Digital Commons Network^™

A Pilot Study In An Application Of Text Mining To Learning System Evaluation, Nitsawan Katerattanakul

Masters Theses

"Text mining concerns discovering and extracting knowledge from unstructured data. It transforms textual data into a usable, intelligible format that facilitates classifying documents, finding explicit relationships or associations between documents, and clustering documents into categories. Given a collection of survey comments evaluating the civil engineering learning system, text mining technique is applied to discover and extract knowledge from the comments. This research focuses on the study of a systematic way to apply a software tool, SAS Enterprise Miner, to the survey data. The purpose is to categorize the comments into different groups in an attempt to identify "major" concerns from …

Shifting Borders And Shaded Boundaries: Liminality, Identity, Language, And Place In Jean Toomer's Cane, Kristin Taber

Masters Theses

This thesis locates Jean Toomer’s Cane as Modernist text operating within the context of the Great Migration, pointing out ways in which the text reflects the great sense of anxiety, upheaval, and transformation generated as many members of the African American community left the rural South and moved to urban centers in the North. I analyze various discourses and the shifting balance of power present in the text as the narrative voice awards the most value to the ideologies of the rural and spiritual through contrast with he ideologies of the urban and material. This relationship repeatedly problematizes the text’s …

Rhetorical Grammar And You: A Study Of First-Year Composition Papers, Kristi Mcduffie

Masters Theses

Traditional grammar instruction prescribes that you should be used only to address the actual reader of the text in academic writing; even the direct address is to be used sparingly. Yet an examination of published writing in a variety of genres shows that experienced writers use you in a variety of ways-to refer to the writer, a third person, anyone, and to illustrate a hypothetical, habitual, or proverbial situation, and more. Based on previous scholarship and published examples, I create categories of the referents and functions of you that are used today in spoken and written English. Then, I apply …

Beautiful Torment: Interpreting Dissonance And Text-Painting In Selected Sacred Choral Works Of William Byrd And Carlo Gesualdo, Janet M. Mccumber

Masters Theses

The end of the sixteenth century was filled with social, religious, and political turmoil; and yet, the musical atmosphere in England and Italy was conducive to new ideas in text-setting and chromatic inflection that had not been seen in previous eras. This thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach in looking at two late sixteenth-century composers, William Byrd and Carlo Gesualdo, and describes their personal and political sufferings and how these torments may have affected their compositional styles.

Brief explorations of England and Catholicism in the time of the Protestant Reformation, the Mannerist movement in the arts, the movement toward chromaticism in …

A Teller Of Tales: Narratology And The Works Of Sherwood Anderson, Jamie Patton

Masters Theses

The publication of Winesburg, Ohio in 1919 introduced Sherwood Anderson as an American author with great potential, but when critics attempted to evaluate Anderson's legacy following his death in 1941, most concluded that his career beyond that book and a few short stories failed to deliver on that promise to permanently establish Anderson as a writer with a lasting impact. However, Anderson's direct influence on key players of the modernist period, most notably Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, suggests the need for scholars to take a closer look at his work in order to better understand his impact and the …

Intelligent Computational Argumentation For Evaluating Performance Scores In Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Rubal Wanchoo

Masters Theses

"Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is a discipline aimed at assisting multiple stakeholders in contemplating a decision paradigm in an uncertain environment. The decision analysis to be performed involves numerous alternative positions assessed under varied criterion. A performance score is assigned for each alternative in terms of every criterion and it represents satisfaction of the criteria by that alternative. In a collaborative decision making environment, performance scores are either obtained when a consensus can be reached among stakeholders on a particular score or in some cases or controversial when stakeholders do not agree with each other about them. In the …

Integrating A Variety Of Cultures And Diversity Into The Upper Elementary Curriculum, Tammy Joy Hamlin

Masters Theses

Research has overwhelmingly shown that something needs to be done to combat the increasing problem of high minority drop-out rates. Many people still do not acknowledge that schools need to do anything differently. Instead the problem is blamed on the home life and economics. Some teachers feel that low-income inner city, minority students, simply are not capable of being successful academically. Society often does not realize how poor the minority drop out rates are in their school districts. Some administrations have chosen to hide the statistics. For instance one New York school district in this research promoted that almost all …

Exposing Romantic Folly: Comic Performance In Mark Twain's Foreign Travel Writing, Andrew Cessna Jones

Masters Theses

This thesis explores Mark Twain's three works of foreign travel literature, The Innocents Abroad, A Tramp Abroad, and Following the Equator using the rhetorical tool of comic performance. Comic performance as a tool of rhetorical analysis is defined using Kenneth Burke's conception of the comic frame and Richard Bauman's framework for performance. This tool is then used to explore Twain's descriptions of foreign place, culture, and people in representative passages from each work in order to show how Twain uses his descriptive passages as a means to elicit social change.

The Use Of Music In Early Childhood Centers In British Columbia: A Survey Of The Perceptions And Practices Of Early Childhood Educators, Michelle Lawrence

Masters Theses

This study explored the current practices of early childhood educators' utilization and perception about music in their classrooms. Early childhood educators are defined as individuals who have completed post-secondary training at an accredited college or university in early childhood education and are registered with the ECEBC Registry. Early childhood centers are defined as either preschools or licensed group child care centers. An online survey was been designed to obtain information regarding demographics and characteristics of early childhood centers in British Columbia, relevant musical and educational training, comfort level of the early childhood educator leading group music activities, implementation of the …

The Altercatio Ecclesiae Et Synagogae As A Late Antique Anti-Jewish Polemic, Michael J. Brinks

Masters Theses

The Catholic Church's newfound influence in late antiquity led to the political marginalization of the empire's Jewish community, a marginalization that is evident in Christian polemic against Judaism written after the Empire's religious transformation had largely been consolidated. This thesis is an analysis of the Altercatio Ecclesiae et Synagogae, written anonymously in the fifth century. Its primary intention is to discover what earlier writers influenced its author, what can be known about him, when the text was written, and what kind of arguments against Judaism he used.

The thesis begins by comparing and contrasting the anti-Jewish writing of Cyprian …

Christianity And Communication: Kierkegaard, Hamann, And The Necessity Of Indirect Communication, Benjamin D. Cates

Masters Theses

In 1849, Kierkegaard praised Hamann's dedication to written and spoken language as derived from the Divine Logos. This thesis examines Hamann and Kierkegaard in order to understand both thinkers' impact upon verbal and written communication. Hamann's dedication to the idea of communication as given graciously and solely by God is apparent in his authorship. Kierkegaard's model of indirect communication is ultimately one of Christian existence. Given the fact that Kierkegaard owed much to Hamann and was perhaps even led back to faith in God through his exhaustive reading of the German linguist, this thesis examines the possibility of a Hamannian …

Viewing The World Through Oprah's Eyes: A Framing Analysis Of The Spiritual Views Of Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Jeanette Crosby

Masters Theses

Oprah Winfrey is an American icon. She has a hand in almost every form of media: movies, television, books, Internet, and radio. In her rise to success, another place that she has infiltrated is the church. Because of her wide range of influence, her thoughts and teaching on spirituality have made their way into both the home and church. Over ten years ago, talk shows had a reputation for portraying mainly negative topics. To combat this stereotype, she made a push to encourage more positive topics of discussion on her show. Yet after receiving criticism for "preaching," she withdrew from …

Making Sense Of Cultural Complexity: An Experimental Study Of Third Culture Individuals’ Interpersonal Sensitivity As A Result Of Intercultural Adaptation, Allyn D. Lyttle

Masters Theses

This study examined third culture individuals, defined as people who lived in a country other than that of their nationality during their developmental years, seeking to determine a difference in interpersonal sensitivity between third culture individuals and mono-cultured persons. While popular literature asserts such specialized skills developed as a result of intercultural adaptation, this assertion has not been empirically supported. Data was collected using web-based surveys, which yielded a sample size of 142. The instrument measured participants' intercultural experience and interpersonal sensitivity in two classifications, emotional sensitivity and social sensitivity. Results showed third culture individuals as having significantly higher social …

The Library, The Labyrinth, And "Things Invisible": A Comparative Study Of Jonathan Swift's A Tale Of A Tub And Jorge Luis Borges' Ficciones, Amber Lockard

Masters Theses

One of the most difficult and yet perhaps most revealing means of investigating the proclivities and flaws of the contemporary age is to compare the literatures of this time with the literatures of a past time. The benefits of such a comparison can first highlight the ways in which talented authors from different ages employ similar methods in skillful ways; but moreover, the assessment can help to place postmodern literature, culture, and individuals within a proper and perceivable historical context. To do so is to recognize the advances, discoveries, promises, limitations, and flaws in the present manner of thinking and …

Towards Understanding: The Study Of Hughes' Poetry As The Epitome Of The Expressive, Cultural, And Political Elements Of African American Literature, Brianne Nicole Trudeau

Masters Theses

Unfortunately, a disconnection currently exists between the academic world and the sweet, soulful study of African American literature (AA literature). Because there is limited exposure to AA literature in academics, except for specialized courses in which it serves as the intended focus, most people do not know how to approach it as serious academic study because of its stark differences from Western literature. In sum: African American writers often do not utilize Standard English (SE), so their work is misinterpreted as non-academic in comparison to other Western works of prominence; AA literature tells a different cultural story that most of …

A Visual Rhetorical Analysis Of Selected Nexium Prescription Drug Advertisements According To The Methodology Of Sonja Foss, Jonathan Henry Ryan Law

Masters Theses

Direct‐to‐consumer advertising has gathered much negative attention. It’s purpose is filled with questions of ethics and legitimacy. This analytical study takes a deeper look into the advertisements that promote prescription drugs. The advertisements can be seen at the flip of a magazine, click of a button, or a walk down the road. The methodology for analyzing visual images according to Sonja Foss provided a framework to provide results. This preliminary study found evident problems in the drug advertising industry. Further research was beckoned due to the findings of this exploratory project.

Creating The Tradition Of Honoring The Older Population, Catherine Weisbeck

Masters Theses

This qualitative research study explored what it would take to create the tradition of honoring the older population in American culture. In this exploratory study, 15 participants were interviewed in person using a series of ten open ended questions. The participants were selected according to the criteria of being an older adult, working with or volunteering for older adults, or having been involved in a project which considered the older population as a subgroup within the total population. The participants were personally invited by the researcher to be interviewed and the interview took approximately 40 minutes. Results indicated that creating …

Multiethnic Worship Representative Of Heaven: A Mixed Methods Study, Sherree Vernet Lane

Masters Theses

This mixed-methods research studies inclusive worship of multiethnic Protestant congregations across Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. I used a model of worship based upon Liesch‘s characteristics of heavenly worship, examining how it applies to the multiethnic church. I observed worship services and rehearsals at Minneapolis Multicultural Church to determine how worship is constructed at this multiethnic church that became multiethnic due to changing neighborhood demographics.

In the second phase of research I surveyed multiethnic church pastors and worship leaders to determine attitudes and practices towards inclusive worship. I found a possible connection between multiethnic churches that start through inward and outward motivations …

Translating Anglo-Saxon Poetry: Foreignized Translations Of The Seafarer And The Wanderer, Andrew Timothy Eichel

Masters Theses

Few scholars argue that medieval literature retains the same prestige today it once held as the foundation of almost every school's English literature/language department. One reason for this fall could be the lack of proper integration of newer literary approaches into the field. Why, despite the recent swell in the use of more contemporary schools of theory-Marxism, feminism, and deconstructionism, for example-do many medieval scholars still endorse traditional strategies of historical and empirical analysis? Focusing on the translation methodology of foreignization, I present Ezra Pound's translation of the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Seafarer" and my translation of "The Wanderer." Both serve …

The Letters Of Elizabeth I: Rhetoric For Ruling, Anna M. Patton

Masters Theses

This thesis is an investigation of the rhetorical skill of Elizabeth I of England, focusing primarily on her letters. Elizabeth's rhetorical prowess is well documented; scholars have spent ample time dissecting her political speeches as well as her historical significance in literary, political and historical studies. Although her speeches provide a firm foundation from which to examine Elizabeth and her relationships with her people, her letters are even more pertinent when examining those relationships Elizabeth sought to establish during her reign. Elizabeth's politics and relationships are enhanced and developed by her ability to manipulate those around her with her words. …

The Application Of Visual Phonics And Phonological Awareness Interventions To Address Language Impairment In Preschool Children, Jodi Dyke

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two phonological awareness interventions on the development of auditory comprehension, expressive language, semantics, and syntax. Specifically, the study examined the effect of phonological awareness intervention integrated with See the Sound/Visual Phonics hand cues versus only phonological awareness intervention. Twenty-seven children identified as speech and/or language delayed were assigned to one of three groups that received (a) phonological awareness instruction, (b) phonological awareness instruction coupled with visual phonics hand cues, or (c) no intervention. Seven children were designated as a control group and twenty were placed in one of two …

Relationship Between Fluency And Comprehension For Middle School Students, Ingrid Mccallister

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to examine the relationship between fluency and comprehension for middle school students and determine if interest, prior knowledge, reading achievement and/or prior exposure to the content topic impact rate of reading (fluency) and level of comprehension for these students. Seventh grade students (n=242) completed fluency and comprehension assessments given by the school as benchmark assessments. In addition, the students were given prior knowledge and interest surveys concerning a topic (i.e., astronomy) to which only half of the population had been exposed. The students were then given researcher created fluency and comprehension assessments using a narrative text …

Codes Of Conduct: Didacticism In The Works Of Maria Edgeworth, Megan Lockard

Masters Theses

To encounter the novels of Maria Edgeworth is to encounter an author who is not always politically correct. She did not write as a feminist to better the world for women. She did not write in the name of equality between nations or classes. She did not write to promote racial tolerance. In fact, based on her treatment of these issues within her novels, Edgeworth could arguably be accused of anti-feminism, imperialism, and racism. Instead, what this late eighteenth-century, early nineteenth-century writer centered her novels around was a rigid set of moral guidelines. Maria Edgeworth used the novel genre as …

Hydrogen Applications For Lambert - St. Louis International Airport, Mathew Thomas

Masters Theses

"Today, major airports are facing challenges related to pollution, energy efficiency, and safety and security. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, regarded as one of the key energy solutions of the 21st century are more energy efficient and reliable than conventional systems and have the potential to diminish these challenges. These technologies can also play a significant role in reducing the noise, air, and water pollution and enhancing energy security. This paper presents the design of a set of hydrogen technologies and systems that are commercially available and are ready for practical, real-world use. The hydrogen applications selected for Lambert-St. Louis …

Integration Of A Gis Learning System Into Civil Engineering Curricula: An Evaluation, Basanta Tandon

Masters Theses

"An evaluation of a web-based e-learning system to facilitate integration of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) into the Civil Engineering curriculum was conducted. The principal goals of the evaluation were to examine the effectiveness of the learning system and to develop a preliminary model to describe how students interact with the learning system. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 80 students who participated in a geotechnical engineering laboratory session, which covered soil borrow sites. Students rated the laboratory session as significantly more effective for learning, a nd more motivational than the class text. They also rated the lab significantly more …

The Search For Wholeness In J.M. Coetzee's In The Heart Of The Country, Waiting For The Barbarians, And Disgrace, Joanna Buboltz

Masters Theses

Literary critics of South African writer J.M. Coetzee’s novels have examined multiple aspects of the writer’s works, including his linguistic strategies, allegorical features, and depictions of native characters. This thesis attempts to fill a hole in the literary discussion by examining the identities of the main white characters of three of Coetzee’s novels: In the Heart of the Country, Waiting for the Barbarians, and Disgrace. In these novels, all three protagonists are inherently incomplete because of their status as members of the hegemony, and all three struggle to redefine themselves through relationships with those their power group has …

"The Lower Class Of Traitors Have Also Their Architects Of Plots": The London Irish, The United Irish, And The Creation Of Irish Identities, 1780-1800, Erin K. Crawley

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the concepts of prejudice and contrasting identities in 1790s London, examining the interplay between English authorities, the United Irish, and the working Irish in London. The thesis examines the agency of the London Irish and the limits to their actions caused by the United Irish presence in London and the English response. First, it analyzes court cases, sessions papers, pamphlets, and trial publications to show where prosecutors, defendants, and witnesses make linguistic ascriptions of Irish, English, and metropolitan identity. This analysis shows that the working-class London Irish were primarily unskilled laborers, beggars, and disembarked soldiers living in …

Perspective-Taking In Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome And Nonverbal Learning Disorder, Caitlin Scaliatine

Masters Theses

Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and other individuals, allowing us to predict the thoughts and feelings of others based on their behaviors. Research has established that individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) experience difficulty with advanced theory of mind tasks; however, theory of mind abilities have not been evaluated for individuals with nonverbal learning disability (NVLD). The following test battery was administered to four adolescents with AS, five adolescents with NVLD, and five adolescents with neurotypical development to examine their theory of mind abilities: the Pragmatic Judgment and lriferences subtests from the Comprehensive Assessment …

Taking Out The Trash: Critiquing The Equipment For Living Of White Trash Films, Tasha Rose Dunn

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, class has become a lightning rod issue in the United States as the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. One of the main reasons for growing class segregation is the mere fact that U.S. culture carries enormous social anxieties about poverty and, in turn, blame the poor for being poor. As a result of hegemonic beliefs about class, crude discourses are formed and fostered through the mainstream media creating both inaccurate and damaging portrayals. Such damaging portrayals are immediately evident in a variety of mainstream Hollywood films produced in the past decade …

Relationship Between Theory Of Mind Performance In A Nonverbal Task And Functioning Level Of Children With Autism, Michael J. Grenda

Masters Theses

Individuals with autism often show deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), their ability to understand the perceptions of others. The relationship between functioning level and ToM abilities in children with autism has not been adequately explored. This study utilized a nonverbal task of ToM adapted from previous research (Colle, Baron-Cohen, & Hill, 2007) which allowed examination of lower functioning or nonverbal individuals. Participants included nine individuals with autism spectrum disorders and nine normally developing individuals. Functioning level was estimated using a brief autism rating scale. When controlling for nonverbal abilities and age, no significant differences in ToM abilities were found …