Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Content Analysis Of Sports Concussions In News And Entertainment Print Media Publications In 2005 Versus 2015, Shayla N. Henrikson

Masters Theses

This study examined four distinct areas of sports concussion as they are presented in the media; definitions/descriptions of concussion, informants for direct quotes about concussions, signs and symptoms, and duration of time missed from sport including removal from play. The study examined print media articles published in 2005 (n=64) and 2015 (n=136). Additionally, journal articles aligning with the research components were analyzed to provide a review of the scope of knowledge during each of the collection periods. Overall, the discussion of sports concussion in the media broadened between 2005 and 2015. There was more variety in the descriptions used, types …

Unfinished: A Memoir, Bryan Edward Hebeler

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Historical Representation Of Jackie Robinson Within Primary And Intermediate Level Children's Literature, Amy Minor

Masters Theses

Educators today meet national and state initiatives by spending approximately half their time on non-fiction literature. Starting as early as primary grades students are to analyze multiple texts on the same historical topic. Student's reading levels vary; consequently, trade books can be used to reach each individual child. Due to this, trade book usage has increased. Research indicates trade books can contain possible historical misrepresentations. Few studies have been completed, therefore more research is necessary. My research examined the historical representation of Jackie Robinson within trade books for primary and intermediate grades. After determining events in reading the historical research …

Citizens On Twitter: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Emerging Political Satire, Kathryn Miller

Masters Theses

This thesis provides an overview of the history of satire, its rhetorical structure, and my interpretation of its historically culminated five fundamental characteristics. I also introduce that the rise in popularity of American political satire through various media has inspired a new wave of American satirists who project their own political satirical messages through social media platforms and how Twitter, in particular, has provided those "average" individuals with the opportunity to more actively, directly, and satirically take part in political discussions. With a collection of two data sets of tweets—one larger live tweet sweep during the first 2016 presidential debate …

Career Termination And Transition Experiences Of Former Collegiate Student-Athletes In Japan, Junya Adachi

Masters Theses

Athletes are unique groups of individuals who make a career out of sports. They face challenges to get into a sport, to stay in it and to adapt to life after their athletic career. The primary objective of this study was to explore the challenges and experiences that Japanese student-athletes encounter when they terminate their athletic career. More specifically, this study examined personal and sport characteristics, emotional responses, psychosocial support, coping strategies and other variables (e.g., gender, athletic identity) that may have impacted the athlete's reactions to career termination. Participants were 76 former Japanese student-athletes (ages 22-38 years; M= 38, …

Teachers' Perspectives Of The Common Core State Standards And Computer-Based Standardized Testing, Lisa Flynn

Masters Theses

Theorist Jean Piaget in the 1920's abandoned standardized testing which he viewed as, "forcing children to respond into artificial channels of set questions and answers" (as cited in Crain, 2011, p. 119). Piaget decided to create a different type of assessment which included an open-ended interview, "which encourages the flow of spontaneous tendencies" (as cited in Crain, 2011, p. 119). John Locke (2003), believed that an individual learns through experiences. Jean Rousseau (2003), believed more in the natural child-centered, and experience-based learning. Pestalozzi (2003), believed that children learn by doing, and that children should be educated physically, emotionally, and mentally …

Motivation Behind Male Undergraduate Students' Decision To Participate In A Study Abroad Program, Rachel Ann Lindhart

Masters Theses

This study sought to explore the motivating factors behind a male students' decision to study abroad during their undergraduate career at a mid-sized Midwestern university. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used understand the factors that influenced their decision to participate in a study abroad program. Five male undergraduate students in their third year or higher that had participated in a semester-long or summer independent study abroad program were interviewed one-on-one. The results demonstrated that the participants committed to study abroad during their sophomore year of college. The students' decisions were influenced by a variety of factors, including academics, people, their …

"In Motion", Mckenzie Dial

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Riemannian Reading: Using Manifolds To Calculate And Unfold Narrative, Heather Lamb

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the space where readers and texts interact. By applying non-Euclidean geometry to the modern subgenre of science fiction known as steampunk, we can see that narratives have no intrinsic geometry. Instead, what we can understand is that readers unflatten inherently flat narratives by applying their own metric of understanding to a narrative. Steampunk acts a primer to considering this mathematical process by explicitly flattening its settings and characters, as well as the historical accounts founding the narrative. Mark Hodder's novel, The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack, offers two characters that unsuccessfully …

Incarcerated, Transported And Bound: Constructing Community Among Transported Convicts From Britain To The Chesapeake, 1739-1776, Michael I. Bradley

Masters Theses

"Incarcerated, Transported, and Bound: Constructing Community among Convicts Transported from London to the Chesapeake, 1739-1776" explores the movement, migration, the malleability of identities, and development of communal ties among transported convicts. This thesis utilizes information on more than 3000 convicts brought to the colonial Chesapeake region. Precise details are currently available for more than two hundred transported convicts. In many cases the convicts can be followed from their birthplace to London to their trial and imprisonment, continuing to their transportation to the Americas, their new lives in the Chesapeake, and, in some cases, their flight and return to Great Britain. …

Fantissity, Alexandra N. Dean

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Campus Ministry And The African American College Students' Experience: A Case Study, Tania Lacora Ward

Masters Theses

African Americans surpass other ethnicities in their level of spiritual and religious engagement (Johnson, Elbert-Avilla, &Tulsky, 2005). This is particularly true for African American college students. This engagement though, may be especially important in providing African American students a path to academic success. According to Donahoo and Caffey (2010) "African American students remain committed to church involvement and religious practice, in part, due to the range of individual benefits and supports that those opportunities provide" (p. 79). This study investigated the role of spirituality in African American college students' achievement; to understand how and why they become involved, and how …

Effects Of Asiatic Acid On Neurite Outgrowth In Neuro-2a Cells, Aishah Asiri

Masters Theses

Recently, medicinal plants from ancient Ayurvedic medicine have provided clues to the discovery of novel therapeutics for various diseases. In Ayurvedic medicine, a common Indian plant, Centella asiatica is highly regarded as a "rasayana" or nerve tonic. The Centella extract is used to ward off age-related dementia and to increase memory and intelligence. The mechanism by which Centella improves memory and learning and reduces the risk of dementia is unclear.

We recently tested the effects of asiatic acid, the main active component of Centella, on neuronal growth. We hypothesized that asiatic acid will promote neuronal growth and neurite network …

Deceiving, Fraudulent, And Seductive: The Discourses Of Money In Us Novels Of The Early Republic, Fabian Rempfer

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on the importance of money and the representations of its various physical manifestations (such as coin, paper money) in American fiction of the 1790s. My project traces the transition from the colonies' financial dependency on Britain to their independency, relating to the monetary union created after the passage of the constitution. I argue that this shift from financial dependency to independency influences books such as Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson, Kelroy by Rebecca Rush, Ormond or the Secret Witness and Arthur Mervyn by Charles Brockden Brown. My project highlights, on the one hand, the importance of such …

Girls In Graphic Novels: A Content Analysis Of Selected Texts From Yalsa's 2016 Great Graphic Novels For Teens List, Tiffany Mumm

Masters Theses

This study examined the portrayal of female characters in selected texts from the Young Adult Library Association's 2016 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. Appearances, conversations, and behaviors of preteen and teenage female primary characters were coded. Results indicate that progress is being made in the portrayal of female characters in graphic novels. Diversity in appearances, relatable conversations, and a break from stereotypical behaviors have led to more complex characters that provide readers with better role models. While some stereotypical conventions remain, the progress indicates a positive change for all readers.

Examining Elementary Teachers' Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Katherine A. Silva

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine if elementary teachers in Central Illinois are implementing culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices, since the United States and Central Illinois are becoming more diverse. Central Illinois is characterized by primarily White, rural communities and schools. Thus, some teachers may not have the theoretical or practical skills to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. A quantitative study utilizing a survey-questionnaire method was designed to examine if kindergarten through fifth grade teachers are implementing CRT in Central Illinois. The researcher examined which CRT practices teachers are doing the most and …

Relevant And Represented: The Presence Of Special Populations In Trade Books, Jessica Krahnke

Masters Theses

This study provides insight into the presence of special populations in trade books. Special populations are defined as a population that has been assigned a label for the sake of educational interventions; in this case, special populations refer to thirteen categories of disability as well as English Language Learners. Past winners of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award were analyzed for the presence of special populations, how special populations were portrayed, and any significant patterns over time regarding the presence of special populations. Results indicated a lack of characters belonging to special populations, characters in a special population most …

A New Reinforcement Learning Algorithm With Fixed Exploration For Semi-Markov Decision Processes, Angelo Michael Encapera

Masters Theses

"Artificial intelligence or machine learning techniques are currently being widely applied for solving problems within the field of data analytics. This work presents and demonstrates the use of a new machine learning algorithm for solving semi-Markov decision processes (SMDPs). SMDPs are encountered in the domain of Reinforcement Learning to solve control problems in discrete-event systems. The new algorithm developed here is called iSMART, an acronym for imaging Semi-Markov Average Reward Technique. The algorithm uses a constant exploration rate, unlike its precursor R-SMART, which required exploration decay. The major difference between R-SMART and iSMART is that the latter uses, in addition …

A Bounded Actor-Critic Algorithm For Reinforcement Learning, Ryan Jacob Lawhead

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents a new actor-critic algorithm from the domain of reinforcement learning to solve Markov and semi-Markov decision processes (or problems) in the field of airline revenue management (ARM). The ARM problem is one of control optimization in which a decision-maker must accept or reject a customer based on a requested fare. This thesis focuses on the so-called single-leg version of the ARM problem, which can be cast as a semi-Markov decision process (SMDP). Large-scale Markov decision processes (MDPs) and SMDPs suffer from the curses of dimensionality and modeling, making it difficult to create the transition probability matrices (TPMs) …

Associated Factors Of Posttraumatic Growth: A Meta-Analysis, Rong Xia

Masters Theses

During the past 20 years, posttraumatic growth has been recognized and emphasized to promote physical and psychological health after life-threatening events. There has also been an increasing number of individual studies on posttraumatic growth and its associated factors. However, it still remains unclear whether and how these relationships are facilitated. Therefore, the current meta-analysis aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding on the important associated factors of posttraumatic growth. Posttraumatic stress, event centrality, emotion regulation, and religious or spiritual coping and their actual relationships with posttraumatic growth were examined along with some potential moderators. Results from 56 studies (N = 20,132) …

Effects Of 17Β Estradiol In The Metabolism And Morphology Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Neeta Parajulee Karki

Masters Theses

Fish natural habitats are increasingly contaminated with various estrogenic compounds, including 17β estradiol (E2). This compound causes adverse effects on the reproductive system of male fish; however, the effects of E2 on other aspects of fish metabolism, morphology and histopathological changes in internal organs are not well known. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of E2 exposure on the basal and stressed metabolic rate, morphological changes in body shapes, and histological changes in the liver tissues of sunfish species. Fish were held individually in ten gallon tanks under two treatments of 40 and 80 ng/L and …

Trade Books' Representations Of Benjamin Franklin, A Life Of Reinvention, Alyson Diver Thompson

Masters Theses

State and national education standards require teachers to introduce historical topics through multiple diverse texts, with emphasis on informational texts. Historical based trade books allow teachers to meet both English/language arts standards as well as history/social studies standards. Primary sources help provide students with a balanced view of history that may not be covered in textbooks and trade books, allowing students to gain a more complete and accurate understandings. The standards allow educators the flexibility to select trade books and primary sources for their classrooms. My research empirically evaluated how Benjamin Franklin is represented in children's trade books, a figure …

Microaggression In The College Environment: Narratives Of African American Students At A Predominantly White Institution, Courtney Lynette Jones

Masters Theses

The study examined narrative experiences of microaggression from African American college students attending a Predominately White institution (PWI). Participants consisted of a combination of undergraduate and graduate students from a mid-size Midwestern institution of higher education. A qualitative approach was taken through a two-step series, first an email was sent to participants to obtain experiences of microaggression. After, a semi-formal follow-up interview was conducted to collect data for the research. The findings reported all six participants' experienced intentional and unintentional microaggression on various places of the college campus such as, the classroom, campus offices, campus police department, and campus-events. Microaggression …

"Novel" Biopolitics: Reading Defoe And Coetzee Through Foucault, Derrida, And Esposito, Ben Cravens

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

I Could Have Been You: Core-Self Differentiation As It Relates To Empathy And Aggression, Nazmi Cem Turker

Masters Theses

Previous research showed that the more one feels similar to a specific other, the less aggressive and the more empathic one behaves toward the other. Some people might have a self-concept that makes them prone to feel similar to others in general. Those people, despite being aware of the differences between them and others, may feel that their differences do not make them inherently or essentially different from others -they may feel their core-self is similar to others despite outer differences, while some may not feel as much so. This tendency was conceptualized as a trait related to one's self-concept …

The Relationship Between Participation In Community Service And Students Academic Success, Kelsi Grubisich

Masters Theses

This study explored the relationship between participation in community service and students' academic success at a mid-sized Midwestern institution. A quantitative study was conducted by distributing a survey through the Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Office listserv. The results from the t-test showed that there was no statistical significance in the participation in community service and students' academic success. Results from the Chi Square test showed that there was no statistical significance in the type of service students chose and their major, the gender participation, and the race participation. Recommendations were made to student affairs professionals to include more opportunities …

An Examination Into The Instruction Of The Alphabet During Preschool Years, Amanda Titus

Masters Theses

Instruction of the letters of the alphabet is a controversial topic among early childhood educators. Not only is it debated whether letter instruction is developmentally appropriate but there is then the discussion concerning how the letters are best taught once a program deems it is developmentally appropriate. In this study, 87 children were assessed at two separate times during the school year to determine a method of instruction that proved most effective. The study took place over three consecutive school years. The first year, 27 students were exposed to alphabetic instruction through a combination of music and mnemonic device assisted …

Analyzing Source Preferences In Student Writing When Integrating Diverse Texts, Lauren Covington

Masters Theses

This study examined the sources cited by sixth grade who had been exposed to multiple sources pertaining to a historical topic. The purpose of this study was to determine whether students exhibited a preference for specific types of sources when constructing and demonstrating knowledge about historic events, figures, or a specific time period. A total of 46 students participated in the study which extended over eight class periods of approximately 50 minutes each. During these class periods students constructed knowledge about historical figure, Rosa Parks, and the events of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Students were presented with a variety of …

Governance And Economic Growth In Developing Economies: A Comparative Study, Hamid Lahouij

Masters Theses

In the light of growing interest in the relationship between governance and economic growth, this research uses pooled cross-country times series for the time span 2002-2014 to investigate the impacts of governance and other growth determinants on economic growth of low-income, lower-middle income, and upper-middle income economies. This paper contributes to the literature on governance, economic development indicators, and economic development in novel ways. The research finds that governance is highly positively associated with economic development in developing countries regardless of their level of income. Moreover, while the research concludes that voice and accountability, political stability, and rule of law …

A Monstrous Tomorrow, Ty Noel

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.