Digital Commons Network^™

The Motivation To Learn : Engaging Students In Pre-Modern Western Education, James Putman

Theses

Apathy among learners in secondary education classrooms is a modern problem but it has an interesting past. This paper assumes that unmotivated learners have always been a difficulty and uses a historical analysis to investigate how educators in the pre-modern world effectively motivated and engaged students. Using primary sources from scholars and educators of the pre-modern era a comparison is made to what modern pedagogical experts consider to be effective engagement strategies. Historical context for this comparison is provided within a chronological education narrative of Western civilization beginning with Ancient Greece and concluding with the Early Modern Period. The evidence …

Pixel: Building A Dyslexic Child's Mind, Aparna Natraj

Theses

One in five students, or 15-20% of the population, has a language based learning disability. Dyslexia is the most common of the language based learning disabilities. Dyslexia is mainly a problem with reading accurately and fluently — Accuracy being identified as Letter Recognition and Fluency as Word Recognition.

This thesis looked into various educational applications that help dyslexic children and identified that they rely heavily on intensive instruction in phonetic code and the learning method employed by these applications do not create a lasting impact. The proposed solution integrated the symbol mastery method of learning to create a new digital …

Sohni Mahiwal Preserving South Asian Cultural Heritage Through Animated Storytelling, Anem Syed

Theses

Majority of Pakistani youth is not enthralled by the country’s rich cultural heritage. There is less public knowledge on the subject. This translates into less appreciation or interest. The academic system is largely responsible for this. It imparts a conservative history of undivided India, focuses on politics, ignores its nuanced culture. Unless students venture into specialized fields of art and humanities, most do not get stimulated to study history. Additionally, today when digital learning is on the rise, there is a lack of relevant sources on the subject. This thesis is creating a digital source. It is re-packaging an Indian …

Audialtext: Improving Communication Accessibility For The Deaf Through Automatic Voice-Recognition And Wearable Smart-Technology., Ernest Roszkowski

Theses

Whether you are ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or receiving a phone call from a family member, it is apparent that human communication is an important part of everyday life. Those who are deaf have limited communication accessibility compared to their hearing counterparts, and by default, obtain less public information and face more obstacles during social interactions.

This thesis project will attempt to bridge this communication gap through the exploration of human interactions with user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. The goal is to design and develop an application concept for wearable smart-technology that will …

How Should You Plan Your App’S Features? Selecting And Prioritizing A Mobile App’S Initial Features Based On User Reviews, Rebaz Saber Saleh

Theses

The app market is extremely competitive, with users typically having several alternative app possibilities. To attract and retain users, it is imperative for developers to consider the ratings and reviews their apps receive. App reviews frequently contain feature requests, sometimes hidden among complaints. Developers use these complaints and requests to improve their apps, thus increasing their rating which is incredibly important for attracting new users. Unfortunately, developers of new apps are at a severe disadvantage: They do not have the benefit of existing reviews, with only the reviews of similar apps to potentially rely upon. To address this problem, we …

Pitch Control Of Wind Turbine Through Pid, Fuzzy And Adaptive Fuzzy-Pid Controllers, Silpa Baburajan

Theses

As the penetration of the wind energy into the electrical power grid is extensively increased, the influence of the wind turbine systems on the frequency and voltage stability becomes more and more significant. Wind turbine rotor bears different types of loads; aerodynamic loads, gravitational loads and centrifugal loads. These loads cause fatigue and vibration in blades, which cause degradation to the rotor blades. These loads can be overcome and the amount of collected power can be controlled using a good pitch controller (PC) which will tune the attack angle of a wind turbine rotor blade into or out of the …

Re-Envisioning Kindergarten Learning Spaces In The U.S Education System, Suhina Agarwal

Theses

The thesis work aims at improving the learning environments of the Kindergarten classrooms in the United States by taking inspiration from a very simple and popular play element namely the ‘blocks’. The classroom environments and learning methods have not seen a significant change since the time of the Industrial Revolution. The essence of school education remains the same, which is expected to be a closed classroom, conventional furniture and the teacher determining the learning activities. With the changing times, as new studies on multiple styles of learning and brain functions emerge, there is a need to customize education and cater …

Control Of Thermal Power System Using Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Control, Nastaran Naghshineh

Theses

Controlling thermal power systems increases the overall system efficiency and satisfies the desired requirements. In such a large system, fuel reduction of even a small percentage leads to large energy saving. Hence, power systems are gaining significant attention from engineers and scientists.

In this thesis, the uncontrolled power system for single area, two area, and three area is modelled using state space representation. Frequency deviation is simulated using MATLAB and SIMULINK. PID control is added to the system to analyze the effect of conventional control on system output response. Adaptive fuzzy logic control is added to the uncontrolled system using …

Discovering A Domain Knowledge Representation For Image Grouping: Multimodal Data Modeling, Fusion, And Interactive Learning, Xuan Guo

Theses

In visually-oriented specialized medical domains such as dermatology and radiology, physicians explore interesting image cases from medical image repositories for comparative case studies to aid clinical diagnoses, educate medical trainees, and support medical research. However, general image classification and retrieval approaches fail in grouping medical images from the physicians' viewpoint. This is because fully-automated learning techniques cannot yet bridge the gap between image features and domain-specific content for the absence of expert knowledge. Understanding how experts get information from medical images is therefore an important research topic.

As a prior study, we conducted data elicitation experiments, where physicians were instructed …

A Fuzzy Logic-Based Text Classification Method For Social Media, Keyuan Wu

Theses

Social media offer abundant information for studying people’s behaviors, emotions and opinions during the evolution of various rare events such as natural disasters. It is useful to analyze the correlation between social media and human-affected events. This study uses Hurricane Sandy 2012 related Twitter text data to conduct information extraction and text classification. Considering that the original data contains different topics, we need to find the data related to Hurricane Sandy. A fuzzy logic-based approach is introduced to solve the problem of text classification. Inputs used in the proposed fuzzy logic-based model are multiple useful features extracted from each Twitter’s …

Facial Capture Lip-Sync, Victoria Mcgowen

Theses

Facial model lip-sync is a large field of research within the animation industry. The mouth is a complex facial feature to animate, thus multiple techniques have arisen to simplify this process. These techniques, however, can lead to unappealing flat animation that lack full facial expression or eerie over-expressive animations that make the viewer uneasy. This thesis proposes an animation system that produces natural speech movements while conveying facial expression and compares them to previous techniques. This system used a text input of the dialogue to generate a phoneme-to-blend shape map to automate the facial model. An actor was motion captured …

The Real Face Of Arabic Symbols, Leena Yahya Sonbuol

Theses

This is a brief insight into my thesis: "The Real Face of Arabic Symbols". I have examined in depth the artwork I completed for my Masters of Fine Arts degree at Rochester Institute of Technology, the work for which was exhibited in the Bevier Gallery for two weeks during March 2017.

The aim of this study is to explore differences in symbolic language between the Eastern and Western cultures in visual arts and explain the misconception of Arabic symbols in the western world. It examines Arabic cultural symbols in contemporary art, and the creation of a symbolic language for a …

Information-Based Neighborhood Modeling, Marcelo Matus Nicodemos

Theses

Since the inception of the World Wide Web, the amount of data present on websites and internet infrastructure has grown exponentially that researchers continuously develop new and more efficient ways of sorting and presenting information to end-users. Particular websites, such as e-commerce websites, filter data with the help of recommender systems. Over the years, methods have been developed to improve recommender accuracy, yet developers face a problem when new items or users enter the system. With little to no information on user or item preferences, recommender systems struggle generating accurate predictions. This is the cold-start problem. Ackoff defines information as …

Akchessima: Latin Type Design For Digital Chinese (Seal Script) Typefaces, Xuan Zhang

Theses

As multi-language text layout and Chinese/Japanese/Korean typefaces has become an important topic in modern day typography, the visual match-making between Latin and Chinese writing is a very important issue in type design.

For this thesis project, Latin letters are designed based on a Chinese seal script style typeface, in seek of a design principle of matching Latin letter forms for Chinese calligraphic styles, originating from different writing tools and traditions.

There is not one universal principle that would apply on all different Chinese typeface styles. However, based on research of writing habits and technology, multiple methods have been developed in …

The Process Of Creating Accurate Reproductions Of Fragile Objects: Fabricating 3d Facsimiles With Limited Resources, Katherine E. Curran

Theses

Museums and other cultural institutions must consider how to best preserve their collections for an exponentially digital world. Our digital age is providing new avenues for preservation, accessibility, viewing, and interaction. This thesis assesses the feasibility of utilizing and creating accessible and readable 3D digital surrogates and prints. To consider and adapt current best practices "what are the implications of creating accurate reproductions for the research environment as well as for online and in person use”? This thesis presents themes that relate to the broader fields of digitization, reproduction, and fabrication in museums and cultural institutions, presents findings in the …

Dysarthric Speech Recognition And Offline Handwriting Recognition Using Deep Neural Networks, Suhas Pillai

Theses

Millions of people around the world are diagnosed with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, Cerebral Palsy or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Due to the neurological damage as the disease progresses, the person suffering from the disease loses control of muscles, along with speech deterioration. Speech deterioration is due to neuro motor condition that limits manipulation of the articulators of the vocal tract, the condition collectively called as dysarthria. Even though dysarthric speech is grammatically and syntactically correct, it is difficult for humans to understand and for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems to decipher. With the emergence of deep learning, speech recognition systems …

Rabbit Hole, Chen Wang

Theses

Rabbit Hole is a multimedia installation, which combines drawing, performance, animation, and sculpture to celebrate gender as a performative expression of multiple possibilities while presenting sexual identification as neutral and fluid.

In Rabbit Hole, I present an opportunity for the viewer to experience a disorientating fictional space, in which the physical body floats across boundaries. Constructed biomorphic forms entangle and pulsate creating an arena where gender is ever evolving, celebrating a freedom of sexuality. The symbolic representation of the rabbit within the work connects across North American and Chinese Culture.

Victimization Rates Among Deaf And Hard Of Hearing College Students, Kristi Love

Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is receiving increased focus in society, with high profile examples of victimization involving athletes, actors, and politicians being discussed frequently. Society is more accepting of reporting issues of abuse and seeking help for victims. As awareness of domestic and intimate partner violence has increased, resources to address this issue are likely being utilized more. However, some populations are likely being overlooked, underserved, or excluded from accessing these resources. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are among those who are underrepresented in the existing research on intimate partner violence. Research on victimization among Deaf and hard of …

Network Exploration Of Correlated Multivariate Protein Data For Alzheimer's Disease Association, Matthew J. Lane

Theses

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is difficult to diagnose by using genetic testing or other traditional methods. Unlike diseases with simple genetic risk components, there exists no single marker determining as to whether someone will develop AD. Furthermore, AD is highly heterogeneous and different subgroups of individuals develop the disease due to differing factors. Traditional diagnostic methods using perceivable cognitive deficiencies are often too little too late due to the brain having suffered damage from decades of disease progression. In order to observe AD at early stages prior to the observation of cognitive deficiencies, biomarkers with greater accuracy are required. By using …

Frida's Daughter, Myrta Vida

Theses

The purpose of my creative writing is to highlight a group of U.S. citizens still woefully underrepresented in literature proper: the Latinx middle class. I’m keenly interested in exploring Puerto Rican and first- and second-generation Latinx immigrant stories. Even though some of the experiences from these groups have been elegantly visited by writers such as Giannina Braschi, Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz, Julia Alvarez, and others, there are nuances to the Latinx middle class experience that are yet to be uncovered. Being stuck in the cultural, linguistic, socio-economic, and political middles in a country that has recently taken a largely nationalist …

An Immersive Learning Model, Shamsa Abdulla Salem Al Mazrouei

Theses

Our overarching goal is to provide children with immersive game-based learning environments to support Arabic linguistic skills acquisition. We postulate that immersion in- creases learning. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed a model and built an implementation of an educational virtual environment (EVE) that supports immersion and thus, induces effective learning. Experimental results confirm our hypothesis.

Our model integrates learning content, learning activities, immersion and gameplay. Based on our analysis of various curricula, specifically the United Arab Emirates grade one curriculum, we identified the nature of the learning content in order to satisfy the curriculum requirements. This content is conceptually …

A Comparative-Historical Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Influences Affecting The Evolving Of Christian Marriage In The First Century Ce, Kevin Smith

Theses

Anecdotal evidence and media discussions indicate that today formal marriage is not deemed necessary to cement a conjugal relationship. Many nominally Christian countries such as France, Germany, the U.K., Ireland and Australia have given de facto relationships the same or similar legal standing as formal marriages. In addition, the legitimacy of children born of de facto liaisons is no longer a contested issue. We are living in a time of important social change.

Similarly, the Roman world of the first century was experiencing great social change, including issues surrounding marriage and the bearing and raising of children. This investigation examines …

A Journey Towards Conscientisation: Motives Of Volunteers Who Support Asylum Seekers, Refugees And Detainees, Sarah Koelsch

Theses

The focus of this case study is an examination of the factors that motivate people to engage in volunteerism working with asylum seekers. In the research project, volunteering is understood as a civic responsibility of an active member of society which involves social interactions that foster social inclusion: active citizenship. The co-researcher agency of this project is the Perth based Centre for Asylum seekers, Refugees and Detainees (CARAD). The project aim is to investigate the values, belief systems, and attitudes of CARAD’s volunteers. This informed the decision to employ a social constructionist approach and is intended to enable further understanding …

Singing Exile: Music In Irish Emigration Literature, Christopher Mccann

Theses

Ireland possesses a cultural heritage that is particularly literary and musical. The island is also renowned for its extensive and ongoing history of emigration, and imagery of exile and return is as intrinsic to conceptions of Irishness as the island’s artistic lineage. The impact on the creation of a modern Irish identity by exilic Irish writers and musicians is testament to this relationship.

The act of emigration can be conceived as a narrative of individual identity framed by a wider cultural discourse. It is therefore natural that the themes of exile and departure are a frequent presence in Irish art, …

Adaptive Fuzzy Control Of Quadrotor, Muhammad Awais Sattar

Theses

In this thesis, intelligent controllers are designed to control attitude for quadrotor UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle).Quadrotors have a variety of applications in real time e.g. surveillance, inspection, search, rescue and reducing the human force in undesirable conditions. Quadrotors are generally unstable systems; the kinematics of quadrotor resembles the kinematics of inverted pendulum. In order to avoid the possibility of any kind of damages, the mathematical model of quadrotor should be developed and after that, the different control techniques can be implemented. This thesis presents a detailed simulation model for a Quadrotor. For the control purpose, three classical and modern control …

Schema Matching And Data Integration With Consistent Naming For Protein Crystallization Screens, Midusha Shrestha

Theses

Many companies have developed commercial screen kits of different combinations of chemicals for protein crystallization trials. Typically, scientists may use screen kits from various companies for crystallizing a single protein. The data representation as well as naming conventions used by these different companies make the automated analysis of crystallization experiments difficult and time-consuming. Matching headers among the input and output screens need to be identified and then the data has to be copied under corresponding headers in the output file. In order to reduce the human effort required to deal with this problem, we present an algorithm based on linguistic …

Validating Petri Net Models Of Cyberattacks, Nicholas M. Christensen

Theses

As part of a team project modeling computer system vulnerabilities and cyberattacks, this research focused on Petri net models and validation methods for them. First, the chosen target, Metasploitable, was scanned for vulnerabilities, which were matched to Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) entries. For a preliminary validation, the models were compared with the entries. Then a dynamic validation was applied to two models of CAPEC entries and to one model of a known backdoor, Ingreslock. Three experimental cyberattacks were compared with their respective models, giving partial validation. The results of the comparison show that this dynamic method was …

From Logology To Dramatism : Kenneth Burke And Kurt Vonnegut As Critical Companions, Eryn Johnson

Theses

Although Kenneth Burke originally theorized language as symbolic action and Dramatism with literary analysis in mind, he remains unthought of by literary scholars. With the aim of reclaiming Dramatism for literary analysis, I grapple with Fredric Jameson’s criticisms of Burke in order to show how Dramatism maintains potential for productive literary analysis, particularly in regard to ideology. In doing so, I apply Burke’s Dramatistic method to a series of Kurt Vonnegut novels in order to investigate the similarities between Burke and Vonnegut as well as to demonstrate a fruitful literary analysis by way of Burke’s method.Though their writings differ generically, …

Visual-Linguistic Semantic Alignment: Fusing Human Gaze And Spoken Narratives For Image Region Annotation, Preethi Vaidyanathan

Theses

Advanced image-based application systems such as image retrieval and visual question answering depend heavily on semantic image region annotation. However, improvements in image region annotation are limited because of our inability to understand how humans, the end users, process these images and image regions. In this work, we expand a framework for capturing image region annotations where interpreting an image is influenced by the end user's visual perception skills, conceptual knowledge, and task-oriented goals. Human image understanding is reflected by individuals' visual and linguistic behaviors, but the meaningful computational integration and interpretation of their multimodal representations (e.g. gaze, text) remain …

Framing Of Skill Problems, Kirk M. Winans

Theses

More frequently since the Great Recession, various concerns about a “skills gap” have been raised by industry leaders and organizations, politicians, and some economists. The most basic definition of a “skills gap” is that the workforce does not possess the skills required by employers. The most prominent concerns have been with STEM education and “middle skills” occupations, those that require more than a high school diploma but less than a 4-year degree. However, the various causes and solutions to these issues are widespread. Much of the alarm has been stimulated by reports published by industry and trade organizations asserting specific …