Digital Commons Network^™

Problem-Based Variations In Teaching Stephen Dobyns's 'Kansas' In China, Tao Zou

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their article "Problem-based Variations in Teaching Stephen Dobyns's 'Kansas' in China" Tao Zou and Hong Zeng discuss the multiple variations in their experience of teaching foreign literature in China, with the teaching of Stephen Dobyns's short story "Kansas" as an example and the positive results of their approach. Variations in a broad sense occur with the differences in the choice of literary text, translation, interpretation, and canonization. All these variations can be used to reflect on and resolve major current issues in teaching foreign literature, and to stage cross-cultural communication and creativity through foreign literature pedagogy.

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Acoustic Measures Of English Prosody And Holistic Measures Of English Proficiency In Extemporaneous Speech Of Native Chinese Speakers Of English As A Second Language, Carl Tyler Johnson

Open Access Dissertations

English prosody works as a structural and semantic glue that establishes relationships among words and phrases within a sentence, and among sentences within a larger discourse. This dissertation hypothesizes and demonstrates an association between acoustic measurements of English prosody and holistic measures of English proficiency. To test this hypothesis, acoustic data was used from 10 examinees each of low, medium, and high oral English proficiency groups of L1 Chinese speakers who took Purdue’s Oral English Proficiency Test (OEPT). Prosodic measurements of duration, F0, and intensity were gathered from adjacent function and content words in the OEPT audio data and compared …

Mis Familias, Mis Maestros/As Y Yo: A Transformative Research Approach To Latino/A Family Engagement, Literacies In The Community, And Advocacy, Ileana Cortes Santiago

Open Access Dissertations

This qualitative study follows a transformative research approach, which intends to shift dominant paradigms and honor the culture and voices of marginalized peoples through collaborative needs-assessment, goal setting, and intervention/initiative development that brings about change (Mertens, 2007, 2009). Five Latina mothers and two literacy teachers living in a Midwest state partook in a six-month project where they identified a need within their community, met, engaged, and partnered with local organizations while working on the social media platform that would address that need [i.e., the provision of a bilingual (Spanish/English) network/space to connect educators and Latino/a families]. Written as three different …

Food And Language: Price-Based Lexical Variation In Turkish Online Restaurant Reviews, Maria Joy Cupery

Open Access Theses

Previous research has demonstrated price-based lexical variation in American online restaurant reviews and advertising (Freedman and Jurafsky, 2011; Jurafsky, Chahneau, Routledge & Smith 2014). According to the theories of Bourdieu (1986, 1987), and Douglas and Isherwood (2002), this type of variation may be the result of different social classes using differing cultural capital to evaluate their consumer experiences. As reviewers’ lexical choices reflect the criteria they apply to that good, the reviews of more expensive restaurants were expected to use significantly different lexicons than the reviews of less expensive restaurants. In comparing lexical, grammatical and etymological choices across four price …

Social Perceptions Of Word-Final Alveolar Stop Deletion: Examining The Meaning Of A Sociophonetic Variable, Emily C. Dick

Open Access Theses

Word-final alveolar stop deletion is a form of variation that is found in many dialects of American English, and therefore, has been extensively studied and documented in the literature. Within the available literature, however, there is very little information to be found regarding if and how listeners use this variation to form initial judgments about a speaker’s character. The work described in this thesis is an attempt to begin bridging this literary gap. This thesis studies how both word-final alveolar stop deletion and speaker gender, as well as the interactions between these two factors, affect a listener’s initial opinions about …

Facilitating Willingness To Communicate (Wtc): Communication For Academic And Social Life (Casl), Sarah Elizabeth Fehrman

Open Access Theses

Much has been written about learner Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in a second language. Multiple factors, including anxiety, motivation, personality, and context, have been identified as contributing to language learners’ willingness (or lack thereof) to attempt to communicate in a second language. Current research has identified these factors, yet there has been very little work done on how to facilitate WTC in learners or provide instructors with specific strategies and tools to utilize in the classroom. This thesis will undertake a historical overview of the development of WTC theory, examine the main antecedents to WTC, and finally examine current research …

Effect Of A Brand Story Structure On Perceived Brand Image: The Mediating Role Of Immersion In A Brand Story Of A Luxury Hotel, Kyungin Ryu

Open Access Theses

Creating a more positive brand image in the competitive luxury hotel industry is an important goal for managers of such hotel brands. However, there are some skeptics as to the effectiveness of branding strategies of luxury hotels in developing a positive brand image for consumers. It has been suggested that consumers can be easily confused by the plethora of brand choices in the luxury hotel, making it difficult to remember a specific brand value differentiated from other choices. Based on psychographic research of luxury hotel consumers, these consumers have a tendency to prefer hedonic benefits stimulating emotional and symbolic benefits …

Turning A Multivalent Lens Toward Depictions Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Film, Ashley Ann Albrecht

Open Access Dissertations

With innovations in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) advancing at an exponential rate, it is ever the more pertinent to interrogate the ramifications and potentialities of these developments. Luciano Floridi, known as “the Google philosopher,” considers this phenomenon an integral part of the digital information age or the “Fourth Revolution.” We are now forced to confront the following problems: What is the relationship between humans and AI? What does it mean to be “human”? What futures are possible given our current coevolution with AI? Such questions motivate close philosophical consideration. Here, the theoretical polarization of the doomsday neo-Luddite versus …

Game On: Massively Multiplayer Online Games (Mmog) As Tools To Augment Teaching And Learning, Papia Bawa

Open Access Dissertations

The study investigated the use of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) in English and Business classrooms in Higher Education from the context of learners’ performance outcomes, as well as stakeholders’ (learners, administrators, and faculty) perceptions pertaining to their experiences when using an MMOG based curriculum. The findings strongly suggest that MMOGs helped enhance learner performances in statistically significant ways, and provided valuable insights into elements of interest and concerns of stakeholders about MMOG usage in classrooms. Based on these insights, I designed a practitioners’ guide to assist future scholars interested in this curricular approach. This guide provides innovative tips on …

Cultivating Asian Students' Willingness To Communicate In American Classrooms Using An Online Video-Based Pre-Arrival Course, Hui-Ching Kayla Hsu

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was: 1) to document the design and implementation process of an online video-based pre-arrival course that was intended to cultivate Asian students’ willingness to communicate in American Classrooms; 2) to assess the effectiveness of the course by measuring students’ oral proficiency and willingness to communicate; and 3) to investigate their first-year classroom participation as well as their experiences with the pre-arrival course. This research inquiry was guided by two research questions: 1) How does completing an online pre-arrival course influence Asian students’ speaking abilities, willingness to communicate, and verbal participation in their first-year …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy On The Student Learning Outcomes Of African American Male Students., Dennisha M. Murff

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the impact of implementing culturally responsive pedagogical practices on the student learning outcomes of African-American male students. The secondary purpose was to identify teachers’ perceptions of the culturally responsive pedagogy strategies needed in the classroom to address the diverse needs of African-American male students. The case study approach allowed for additional insight into the potential impact of culturally responsive pedagogical practices on the student learning outcomes of African-American male students in the elementary school setting. Data were collected from a large, diverse elementary school in an urban school …

Narrative Inquiry Into Understanding Chinese Teachers' Lived Experiences: Interculturalism, Intercultural Education, And Teacher Identity Development, Qing Wang

Open Access Dissertations

Globalization brings the trend that intercultural teacher recruitment and migration become more prominent, and teaching internationally is a worldwide phenomenon. My research is aimed at examining Chinese intercultural teachers’ lived experiences and identity development from a theoretical perspective of interculturalism. I employed narrative inquiry as the research methodology to explore the experiences of five Chinese teachers who have teaching experiences in China and in the U.S. To understand the Chinese teachers’ lived experiences and to explore their identity development, I examined the personal disposition and social contexts in which these teachers lived and worked, teaching practices in different cultures, and …

Using Multiple Ways To Investigate Cognitive Load Theory In The Context Of Physics Instruction, Tianlong Zu

Open Access Dissertations

Cognitive load theory (CLT) (Sweller 1988, 1998, 2010) provides us a guiding framework for designing instructional materials. CLT differentiates three subtypes of cognitive load: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. The three cognitive loads are theorized based on the number of simultaneously processed elements in working memory. Intrinsic cognitive load depends upon the number of interacting elements in the instructional material that are related to the learning objective. Extraneous cognitive load is the mental resources allocated to processing unnecessary information which does not contribute to learning as caused by non-optimal instructional procedure. It is determined by the number of interacting …

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Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Back Talk-When Your New Best Friend Is A Rattlesnake, Jim O'Donnell

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

The Suppression Of Satirizing Belgian Community Difficulties In Flemish Cinema And The Film Adaptation Of Will-O'-The Wisp, Gertjan Willems

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article "The Suppression of Satirizing Belgian Community Difficulties in Flemish Cinema and the Film Adaptation of Will-O'-the Wisp" Gertjan Willems analyzes two film projects of Frans Buyens. In 1970, Buyens received a positive funding recommendation for Top-Hit Girl, a satire about community difficulties in Belgium. However, Minister of Culture Frans van Mechelen refused to support the project because it conflicted with his pro-Flemish views. The minister successfully swept this controversial decision under the rug by offering Buyens the option to trade his socially critical project for a film adaptation of Willem Elsschot's novel Will-O'-the Wisp. …

Transnational Uses Of Mafia Imagery In Zadie Smith’S White Teeth, Andrea Ciribuco

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article "Transnational Uses of Mafia Imagery in Zadie Smith's White Teeth" Andrea Ciribuco discusses the literary representation of multiculturalism in Zadie Smith's first novel, White Teeth (2000). The novel focuses on multicultural encounters in Great Britain in the second half of the twentieth century. This article focuses on one site for these encounters: the character of Millat Iqbal, who joins a gang of teenagers and subsequently a radical Islamic group in his problematic search for identity and belonging. This search is characterized by Millat's tendency to define himself by reference to well-known pop-cultural Mafia figures, whom he …

Black Australia ‘Writes Back’ To The Literary Traditions Of Empire, Danica Čerče

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

I In her article "Black Australia 'Writes Back' to the Literary Traditions of Empire" Danica Čerče discusses the verse of Australian Indigenous authors Romaine Moreton and Alf Taylor, notable for the overt objection to the institutional and historical processes. These have enabled and maintained the dominant position of those identified as white on the one hand, and the concomitant political, economic, and cultural subordination of Indigenous Australians on the other. Focused on strategies and poetic devices used by the two poets to engage non-Indigenous readers in the experience of their writing, the article examines how the rhetoric of their critique …

Enriching And Cutting: How To Visualize Networks Thanks To Linked Open Data Platforms., Lea Saint-Raymond, Antoine Courtin

Artl@s Bulletin

Networks are developing very quickly in the social sciences, and they are beginning to emerge in art history. This paper explores the making of network visualizations, from the building of the dataset to the analysis of results. Starting from an initial corpus regarding the Parisian auction sales for modern paintings, we developed a methodology to enrich it, thanks to linked open data platforms and technologies for realigning datasets. We then call into question the visualization of networks. Although it brings about an overview of the market and allows a very close reading, the best is the enemy of the good: …

Network Analysis And Feminist Artists, Michelle Moravec

Artl@s Bulletin

This article examines the benefits and drawbacks of using social network analysis to study feminist artists’ networks. Looking at two of the author’s digital humanities projects, it explores the systemic and structural barriers that limit the utility of social network analysis for feminist artists. The first project on the social network of artist Carolee Schneemann analyzed her female circles through a correspondence network. The second project attempted to trace the circulation of feminist art manifestos in American feminist periodicals. Three factors are identified as constraining network analysis in these case studies, the lack of feminist artists’ archives, an insufficient amount …

Workshop As Network: A Case Study From Mughal South Asia, Yael Rice

Artl@s Bulletin

Over the course of Emperor Akbar’s reign (1556–1605), an exceptionally high volume of illustrated manuscripts was produced. The manuscript workshop was staffed accordingly: between the 1580s and early seventeenth century, over one hundred painters found employ at the Mughal court. Thanks to contemporaneous ascriptions found in the margins of the manuscripts’ illustrated pages, the artists’ names and the capacities (designer or colorist) in which they worked are known. This essay uses digital and sociological methods to examine networks of artistic collaborations across select manuscript projects, arguing that the structure of workshop production teams—in which membership frequently fluctuated—facilitated the formation of …

Co-Creating The Dialogic: How A Participatory Action Research Project Promoted Second Language Acquisition Of Karen Youth, Daniel Gilhooly, Liaquat Channa, Charles Allen Lynn

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

The case under investigation explores how a participatory action research (PAR) project between three Karen adolescent brothers and their American tutor/co-researchers can effectively promote dialogic (Wong, 2006) second language acquisition by: (1) creating dialogic teacher-student relationships; (2) building second language confidence and; (3) providing a problem posing learning atmosphere that promotes participants’ academic literacies and personal transformations. The findings from this study suggest that learning within what Paulo Freire refers to as a problem-posing educational project can promote language acquisition as well as critical consciousness, each of which are key in contributing to immigrant adaptation to the host culture. …

Tinkering With Comments: Tailoring Practice By Spying On Written Artifacts, Vicki Kennell, Amy Elliot, Joshua Weirick

Purdue Writing Lab/Purdue OWL Presentations

Using data from two IRB-approved research studies, this panel presentation explores methods of and uses for coding tutors' and writers' written comments about documents. Half the presentation focuses on asynchronous online tutorial comments, and the other half focuses on graduate writing group members' comments on their peers' documents. The presentation demonstrates how coding methods have implications for writing center programming because they help us identify areas for potential additional tutor training by highlighting what tutors actually do in online sessions and because they clarify the type of positive impact a writing group might have over time.

A Librarian's Journey To Becoming A Researcher-Practitioner, Frans Albarillo

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

To Blog Or Not To Blog-Blogs And Research, Pat Sabosik

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

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Against the Grain

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Q&A With Dr. Arthur Lupia On The State Of Openness And Transparency In Science, Eric Moran

Against the Grain

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Humanities Collaborations And Research Practices: Investigating New Modes Of Collaborative Humanities Scholarship, Harriett Green, Angela Courtney, Megan Senseney

Charleston Library Conference

This paper presents preliminary findings from “Humanities Collaborations and Research Practices: Exploring Scholarship in the Global Midwest,” (HCRP), a collaborative project led by librarians at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Indiana University that examines how collaborative and experimental research practices in the humanities affects scholarly practices, scholarly communication, and research outcomes.

The HCRP study examines a series of multi-institutional humanities research projects funded by the Humanities Without Walls (HWW) Global Midwest initiative, a Mellon Foundation-funded consortium of Midwest university humanities centers. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with scholars from diverse humanities disciplines who were HWW Global Midwest awardees. …

Reimagining Our World At Planetary Scale: The Big Data Future Of Our Libraries, Kalev Leetaru

Charleston Library Conference

No abstract provided.

Back Matter

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

No abstract provided.