Digital Commons Network^™

Female Student Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Persistence In Male-Dominated Community College Career And Technical Education Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Programs, Valeria Williams

Dissertations

The number of males enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs outnumber female counterparts (Wang & Degol, 2017). The disparity is even greater in persistence rates for STEM related fields (Glass, Sassler, Levitte & Michelmore, 2013). The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of females enrolled in traditionally male-dominated programs of study, specifically in the areas of STEM in community and junior colleges, to determine factors that influence persistence.

Although previous research exists focusing on women in STEM, most studies explore the barriers women face (Ong, Wright, Espinosa, & Orfield, 2011). The findings from previous …

Bio-Inspired Polymers As Models For Determination Of Non-Covalent Structure/Binding Interactions With Amyloid Β Peptides, Gliadin, And Bovine Γ-Crystallin, Ashleigh Bristol

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the development of bio-inspired polymers as models to evaluate binding modes with various proteins through specific design of pendent functionality. Genetic variances can result in abnormal protein behavior in the body, such as aggregation events or mislabeling as an antigen, where polymer/protein complexation can provide insight into protein stability and potential therapeutic approaches. Polymer/protein interactions on the molecular level can occur through various modes, such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatic binding, and hydrophobic interactions. Polymers of different architectures containing acrylamido backbone structures were utilized to study structure/binding interactions in vitro, with the goal of advancing knowledge in …

Comparing The Results Of And Evaluating Preferences For Functional Analyses And Concurrent Operant Analyses, Marrisa B. Allen

Dissertations

It is recommended that a functional analysis (FA) be conducted before treating serious problem behaviors. However, it is not always feasible or desirable to do so. For example, the problem behavior may be too dangerous, or the setting may not allow procedures that evoke problem behavior. An alternative solution may be to identify reinforcers for adaptive behavior in order to develop a treatment plan to reduce problem behavior by increasing socially appropriate/adaptive behavior. Berg et al. (2007) evaluated whether the same social events identified as reinforcers for adaptive behavior by a concurrent operant (i.e., choice) analysis (COA) would be identical …

The Effectiveness Of Oral Retelling As A Reading Comprehension Strategy For Elementary Students With Reading Delays, Brandi Michelle Fontenot

Dissertations

Comprehension is an essential component of reading proficiency that produces long-term gains for learners. However, many upper elementary school-age children struggle with reading comprehension. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a self-monitoring intervention on reading comprehension for three elementary school-age children with reading delays. Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, behavioral skills training was used to teach participants the elements of a story retell and how-to self-monitor their own story retells. In Study 2, a multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of self-monitoring on four dependent variables: a) …

Karczma/Taberna: Public Houses In Cracow During The Jagiellonian Dynasty, Peter Paul Dobek

Dissertations

Public houses—inns, taverns, and alehouses—during the Jagiellonian Dynasty (1385-1572) in the city of Cracow and its immediate surroundings functioned as important establishments in the everyday life of the city. While the city continued to grow and prosper as the preferred residence of the dynasty, inhabitants, travelers, and migrants increasingly relied on the public houses of the conurbation to meet their many needs and desires. Although scholars have studied these establishments throughout Europe during various epochs, they have neglected to analyze the public houses in Cracow during the Jagiellonian era.

This study provides a comprehensive examination of a multitude of sources, …

The Effects Of Energy Dashboards And Competition Programming On Cyclic Electricity Consumption On A College Campus, Katherine Jane-Binder Martini

Dissertations

This report examined issues pertaining to the efficacy and cost effectiveness of energy dashboards in the effort to influence electricity-related behavior change on college campuses. Given the increasing popularity of energy dashboards along with a lack of data to support their effectiveness, more rigorous research to evaluate the efficacy of this technology is necessary. An intervention including the installation of physical and internet based energy dashboards along with an energy reduction competition was evaluated. A literature review and long term cyclical data on energy use is included that provides arguments against the potential for long-term effectiveness of these interventions despite …

The Impact Of Social And Cultural Factors On Minority Students’ Participation In An International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, Elizabeth Scott-Janda

Dissertations

Although concern about mathematical achievement inequities has become widespread, even in well-funded, high-performing high schools, unequal outcomes for minority and disadvantaged students can seem persistent and difficult to change despite strong efforts. This project reports on an ethnographic study that examined how social environments within schools can affect students’ choices of whether or not to attempt advanced coursework in mathematics, especially among marginalized groups like Hispanic minorities, low socio-economic status (SES) and rural populations. It considered how social and peer environments affect students’ approaches to schooling, and decisions they make that will have long-term implications for their futures. In particular, …

An Assessment Of Conceptual Understanding Of Metabolic Pathways, Amani Atiyalla Abdugadar

Dissertations

Researchers have previously studied misconceptions of biochemistry topics such as photosynthesis, protein structure, and ATP-production. However, no studies have reported on students’ misconceptions regarding major metabolic pathways. Since learning metabolism builds on students’ prior knowledge, new material being learned will be affected by the presence of any misconceptions. Some of these misconceptions will be robust and thus hard to be replaced by the correct concepts. Thus, if students are to learn new material, these misconceptions must be diminished. This dissertation focused on the origins of these misconceptions, investigated what misconceptions students had on metabolism, and why students developed misconceptions instead …

Methodological Considerations For Researching Hidden-Populations With An Emphasis On Homeless Research Sampling Methods, Tyler William Kincaid

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (a) gain a methodological understanding of hidden population sampling techniques and to offer insight into which approach is best suited for a given researcher’s sample; and (b) to provide increased methodological understanding of how to best research hidden populations like the homeless by providing researchers, social care providers, and governing bodies with detailed guidelines for their work with the homeless. Regardless of the method, hidden and homeless populations are hard to find, understand, and approach with cultural responsiveness (Roche, et al. in Lahman, 2017). Using a critical theoretical approach to the research, this …

Staff Conceptualization Of And Engagement With Diversity And Inclusion In Collegiate Recreation: A Multilevel Exploration, Erin Michelle Patchett

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how collegiate recreation professionals conceptualize and engage in diversity and inclusion efforts in their roles as well as what are the influences and perceived outcomes of that engagement. Informed by constructivist and critical paradigms, an instrumental case study design was utilized to collect data from one collegiate recreation organization. Data sources included interviews with 13 collegiate recreation professionals, observations, writing activities, document analysis, and a researcher journal. Thematic analysis was utilized to examine the data. Four main themes were identified: (a) complex layers of diversity and inclusion, (b) layers of influences, (c) …

Dual Language Elementary Teacher Supports In Rocky Mountain Resort Communities, Miguel Donald Salinas

Dissertations

Dual language (DL) programs have been proven to increase student achievement (Thomas & Collier, 2002; Thomas, Collier, & Collier, 2010) but a gap remains in how to support teachers in their instruction of Spanish to both English home language and Spanish home language students. This mixed methods, explanatory, sequential design study was conducted in two Rocky Mountain resort communities in two school districts. Participants were chosen based on the research criterion of being DL elementary teachers in rural amenity-based destinations. The Guiding Principles for Dual-language Education (Howard et al., 2018) was used as the conceptual framework. Data were obtained from …

Understanding Counselor Educators’ Experiences Of Professional Identity And Leadership In A Group Private Practice, Jessica L. Hopkins

Dissertations

Similar to other mental health professionals, Counselor Educators work in a variety academic, clinical and business settings. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) (2016) describes CES doctoral programs as preparing “graduates to work as Counselor Educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners in academic and clinical settings” (p. 38). However, research has only minimally focused on Counselor Educators who work in private practice settings, especially group counseling practices. Swickert’s (1997) research on the professional identity of Counselor Educators in private practice settings signifies the most recent study of counselor education that references Counselor Educators’ professional identities and …

Change In Attribution Perspective, Shame, And Academic Identity For Freshmen On Probation Enrolled In University Academic Recovery Courses: A Mixed Methods Study, Christine L. Robinson

Dissertations

Student retention is critical to the success of the student, the college or university, and society in general. Consequently, institutions of higher education continue to focus efforts on student retention strategies and one such strategy utilizes academic recovery courses to support probationary freshmen. Previous research studies of these courses largely focus on academic outcomes without examining the “why” or “how” behind such outcomes. Some studies also discuss constructs including attribution perspective, shame, and academic identity. However, the relationship between these constructs has not been researched, particularly with regard to any change that may occur for probationary freshmen engaged with an …

The Impact Of Goal Orientation And Learning Organization On Mobbing Of Academic Advisors In The U.S., Bette A. Ludwig

Dissertations

Mobbing emerged in research decades ago as a way to understand aggressive behavior in the animal kingdom (Lorenz, 1966). This same concept has been adapted for higher education to explain acts of incivility and negative behaviors employees experience within their institutions (Duffy & Sperry, 2007, 2012; Harper, 2016; Yelgecen & Kokalan, 2009). The theory of mobbing encompasses both the organization and the aggressor.

This quantitative study, operationalized using measurable behaviors from the Work Domain Goal Orientation Questionnaire (Vandewalle, 1997), the Dimension of Learning Organization Questionnaire (Watkins and Marsick, 1993), and the Negative Acts Questionnaire (Einarsen, 1997), researches mastery orientation, performance …

Developing A Theoretical Framework For Visualization-Based Pedagogical Content Knowledge (V-Pck) Based On Middle School Teachers’ Views And Uses Of Visualizations As An Instructional Tool, Jacqueline Samuel

Dissertations

Visualizations is a categorical term that is often used to provide visual imagery to the communication of processes, concepts, exemplar phenomena, and general information. Objects such as graphs, tables, diagrams, animations, and pictures fall in this category. Existing literature focuses primarily on the use of visualizations in the science field at the high school level, collegiate levels, and in pre-service teacher education programs. A gap in the literature exists which examines how science teachers at the middle school level perceive and use visualizations as instructional components in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine science teachers views …

Happiness Advantage: The Impact On School Culture, Jillian Sagan

Dissertations

The purpose of this evaluation is to analyze the implementation of the Happiness Advantage principles (Achor, 2011) to address the mental well-being for all school district employees. In addition to Happiness Advantage Training (Achor, 2011), the study seeks to determine if the implementation of positive psychology principles affects school culture, teacher engagement and student achievement. The program design incorporates whole district training, ongoing professional development for employees and the autonomy to generate new ideas to sustain a positive mindset for individual schools sites and classrooms. The findings indicate that when positive psychology principles are implemented across a school district, teacher …

Diverse Learners In Inclusion Classrooms And Their Standarized Achievement Test, Janice Quartman

Dissertations

Special Education services has opened many opportunities for students with

disabilities and special needs. Disabled students were previously educated

in a separate facility barring them from educational and social interactions

with their non-disabled peers. Disable students are now entering their community

school and receiving services through an I.E.P. (Individual Education Plan). The

primary purpose of this study is to understand the impact of Standard Achievement

Tests of disabled students that learn in a co-taught general education classroom

with a regular teacher and a special education teacher. This study will be valuable

in revealing the academic achievement of students that have …

An Experimental Comparison Of Visual And Statistical Analyses, Stevie A. Collini

Dissertations

Visual analysis is the favored method for analyzing single-subject research data in more traditional behavior analysis programs of study; however, some critics of the practice argue that it should not be the only method used to analyze data given the previous research demonstrating significant inconsistencies in conclusions drawn based on the practice (Bulté & Onghena, 2012; Campbell & Herzinger, 2010; Kazdin, 2011). Supporters of statistical analysis have argued that although statistical analyses are not free from subjectivity and bias, the decision-making processes and criteria are more straightforward than those offered by the complexities involved in visual analysis (Kazdin, 2011). It …

Behavioral Skills Training And Literacy: Supporting Reading Instructors In Adult Education Centers, Mya L. Hernandez

Dissertations

The present study evaluates the effects of a behavioral skills training package (BST) on training adult literacy tutors to implement the steps of BST when teaching parents with low literacy. Four adult literacy tutors participated in the study along with one parent with low literacy. The primary dependent variable was the percentage of steps of the BST package implemented correctly during tutor training probe measures. Secondary measures were taken on the parent’s performance of each step of the literacy activities on which they were trained. In baseline, all tutors were provided with instructions for performing two literacy activities and tutors …

Multiple Ssid Framework For Rss-Fingerprint Based Indoor Positioning Systems, Ahmed Kareem Abed

Dissertations

Location-Based Indoor positioning systems significance stems from the bloom of recent applications in various fields such as in tracking services for an elder or a patient within large living communities, mobile robot localization, and several other security applications. Currently, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are the most widely used location-sensing technique. However, satellite-based GPS signals require line of sight (LOS) to work correctly, which is something cannot be achieved inside buildings. Fortunately, wireless LAN can be employed in indoor positioning systems (IPS), and since all large buildings such as malls, hospitals, airports, schools, and museums have hundreds of Wi-Fi access points, …

Special Education Teachers Use Of Reading Strategies To Support Students With Learning Disabilities In Reading, Ali A. Alhamdan

Dissertations

This research captures how special education teachers select, use, and monitor reading strategies for 4^th and/or 5^th grade students who have learning disabilities in reading. A multiple case study, the research focused on five different southwest Michigan classrooms where special education teachers teach students with learning disabilities in reading. Data was collected through teacher interviews, classroom observations, and document review. The study results include that small group instruction is the approach teachers value most for Tier II instruction, while direct instruction is valued most for Tier III instruction. At both Tier II and III, teachers select interventions and …

A Reinforcement Learning Approach To Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization, Daniel S. Kolosa

Dissertations

This dissertation explores a novel method of solving low-thrust spacecraft targeting problems using reinforcement learning. A reinforcement learning algorithm based on Deep Deterministic Policy Gradients was developed to solve low-thrust trajectory optimization problems. The algorithm consists of two neural networks, an actor network and a critic network. The actor approximates a thrust magnitude given the current spacecraft state expressed as a set of orbital elements. The critic network evaluates the action taken by the actor based on the state and action taken. Three different types of trajectory problems were solved, a generalized orbit change maneuver, a semimajor axis change maneuver, …

Simultaneous X-Ray Emission Accompanying Two Electron Capture For Fluorine On Gas Targets, David S. La Mantia

Dissertations

The collision between a charged ion and an atom resulting in the capture of two electrons, simultaneous with the emission of a single photon is referred to as radiative double electron capture (RDEC). For ion-atom collisions, this process can be considered the inverse of double photoionization. The study of either process, where just two electrons are involved without influence from neighboring electrons, promises new insight into electron correlation and the role it plays in quantum mechanics. Such a study for photoionization has not yet been done experimentally for two-electron ions because the only target system for which two electrons are …

Toward Self-Reconfigurable Parametric Systems: Reinforcement Learning Approach, Ting-Yu Mu

Dissertations

For the ongoing advancement of the fields of Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science, machine learning-based approaches are utilized in different ways in order to solve the problems that belong to the Nondeterministic Polynomial time (NP)-hard complexity class or to approximate the problems if there is no known efficient way to find a solution. Problems that determine the proper set of reconfigurable parameters of parametric systems to obtain the near optimal performance are typically classified as NP-hard problems with no efficient mathematical models to obtain the best solutions. This body of work aims to advance the knowledge of machine learning …

Liminal Space In Higher Education: Lived Experiences In The Space Between At-Risk Academics And Big-Time Athletics In Division I Power Five, Lainey J. Brottem

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, interpretivist phenomenological study was to understand and provide a transferable, informed, and learned perspective of the daily experience of working in the liminal space between two powerful, ostensibly cooperative but often competing interests: major university undergraduate academics and big-time Division I athletics. Nine learning specialists from Division I Power Five institutions participated in phenomenological interviews. Findings indicated that the phenomenon constituted a liminal space between the opposing forces of academics and athletics, with student-athletes, faculty, colleagues, and coaches having influence on the liminality. Unit directors diminished the sense of liminality while faculty contributed very little …

A Comparison Between A Modified And A Traditional Expressive Writing Intervention And Their Effect On Alexithymia And Emotional Expressivity, John Tzanos

Dissertations

The current study examined the effect of a modified expressive writing intervention compared to a traditional intervention and their effect on alexithymia and emotional expressivity while controlling for attachment style and social desirability among 150 undergraduate and graduate college students. The survey was administered online using a Qualtrics online survey tool. Participants were randomly divided into six groups: (a) low alexithymia/traditional intervention, (b) moderate alexithymia/traditional invention, (c) high alexithymia/traditional intervention, (d) low alexithymia/modified intervention, (e) moderate alexithymia/ modified intervention, and (f) high alexithymia/ modified intervention. The three groupings of levels of alexithymia—low (61) alexithymia—were based on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 …

The Effects Of Self-Observation On Implementation Of Direct Instruction Reading Curricula, Katherine Mahaffy

Dissertations

The current study evaluated the effects of structured self-observations on the rate and accuracy of learn unit presentations by graduate student tutors in a reading program. Four graduate students were trained to implement reading curricula using instructions, modeling, and the training manuals for reading curricula. Dependent variables were accuracy of antecedents, accuracy of consequences, and rate of learn units for the lesson. A secondary dependent variable was the rate of contingent social praise and token delivery during the lesson. During the intervention, tutors learned how to record learn units using the Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy Scale (TPRA) and then …

The Role Of Mental Models In Sensemaking During The Data-Driven Decision-Making Process And Their Impact On Instructional Practice, Ann M. Bingham

Dissertations

Data-driven decision making (DDDM) is a practice that has been shown to improve student achievement. However, the success of this process relies on the mental models applied during sensemaking. The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe and interpret how elementary mathematics teachers made sense of data from the Delta Math readiness screener. Additionally, this study captured the types of changes that teachers made as a result of analyzing this particular data source.

This study employed qualitative methods to determine the mental models that teachers applied during DDDM. These methods also provided participants an opportunity to describe how …

Person-Level Sources Of Continued Influence Effect: The Roles Of Attention Control, Intolerance Of Ambiguity And Conservatism, Jinhao Chi

Dissertations

People continually rely on disinformation to make judgments after it is corrected or discredited. This phenomenon is termed the continued influence effect (CIE). Using a sample of 152 participants, the current study examined whether the CIE can be explained by a person’s political orientation, attention control (AC) levels, intolerance of ambiguity (IA) and need for specific closure (NSC). It was found that when political orientation was based on self-reports, the overall political conservatism did not predict the CIE (r = .13, p = .09) but economic conservatism did (r = .19, p < .05), suggesting that those with higher self-reported fiscally conservative attitudes may show more prolonged influence of disinformation. In addition, the overall AC levels did not predict the CIE (r = .08, p = .30), but the antisaccade scores reflecting the ability to inhibit automatic responses were a significant positive predictor of the CIE (r = .18, p < .05). Lastly, neither IA nor NSC significantly predicted the CIE (ps > .05). These findings were obtained with only one …

Algorithms And Hardware Co-Design Of Hevc Intra Encoders, Yuanzhi Zhang

Dissertations

Digital video is becoming extremely important nowadays and its importance has greatly increased in the last two decades. Due to the rapid development of information and communication technologies, the demand for Ultra-High Definition (UHD) video applications is becoming stronger. However, the most prevalent video compression standard H.264/AVC released in 2003 is inefficient when it comes to UHD videos. The increasing desire for superior compression efficiency to H.264/AVC leads to the standardization of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). Compared with the H.264/AVC standard, HEVC offers a double compression ratio at the same level of video quality or substantial improvement of video …