Digital Commons Network^™

16th Century Shakespeare And 21st Century Students, Sheridan Lynn Steelman

Dissertations

Drawing on examples from the author’s and colleagues classrooms, this dissertation shows how an historical approach to teaching Shakespeare, drawing on primary documents from the period, opens meaningful interpretations, issues and questions for secondary students. Chapter One reviews current pedagogical approaches to teaching Shakespeare, close reading, reader response, and performance to set forth the rationale for teaching Shakespeare using primary documents. Chapter Two highlights ninth grade students studying Romeo and Juliet and includes classroom stories about engagement with documents about gender, sexuality, violence, and potions. Chapter Three describes two general English 11 classes and their successes and challenges with Hamlet …

Evaluation Instruction In Council On Education For Public Health Accredited Master Of Public Health Schools And Programs, Kristin Ann Hobson

Dissertations

Despite the increasing role of evaluation in public health practice and research (Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health [ASPH], 2006; Institute of Medicine [IOM], 1998; Public Health Functions Steering Committee, 2008; United States Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2012), as well as Henry and Mark’s (2003) assertion of a need for systematic evidence on evaluation training and education, the literature continues to lack studies on evaluation instruction in Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) schools and programs. As such, this study explored evaluation instruction in CEPH-accredited MPH schools and programs in the following …

The Effectiveness Of Using Leadership Practice Lnventory (Lpl 360) Feedback On Leaders' Lnsight Into Their Leadership Behaviors In Higher Education, Abdulrahman S. Alajlan

Dissertations

One of the most popular 360-feedback processes for leadership development is the Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI 360). According to the Leadership Challenge website the LPI tool has been translated into six languages. In addition, it has been implemented in a variety of organizations around the world and there are about 500 studies that have been built around it. However, the popularity of the LPI 360-feedback is not enough reason for it to be adopted for higher education without assurance that it aligns with a higher education organization’s specific vision and goals. After reviewing approximately 153 LPI studies across 766 databases …

Architectural Representation And The Dragon’S Lair In Beowulf, Margaret Heeschen

Masters Theses

Since the early twentieth century, the dragon’s lair of Beowulf has been primarily associated with the early megalithic mounds of northern Europe. This interpretation of the space, however, does not account for the many contradictions present in the poet’s descriptions. In order to fully understand the quiddity of the dragon’s lair, we must resolve three major issues with previous interpretations: the use of rare words with unclear meanings, contradictions in descriptions of the physical space, and an assumption by scholars that the poet is describing a single type of space identifiable in the historical record. By addressing each of these …

Testing The Arousal Hypothesis: The Effect Of Music On Arousal As Measured By Electrodermal Activity During Verbal Processing, Meghan E. Feeman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to assess the arousal hypothesis by implementing an auditory stimulus (music) at various times during a task (Verbal Processing section of the GRE) to analyze changes in arousal, as measured by electrodermal activity (EDA). Testing is administered for one hour with music implemented before testing and twice during testing. EDA levels are used to measure physiological response and are collected over the one hour testing period. For analysis, testing material is broken into different time blocks to assess arousal levels through mean slope, mean skin conductance level (SCL), mean skin conductance response (xSCR), …

Life Among Good Women: The Social And Religious Impact Of The Cathar Perfectae In The Thirteenth-Century Lauragais, Derek Robert Benson

Masters Theses

This Master’s Thesis builds on the work of previous historians, such as Anne Brenon and John Arnold. It is primarily a study of gendered aspects in the Cathar heresy. Using inquisitorial registers from the mid-thirteenth century to the early-fourteenth, as well as a few poetic and prose sources, it seeks to understand how the Cathar “Good Women” were perceived by their lay believers. The methodology of prosopography is utilized throughout to measure witness testimonies against one another and to compare the connections between the Cathar constituency and the female ministers.

Two main inquiries are investigated: the sacerdotal and pastoral roles …

Gradus Ad Parnassum: A Reader's Edition And Commentary, Sara Miller Schulte

Masters Theses

The seminal eighteenth-century counterpoint treatise Gradus ad Parnassum by Johann Joseph Fux exists in Latin, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and a host of other languages in its entirely, but in English only the second book of two has been translated, and even that is available only in a collection of partial translations. While a complete English translation is well beyond the scope of this project, toward that end, this research makes a case for its completion and provides a modernized edition and commentary of the as-yet-untranslated first book.

A Hybrid Parallel Approach To High-Performance Compression Of Big Genomic Files And In Compresso Data Processing, Sandino N. Vargas Pérez

Dissertations

Due to the rapid development of high-throughput low cost Next-Generation Sequencing, genomic file transmission and storage is now one of the many Big Data challenges in computer science. Highly specialized compression techniques have been devised to tackle this issue, but sequential data compression has become increasingly inefficient and existing parallel algorithms suffer from poor scalability. Even the best available solutions can take hours to compress gigabytes of data, making the use of these techniques for large-scale genomics prohibitively expensive in terms of time and space complexity.

This dissertation responds to the aforementioned problem by presenting a novel hybrid parallel approach …

A Comparative Analysis Of Professional Pilot Jobs, Ryan Snoeyink

Honors Theses

Professional Pilots fly aircraft for a living. Just like there are many different types of aircraft, there are many different types of professional pilot jobs. While it is an impossible task to describe every single job a professional pilot could have, there are four "groups" in which most jobs can be classified. These groups are Part 121 Scheduled Airline Service, Part 135 On-demand Charter, Part 91 Corporate/Private, and Part 61/141/142 Flight Instruction. The goal of this thesis is to examine the differences between these four groups; and by doing so, aid in the education and career decision making of those …

From The Romans To The Normans On The English Renaissance Stage, Lisa Hopkins

Early Drama, Art, and Music

This book examines the late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century engagement with a crucial part of Britain's past, the period between the withdrawal of the Roman legions and the Norman Conquest. This was a period that saw both Arthur and Alfred, as well as Hengist, Horsa, and Canute. The country was converted to Christianity and saw successive waves of invasions by Angles, Jutes, and Danes, which left both a mark on the language and a record in the physical landscape. By its end, the British Isles had been transformed beyond recognition, and yet a number of early modern plays suggest an …

Drama And Sermon In Late Medieval England: Performance, Authority, Devotion, Charlotte Steenbrugge

Early Drama, Art, and Music

This is the first full-length study of the interrelation between sermons and vernacular religious drama in late medieval England. It investigates how these genres worked as media for public learning, how they combined this didactic aim with literary exigencies, and how the plays in particular acquired and reflected a position of authority. The interrelation between sermons and vernacular drama, formerly assumed relatively uncritically to be a close one, is addressed from a variety of angles, including historical connections, performative aspects, and the portrayal of the sacrament of penance. The analysis challenges the common assumption that Middle English religious drama is …

Medieval London: Collected Papers Of Caroline M. Barron, Caroline Barron, Martha Carlin, Joel T. Rosenthal

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

Caroline M. Barron is the world's leading authority on the history of medieval London. For half a century she has investigated London's role as medieval England's political, cultural, and commercial capital, together with the urban landscape and the social, occupational, and religious cultures that shaped the lives of its inhabitants. This collection of eighteen papers focuses on four themes: crown and city; parish, church, and religious culture; the people of medieval London; and the city's intellectual and cultural world. They represent essential reading on the history of one of the world's greatest cities by its foremost scholar.

25 Year Club: 36th Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 36th Annual Gala

November 28, 2017

• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees

Western News, November 16, 2017, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Scores of transformative ideas under review; Men’s soccer will go to the dance, host NCAA round; Emeritus continues to be key figure in sea’s resurrection; On Campus with Yumi Takahashi-Ede.

St. Albans And The Markyate Psalter: Seeing And Reading In Twelfth-Century England, Kristen Collins, Matthew Fisher

Studies in Iconography: Themes and Variations

One of the most compelling and provocative books of twelfth-century England, the Markyate Psalter was probably produced at St. Albans Abbey between 1120 and 1140. The manuscript has been known by many names: the St. Albans Psalter, the Albani Psalter, the Hildesheim Psalter, and the Psalter of Christina of Markyate. Heralded as a high point of English Romanesque illumination, the manuscript contains the earliest known copy of the saint's life known as Chanson de St. Alexis. This volume explores the manuscript's many contexts, reading its texts and images amidst the rising internationalism of the period, marked by the circulation …

Western News, November 2, 2017, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU at center of national STEM network, Nursing wins $2 million grant to boost diversity, Three University researchers snag prestigious NSF prize, Men’s soccer team moves up to No. 5 in the nation, University earns geospatial sciences status, Children’s Place grant supports student-parents, Turkey Trot 5K run, walk scheduled for Nov. 18, On Campus with Veronica Thomas

November 2017 Cehd Newsletter, College Of Education And Human Development

College of Education and Human Development News

• WMU researchers get $12.5 million grant for school leadership renewal
• Professors get $2.6 million to train English as second language learners
• An interdisciplinary collaboration earns faculty in the special education and behavior analysis programs a U.S. Department of Education grant
• Professors awarded Institute of Education Science grant
• CEHD department chair awarded U.S. Department of Education grant to provide support to WMU student parents

November 2017, Global News, Haenicke Institute

Global News

• Dynamic duo of authors to be featured in Gwen Frostic Reading Seiries
• Take advantage of global engagement opportunities in November
• Fake news discussion to feature international, local panelists
• International students at WMU to share their cultures
• Business information systems professor accepted into Fulbright Specialist Roster
• Take advantage of global engagement opportunities in December

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session November 1, 2017, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Comments by the Faculty Senate Vice President
• Comments by the Western Student Association President
• Comments by the Graduate Student Association President
• Research, Discovery, and Student Engagement Presentation
• Smart Zone Update
• WMU Presentation
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Western News, October 19, 2017, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: School leadership project gets $12 million, Grad helping to study first collision of neutron stars, President starts fund for ideas aimed at campus transformation, Longtime employees to be inducted into 25 Year Club during 36th annual gala, Profs get $2.6 million to train ESL learners, On Campus with Carole Nelson

Tadoku: Extensive Reading In Japanese, Rika Saito

Academic Leadership Academy

My Instructional Development project is Tadoku 多読 that translates as Extensive Reading (ER) for Japanese language education. Tadoku or ER refers to “many readings” “reading a lot,” the idea of which in foreign/second language teaching has been practiced and theorized since 1950 in the US and Europe. In Japan, ER classes and promotional events, such as workshops and presentations for instructors, are sponsored by a Non-profit organization “Tagengo Tadoku” or “Tadoku Supporters.” This organization was established in 2002 by Japanese educators who originally explored effective reading methods in English language education. Tadoku Supporters later developed ER methods in Japanese.

I …

Tadoku: Extensive Reading In Japanese, Rika Saito

Instructional Development Grants

Tadoku or ER refers to “many readings” “reading a lot,” the idea of which in foreign/second language teaching has been practiced and theorized since 1950 in the US and Europe. In Japan, ER classes and promotional events, such as workshops and presentations for instructors, are sponsored by a Non-profit organization “Tagengo Tadoku” or “Tadoku Supporters.” This organization was established in 2002 by Japanese educators who originally explored effective reading methods in English language education. Tadoku Supporters later developed ER methods in Japanese.

I attended one of their organized workshops and observed a class in Japan to learn how to create …

State Of The University 2017, Edward Montgomery

WMU President Edward Montgomery

State of the University speech made by President Edward Montgomery on October 6, 2017.

Considerations For 360 Degree Assessment - A Proposed Tool For Leadership And Professional Development At Western Michigan University, Marianne Di Pierro

Academic Leadership Academy

360 Degree Assessment is also known as multi-rater feedback or multi-source assessment, a process utilized by organizations to solicit information from a variety of workplace perspectives (subordinate, lateral, supervisory, customers) on an employee’s work-related performance. It can be used for developmental purposes and also for evaluation purposes.

2017 Seminar For Teaching Inclusivity, Staci Perryman-Clark

Academic Leadership Academy

This two-day seminar will provide instructors with explicit strategies for teaching and promoting inclusivity in classrooms and academic departments. Topics will cover addressing microaggresions; fostering allyship; and building alliances with faculty, instructors, and students from underrepresented minority and historically oppressed groups.

Day One, Creating Safe Spaces for Diverse Learners in the Classroom, will focus on pedagogical strategies that support students from various backgrounds. Workshops will be offered for faculty teaching in a variety of fields fields across the liberal arts (e.g. STEM, humanities, social sciences, arts, etc.).

Day Two, Safe Spaces and Support for Faculty and Instructors, will focus on …

Fall Convocation 2017 Program, Office Of Faculty Development

Fall Convocation

A program for the Fall 2017 convocation, giving information on programs to improve student learning, including Teaching and Learning Bash, Assessment as Ally, Teaching with Technology Symposium, 2017 Faculty and Staff Awards, State of the University Address.

Western News, October 5, 2017, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Magura awarded $2.1 million federal grant, Become part of the homecoming 2017 royal family, Scholar-related award recipients to be feted at convocation, Trustees approve retirements of 25 faculty, staff; resignations of nine faculty, WMU sees increase in important enrollment categories this fall, On Campus with Cheri Butler

Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy Students And Faculty Of Compressed Courses: A Pilot Study, Martina G. Allen, Mary Voytek

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

As occupational therapists, our mandate is to be client centered, yet in academic settings there is little information regarding student or faculty preferences about curriculum and course design. This study investigated the perceptions of occupational therapy students and faculty regarding the delivery of content in a compressed course format, thus reducing the number of courses taken at any given time. The authors discuss how the results inform the feasibility of incorporating this format into future curriculum design. A descriptive survey design was used for this study. The participants were 33 entry-level graduate students and two faculty who completed post-course surveys …

Occupational Therapy Students In Norway: Do Their Approaches To Studying Vary By Year In The Program?, Tore Bonsaksen, Mikkel M. Thørrisen, Talieh Sadeghi

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Approaches to studying may be influenced by students’ age, maturity, and experience in higher education. Students’ approaches to studying may develop toward deep and/or strategic approaches and away from a surface approach as they move through the curriculum, which is generally considered a positive development. This study aimed to identify differences in approaches to studying among first-, second-, and third-year students enrolled in an occupational therapy program. Three cohorts of students (n = 160) from one university college completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) along with sociodemographic information. One-way analyses of variance were used to …

Passing The Nbcot Examination: Preadmission, Academic, And Fieldwork Factors, Sharon D. Novalis, Jill M. Cyranowski, Cathy D. Dolhi

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

All occupational therapy students are required to successfully complete the certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) before they can practice independently. The need to repeat the examination can result in stress, anxiety, and financial hardship. This paper explores the relationship of preadmission factors, academic and fieldwork performance, and demographic variables to successful first-time attempts on the certification examination for occupational therapists. Data were gathered from 144 student files in a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program at a single university. Of the sample, 82% passed and 18% failed their first NBCOT test trial. …