Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Teacher Characteristics And Perceptions Of Grading Practices On Student Grade Outcomes, Michael B. Meechin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, if any, between teachers' grade distributions and other moderating factors (i.e., teacher perceptions of grading practices as indicated on the Teacher Perceptions of Grading Practices Survey (TPGPS), grade level taught, enrollment in teacher preparation program, and grading practice methodology). A Pearson correlation was used to research statistical significance in the relationship of a teacher’s perceptions of grading practices as measured by the TPGPS and their grade distribution (as measured by an average of scores, calculated on a 4.0 scale, in one course over one academic quarter). A one-way ANOVA was …

Internet-Of-Things Privacy In Wifi Networks: Side-Channel Leakage And Mitigations, Mnassar Alyami

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

WiFi networks are susceptible to statistical traffic analysis attacks. Despite encryption, the metadata of encrypted traffic, such as packet inter-arrival time and size, remains visible. This visibility allows potential eavesdroppers to infer private information in the Internet of Things (IoT) environment. For example, it allows for the identification of sleep monitors and the inference of whether a user is awake or asleep.

WiFi eavesdropping theoretically enables the identification of IoT devices without the need to join the victim's network. This attack scenario is more realistic and much harder to defend against, thus posing a real threat to user privacy. However, …

A Comparative Case Of The Sense Of Belonging Of Students And Black Neighborhood Stakeholders Utilizing Public Recreational Space Near An Urban College Campus, Briyanna N. Jenkins

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

At a time when regulation impacting colleges and universities has steadily increased, institutional leaders have explored ways to maximize their educational effectiveness, impact, and public contribution to their surrounding communities. Public colleges and universities often use public-private partnerships to develop institutionally owned or managed spaces on and surrounding their campuses. As a result, institutional stakeholders are infused with existing community neighborhoods, cultures and structures, which often results in permanent change imposed on these neighbors and neighborhoods. Using a comparative case study approach, this exploratory research explored the relationship between campus stakeholders utilizing campus and private recreational spaces and their sense …

Understanding Health-Seeking Decision-Making Process And Behavior Among Haitian Immigrants: A Grounded Theory Approach, Shelleta Ladonice

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Black people in the U.S. die at younger ages, have significantly higher rates of death from treatable medical conditions, are more likely to have late-stage breast and colon cancer diagnoses and more likely to die from these cancers, and are at higher risk for chronic illnesses compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Accessing healthcare is crucial to health and well-being; however, U.S. immigrants' use of healthcare services is far less than native-born Americans. Haitian immigrants experience health disparities at the highest rate compared to other Black immigrants in the U.S. Given their unique history, culture, and immigration experience, it …

Social Cognition, Anhedonia, And Support In Relation To Depression Severity In Individuals With Breast Cancer, Samantha D. Simpson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Breast cancer is associated with significant disruption in social support, social cognition, and depression. This study seeks to explore social and emotional factors using the integrative model for social reward processing. To better understand these relationships, 103 women with breast cancer (e.g., stage I – IV; mean age = 58.74, SD = 11.48; range 25 - 82) completed the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System - Depression Scale, Medical Outcomes Study- Social Support Survey, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Path analysis, controlling for current breast cancer stage and history of …

Exploring The Challenges Of First Grade Students' Non-Exit From Mathematics Intervention: A Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Instruction And Best Practices During Intervention, Lori Hart

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This qualitative study aimed to examine the challenges surrounding the non-exit of first grade students from mathematics intervention programs, particularly focusing on Atlantic Elementary School within the Gulf County Public School District. Against the backdrop of declining mathematics proficiency, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this study investigates the effectiveness of mathematics intervention and its alignment with best practices in mathematics instruction. While mathematics intervention aims to support students needing additional support with mathematical concepts, there exists a notable gap in understanding why many primary students do not transition successfully from mathematics intervention on grade level prior to advancing to the …

Lesson Study As A Catalyst For Including Concepts And Procedures In Planning And Implementing Fraction-Based Mathematics Lessons: An Elementary School Case Study, Nisha A. Phillip Malahoo

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This qualitative case study investigated how lesson study influenced teachers’ pedagogical strategies and content knowledge by leveraging the interplay between conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, with conceptual knowledge forming the foundation for procedural fluency in the planning and implementation of fraction-based mathematics tasks. The study aimed to address two research questions: (1) How does the engagement of teachers in the creation and analysis of fraction-based mathematics tasks in lesson study influence their instructional decision-making processes? and (2) How do teachers construct pedagogical strategies that integrate procedural and conceptual knowledge through lesson study? The sample size consisted of seven elementary school …

Millimeter-Wave Software-Defined Radios With Programmable Directionality, Marc H. Jean

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Fifth generation (5G) networks are currently being deployed at millimeter wave (mmWave) bands, beyond 22 GHz. The wireless node density and gigabit-per-second demands of 5G Internet-of Things (IoT) devices are pushing for more spatial reuse and higher frequency bands, which can be achieved by directional beamforming methods. Over the years, researchers have relied on synthetic data and simulation for studying directionality and beamforming, due to the lack and high cost of mmWave hardware. Hence, there is a major need for software-defined radio (SDR) platforms that enable programmable directionality in wireless studies and experimentation. Recently, more affordable and commercially available mmWave …

Investigating K–12 Teachers’ Attitudes, Beliefs, And Self-Efficacy After Implementation Of Problem-Based Learning, Paulina Bzdun

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This mixed-methods study investigated the factors that impact K–12 teachers' perceived self-efficacy, attitudes, and beliefs regarding the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL), with a specific focus on the influences within a K–11 schoolwide setting. The first part of the study analyzed 21 responses to the pre- and post- Teacher PBL Self-Efficacy, Attitude, and Implementation Questionnaires; the second part analyzed three individual teachers’ interview responses gathered during one-on-one Zoom interviews with the researcher.

The quantitative data questionnaires covered relationships between teachers’ perceived attitudes and beliefs, self-efficacy, and implementation of problem-based learning. Findings showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between …

Advancing Policy Insights: Opinion Data Analysis And Discourse Structuring Using Llms, Aaditya Bhatia

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The growing volume of opinion data presents a significant challenge for policymakers striving to distill public sentiment into actionable decisions. This study aims to explore the capability of large language models (LLMs) to synthesize public opinion data into coherent policy recommendations. We specifically leverage Mistral 7B and Mixtral 8x7B models for text generation and have developed an architecture to process vast amounts of unstructured information, integrate diverse viewpoints, and extract actionable insights aligned with public opinion. Using a retrospective data analysis of the Polis platform debates published by the Computational Democracy Project, this study examines multiple datasets that span local …

Aspira And The Young Lords: Examining Their Impact On Fostering A Puerto Rican Cultural Identity In New York City During The 1960s And 1970s, Asmara M. Cortes-Caba

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis examines how the organizations ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party fostered a cultural identity within Puerto Ricans in New York or “Nuyoricans.” ASPIRA, founded in 1961 by Antonia Pantoja, aimed to create leaders who would later give back to their communities. They established clubs for Puerto Rican high school students in schools and at ASPIRA centers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx. The Young Lords Party, founded in 1969, was a grassroots organization that fought against social injustices through their initiatives called “offensives.” ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party contributed greatly towards the development of a Nuyorican identity and …

Impact Of Social Support On Turnover Intentions And Burnout Among Hispanic Religious Leaders, Sandra Montenegro

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In some cases, role stressors force members of the clergy to rely on social support to maintain themselves serving in ministry. In this study, the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model is applied to investigate the interaction between vocational demands (role stressors and occupational distress) and resources (social support) in predicting burnout and turnover intentions in Florida clergy. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the buffering role of social support systems in mitigating turnover intentions and the overall impact on clergy burnout. The findings suggest that role overload, role conflict, and occupational distress are significantly related to burnout, …

Exploring How Administrative Factors Including Mentoring, Compensation, And Workload Impact The Retention Rates Of Novice Title I Teachers, Danielle Jones

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study explores the administrative factors impacting the experiences and retention rate of Title I beginning-year teachers that have 1-3 years of experience. Considering Title I schools primarily serve students from marginalized backgrounds, understanding the role of administrative factors becomes crucial. These factors significantly influence both student outcomes and teacher effectiveness, emphasizing the need for further exploration. For this reason, this research seeks to identify and understand the impacts administrative structures have on the performance, satisfaction, and retention of new teachers in Title I schools. This quantitative study will examine the experiences and outcomes of new teachers in Title I …

Bootstrap Regression For Investigating Macroeconomics Factors Affecting Usa Home Prices, Benedict Kongyir, Emil Agbemade

Data Science and Data Mining

This study investigates the impact of macroeconomic indicators on US home prices, underscoring the importance of understanding these dynamics due to their signifcant socioeconomic consequences. Utilizing a dataset from Kaggle, originally collected by FRED, the research examines variables like the Consumer Price Index, Population, Unemployment, GDP, Stock Prices, Income, and Mortgage Rate to discern their efect on housing market fuctuations. The analysis identifes multicollinearity among predictors, necessitating a shift from traditional multiple linear regression to a more robust bootstrap regression method due to violations of parametric assumptions. Key fndings reveal that Real Disposable Income is a signifcant predictor of home …

Predicting Road Accident Injury Severity For Drivers In Automobile Crashes In United States Using Machine Learning Models And Ai, Emil Agbemade, Benedict Kongyir

Data Science and Data Mining

This study analyzes data from the National Highway Trafc Safety Administration’s 2021 Crash Report Sampling System to identify key factors contributing to the severity of injuries in car accidents. By utilizing various machine learning algorithms and cross-validation techniques, we assessed metrics such as accuracy, sensitivity, precision, specifcity, and the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the efectiveness of predictive models. All data preprocessing and model building was done using KNIME Analytical software [9]. Our fndings reveal signifcant correlations between certain variables such as airbag injection, weather conditions, intoxication, vehicle state, driver distractions, and injury severity. These insights underscore the …

Volume Xxxi (2024)

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

"Through A Bourbon Bottle Darkly": Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings And Norton Baskin Discuss Love And Alcohol, Florence Turcotte

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Diamond's Hidden Gems - Introduction, Diamond R. Williams

Libraries' Documents

No abstract provided.

How To Keep Involved For The​ "Lazy" And The "Scared", Malcolm D. Gambles Ii

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024

This presentation is essentially a collection of my own experiences and the strategies that have helped me remain consistent in my service-learning journey. I had a lot of passion when coming up with this presentation because I now have the ability to talk about the struggles I faced when on my service-learning journey and way to maybe help others suffering from the same problems. As someone who has both been considered "lazy," and "scared," when it comes to handling my responsibilities in my early childhood and young adult life, I have picked up many techniques to help me stay involved. …

Reforming Public Institutions To Ensure Fairness And Opportunity, Ryan P. Kaufman, Nolan J. Loch, Kim Nguyen, Katie S. Weinstock, Parnika Chintapalli

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024

By creating an issue guide, we are able to express our concerns and suggestions for what opportunities there are to address this issue. With a topic about America impacting almost everyone who views the guide, there is going to be someone that learns about how they can potentially make an impact in their community. As a class, we divided each section of the guide into a different group, this way each group was able to do more focused research. We created research papers and created drats to be assembled into the finished product. We learned that these are experiences that …

What Effect Does Helminth Infection Have On An Adult's Immune System?, Shanzida Toha

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024

The research question is, how does the prevalence of helminth infections impact the immune system of adult patients? To clarify this subject: How does the prevalence of helminth infections affect the immune system of adult patients? Specifically, can helminth exposure help individuals reactivate T-cells to improve immunity and mitigate TB while providing preventative benefits for metabolic conditions?

This concept suggests that we could explore helminth-based therapies to treat or even prevent metabolic conditions that are precursors to cardiovascular disease. Such a therapeutic approach could be revolutionary, especially for populations without access to costly medications like insulin or blood pressure drugs. …

House Bill 87: The Taking Of Bears Act, Sydney M. Stillman, Hala Hafez, Emelina Brown, Sara Stricklin, Adriana Chaparro-Gonzalez

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2024

The purpose of this project is to bring awareness to a bill that was recently proposed to the Florida Senate. This bill is House Bill 87 titled "The Taking of Bears Act". If passed, it would allow for the legal taking of bears on private property, if an individual feels that the bear is threatening them or their pets safety. This project aims to bring a greater level of understanding to the public about the advantages and disadvantages of House Bill 87 and actions that can be made in response to the bill at hand. The greatest risk of passing …

The Impact Of Gun Violence: A Study On Mass Killings In The United States, Abigail Wright, Oma Persaud, Tindrew Chen

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024

This study examines the impacts of gun violence in the United States from 2006 to October 2024, focusing on factors influencing the casualties in mass shooting incidents. Utilizing the predictors: number of offenders, region, location, incident type, and gun type we employed a Negative Binomial Regression Model due to its suitability for handling high variance and over-dispersion in the response variable. The dataset "Mass Killings in America" reports 1,018 casualties from over 100 incidents in the past four years alone. This research sheds light on correlations between the predictors and response, providing valuable insights to enhance community vigilance and prevention …

Service-Learning Course, Shanzida Toha

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024

Reflecting on my service-learning experience, I recognize that I used to judge first-generation immigrants who struggled with English. Over time, I realized this was unfair, as I hadn’t considered their individual challenges. This shift in perspective led me to become more open-minded, seek new experiences, and pursue my passion for helping others through direct patient care. I realized that engaging in leadership-based service learning could enhance my empathy and leadership abilities, which has become central to my personal and professional growth.

Decoding And Generating Poetry: Using Feminist Theory And Digital Media To Demonstrate Maya Angelou's Writing As Activism, Emery Beckman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis will demonstrate how rhetorical strategies can present social change through descriptive elements of persuasion. Using foundational rhetorical concepts, including ethos, logos, and pathos, it will connect concerns of inequality to the work of Maya Angelou, who can validate the impact intersectionality has within the use of rhetoric. Having been a victim of racism, sexual abuse, and economic disadvantages, she used her voice to break the silence for women. This thesis will showcase the impact of rhetorical techniques through digital media by creating a website featuring visual data and mapping by decoding Maya Angelou's work to demonstrate the power …

External Boundary Conditions For Solidification Process Modeling Of Equiaxed Investment Castings, Weston Olson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The equiaxed investment casting process is a multi-physics problem which requires knowledge from engineers who have expertise in materials, metallurgy, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer. Process modeling is a tool used by foundries to help predict casting defects such as shrinkage porosity, hot tears, dimensional distortion, and poor grain structure. ProCAST is the numerical simulation suite used in this dissertation and is considered an industry standard due to its extensive proven track record. The reliability of these predictions is strongly dependent on the accuracy of the thermal boundary conditions set in the model. This dissertation consists of two studies. …

Design And Optimization Of Temperature-Stable Mems Resonators For Timing Applications Based On Thin-Film Lithium Tantalate, Yasaman Majd

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

All radio devices require a highly accurate frequency reference with superb temperature stability. While quartz-based oscillators meet accuracy demands, they cannot be easily miniaturized for higher frequencies. Silicon-based MEMS resonators offer a promising alternative due to their small size, and low power consumption, though they suffer from significant temperature drift.

This research proposes a silicon-based MEMS device that exhibits low-frequency variations across wide temperature ranges, high-quality factors, and low insertion loss, meeting modern communication system requirements. Two main research avenues are explored.

Firstly, the thermal behavior of S₀ Lamb wave X-cut Lithium Tantalate (LT) resonators is investigated, demonstrating a …

Comprehensive Analytics Of Automated Vehicles’ Effectiveness, Benefits, And Crash Severity, Shengxuan Ding

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Automated Vehicles (AV) are increasingly becoming a reality, offering major road safety improvements and advancements through the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving Systems (ADS). Although research on AVs is progressing, several key gaps remain. There is a lack of sufficient matched data between AV and HDV crashes to compare their differences, along with a need for more detailed datasets to analyze ADS and ADAS crash severity and assess ADAS safety effectiveness. First, the research investigates overall trends within the AV dataset by utilizing 1,099 ADS, 1,001 ADAS and 35,113 HDV crash data. including ADS (Society …

A Framework For Improving Employee Experience In The Hospitality Industry, Scott Hall

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation explores the unique aspects of employee experience within the hospitality industry. By conducting in-depth interviews with 40 employees, both within and outside of the hospitality sector, this research aims to identify the factors that distinguish the employee experience in hospitality and to lay the groundwork for future improvements in this field.

The study employs a thematic analysis to uncover key themes that define the hospitality employee experience. The findings reveal that job satisfaction in hospitality is significantly influenced by factors such as workplace culture, career development opportunities, and the intrinsic satisfaction derived from serving guests. Moreover, the research …

Shock Tube Measurements Of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Sooting Tendencies For Supersonic Commercial Transport, Koby D. Rouviere

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Sustainable Aviation fuels (SAFs) have been launched to the forefront of the aviation industry as the desire to push the boundaries of flight continues to grow. The Concorde, a symbol of cutting-edge aerospace technology, was decommissioned due to its extreme inefficiency, as it formed high levels of soot, carbon monoxide (CO), and ethylene (C₂H₄), among other emissions. The UCF shock tube experiments aim to investigate the variation between sustainable aviation fuel and traditional commercial jet fuel under supersonic conditions similar to those seen on the Concorde. The test mixtures were formulated using Jet-A, Gevo’s Alcohol-to-Jet sustainable fuel, a 50/50 blend …