) and study findings (in narrative form) were …

The Influence Of Instructor Mental Illness Disclosure On The Perceptions Of Mental Illness, Classroom Climate, Teacher Credibility, Homophily, And Social Attraction, Kirsten L. Bridgemen

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the lens of Communication Privacy Management theory to analyze the impact an instructor’s depth of disclosure of their mental illness can have on mental illness stigmatization, classroom climate, as well as teacher credibility, homophily, and social attraction. Participants responded to a series of quantitative-based questions regarding a hypothetical syllabus with varied levels of a teacher disclosing their mental illness. Results indicated that none of the investigated dependent variables were negatively affected by the hypothetical instructor’s disclosure, and mental illness stigmatization was lessened. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.

More Than Words, Ki James

Quest

The Profile Essay

Research in progress for ENGL 1301: Composition 1

Faculty Mentor: Lisa Roy-Davis, Ph.D.

The following paper represents exemplary research work from English 1301, the first course in the two-semester composition sequence at Collin College. English 1301 introduces the concept of academic research as inquiry by teaching students to ask focused open-ended questions and then using the library and online resources to help them conceptualize and test possible answers. Throughout this process, the focus remains squarely on questions and probable answers rather than on arguments and definitive conclusions.

In the following profile essay, Ki James thinks through his …

Self-Centeredness As A Response To Narratives With Few Self-Transcendent Elicitors, Sophie Janicke-Bowles

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Recently scholars argued to broaden the concept of eudaimonic entertainment experiences and introduced two conceptualizations: 1. self-focused experiences, including mixed affect, contemplation and need satisfaction, and 2. other-focused experiences, including self-transcendent emotions and prosociality. The goal of the study was to investigate how the two dimensions of meaningful media experiences (self-focused vs. other-focused) are elicited from inspiring films that contain self-transcendent elicitors and explore the connection and differentiation between the two. Results of a Qualtrics experiment (N = 328) revealed that films with a large amount of transcendent portrayals lead to greater experiences of mixed affect and less self-centeredness than …

The Guardian, Week Of July 6, 2020, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the week of July 6, 2020. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

African American Student Services Discusses Future Steps For Blm Activism, Beatrice Nisoli

Black History at UNM

This Daily Lobo article summarizes key ideas discussed at “When the Hashtag Stops Trending,” an online Zoom event hosted by African American Student Services (AASS) at UNM on June 25, 2020 in response to Black Lives Matter activism. Organizers and speakers cautioned against exhaustion and sensationalized activism in the media.

Open Access Publishing In The European Union: The Example Of Scientific Works, Nikos Koutras

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Access to information resources and publicly-funded research outcomes have been considered in Europe during the last decade. Open access practice became part of the European institutions’ agenda since 2006 within the final report of the European Research Advisory Board. The Lisbon Treaty (2007) explicitly confirmed the European Union’s commitment to free circulation of scientific knowledge (Article 179 TFEU) and the dissemination of research results (Article 183 TFEU). In this regard, the Horizon 2020 program illustrates the importance of open access policy towards further dissemination of scientific information. The European Commission also introduced in July 2012 a scientific information package to …

Contemplating Efficiency: Secular Mindfulness Practices From The Perspective Of Neoliberalism, Janina Misiewicz

CLAMANTIS: The MALS Journal

No abstract provided.

Strengthening The Evidence Base For Telehealth For Abortion Service Delivery, Nadi Kaonga

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Telehealth – which is the use of information and communication technology to provide clinical services to patients remotely – provides an opportunity to extend safe abortion services to women. A recent review article on telehealth for abortion service delivery found it to be acceptable, feasible and safe when compared to in-person service delivery. Despite the promising findings, the evidence base can and should be strengthened to optimize the impact of such services for women. Areas for improvement include evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of telehealth implementations in more remote settings and with women across variable levels of technoliteracy, conducting cost-effectiveness …