Digital Commons Network^™

Choice--‐Based Art: Students Who Create, Not Replicate, Hillary K. Moczerad

Masters Theses

The problem that I researched in today’s art education world is how to teach our art students to be problem solving, confident, independent thinkers. It seems that in a classroom that is supposed to be full of innovation and creativity, it is currently falling flat. Through research, I discovered a teaching methodology called Choice-­‐Based Art that claims to eliminate these problems in the art room through student-­‐directed learning and choice while still delivering art curriculum. In order to test these theories, I aligned my classroom with the demands of the methodology and planned a field test with two groups of …

Determining Discharge From The Fallasburg Dam And The Hydrology Of The Flat River Bypass Channel, Lowell, Michigan, Seth Kuiper

Masters Theses

The Fallasburg Dam on the Flat River is required to release 110 cfs to the Bypass Channel. Residents have often reported low flows in the river, especially during the summer. The hydrology of the Bypass Channel downstream from the dam was investigated to determine whether the required flow was being released. Discharge measured at multiple transects reveal a shifts from gaining to losing conditions during the year. Gaining conditions occur during the spring and after significant rain events; losing conditions occur in the summer during dry periods. Five discharge measurements in 2013 and three in 2014 reveal flows less than …

The Effects Of Electronic Response Systems On Student Learning, James D. Morrison

Masters Theses

One of the most technologically advanced methods of implementing active student responding is the electronic response system (Judson & Sawada, 2002). This technology is known under several names including audience response system, classroom response system, and colloquially as clickers (Smith, Shon, & Santiago, 2011). To accurately assess the impact of clickers on learning performance and classroom achievement, more quantitative analysis and systematic replication of studies was needed (Kay & LeSage, 2009). This study examined the effects of ASR questions on exam performance in two sections of an organizational psychology class for majors and non-majors. A social validity questionnaire was also …

The Demand For Change: A Study Of Recreational Amenities For Ramona Park, Nicholas K. Mucha

Masters Theses

For years, Ramona Park has been a summer destination spot for residents of the City of Portage. With beach access as well as picnic areas and playground structures, Ramona Park has offered visitors a place to beat the summer heat. This thesis looks at what priorities visitors have for potential future developments in the park. Park visitors were surveyed during the summer months of May, June, July, and August of 2014 to see what should be included in future developments of the park, and the potential impacts of those improvements on future park usage. Initial findings indicated that visitors are …

A Multimedia Resource Of Orchestral Excerpts For Tuba, Regen Le Roy

Masters Theses

Effective preparation for orchestral auditions is essential for classical musicians intent on applying for professional positions in the field of performing arts. A standard symphony orchestra may include one or two tubas in the entire ensemble; as a result of the scarcity of available chairs and the level of competition for tubists is more intense than most other instrument sections. Musicians who demonstrate the greatest artistic detail during auditions advance through successive rounds untilthe winner is determined by judges serving on the audition committee. To help tubists prepare for auditions, a website has been created to provide immediate access to …

Naturally-Occurring Metals Concentrations In Michigan Soils: A 2015 Survey, Zachary Lowell Spotts

Masters Theses

Closure of hazardous waste sites can be aided through the use of a soil background survey for metals. Data for these studies come from either field sampling or publicly available environmental files. Previous studies were conducted in Michigan, known as the Michigan Background Soil Survey (MBSS). The current update is a refinement and improvement of the 2005 update. New data was collected from publicly available environmental files and other sources. Both the current update and the 2005 update differentiated data by soil type and glacial lobe. GIS analysis was used to observe spatial distribution of the data and to determine …

Preliteracy Skills Promoted In Children’S Spanish-Language Books, Katherine Marie Suter

Masters Theses

As of July 1, 2013, the latest census figures indicate that there are approximately 54 million Latinosliving in the U.S. (US Census Bureau, 2013). However, many Latino children still do not receive the services or resources they need to perform well academically. The primary aim of this research study is to determine if the books available to Spanish-speaking Latino¹ populations in two Michigan Counties contain features that might be used to facilitate beginning pre-literacy skills.

Children’s Spanish-language books from bookstores and public libraries were analyzed to determine the presence of features that might facilitate print awareness, phonological awareness, and …

A Gravity Investigation Of The Tobacco Root Batholith Southwest Montana, Stephen Charles Tatum

Masters Theses

The objective of this research was to delineate and profile the Late Cretaceous Tobacco Root batholith in southwestern Montana through the application of the gravitational method. This survey was accomplished by obtaining 232 gravity measurements in four profiles across the batholith. After correcting for known variations in the gravity field, a Bouguer anomaly map of the batholith and surrounding host rocks was created. Four residual gravity profiles and map, created by subtracting the regional gravity from the Bouguer anomaly, reveal a maximum negative gravity anomaly in the center portion of the batholith which is parallel to the trend of the …

Nerds: A Reclamation Of An Identity, Angiola L. Gabriel

Masters Theses

The term nerd has seen an alteration in usage since it was first used in the 1950s. Originally, nerd carried a negative connotation and people labeled as such were given or had traits such as being overly studious, socially inept, or physically unattractive. However, the term nerd has seen a change in usage since the 1980s; now, the term nerd is seen as a more positive identifier that denotes passion, as well as individuality and intellectualism. There a number of different studies that address nerd identities and cultures in the K-12 educational setting and a broader societal contexts. Yet, there …

The Depiction Of The Holocaust Within The Theme Of Escape In Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay, Deirdre Toeller-Novak

Masters Theses

Escape sounds like a ram’s horn throughout Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, looming large in the lives of his mostly Jewish characters. Only one, Josef Kavalier, is intimately tied to and escapes the Holocaust which destroys his entire family. The horrors of the Holocaust, however, cast a shadow that hovers over nearly every chapter of Chabon’s 636-page novel. For most of the novel’s other characters, intent on plotting their own escapes, the events of the Holocaust remain 4,000 miles away. Americans, Jew and gentile, politically astute and clueless, laborer and capitalist, prefer to maintain a …

Computational Modeling Of Β5-Β6 Carbapenemase Loop In Wild Type And Selected Mutants Of Oxa-24 Class D Β-Lactamase, James Roland Lafleur

Masters Theses

Bacterial resistance to antibiotic therapies, especially to β-lactams, is an increasing problem. β-lactamases are the main source of clinical resistance to these antibiotics, and the class D β-lactamases are one of the most rapidly expanding classes of these enzymes. The emergence of class D enzymes with the ability to hydrolyze the newest family of β-lactams - the carbapenems - is a serious concern for the healthcare system as carbapenems are last resort antibiotics: ideal for severe infections after other therapies have failed. Class D β-lactamases are very diverse in terms of sequence and substrate profile, and it remains unclear what …

High Level Synthesis, A Use Case Comparison With Hardware Description Language, Michael D. Zwagerman

Masters Theses

This paper compares Vivado High-Level Synthesis (HLS), a new mainstream technology offered by Xilinx Inc., against the typical Hardware Description Language (HDL) design approach. An example video filter application was implemented via both methods and compared for differences in performance and Non-Reoccurring Engineering (NRE). Lessons learned using HLS are also provided. The objective of this paper is to provide actual comparison data on the current state of mainstream HLS to enable informed decision making for designs considering HLS.

The Xilinx Zync System on a Chip (SoC) offering is used as a platform for both the traditional HDL methods and HLS. …

Subcutaneous Tissue Depth Over Intraosseous Infusion Sites In A Cadaveric Model, Megan Marie Glazier

Masters Theses

BACKGROUND: When emergent intravenous access is not available an intraosseous (IO) infusion is performed. To accurately perform an IO infusion, the healthcare provider must precisely palpate and identify the associated anatomical landmark for placement. A thicker layer of subcutaneous tissue over the insertion site can make this process difficult, leading to an increased risk of misplacement. PURPOSE: To relate the subcutaneous tissue depth with body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat in order to better understand IO placement sites in relation to these body composition factors. SUBJECTS: Male and female unembalmed cadavers (n=22) between the ages of 54-95 years …

Documenting Annual Differences In Vegetation Cover, Height And Diversity Near Barrow, Alaska, Timothy Frederick Botting

Masters Theses

Vegetation in the Arctic has been shown to respond to climate change. Documented changes have the potential to result in numerous ecosystem consequences. Therefore, understanding vegetation change is of great importance. This study documents changes in tundra vegetation with a focus on understanding the influence of annual differences in weather. Vegetation was sampled using a point frame method on 98 1-m² plots in 2010 and 2013 near Barrow, Alaska. A subset of 30 of these plots was also sampled in 2012 and 2014. Plant encounters were identified to species and grouped into one of the following functional groups: bryophytes, …

Reading Intervention Strategies For General Education Middle School Students: Providing A Space For Teachers To Share Effective Methods, Amy Michelle Baas

Masters Theses

While studies have been conducted to highlight intervention strategies that will help struggling readers, very few of these empirical studies have used middle school aged students as participants. And among those studies which have, the results were based solely on quantifiable data; the opinions of the classroom teachers who work with these students daily cannot be found in these or any of the empirical studies. The purpose of this thesis is to fill this gap by offering a space for middle school English language arts teachers to share effective intervention strategies that they use in their classrooms to help struggling …

Assessment Of Northern Bobwhite Survival And Fitness At Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas, Jacob W. Doggett

Masters Theses

In the West Gulf Coastal Plains (WGCP) northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) numbers are declining faster than range-wide averages and such declines have been linked to the consequences of land management within the region. Management for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) has benefitted northern bobwhite by restoring mature pine-grassland ecosystems in some areas of the region; however, at Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, Crossett, Arkansas, USA, the bobwhite population was not increasing despite the availability of seemingly suitable habitat from management for the endangered species. To understand factors that may be affecting bobwhite survival on Felsenthal National …

A Simpler Route To Building Photochromic Cinnamaldehyde Semicarbazones, Byron R. Ebbert

Masters Theses

Photochromic semicarbazones are an interesting group of compounds that show potential in a broad range of applications, including as a more environmentally friendly replacement for photochromic metal complex compounds. Previous work has shown the feasibility to synthesize photochromic cinnamaldehyde semicarbazones (CSCs) from a benzaldehyde and a protected acetaldehyde Wittig reagent. A new, quicker, and cheaper approach to constructing these CSCs from crotonaldehyde was explored in this research. A three reaction sequence would convert crotonaldehyde to a CSC; first, an allylic bromination of the semicarbazone with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS); second, an Arbuzov reaction to prepare the semicarbazone phosphonate; and finally a condensation …

An Analysis Of Contextual Conditions As First Year Ras Train In And Implement The Phase One Safe Zone Program, Cameron Carrara

Masters Theses

Since the 1990s, safe space initiatives, such as Safe Zone, have been developed on college campuses across the United States as a way of educating participants on LGBTQ-related issues and how to become a better ally/advocate for the LGBTQ community. While little qualitative research has been conducted on safe space initiatives to begin with, there is even less research on the perceptions participants have of these types of programs. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of the Phase 1 Safe Zone training among first year RAs in the residence halls. A secondary purpose was …

An Analysis Of Four Compositions For Wind Band, Michael R. Pond-Jones

Masters Theses

Intended as a resource for conductors, this document provides short backgrounds, composer biographies, and brief, selective theoretical analyses of four compositions for wind band. The compositions include two recent pieces, as well as two pieces that have maintained a strong presence in band literature for over 50 years. The pieces include Pacem: A Hymn for Peace by Robert Spittal, The Jig Is Up by Daniel Kallman, Bagatelles for Band by Vincent Persichetti, and Rhoseymedre by Ralph Vaughn Williams. Topics addressed include diatonic motivic development in Pacem, a comparison of Daniel Kallman's The Jig Is Up to the compositional styles of …

Survey And Analysis Of Four Works For Wind Band, Bryan Chesi

Masters Theses

Intended as a resource for band conductors, this essay provides background information, composer biographical information, and salient features of four wind band compositions. The compositions include two works composed for band by award winning composers. Two others are transcriptions and arrangements of works originally composed for orchestra or other mediums. The pieces include Colorado Peaks composed by Dana Wilson, Commando March composed by Samuel Barber, Blessed Are They by Johannes Brahms - Arranged by Barbara Buehlman, and Spoon River composed by Percy Grainger - arranged by Glenn Cliffe Bainum. Topics include an examination of flexible scoring and compositional style in …

Moral Reasoning Of Student And Academic Misconduct Habits: A Qualitative Evaluation, Charles Rooney

Masters Theses

Utilizing qualitative methodology, participants' awareness of the academic standard and their development morally based of Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Through conduction one-on-one interview with third year student at a four year public institution, it was found participants have limited knowledge of academic misconduct. Participants were morally developed below what one would expect according to the theory of moral development. Participants stated that academic misconduct is not something most professors go over in class but is something either they have performed or witnessed their peers performing. Participants recommended professors explicitly spending time during syllabus review to go over what academic …

A Comparison Of Sorority And Non-Sorority Students' Perceptions Concerning Beliefs And Attitudes About Campus Safety, Victimization, And Personal Safety, Katelyn Raymond

Masters Theses

This study examined female students' perceptions of campus safety, specifically sorority woman and non-sorority women. Previous research found that women feel less safe on campus than males. However, previous research concerning female students focused on sexual assaults.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore female students' beliefs and attitudes about campus safety, victimization, and personal safety on campus. A demographic survey was used to subdivide the sample into sorority and non-sorority participants, college status (e.g. sophomore, graduate student etc.), ethnicity, whether they live on campus or off campus, age, and gender. A second survey created by Baker and …

Creative Writing Pedagogy: The Autobiographical Narrative In Hybrid Projects As A Means To Explore Intersectionality, Tana G. Young

Masters Theses

My thesis addresses the role of creative writing methods in fostering close observation, attention to detail, critical thinking and a keener awareness of intersectionalities in writing classrooms across disciplines, but most especially the humanities and social sciences. I contend that the "real work" of the academy is critical thinking. Further, using creative writing, specifically autobiographical narrative in FYC, anticipates multimodal projects and digital storytelling, all of which fosters creative and critical thinking.

The Impact Of Homework On The Achievement Of Students With Varying Science Aptitudes In High School Physics, Matthew Deets

Masters Theses

When students in a high school physics class are separated into high, middle, and low aptitude levels, it was discovered that they do not all show the same benefits from completing homework assignments. The focus of this study was to analyze the relationship between the amount of homework that students complete and their performance on quizzes and exams. The results indicate that middle and high aptitude students benefit from completing greater amounts of homework, however, low aptitude students show no improvement by completing a greater number of problems.

College Senior's Utilization Of Career Center Services And Career Readiness, Carrie Ann Klaphake

Masters Theses

This quantitative study focused on the utilization of Career Center services and the correlation between utilization and three career decision-making difficulties, lack of readiness, lack of information, and intra and inter career conflict, and differences of utilization between academic colleges. The 50-item survey was administered to seniors graduating that academic year. The results indicated that seniors under-utilized Career Center services, and there was no significance found between their utilization and their career decision-making difficulties. Significance was found between academic colleges in their utilization of the Career Center. The findings suggest that seniors do not experience difficulties deciding on a …

Emotional Intelligence As A Mediator In The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Subjective Well-Being, Christopher Griebel

Masters Theses

Mindfulness can be defined as an awareness fostered by regulating one's attention in a particular manner over time, on purpose, in the present moment, and in a non-judgmental manner (Kabat-Zinn, 2012). In attempting to identify some of the mechanisms of action through which mindfulness positively impacts well-being, recent literature has suggested the possible role that emotional intelligence (EI) might play (Schutte & Malouff, 2011; Wang & Kong, 2014). The present study attempted to empirically verify the proposed mechanism of action. In addition, the study conceptualized mindfulness as a multidimensional construct by adopting the five-facet model of mindfulness (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, …

The Validity Of The Obsessive-Compulsive Syndromes As Emotional Disorders, Doty Jennings

Masters Theses

Recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have grouped together syndromes which are referred to as the obsessive-compulsive spectrum (OCS). The grouping of these syndromes is disputed because of lack of empirical verification for an organization purportedly based on research that supports similarity of observed symptoms. The taxonomy of emotional disorders was tested as an alternative model. Consistent with the model of the emotional disorders, this empirical research tested two proposed characteristics. The first was whether three OCS syndromes (hoarding syndrome, body dysmorphic syndrome, and obsessive compulsive syndromes) shared the broad factor of neuroticism or negative …

Daily Activity Patterns In Three Migratory Bird Species At A Stopover Site On The Northern Coast Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Lynn Schofield

Masters Theses

CHAPTER I: A Comparison of Diel Movement Patterns in Three Bird Species at a Stopover Site on the Northern Coast of the Gulf of Mexico

During migration, birds require stopover habitats where they stop en route to rest, refuel, and prepare for the next stage of their migration. For songbirds, many short movements made within a stopover habitat are known to be costlier than a single long migratory flight, as it takes a considerable amount of energy to initiate flight. This indicates that migrating birds should strive to balance the energy expenditure made in movement during stopover and energy gains …

Between Heaven And Hell And Heathens, Gabrielle Knock

Masters Theses

This work of fiction explores the relationship between worshipped and worshipper by dually depicting it as a child/parent relationship and as a relationship between lovers. Written in the tradition of parodies like Don Quixote and re-imaginings of myths like The Childhood of Jesus by J.M. Coetzee, I use humor and a contemporary setting in my book about a child who could be the second coming of Christ, but who cares more about his mother' s approval than he does about God.

The Perception Of Black Male Students Of Black Faculty/Staff Involvement In Mentorship At A Predominantly White Institution, B. James Griffin Jr.

Masters Theses

This research study explored the perception African American men had of mentorship, its value to their education and the effects it had on their college success at a predominantly White institution. The study further focused on the impact mentorship had on the student when the mentor was of a different race versus the same race of the student. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) What is the value of mentorships related to attending a higher education institution, (2) What factors lead Black male students to seek mentorships, (3) What are the perceived differences between mentorship with cross-race …