Digital Commons Network^™

Dark Patterns: Effect On Overall User Experience And Site Revisitation, Deon Soul Calawen

Dissertations

Dark patterns are user interfaces purposefully designed to manipulate users into doing something they might not otherwise do for the benefit of an online service. This study investigates the impact of dark patterns on overall user experience and site revisitation in the context of airline websites. In order to assess potential dark pattern effects, two versions of the same airline website were compared: a dark version containing dark pattern elements and a bright version free of manipulative interfaces. User experience for both websites were assessed quantitatively through a survey containing a User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) and a System Usability Scale …

Direct And Constructivist Approaches For The Design Of Instruction In Well-Structured Domains: A Comparison Of Efficiency Via Mental Workload And Performance., Giuliano Orru

Dissertations

This doctoral research investigates the efficiency of two instructional designs: a design based on the direct-instruction approach to learning and its extension with a collaborative activity based upon the community of inquiry approach to learning. This is motivated by the educational challenge associated with the improvement of the learning phase. The goal is to investigate the extent to which highly guided communities of inquiry, when added to direct-instruction teaching methods, can actually improve the efficiency of learners. A total of 577 students participated in the experiments across 24 third-level classes that were divided into two groups. A control group of …

The Impact Of Emotion Focused Features On Svm And Mlr Models For Depression Detection, Alexandria Mulligan

Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental health diagnosis with estimates upwards of 25% of the United States population remain undiagnosed. Psychomotor symptoms of MDD impacts speed of control of the vocal tract, glottal source features and the rhythm of speech. Speech enables people to perceive the emotion of the speaker and MDD decreases the mood magnitudes expressed by an individual. This study asks the questions: “if high level features deigned to combine acoustic features related to emotion detection are added to glottal source features and mean response time in support vector machines and multivariate logistic regression models, would …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Subjective Mental Workload And Objective Indicators Of User Activity, Greg Byrne

Dissertations

Whilst the concept of physical workload is intuitively understood and readily applicable in system design, the same cannot be said of mental workload (MWL), despite its importance in our increasingly technological society. Despite its origin in the mid 20th century, the very concept of ”mental workload” is still a topic of debate in the literature, although it can be loosely defined as “the amount of mental work necessary for a person to complete a task” (Miller, 1956; Longo, 2014). Several methods have been utilized to measure of MWL, including physiological methods such as neuro-imagery, performance-based metrics, and subjective measures via …

Real-Time Stock Market Recommendation & Prediction Using Multi Source Data, Kalpana Konety

Dissertations

Stock investors must be cognizant of both the current price of their stock and the price at which they want to sell it in the future. This does not stop investors to monitor past price patterns and apply their knowledge to the present. ’Past performance is not an indicator of future success’, as the saying goes. To put it another way, historical stock data alone isn’t enough to forecast future stock prices. Another key factor to consider in a trading strategy is the impact of market psychology. Financial data, which is a type of multimedia data, provides a wealth of …

Crash Injury Severity Prediction With Artificial Neural Networks, Rima Abisaad

Dissertations

Motor vehicle crashes are one of our nation's most serious social, economic and health issues. They are the leading cause of death among children and young adults, killing approximately 1.35 million people each year. Providing a safe and efficient transportation system is the primary goal of transportation engineering and planning. To help reduce traffic fatalities and injuries on roadways, crash prediction models are used to forecast the injury severity of potential crashes and apply precautionary countermeasures accordingly. Most of these models are reactive as they use historical crash data to categorize crash-related factors. Recently, advancements have been made in developing …

Improving Programming Learners’ Experience Through Interactive Computer Tutor Based Moocs, Ruiqi Shen

Dissertations

With the large demand for technology workers all around the world, more people are learning programming. Studies show that human tutoring is the most effective way to learn for novice programmers. However, problems such as the inaccessibility to physical classes, prohibitive costs, and the lack of educators may limit students' opportunities to learn from these resources. Additionally, because programming is a skill requiring continuous practice and immediate feedback, simply listening to lectures may not be sufficient to learn effectively. This increases the inconvenience of learners who use online learning tools such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

In recent years, …

Exploring Factors Influencing The Transition Of Adult Students From Noncredit To Credit Community College Courses, Kevin Baker

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the factors that former Adult Basic Education (ABE) students perceived were important in their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework offered at 2 community colleges in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California, using Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory and 4S system elements. A second purpose of this study was to determine which factors facilitated or hindered their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework.

Methodology: This qualitative research study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the transition experience of former ABE students. Semistructured interviews were used to discover …

The Lived Experience Of Lebanese Oncology Patients Receiving Palliative Care, Myrna A. A. Doumit

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to uncover the lived experience of Lebanese oncology patients receiving palliative care. The study design was based on the Utrecht School of phenomenology based on the Dutch school of phenomenology. This study followed purposeful sampling in which ten participants six women and four men with a mean age of 54.4 years were selected. The proposed research was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at the American University of Beirut and Duquesne University. In-depth semi-structured interviews along with observation-field notes were used as the source for data collection. Data were analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenological …

A Comparison Of Two Debriefing Methods On Clinical Reasoning Outcomes, Learner Satisfaction With Debriefing And Reflection, Clinical Learning And Clinical Reasoning, And Psychological Safety Of Nurse Orientees In Simulation-Based Education, Lori A. Persico

Dissertations

Simulation-based education is a teaching method used successfully in military, aviation, and medical education; however, the evidence rarely indicates how debriefing affects the learners' experiences. Debriefing is an essential component of simulation-based education that fosters conceptual learning, critical thinking, and clinical reasoning. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different debriefing methods on nurses' perceptions of psychological safety, satisfaction with development of clinical reasoning skills, and satisfaction with learning.

The Integration Of Art: A Multiple Case Study Of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, And Math (Steam) Schools In Three Schools In Southern California, Reyna Esther Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to describe and analyze how schools that implement a STEAM program include the arts in their integrated program. The study focused on 3 K-12 schools in Southern California that are located in the Antelope Valley high desert region of the state. This multi-case study analyzed an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school that are in different districts in the area.

Methodology: This multi-case study used qualitative data to analyze the research questions regarding art infusion in STEAM programs and teacher and leader perspectives. Drawing from interviews of teachers …

A Nationally Representative Survey Of Depression Symptoms Among Jordanian Adolescents: Associations With Depression Stigma, Depression Etiological Beliefs, And Likelihood To Seek Help For Depression, Latefa Ali Dardas

Dissertations

Arab adolescents are considered a particularly vulnerable population to depression. The substantial lack of mental health services and the stigma associated with mental illness on the one hand; and poverty, unemployment, and lack of reasonable hopes for a decent future in the context of corruption of regimes and perceived social injustice on the other, call for establishing committed and effective policies to tackle depression and its associated stigma among Arab adolescents at risk for or diagnosed with depression. However, there is a substantial lack of research that can inform the current profile of adolescent depression in the Arab region. We …

Factors Influencing Female Caregivers' Appraisals Of Their Preschoolers' Behaviors, Sallie Coke

Dissertations

Children with psychologically vulnerable caregivers may be at risk for being labeled as having behavior problems when typical behaviors are viewed by their caregivers as problematic. Research examining the accuracy of the caregivers' perceptions of children's behaviors is limited The purpose of this study was to use the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation to explore family and female caregiver factors associated with appraisals of children's behaviors, the extent to which these appraisals may be distorted and children's level of risk of having behavioral problems.

A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Data were collected from female caregivers of …

New Nurses' Experiences In The Lateral Violence Zone: A Grounded Theory, Mary Lillian Hanks

Dissertations

The impact of lateral violence on nurses and the nursing profession contribute to the nursing shortage and has negative effects on patient care (Vessey, DeMarco, Gaffney, & Budin, 2009). According to the Center for American Nurses (CENTER, 2008), lateral violence and bullying are an everyday occurrence among health care professionals. Nurses must gain real world experiences to deliver quality, safe, and effective patient care (Benner, Surphen, Leonard, & Day, 2010). Unfortunately, there are experienced nurses who are unable or unwilling to help novice nurses transition into their new role. Impaired relationships among nurses can lead to absenteeism, medical errors, and …

Exploring Resilience In Exemplary Rural School Superintendents, Silas Gaussoin-Radcliffe

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary rural superintendents to maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study used purposeful criterion sampling and recommendations from the county superintendents in the identified geographic area. Each of the 8 identified exemplary rural superintendents was interviewed using an instrument aligned to the five factors of personal resilience and their definitions. The researcher collected rich qualitative interview data, that were …

To Lift Or Not To Lift: An Institutional Ethnography Of Patient Handling Practices, Hans-Peter De Ruiter

Dissertations

The handling (lifting, mobilizing, moving etc) of patients is an integral part of the carework in health-care institutions. For obvious reasons, this puts healthcare providers at risk for musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs); furthermore the risk of such injuries has been considered an inherent risk of care work. In the last decade a concerted effort has been made to decrease (with the goal of eliminating) caregiver injuries by implementing safe patient handling programs (SPHP). These programs are presented as evidence-based algorithms that require the use of mechanical lifting devices. Institutions implement SPHPs as policies and procedural guidelines to which caregivers must conform. …

Quality Of Life Among Children With Physical Disabilities, Sharron E. Guillett

Dissertations

A triangulated descriptive research design was used to examine the relationships between quality of life (QOL), health status and physical disability among children between the ages of 8 and 15. A non-random sample (N = 80) of children with and without physical disabilities and their parents participated in this exploratory study. Children were asked to rank their quality of life from one to ten using a modified version of the Child Health Assessment Ladder (CHASL) (Norton, 1987) and then to discuss the rank they chose. QOL scores did not differ significantly between groups (M = 7 for both groups). Thirty …

Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, And Retention Among Undergraduate Students Attending Associate-Degree Nursing Programs In Illinois, Patricia L. Pence

Dissertations

The purpose of the quantitative, descriptive non-experimental study was to determine what the relationship is between emotional intelligence (EI), motivation, demographic variables, and nursing student retention. The research also tested the Nursing Undergraduate Retention and Success (NURS) model by examining demographic variables and academic motivation of nursing students. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Assessing Emotions Scale (AES) garnered data from 390 first-year undergraduate students attending nine associate degree-nursing (ADN) schools in Illinois. Regression analysis suggested statistically significant differences in the mean scores for the test anxiety and control of learning beliefs MSLQ subscales with retention at …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Mindful Attention And Awareness Resilience To Stress, And Perceived Stress In Newly Licensed Nurses In A Nurse Residency Program, Vicki L. Washington

Dissertations

A career in the healthcare profession of nursing provokes significant stress in newly licensed nurses. Previous studies suggested that mindful practice enhanced well-being by bringing awareness to thinking and living in the present moment (being mindful), decreased stress, and enhanced resilience to stress.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a mindfulness intervention on mindful attention and awareness, resilience to stress, perceived stress, and health status in newly licensed nurses in a nurse residency program (NRP).

Effects Of Extra-Curricular Project-Based Learning Experiences On Self-Efficacy And Interest In Stem Fields In High School, Taihao Kevin Wan

Dissertations

As our society and systems become more technologically advanced, increasing opportunities exist for students interested to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. However, pervasive inequities have led to differences in the extent to which women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups choose to pursue study and career pathways in STEM. Project-Based Learning (PBL) is among the most widely researched strategies suggested to support student learning and motivation and has more recently been applied to school-based efforts to increase student interest in STEM related fields. Rooted in Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined changes in students’ self-reported general …

Grounded Leadership: Exploring Health And Wellness Strategies Of Exemplary Field Grade Commanders In The California Army National Guard, Christopher G. Schoenwandt

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe what exemplary field grade commanders in the California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health.

Methodology. This study used a mixed methods approach relying on the collection of data to provide for a more flexible platform to triangulate multiple data sources and increase the validity of the study’s findings. The study used a quantitative survey to examine how exemplary field grade commanders in the CA ARNG rated their use of grounded leadership strategies combined with follow-on …

Parental Perceptions Of Family Management Styles In Families With A Child With Asthma, Annette Hines

Dissertations

Asthma is the most common chronic illness among children in the United States, and families who have a child with asthma face daily challenges to maintaining a normal family life. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed that studied four risk factors and four protective factors derived from the literature that impact these families, in order to better understand how nurses can meet the health care needs of the children with asthma and their families. Knafl's (1990, 1996) family management styles framework was applied as the theoretical framework of the study, and the concept of normalization was measured using the Family …

Factors Affecting The Outcome Of The National Council Licensure Examination Among Nontraditional Learners From Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Angela C. Gaud

Dissertations

The composition of student population in higher education is a reflection of a globalized society and current socioeconomic conditions. Characteristics of nontraditional adult learners have a significant impact in the achievement of their academic goals. A more diverse composition of students enrolled in nursing programs poses an important challenge to NCLEX-RN pass/fail outcomes. Studies that explore or predict the factors associated with NCLEX-RN performance amongst nontraditional adult learners after graduation are limited.

This study analyzed how the demographic, social, and psychological factors observed in the characteristic profile of the nontraditional adult learner are related to NCLEX-RN performance for graduates of …

The Lived-Experience Of Novice Nurse's Actualizing Clinical Reasoning In Academic Simulation, Mary Catherine Brinker

Dissertations

The purpose of this existential-phenomenological study was to address the first-person perspective of what it is like to experience clinical reasoning during a simulation. It was not known how a novice nurse would describe the experience of actualizing clinical reasoning during the academic simulation experience. In order to maintain the firstperson perspective, all presuppositions were eliminated. There were no instruments used in the data collection process, and no theories or models that guided this research. The researcher integrated Amedeo Giorgi's method of analysis to discover the psychological acts of the first person (novice nurse) to address the unknown. The research …

Empathy As A Moderator Of Preservice Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy And Outcome Expectancy Beliefs, Juta Tammachart

Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship model between culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) and culturally responsive teaching outcome expectancy beliefs (CRTOE) in Thailand. There were two research questions outlined in the study: what is the relationship between preservice teachers’ CRTSE and CRTOE? Also, does the culturally responsive teaching teacher empathy (CRTTE) moderate the relationship of preservice teachers’ CRTSE and CRTOE?

Based on the CRT standards by Siwatu (2005), there were three measures applied in the study: CRTSE, CRTOE, and CRTTE scales. These instruments were piloted with 536 preservice teachers in the Faculty of Education, Prince …

Lived Experiences Of New Nurses With Lateral Violence And Their Decision To Remain In The Nursing Profession, Lorraine Ann Hover

Dissertations

The issue of lateral violence, or nurse-on-nurse violence, is a major factor in why new nurses leave the nursing profession within the first two years of professional practice. There is considerable research into mitigating factors, why nurses leave, and programs to address lateral violence, however, little to no research has been conducted on why nurses choose to remain in the profession despite their experiences. This lack of research necessitates the need for further study into the lived experiences of new nurses with lateral violence and their decision to remain in the profession. This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study helps to address …

The Experience Of Being Aware Of Disease Status In Women With Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Phenomenological Study, Catherine Scott Finlayson

Dissertations

In the United States, each year about 22,440 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the deadliest gynecological cancer - with an estimated 14,080 deaths each year. Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer have more options today due to advances in treatments, and specifically, with the advent of immunotherapies. Many have to make many treatment decisions throughout the disease trajectory and awareness of disease status is one of the factors of the treatment decision making process in the ovarian cancer population. To date the literature has generally conceptualized and operationalized awareness of disease status in cancer patients from the health care provider's …

Implementation Of An Opiate Use Disorder (Oud) Screening Tool To Reduce Opioid Abuse In A Pain Management Clinic, Brian D. Pervis

Dissertations

The long-term use of opioids to manage chronic pain in those with an opiate use disorder (OUD) is dangerous and poses a considerable risk of death. Pain management providers must have protocols and tools in place for OUD screening and referral. If OUD is not managed correctly, such as through provider education, screening, and referral, morbidity and mortality rates will severely affect society (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). This quality improvement (QI) project's PICOT was among providers in a pain management treatment center, how will implementing an evidence-based OUD screening tool, compared to no screening tool, affect OUD …

Vigilance Experiences: Cancer Patients, Families, And Nurses, Wendy C. Kooken

Dissertations

Cancer disease, treatment, and errors in health care put patients at increased risk for poor outcomes. To improve outcomes and protect patients, researchers recommend increased vigilance; yet, research on vigilance in health care is minimal. There are even fewer studies on patients, family members, and nurses' experiences of vigilance, although such studies could contribute to understanding mechanisms that foster vigilance within and across groups.

The purpose of this study was twofold: Aim 1 was to describe the experiences of vigilance as perceived at the individual levels of patients receiving treatment for cancer, family members of a patient with cancer, and …

Travel Nurse Job Performance: Integration Factors As Predictors, And Travel Nurse Integration Experiences, Carol Ann Tuttas

Dissertations

For more than three decades, travel nurses have bridged critical experience and volume gaps in hospital staffing across the US. Trends in travel nurse use over the past decade offer no promise of a reduction over the years ahead. Travel nurses begin each 13-week assignment with an abbreviated onboarding agenda after which they are expected to reach productivity and fit in with the healthcare team to ensure seamless quality care to patients. Concerns have been raised among healthcare leaders about possible unfavorable patient outcomes related to the use of supplemental nurse staff. Nonetheless, no researchers have examined relationships between job …