Digital Commons Network^™

Generative Ai Applied To Aac For Aphasia: A Pilot Study Of Aphasia-Gpt, Dallin J. Bailey, Francesca Herget, Derek Hansen, Forrest Burton, Grant Pitt, Tyson Harmon, David Wingate

Faculty Publications

Background

People with aphasia may be supported by augmentative and alternative communication systems, but further development is necessary to improve the communication support such systems provide. Advances in artificial intelligence methods of natural language processing may provide improved support for people with aphasia, but development and testing involving people with aphasia is critical.

Aims

The purpose of the study is to describe the development and pilot testing of a new AAC system for people with aphasia, a mobile web app named Aphasia-GPT.

Methods & Procedures

Aphasia-GPT is specifically designed to receive spoken input from a user with aphasia; it then …

“Whilst In The Walrus Suit, You Must Be A Walrus”: Human-To-Animal Transformation Through Body Modification And Performance In Kevin Smith’S Tusk, Ahmet Ergün

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Pluricentric Languages And Language Education: Pedagogical Implications And Innovative Approaches To Language Teaching, Rachel Stauffer

Russian Language Journal

Pluricentric Languages and Language Education is an edited volume concerning language teaching in “major pluricentric languages that have a colonial and post-colonial history and are taught as second/foreign languages in second and higher education in Europe (and beyond)” (p. 2). The term pluricentric describes a language in variation outside of codified forms determined by a centralized language authority. Pluricentric Languages and Language Education invites Russian instructors to consider if the language in our textbooks and spoken in our classrooms is unflinchingly representative of Contemporary Standard Russian. If the answer is no, which forms of Russian do we teach and in …

Book Review: Golosa: A Basic Course In Russian (6th Ed), Michelle Verbitskaya, Siobhán Seigne

Russian Language Journal

The 6th edition of Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian refreshes and modernizes the classic textbook to better reflect recent technological and societal advances, as well as the diversity of the Russian-speaking world. Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian, Book One aims to bring students to the ACTFL intermediate-low level, equivalent to CEFR A2; Book Two builds directly on Book One, taking students to the intermediate-mid level on the ACTFL scale or CEFR B1. This review highlights the most significant changes between the fifth and sixth editions.

Book Review: From Pushkin To Popular Culture: Essays By Catharine Theimer Nepomnyashchy, Elizaveta Volkovskaia

Russian Language Journal

The collection of Catharine T. Nepomnyashchy’s essays edited by Emily D. Johnson, Irina Reyfman, and Carol R. Ueland represents a fascinating array of her published and unpublished works. As Masha Udensiva- Brenner notes in her academic profile on the scholar, Nepomnyashchy went beyond her research niche and was an incredibly versatile thinker, finding connections between a variety of cultural artifacts. Indeed, Nepomnyashchy always encouraged other academics to explore fields beyond the limits of their areas of focus (Udensiva-Brenner, 24).

Book Review: Russian Through Film: For Intermediate To Advanced Students; Pro-Dvizhenie: Advanced Russian Through Film And Media , Lynne Debenedette

Russian Language Journal

Using films as primary texts in third- and fourth-year Russian language classes (where students are likely to be between ACTFL Intermediate Mid and Advanced Low) presents both advantages and challenges for instructors and students. The two publications reviewed here are therefore welcome resources for instructors who seek to incorporate film into their upper-level language classes.

Foreign And Heritage Language Learners’ Pragmalinguistic Choices In Russian Imperatives, Marina Tsylina, Anna Mikhaylova

Russian Language Journal

This experimental study examines the pragmalinguistic knowledge of both heritage and foreign language learners of Russian. Specifically, it focuses on how learners interpret the appropriateness of aspectual forms of Russian imperatives in given contexts. Due to limited exposure to authentic input, foreign language learners (FLLs) often face challenges in using pragmatically appropriate language. This study demonstrates that although heritage language learners (HLLs) are exposed to the language from birth, their knowledge of Russian imperatives may not fully align with that of monolinguals. The study participants included FLLs (n = 30), HLLs (n = 10), and monolingual speakers of Russian (n …

Mastering Russian Case: Learning Challenges, Current Textbook Approaches, And New Perspectives, Olesya Kisselev, Angelina Rubina

Russian Language Journal

Russian case morphology is recognized as a persistent challenge to second (L2) and heritage language (HL) speakers of Russian by researchers and practitioners alike. However, little classroom-based and pedagogy-oriented literature exists on the matter. In this paper, we address this research gap. First, we present a review of the literature that attempts to explain the challenging nature of mastering Russian grammatical cases from the cognitive linguistic, structural, and psycholinguistic perspectives. We then describe the general approaches to teaching and learning Russian cases found in the most commonly used Russian language textbooks in the United States. Finally, we discuss a pedagogical …

Fostering Critical Ai Literacy In The Russian Language Classroom, Kit Pribble

Russian Language Journal

This paper argues for the integration of critical AI literacy into the Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) classroom, drawing on recent conversations within the emerging field of critical AI studies. It presents two intermediate-level activities that incorporate generative AI and include learning outcomes aimed at promoting critical AI literacy. These learning outcomes include can-do statements such as "I can identify and discuss stereotypes present in an AI-generated image of a Soviet communal apartment" and "I can evaluate an AI chatbot's Russian-language output for cultural authenticity following a roleplay dialogue." These outcomes encourage students to critically analyze AI-generated content in …

Davai: Designing A Custom Chatgpt Bot For Russian Language Learners, Irina Meier

Russian Language Journal

The article explores the development and application of DavAI, a ChatGPT-based bot designed for beginner and intermediate Russian language learners. It highlights the bot’s capacity to act as a powerful supplementary tool within Russian language education. DavAI features six virtual personalities that represent diverse geographical regions, cultures, dialects, and social backgrounds. The technical customization process of DavAI is detailed, emphasizing content integration and pedagogical strategies that enhance language acquisition. Practical steps for language instructors on developing custom AI chatbots are outlined, including defining the model’s scope and purpose, gathering and segmenting training data, and employing fine-tuning techniques such as Reinforcement …

Multidisciplinary Collaboration For The Integration Of Ai In Slavic Languages And Literatures: The Learning Lab Model, Anna Ivanov

Russian Language Journal

The Learning Lab at Harvard University's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning employs graduate students as Media and Design Fellows (MDFs) to support innovative pedagogy in their departments. Over the last few years and in its Summer of AI, the Learning Lab has explored AI and its applications and implications in education. As such, the Lab, its staff, and its MDFs have developed and run well-structured, intellectually rigorous learning opportunities for many departments. For the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, the Learning Lab used AI in language and literature workshops. This paper presents a few case studies of …

Developing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Conversational Chatbots Using Myai Builder, Danko Šipka

Russian Language Journal

The present paper reports on the development of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Novice and Intermediate Chatbots at Arizona State University. The principal AI platform used for this course is MyAI Builder, an open AI development tool. In the initial phase of this project, from the summer of 2000 to the Fall of 2022, materials to be used as the input for the platform were gathered. Various lexical lists and other materials were gathered along with developing an interactive platform. Next, numerous materials were selected by student researchers supported by ASU Melikian Center Research Grants. This is of particular importance given that it is …

Ai-Powered Genre-Based Writing Assignments For Intermediate And Advanced Russian Learners, Natalia Petrova, Iuliia Rychkova

Russian Language Journal

The integration of AI into language education has been a subject of growing interest among researchers and educators, but the adoption of even basic AI tools in the classroom has been slow and cautious (Vogt & Flindt, 2023). Most available research on integrating AI tools to improve L2 writing proficiency focuses on services that provide automated written corrective feedback (e.g., Tran, 2024; Wiboolyasarin et al., 2024). In contrast, this report explores the possible implementation of AI tools as teacher-facing systems (Baker & Smith, 2019), that is, how language instructors can use ChatGPT and Gemini to lower their workload in class …

"In 50 Words Or Less": Using Ai To Modulate Target Proficiency Levels In The Russian As A Foreign Language Classroom, Alexander M. Groce

Russian Language Journal

This paper proposes to look at methods for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the upper-level Russian as a foreign language (RFL) classroom in activities where variable search terms are used to modulate target proficiency levels according to the ACTFL scale. Specifically, this paper relies upon a series of classroom-based activities that employed AI technology to parse the short stories of Anton Chekhov. While employing some simple methods governing AI search terms can help to create a usable database of sample texts at varying proficiency levels, problems of machine language inherent to emerging generative AI still need to be addressed and …

Ai Chatbot As A Companion In Writing Travel Notes, Maria Sulimova, Daria Dornicheva

Russian Language Journal

This article explores the teaching potential of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the writing skills of Russian heritage language (HL) speakers and advanced Russian as a foreign language (L2) learners. It is based on a learning scenario that was developed for university Russian classes and implemented in 2024 in an upper-intermediate course with a heterogeneous group (B2-level HL and L2 learners) at a German university. We focused on improving writing competency and fostering awareness in text work using a genre-based approach, working in five steps of a genre cycle in the travel note genre. Students engaged with a …

Introduction To The First Thematic Issue: Artificial Intelligence (Ai) & Machine Translation In The Teaching Of Slavic Languages And Literatures, Liudmila Klimanova

Russian Language Journal

This editorial introduction frames Russian Language Journal’s first thematic issue on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine translation in the teaching of Russian and other Slavic languages, literatures, and cultures. It argues that the rapid spread of large language models makes AI impossible to treat as an optional add-on, pushing educators to revisit authorship, genre, literacy, and assessment while avoiding both moral panic and “quick-fix” approaches. The article synthesizes contributions that (1) integrate chatbots into genre-based writing and conversational practice while emphasizing critical AI literacy; (2) design context-aware conversational agents for Russian and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, noting pedagogical benefits alongside risks such …

Spotlight: Tako Lako, Diverse Russian, & Professional Russian, Margaret Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

The Digital Resources Corner (DRC) offers reviews of new digital resources that could be beneficial in the teaching and/or learning of Slavic languages. It is intended for instructors looking for or evaluating different materials to use in the classroom.

Research Summaries: Access To Education, Erica Jensen

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Full Issue: Access To Education, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Landscapes Of Learning: How Nonprofits Are Bridging Educational Divides, Erica Jensen

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Data-Driven Decisions By Improving Nonprofit Transparency And Collaboration: A Study Of The Accessibility Of Nonprofit Data In The Global Landscape, Angie Holzer, Beverli Dewalt, Louis Ye

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This paper addresses the pressing need for enhanced transparency of nonprofit data to improve nonprofit collaboration, emphasizing the development of a global nonprofit database. Globally, there is a lack of transparency and accessibility to nonprofit data, which reduces the ability to make better decisions 1) between nonprofits as they work to collaborate and improve outcomes, 2) with nonprofit resource providers (foundations, volunteers, donors, company CSR programs, governments, grantees, etc.) when making decisions about who to support, and 3) with nonprofits as they attempt to reach those who need their services. By analyzing 34 nonprofit databases from the European Union, the …

Narrative Engineering: Tools, Computational Structure, And Impact Of Stories, Michael A. Debuse

Theses and Dissertations

Computational Linguistics has a long history of applying mathematics to the grammatical and syntactic structure of language; however, applying math to the more complex aspects of language, such as narrative, plot, scenes, character relations, causation, etc. remains a difficult topic. The goal of my research is to bridge the narrative humanities with mathematics, to computationally grasp at these difficult topic, and help develop the field of Narrative Engineering. I view narrative and story with the same mathematical scrutiny as other engineering fields, to take the creativity and fluidity of story and encode it in mathematical representations that have meaning beyond …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Within And Between-Testlet Local Item Dependence In A Medical School Admission Situational Judgment Test Using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, Ester Sampson

Theses and Dissertations

To use a Cronbach's alpha coefficient or IRT methods on measuring instruments, both unidimensionality and local item dependence (LID) conditions need to be met. Moreover, LID can potentially introduce an unintended additional dimension into the test at the expense of the constructs of interest. Situational judgment tests use testlet structures, and thus likely present degrees of LID. We explored the latent structure and degrees of local item dependence in a situational judgment test (SJT) used by a Western United States medical school (WMS) for admission purposes. I used a fully deidentified data set from a group of 560 examinees who …

The Ghostly Angel In The Haunted Home: The Haunted House As A Metaphor For A Woman's Body In Crimson Peak, Andrea I. Amado-Fajardo

Theses and Dissertations

Crimson Peak (2015, dir. Guillermo del Toro), often overshadowed by del Toro's more critically acclaimed filmography, deserves to be acknowledged for its central trauma metaphor and its nuanced approach to gender. Far from being merely a horror movie fueled by disturbing sequences such as those found in contemporary supernatural horror films, Crimson Peak slowly unravels how Allerdale Hall parallels the film's female leads as they house and live with ghosts, revenants of a traumatic past. This essay explores the personification of the haunted house as a metaphor for the personified trauma that resides in a woman's body using Crimson Peak …

Development Of A Real-Time Convolution System To Simulate Speech In Different Rooms For The Study Of Vocal Strain, Bethany E. Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Due to prevalent vocal health issues in teachers, the acoustics of K-12 classrooms has become a topic of study in acoustics. One way to understand the effects of a classroom's physical space on speech is with vocal effort studies. This thesis aims to enable these studies, without the need to move a talker from room to room, by creating auralizations through real-time convolution of speech with oral binaural room impulse responses (OBRIRs). These auralizations can be used to test talkers inside an anechoic chamber as they experience speaking in different acoustical environments. A system that can successfully execute convolution in …

Local Food System Planning On Multiple Governance Scales: A Grounded Theory Analysis, Decker Ure

Theses and Dissertations

Local food systems (LFS) comprise the people, policies, infrastructure and practices of food production, distribution, and consumption in localized areas. LFS are becoming an increasingly important part of urban sustainable development and have recently gained significant traction in the urban planning and sustainable community spheres. Worldwide shocks to global food systems such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war have further elevated global interest in LFS, bringing local food to the forefront of many communities as they try to insulate themselves and their food supply from future risk. However, despite this growing interest in and policy momentum for local …

New Chapters In An Old Book: New Discoveries In Transferrin's Blood Stream Modulators And Analytical Methods, Shelby Thomas Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Human serum transferrin is a 79 kDa glycoprotein responsible for the safe transport of iron throughout the blood stream. Transferrin binds up to two ferric ions in two domains known as the N-lobe and C-lobe respectively. Thus, there are four transferrin metalloforms: apo-Tf (with no iron bound), FeN-Tf (with one iron bound in the N-lobe), FeC-Tf (with one iron bound in the C-lobe) and holo-Tf(with two iron ions bound, one in each of the lobes). The two domains are homologous but feature differences in the kinetics and thermodynamics of iron binding and release. The two lobes are also different in …

Taking A Bite Out Of Shark Week: Discovery's Csa And Csr Messages, Kari Mortenson

Theses and Dissertations

The present study looks at how companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social accountability (CSA) messages differently. This study uses Discovery Channels Shark Week as an example by utilizing a grounded deductive analysis of Discovery's X, formerly known as Twitter, posts from 2015-2020. This timeline was chosen thanks to Discovery partnering with the non-profit organization Oceana in 2010 to create more informed and conservation minded content. The posts on Discovery's X account during each Shark Week from 2015-2020 were examined. Each were coded for themes, Other, CSA, or CSR, and additional frames for those themes. The frames gathered …

Quality And Sensory Characteristics Of Selected Freeze-Dried Foods After 50 Years Storage, Prithiviraj Jegannathan

Theses and Dissertations

Freeze-drying is a dehydration process that uses low temperature and pressure to remove moisture from food. With an annual market value of over $35 billion in 2023, freeze-dried foods are widely used in various situations requiring long-term storage such as military rations, emergency food supplies, and space exploration. Freeze-dried foods are becoming more popular for their quality, light weight, easy storage at room temperature, and quick rehydration. Moreover, many freeze-dried food manufacturers claim that their freeze-dried food products can last for 25 years or more. However, there are currently no published studies supporting such claims. Chemical, physical, and sensory properties …

Time Reversal Delivery Of Long Duration Noise To A Targeted Location: Achieving Higher Amplitude While Maintaining A Desired Spectral Shape And Maximizing The Spatial Extent, Rylee Scott Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Time Reversal (TR) is a signal processing technique that can be used to focus acoustic waves to a specific location in space, with most applications aiming to create an impulsive focus. This study instead aims to focus long-duration noise signals using TR. This thesis seeks to generate higher amplitude noise at a desired location over an existing method of broadcasting equalized noise. Additionally, this thesis explores various characteristics associated with focusing long duration noise using TR. The dependence of the focal amplitude on the duration of the focused signal is explored as well as the implications of using multiple sources …