Digital Commons Network^™

The Piano Laboratory As An Interlinking Resource In The Development Of Keyboard Skills For Young Pianists, Elaine Gordon

Theses

This study presents an account of practice-based educational research that was conducted during three half-year cycles between 2008 and 2010 in the CIT Cork School of Music (CSM) piano laboratories with Junior piano pupils and their teachers as participants. The study sought to explore teaching approaches in the PianoLab classes and to evaluate interlinking resources for young pianists in the context of their wider music education.

In line with action-oriented qualitative methods, the first cycle involved preliminary data gathering, through questionnaires and interviews, from musicianship and piano teachers on topics related to teaching materials. Subsequently, a Focus Group was set …

Cochlear Implants In The Deaf Community: Current Circumstances Of Cochlear Implant Users Among The Deaf Youth In Sweden’S Educational System, Christopher Samp

Theses

Sweden has maintained an environment of equal opportunities and inclusive disability policies for its citizens. In Swedish education, a bilingualism method of Swedish Sign Language and spoken Swedish is used in teaching deaf children. The cochlear implant device is considered an advanced form of hearing technology and is used with deaf youth to assist with speech development. Several medical experts and researchers support the language development theory that there is a "critical period" for a deaf person to acquire natural language and speech development at a young age. Some experts believe that in order to achieve this language acquisition of …

Improving Computer Game Bots' Behavior Using Q-Learning, Purvag Patel

Theses

In modern computer video games, the quality of artificial characters plays a prominent role in the success of the game in the market. The aim of intelligent techniques, termed game AI, used in these games is to provide an interesting and challenging game play to a game player. Being highly sophisticated, these games present game developers with similar kind of requirements and challenges as faced by academic AI community. The game companies claim to use sophisticated game AI to model artificial characters such as computer game bots, intelligent realistic AI agents. However, these bots work via simple routines pre-programmed to …

Evaluating Logical Pluralism, David Pruitt

Theses

Recently some philosophers, in particular J. C. Beall and Greg Restall, have defended a view they refer to as ‘logical pluralism’. This is the position that there are, in fact, several equally good but distinct logical systems according to which different arguments come out valid and invalid. No one system, they claim, is any more ‘correct’ than any other. I will have several criticisms of this view. I first argue that the phenomena of logical recapture causes problems for the pluralist. Somewhat roughly a logic is recaptured if, though all its argument forms were not valid in the full language, …

Design For Invisibility: Designing A Placing System Through The Study Of User-Object Relationships In Everyday Life, Gahyung Song

Theses

The world we live in is a place where people are influenced by designed objects, often without noticing their presence or the fact that they have been designed at all. Although these objects are taken for granted their impact on our everyday life is immeasurable. By examining designed objects with regard to their relationship to users, this thesis attempts to rediscover the meaning of design in everyday life by encouraging a fluid user-object relationship, rather than a passive consumer-product relationship. It is important to understand the everyday phenomena by which designed objects become invisible when they fit one's environment well. …

The Tragedy Of Nigel Rain, Jason W. Dockery

Theses

This work is a two-part collection of poems examining creative loss and gain and human dysfunction. The first part details the struggles of Nigel Rain, a persona born through an artist’s pen who finds himself abandoned by his creator. Nigel believes himself saved through the perpetuation of desire, and these poems show Nigel’s attempts at redefining his purpose in life by projecting his fortunes upon a woman he believes to be an embodiment of the Tarot card of helpful fortunes, the Star. Nigel’s tragedy is his failure to realize and ultimately survive the fragility of human connections. Language proves as …

True West, Chris Toalson

Theses

This thesis, True West, utilizes photography to investigate the myth of the American West. I reflect on the ways that myth has been used to symbolically situate the West at the heart of our American identity, in order to discern our seeming fascination with this imagined West. Looking to photography's historical precedence as a purveyor of myth, my photographs explore notions of representation and re-presentation to question both photographic truth and western authenticity. I focus on the intertwining of history and myth, where more often than not, myth prevails. True West urges a refocus toward a more factual history, where …

Solving Conflict In Academic Contexts: A Comparison Of U.S. And Taiwanese College Students, Li-Jung Huang

Theses

In today’s globalized society with intense interaction between and among cultures, cross cultural understanding is becoming of crucial importance for successful communication. Whenever there is communication among people from different cultures, disagreement, argument and interpersonal conflict may occur. For this reason, the study of cultural differences in conflict resolution is of great value to society at large. Yet, the number of studies that have examined conflict resolution approaches across cultures is insufficient.

This study sought to contribute to this area of research by investigating conflict resolution strategies employed by US and Taiwanese college students in academic contexts and the motives …

The Music Of Art, Chad L. Cleveland

Theses

Through the research of Jazz/Improvisational music I plan to investigate its' influence on my visual artwork. I also intend to demonstrate the interaction and relationship between the creation and performance of a piece of art. There seems to be a correlation between the elements of art and music which I am intrigued by. How are the elements of music translated into visual space? In the elements and principles of art there is a visual response waiting to be invoked. For the purposes of this writing, music is the muse. What takes place during the translation of listening, thought response, spirit …

A Pedagogy Of Process: Using Arts Based Research With Community Development Co-Researchers To Explore Campus Community Dialogue, Brian Hand

Theses

This thesis will outline how I employed an arts informed participatory research process with four women members of the Southend family resource centre in Wexford town. The primary context for this research was the introduction of a module in community based learning on the BA (hons) in Art at the Wexford Campus of I.T. Carlow combined with a desire to participate more actively in the community sector outside the campus. The choice of an arts based methodology was to capture knowledge in a multifaceted way, to give depth to the many meanings of individual experiences and finally to suggest a …

Moarabisque: The Essence Of Arabia : A Motion Graphics Piece That Promotes The Diverse Saudi Arabian Arts And Culture, Wail Al Hamid

Theses

Moarabisque: The essence of Arabia is an "Arabian custom designed motion graphics series". This Series is inspired by the diverse geography, architecture, arts, and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. These series are merged together as a cohesive motion graphics piece that visually reflects and promotes the varied Arabian culture through arts, architecture, music, and Islamic iconography. The final motion graphics video will introduce a series of visual icons that are of vital importance to religious and cultural values of Muslims; especially the Arabic nation. These icons delineate the characteristics of the Arabian culture; an Islamic civilized culture that emerged from …

The Experience Of Grey, Andrew Super

Theses

This text is an accompaniment to an endeavor spanning approximately thirteen months in which I used photographic and literary processes to create documents concerning my history. These nearly universal processes were chosen because of their correlative nature. Images are read in a similar fashion to texts and both facilitate discourse. This thesis is an investigation on a personal level about the manner in which experiences are had, documented, and in many ways conditioned. The photographs that amount to the physical portion of this thesis explore the personally anecdotal within the context of generalized methods of documentation. In this work I …

Museum Discovery Rooms Engaging Families Using Learning Theories, Cassandra E. Demski

Theses

No abstract provided.

Private Viewing, Ryan Barone

Theses

This thesis explores my birthplace and hometown of Gloversville, New York, using loss as a primary theme. Issues related to memory and the photographic medium such as the trace and latent image are investigated through a range of interdisciplinary projects. The thesis also addresses the language of early Conceptualism, often utilizing systematic methodologies and employing common materials as a means of addressing amateur uses of the photographic image. Photographic production and circulation are interrogated on a consumer level, emphasizing vernacular optimism for the medium while illustrating their ultimate shortcomings

" Radical Overlap Of Outage" Oppression And Exploitation In Jane Austens's Work, Joris S. Beck

Theses

No abstract provided.

& Yet, Alexander S. Balogh

Theses

Unavailable.

The Use Of The Child Observation Record As A Tool For Predicting Early Literacy Skills In Preschool Children, Christopher R. Singer

Theses

Reading is an important part of a child's schooling. Identifying students with literacy difficulties early in the academic process can provide them with early intervention services to keep them from falling behind. The use of an observational assessment when dealing with preschoolers can yield vital information to help identify children who may be at risk for developing reading difficulties. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002) is a standardized assessment currently used to identify and evaluate students' reading abilities. The Child Observation Record (COR; High/Scope, 1992) is a preschool assessment tool used to assess …

"Welcoming The Stranger": A Dialogue Between Scriptural Understandings Of And Catholic Church Policies Towards Migrants And Refugees And Pastoral Praxis In The Migrant And Refugee Pastoral Care Bodies Within The Archdiocese Of Perth, Judith M. Woodward

Theses

Growth in human movement around the world has been one of the phenomenal aspects of globalization since the Second World War. Among these ‘people on the move’ those whom the United Nations Humanitarian Commission for Refugees has described as ‘persons of concern’ – refugees, displaced persons etc. – have increased at an alarming rate. They are now well in excess of the global population growth rate over the same period Many of these have moved into adjacent poorer developing countries but increasingly many are seeking asylum, either through official United Nations’ channels or through on-shore arrivals, in developing nations. This …

Understanding Malware Autostart Techniques With Web Data Extraction, Matthew Gottlieb

Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate automatic execution methods in Windows operating systems, as used and abused by malware. Using data extracted from the Web, information on over 10,000 malware specimens was collected and analyzed, and trends were discovered and presented. Correlations were found between these records and a list of known autostart locations for various versions of Windows. All programming was written in PHP, which proved very effective. A full breakdown of the popularity of each method per year was constructed. It was found that the popularity of many methods has varied greatly over the last decade, …

Assessing Instructional Strategies At Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute In A Dynamic Global Environment, Juiann Young-Lovell

Theses

Today, there are educational institutions whose offerings highlight the value of a blended learning experience. Such organizations design their curricula to enhance students' knowledge, skills and attitudes. These institutions integrate several elements into the learning experience. The subject mater is taught, provision is made for students to practice and this all takes place in the traditional or virtual classroom or in a real world setting. Instructional practice is the bridge between the student and the teacher. At the Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute (BCCHI), there is no evidence that the faculty has conducted formal assessment of the organisation's instructional practices …

Motion Graphics Documentary Video Of Deaf Artists Of The 21st Century, Heather L. Smith

Theses

Deaf art reflects a unique culture where Deaf people express their life experiences, which are different from those of hearing people. Deaf art also shows the joy and community among Deaf people with their shared language and experiences, expressed through art that includes painting, sculpturing, acting, and writing. In other words, Deaf culture is a celebration where we as Deaf people can bond and share our similar experiences with life struggle in this majority world of hearing people. We often seek out other Deaf artists to connect with and get the sense of “home.” That “sense of home” includes not …

Classification Of Hand Held Shapes And Locations In Continuous Signing, Swetha Karri

Theses

Sign language for the deaf and hearing impaired replaces speech with manually produced signs. Each sign has been categorized as being combinations of handshape, movement, orientation, location, and facial expressions. Of the five sign parameters, this thesis focuses on classification of two of the main parameters, the hand shapes and locations, in continuous signing.

Since the nature of hand shapes is transient and not static, neural networks was used as a classifier for hand shapes. And since locations in sign language are defined by linguistic variables rather than by hard core position values, fuzzy logic was used as a classifier …

Barriers For Telecommunication Accessibility And Needs Assessment Of Video Relay Services (Vrs): Utilization Of Vrs For The Deaf Community, Minoru Yoshida

Theses

Approximately 28 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people reside in the United States, and a majority of them benefit from Telecommunications Relay Services which is mandated by Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title IV of ADA was drafted based on the provision for TTY services. As Video Relay Services emerged in 2002, it surpassed TTY relay services because of its efficiency compared to the traditional TTY relay. However, Video Relay Services is a relatively new relay format, and no legal mandates for VRS technologies have been established. Thus, there is a strong need for a better understanding …

English Language And Culture Cues Found In Advertisements In Selected Print Publications For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People, Cindy Kay Mcallister

Theses

hard This research investigated advertisements in Deaf Life and Deaf Rochester News use of written English and culture cues to communicate to deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) audiences. DHH audiences have indicated that seeing more DHH actors and sign language in advertisements will increase their response to the advertisements. English and characteristics of culture were analyzed to determine the extent of understandable English and appropriate culture cues for DHH audiences. Deaf Life did not use understandable English and appropriate culture cues to a high extent. Deaf Rochester News did use understandable English, but did not use appropriate culture cues …

American Sign Language: An Influence On Graphic Design Problem-Solving, Allison Ucci

Theses

In American Sign Language (ASL), variables of communication such as volume, tone, emotion, and emphasis are represented through the deliberate use of these variables which include: handshape, location of the sign in proximity to the human body, movement, direction, and repetition. ASL imposes strict rules of how and when to use each of these variables. Together, the rules and variables create a language of communication that is of equal value to spoken language. Similarly, these attributes currently exist in graphic design message making. The alternation of one or all variables in design can also result in an entirely new idea. …

The Academic English Literacy Acquisition Experiences Of Deaf College Students, Kathryn Schmitz

Theses

The purpose of this dissertation was to describe deaf college students’ perceptions of their experiences learning academic English literacy. The study examined the narrated academic English literacy acquisition experiences and practices of 11 deaf and hard-ofhearing students at a hearing university with a large deaf student population. Through paradigmatic analysis of narrative data, the study located common themes that revealed their perceptions of academic English literacy acquisition. The study was conducted with deaf students attending a college for deaf and hardof- hearing students, which is one of eight colleges at a major northeastern university. Methods employed in the study were …

Color In Scientific Visualization: Perception And Image-Based Data Display, Hongqin Zhang

Theses

Visualization is the transformation of information into a visual display that enhances users understanding and interpretation of the data. This thesis project has investigated the use of color and human vision modeling for visualization of image-based scientific data. Two preliminary psychophysical experiments were first conducted on uniform color patches to analyze the perception and understanding of different color attributes, which provided psychophysical evidence and guidance for the choice of color space/attributes for color encoding. Perceptual color scales were then designed for univariate and bivariate image data display and their effectiveness was evaluated through three psychophysical experiments. Some general guidelines were …

Mapping Inter-Subject And Inter-Regional Brain Connectivity During Free Viewing Of Novel Natural Scenes, Sheela Nagaraj

Theses

Traditional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have used controlled tasks such as finger tapping to isolate function in distinct cortical. Recent studies have examined the mechanisms involved during natural conditions by asking subjects to freely view the presentation of a movie. The objective of our study was to further observe the extent to which similarities are present between subjects during natural vision. It was hypothesized that there would be a linear relationship between the percentage of region-specific overlap, which is the percent of the anatomical region of interest which contains spatial activation exhibited by all six subjects, and corresponding …

Enmasking Beckett: The Use Of The Commedia Dell'arte In Waiting For Godot, Shaun Sheley

Theses

In Enmasking Beckett: The Use of the Commedia dell'Arte in Waiting for Godot, Shaun Sheley explores how the traditional Italian theatrical form of Commedia dell'Arte can inform and enhance character development and physical expression in Samuel Beckett’s seminal play Waiting for Godot. Drawing on his experience directing a 2007 university production, Sheley demonstrates how the fixed archetypes and physical vocabulary of Commedia dell'Arte can be applied to Beckett’s characters—Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo, and Lucky—to support their stylized, non-naturalistic portrayal and Beckett’s own directive for the play to be performed "balletically."

The thesis contextualizes Waiting for Godot within Beckett’s broader …

Is Pain Really God’S Megaphone? Responding To C.S. Lewis, Lisa Moate

Theses

In this study I will defend C.S. Lewis’ claim that people can be morally improved through experiences of pain and suffering and that, as such, attempts to avoid painful experiences are inappropriate. In explaining the context within which Lewis treats pain, a discussion of the nature of pain itself is not necessary since the importance of Lewis’ work lies in its practical application and the role it has in people’s lives; that is, in contributing towards our moral growth. The nature of pain is examined insofar as clarifying the idea it that can only be understood individually due to the …