Digital Commons Network^™

An Assessment Of The Hotel Customers’ Robotic Service Quality Perceptions: Scale Development And Validation, Ahmet Hacikara

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

"Hotel customers' interactions with service robots are becoming increasingly common, raising questions about how these interactions impact their experience. To address this gap in knowledge, this dissertation develops and validates a novel robotic service quality (ROBOQUAL) scale. Drawing on social exchange theory, the study examines the reciprocal relationship between hotel customers and artificially intelligent service robots, exploring how robotic service quality influences customers' perceptions of experience quality, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth intentions. The research employs focus-group studies, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and partial least squares equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to develop and validate the ROBOQUAL scale."

Curaçao's Tourism Transformation: Building A Legacy Of Growth, Manuel A. Rivera, Margaret Zorrilla

Hospitality+™ Center for Innovation and Training

Tourism in Curaçao has experienced remarkable growth, with total arrivals increasing from 582,400 in 2023 to 700,242 in 2024. This surge reflects the island’s rising appeal as a destination and sets the foundation for the significant economic contributions that follow.

One Beat, One Island: The Seamless Fusion Of Curaçao And The Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival, Manuel A. Rivera, Robertico Croes, Brianna Morman, Margaret Zorrilla

Hospitality+™ Center for Innovation and Training

The Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival (CNSJF) has established itself as a significant international event, attracting 6,232 attendees worldwide, significantly boosting the island’s tourism and cultural profile. Notably, 78.9% of attendees, or 4,917 "Festival-Passion Tourists," traveled to Curaçao specifically for the festival. These tourists were affluent and well-educated, primarily from the Netherlands, USA, Venezuela, Colombia, Aruba, and Suriname. Despite ongoing challenges with accessibility, particularly from Aruba, the festival strengthened perceptions of Curaçao as a destination, as evidenced by many visitors expressing intentions to return.[1] Held at the World Trade Center in Curaçao from August 29 through August 31, 2024, this …

Lobbying As A Means For Expanding The Communication Instructional Base In Higher Education Iii, Craig Newburger, Patricia L. Donat, Sherwyn P. Morreale

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Based on several national mandates, this essay examines the support for and importance of active advocacy among our discipline members in framing the conversation about oral communication proficiency, leading instructional design, and assessing student learning on our campuses. Recommended action involves the development and implementation of a coordinated strategy for engaging both institutional accreditors and those charged with the development and modification of individual campus general education requirements regarding the importance of communication scholars and instructors as principal designers of learning goals, subsequent learning activities, and the corresponding assessment of oral communication instruction on college campuses.

Journal Of The Association For Communication Administration: Complete Volume 41

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete volume of JACA Volume 41.

Application Of Multicultural Literature In The Early Childhood Classroom, Deborah Wheeler, Jennifer Hill

Journal of English Learner Education

Culture equates to identity; therefore, the implementation of multicultural literature in the early childhood curriculum is an essential method for securing children’s concept of self and cultural identity. This qualitative study explored the implementation of multicultural literature in early childhood classrooms, and the research included questions pertaining to multicultural literature training, instructional methods, and barriers encountered. The purpose of the study was to answer questions regarding teachers use of multicultural literature in the classroom, how often teachers read multicultural literature and how teachers integrated multicultural literature into instruction. An additional question inquired about what multicultural books titles were teachers reading …

Language, Cultural Knowledge, And Privileged Practices: A Case Study Of Understandings That Shape Family Engagement For Parents Of Spanish-English Emergent Bilinguals, Alissa Blair

Journal of English Learner Education

This research examines the ways in which parents of Spanish-English emergent bilinguals perceive and navigate the implicit and explicit expectations for family engagement through analysis of contrasting case studies of focal students from two 4^th grade classrooms, one characterized by English-medium instruction and the other by a developmental bilingual program. One case sheds light on the language barriers that hampered parents’ participation in their children’s education at school, while the other case highlights discrepancies in the understandings of parental and teacher roles and expectations. Findings demonstrate that parents’ capacity to meet school-based expectations was constrained by assumptions about their …

Best Practices For English Learners With Disabilities In Us Schools – A Systematic Review, Samiratu Bashiru, Jennifer E. Smith

Journal of English Learner Education

This systematic review investigated best practices for enhancing academic achievement among English Learners with Disabilities (ELDs) in US schools. By examining 17 peer-reviewed articles and comparing them to the CEC 2014 Quality Indicators, the study identifies significant practices, including culturally responsive methods, technology integration, evidence-based strategies, addressing service delivery challenges, and improving assessment tools. This review has limitations related to inconsistent terminology and highlights the need for standardized language and continued research. It recommends integrating culturally responsive practices, leveraging technology, and refining inclusive assessment tools. This review provides educators, policymakers, and researchers insights, emphasizing ongoing teacher development and policy alignment …

"Our Students Vs. Their Students:" Perceptions Of Teachers In English Language Learning, Leah Day

Journal of English Learner Education

The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of teachers on English Language Learners and how this shapes the educational paths of students. Data was collected in the form of interviews with the participants. The interviews were guided by a set of questions that were designed to interrogate perceptions and experiences with regard to language learning in the context of one student. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and the data was coded inductively. This study does not seek to generalize beyond this context but can provide insight into similar experiences and perceptions of the English Language Learning process. …

Asset-Based Teaching; Uncover, Cultivate, And Empower Students’ Uniqueness, Stephanie K. Knight, Marjaneh Gilpatrick, Tracy Vasquez

Journal of English Learner Education

As instructors who are in tune with their learners learning and communication styles as well as their family and cultural backgrounds, it makes sense that they view their students’ skills and abilities from an asset-based lens. This article provides the readers with some tactics on how to develop and nurture that growth mindset.

When we consider the assets students bring to individual classrooms, the teaching becomes more personalized and relevant to their learning needs. By implementing these teaching practices, instructors are uncovering, cultivating, and empowering their students’ unique abilities. Ultimately students are able to apply their knowledge, skills, and abilities …

Prevalence And Perceived Efficacy In The Treatment Of Rheumatoid And Psoriatic Arthritis With Curcumin And Cannabinoids, Neha Bhanusali, Richa Purohit

Research Data and Datasets

Introduction

Rheumatoid (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are autoimmune conditions that progressively destroy joints, causing chronic, often debilitating pain and drastically affecting the quality of life. Though cannabis has been legalized for medical use in most states in the United States (US), the safety and efficacy of its use in inflammatory arthritis have still not been satisfactorily established. It is also suggested that curcumin possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties.

Methods

This study utilized an observational, cross-sectional design to survey patients with RA and PsA presenting to a rheumatology clinic to establish the prevalence and perceived efficacy of curcumin and cannabinoids in …

Batch Withdraw Library Materials In Alma, Jeanne Piascik, Sai Deng, Robin Chan, Suphi Ogreten

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This talk discusses the deaccession project at the University of Central Florida Libraries from the perspective of Technical Service. It first provided the project background and scope, preparation for deaccession, and different workflows tested for the project. It then focuses on a mixed approach with manual and batch withdrawals to meet the library’s needs. It also addresses considerations in adopting a workflow for a collection or a set. Finally, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the batch withdraw workflow and the next steps that can be taken.

Visual Imagery Subcategories And Their Neural Associations, Miguel Ibarguren

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This literature review compiles research findings related to the brain areas associated with various visual imagery subcategories and explores their contributions to them. Through a search procedure, four research projects were used to identify ten distinct brain areas that demonstrated greater involvement in visual imagery. The visual imagery subcategories discussed in these research projects, and investigated in this review, include scene construction, episodic memory, imagery vividness, and visuospatial imagery. Scene construction was found to utilize the parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, and posterior parietal cortex. Episodic memory involves the same areas as scene construction, but also includes the precuneus and …

Football Obsession, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

While watching more and more college football in the last few days as the season comes to its close, I have been struck by what seems to be an increase in the frequency and intensity of the hits received by the players. Some players are knocked out and have concussions; some sustain fractures, while others experience lesser trauma across the body. As the speed and size of football players has increased over the past three decades, the collisions on the football field have become more violent.

Demographic Profile Of Accidental Drug Overdoses In 2020, Jacquelyn Reiss Phd, Amy Donley Phd, Alexandria Mcclarty Ba

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

This white paper presents a demographic profile of accidental drug overdoses in Orange County, Florida for the year 2020.

Engagement Across The Table, Chereeka Garner, Renee Cole Montgomery

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Librarians may not realize the potential of connecting with students during tabling and other outreach events. On this poster, we will outline outreach efforts at the University of Central Florida Libraries have positively impacted student awareness of library resources and services. Often overlooked, these events may be the only opportunity to engage with new student populations and make them feel welcome in the library. It is important to meet students where they are both physically and cognitively. Examples will include partnering with various campus organizations to host a table at student-centered events, promoting underutilized library resources at various locations within …

Mysticism And Medieval Society: Stories And Their Impact, Gabriella P. Gomes, Lexi Schwartzberg

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2023

The Middle Ages was a time when mysticism often overtook reality. Creatures such as witches, dragons, and sciapods were thought to be real, and people took precautions against them. While tales of these creatures entertain us today, their presence in the minds of the medieval society in which they developed had dangerous consequences. The myth of witches allowed for the persecution of people who defied the social order and committed innocent acts that were rebranded as heresy. The myth of dragons was used to alienate supposed enemies of the Christian religion. These myths were so influential that their images have …

Meeting Minutes 11-15-2023, Staff Advisory Council

Staff Advisory Council Meeting Documents

No abstract provided.

Ai, Cataloging & Metadata, Sai Deng

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This presentation explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on cataloging and metadata, presenting examples of AI-based cataloging. It provides a few examples of utilizing ChatGPT, Bard and Bing Chat Enterprise for tasks such as creating a MARC record, classifying a book and assigning thesaurus terms. The discussion covers AI’s potential in cataloging and metadata within the library field, along with its advantages and disadvantages. It also addresses how cataloging and metadata professionals should navigate the integration of AI in this new environment. The initial presentation took place at the University of Central Florida Libraries’ AI Interest Group meeting, and …

The Protopopovs, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Just about a week ago, the Russian Skating Federation announced the death of Oleg Protopopov. He and his wife, Ludmila Belusova, who died in 2017, were the first of the many great Russian pairs figure skaters who came out of the Soviet Union to initiate the international Soviet dominance in pairs figure skating. The Protopopovs elevated pairs skating to new levels of artistry, consistently performing as near to perfection as humanly possible.

Supplemental Material: Undergraduate Research Programs For Stem Transfer Success: A Multi-Institutional Approach, Kimberly R. Schneider

High Impact Practices

No abstract provided.

Bobby Knight, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Late last week, the news of the death of Robert Montgomery Knight was announced. I have let this news settle while traveling and also because I didn’t want to make too hasty a response. Those who have read this column over several years may be familiar with my views on the late great basketball coach. Over the last few days, I have been reading obituaries and tributes, as well as going back to read my own writing on Bobby Knight that dates back into the late 1990s. My last piece on his legacy was written when Knight retired from coaching …

The Power Flower: Inclusion And Diversity Activity, Marwa Younes

Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository

The strategy, titled ‘The power Flower: Inclusion and Diversity Activity’, is designed to enhance students' awareness of multiple intersecting identities that they have. It can be used for fostering inclusion and promote diversity in a classroom. It encourages students to accept others and work with others with respect.

Our Digital Accessibility Journey: Charting An Inclusive Path In An Academic Library, Bobby Ciullo, Lee Dotson, Sara Duff, Missy Murphey, Rachel E. Trnka

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Meeting Minutes 10-18-2023, Staff Advisory Council

Staff Advisory Council Meeting Documents

No abstract provided.

Keeping The Light On: Academic Librarians & Burnout (Conference Presentation), Jason D. Phillips, Laura Pitts, Jessica Riedmueller, Joanna Warren

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

There is substantial research about sources of burnout among academic librarians; however, very little addresses the impact of the local environment. Responding to regional and institutional shifts while still trying to uphold the values of librarianship such as providing confidential and free access to information can quickly lead to mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion, classic symptoms of burnout. A panel discussion was hosted at the Arkansas Library Association (ArLA) / Southeast Library Association (SELA) Joint Conference, on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Academic librarians from different Southern states discussed their local environments, their libraries’ responses to recent events, and their strategies …

Meeting Minutes 09-20-2023, Staff Advisory Council

Staff Advisory Council Meeting Documents

No abstract provided.

Coco Gauff, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It seems to me that the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, played at the end of the summer each year, has consistently produced some of the greatest sports highlights of the year. I have been particularly conscious of this since I started writing these essays over thirty years ago. Almost every September, I have been inspired by something at the Open that prompted me to produce one of these essays. Looking at my records, I see that the second essay on Sport and Society that I ever wrote was in September of 1991. It had as its subject the contrast between …

Leveraging Accessible Tourism Development Through Mega-Events, And The Disability-Attitude Gap, Michael Duignan, Ian Brittain, Marcus Hansen, Alan Fyall, Simon Gerard, Stephen Page

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Able-bodied, and increasingly people with disabilities, represent a key audience for mega-events; occasions that act as crucibles where social problems endemic to host destinations can be exposed and tackled through targeted social policy. Drawing on the social model of disability, the paper examines how Japan utilised Tokyo 2020 as a field configuring event to disrupt systems of ableist thinking and tackle physical and attitudinal barriers restricting Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to accessible tourism. Qualitative evidence reveals national commitments to relegitimise, improve accessibility for - and acceptance toward - PwD in Japanese society, through transformations to the built environment, national awareness, …

Big 10, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over the past several weeks the world of college sports has gone into overdrive in an attempt to milk the public for as much cash as is humanly possible. The money game this time around has centered on conferences seeking to expand their membership, which mathematically means shrinking the size of the membership of other conferences or, even better, wiping out the conference competition entirely.