Digital Commons Network^™

The Predictive Validity Of Star Early Literacy, Karlissa Pollack

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years, paper-and-pencil screenings have, to a degree, given way to computer adaptive tests as a more effective way to screen students, though some measures lack research in regards to their utility. The utility of Star Early Literacy (SEL) for predicting future state test performance was examined by analyzing student performance on SEL and student performance on state testing two years later. The following research questions were examined: What is the relationship among first grade SEL scores and performance on the third grade reading state test? What is the diagnostic accuracy of SEL for predicting reading state test performance …

Book Genre Classification By Its Cover Using A Multi-View Learning Approach, Chandra Shakhar Kundu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An interesting topic in the visual analysis is to determine the genre of a book by its cover. The book cover is the very first communication to the reader which shapes the reader’s expectation about the type of the book. Each book cover is carefully designed by the cover designers and typographers to convey the visual representation of its content. In this study, we explore several different deep learning approaches for predicting the genre from the cover image alone, such as MobileNet V1, MobileNet V2, ResNet50, Inception V2. Moreover, we add an extra modality by extracting text from the cover …

Delineation Of Undescribed, Morphologically Cryptic Cave Beetles Of The Pseudanophthalmus Pubescens Species-Group (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae), Jedidiah John Nixon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The genus Pseudanophthalmus Jeannel is a widespread and extremely diverse taxon of troglobiont beetle endemic to the karst of eastern North America, with its distribution centered in Tennessee and Kentucky. Despite lying near the heart of this region, the pubescens species-group was thought to contain many undescribed species. In this study, the validities of several of the late Dr. Thomas Barr’s unpublished putative new species in the pubescens-group were tested both morphologically and molecularly. Body measurements (length and width for head, thorax, and abdomen), as well as male genital morphology were compared to see if they reflected theorized species limits.. …

The Enhancement Of Climate Change Science Communication And Understanding Through Glacier Tourism, Natalie Jean Kincheloe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The natural environment provides the opportunity for educators to teach the general public about scientific topics that are misunderstood. Arctic tourism has increased as accessibility to these regions has improved. Informal learning is a valuable yet extremely understudied phenomenon within the tourism industry. Iceland is a country that lies in the North Atlantic and has experienced a significant increase in foreign visitors over the past decade. Of the natural features in Iceland, glaciers have become a top attraction for visitors. Since thousands of visitors participate in guided glacier tours annually in Iceland, an opportunity to couple glacier tourism with informal …

From Coalescence To Bureaucratization: Veganuary’S Use Of Rhetorical Strategies On Social Media, Sabrina A. Carr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Social movement plays an integral part in how our society makes progress and changes overtime. With the birth and adoption of digital technologies comes new and unique opportunities for social movements and social movement organizations to make further progress and accomplish its goals. This study uses the foundations of organizational identification and values advocacy to evaluate the rhetoric of a specific organization within the vegan movement, Veganuary, and shows how this organization utilizes various strategies on its social media platforms to grow as an organization over a six-year time period. Specifically, I argue that Veganuary was able to move from …

Tell Me What You Need: An Examination Of Dialectical Tensions Within Romantic Relationships With Depressed Partners, Leah Christine Goodwin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

While depression communication in romantic relationships has been heavily studied in psychological-based research, there is a lack of research grounded in communication theory. By using Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT) as a framework, communicative tensions and coping strategies were explored within relationships where one partner suffered from depression. Through eleven semi-structured interviews with both depressed and non-depressed individuals in a relationship, three major dialectical tensions and two major maintenance strategies emerged. Findings suggest that couples with a depressed partner faced unique and challenging tensions including involvement/distance, openness/closedness, and revelation/concealment. A number of positive and negative coping strategies for managing the tensions …

Ua3/10 President's Message - Spring Semester, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

President's Message emails sent by Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff during spring semester, 2020.

• Announcing WKU Restart Committees & Commencement Update
• Big Red is in the Final Four! Vote Now!
• Big Red Restart Draft
• Big Red Restart Panel
• Big Red Restart Plan Answers
• COVID-19 & Holiday Schedule
• COVID-19 Testing
• COVID-19 Update
• COVID-19 Update – March 13^th
• COVID-19 Update 4.6.20
• COVID-19 Update: 3/17/20
• End of Semester
• Executive Order to Close Non-Life-Sustaining Businesses to In-Person Traffic
• Healthy On the Hill
• New Vice President for Enrollment & Student Experience – Ethan Logan

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU football team from January to July 2020

Ua19/16/2 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU basketball team from January to July 2020.

Old Man Young Man Snake, Bradley Hathaway

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A young man in rural and frigid North Dakota is on the run for committing a crime. He finds refuge at a secluded bible camp from a mysterious old man that may or may not have his best interests in mind, and the young man must decide if the old man’s protection is worth the cost. Exploring ideas of free will, God, nature, and visions, Old Man Young Man Snake, a screenplay, quietly tells their story.

Effects Of Pharmacologically-Induced Sleep Loss On Parental Care In Arctic-Breeding Songbirds, Wesley Payette

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sleep loss is well known to impair cognitive function, immunological responses, and general well-being in humans. However, sleep requirements in mammals and birds may vary dramatically, especially with changes in environment. In circumpolar regions with continuous light, sleep requirements may be little, particularly in breeding birds. The effects of sleep loss on several fitness parameters were examined in two species of Arctic-breeding passerine birds: Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) and snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis). Adult males were implanted during the nestling phase (4 days post-hatch) with osmotic pumps containing an anti-narcolepsy drug, modafinil, to extend the active period for 72 h. …

Content Validity Evaluation Of An Unnamed National Professional Organization Certification Exam, Sean Tate

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Department of Psychological Sciences Western Kentucky University There are three validation strategies utilized for evaluating tests, content validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity. Each of these methods serves a different and unique purpose when it comes to the validation of tests. Content validity pertains to whether the content measured by the test is representative of the content domain. Verifying content validity is a multi-step process involving conducting a job analysis, identifying content domains, creating test specifications, creating test items, and then conducting analyses to identify whether or not the test items are representative and in accordance with the test specifications. …

Load Balancing Of Financial Data Using Machine Learning And Cloud Analytics, Dimple Jaiswal

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The rising use of technology for web applications, android applications, digital marketing, and e-application systems for financial investments benefits a large sector of stakeholders and common people. It allows investors to make an appropriate choice for investment and to increase their capital growth. This requires proper research of investment companies, their trends in price and analysis of historical and current information. In addition, prediction of prices makes the process of investment more comfortable and reliable for investors as shares are the most volatile type of investment. To offer this service to multiple users spread across the globe, there are certain …

Applying The Homework, Organization, And Planning Skills (Hops) Intervention To Elementary Students With Adhd, Ayanna Maia Peake

Dissertations

Students need appropriate executive functioning (EF) skills to improve their academic achievement. The Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS) Interventions were implemented for 16 sessions with three elementary students with ADHD and executive functioning (EF) deficits. The study aimed to improve the homework, organization, and time management skills of each participant. The interventions were expected to decrease both EF deficits and teacher reports of homework behavior difficulties. This study used a multiple baseline across participants single subject research design with interventions implemented concurrently. A behavior rating scale provided pre and post-intervention data on the participants’ EF deficits. Classroom teachers also …

Ua94/6/1 My Story: Wku Women's Basketball's Sandra Skinner, Sandra Skinner

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

My Story is a series of first-person feature articles written by WKU student-athletes. The student-athletes will be telling their own stories in their own words. This article written by women’s basketball redshirt senior Sandra Skinner, whose final season was cut short because of the cancellation of the Conference USA Tournament earlier this month.

From D.C. To Kentucky: The History Of The United States Senate Clerk's Desk, Olivia Bowers

Documents

This Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience aims to highlight the importance of the historical object and accurately document the complete history of the former United States Senate Clerk’s Desk, placed in the chamber in 1859 and removed in 1951. The desk’s first and last occupants were Kentucky natives and civil servants, and its current resting place is in Western Kentucky University’s Kentucky Museum. Through research that began in the nation’s capital, and a journey to follow the desk’s paper trail, the object’s massive historical legacy and close ties to the state of Kentucky may live on. Along with a traditional …

March Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 95, No. 20, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Alvey, Rebekah. WKU Students in Italy to Return Early – Coronavirus, COVID-19
• Williams, Matthew. Arabic Program Stands Out in State
• Lowe, Julianna. Student Government Association Rally for Higher Education
• Stack, Madalyn. Editorial Cartoon re: Politics
• Dressman, Jake. Partisan & Polarized – Politics
• Meyer-Thornton, Zane. Rolling Over Differences – Wheelchair Basketball
• Rash, Liza. A Palace for Bowling Green – Anna’s Greek Restaurant
• Lowe, Julianna. How WKU Is Celebrating 5^th Annual Social Work Month
• Wells, Elliott. Winning & Losing Is a Fine Line – Basketball
• Kieser, …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 95, No. 19, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Dobbs, Jack. Board of Regents Committee to Raise Timothy Caboni Salary
• Nutter, Abbey. Popular Bowling Green Bar Closes After Just Two Years – Hideout Bar & Grill
• Chambers, Max. Pride Policy Problems – Diversity Policy
• Breu, Natasha. School of Media Director Committee Concludes Search
• Stack, Madalyn. Editorial Cartoon re: Cows
• Dressman, Jake. Cows on Campus
• Warner, Casey. Tidball’s Showcases Bowling Green’s Best Rock’n’Roll
• Meyer-Thornton, Zane. Smiles from the Heart – Chandler Park Dental Care
• Marshall, Olivia. Above & Beyond – Kimber Morris
• Bunton, Gabby. What …

Ua12/2/1 Housing Guide, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Wysong, Morgan. Greek Hand-Me-Down Home – Cabell Castle, Phi Gamma Delta
• Norvell, Abbey. 3 Ways to Resolve Roommate Conflicts
• Wysong, Morgan. Décor Dupes
• Crawford, Ashlyn. House Hunting on the Hill
• Harper, Beckah. DIY Natural Cleaners
• Harper, Beckah. Becoming a Plant Parent
• Hughes, Gabe. What’s In Your Fridge?
• Brandt, Jess. What to Look for In a Lease
• Brandt, Jess. What Dorm Personality Are You? – McLean Hall, Hilltopper Hall, Minton Hall, Meredith Hall, Pearce-Ford Tower

Ua3/10/2 Summer Schedule, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 95, No. 18, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Lamb, Cassady. Posted Up: Local Apartment Complexes Are Suing the United States Post Office
• Williams, Matthew. WKU to be Evaluated by Higher Education Consulting Firm
• Collins, Michael. Strategic Sustainability Plan to be Developed
• Stack, Madalyn. Editorial Cartoon re: Racism
• Black History Month: Past & Present
• Warner, Casey. Kentucky Canabis Laws Are Behind the Times – Marijuana
• Dobbs, Jack. Bitter Sweet – Chocolate Festival, Hospice of Southern Kentucky
• Metcalf, Taylor. Fast Fashion
• Lowe, Julianna. Sustainable On-campus Bathroom Practices, In Public or Private
• Gaylord, Kaden. WKU Softball …

Improvements In The 8-Dimensions Of The Parkinson’S Disease Quality Of Life Questionnaire After 8-Weeks Of Resistance Training With Instability And/Or Cadence Walking In Persons With Mild To Moderate Parkinson’S Disease, Rebecca Sipes, Elizabeth Condor, Annie Bane, Lorraine Wilson, Jill Jumper, Lindsay Edwards, Susan Teel, Donna Walls, Martha Smallwood

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Physical activity helps slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Resistance training with iPhysical activity helps slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Resistance training with instability (RTI) and cadence walking (CW) add an additional skill (compared to resistance training and walking alone) to improve neuromuscular connections and blood flow to the brain during exercise. A cross-training exercise regimen, combining both resistance training and walking (RTI+CW), has not been studied to determine its effect on the progression of Parkinson’s disease. PURPOSE: to examine the changes in the 8-dimensions of the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ39) (mobility, activities of daily living (ADL), …

February Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 95, No. 17, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Coyle, Cameron. Cut It Out – Athletics
• Williams, Matthew. Students Are More Concerned with Debt than Pursuing Interests
• Robinson, Andrew. Former Herald Editor Questions WKU Legitimacy as FBS Contender – Football
• Valentines from the College Heights Herald
• Bass, Morgan. Old Town Rodeo
• Lowe, Julianna. Black History – Intercultural Student Engagement Center
• Love Notes
• Gaylord, Kaden. WKU Softball Finishes Opening Weekend Above .500
• Bunton, Gabby. Entrepreneur Runs Two Businesses, On to Honor Mother – Kira Bowling
• Wells, Elliott. Poetic Camron Justice – Basketball
• Gadd, Matt. Lady …

Ua3/10/2 Wku Master Plan 2020-2030, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff regarding strategic planning.

Meeting Minutes, Wku Staff Council

Staff Council

Minutes of February 2020 meeting.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 95, No. 16, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Alvey, Rebekah. Too Close to Home: WKU Halts Travel to China Due to Coronavirus
• Lamb, Cassady. The End of Curbside Recycling Pickup in Warren County
• Hobbs, Jack. Endowments Made to ISEC, Student Publications
• Rexing, Brody. Andy Beshear’s Budget Address Emphasizes Education First
• Bertucci, Leo. Academic Calendar to Include Shorter Winter Break
• Stack, Madalyn. Editorial Cartoon re: Recycling
• Recycling & Waste Crisis
• Steele, Emma. In Her Honor – Megan Davidson
• Latture, Katelyn. We Can Do Hard Things – Megan Davidson
• Marshall, Olivia. Top Crops Gives Opportunities …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 96, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Beyond A Performance-Based Funding Metric: Creating A Culture Of Institutional Inclusion, Molly Kerby, Cheryl Stevens

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Adaptation of budget model to meet changing times and challenges.