Digital Commons Network^™

Ai-Infused Learning: Unlocking Career Potential, Karen Haslett, Danielle M. Pratt, Amanda Pacheco

Teaching Repository of AI-Infused Learning

As an interdisciplinary studies program, our graduates must be able to advocate for their unique talents, expertise, and education as they transition into new careers or the next step in their careers. This assignment is designed to give graduating students the opportunity to use Generative AI to help them in their job search and beyond. Undergraduates are taught and empowered to use Generative AI tools to uncover their strengths and craft impactful job search materials such as resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn summaries, offering students a competitive edge in today's job market and the generative AI experience business leaders seek.

Exploring Service Quality Among Us Hajj Pilgrims In Compliance With Vision 2030 Objectives, Majid Abdulmalik Alshaibi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Saudi Arabia is progressing with Vision 2030, an ambitious blueprint for economic variation, global connection, and improved quality of life. The Hajj pilgrimage is addressed by the Doyof Al Rahman Program (DARP), one of the vision's programs aiming to enhance the Hajj experience. The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the world's largest annual massive gatherings and it has already received increased attention from researchers combining elements of pilgrimage and tourism. This dissertation aims to explore Hajj service quality and pilgrims' satisfaction. To attain this objective, a narrative and systematic literature review was conducted to develop a framework with standardized …

Github Uncovered: Revealing The Social Fabric Of Software Development Communities, Abduljaleel Al Rubaye

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The proliferation of open-source software development platforms has given rise to various online social communities where developers can seamlessly collaborate, showcase their projects, and exchange knowledge and ideas. GitHub stands out as a preeminent platform within this ecosystem. It offers developers a space to host and disseminate their code, participate in collaborative ventures, and engage in meaningful dialogues with fellow community members. This dissertation embarks on a comprehensive exploration of various facets of software development communities on GitHub, with a specific focus on innovation diffusion, repository popularity dynamics, code quality enhancement, and user commenting behaviors. This dissertation introduces a popularity-based …

Data-Centric Ai: Taming Ai-Ready Feature Space From Decision-Making To Generative-Ai Perspectives, Dongjie Wang

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Unlike humans, AI systems are brittle and not robust. They often struggle when faced with novel situations, and are highly sensitive to small perturbations, which can lead to catastrophically poor performance. These systems comprise two main components: the model and the data. In recent decades, research has primarily focused on models, emphasizing advanced structures or algorithms to enhance AI performance. However, the data-centric aspect consumes most of the time and resources of human experts and greatly influences AI systems. Furthermore, the gains from the model-centric part are reaching a plateau. Thus, I shifted my research focus toward data-centric AI in …

A Comprehensive And Comparative Examination Of Healthcare Data Breaches: Assessing Security, Privacy, And Performance, Mohammed Al Kinoon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The healthcare sector is pivotal, offering life-saving services and enhancing well-being and community life quality, especially with the transition from paper-based to digital electronic health records (EHR). While improving efficiency and patient safety, this digital shift has also made healthcare a prime target for cybercriminals. The sector's sensitive data, including personal identification information, treatment records, and SSNs, are valuable for illegal financial gains. The resultant data breaches, increased by interconnected systems, cyber threats, and insider vulnerabilities, present ongoing and complex challenges. In this dissertation, we tackle a multi-faceted examination of these challenges. We conducted a detailed analysis of healthcare data …

Hierarchical Heterogeneous Catalysts For Hydrogenation Reactions, Azina Rahmani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Noble metal catalysts are widely used for their remarkable activity and stability. However, their sustainability is challenged by their scarcity, both in terms of Earth-abundance and production sources. To ensure their sustainable use and long-term availability, it is essential to design new catalytic systems that minimize noble metal usage, maximize reactivity, and allow easy recovery and reuse. One promising approach involves using supported noble metal nanocatalysts (NCs) that enables low loadings of active materials, prevents NCs agglomeration during catalysis, and enhances separability of the catalysts from products. Nickel foams, as NCs support, stand out for their contiguous macroporous 3-D structure …

Doubly Rotating Coordinates: Wave Functions In Magnetic Resonance Problems, Sunghyun Kim

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The nuclear spin response to a rotating field H has been theoretically investigated from the 1930s to the 1950s. Building upon Majorana's probability theory, the behavior of spin 1/2 is well-illustrated in the joint review by Rabi, Ramsey, andSchwinger, and their spin wave function ψ is succinctly restated by Gottfried: ψ(t) = e^-iI_zωt/ℏe^{-i[I_z(ω₀-ω)+I_xω₁]t/ℏ}ψ(0).

However, the complexity involved in evaluating the wave function ψ in terms of probability amplitudes C_m attributed to the noncommutative nature of spin operators [I_x, I …

An Exploration Of Administrative Implementation Of Academically Challenging Curriculum To Enhance Learning (Accel- Fl Statute 1002.3105) In Florida Elementary Schools, Patricia L. Cummings

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigated the content of 14 Florida district's Student Progression Plans and supportive district documentation to gain a better understanding of each district's implementation of Florida statute 1002.3105, ACCEL; explored the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of principals of K-5 schools in two large counties in Florida in enacting ACCEL; and utilized the study's findings to create a guide for administrators. The first phase of the study analyzed the 14 largest Florida public school districts utilizing a content analysis and checklists on best practice in acceleration policy from Lupkowski-Shoplik et al. (2018) to examine each district's implementation. The second phase …

A Stress Perspective Of Leader-Follower Relationship Ambivalence, Ghada Baz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Ambivalence is the experience of both positive and negative evaluations regarding an object such as a person or an event. Although interest in leadership ambivalence has been growing among researchers, there is still little understanding of what distinguishes it from poor leadership. The goal of this dissertation was to contribute to the leadership ambivalence literature by examining ambivalence in the leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship through the lens of occupational stress. Specifically, I used the job demands-resources model as a theoretical foundation and presented leadership ambivalence as a unique job demand that is associated with emotional exhaustion as a symptom of …

Sensing Using Angular Momentum Of Light: From Polarization To Optical Vortices, Mahdi Eshaghi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Light is a powerful tool for probing a variety of physical phenomena. This dissertation explores some of the complex properties of light, with a particular emphasis on its angular momentum, encompassing the concepts of polarization and optical vortices that illustrate how light spins and orbits, respectively. The study includes a detailed examination of light polarization and introduces a number of innovative measurement techniques. It also extends the research on optical vortices by analyzing their interaction behavior with various types of inhomogeneous media. The comprehensive investigations are aimed at applications in sensing and communications.

Regarding light polarization, this dissertation presents a …

The Crash Consistency, Performance, And Security Of Persistent Memory Objects, Derrick Alex Greenspan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Persistent memory (PM) is expected to augment or replace DRAM as main memory. PM combines byte-addressability with non-volatility, providing an opportunity to host byte-addressable data persistently. There are two main approaches for utilizing PM: either as memory mapped files or as persistent memory objects (PMOs). Memory mapped files require that programmers reconcile two different semantics (file system and virtual memory) for the same underlying data, and require the programmer use complicated transaction semantics to keep data crash consistent.

To solve this problem, the first part of this dissertation designs, implements, and evaluates a new PMO abstraction that addresses …

Adaptive Beyond Von-Neumann Computing Devices And Reconfigurable Architectures For Edge Computing Applications, Mousam Hossain

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The Von-Neumann bottleneck, a major challenge in computer architecture, results from significant data transfer delays between the processor and main memory. Crossbar arrays utilizing spin-based devices like Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) aim to overcome this bottleneck by offering advantages in area and performance, particularly for tasks requiring linear transformations. These arrays enable single-cycle and in-memory vector-matrix multiplication, reducing overheads, which is crucial for energy and area-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and embedded devices.

This dissertation focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating reconfigurable computation platforms that leverage MRAM-based crossbar arrays and analog computation to support deep learning and error …

The Use Of Graphic Organizers On The Reading Comprehension Of High School Students, Beckylee Ramos Lorenzo

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study seeks to identify correlation in the use of graphic organizers in reading comprehension of twelfth grade English language arts students. Specifically, this study seeks to determine if the use of graphic organizers in the teaching of reading has impacts on the reading comprehension of 12th grade English language arts students. The study intends to contribute to closing an information gap surrounding the effects of using instructional strategies such as graphic organizers in reading comprehension in a twelfth-grade English class. The research questions helped to guide this study in identifying descriptive statistics within PSAT reading comprehension scores during the …

A Narrative Inquiry On Lived Experiences That Support Recruitment And Retention Of Black Male Mathematics Teachers, Shane Wiggan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

There is a shortage of Black male teachers in the United States and an even smaller proportion of Black male mathematics teachers. With the population of students in the United States becoming increasingly more diverse, we would greatly benefit from a teaching workforce that aligns with the rich diversity of the student population they serve. This narrative inquiry explored the lived experiences that attracted Black men to the mathematics teaching career and what may have inspired them to continue teaching. The goal was for the data collected through the narratives of four Black male teachers, two former teachers, and two …

Development And Content Validation Of The Student Perception Of School Safety (Spss) Scale: An Expert Evaluation Of Item Relevance Ratings By Law Enforcement And School Guardians, Diana D. Scott

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

There is "no one-size-fits-all solution" to school safety (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, 2022. p. 7). The growing number of school shootings and health problems at schools raise serious questions about the dimensions of school safety that should be measured. Prior extensive surveys measuring elementary student's views of safety in relation to relevant safety issues have not been conducted. There were four objectives for this study: 1) to investigate relevant dimensions of school safety and understand safety procedures that are currently in use; 2) to formulate and organize questions that would be approved to gauge elementary students' perceptions about school …

Exploring Mathematics Teachers’ Understanding And Implementation Of Effective Questioning As A Pedagogical Tool, Joslyn M. Vilabrera

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation explores elementary mathematics teachers' understanding and implementation of effective questioning techniques within the instructional context. A qualitative, multiple case study design was employed for this dissertation in practice. This study was conducted in a K-5 school in Florida, focusing on four elementary school teachers in grades 3-5. Data collected included semi-structured interviews and live observations. Analysis of transcripts from interviews and observational notes provided an insider look into teachers’ planning and implementation of questioning.

The research was driven by two research questions: How do teachers implement questioning in mathematics instruction? and What factors influence teachers' planning and implementation …

A Content Analysis Of The Mathematics Curriculum Progression For Students Taking Algebra I And Geometry Honors Before High School, Yeidi Diaz Reyes

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

ABSTRACT

This qualitative content analysis study examined different middle school mathematics pathways from a large urban district in Florida to determine possible gaps in the accelerated pathways and differences between the district’s learning targets and Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards. Additionally, the accelerated pathways were compared to the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) 12 Indicators to identify possible missing content necessary to succeed in Algebra I Honors and Geometry Honors. The study aimed to answer three research questions: (1) In what ways do Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards included in the non-accelerated and accelerated pathways for middle school mathematics …

The Role Of Mathematics Anxiety On The Cognition And Metacognition Of Middle School Algebra 1 Students During Cognitively Demanding Tasks, Julia Keith

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation examines how mathematics anxiety influences the cognitive and metacognitive processes of middle school Algebra 1 students during cognitively demanding tasks. Individuals who experience mathematics anxiety may feel lifelong consequences and avoid mathematics courses at the secondary and college levels, which limits access to careers in STEM fields. Research suggests that a variety of factors may impact an individual’s mathematics anxiety. With an increase in the number of students enrolled in Algebra 1 at the middle school level, this explanatory sequential mixed-method study examines how mathematics anxiety influences students’ cognitive and metacognitive processes as they complete cognitively demanding Algebra …

An Ethnographic Study On How Mandated Curriculum Influences Mathematics Instruction At A State-Supervised School, Laura T. Pimentel

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This ethnographic study focused on understanding the culture and describing the experiences of elementary mathematics teachers as they used a mandated curriculum and scope and sequence at a state-supervised school. The scope and sequence was created and provided by the school district with the expectation of implementation with high fidelity by the Bureau of School Improvement within the state of Florida. This study used key informant interviews, Professional Learning Community observations, and classroom observations of mathematics teachers in grades three through five to analyze and describe how the school culture of planning and instruction influenced mathematics teaching. Findings suggest that …

A Case Study On The Impact Of Intermediate Elementary Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Expectancy Beliefs Of Students On Scaffolding Practices In Mathematics Intervention, Deborah Blakeslee

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigated the impact expectancy beliefs had on third through fifth-grade teachers’ instructional teaching practices. These instructional teaching practices included how teachers used their pedagogical content knowledge, specifically their content knowledge for teaching mathematics and formative assessment, to make scaffolding decisions while supporting students in mathematics intervention. The investigation included the analysis of stratified sampling procedures, expectancy beliefs, observations, and self-reported scaffolding ratings. A multiple case study was conducted to understand how four participants, the teachers in the study, expected students to perform in mathematics intervention along with the participants’ pedagogical content knowledge and the impact those beliefs and …

Comprehensive Analysis Of The Intersection Between Cryptocurrency And Infrastructure Security, Ayodeji Adeniran

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Cryptocurrencies are experiencing a significant surge, with the total valuation surpassing two trillion US dollars at specific points. This remarkable growth is underscored by the existence of over 23,000 different cryptocurrencies as of 2024, according to CoinMarketCap. These digital assets aim to break down borders and enhance access to financial services, fostering a more inclusive global economy.

However, the swift ascent and widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies come with considerable risks. The growing popularity and promise of these digital assets have opened up new avenues for malicious actors. Cybercriminals are exploiting public infrastructures, the cloud, the metaverse, and various websites to …

A Scaffolded Corequisite Curriculum For College Algebra Students: Effects On Achievement And Motivation, Patrick R. Sandefur

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study chronicles the implementation of a scaffolded corequisite College Algebra curriculum at a Southeast community college and the corresponding effects on student motivation and achievement. The scaffolded curriculum incorporates academic-related skills, academic support, and student motivation to promote success in the gateway college math course. The corequisite model allows students to bypass a prerequisite course and enroll directly in the college-level coursework, with remedial content from the prerequisite course delivered concurrently through supplemental learning sessions or labs. In fall 2023, data were collected from five College Algebra courses, including student demographic data, from two evaluative instruments administered at the …

Exploring The Impact Of Virtual Simulation Experience On Teacher Candidates In Communication With Real-Life English Learners (Els): A Case Study, Laila Noor

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

As the number of English Learners (ELs) in US schools continues to rise, the need for effective instructional strategies to bridge the achievement gap between these learners and their English-proficient peers become more crucial to reduce the inequality among language minority groups. This study investigates the impact of virtual simulation experiences in developing communication strategies among teacher candidates for teaching ELs. Focused on the real and simulated teaching encounters of teacher candidates via the TeachLivE platform, this case study seeks to understand how these virtual experiences contribute to the practical application and transformation of teaching skills for effective EL communication. …

Design And Perception Of Diverse Virtual Avatars In Immersive Environments, Tiffany D. Do

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Virtual humans and avatars have become integral components of immersive technologies, shaping various aspects of virtual worlds. This dissertation investigates the nuanced interactions between user demographics and virtual avatars, exploring their impact on perception, embodiment, and persuasive communication. The first study investigates the effectiveness of different speech fidelity levels in virtual humans, revealing gender-dependent perceptions of trustworthiness. Building on this, this dissertation introduces the \textit{Virtual Avatar Library for Inclusion and Diversity} (\textit{VALID}), offering a comprehensive resource for advancing racial diversity and inclusion in virtual environments. Through rigorous validation studies, we shed light on the perception of avatar characteristics worldwide, emphasizing …

The Effect Of Input Enhancement And L1 Glosses On The Acquisition Of English Phrasal Verbs, Abdulmajeed Alotaibi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of input enhancement (IE) and native language (L1) glossing on second language (L2) learners’ receptive knowledge of English phrasal verbs (PVs) and explore whether learners’ L1 facilitates the effect of input enhancement on learning English PVs.

A within-subject design was employed to examine the effect of IE with the aid of L1 glossing on learning PVs. Three short restaurant reviews were tested: one with the target items written in red (IE treatment), one with the target items written in red and glossed in the margin (IE + L1 glossing treatment), and a control …

Embracing Innovation In Education: Investigating The Use And Impact Of Ai Assistants Among Preservice Teachers, Tiffanie J. Zaugg

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigates the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistants in reducing administrative burdens on public school teachers in the United States, where approximately $1.04 billion annually is allocated for teachers to perform non-teaching tasks. As AI technologies advance, their integration into educational settings presents an opportunity to automate 20-40% of administrative activities, reallocating up to 13 hours per week toward more impactful educational engagements. This shift could significantly mitigate teacher burnout, a significant factor in the profession’s high turnover rates. The introduction of the AI chatbot, “EL” (Education and Learning in Inclusive Environments), is posited as a transformative tool …

Design Automation For Next-Generation In-Memory Computing Systems, Sven Thijssen

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Since the dawn of computing, all practical computing systems, from small laptops and cellphones to large mainframes and supercomputers, have been based on the Von Neumann architecture. In this architectural model, computing units and storage units are physically separated, requiring the computing system to spend most of its time and energy on moving data around. As many recently developed applications are driven by large volumes of digital data, the Von Neumann architecture does not scale well with today’s computational demands. In-memory computing using emerging non-volatile device technologies is a promising orthogonal approach as it mitigates the adverse effects of the …

An Analysis Of Factor Affecting Graduation Rates In A Large Suburban Florida School District During The Pandemic, Brittany Campbell

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The purpose of this study was to analyze factors affecting graduation rates during the pandemic for a large suburban Florida school district. The study analyzed if there were statistically significant effects of certain factors, such as Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS) in mathematics, out-of-school suspensions, and attendance in the summer transition program on graduation during the pandemic for the school years of 2019-2021. The results of the study showed different means across all analyses, resulting in impacts for some factors, including MTSS Tiering, PBIS Tiering, Summer Transition Program for on-time graduation, and Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) for …

The Impact School Discipline Policies Have On Disabled, Minoritized Students’ Drop Out Rates, Christopher B. Langley

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Despite progress in recent years, the K–12 education system still grapples with pervasive discriminatory and inequitable practices that hinder students’ learning experiences and future success. Such practices can have far-reaching consequences, threatening students’ long-term outcomes and putting their well-being at risk. This study delved into the effects of exclusionary practices on academic performance and student withdrawal, with a particular focus on minority students with disabilities. By examining archived data, this research analyzed various exclusionary practices, including in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, Baker Acts, and law enforcement referrals. To uncover correlations and determine hypothesis acceptance, the study employedsophisticated statistical techniques such as …

What's In A Frame? Exploring State Policymakers' Conceptualization Of Human Trafficking., Alexis P. Tsoukalas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Human trafficking within and across nations is a pervasive, insidious global criminal enterprise that endangers human rights and impedes social justice. Sex and labor are two fundamental types of human trafficking, but media and policies prioritize the former. Social work calls for empowering marginalized groups, and labor trafficking survivors—who are more likely women and immigrants of color—certainly fall into this category. Since 2003, every U.S. state has criminalized human trafficking, yet the issue persists. Most human trafficking analyses focus on federal or international, not state, policies.

Thus, this critical analysis aimed to explore how human trafficking is conceptualized at the …