Digital Commons Network^™

Advance (Fall 2014), Georgia Southern Division Of Continuing And Professional Education

Division of Continuing & Professional Education

No abstract provided.

Using Technology And Traditional Instruction To Teach Expository Text In The Sixth Grade Reading Classroom: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Carol S. Carter

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

Students struggle with the transition of reading and writing narrative

text in the early grades to reading and writing expository text in the upper grades.

It is imperative that students be taught how to understand expository language

in order for them to gain comprehension of the different types of informational text.

By using traditional instruction and technology, teachers can use scaffolding activities

to improve students’ comprehension, reading, and writing of expository text.

Blood As A Binding Agent In Cormac Mccarthy's _The Crossing_, Erin M. Martin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing, one of the most important aspects of blood is the way it connects Billy Parham to his family and the world around him. Billy's actions are driven largely by his desire to maintain his moral code and his connections to nature and his maternal grandmother. His link to nature begins with an encounter with a wolf pack and continues with an attempt to return a she-wolf to her homeland. The connection to his grandmother provides him with the means to do so when he crosses the border from New Mexico into Mexico. Billy's ability …

The Effects Of Beaver Dams On The Structure And Function Of Invertebrate Communities In A Southeastern Coastal Plain Stream, Damon L. Mullis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Beaver were at the brink of extinction in the early 20^th century, but over the past century populations have been rebounding. This increase in range and population size has raised new concerns over possible impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Beaver are considered ecosystem engineers because they change the physical structure of aquatic systems through the construction of dams, which turn naturally flowing sections of rivers and streams into standing water. Such changes are known to influence habitat heterogeneity, influence organic matter transport and storage, and consequentially influence biological diversity. To my knowledge, no studies of the effects of beaver impoundments …

Neuromodulation Based Control Of Autonomous Robots On A Cloud Computing Platform, Cameron Muhammad

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, the advancement of neurobiologically plausible models and computer networking has resulted in new ways of implementing control systems on robotic platforms. The work presents a control approach based on vertebrate neuromodulation and its implementation on autonomous robots in the open-source, open-access environment of robot operating system (ROS). A spiking neural network (SNN) is used to model the neuromodulatory function for generating context based behavioral responses of the robots to sensory input signals. The neural network incorporates three types of neurons- cholinergic and noradrenergic (ACh/NE) neurons for attention focusing and action selection, dopaminergic (DA) neurons for rewards- and …

Asymmetrical Interference Effects Between Two-Dimensional Geometric Shapes And Their Corresponding Shape Words, Bradley R. Sturz, Joshua E. Edwards, Ty W. Boyer

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Nativists have postulated fundamental geometric knowledge that predates linguistic and symbolic thought. Central to these claims is the proposal for an isolated cognitive system dedicated to processing geometric information. Testing such hypotheses presents challenges due to difficulties in eliminating the combination of geometric and non-geometric information through language. We present evidence using a modified matching interference paradigm that an incongruent shape word interferes with identifying a two-dimensional geometric shape, but an incongruent two-dimensional geometric shape does not interfere with identifying a shape word. This asymmetry in interference effects between two-dimensional geometric shapes and their corresponding shape words suggests that shape …

Questing The Beast: From Malory To Milton, Malorie A. Sponseller

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Questing Beast is a Medieval creature that has received little scholarly attention. Because of her labile nature, she is difficult to identify and therefore challenging to study. When previously analyzed, she has been considered only in her Medieval context. By comparing the Questing Beast from Perlesvaus, the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and the Prose Tristan, four identifying characteristics can be found: she is symbolic, she is multi-formed, she is a mother that gives birth, and she produces a barking noise most often made by her unborn young. Of these four signs, the last is the most prevalent and identifiable. …

2014 Statesboro Citizen Survey, D. Alex Reams

Georgia Municipal Association Practicum (2013-2022)

No abstract provided.

Gera Conference Program [2014], Georgia Educational Research Association

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

N/A

An Archaeological Investigation Into The Cluskey Embankment Stores, Andrew B. Ayala

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Between November 2012 and June 2013 Georgia Southern University conducted an archaeological investigation into the Cluskey Embankment Stores (9CH1352) on behalf of the City of Savannah, Georgia. The project was first initiated by the Earl T. Shinhoster Youth Leadership Institute over a concern of how the vaults were being used. Members of the Shinhoster organization went before City Council and proposed an archaeological investigation of the Vaults. The City Council supported to the proposal and the City’s Research Library & Municipal Archives contacted Dr. Sue Moore of Georgia Southern University to conduct an archaeological investigation of the site. The Cluskey …

Curiosity Killed The Cat: Investigating A Link Between Curiosity And Risk-Taking Propensity, Carolyn E. Gibson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Curiosity, or the drive for information and experiences that motivates exploration, plays a role in intellectual development. Curiosity is perhaps essential to education and intellectual achievement, but curiosity research is limited. Curiosity has been thought a motivation for learning and a cause of non-sanctioned behaviors and behavioral disorders. This prompts a connection with decision-making, specifically risky decision-making, perhaps with curiosity as a motivating force. In Experiment 1, college students were primed with curiosity, then participated in a lab-based behavioral measure of risk-taking, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task, and answered self-report inventories concerning risk-taking and curiosity. In Experiment 2, 4th and …

Learning Experiences In An International Email Exchange Project, Hyong S. Yeom, Hwa-Ok Bae, Carrie Mccann

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This study examines students’ learning experience in a semester-long email exchange project as a normal class activity between U.S. and Korean social work undergraduate students in fall 2008 and fall 2009. We used a content analysis to analyze the qualitative data of the email content and of the end-of-semester surveys. The study found this email exchange helped students develop cross-cultural understanding; enhance their knowledge of social or social justice issues in both countries; learn the social work profession and its commonalities and differences in both countries; and expand their interest in other countries. This study also suggests ways to modify …

Ascension, Megan Hopkins, Jeremy Wilburn, Sandra Bennett

Research & Economic Development

editor: Mary Beth Spence director: Megan Hopkins designer:

Megan Hopkins, Sherry Woods photographer: Jeremy Wilburn

Library Annual Report

Library Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Social Media And Empathy, Franklin M. Collins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between social media and empathy has not been explored extensively. Research on the expression of emotion and the association with empathy displayed on social media websites have been minimally explored. This study sought to support findings that chatting online leads to expressions of empathy (Rosen, 2012) and a positive relationship exists between conversing with others online and empathic expression (Ivcevic & Ambady, 2012. Empathic concern was hypothesized to show a positive relationship with one’s likelihood to chat, time on Facebook, and emotional connection to Facebook or Facebook usage. Empathic concern also was predicted to be greater among computer …

Epistasis In Predator-Prey Relationships, Iuliia Inozemtseva

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Epistasis is the interaction between two or more genes to control a single phenotype. We model epistasis of the prey in a two-locus two-allele problem in a basic predator- prey relationship. The resulting model allows us to examine both population sizes as well as genotypic and phenotypic frequencies. In the context of several numerical examples, we show that if epistasis results in an undesirable or desirable phenotype in the prey by making the particular genotype more or less susceptible to the predator or dangerous to the predator, elimination of undesirable phenotypes and then genotypes occurs.

Consumers' Perceptions Towards Sustainability: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Mertcan Tascioglu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sustainability has become a subject of increasing concern to academics and practitioners in recent years. Increasing consumer demand for socially responsible products encouraged supply chains to put increasing emphasis on sustainability. In adapting sustainability practices consumers play a very important role for supply chains. Thus this dissertation examines consumers’ perceptions towards sustainability practices. Although most previous research has examined environmental sustainability practices, the social dimension of sustainability has received little attention. This dissertation attempts to explore both environmental and social sustainability and their effects on consumer perceptions in different cultural contexts and price levels. Two scenario based experiments are utilized. …

Classworks As A Means To Gaining Equity In The General Education Math Classroom: Perceptions Of Students Receiving Special Education Services, Diane Marshall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With the importance of math steadily increasing, researchers in the field of special education have made efforts to increase the performance of students with disabilities (Fuchs et al., 2008; Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005). Despite the deficits these students face, the trend has been for many years that most students with disabilities in math receive their instruction in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that students receiving special education services have regarding the effectiveness of Classworks, a computer-assisted instructional program, in helping them gain equity in the general education math classroom. Critical …

Tactical Escape Behavior And Performance Of A Small Sceloporine Lizard In Two High Risk Habitats, Seth Parker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The negotiation of uneven and complex terrain has implications for many small terrestrial vertebrates. Variation in the running surface due to obstacles like woody debris or vegetation can alter escape paths and running performance. Additionally, these microhabitat features can influence behavioral tactics in complex environments. The ability to negotiate physical barriers in dense environments likely influences survivorship through important ecological tasks, such as finding mates, foraging, and evading predators. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a small, rare species endemic to two distinct and structurally complex environments in Florida, i.e. sand-pine scrub and longleaf pine-wiregrass sand-hills. The …

Mass School Shootings: Predicting The Usage Of Firearms In Acts Of School Violence, Melanie A. Hart

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Due to increased media attention and associated fear, school shootings have become a major concern for the public. Attempts to predict and prevent shootings have been developed by a variety of government agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A psychological profile, however, has yet to be established. This study uses demographic and behavioral characteristics of perpetrators and school characteristics to predict the likelihood of a perpetrator’s usage of firearms. A total of 345 perpetrators of mass school violence incidents are examined, including 266 who used firearms. White perpetrators and those …

Eleven Bullets: A Counter Assault On Subjectivity And The Creation Of Meaning, Jason Wayne Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Eleven Bullets: A Counter Assault on Subjectivity and the Creation of Visual Meaning explores the sources of visual meaning as a combination of shared personal experience among the mass audience and the perpetuation of this meaning via popular cultural applications. It proposes that the analysis of an artist’s personal experience with sensory perception is the foundation for his or her ability to instill meaning within a design. By understanding how we make associations with experiences that are pleasurable, painful, safe, dangerous, passive, aggressive etc., we organize our world according to visual stereotypes. These stereotypes help us navigate the world efficiently …

The Effects Of Herbicide On The Endangered Herb Baptisia Arachnifera And Preliminary Nutrient Survey Of Leaf Tissue And Soil, Ruth Ann C. Steinbrecher

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Baptisia arachnifera (Hairy Rattleweed) is an endangered herbaceous legume that only occurs in Wayne and Brantley Counties of Georgia, United States. Many of the remaining populations exist in areas now managed for timber. This study investigated the effects of Imazapyr, an herbicide commonly used in timber management, on health and vitality of B. arachnifera under both field and greenhouse conditions. This study also analyzed leaf and soil samples from six populations of B. arachnifera to determine the nutrient content of the leaves. A recensus of a B. arachnifera population was also conducted in a site without commercial timber management. In …

Soil Microbial Community Distributions And Disease Suppressiveness In The Coastal Plain Of Georgia, Michael J. Sabula

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study compared the soil microbial communities of three vegetation types in the coastal plain of Georgia: 1. crop land actively in use for agricultural production, 2. transitional grassland in early stages of secondary succession, and 3. pristine unmanaged forest land. Microbial species diversity and quantities of microbial DNA were determined from each of these vegetation types at three separate locations near Statesboro, Georgia. Length heterogeneity PCR(LH-PCR) methods and subsequent analysis of fungal, bacterial, and metazoan communities by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) revealed high within-group similarity by vegetation type, indicating land management intensity and vegetation cover is a strong determining …

Creating An Individualized Positive Reinforcement Menu, Lisa M. Quick Dr.

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

Effective PBIS includes behavior supports that are tailored to meet an individual student's needs. This session will introduce a simple assessment tool that will help identify the types of supports that are most effective. This session will then teach participants how to use that insight to create a personalized menu of reinforcers using free computer-based resources. This session will discuss the psychology of positive reinforcement and the often overlooked marketing that makes those reinforcers powerful. Participants will walk away with an assessment tool, the ability to generate an individualized reinforcement menu, a comprehensive list of positive reinforcers, and insight into …

Practical Strategies That Work With Challenging Behavior!, Karen H. Barineau Mrs., Carli Ferris Harrell

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

This session will focus on the concept of “learning for all”. Each child, regardless of ability or disability, deserves to be an active participant in the learning process. Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a process of systemic and individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior with all students. The focus of this presentation is on understanding why a child engages in problem behavior and establishing a behavior support plan. This session will address problem behaviors that range from aggression, tantrums, property destruction, and social skills deficits within the school setting.

Educators must be creative …

Honors @ Georgia Southern, University Honors Program Students And Staff, Georgia Southern University

Honors College: News & Publications (2008-2020)

• Inquiry and Creativity
• Honors in Action
• Honors Annual Report
• Invest in Honors

Time-Dependent Regulation Of Apoptosis By Aen And Bax In Response To 2-Aminoanthracene Dietary Consumption, Worlanyo E. Gato, Dale B. Hales, Stacey R. Mcgee, Jay C. Means

Chemistry: Faculty Publications (1990-2023)

Background/Objective: The modulation of the toxic effects of 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) on the liver by apoptosis was investigated. Fisher-344 (F344) rats were exposed to various concentrations of 2AA for 14 and 28 days. The arylamine 2AA is an aromatic hydrocarbon employed in manufacturing chemicals, dyes, inks, and it is also a curing agent in epoxy resins and polyurethanes. 2AA has been detected in tobacco smoke and cooked foods.

Methods: Analysis of total messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) extracts from liver for apoptosis-related gene expression changes in apoptosis enhancing nuclease (AEN), Bcl2-associated X protein (BAX), CASP3, Jun proto-oncogene (JUN), murine double minute-2 p53 …

Advance (Spring 2014), Georgia Southern Division Of Continuing And Professional Education

Division of Continuing & Professional Education

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Mobile Devices On Student Performance In An Agriscience Classroom, Burton L. Carter

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

This study focuses on the impact of a modeled one to one mobile device implementation in an agriscience classroom. Using a pretest posttest method, data is collected on how student performance is impacted. Students complete a class project using either the traditional method or a digital version using mobile devices. The project helps to prepare students for the plant identification posttest.

Is There A Difference In Motivation And Mathematics Self-Efficacy Among Online Mathematics Instructional Video Viewers, Charles Edgar Hampton

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

Researching US K-12 STEM proficiency reveals severe and widespread consequences, for post-secondary and vocational environments. Sources in both environments cite lack of skills and competency as the major cause of increasing remedial mathematics enrollment and growing unemployment. One reasonable and simple method of better preparing students is the viewing online mathematics instructional videos. Online mathematics instructional videos are widely available, efficacious, and free to access via KhanAcademy.org and YouTube’s Education portal. Mobile, personal, and desktop technology device ownership and free WIFI or reduced price Internet service is increasing dramatically each year, so means of access are not a problem. This …