Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Machine Learning For Advanced Malware Detection, Khalifa Al Habtoor

Theses

The detection of malware is an important challenge in the field of cybersecurity, which is demanding efficient and accurate solutions for making threats easier. This study is focused on the detection of malware by integrating a framework that uses a Mamdani fuzzy interference system (FIS) and diffusion techniques based on three different deep learning algorithms, which are convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and generative adversarial networks (GANs) for malware detection by using recent dataset. This was done by using their outputs through a voting and routing mechanism. The results of the study show that the fuzzy logic …

Understanding The Effectiveness Of State Teaching Licensing For Deaf Instructors, Andrew Knox

Theses

This capstone research examines the systemic barriers that Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals face when pursuing state teaching licensure in the United States. Despite the growing need for Deaf educators, the current licensure process often marginalizes Deaf candidates by failing to provide adequate accommodations and relying heavily on standardized, English-based exams that disproportionately disadvantage non-hearing individuals. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates anonymous surveys of candidates’ experiences and a review of policy documents, this study uncovers key institutional biases and explores alternative pathways to licensure. These alternatives include performance-based assessments and innovative solutions such as video-based evaluations and …

Designing An Interactive System For Early Social Learning: Leveraging Emotion Recognition And Real-Time Feedback To Foster Early Childhood Emotional Mirroring And Social Skill Development, Yue Gu

Theses

For young children, traditional educational methods often rely too heavily on the caregiver's own time and energy as well as social attributes. There is currently no product on the market that mirrors emotions and provides real-time feedback on personality drawings that can simultaneously stimulate young children's recognition of facial emotions, understand and mimic expressions, and promote their social development. The purpose of this thesis is to design an interactive system to enhance early social learning in young children through emotion recognition and real-time feedback. The system utilizes a digital device's camera for emotion detection to detect children's facial expressions. It …

Utilizing Machine Learning For Categorizing Disaster-Related Tweets, Ahmad Alfalasi

Theses

This study presents the development of a machine-learning model that recognizes tweets about disasters in real-time. The fast-paced development of social media, especially Twitter, has drastically changed the field of news transmission during crises. This change creates new challenges for the management of the volume, velocity, and veracity of data that are generated in such situations. The present tools do not have the capabilities of real-time processing of the huge volume of data; hence, new solutions are required. The model we are proposing addresses this problem by using advanced machine learning methods, such as natural language processing, to filter and …

The Mythical Nexus: Illuminating The Rich Tapestry Of Global Folklore, Trishala Parmar

Theses

There is a lack of accessibility and exposure to global folklore for a wider audience. Despite the richness and diversity of folktales worldwide, many people may not have access to them due to limited resources, language barriers, cultural isolation, and a lack of exposure. I saw a need to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage through stories and make it fun. I created an interactive website called The Mythical Nexus which allows an audience to interact with different stories and cultures through a series of rotating cubes. This website connects stories and folklore from around the globe through the power of …

Bridging Blobs: The Transformative Communication System, Philip Pham

Theses

In an increasingly interconnected world, language diversity can pose significant barriers to communication and understanding. "Bridging Blobs: The Transformative Communication System" introduces an innovative solution towards overcome these challenges. This thesis presents an immersive and interactive technology experience designed to seamlessly translate both spoken and sign languages and foster clear communication by visually demonstrating relationships between individuals using English and/or American Sign Language. The system integrates into various social and physical spaces, from bars to museums, creating dynamic displays that celebrate the richness of human language and culture. Interactive screens showcase animated sequences, representing inclusivity and collaboration. Powered by cutting-edge …

Pawlingo: Bridging Virtual And Real-World Language Learning Through Mixed Reality, Xueer Wang

Theses

PawLingo harnesses the power of mixed reality (MR) technology to enable users to learn new languages anytime, anywhere. By enhancing the interactivity and immersion of language learning, PawLingo revolutionizes how users engage with new languages. The platform features virtual non-player characters (NPCs), such as a panda representing Mandarin, who guide and interact with users in their daily environments. Whether navigating everyday scenarios like markets or public transit or practicing vocabulary in real-time, PawLingo seamlessly integrates language instruction into the user's surroundings. This research explores the development and impact of PawLingo, highlighting its ability to enhance user engagement, retention, and cultural …

Hope Vs. Hate: Understanding User Interactions With Lgbtq+ News Content In Mainstream Us News Media Through The Lens Of Hope Speech, Jonathan Pofcher

Theses

This thesis makes three contributions. First, via a substantial corpus of 1,419,047 comments posted on 3,161 YouTube news videos of major US cable news outlets, we analyze how users engage with LGBTQ+ news content. Our analyses focus both on positive and negative content. In particular, we construct a fine-grained hope speech classifier that detects positive hope speech, negative, neutral, and irrelevant content. Second, in consultation with a public health expert specializing on LGBTQ+ health, we conduct an annotation study with a balanced and diverse political representation and release a dataset of 3,750 instances with fine-grained labels and detailed annotator demographic …

Developing Policies For Digital Twin Data Quality And Security Controls, Ahmad Abdelbaset Hassan

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the data quality and security of the digital twin and how it is going to impact its adoption, trustworthiness, and potential for real-world applications. By addressing the potential vulnerabilities and ensuring the integrity of data, this research aims to contribute to the development of robust and trustworthy digital twin policies that to complement the existing international standards across different domains. Moreover, it underscores the important need to establish robust policies to ensure the successful and secure deployment of digital twins across industries. Previous research, while valuable, may not have fully addressed the critical interplay between …

A Secure And Effective Framework For Key Concept Mining From Educational Content Using Large Language Models, Ashika Sameem Abdul Rasheed

Theses

This thesis examines the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in education, with a focus on improving performance and implementing strong security measures. The research has two main goals, namely, the development of an effective lecture summarization technique using LLMs and identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities in LLM applications according to OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) guidelines. For the former goal, we have proposed an effective framework for fine-tuning LLMs using real lecture datasets and compared the performance of different LLMs. For the latter goal, we conducted a thorough review of the application dataflow of the proposed framework and …

The Mediational Role Of Religiosity In The Relationship Between Emotional Regulation And Relationship Satisfaction In Uae And Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study, Beril Berksu

Theses

Marriage and romantic relationships are significant turning points in personal and social development, contributing to overall well-being and health. In romantic relationship studies, relationship satisfaction is one of the most researched aspects and is affected by various variables, which are gender, relationship duration, and other factors. Among these, religiosity and emotional regulation have been proposed as important aspects as well. However, there is still a gap in the literature to understand how these aspects are connected in non-Western countries like Turkey and the UAE regarding cultural differences. The study aims to explore the mediating role of religiosity in the relationship …

Adapting Emergency Response: A Nationwide Study Of Disability Accommodation Practices Among Local Emergency Managers, Iskender Mambetkadyrov

Theses

Local emergency management agencies (EMAs), who are critical in disaster response and management in the US, frequently underserve their constituencies who identify as people with disabilities (PWD) and, more specifically, as deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). These shortfalls have still persisted even after policies such as the Americans with Disabilities Act have passed in an attempt to bridge these gaps. This thesis aims to explore the organizational actions & strategies local EMAs have taken towards disability inclusion, the barriers they run into, and explore whether increases in general disability-inclusive actions lead to increased DHH-specific inclusive actions to steer local …

Palette Of Perspective: Designing An Inclusive Art History Curriculum, Amy Bettencourt

Theses

This project aims to develop an inclusive art history curriculum as a high school level course, addressing the traditional Western-centric focus that has been marginalized non-Western contributions. By pairing Western and non-Western artworks within a chronological framework, students can compare artistic expressions across cultures, emphasizing parallel histories rather than a single Eurocentric narrative. The curriculum employs diverse interpretive methodologies to foster critical thinking and challenge conventional narrative. Designed for a 20-week semester, it focuses on a smaller number of key artworks per unit to encourage meaningful engagement and projects. While still rooted in Western art, the course connects global artistic …

Navigating The Job Landscape: Insights From Linkedin Through Npl, Mohammed Alsallal Alfalasi

Theses

This study uses NLP to examine the relationships between skills needed, wage trends, and job attributes in over 33,000 LinkedIn job posts. NLP enabled us to analyze a large dataset and gain deeper insights into the employment market. We obtained and cleansed the data ethically to guarantee that it was accurate for NLP analysis. This investigation included techniques such as keyword extraction and sentiment analysis to uncover important talents, job market attitudes, and industry trends. We also examined pay trends to better comprehend the market's economic aspects. By merging NLP and machine learning, this study offers a novel methodological framework …

An Examination Of Artistic Expression Through Honoré Daumier's Le Fardeau, Sarah Isak-Goode

Theses

Honoré Daumier, renowned for his career as a political cartoonist in 19th-century France, created a substantial body of personal works that have received comparatively little scholarly attention. This thesis focuses on Daumier's paintings, particularly those created during his midlife (1848-1864), examining their distinctively serious qualities and emotional depth. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining art historical analysis and psychobiography, this research explores the previously unrecognized connection between Daumier's paintings and his private life experiences. Central to this study is an in-depth analysis of Le Fardeau, a painting that exemplifies Daumier's artistic evolution and emotional expression during a period marked by personal …

Creation Story Motifs As Expressions Of Identity And Resiliency In The Visual Culture Of Kahnawà:Ke, Jana Ondrechen Hallford

Theses

Kahnawa:ke is a First Nations reserve near Montreal in Quebec, Canada, with a rich history of creative expression. This is a Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) community, a part of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, a prominent First Peoples group of the Northeast Woodlands. Like many other Indigenous communities, Kahnawa:ke is in the process of revitalizing and renormalizing their culture after centuries of assimilation efforts and pressures to separate them from their traditions. Their creation story, known as the Sky Woman Epoch, is foundational to this culture. While there are a number of creation symbols, this study will focus on the Sky Dome, a …

Bhasha: An Interactive Experience Learning Indian Languages, Charmy Patel

Theses

BHASHA is an interactive online platform that focuses on the linguistic diversity of India, specifically targeting languages from the Nagari (Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali) and Dravidian (Tamil) families. The name "BHASHA," meaning "language" in many Indian dialects, reflects the platform's inclusive approach to language learning. BHASHA addresses the challenge of learning complex scripts by offering an engaging experience that showcases the unique beauty and distinctiveness of Indian language typography, characters, type anatomy, and writing systems. By combining technology, design, and linguistics, the platform provides a user-centric solution for individuals and typographers interested in learning Indian languages by making these complex scripts …

Unbound: An Analog Tapestry Of Reading Experiences, Ipek Koprululu

Theses

This project explores the transformative potential of typography in visual communication, focusing on how typographic treatments can shape and expand the perception of text. Centered on Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, the research investigates how different typographic approaches – employing both analog and digital methods – can alter emotional impact, narrative significance, and universal accessibility. Through a systematic approach encompassing research, design decisions, and presentation, the study reveals how typography can transcend the literal meaning of words, enriching them with diverse emotional and visual interpretations. The project utilizes various formats, including posters, an accordion-style book, a stop-motion video, and interactive …

The Logical Reasoning Dilemma Of Llms: A Mapping Deficit In Representation Acquisition, Yiling Wu

Theses

Currently, Large Language Models (LLMs) based on the Generative Pre-trained Transformer architecture have made breakthroughs in multilingual language processing tasks and performed similar language processing capabilities to humans. However, their performance in dealing with tasks involving reasoning, especially logical reasoning, show significant shortcomings. In this paper, we argue that logical reasoning competence requires a certain type of representation acquisition capability. Based on this, in order to assess whether LLMs have the potential to overcome the shortcomings of their logical reasoning competence in their subsequent development, this work compares the representation acquisition processes of humans and LLMs. This comparison reveals that …

Music Education In The Urban Classroom: Issues Of Equity And Access, Lakeisha Walker

Theses

Music education in urban classrooms plays a crucial role in shaping students' overall development and academic success. The field of music education is not immune to the challenges of equity and access that exist in urban settings. It is essential to address these issues to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to participate in music programs and reap the countless benefits that come with them.

The importance of this topic in the field of music education cannot be overstated. Research has shown that students who participate in music programs demonstrate improved academic performance, enhanced cognitive skills, and increased creativity. …

Three Zafimaniry Carvings From The Southern Highlands Of Madagascar And Their Symbolic Meaning, Emily Krupp

Theses

The Zafimaniry people are a community living in the southern highlands of Madagascar, most known for their geometric, low-relief works of art that they carve onto wooden surfaces throughout their villages. The shapes that make up the designs signify the Zafimaniry people's ideologies, but motifs carved into the homes specifically represent their beliefs about marriage and societal structure. Three metaphorical symbols have been translated within the motifs by the Zafimaniry people as the patriarch, the family, and the community. A comparative cultural study between the motifs on Zafimaniry window shutters and Swahili doorways reveal similarities in material culture, visual elements …

Bert-Boosted Adaptive Learning, Dibyanshu Chatterjee

Theses

Knowledge Tracing is a machine learning technique that aids in monitoring a learner’s knowledge in a given learning environment. This thesis introduces a unified approach to adaptive learning, specifically with the use of Knowledge Tracing (KT) and other relevant machine learning models, that can aid in creating a personalized learning environment for a learner on an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). While contemporary ITS exemplars, such as Knewton and Adaptemy, strive to provide seamless adaptive learning experience, most such ITS platforms do so by employing individualized models, each tai- lored to distinct tasks, for example, some models may predict correctness of …

Securing The Inbox: Advancing Phishing Email Detection With Fine-Tuned Bert, Fatima Rashed Al Saedi

Theses

In recent years, phishing attacks have persisted as a widespread threat in the contemporary digital environment, presenting substantial risks to individuals and organizations. Cybercriminals are devising increasingly sophisticated strategies to deceive users through malicious emails. In response to this challenge, this research focuses on developing a new tool for detecting phishing emails utilizing the BERT algorithm. The tool aims to enhance email security by accurately identifying deceptive emails and protecting users from potential cyber threats. The primary objective of this study is to investigate how leveraging the BERT algorithm can improve the detection of phishing emails compared to traditional methods. …

Exploring English Language Teachers’ Selfefficacy Beliefs In Relation To Teaching Gifted Students, Shatha Mohammed Sobih

Theses

This study investigates the beliefs of English language teachers regarding their ability to identify and teach gifted students, focusing on how they perceive their own skills in teaching primary grade level students (grades 1, 2, and 3) with exceptional intellectual abilities in English language education. The study followed a qualitative research design and collected data using an open-ended survey consisting of questions that encouraged participants to provide detailed and unrestricted responses. This study also performed purposeful sampling to select respondents with the necessary knowledge and experience to offer rich and meaningful data. This study targeted English language teachers (n …

The Differences Between Metacognitive Reading Strategies Used By Native Arabic Speakers In The Uae When Reading Digital Versus Printed Materials, Razan Majed Shehadeh

Theses

This study explores the differences between the metacognitive reading strategies that native Arabic speakers college students use in the UAE when reading digital vs. printed texts. A convergent Mixed-Methods Design was employed to achieve the purpose of this study. The first data comprised a background questionnaire and two metacognitive reading surveys reflecting reading from digital materials that were conducted with college students (n=100), and the second data set comprised semi-structured interviews with a subset of students sampled from the original pool (n= 8). This study's participants were college students selected randomly from some of the UAE universities. Generally, the results …

Exploring Emirati High School Students' Attitude Towards Reading In L2 (English), Seba Dabik

Theses

Reading in a second language (L2) is a crucial skill for high school students as it helps to develop their second language proficiency and broadens their understanding of the world. It also holds substantial significance in both their personal and academic endeavors. Additionally, proficient L2 reading skills pave the way for promising prospects and professional opportunities. This study examines students' attitudes towards reading academically and recreationally in L2 and the factors that contribute to these attitudes. The study sample comprised of 20 grade 11 UAE national male students (16-17 years old) enrolled in a public Applied Technology School (ATS) in …

Optimizing Social Determinant Of Health Concept Extraction, Niharika Singh

Theses

Generative Artificial Intelligence has recently garnered enormous attention for a varied number of reasons, one of them being its capacity to automate complex tasks. As the potential for integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence across technology, media, and healthcare grows, many tasks previously reliant on manual or algorithm-intensive methods can be simplified significantly. One such challenge is concept extraction, which is a labor-intensive process, especially when performed manually for building robust ontologies. It involves analyzing text to identify and extract relevant concepts, key phrases, entities, and relationships between these entities. This thesis explores various challenges of concept extraction from the ABCD (Adolescent …

A Framework For Filtering Irrelevant Notams, Roudha Abdulrahman

Theses

The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system is essential for aviation safety, giving critical information on risks and operating limitations. However, the volume and complexity of NOTAM data complicate interpretation, which could compromise safety and efficiency. This study tries to address these issues by creating a predictive algorithm for analyzing NOTAM data and predicting whether to keep or remove them. The methodology combines effective machine learning algorithms to reveal insights that improve safety and operational efficiency. Using a dataset of NOTAM entries, multiple prediction algorithms are tested to forecast possible problems and enable proactive risk management. The study's findings help to …

On The Naming Of Identifiers: A Survey Of Undergraduate Students, Stacy Skalicky

Theses

Alsuhaibani et al. state that 60% of the participants do not have strict or any naming standards in the workplace and developers surveyed desired clear method naming standards to promote code comprehension [2]. Martin indi-cated identifier names are responsible for 90% of what makes software readable and understandable [25] . Borstler et al. indicated readability was important to developers at every level of experience but few report their academic influences being effectively leveraged to make quality identifiers [5]. Keuning et al. surveyed teachers in programming-related fields and found that code quality although important, was not a big part of their …

Visualizing Poems, Qiran Cui

Theses

With its profound expressions of emotion and insights, Chinese poetry has long been revered as a cultural heritage. However, its intricacies often challenge non-Chinese speakers seeking to appreciate its depth. This thesis proposes an exploratory approach to interpreting Chinese poetry, using geometric shapes and motions to discover potential emotional and thematic interpretations. The geometric shapes and their associated motions—circles for continuity, squares for stability, triangles for conflict, and rounded rectangles for historical depth—reflect their psychological and cultural significance in conveying specific emotions within the poems. From Chinese poetry's subjects, structure, content, and emotional resonance, the exploration delves into how visual …