Digital Commons Network^™

Supporting Students With An Autism Spectrum Disorder In Engineering: K-12 And Beyond, Jennifer L. Kouo, Alexis Hahn, Sarah Morton, Jay Gregorio

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Individuals with disabilities, including individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. With the importance of STEM skills in future employment and other disciplines, effective instructional strategies must be identified to enhance early and sustained access to STEM for students with ASD. However, the literature identifying effective STEM-specific supports and practices for this population of students is sparse and regarding engineering, there are no empirical studies that focus on teaching engineering skills to students with ASD. Therefore, the article aims to provide an overview of the available literature on the perspectives …

Examining Mentorship In The Field Of Sign Language Interpreting: An Application Of Relational Dialectics Theory, Hanna Hoekman

Theses

Using relational dialectics theory, this study examined mentoring approaches and dialectical tensions that occur in mentoring relationships in the field of sign language interpreting. The traditional function of a mentor is to provide guidance or support to someone who has less experience than themselves. This study focuses on a deeper understanding of the dynamics of mentoring relationships in the field of sign language interpreting. Using a qualitative approach, I conducted semi-structured interviews with sign language interpreters who have been in the role of mentor and mentee. The results, based on interviews with mentors and mentees, show that mentors and mentees …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Eating Competence And Biopsychosocial Factors In Adults With Metabolic Syndrome, Jenna Hickey

Theses

Background: An association between eating competence and bioclinical factors for healthy adults has been identified. However, no research has been conducted into the association of ecSI 2.0TM scores and biopsychosocial measures for adults with metabolic syndrome. Purpose: To examine the congruence between eating competence and biopsychosocial measures at baseline and post-intervention in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Self report surveys administered to participants: Satter Eating Competence Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM), Short Form Health Survey Mental Health and Vitality scales(SF-36 MH and VT), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Patient Health Questionnaire – 8 (PHQ-8). Bioclinical measures: HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, BMI, and …

Coda -- Or -- Now What?, Abriana Jette, Brandi Reissenweber

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

The special issue editors reflect on the issue's contents and offer further suggestions for moving forward.

Cultivating The Cyborg Voice: Technology In The Creative Writing Classroom, Rebecca Valley

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This article takes a critical look at pieces generated from a capstone project in a recent mixed-genre Intro to Creative Writing workshop. It was inspired by an open-ended creative project asking students to use technology to generate unconventional works of fiction, poetry, memoir, and theatre. Writer and educator Rebecca Valley's hope when assigning this project was to encourage students to innovate and step outside their standard forms. But beyond mere innovation of form, students surprised her in their capacity to use technology to hybridize their authorial voices – rather than merely changing the form of their own words, they became …

What Do Introductory Students Learn By Creating Shareable Digital Artifacts?, Jill Stukenberg

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

In this critical reflection, an instructor of Introduction to Creative Writing discusses student learning from the study and creation of “sharable digital artifacts”—for example poem films and Instagram poetry. This practice benefits both non-majors and majors as students make gains in specific skills of revision, metaphor making, and image creation. Further, students make gains in threshold concepts of creative writing through the activity of transferring their knowledge across creative writing genres.

Writing Here, Writing Now; Making Sense Of It All: Examining Cultural And Historical Context In The Introductory Creative Writing Class, Oindrila Mukherjee

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Writers are a product of their environment. The time and place in which they live inevitably impact what they write, why they write, and how they write. I assign a brief reflection essay in my Introduction to Creative Writing class which asks students to consider social, historical, and cultural factors that influence the poetry, fiction, or nonfiction they write, either directly or indirectly. It encourages students to identify patterns in their writing, and to reflect on what it means to live in a specific part of the world at a specific time in history. This makes them more aware of …

The Craft Of The Unknown: Transnational Texts In The Creative Writing Classroom, Hannah Kroonblawd

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This article addresses the role(s) reading and exemplar texts play in the creative writing classroom, as well as the responsibility taken up by the creative writing instructor as they place particular texts before their students. Focusing on the introductory creative writing classroom and beginning with a general overview of the purpose (university-prescribed or generally implied) of such a space, this article promotes expansive and generous reading practices via transnational texts. Using cosmopolitanism as an anchor, and concluding with a list of practical in-print and online resources, this article asks how creative writers learn to make meaning, both for others and …

The Public Poster: An Exploration Of Storytelling In Poster Design, Elizabeth Hiler

Theses

Research suggests that it is incredibly difficult for a person to change their mind. Confirmation bias and echo chambers are just a few of the reasons people do not give themselves the opportunity to explore new stories, ideas, beliefs. It is now our challenge to connect with people in unconventional ways and explore storytelling in new spaces to give difficult topics more accessibility to public discourse. The Public Protest Poster can be found at the start of most movements for social and political change by creating a simplified statement with a strong graphic for instant impact. Yet, protest posters rely …

The Importance Of Shifting From Massive To Sustainable Tourism Model: The Case Study Of The City Of Dubrovnik, Niko Katusic

Theses

Tourism is currently one of the largest economical income generators for Croatia and especially for the city of Dubrovnik. Desired worldwide for its economic benefits tourism is going to double during the next 20 years. Considering mass tourism as the main definition for tourism in 21 century that cannot be neglected by current efforts to implement sustainable tourism, this paper draws attention to improved satisfaction that sustainable tourism can provide to locals and tourists operating in the city of Dubrovnik. The question of satisfaction level for stakeholders in tourism destinations is connected to the psychological characteristics and motivation of tourists …

Punnett Square Or Protein Production? The Expert-Novice Divide For Conceptions Of Genes And Gene Expression, Dina L. Newman, Aeowynn Coakley, Aidan Link, Korinne Mills, Leslie Kate Wright

Articles

Concepts of molecular biology and genetics are difficult for many biology undergraduate students to master yet are crucial for deep understanding of how life works. By asking students to draw their ideas, we attempted to uncover the mental models about genes and gene expression held by biology students (n = 23) and experts (n = 18) using semistructured interviews. A large divide was identified between novice and expert conceptions. While experts typically drew box-and-line representations and thought about genes as regions of DNA that were used to encode products, students typically drew whole chromosomes rather than focusing on gene structure …

An Artificial Intelligence Tool For Accessible Science Education, Jacob D. Watters, April Hill Dr., Melissa Weinrich Dr., Cary Supalo, Feng Jiang Dr.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

One of the most important issues in accessible science education is creating a laboratory workspace accessible to blind students or students with visual impairments (VI). Although these students are often provided access to the science lectures, they are usually denied full participation in hands-on laboratory work. Current solutions to this problem focus on providing special accommodations such as asking sighted lab partners to complete the hands-on work. Although the accessibility of laboratory devices in modern science education has been improved in recent years, students with VI often remain passive learners. In this work, we developed a new artificial intelligence tool, …

Making Scientific And Technical Materials Pervasively Accessible, Jason J.G. White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this paper, the question is explored of what policies, standards and practices are desirable to ensure that hardware, software and publications in the sciences and associated disciplines are created from the outset to be accessible to people with disabilities. Insight into this question can be obtained by considering the unique accessibility challenges that these materials pose, including complexities of notation, language, and graphical representation.

Having analyzed what sets this problem apart from broader issues of accessibility, the advantages and limitations of current international standards are reviewed, and contemporary developments in standards and policies are considered from a strategic perspective. …

The Perceptions Of Teachers Of Students With Visual Impairments On Students With Visual Impairments And Graphing: How To Teach, Ashley N. Nashleanas Ph.D.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Many gaps exist in what is known around teaching students with visual impairments (SVI) about how to use graphs (Rosenblum et al., 2018; Rosenblum & Herzberg, 2015; Zebehazy & Wilton, 2014a;2014b;2014c). When teachers first experience a student with a visual impairment, some of the questions that come to mind are: How can I be sure this student understands what I am saying about these graphs I show on the board? Will this student be able to keep up? The study herein, based on findings from Author (2018), serves as a guide for teachers to consider in the case that SVI …

Build Your Own Body Mod: Empowerment Through Prototyping And Design, Anaiss Arreola, Katherine R. Ganim

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

When you don’t have a hand, what could you have instead? This article introduces the impact of inviting youth with disabilities to learn tools and technology to design their own solutions and advocate for their own future. This approach to programming is rooted in a mindset of designing WITH, not FOR. Not only are design outcomes improved when users are incorporated into the process, but this approach has been shown to improve confidence in creating one’s own solutions. These programs include hands-on “design-your-own-body-mod” workshops, as well as a budding inclusive design consultancy led by youth with disabilities. Through this programming, …

Comparing Adobe’S Unsharp Masks And High-Pass Filters In Photoshop Using The Visual Information Fidelity Metric, Nhung T. Pham

Theses

The present study examines image sharpening techniques quantitatively. A technique known as unsharp masking has been the preferred image sharpening technique for imaging professionals for many years. More recently, another professional-level sharpening solution has been introduced, namely, the high-pass filter technique of image sharpening. An extensive review of the literature revealed no purely quantitative studies that compared these techniques. The present research compares unsharp masking (USM) and high-pass filter (HPF) sharpening using an image quality metric known as Visual Information Fidelity (VIF). Prior researchers have used VIF data in research aimed at improving the USM sharpening technique. The present study …

Alzheimer's Disease, Media Representation, And Audience Reception, Taylor Dakota Thum

Theses

The purpose of this study is to see how Alzheimer's disease and dementia are misperceived in the media, how this affects audience viewpoints, and how accurate depictions that challenge those stereotypes may or may not change audience perception. Common stereotypes depicted in the media include Alzheimer’s and dementia being one disease, only individuals older than 60 years old having this disease, and it being a slow and painful progression towards the end of life. Using Stuart Hall’s audience reception theory, I will see if viewers accept, negotiate, or oppose the media that challenges those stereotypes presented to them in contrast …

1:38, Yuhao Sheng

Theses

This thesis support paper demonstrated the entire process of creating this thesis film "1:38," describing how this film completed from a simple inspiration to a finished film project. Besides, this paper also describes how the author's ideas formed from the beginning and his inner struggle during the quarantine period, which inspired the author to create this film. Thirdly, this paper clarifies how the whole film team worked and our considerations about different problems during the film shooting. I believe this paper would be a good reference for the students to shoot their films with a low budget.

Flip: An Interaction Design Project For Helping People To Break Echo Chamber, Rong Zhao

Theses

Social media constantly instills you with the things you like and the things you are willing to believe in, even disinformation, creating an echo chamber in which users will never have other opinions. People are controlled by algorithms so that social media platforms ensure we only get a single side of every story. The personalization of social media minimizes people's view of the world and causes the division of society. My thesis explores the interaction methods to encourage people to be exposed to multiple perspectives about things by reading the same story from different sources. To solve the problem, I …

Strange Weather We're Having: Save Your Town Together, Today, Ben Mclauchlin

Theses

We don’t talk about climate change with our friends and family and that’s a problem. The systemic harm of climate change will continue to impact us if we continue to avoid addressing what we can do to help. Strange Weather We’re Having is a semi-cooperative board game designed to cultivate conversation, inspire joy, and spread awareness about what you can do to help against climate change. This game accomplishes this through the use of collectively-supportive game mechanics, vibrant visuals, and dialogue designed to spark hope and delight. Players become residents who are susceptible to different stressors caused by climate change. …

Communication Of Feelings, Linge Lin

Theses

The making of art should not be isolated from the idea of its audiences who make the artwork complete. However, it might end up as something insincere if one tries to please their audience too much. When an artist initiates a conversation with an audience, they must not be overwhelmed by the idea of appealing to them. I used this principle throughout the process of making my thesis film, Hold Me, which depicts my experience of coming-out to my mother, and our confrontations afterward. The film traces my life trajectory from my childhood until now, and illustrates how I started …

Modeling Perceptual Trade-Offs For Designing Hdr Displays, Yongmin Park

Theses

Display technology has evolved in pursuit of perceptual pleasure by providing realism and visual impact. The endeavor of the evolution has brought HDR displays to the market. HDR displays, which have become the mainstream display technology recently, are considered not only the present but also the future of displays because of their daunting technical goals: A peak luminance of 10,000 cd/m^2 and near-monochromatic primaries. However, both positive and negative prospects in terms of perceptual aspects for future HDR displays coexist. On the positive side, it is expected that HDR displays will provide better image quality and more vivid color. On …

The Influence Of Herbivory On Macrophyte Community Structure And Nitrogen Retention In Created Wetlands, Evan Squier

Theses

Wetlands are frequently created to mitigate the loss of natural wetlands due to commercial expansion. However, wetland ecosystem function is determined by complex abiotic and biotic interactions that are not well understood in natural wetlands, and even less so in created wetlands. This lack of understanding may lead to shortcomings in meeting desired restoration outcomes. Key abiotic drivers in wetlands include hydrology and nutrient availability, while herbivory provides both direct and indirect controls on plant communities and biogeochemical cycling. I hypothesized that by decreasing emergent plant biomass and shifting plant community structure to favor submerged plants, large grazers such as …

Ressentir: A Multi-Layered Visual Filter For Enhancing Cinematic Experience, Anirudh Srinivasan

Theses

Watching any digital content without audio is going to be monotonous, as one vital component of cinema is lost entirely. Removing audio will significantly affect cinematic experience and make movie-watching extremely boring for someone who cannot hear. Audio, in a movie, is comprised of dialogs, music and background sounds. One must realize that removing audio would take away, not just sound but also emotions attached to scenes. At times there might be only background score, which does not necessarily mean that these scenes are unimportant. There are obviously instances where music alone would get across the message. This thesis explores …

Urban Farming Design In Los Angeles: An Adaptive Reuse Project In Response To Food Crisis And Housing Crisis, Pin-Han Su

Theses

As the world population is constantly growing and will reach 9 billion people by 2050, the current danger to the world's food supply system creates a severe challenge. By 2050, more populations will be living in the cities and creating higher demand on food supply, but the farmable lands on our planet could be much less because of climate change and urbanization. Agricultural leaders have argued that cities will need to produce food internally to respond to demand by increasing population and to avoid harmful pollution and unaffordable food prices. Architecture, as the most influential element affecting our daily life, …

Methane Emissions From Stormwater Ponds, Brianna Pollard

Theses

Methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas that has a global warming potential 28 times larger than carbon dioxide (CO2) on a 100-year horizon. Methane emissions from inland freshwater sources are not as well understood as those from other sources; however, current estimates suggest that they account for a significant portion of global CH4 emissions. Emissions from inland waters are difficult to measure due to their high spatiotemporal variability, leading to high levels of uncertainty and a need for more CH4 flux data from these freshwater systems. Increased runoff associated with urbanization has led to construction of man-made inland waters …

Concretization Of Depression, Jing Zhou

Theses

Depression is a common mental disorder, but many people cannot understand the pain experienced by depression patients. Even after having a certain understanding of depression, it is difficult for us as normal people to empathize with the true inner feelings of depression patients. However, some people not only fail to understand the depressed patients, but they also speak slanderously and scold these depressive patients for their overly emotional actions. For these reasons, I want to show the true feelings of depression patients or the pain experienced as a depression patient through motion graphics. Motion graphic is an effective way to …

Athena: A Digital Educational Experience For Visual Learners, Adrianna Petrus

Theses

Athena is a design system for an online learning experience that uses motion graphics and information design along with succinct narratives and engaging web page browsing to help visual learners comprehend complex information. This system will leverage several theories, such as Pictorial Superiority Effect, which suggests vision is the most powerful pathway to the brain,(1) as well as Dual Coding Theory, explaining that two senses stimulated at once will increase comprehension.(2) Conveying content like “Marketing Ethics” in an effective way can be difficult. Visual education can bridge the pathway to these topics in an interactive way that incorporates animation, audio, …

Orthorexia Nervosa: A Multidisciplinary Analysis Of The Gaps In Current Research, Education, And Diagnostic Efforts, Olivia Drew Garror

Theses

Background: Orthorexia nervosa (ON), a term coined in the late 1990s by Steven Bratman, MD, is characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with practicing a “healthy diet”. There is scant reliable literature on the topic and it remains unrecognized as a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 5. Thus, debate surrounding its legitimacy as a diagnosis continues. However, eating disorders (EDs) in the category Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED), including ON, account for the highest percentage of ED diagnoses in the U.S. Although primary care physicians are often the first to encounter patients suffering from …

Argument For A Critical Perspective In Residential Architecture, James S. Burns

Theses

This thesis analyzes the theories of Critical Regionalism, including specific building techniques that use timber frame construction, site planning, and energy analysis, and applies them to a property in southwestern New York state. The property is situated on a small body of water called Loon Lake. This is a rural setting, but is highly populated along the waterfront. The lake is about three miles in length and the site of approximately 120 homes and cottages. The lake is considered private; however, there are frequent visitors who are granted access by local property owners to the water via boat. The lake …