Digital Commons Network^™

Optimization And Modeling Of Esd Protection Devices, Li Shen

Masters Theses

“Transient voltage suppressors (TVS) are used to protect ICs (integrated circuits) against overvoltage, ESD (Electrostatic Discharge), inductive load switching, and even lightning strikes. In this research, a transient behavior model framework for ESD protection devices is used for modelling four different types of TVS (non-snapback, snapback, spark gap like device and varistor). The System-Efficient ESD Design (SEED) methodology is utilized to strengthen the trust in the model framework by efficient simulation of ESD interaction of the off-chip ESD protection devices with the IC ESD protection device and associated measurement data.

Improvements in the TVS transient response, accounting for conductivity modulation, …

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks On Mqtt Based Iot Networks, Henry C. Wong

Masters Theses

“The use of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices has increased a considerable amount in recent years due to decreasing cost and increasing availability of transistors, semiconductor, and other components. Examples can be found in daily life through smart cities, consumer security cameras, agriculture sensors, and more. However, Cyber Security in these IoT devices are often an afterthought making these devices susceptible to easy attacks. This can be due to multiple factors. An IoT device is often in a smaller form factor and must be affordable to buy in large quantities; as a result, IoT devices have less resources than a typical computer. …

Validation Of Edna Metabarcoding : A Comparison To Traditional Survey Methods In Ozark Streams, Veronica Marian Lee

Masters Theses

Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling provides a method for assessing fish communities that has potential as a supplement to traditional sampling methods due to its ability to save time as well as its non-invasive nature. This is a method in which from just one sample, eDNA from multiple individual species are able to be sequenced in tandem and the resulting reads identified to describe a community. In order to evaluate this technique and its efficacy for monitoring fish community diversity, we collected water samples alongside surveys performed by the Missouri Department of Conservation sampling program in summers 2020-21. DNA were extracted …

Developing Novel Molecular Detection Techniques For Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae), Meg Sanders

Masters Theses

Hemlock forests in eastern North America face a deadly threat: the invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae. Early detection of this pest remains a key focus for management groups to ensure rapid response to control and stop the spread of HWA. In Chapter II, our goals were to develop an affordable, easy-to-use trap that is compatible with airborne eDNA sampling techniques and assess its efficiency as a monitoring tool for HWA. We tested three potential trap designs (i.e., passive trap, funnel trap, and motorized trap) against a standard sticky trap. Our passive, funnel, and motorized traps estimated …

Els In A Michigan 9-12 School: Educators’ Perceptions And Cultural Considerations, Melissa Lynn Dean

Masters Theses

This research investigates the perceptions of administrators and specialists in one diversely enrolled Michigan secondary school. Particularly, the purpose was to determine to what extent English learners (ELs), especially those of non-Western backgrounds, are being accommodated and considered by educators and policy. To examine this, three participants were successfully recruited- a language acquisition administrator, a language acquisition specialist, and an assistant principal. They were then each interviewed once to learn of their perceptions and beliefs on these topics. This research finds that although administrators and specialists may be knowledgeable and advocate for their ELs in creative and culturally competent ways, …

A Christian Response To Modern Extraterrestrialism, Chase Perry Cakmis

Masters Theses

Extraterrestrial beliefs (ET-ism) have become a cultural craze in contemporary times, infatuating many who encounter these ideas. ET-ism has influenced all forms of media, science, and even religion. With ET-ism permeating all facets of society, Christians need to know how to approach this craze and the ideas that sprout from it. Much research has been conducted on this subject both on the individual and scientific level, thrusting these beliefs from fringe views believed only by the paranoid into widely accepted ideas even within the scientific community. While Christian circles have discussed this subject in the past, it is becoming a …

Visual Catechesis: Utilizing Pictorial Illustrations To Facilitate Learning And Retention Of Protestant Doctrine In The United States, Robert Christian Hemme

Masters Theses

A lack of catechetical instruction within contemporary Protestantism in the United States has resulted in a large number of self-identifying Christians not knowing important tenets of their faith. The modern era also presents a unique dilemma in that North American culture is steeped in visual stimuli due to technology, so that even were catechistic instruction revived, many individuals might balk at a traditional, text-centric process. This thesis explores improving comprehension and retention of orthodox Protestant doctrine in the United States through integrating pictorial illustrations into the classic Christian pedagogical methodology of catechesis. Because of unceasing debates surrounding numerous, nuanced theological …

Traversing The Back Door Of The Mind: Directing Imaginative Stories To Generate Meaningful Dialogue About Biblical Truths In A Materialist World, Heather Jean Birkeland

Masters Theses

Ontological materialism hinders evangelistic efforts because it precludes any dialogue about spiritual matters, especially regarding the importance of cultivating an eternal value system. Furthermore, potential meaningful dialogue is inhibited by an audience that routinely rejects overtly Christian materials, which results in failure to develop the correct contextual understanding regarding biblical spiritual truths. The writer provides an overview of the philosophy of ontological materialism and its effects on people, the impact of imaginative storytelling, and the psychology of narrative persuasion. Firstly, the selected thesis topic will explore how non-Christians could potentially approach and engage in biblical truths without hostility through the …

Questions With Purpose: Utilizing Technology To Maximize The Parent/Child Reflective Discourse, Earl Tubbs

Masters Theses

For a young child, parents are the “no one” and “everyone” that Saint Augustine spoke of. Providing a positive example through action is important but shaping their moral compass by reflecting on their life experiences is equally important. Stated succinctly, reflective discourse is an interactive conversation between parent and child where the parent guides one’s children through recent life experiences, viewed through a specific lens. By reviewing logic driven and emotional responses, the positive and negative consequences to their behavior, and the people involved, parents can aid their children as they shape their definition of right and wrong. By reviewing …

Volunteering Creativity: A Tool For Growing The Church’S Creative Volunteer Base, Landon Joel Benson

Masters Theses

Churches often struggle to identify and recruit talented visual communicators because of a lack of familiarity with visual communication, limited resources, and an inability to recruit to an area of ministry they do not understand. Marketing needs accelerate as fast as technology innovates, and if the church fails to keep up, it will lose its relevance. With each passing day, the importance of having an effective creative team at a church’s disposal grows. Most of the research on this subject focuses on who participates in volunteering and identifying demographic or economic statuses. Few researchers have taken the next step to …

The Pedagogical Value Of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music In A New Jersey Elementary Music Setting, Eric James Mclaughlin

Masters Theses

Elementary music educators’ analyze and select song repertoire based upon a variety of factors and influences. These can include an educator’s level of training, the preexisting standard song literature collection, resources obtained in undergraduate study, the context of the song material, and a song’s pedagogical application. Educators must be selective when choosing literature for pedagogical purposes, such as teaching specific melodic and rhythmic elements. The vast body of musical literature by renowned theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is not often used for that purpose in the elementary general music classroom. In addition, a recent national effort calling for the reexamination …

A Christmas Cantata, Garth Andrew Olson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this worship ministry research project was to research, prepare for, and lead a Christmas cantata presentation for two worship services at First United Methodist Church in Georgetown, Texas, on Sunday, December 12, 2021. In this thesis, I identified the worship components and the accompanying potential challenges for successfully leading a vital and converging traditional Christmas Sunday worship in a way that promotes authentic, biblically-centered, Christocentric, and participatory worship services for a church community.” The Christmas cantata was a musical composition set for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices (SATB) with instrumental accompaniment including solos, chorus, chamber orchestra, …

Songwriting: A Collaborative Approach To Music Education, Deondra Morrison

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the benefits of the use of collaborative learning projects in music education, with the intent to inform the practice of music educators. This study will reveal that many educators in the field of music view collaborative learning as a catalyst to change student culture and music classrooms around the world. The following research questions guided this study: (1) How do collaborative learning methods benefit music education curriculum? (2) What type of plans, support, and materials do music educators need to successfully guide their students in small group student-centered music and instruction? (3) …

The Museum Of Misinformation: An Interactive Exhibit Illuminating The Effects Of Social Media Algorithms On Cognitive Bias And The Spread Of Misinformation, Sydney Morris

Masters Theses

Misinformation is so easily believed and spread due to social media and its algorithms that amplify bias. This severely effects the millennial population and their ability to assess information, as many of them have begun to forego traditional news outlets and rely on social media for their news. The aim of this research was to investigate the phenomenon of confirmation bias and its connection to millennials’ belief in misinformation along with how social media uses confirmation bias to aid in the spread of misinformation. Specifically, it investigates methods that would aid millennials in combatting spreading misinformation. The following research questions …

Improvisation And Interpretation For High School Instrumental Students, Jeffrey J. Bianchine Jr.

Masters Theses

Improvisation is associated with jazz or rap in modern western culture, but classical music has a long tradition of improvisation featuring famous improvises such as Mozart and Liszt. Improvisation develops critical thinking and problem solving, essential skills in the American job market. The typical instrumental student does not often get the opportunity to use this. Bloom’s Taxonomy explains that students who do critical thinking activities in class have a better understanding of the course material. This course will equip students to improvise with others, make executive decisions about artistic elements in the repertoire, self-cretic playing, and compose a short cadenza.

Restoring Female Agency: Wicked As A Feminist Fairy-Tale Revision, Erica Nicole Fox

Masters Theses

One method of promoting gender equality that has gained popularity in recent years involves revising the fairy tales, primarily the ones compiled and revised by Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson, and the Grimm brothers, to create versions in which the female characters have agency and purpose outside of furthering patriarchal gender ideals. The primary goal of the feminist fairy-tale revision is to give the female characters agency, not because they are women, but because they are functioning characters within the story. While there are many authors who attempt to create fairy-tale revisions that embody a feminist perspective, not all are …

In The Straits: Making History Accessible Through The Parent-Child Relationship, Grace Elizabeth Crocker

Masters Theses

Historical fiction gives its readers the chance to meet historic figures, fight alongside their favorite characters in past wars, and experience forgotten ways of life. This genre also offers an alternate route for those who enjoy learning about history but who do not particularly enjoy reading the classics. With my chosen creative work, In the Straits, I invite my readers to explore the lesser-known past of Malaya and what it was like during the days leading up to the bloodiest war in history, World War II, through the eyes of a separated father and daughter who will do anything to …

The Collaboration Of Art Museums And Art Education In The School Setting, Breanna S. Daugherty

Masters Theses

Many schools offer visual arts as an elective, so an art field trip could be seen as a fun reward instead of a required component of the curriculum. However, certain evidence has contradicted this idea. For instance, students who are able to visit an art museum, view original artworks, and discover the process of real artists have displayed long-term benefits. The latter range from enhanced behaviors, questioning, critical thinking, and empathy in students after visiting an art museum. This paper is a study of how an art museum’s educational resources can benefit and be implemented into a school setting. First, …

Quantifying Surface Water Capture By Municipal Pumping Wells In An Urban Watershed Impacted By Road Salt, Austen York

Masters Theses

The Spring Valley sub-watershed is located within the Kalamazoo Township contains Spring Valley Lake, a man-made impoundment that ultimately discharges into the Kalamazoo River. Elevated chloride levels in pumped water from the Kalamazoo Station 14 municipal wellfield, located along the shoreline of Spring Valley Lake, has resulted in less than ideal corrosivity values for the water distribution system. Specific project objectives include: (1) identifying the cause of elevated chloride, (2) assessing surface water capture by the Station 14 wellfield, and (3) characterizing of water quality in Spring Valley Lake. Monitoring along a series of sampling transects spanning the sub-watershed, focused …

The Meaning Of Movement: Using Motion Design To Enrich Words For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children, Hannah Elyse Colasurdo

Masters Theses

This thesis aims to address challenging areas of vocabulary for deaf and hard of hearing children by developing an open resource for students, parents, teachers, and content creators that utilizes motion to enhance written words for deaf and hard of hearing children. This research seeks to study the means of nonverbal communication such as body language expression and paralinguistic prosody (i.e., tone, intonation, volume, and pitch) qualities within the framework of graphic design through motion design. Body movement and expression are essential during face-to-face communication, but written language lacks such context clues. Additionally, the hard of hearing may not fully …

Police Perceptions And Parenting Styles Among Black Parents Of Miami-Dade County, Amber E. Roach

Masters Theses

A person’s perception of something or someone does not develop without external factors affecting the individual. Experiences and lessons people have learned from a young age have molded their perception of the world. One of those lessons is what is considered correct and what is not. In the Black American community, this is accompanied by the “talk”. This “talk” is shaped by past experiences with the police towards minority groups, specifically, Black Americans. This paper discusses how parenting styles, race, and authority intersect. The purpose of this paper is to examine the beginnings of one’s life, the lessons they are …

Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird

Masters Theses

The Jamaican music education landscape has had a positive shift in the demand for music teachers who are educated to become classroom music teachers. Despite the growing need for trained music teachers to be placed in many high schools in Jamaica and the implementation of two curricula, there has been minimal study that assess how music teachers use the music syllabus from the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in teaching and learning. The study joins a set of vibrant discussions on the development of music education in Jamaica and examines the use of the NSC at the lower secondary level (grades …

Serving Special Education Students In The Music Classroom: Accommodating And Advocating For Learners With Exceptionalities, Kathryn Lambert

Masters Theses

Music education programs positively impact the lives of students both socially and emotionally. As the following research suggests, music may have an even greater impact on students with disabilities or exceptionalities. Due to the lack of accessibility, funding, time, training, and other issues, opportunities in music education programs may be limited to groups of students who may not fit the standard music education student profile. As teachers of common core classes may struggle to accommodate students with exceptionalities and may feel as if they are lacking in resources or other needed preparation to adequately serve these students, these struggles are …

Eldre65: Creating A Website For Senior Adults Based Upon User Experience, Rebecca Joy Bozarth

Masters Theses

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, “Time and tide wait for no man.” He was correct. Aging is universal. It affects all humans in positive and negative ways. From children becoming teens to adults becoming senior adults, each stage of life brings changes and challenges. In one’s forties, menus can become harder to read, hair can fall out, hearing in loud environments can become difficult. Then, in one’s mid-sixties, more difficult challenges can arrive. Health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lung disease can become a regular part of one’s life. Cognition slowness, vision and hearing loss can create difficulties not only …

Getting Old And Technology, Brenden A. Davis

Masters Theses

It is generally agreed upon that the purpose of technology is to aid humanity through various means like: making a task more convenient, or overcoming something previously deemed “impossible.” From the dawn of man to the era in which we stand, technology has steadily improved alongside civilization. This steady progress has seemingly hastened every year. Looking at technology from the viewpoint of “necessary everyday life tasks,” the past three decades have changed dramatically. With every year that passes, more things have become accessible through the web. Not everyone can keep pace with this rapid expansion into the “non-physical” digital world …

Everybody Is A Critic: A Guide To The Critical Evaluation Of Visual Media For Generation Z, Cody Alexander Rusk

Masters Theses

The youth of today, especially Generation Z, lack the ability to think critically. An area that seems to be especially difficult for Generation Z to critically evaluate is visual media. This is an issue because visual media has an influential hold (both emotionally and mentally) over this generation and is a key factor in swaying the opinions and behaviors of these young minds. Visual media is a powerful tool that. should continue to be used by future generations, but with the knowledge that there will always be potentially negative influences, and more importantly, ways to identify and defend against them. …

The Stages Of Environmentalism And How The Movement Can Be Maintained Through Generation Z, Emma Jean Vanden Brink

Masters Theses

The state of a social movement is characterized by the stages through which it progresses. The environmentalism movement began hundreds of years ago when humans first noticed how significantly their actions influenced the nature around them. The movement advanced with the arrival of the industrial era and modern society. According to Stewart et al. (2012), there are five main stages through which a social movement proceeds: genesis, social unrest, enthusiastic mobilization, maintenance, and termination. Today, environmentalism is in the maintenance stage, as determined by the current organizational structure of the movement. The objective of this study was to determine how …

Reflip Type: Developing Visual Strategies For Teaching Typography To Collegiate Students With Dyslexia, Brittany D. Strozzo

Masters Theses

In educational facilities today, the approaches to teaching typography to college students with dyslexia are limited. This thesis provides a research-based pedagogy for teaching typography to students in a way that accommodates the visual, processing, and auditory differences present in students with dyslexia. Through the analysis of the learning disability itself, existing material for graphic designers with dyslexia, and current accessibility standards for those with dyslexia, this thesis offers a practical solution to provide a more balanced learning experience for all students, especially those with dyslexia. The aim of this study was to examine the current graphic design standards and …

And The Lord Added To Their Number Daily: A Historical Overview Of The Growth Of The American Evangelical Church, Erica Morgan Wrench

Masters Theses

Curriculum Framework For Composing And Arranging For Contemporary A Cappella Choirs, Hillary Nicole Goodson-Spear

Masters Theses

As vocalists, it is important for us to understand techniques regarding current styles of vocal composing and arranging including voicing, beat boxing, and body percussion. The success of several mainstream television programs such as Glee and The Sing-Off, popular movies franchises like Pitch Perfect, and groups like Pentatonix and Straight No Chaser, demonstrate the rising popularity of contemporary a cappella music. It also reflects the need to be able to write unique arrangements of traditional or popular songs to keep up with recent trends. Current research suggests that there are very few resources available for music educators to teach this …