Digital Commons Network^™

Incorporating Fine Arts Into Online Education, Tosha Tessen Mcdonald

Masters Theses

Art Education has seen many changes. One of the most recent changes in art education has been the step into online learning. The question I sought to answer was whether or not art education could be delivered in the same rigorous manner online as it can be in a traditional school setting. During the 2019 - 2020 school year, I started a position teaching for the Rural Virtual Academy, in which all instruction was delivered online. During my own practice, I researched methods to instruct students virtually. My results indicate that it is quite possible to deliver a rigorous curriculum …

Art For All: An Inclusive Curriculum For A Secondary Art Room, Michelle Ann Fuller

Masters Theses

Art classrooms in a secondary public school tend to be a place where students feel inspired to be creative, improve social skills and self-esteem. But what about those who have a learning disability? If the art educator establishes a positive and safe learning environment, all students, including those requiring adaptations can create meaningful work. Do art teachers feel prepared to guide students who require extra attention? How can pre-service teachers enter the profession feeling more qualified instructing these students? This thesis explores the support of inclusion in the high school art room by defining what an ideal collaboration might look …

Evaluation Of Autoreactivity In Vh4-34-Containing Antibodies From Human B-1 Vs B-2 Cells, Michelle E. Ray

Masters Theses

B-1 cells are a unique population of lymphocytes, with distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics in comparison to conventional B-2 cells. B-1 cells are thought to be more closely related to the innate immune system than the adaptive, and B-1 cells constitutively secrete antibody that is recognized as broadly reactive with low levels of autoreactivity. The antibody heavy chain segment, VH4-34, is overutilized by the human B-1 cell population. VH4-34 antibodies are associated with autoreactivity, although not all VH4-34 antibodies are autoreactive. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether autoreactive forms of VH4-34 antibodies are localized only to …

Medical Cannabis And Recreational Marijuana: Patient Perceptions, Stigma, And Gender During A Time Of Emerging Legalization, Matt Reid

Dissertations

Marijuana’s status as an illegal drug has been redefined over the previous three decades. Despite Michigan and 32 other states having comprehensive medical cannabis programs, both academics and laypeople commonly present the medicalization of marijuana as an intermediary phase or proxy for fully legalized recreational use. While some evidence exists to support this position, this framework marginalizes the struggles and experiences of patients who have found relief through their therapeutic use of cannabis. As such, the goal of this study is to re-center the voices of cannabis patients in academic conversations of cannabis as medicine.

My study is unique in …

Community Involvement As A Protective Factor In Black College Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Shelee-Ann M. Flemmings

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of community involvement on psychological functioning, academic success, and critical consciousness in Black undergraduate students enrolled at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Research has found that Black students attending PWIs often report feelings of isolation, non-acceptance, and rejection (Lett & Wright, 2003). Attrition rates are higher for Black students compared to their White counterparts (Lee & Barnes, 2015), and general and race-related perceived stressors have been associated with psychological distress (Neville, Heppner, Ji, & Thye, 2004). An online survey was used to assess general and race-related stress, psychological functioning, critical consciousness, …

Racial Identity Among Native American Adults In The Southwestern United States, Deidre P. Begay

Dissertations

There is growing interest in the empirical psychological study of Native Americans. Nonetheless, currently there are few empirical investigations examining Native American identity from a racial perspective. One study, completed in 2011 by Gonzalez and Bennett, modified the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity to adapt to Native American individuals and used an Exploratory Factor Analysis that resulted in a four factor model of Native American identity called the Native Identity Scale (Gonzalez & Bennett, 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the Native Identity Scale when used with a sample from self-identified Native American adults …

The Voices Of Single-Headed Household African American Mothers Concerning The High School Completion Of Their Daughters, Lametria A. Johnson_Eaddy

Dissertations

African American female students in urban schools are not graduating from high school at the same rate as females of other ethnic groups (Bucknor, 2015; Martin & Halperin, 2006; Stillwell & Sable, 2013). This study sought to investigate the voices and lived experiences of single-headed households of African American mothers whose daughters graduated from high school within the traditional four-year schedule. Through the voices and lived-experiences of these African American mothers, this study sought to capture the impact certain internal and external support systems from within both the home and school environments had on their daughters’ persistence in graduating from …

Language – Liberation – Leadership The Identity Reconstruction And Lived Experiences Of Subaltern (Non-Elite) Learners Of English In Pakistan, Aamir Hasan

Dissertations

English enjoys an unassailable position of dominance in the world today, especially as the language of leadership. In most of the developing world, fluency in English is a must for meaningful employment and leadership opportunities. Yet English is the preserve of a tiny elite class, who use it as a first language. For the vast majority, the prospects for learning English are bleak. However, some individuals not hailing from the elite classes acquire the language through personal effort and perseverance. Yet, researchers have not studied this population.

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of non-elite …

Understanding The School Experience Of Recent Lgbtq+ Graduates In The Dominican Republic’S Education System, Rossina Matos

Dissertations

Studies show that, in general, schools fall short when it comes to serving LGBTQ+ students, sometimes even ignoring the situations regarding bullying, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and heterosexism that arise. The detrimental effects of repressive, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, and other marginalizing school environments on LGBTQ+ students are well-documented in the research. However, the limited research available on the school experiences of LGBTQ+ students in Dominican K-12 schools suggests the country could benefit from examining the breadth and depth of the reality of LGBTQ+ students in its schools.

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of …

Oxidized Phospholipid Regulation Of Chronic Inflammation In Endothelial Cells, Cameron Scott Brutsche

Masters Theses

Atherosclerosis, the primary cause of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), has become one of the top causes of death in the world. As low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles become trapped and oxidized inside arterial walls, the primary oxidation products of 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphatidylcholine (PAPC) induce the binding of monocytes which can potentially lead to fatty plaque build ups. A fragment of one of these oxidation products, OxPAPC, has previously been studied and can act as standard for testing new phospholipids and how they affect protein expression levels. The central hypothesis of this study was that three newly studied classes of oxidized fatty …

An Analysis Of Large Displacement Pneumatic Slug Tests For The Characterization Of Aquifer Parameters – Guidelines For An Alternative Field Procedure, Madison E. Wayt

Masters Theses

Variations in hydraulic conductivity (K) between larger scale aquifer tests and smaller scale slug tests, and within individual aquifer tests, have been linked to method bias and aquifer heterogeneity. The impacts of varying slug sizes on K, which represents K dependence on a smaller scale, is not as well understood. To examine the relationship between K and slug size, a series of slug tests with a range of initial displacements were performed in three intermediate to high K, unconfined aquifers encompassing homogeneous, mildly heterogeneous, and moderate to highly heterogeneous conditions. Slug test estimated K values at Asylum Lake are compared …

Binary, Jared Tubbs

Masters Theses

bInary is an interactive sound installation featuring seven stations that represent common aspects of modern life in the digital age. Most stations center around modern technology, and its central role in many aspects of society. Users engage with each station to do various tasks, including inputting personal data, manipulating touch screens, typing out social media posts, taking selfies, and recording greetings. The combined stations, done consecutively, take on a ritualistic nature, taking habitual aspects of everyday life and exposing them to stand alone. bInary takes data from interactions with the stations to create a sonic representation of those who interact …

“College Is Mandatory In Our Family”: A Study Of Homeschooler Anticipatory Memorable Messages About College, Gina S. Reynolds

Masters Theses

Homeschooling in the United States provides many children with a unique educational background that may present different perspectives when considering college attendance. This thesis examines the memorable messages homeschool students received regarding college, where these messages came from, and the perceived impact they have on the student. Memorable messages are easily recalled words that participants receive from others, which they believe has an impact on their attitudes and decisions (Cranmer & Myers, 2017). This study also looks at the messages homeschool students received from the media and the effect these have on their college choices. A qualitative study gathered reports …

Field And Numerical Evaluation Of Nitrogen Transport From Septic Systems In Surfical Aquifer Systems To Charlotte Harbor, Florida, Tanten T. Buszka

Masters Theses

Shallow water tables in coastal surficial aquifers limit effective treatment of septic effluent which can result in excess nutrient loading into nearby surface water bodies. Approximately 45,000 septic systems in Charlotte County, Florida transmit effluent into an under studied surficial aquifer and contribute to harmful algal blooms and outbreaks of E. coli. An undeveloped field site was characterized using standard hydrogeologic methods, including a one-year duration natural gradient tracer test, to obtain representative lithology of the sandy surficial aquifer and estimates of groundwater velocity, flow directions, effective porosity and dispersion. These data were used to support the development of a …

Counter Stories In Counterpublics: Exploring Documentary As A Form Of Activist Media To Counter Reinforced Stereotypes About The Criminalization Of Black Men, Tirrea S. Billings

Masters Theses

A story told can change the world. Storytelling has been around since the inception of human communication and has been used as a tool to educate, preserve cultural values, and make meaning of our existence. More recently, storytelling has been used in activist and social change movements. One approach to social justice storytelling is through filmmaking: creating films as a tool to disrupt, interrupt, amplify, organize, shift power and create lasting, transformative change in communities. Specifically, social justice-oriented documentary film and media can be used as a vehicle for those who are in counterpublic spaces to argue against mainstream discourses …

Testing A New Photovoice Model: A Meta-Analysis On Participatory Action Research Methodologies In Geographical Research, Nolan Bergstrom

Masters Theses

Photovoice was developed in the early 1990s for use in public health studies evolving from participatory action research (PAR) and photographic methods. It attempts to mitigate the power dynamics between researcher and researched by allowing participants to be the primary knowledge producers. The Photovoice methodology has left open methodological avenues to implement Photovoice as a research tool in many fields. This research aimed to modify the Photovoice methodology to include mobile technology, social media to create a new model of Photovoice.

This research was conducted in K.I. Sawyer, MI, a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan over a …

Social And Demographic Drivers Impacting Family Planning And Family Size In Buraydah City, Saudi Arabia, Sami Abdulkarim Alwulayi

Masters Theses

The goal of this research is to identify factors impacting changes in family size for medium-size cities in Saudi Arabia. Since the initial comprehensive development plans were adopted in the 1970s, Saudi society has changed rapidly in many different ways, and demographic change is one of the most noticeable. This mixed methods research is based on an online survey conducted in the summer of 2019 of 560 married couples and their families living within the 29 neighborhoods of Buraydah City, Saudi Arabia. Specifically, this research examines socioeconomic and demographic conditions related to family planning, as well as collecting perspectives on …

Adopting Educational Technology: A Study Of Dominican Republic Higher Education Faculty Related To Their Classroom Usage, Attitudes, Barriers, And Motivations, Leipzig Elizabeth Guzmán Mena

Dissertations

Previous research has revealed that the integration of technology in education produces an improvement in the traditional teaching and learning process, but that there is a disconnect between faculty adoption of educational technology and the requirements of our current generation of students (Rhema & Miliszewska, 2014; Selwyn, 2009). While students are now fully immersed in technology, some faculty still do not give adequate significance to its adoption in their classes. This disconnect represents a problem for these students’ learning experiences.

The purpose of this study was to explore faculty experiences regarding the adoption of educational technology within a private HEI …

Adverse Childhood Experience Scores Of Social Work Students Vs. Non-Social Work Students At Western Michigan University, Grace Conrad

Honors Theses

This project researched the differences in Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores among Social Work students compared to other majors at a Midwest University. The purpose of the study was to research the ACE scores within fields of study and various demographics to target the most at-risk populations on campus. The sample was composed of 185 undergraduate students studying social work and other fields of study. The sample included various grade levels, races, genders, and environments participants were raised. The participants were given a 16 question on-line survey including demographic questions and questions from the ACE score test. The research concluded …

Gower As Data: Exploring The Application Of Machine Learning To Gower’S Middle English Corpus, Kara L. Mcshane, Alvin Grissom Ii

Accessus

Distant reading, a digital humanities method in wide use, involves processing and analyzing a large amount of text through computer programs. In treating texts as data, these methods can highlight trends in diction, themes, and linguistic patterns that individual readers may miss or critical traditions may obscure. Though several scholars have undertaken projects using topic models and text mining on Middle English texts, the nonstandard orthography of Middle English makes this process more challenging than for our counterparts in later literature.

This collaborative project uses Gower’s Confessio Amantis as a small, fixed corpus for analysis. We employ natural language processing …

Standing In The Dark: Sloth And Stability, Paralysis And Perseverance In Book Iv Of The Confessio Amantis, Andrea Schutz

Accessus

In Book IV of the Confessio, things happen in the dark – the dark of night, of dreams, of despair, of secrecy, of treachery, of death. The medieval sin of accidia sets the pace for this beautifully constructed book, whose tales link and cross, as in a dance. Dido, Phyllis, the bad, the forgetful, and the obsessive lovers swing like slowing pendulums back to their starting points, and stop still. On the whole, their dance with Amans is a slow and stately pavane of the dead and desperate. This is Gower’s darkest book, though not the most bloody: Sloth is …

Narcissus In Queer Time, Lacey M. Wolfer

Accessus

Queer temporality has been studied in relation to the Middle Ages as a means of questioning the prevailing historiography for other modes of connection to the past, such as embodied or affective. Conversely, the other branch of queer temporality has been primarily interested in how queer lifestyles today disrupt the heteronormative plan laid out by society. Joining these modes, Gower’s revision of Narcissus questions our notions of historiography through showing us an example of a queer, transgender character and his struggles with heteronormative expectations—demonstrating that the medieval is not so disconnected from the modern.

One Voice, Ancient And Resigned, Will Rogers

Accessus

While we know, or at least can imagine, what Gower looked like in his old age, it is hard to imagine or hear his voice. And yet, given what we know about his old age and visual impairments, his voice necessarily was important to his old age and continuing revisions of his texts. In this article, I attempt to reconstruct from some of his later poetry what that voice might have sounded like, at least in-text, and piece together how later authors heard that voice of old age.

Dark Money: Gower, Echo, And 'Blinde Avarice', Craig E. Bertolet

Accessus

Gower’s poetic works show a consistent concern with the darkness and deceit associated with Avarice, the sin mostly associated with commercial transactions. In the Confessio, he calls Avarice blind. This blindness seems to work both ways. Avarice blinds humans to their humanity because it causes them to cheat and steal from others. Avarice also blinds the victims of the greedy since the greedy resort to deception in order to gain what they want. In the Confessio, Genius tells the tale of Echo as an example of the practices that he calls usury but who works as an amalgam …

The Intersections Of Art And Activism, Marisa Weller

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Introducing The 30, Haworth College Of Business

Haworth College of Business News

PDF created from website and the formatting does not look exactly the same as the original, but the content is the same.

The Haworth College of Business is proud to present its 2020 edition of The 30, a publication that recognizes emerging business leaders—both students and alumni—who are providing thought leadership and innovative perspectives in the business world. Selected by a committee composed of faculty, staff and Young Alumni Advisory Board members, these honorees represent the work ethic, innovation and passion that are synonymous with the Haworth College of Business.

March 2020 Cehd Newsletter, College Of Education And Human Development

College of Education and Human Development News

• The Drive to Engage Children in the Community
• New Zealand, New Perspective: Education Internship of a Lifetime
• What do you think?
• Giving Impact: Helping Students 'Take Off'
• Western Michigan University receives a $9.6M federal grant to advance renewable energy research
• WMU researcher says despite gender-based challenges, women entrepreneurs use grit, resilience to achieve profitable growth

College Of Arts And Sciences: March 2020, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• Internships, faculty support help alumnus land job at ABC News
• WMU professor awarded for book that peels back the curtain on Fetzer's secret life
• What do you think?
• Giving Impact: Helping Students 'Take Off'
• Unearthing her passion for archaeology at WMU
• Geography alumnus analyzes tree canopy in Colorado
• Western Michigan University receives a $9.6M federal grant to advance renewable energy research

Disruptive Teaching: Centering Equity And Diversity In Literacy Pedagogical Practices, Anne Swenson Ticknor, Mikkaka Overstreet, Christy M. Howard

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Teacher educators must prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to become equitable practitioners who honor the voices and experiences of their future students. In this article, we advocate for centering equitable teaching in literacy education courses and making explicit how to disrupt traditional perspectives of teaching diverse students. This qualitative study investigated PSTs’ perceptions and attitudes about teaching diverse students after a series of modeled lessons. Analysis revealed that over the course of the semester PSTs either continued to focus on barriers related to equitable teaching, began to discuss new possibilities for teaching, or were ready to enact the practices they had …

The Western Insider, Western Michigan University

The Western Insider

• WMU's aviation program tapped by United Airlines for top piloting talent
• For other campus news, read WMU Today online
• WMU garners $9.6M federal grant to advance renewable energy research
• Dining Services partners with Invisible Need to expand food options for students
• Researcher: Despite gender-based challenges, women entrepreneurs resilient in achieving profitable growth
• WMU-United partnership could help ease pilot shortage
• Researchers receive grant to work on improving battery efficiency for electronics
• West Michigan provided a safe haven for those fleeing from slavery
• WMU grad who earned $200K in scholarships starts business to help others