Digital Commons Network^™

Interfacing Iconicity - Addressing Software Divarication Through Diagrammatic Design Principles, George Akhvlediani

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines conflicts accompanying the proliferation of computer technology and, more specifically, constellations of dependency in the always expanding volume of software, platforms, and the firms/individuals using them. We identify a pervasive phenomenon of “divarication” in the growing variety of progressively specialized systems and system roles. As software systems enter new thresholds of sophistication, they effectively aggregate many distinct components and protocols. Consequently, we are confronted with a diverse ecology of stratified and thereby incompatible software systems. Software inherits the limitations and potential flaws of its constituent parts, but unlike physical machinery, it isn’t readily disassembled in instances of …

Discovering Discourse: Utilizing Peer Mediation In Middle School To Achieve Literacy, Stephanie Van Hassel

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of implementing a peer mediation program in a middle school setting through an action research framework, presented as a series of case studies. The group of students receiving the intervention are on one “team” in the middle school, sharing the same group of teachers. The team is on a lower academic track, and are marginalized due to this placement. The intervention’s impact on the participants’ Discourse will be explored.

Integration Of Theory And Feasibility In Learning Disability Identification: Examining Criteria Effects In The Integrated Assessment And Intervention Model, Allison Stafford

Theses and Dissertations

The accurate identification of learning disabilities is critical for applied settings as well as for research purposes. Currently, there are multiple methods of learning disability (LD) identification utilized by practitioners, including: IQ/achievement discrepancy, response to intervention, and patterns of strengths and weakness (Hale & Fiorello, 2004). Despite the use of these methods, there is a lack of research on the validity and the rates of Learning Disability identification associated with these methods. Additionally, the use of different methods creates potential differences in the base rates of students identified as having a learning disability. Further, the identification of learning disabilities needs …

An Existentialist Approach To Teaching Writing: Anguish, Bad Faith, And Seriousness In Composition, Andreas Peter Herzog

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims at developing a model concept for the teaching of ethics in the composition classroom through the use of existentialism in the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre. Overall, the gap I am trying to fill with my dissertation is a lack of awareness of how much Sartre actually fits rhetorical theory and composition. Ultimately, this dissertation is the attempt to develop an ethic that is universally applicable in the teaching of composition, without the need for a service learning environment or additional resources outside the university itself. To provide an overview of the project, the approach will be illustrated …

Does A Positive Illusory Bias Mediate The Moderating Effect Of Achievement Orientation On Response To Exclusion In Boys With Adhd?, Alexandria G. Fladhammer

Theses and Dissertations

Disturbed peer relationships have commonly been found to have long-lasting adverse impacts on children, including school dropout, substance abuse, criminal offenses, psychological maladjustment, and academic problems (Mrug et al., 2012). One subgroup of children well-known to struggle with their peer relationships are children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Hoza, 2007). These children often engage in high rate, intrusive behaviors and are excluded from peer interactions (Hoza et al., 2005). The frequent rejection that these children endure highlights the need for research focused on ostracism, the exclusion or ignoring of others by individuals or groups (Williams, 2007). Thus, the purpose of the current …

Analyzing The Cultural Critical Discourse Of Adolescent Authentic Discussions Using Online Booktalks, Christina Cereghini

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study investigates the effect of cultural and sociolinguistic textures of talk on authentic discussion patterns and whether reading comprehension and inferencing are affected in an online booktalk environment with adolescents. The research will also investigate the contextual features of the classroom community to be studied to help determine the specific sociocultural norms established in that classroom. The unique conditions of the setting in which today’s adolescents function, such as amplified access to digital technologies, the evolving status of socialization, the express shift of physical and emotional factors, and the collective influence of prior experiences with reading, call …

The Influence Of Teacher Decision-Making On The Literacy Gains Of Elementary Students With Characteristics Of Dyslexia, Natalee Mcgill

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive case study approach with multiple cases and an interrupted time-series design used quantitative and qualitative data to answer two research questions: 1) What changes occur over time in the problem-solving strategies, text-reading accuracy, and phonological knowledge of struggling readers in response to targeted instruction in an innovative dyslexia intervention? 2) How do teachers engage in a collaborative, decision-making process to monitor student learning and adjust scaffolding procedures for struggling readers who are participating in an innovative dyslexia intervention? The quantitative data analysis examined the literacy gains for eight elementary students with characteristics of dyslexia who had participated in …

Revulsion, Restlessness, And Rage Through The Body In Pain: Radical Affects And Political Consciousness In The Ariel Poems, Erin P. Beach

Theses and Dissertations

The affective path to radicalism unfolds in Plath's Ariel in three stages. Revulsion identifies a shared source of conflict with a clear patriarchal enemy. Restlessness mimics the context and pace of rebellion, including the acute crises that give way to a societal awakening. Rage connotes incipient action and a commitment to upheaval as an act of restorative justice. The associated “ugly feelings” that facilitate such affects are a reflection of how, historically, progress has come at the cost of suffering. Plath’s language and its capacity for commanding this perverse sense of the sublime – particularly its ability to control …

Teaching To Assess: An Evaluation Of Assessment Education For Secondary Teacher Candidates, Daniel M. Frederking

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the assessment instruction of a four-year undergraduate secondary education program and its alignment to the teaching standards and the summative teacher licensure assessment. Document analyses were conducted on the program’s syllabi as well as the assessment portions of the InTASC standards and the handbook of the edTPA. Results highlighted several areas of misalignment in the areas of categorical concurrence, depth of knowledge, and range of knowledge. Also of note, preservice teachers in different secondary subject areas are receiving different amounts of assessment instruction. Additionally, local edTPA data was examined to highlight areas of strength and weakness. Students …

Her Milkshake Brings Out The Girls In Amman: Examining Questions About Sexual Desire And Societal Influences Among Same-Sex Desiring Women In Jordan, Caitlin Marlena Ostrowski

Theses and Dissertations

In the Middle East and in many majority Muslim nations, homosexuality, including homosexual acts, identities, desires, and discussions of those, is considered taboo. Utilizing a feminist theoretical orientation, this project examined the ways in which same-sex desiring women in Amman, Jordan view the concept of sexually desiring and its relationship to identities. It also examined the pressures placed on them to abide by and navigate familial and religious expectations that conflict with their sexuality. This project drew upon 15 interviews from Muslim and Christian women in Amman using semi-structured and unstructured interviews and participant observation. After analysis, it was concluded …

Using The Rhetoric Of Video Games To Teach The Praxis Of Critical Analysis, Jeffrey B. Doyle

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that video games can be successful at teaching concepts and skills to students at various grade levels. To explain how this might work, theoretical work is done to connect the concept of flow from psychology to procedural rhetoric. With the inclusion of Foucault’s theories of power, video games are shown to not be isolated experiences but connected to the power dynamics of society. In video games, these dynamics can be seen through the problematic portrayals of marginalized peoples as well as the hostile community that has developed online surrounding video games. To account for these issues, but …

Panopticism In A Digital Age: An Examination Of Transmedia Reimagining Jane Eyre, April L. Gonzales

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how content creators, Nessa Aref and Alysson Hall have reinterpreted the original character Jane Eyre in a modern and social media era. The main struggle emphasized is that between an ideal self and societies expectations. Societies expectations and the expression of self are both more influenced by economics and business. The creators of The Autobiography of Jane Eyre heavily emphasize the motivations behind appearances. The creators shift Jane’s character so she is able to navigate within these expectations and the influence present in a digital world.

The Hierarchical Effects Of Employee Choice Of Language: The Role Of Customer Bilingualism And Self-Concept Clarity, Fuad Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of the choice of language is continuously widening and deepening in different socio-political contexts due to globalization and multiculturalism (Heller, 2010). A nascent stream of research (Zolfagharian, Hasan, & Iyer, 2017) also suggests that, in multicultural service encounters, employee choice of language affects customer perceived interaction quality, which in turn influences a host of outcome constructs germane to service researchers. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on how employee choice of language works in customer mind and shapes their attitude toward service interaction and the service itself. The exploration of this underlying psychological mechanism is expected to provide answers to …

Fluência Ou Precisão? A Implementação De Uma Abordagem Counterbalanced Em Um Programa De Imersão Em Português, Eliane Berlendis Bueno

Theses and Dissertations

Este projeto de tese analisa como o método do ciclo de counterbalance, articulado por Lyster (2007), pode influenciar no aumento da precisão da língua dos alunos nos programas de imersão. O objetivo do projeto foi descobrir como tal modelo de lições e atividades pode vir a afetar a precisão dos alunos no uso da língua portuguesa, focando principalmente na concordância nominal e verbal. O projeto foi implementado para duas turmas de imersão de português da 4^a série em um programa de imersão no estado de Utah. As descobertas revelam diferenças significativamente relevantes entre a avaliação previa e final …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of San Juan Red Ware, Robert Jacob Bischoff

Theses and Dissertations

San Juan Red Ware was widely distributed throughout the Four Corners region of the U.S. Southwest between about AD 750 and 1100. Prior research indicates this ware is a marker of identity and was likely associated with feasting and other communal activities. A study of the distribution of this ware indicates that it was traded widely, but with significant variation in relative quantity between sites. This variation is likely caused by unequal access to this ware due either to a lack of access to the necessary exchange networks or by a conscious decision to not participate in the exchange of …

Linguistics In Secondary Education: Teachers' Perceptions Of Linguistics In The Classroom, Ayla Aizza Galvan

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical linguistics is an area of English study focusing on the abstract components of language: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. By 11th and 12th grade, students in the United States have been tested on linguistic concepts, as per state examination standards. English Language Arts teachers can introduce theoretical linguistic investigation and terms to their students, but this is not happening. The paper reviews why theoretical linguistic analysis is not thoroughly implemented in classrooms, successful classroom linguistic investigation in other countries and some U.S., and how linguistic investigation can be part of classroom curriculum. The research incorporates survey data from …

The Witch, The Blonde, And The Cultural "Other": Applying Cluster Criticism To Grimm And Disney Princess Stories, Valerie F. Garza

Theses and Dissertations

The Brothers Grimm and the Walt Disney Company have produced popular fairy tales for large audiences. In this work, cluster criticism—a rhetorical criticism that involves identifying key terms and charting word clusters around those terms—is applied to four Grimm fairy tales and four Disney princess films. This study aims to reveal the worldview of the rhetors and explore how values present in Grimm tales manifest in contemporary Disney films. Disney princess films in this study have been categorized as “White/European” and “Non-White/Cultural ‘Other.’” Because film is a form of non-discursive rhetoric, an adaptation of cluster criticism designed for film was …

Modest Dress As Literacy Practice In English-Speaking Conservative Mennonite Groups, Megan Lois Mong

Theses and Dissertations

English-speaking conservative Mennonites exercise a distinct set of dress practices that are not often understood by people outside the community. Advances in New Literacy Studies pave the way to understand their dress practices as a type of literacy. Multiple literacies work together to inform conservative Mennonite dress practices. One of these literacies is the reading and writing of religious texts. A second literacy is a form of heritage literacy where clothing functions as a multimodal text. Conservative Mennonites use their clothing to codify their Christian identity, gender roles and church affiliation. They intend their clothing to represent who they are …

The Impact Of Translation On Constructed Action And Constructed Dialogue In Asl Texts, Beth C. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

Depiction, a phenomenon similar to iconicity, involves representing what something "looks like or is like" (Streeck 2008:289). Because depiction is used more heavily in sign languages than spoken languages (Dudis 2007), people interpreting or translating spoken/written texts into signed languages struggle to use depiction naturally (Thumann 2011). This thesis analyzes constructed action (CA) and constructed dialogue (CD), two types of depiction in which the signer's hands represent those of a discourse participant. Using Tannen (1989) & Metzger's (1995) framework of non-directly-quoted CACD and Quinto-Pozos & Mehta's (2010) degrees of CA, I examine differences between narratives originally composed in ASL and …

A Phonology Of Hill (Kone-Tu) Asho, Daniel Tignor

Theses and Dissertations

Asho (ISO 639-3: csh) is a Tibeto-Burman language in the Southern Chin branch of Kuki-Chin. It is spoken by about 170,000 people, primarily in western and west-central Myanmar (Simons & Fennig 2018). Although Asho received some early attention in the studies of Tibeto-Burman languages (Houghton 1892; Joorman 1906), it has remained mostly unstudied for the past century. Current data confirm the traditional distinction of two basic dialects of Asho (Hill and Plains), and this paper focuses on the Hill or "Kone-tu" dialect. The Hill dialect has 26 consonants (compared to 29 in the Plains dialect), and both dialects have 14 …

I Know You Are, But What Am I?: The Language Of Trauma And Identity Formation In Virginia Woolf’S Mrs. Dalloway And Vladimir Nabokov’S Lolita, Claire A. Setton

Theses and Dissertations

This paper delves into Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, and Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, looking at how the instability seen in the narrative structure of the novels correlates to the impact of trauma on the psychoanalytic development of the characters.

Gender-Exclusive Language: Women’S Perception Of Linguistic Ostracism, Voice, And Power In Politics, Michelle Roxanne Grzybowski

Theses and Dissertations

Gender-exclusive language is a type of subtly sexist language that makes reference to a single gender group thereby excluding other gender groups (Stout & Dasgupta, 2011). Two studies examined how the use of gender-exclusive language impacts the experiences of women who were elected members of county boards. Specifically, the studies surveyed county board members in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin to determine whether the naturally occurring variation between the use of gender-exclusive language (e.g., using chairman to indicate both men and women) or gender-neutral language (e.g., chair or chairperson) was related to perceptions of ostracism and a sense of …

Writing Fiction During Writing Workshop In First Grade, Maureen Kelly Rowan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how first graders respond to and perform within the writing workshop model. The workshop model is used during the writing of fiction pieces. One goal of this study was to determine how the students would respond to choosing their own topics. A second goal of this study was to determine if students would be successful in composing fiction pieces through the use of this model. The third goal of this study was to determine if there would be gender differences within the choice of topic. The findings showed that the students were …

Effects Of A Scripted And Intense Reading Intervention Program On The Reading Comprehension Of Fifth Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Tracy Slater

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the use of intensive reading intervention programs in a fifth inclusion classroom setting. This has been a topic that is frequently discussed and how support for the special need students with comprehension deficits can be increased. These students deserve a fair, equal, and individualized learning plan in a classroom that accepts all children. Studies show how successful using intensive reading programs close the reading comprehension gaps with our exceptional students.

The purpose of this study is to show how using the intensive reading intervention program is crucial in the classrooms to support the special needs students. …

The Effect Of A Multisensory Approach To Spanish Instruction On The Foreign Language Proficiency Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Linda Chui

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a multisensory approach to Spanish instruction founded in Orton-Gillingham on the (1) foreign language writing, and (2) foreign language reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities in the middle school Spanish classroom. Additionally, the study inquired about the students' satisfaction with the Orton-Gillingham approach to learning to read in Spanish. Four middle school Spanish students with SLD, three male and one female, participated in the study. A single subject ABAB design was used. During the baseline phases, students received Spanish instruction in the traditional mainstream classroom. During the intervention, …

The Use Of Recommender Systems In Web Applications – The Troi Case, Donjeta Mulaj

Theses and Dissertations

Avoiding digital marketing, surveys, reviews and online users behavior approaches on digital age are the key elements for a powerful businesses to fail, there are some systems that should preceded some artificial intelligence techniques. In this direction, the use of data mining for recommending relevant items as a new state of the art technique is increasing user satisfaction as well as the business revenues. And other related information gathering approaches in order to our systems thing and acts like humans. To do so there is a Recommender System that will be elaborated in this thesis. How people interact, how to …

Backward Transfer Of Apology Strategies From Japanese To English: Do English L1 Speakers Use Japanese-Style Apologies When Speaking English?, Candice April Flowers

Theses and Dissertations

When learning a second language, there are elements of a learner's native language that can transfer and are exhibited during production in the second language. This can extend not only to the way things are said but even to gestures that are language- and speech-act-specific. However, there is evidence that the same can occur backwards, that is to say that elements of a second language can be exhibited during production of one's native language (Pavlenko and Jarvis, 2002). This study focuses on English L1 learners of Japanese who have spent significant time both in country and learning the language to …

י הנני (Here Am I, Send Me): Person And Proximity In Literary Prophecy, Matthew S. Kershaw

Theses and Dissertations

Prophecy is a poorly understood genre, commonly understood as literature primarily focused on mantic visions of future events. A more nuanced understanding of literary prophecy recognizes the limits of this view, as well as the diversity of genres within many prophetic texts. These two views present one problem: forced readings of prophecy as a kind of reverse history on the one end and the problem of generic diversity on the other, resist an easy scheme of classification for prophetic literature. This study elucidates some of the problematic assumptions of primarily Biblical prophecy, and suggests that contemporary genre theory"“which views genre …

El Futuro Ya Está Aquí: A Comparative Analysis Of Punk In Spain And Mexico, Rex Richard Wilkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the punk genre's evolution into commercial mainstream music in Spain and Mexico. It looks at how this evolution altered both the aesthetic and gesture of the genre. This evolution can be seen by examining four bands that followed similar musical and commercial trajectories. In Spain, Kaka de Luxe and Radio Futura; in Mexico, Size and Ritmo Peligroso. Since punk music's gesture is both visceral and political, various methods of suppressing or containing the punk gesture arise. For both Spain and Mexico, containing the punk gesture was a matter of government censorship in the early years of punk. …

Preservice Teachers Perceptions Of Literature: A Study In A University Spanish Literature Class For Future Spanish Teachers, Stephanie Chantall Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study gave insight on the benefits that a university literature course for future Spanish teachers could contribute to preservice teachers as part of their preparation program. Nine university students participated in this study as they were the ones enrolled in this first-time offered university literature course for Spanish teachers. Data were collected from pre- and post-questionnaires, journals, and course observations. The findings suggested that the preservice teachers grew in pedagogical content knowledge, literary content, resources and strategies, and felt an overall sense of preparedness to use literary sources in their future classrooms