Digital Commons Network^™

Nadia Boulanger’S Fantaisie Variée Pour Piano Et Orchestre A Study Of A Significant Unpublished Piece, Sarah Elias

Dissertations

The research consists of a brief historical and biographical overview of Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), a main focus of a thematic and motivic analysis of her work Fantaisie variée pour piano et orchestre, along with touching upon the influences of Fauré, Debussy, Widor, Reger, and Franck on its composition, and a mention of the process of obtaining the Fantaisie from the Centre international Nadia et Lili Boulanger. Boulanger produced works in a variety of genres, including: a fugue; more than thirty songs for voice and piano; two completed works for solo piano; three works for organ; several chamber works; three works …

A Post Implementation Review Of Transformational Change Initiatives In Higher Education, Allison Gillespie

Dissertations

“Change is messy, no matter how much you plan for it.” The purpose of the study was to document the theoretical framework and strategies used in the planning and implementation process of transformational change in two higher education institutions. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used in the qualitative multi-site case study. The focus on the “how” of change examines the impact of the strategies and process on the campus community. The central question guiding this study was what were effective and ineffective strategies used in the planning and implementation process? This study documented the process and the strategies used …

A Performance Guide To Keith Gates's Song Cycle, The Barren One, Analynn Sober

Dissertations

Keith Gates’s song cycle, The Barren One is based on Federico Garcia Lorca’s play Yerma. Originally, Gates had planned to write an opera based on Yerma, but after a religious awakening, he decided to abandon the project. Instead, he took the music originally written for the opera and combined it with songs using Lorca’s poetry to create a song cycle. The knowledge of Gates’s operatic intentions as well as knowledge about the play should be considered when performing this work. This is because the song cycle is a miniature version of the opera and should be performed as …

Technology Effectiveness In Teaching Statistics: Best-Evidence Meta-Analysis, Zita Tiamuh

Dissertations

Evidence about technology effectiveness in supporting post-secondary students’ learning of introductory statistics concepts is inconclusive. Lacking in current investigations are considerations of the synergies between technology, content, and pedagogy that influence learning outcomes in statistics education. The current study used meta-analytic procedures to address the gap between theory and practice related to the best evidence of effective instructional practices in technology-enhanced introductory statistics classrooms. A conceptual framework based on the ADDIE model, TPACK, and constructivism guided the investigation of substantive study characteristics related to instructional design.

Findings were based on 32 studies published between 1998-2018 that used quasi-experimental or experimental …

Bulk Properties Correlated To The Hydrogen Bond Organization In Dendrimers, Hyperbranched Polymers, And Linear Polymers, Beibei Chen

Dissertations

Although a lot of research was conducted on dendritic polymers, our understanding of their structure-property is still limited. Our previous study, which focused on a family of dendritic polymers based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid (bis-MPA) as a monomer, discovered unique hydrogen bond organizations contributed by their dendritic structures. However, the influence of the H-bond organization on bulk properties has yet to be understood. The goal of this dissertation is to elucidate the correlation between the H-bond organization with the dielectric and volumetric properties of bis-MPA based dendritic polymers, with an emphasis on developing a fundamental understanding of to what extent …

Ged Participants’ Beliefs And Experiences Of Play As A Multi-Domain Approach To Increasing Adults’ Success In The State Of Mississippi, Latisha Taylor

Dissertations

Societal advancements have aided in the evolution of twenty-first-century adult learners. Learners no longer conform to traditional instruction; instead, instruction that adapts to the learner’s needs are necessary. Conventional learning that ensues multi-domain approaches to learning is on the rise. Play-based learning is one such approach that is multifaceted, and versatility in bridging gaps that exist between the learner and the curriculum. Play-based learning is a form of instruction that has the potential to encompass the whole learner by allowing opportunities for cognitive, affective, and psychomotor interactions throughout learning. However, for many, play-based learning is an instructional approach represented solely …

The Ecology And Evolutionary History Of Two Musk Turtles In The Southeastern United States, Grover Brown

Dissertations

Turtles are among one of the most imperiled vertebrate groups on the planet with more than half of all species worldwide listed as threatened, endangered or extinct by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature. The Southeastern United States is a global biodiversity hotspot for turtles, and it likely represents the last area on the planet of both high diversity and high abundance of turtle species. In the past century, there has been an exponential increase in the number of publications on turtles in the United States and Canada, however a recent review of the literature suggests that this …

Dual-Cure Benzoxazine Networks For Additive Manufacturing, Jeremy Weigand

Dissertations

The research presented addresses the design of novel materials for additive manufacturing through a dual-cure approach that combines UV initiated free-radical polymerization of an acrylic network combined with the thermally initiated ring opening polymerization of a benzoxazine network. This work is split into three primary sections: the first and second sections focus on the synthesis and characterization of networks based on dual-cure BOX monomers, while the third develops simulation tools to further investigate thermoset networks prepared via additive manufacturing. A novel 3D printing formulation based on a multifunctional benzoxazine (BOX) monomer possessing both photo and thermally polymerizable functional groups is …

Huisgen 1,3-Dipolar Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition “Click” Reaction In Polymer Synthesis And Curing, Jie Wu

Dissertations

This dissertation’s key focus is on utilizing Huisgen 1,3-dipolar azide-alkyne cycloaddition (AAC) reaction in copolymer synthesis and modification, including thermoplastic block copolymer and commercially available two-component polyurethane system. It can be divided into two major projects, introduced as follows.

The first project involves the development of a modular synthetic approach toward polyisobutylene (PIB)-based triphasic pentablock thermoplastic elastomer with enhanced moisture permeability. This terpolymer consists of a poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) core and appended hydrophilic polymer blocks (HBs). The SIBS core was synthesized via living cationic polymerization (LCP) of isobutylene followed by sequential addition of styrene. AAC was utilized …

An Analysis And Stylistic Comparison Of Five Works For Unaccompanied Tuba By John Stevens, Tracy Bedgood

Dissertations

In this dissertation, the five unaccompanied works for tuba by John Stevens are examined. The first half of this project is the analysis. The compositions are introduced with their collected background material, which includes the date of composition, programmatic elements (if any), and the circumstances under which the pieces were written. As each piece is analyzed, examples are provided that reveal the primary form and motivic content. Following the analyses, there is a discussion of style that covers musical language, devices, and a comparison of these elements among the pieces featured in the document. In the final section of the …

Transgender College Students In The English Composition Classroom In The Rocky Mountains, Tracey Williams

Dissertations

Transgender students face challenging and unique experiences in academic classrooms on college campuses. This qualitative study, which used queer and transgender theory, sought to examine the realities of transgender students’ experiences within the English Composition classroom in the Rocky Mountains. English Composition is a class nearly every undergraduate student must take, no matter their major. It acts as a microcosm of the college population. Composition classes are generally small (20-25 students), offering a more intimate setting than other general education classes in college. Additionally, personal writing is expected, as is sharing work with classmates for peer-review sessions. Within this context …

International Trade In Health Services: Assessing The Patterns Of Trade In Global Healthcare Delivery, Tawnya Bosko

Dissertations

This dissertation will contribute to the research on international trade in health services through the analyses of three distinct but related topics within international trade in health services. We recognize that different countries have varying health system structures and that advances in transportation and communication have enabled individuals to seek care outside of their home country, allowed countries to invest in foreign health systems and created a market whereby US health systems are promoting their services abroad. However, we don’t know which factors influence individuals, countries and institutions in seeking services and trade partners in the healthcare sector. This dissertation …

An Econometric Analysis Of Bilateral Import Demand In South Africa, Christopher Smith

Dissertations

One of the most significant challenges facing any society is the allocation of scarce economic resources that have alternative uses. Though imports can streamline the allocation of scarce resources in an economy, the potency of a country’s import policies are subject to the magnitude of import elasticities with respect to income, domestic prices, foreign prices, and exchange rates. This research estimates the bilateral income, domestic price, import price, and exchange rate elasticities between South Africa and its five largest trading partners: China, Germany, the United States, India, and Saudi Arabia using quarterly data from 1998 – 2017. The bounds testing …

Experiences Of Implementing Developmental Education Redesign In Mississippi Community Colleges: An Administrators’ And Faculty’S Perspective, James Rush

Dissertations

Each year, after graduating from high school or after a number of years in the workforce, millions of students in America make the choice to further their education. Students who enter higher education are faced with the decision of choosing from a diverse pool of institutions that provide an array of services to meet the needs of a changing society. Many students entering institutions of higher learning are in need of some developmental instruction or course in order to complete their degree and/or training. Because of the integral part that developmental education plays in higher education, the cost versus effectiveness …

A View From Above: Alternative Perspectives On Smallholder Livelihoods And Agrobiodiversity Conservation In Northern Ecuador, Chris Hair

Dissertations

Food security and deintensification of agriculture are serious concerns in Latin America. Agriculture, especially at small-scale subsistence levels, is hard work, and comes with some economic and physical risk. Transitions from traditional multi-cropping to mono-cropping systems introduce two particular risks that are new to most smallholders: (1) the loss of agricultural diversity and (2) the potential for widespread failure when focusing on the cultivation of a single crop. This research explores how Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), or drones, can be used for rapid inventories of crop diversity and to enhance crop management techniques on small-scale farms. In the community …

Analysis Of A Research-Based Show Choir Competition Adjudication Rubric: Reliability And User Perceptions, Ladona Tyson

Dissertations

A weighted rubric, created in a prior pilot study, used for adjudicating nine show choir competitions was statistically analyzed to determine reliability. A survey and ten interviews with adjudicators were examined to ascertain user perceptions. Results from an intraclass correlation coefficient indicate that the Tyson Rubric has excellent inter-rater reliability. Survey respondents indicated that the Tyson Rubric provides a step towards standardization in the genre of show choir, though improvements were suggested. Interviews were transcribed and coded, revealing themes of bias in show choir adjudication, the need for standardization in the genre, and the need for improved adjudication training. The …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Sports Participation And Financial Accessibility For First-Generation African-American Students At Selected Mississippi Colleges And Universities, Theresa Rash

Dissertations

First-generation students, and particularly African Americans, are historically underserved in terms of college access and success. During college, they often carry greater financial responsibilities and remain less likely to be engaged in activities, both academic and social, that promote academic success. Becoming a collegiate athlete may increase a student’s financial capacity to successfully complete college.

This study examined whether being a collegiate athlete was related to greater college financial accessibility, particularly for first-generation students. The study included 537 undergraduate African-American students from 5 Mississippi colleges and universities. I hypothesized that (1) athletic status is related to college financial accessibility for …

A Performance Guide To Wallace Stevens' Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackbird As Set By Louise Talma, Meredith Melvin Johnson

Dissertations

This dissertation presents a two-fold discourse, first to provide a contextual source for singers interested in 20^th century composer Louise Talma, and second to provide an analytical guide to Talma’s adaption of Wallace Stevens’ poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird for voice, oboe, and piano. Though Talma’s composition never became renowned, it is both a commendable achievement and a highly sophisticated work, interweaving musical creativity with the extra-musical stimuli borne from the personal experiences of the composer.

The body of the document will feature four main chapters. The first chapter will introduce composer Louise Talma, the second …

Work-Life Balance: Perceived Differences Of Teleworkers And Non-Teleworkers, Christian Paul Lagarde

Dissertations

As the growth in the number of dual-career couples continues, couples attempt to balance the demands of career and family (Berlato & Corrêa, 2017). A healthy work environment potentially supports a positive work-life balance for employees. Supportive work environments increase morale, job satisfaction, job retention, productivity, as well as a fulfilling family life (Molla, 2015). Failure to assist employees with finding work-life balance risk the loss of a positive work environment for a company’s employees and the entire organization. Therefore, this human capital study seeks to build on the current research surrounding assisting organizations to find work-life balance for their …

Teacher Training, Beliefs, And Use Of A Constructivist Learning Environment Supported By Instructional Technology, Rachel Mercer

Dissertations

This study examined teacher training and beliefs in relation to the development of instructional technology-driven constructivist learning environments. The goal was to discover any existing gaps in theoretical beliefs and praxis, and develop recommendations that provide methods of merging theory into practice for both new and veteran teachers. Bruner’s Constructivist Learning Theory was the theoretical framework that was the basis for this study. Buttressing Bruner, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Montessori’s influences on the development of constructivism as a theoretical lens were also used. The target sample of the intended study was sixth through twelfth grade teachers, both new (0-4 years of …

Self-Regulated Learning Instruction’S Relationships With Teacher Subject Area, Teacher Beliefs, And Teacher Efficacy, Jeffrey Coggin

Dissertations

Self-regulated learning (SRL) instruction develops essential competencies required in the classroom and the workplace (Johnson, 2002; Yan, 2017). SRL instruction helps learners develop the proficiency required for successful self-directed, life-long learning. Furthermore, SRL instruction produces the skills needed to plan, monitor, and achieve learning goals. However, SRL instructional techniques are difficult to implement in the classroom or workplace because educators must transfer learning responsibilities and outcomes to the learner. This study examined the relationships of teacher subject area, teacher beliefs, and teacher efficacy on the use of SRL instruction. The participants included PK-12 teachers from a public-school district in Alabama. …

Exploring Counselor Educators’ Experiences With Neuroscience-Informed Counseling Pedagogy, Savannah Rose Cormier

Dissertations

Human beings have been curious about the mysteries of the brain for centuries (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso, 2007). Modern advances in neuroscience technology and brain imaging techniques have allowed scientists to see the inner workings of the brains of living people, resulting in increased knowledge and understanding of how the brain functions and how learning occurs (Hardiman, 2012; Sousa, 2017). Findings from neuroscience research are rapidly being used to inform practices in fields such as education (Thomas, Ansari, & Knowland, 2018) and professional counseling (Beeson & Field, 2017; Field, Jones, & Russell-Chapin, 2017; Luke, Miller, & McAuliffe, 2019; Navalta, McGee, …

The Roles Of Educational Leaders And Other Factors That Contribute To Successful Programs For English Learners, Abdulmohsen Ibrahim Alsliman

Dissertations

Public schools in the United States have experienced a rise in the number of English language learners (ELLs). (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2018). The ELLs across different states including Colorado schools underperform academically when compared to their peers (NCES, 2018). To close the achievement gap, it is important to understand how to create and sustain successful ELL programs at the elementary level. Therefore, the purpose of this non-experimental survey research was to identify the possible factors contributing to the success of ELL programs in elementary schools in the same school district and to explore the role administrators and …

Did You Take Care Of Everybody? Insights On Crisis Management From Senior Student Affairs Professionals, Matthew Lawrence Peterson Ricke

Dissertations

This constructivist narrative study explored the experiences of five senior student affairs administrators who responded to an organizational crisis impacting their universities. Crisis management is a critical competency for higher education leaders (Peters, 2014) and involves the prevention, mitigation, and planning prior to a crisis; response and recovery during the crisis; and learning and changing following a crisis (Zdziarski, 2006). This study was guided by the research question: how do campus leaders at an institution of higher education (IHE) make meaning of a campus crisis event? Five participants, all of whom are senior student affairs professionals with extensive crisis management …

Foodism In Ireland 2019: Feeding Foodie Philosophy Or Showing A Shift In Contemporary Food Culture?, Sinéad Reil

Dissertations

“Everybody eats and drinks; yet only few appreciate the taste of food”

Confucius (551- 479BC).

This research study examines contemporary food culture in Ireland through the phenomenon of foodism and the habits and traits expressed through the subculture of foodies. Elements and actors of the Irish foodscape are also considered. Other topics it discusses are Irish food history, Ireland’s gastronomical global position and the modern Irish chef.

The thesis defined foodism as: “A keen or exaggerated interest in food, especially in the minute details of preparation, presentation, and consumption of food” (‘Foodism’, 2018a). In order to answer the five sub-research …

A Study Of One-To-One Computer Usage And Student Levels Of Engagement And Rigor And Teacher Perception, Matthew Mooney

Dissertations

At the time of this writing, one-to-one technology programs at the secondary level were increasingly common in public schools in the United States. The debate over the value and benefit technological devices provided continues. The researcher compared observational data from a school prior to one-to-one computer implementation and post one-to-one computer implementation, collecting the Depth of Knowledge associated with the classroom learning activity. Using a rigor and engagement technology tool for data collection, classrooms were observed the year prior to a one-to-one program and then the following year, during the implementation. This quantitative study revealed the overall rigor levels did …

"We Don't Work For Free": Tenured Faculty Engagement In Assessment Initiatives On A Unionized Community College Campus, Lauren Kosrow

Dissertations

This case study, which included faculty and administrator interviews as well as an exploration of institutional documents and faculty meeting spaces, examined what influences a tenured faculty member’s decision to engage with assessment initiatives at Midwest Community College and what senior leaders can do to successfully engage tenured faculty in these efforts. Principal-agent theory (PAT) offers an important and helpful framework for considering how senior leadership can successfully engage tenured faculty in student learning outcomes assessment on this specific unionized community college campus. The findings of this study suggest that senior leaders must leverage both incentives and monitoring to successfully …

The Impact Of Body-Worn Cameras On Use Of Force And Citizen Complaints: A Quasi-Experimental Study At The Newport News Police Department, Michael Jon Kyle

Dissertations

Several questionable officer involved shootings and perceived abuses of authority disproportionately involving minority citizens have resulted in public outcry, protests, and nationwide scrutiny of police in recent years. The resulting police legitimacy crisis has prompted agencies to rapidly equip officers with body-worn video cameras (BWCs). BWC advocates lauded the findings of an early study that attributed significant reductions in use of force incidents and citizen complaints to the devices and it is this and a handful of other short-term studies upon which the claims of these benefits are predicated. However, subsequent research has produced mixed findings and the sustainability of …

An Analysis Of Select Illinois School Board Efficacy, And Board-Authorized Strategies Toward Greater Educational Equity Through A Framework Of Social Justice Advocacy And Change Theory, Perry Hill

Dissertations

The presence and prevalence of educational inequities within public education continue to foster structures that limit student opportunities for specific student subgroups. Such limitations negate the tenets of public education and conflict with a system that should embrace success for all. This study explored district leadership, in the form of school boards and governance teams within the frameworks of Change Theory and Social Justice Advocacy, to identify patterns in approaches that could initiate and sustain systemic reform toward greater educational equity.

Collective Protesting As Existential Communication: A Phenomenology Of Risk, Responsibility, And Ethical Attendance, L. Shelley Rawlins

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the experience of participating in collective protest. I performed an existential-phenomenological analysis of five participants’ in-depth accounts of their involvements participating in collective protest. I considered my interviewees’ discourse to be reflective of their lived, embodied experiences of being in protest with others. Participants each described distinct protesting experiences. I explored their accounts in relation to six basic aspects of existence: self, other, embodiment, time, space, and choice/freedom. From within these existential realms, participants’ accounts revealed five key existential themes of participating in collective protest: (1) Existential Crises and Activation; (2) Existential Magnification; (3) Existential Horizons; (4) …