Digital Commons Network^™

Remote Usability Testing - A New Approach Facilitated By Virtual Worlds, Kapil Chalil Madathil

All Theses

Synchronous remote usability testing, involves a facilitator conducting a usability test in real time, interacting with a participant who is remote. This study proposes a new methodology for conducting these studies using a three-dimensional virtual world, Wonderland, and compares it with two other commonly used synchronous usability test methods: the traditional lab approach and WebEx, a web-based conferencing and screen sharing approach.
The study involved 48 participants in total, 36 test subjects and 12 test facilitators. These 36 were equally divided among the three environments with the 12 test facilitators being paired with one participant in each of the environments. …

Pre-Service Teacher Training Experiences Viewed As A Cultural Activity, Ronald Knorr

All Dissertations

What are the experiences of career-changing pre-service middle school teachers undergoing a group-based activity as part of their training? This series of studies explored two aspects of answering this question. In the first manuscript, a methodology of a novel virtual phenomenology interview technique attempts to determine the influence of a virtual world interviewer compared to a traditional face-to-face setting. While syntactical and other significant differences were found, there was no significant difference found comparing meaning units derived from both settings. In the second manuscript, these meaning units were analyzed to create an essence of the experience for the study's participants, …

Lawyer - Summer 2010, Seattle University School Of Law

Lawyer

• Professor Andrew Siegel Reflects on Justice Stevens
• A Bold Transformation: School of Law Annex Now Home to Thriving Skills Programs
• Reaching for Justice: Equal Justice Works Fellowship, Summer Programs Allow Public Interest Work
• Law School Establishes Pioneering Mental Health Court Clinic

A Participatory Assessment Of Immigrant Integration In A Low-Income Suburban Neighborhood, Matthew John Soerens

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

While much immigration research has been focused upon urban areas, recent trends in migration patterns show that more and more immigrants are moving to the suburbs, which has resulted in some unique integration challenges. This research focuses on a particular suburban Chicago neighborhood, seeking to determine who is living there, to what extent they are making connections with the larger community and with other groups living within the same neighborhood, and what factors they believe will best assist in their integration. Utilizing a participatory research method that seeks to engage the community in question—the Parkside Apartments in the western suburbs …

Impact, Fall 2010, San Jose State University, Connie L. Lurie College Of Education

Impact (College of Education)

No abstract provided.

Researcher Engagement With Web Archives: Challenges And Opportunities For Investment, Arthur Thomas, Eric T. Meyer, Meghan Dougherty, Charles Van Den Heuvel, Christine Madsen, Sally Wyatt

School of Communication: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Interaction And Language Development Of Ell Students In Mainstream Classrooms, Beth A. Ralston

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

English Language Learners make up more than half of the student population in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada ("Nevada Report Card", 2008-09). This is a compelling enough number to motivate teachers, principals, and schools as a whole to reflect on the practices and programs set in place to meet the needs of these students. This study looks specifically at two classrooms in CCSD, observing the teachers' practices and strategies for effectively meeting the needs of their English Language Learners that are a part of their mainstream classrooms. Pervasive strategies that stood out during the course of …

Global Competence: Determination Of Its Importance For Engineers Working In A Global Environment, Gregg M. Warnick

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We live and work in a world that is even more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. Engineers must now not only develop technical engineering competence, but must also develop additional skills and competencies including global competence to obtain success within a global engineering environment.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether multinational companies considered global competence an important skill in mechanical engineering graduates when making hiring decisions. The study was an exploratory study that utilized an extensive literature review to identify eight global competencies for engineering success within a global environment and also included a survey instrument …

In Memoriam - Davorin Peterlin (1959-2010), Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Conservative Neo-Protestants: Romanian Nazarenes In Serbia, Aleksandra Ðuriæ Milovanoviæ

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In contemporary society, religious pluralism presents a range of complex challenges to religious groups and communities. The collapse of Communism and the emergence of renewed forms of nationalism in a number of post-Communist countries resulted in religious revival. The policy of atheism led by Communists led to the rejection of any authority of institutionalized religion. Between 1989 and 1991, after the Communist period, in Romania and in Serbia the number of those declaring themselves as “believers” increased considerably. This growth meant also moving away from traditional religious expressions towards new forms of religion. NeoProtestants such as Baptists, Pentecostals and Seventh …

Black And White And Read In Profile: The Silhouette As Race Manirhetoric In Flannery O'Connor And Kara Walker, Michelle Dacus Carr

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
My research project, in fulfillment of the requirements for the dissertation in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design, utilizes the schema or trope of the silhouette as a binding metaphor for black/white race relationships in America. Specifically, I argue that there is no better model for examining social interactions between the races than the back- and fore-grounding that is transacted through this primarily visual--but also verbal and oral--technique of profiling and outlining. This is particularly true given its origins in discriminatory practice, dating as far back as the literary iconismos and characterismos used to categorize Greek and Roman slaves, and …

Impact Of Cultural Competence Educational Learning Unit Intervention On First-Semester Junior Bachelor Of Science Nursing Students, Jennifer E. Reid

Education Doctoral

Research evidence strongly suggests that there is a direct relationship between a lack of cultural competence in healthcare providers and health care disparities in diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-cultural groups of people. Nursing education curricula designed to educate nurses in the process of becoming culturally competent may have a significant impact on inequity in healthcare delivery. This study examined how entry level nursing students responded to a cultural competence educational learning unit (CCELU) to improve their level of cultural competence in desire, awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounters. A one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance and an independent t-test were used …

Commodifying Creativity: Class, Labor, And Authorship In Isabella Whitney's “A Sweet Nosgay”, Janette Cavazos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Isabella Whitney, the first woman to publish secular verse under her own name, is generally considered by scholars in terms of gender. My thesis argues she should be seen, instead, through her identity as a working-class writer. Her book of poetry, A Sweet Nosgay (1573), is shaped by her efforts to make her way in the world of print publication by commodifying creativity into a product. My thesis assesses the content of her poetry on the basis of class, which was the impetus for this commodification. My focus gives full authority to her as a Renaissance writer, one who resists …

Gender Differences In Advanced Theory Of Mind And Social Competence Among School-Age Children, Cheryl A. Barton

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study explored gender differences in the development of theory of mind (ToM) and social competence among school-age children. It was hypothesized that children’s ToM ability related to their social competence. Children, ages 6 to 12-years (N=62; 38 girls, 24 boys) were administered 12 advanced ToM stories and a language assessment. Parents and teachers evaluated the children’s social skills (N=70; 40 girls, 30 boys), - using a 23 item social competence inventory which consisted of positive behaviors and two forms of negative behaviors: relational aggression and overt hostility. Results indicated positive associations between children’s ToM ability and positive social …

Topology In Composite Spatial Terms, John D. Kelleher, Robert J. Ross

Conference papers

People often refer to objects by describing the object's spatial location relative to another object, e.g. the book on the right of the table. This type of referring expression is called a spatial locative expression. Spatial locatives have three major components: (1) the target object that is being located (the book), (2) the landmark object relative to which the target is being located (the table), and (3) the description of the spatial relationship that exists between the target and the landmark (on the right of ). In English spatial relationships are often described using spatial prepositions. The set of English …

Application Of Strategic Institutional-Information Technology Alignment Model In Four-Year Institutions Of Higher Education, Barbara Lach-Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined an existing corporate model of business-information technology alignment for application in higher education and tested the findings by surveying executive and technology leaders in higher education. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the factors that impact alignment between institutional strategic planning and information technology strategy in higher education. The existing alignment model was examined in the context of mid-size four-year colleges and universities. This study used a combination of Delphi technique and a survey process. The sequence followed was to examine an existing theoretical model for its applicability to higher education …

Harding University Graduate School Of Religion 2010-2011 General Catalog, Harding University

Harding Academic Catalogs

Academic catalog for the graduate program in Bible and religion.

Free Speech, Fleeting Expletives, And The Causation Quagmire: Was Justice Scalia Wrong In Fox Television Stations?, Clay Calvert, Matthew D. Bunker

San Diego Law Review

This Article concentrates on one particular issue raised in the Fox Television Stations ruling - the critical question of causation of harm caused by mass media messages and, in particular, the quantum of evidentiary proof needed by a federal agency to demonstrate causation sufficient to justify restricting the speech in question. The issue is ripe for review.

Can Blogging Benefit Staff & Youth In 4-H Camp Programs?, Carolyn Ashton, Robin Galloway, Virginia Bourdeau

Journal of Extension

An "Edublog", is an educational weblog used by people with a stake in education. This article examines the usage of edublogging in three different 4-H camp programs to create relationships, promote trust, create new conversations, and filter and disseminate knowledge amongst adult and teen camp staff, and middle school aged campers.

The Mythic Conquest Of Time In Faulkner's Fiction, William M. David

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

William Faulkner is famous for stating he agrees with Henri Bergson's optimistic philosophy of time, a philosophy that emphasizes human freedom and action precisely as they relate to time. However, many of Faulkner's characters are defined by their stagnant and lethargic personalities which cannot change; these characters are held immobile by an over – identification with the rich history of their mythic, southern past. This paper, through in depth explorations of Faulkner's masterpieces, Absalom, Absalom! and The Sound and The Fury seeks to consider human mythmaking as the key to understanding Faulkner's difficult works. This critical approach allows us to …

Merging Schemas In A Collaborative Faceted Classification System, Jianxiang Li

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

We have developed a system that improves access to a large, growing image collection by allowing users to collaboratively build a global faceted (multi-perspective) classification schema. We are extending our system to support both global and local schemas, where global schema provides a complete and uniform view of the collection whereas local schema provides a personal, possibly incomplete and idiosyncratic view of the collection. We argue that although users usually focus on their personal schemas, it is still desirable to have a global schema for the entire collection even if such local schemas are available. In order to keep the …

Optimal Trajectory Planning For A Uav Glider Using Atmospheric Thermals, Wilson Kagabo

Theses

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Glider (UAV glider) uses atmospheric energy in its different forms to remain aloft for extended flight durations. This UAV glider's aim is to extract atmospheric thermal energy and use it to supplement its battery energy usage and increase the mission period. Given an infrared camera identified atmospheric thermal of known strength and location; current wind speed and direction; current battery level; altitude and location of the UAV glider; and estimating the expected altitude gain from the thermal, is it possible to make an energy efficient based motivation to fly to an atmospheric thermal so as to …

Police Brutality Makes Headlines: Retelling The Story Of The 1938 Pecan Shellers’ Strike, Laura Cannon Dixon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 1938 San Antonio pecan shellers’ strike was a unique labor event. It involved conflicts between a dominant white power elite and workers who were culturally, ethnically, linguistically, and religiously different. The power elite separated and suppressed Tejano workers, who were seen as inferior. The five-week strike was an attempt to shake off that suppression. As newspaper reports from the period showed, the power elite responded to picketers with brutal police tactics, but nightsticks, ax handles and tear gas failed to curb worker resistance. The strike was important, therefore, because unlike other Southern labor actions, workers in San Antonio succeeded, …

Ethics, Equity, And English-Language Learners: A Decision-Making Framework, Shelly Chabon, Julie Esparza Brown, Christina E. Gildersleeve-Neumann

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This articles addresses challenges related to clinical decision-making in intervention with English-language learners and their families.

Ethnicity, Boundaries, And Nationalism In A "European" Croatia, Jennifer L. Titanski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite the E.U.'s attempts to create a sense of European homogeneity between its members, issues of nationality and identity continue to play a vital role in both its function and expansion. This research examines the shifting role that the nation plays in Croatia's transition to the European Union. Employing discourse analysis of state documents and online surveys of Croatian youth, this study analyzes the role of the state in perpetuating an image of stability and westward thinking toward greater Europe; identifies the perspective young Croatian adults have on European integration; gauges the importance of nationalism for a post-socialist generation; and …

Texas Rangers To Border Patrol The Shift In Border Security In The 1920'S: The Legacy Of Undemocratic And Often Violent Origins, Rodolfo Arriaga

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study will explore the history of the United States Border Patrol (USBP) along the U.S./Mexico Border of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Texas, its position as defender of the border between Anglo Saxon Americans and ethnic Mexicans, and the repression of that history by the legitimizing actors within Texas and the United States. The shift of border security from the Texas Rangers to the USBP in 1924 resulted in ethnic Mexicans in Texas viewing the USBP not only in a negative manner but with an ethnic cultural phobia. That the result of former Texas Rangers being employed by the …

Examining The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Spanish-Language Media Use Among Bilingual Hispanics, Using The Media Gratifications And Social Identity Theories, Arminda Munoz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Ethnic Identity and Spanish-language media use among bilingual Hispanics following the Media Uses and Gratifications Theory. Participants in survey included 83 undergraduate university students enrolled in entry-level communication courses. Relationships between participants’ bilingual skills, ethnic identity, Spanish-language media use and gratifications outcomes were examined. Research questions focused on participants’ use of English and Spanish media use. Hypotheses focused on testing relationships between ethnicity, bilingual skills and media use. Results of the study are discussed. Conclusions, limitations and topics for further research are addressed.

‘Diversa De Mí Misma’: Silence As Performative Resistance In Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz, Marcia A. Caltabiano-Ponce

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s silences, including her final and mysterious withdrawal from letters, were not empty spaces at all but highly loaded performative resistances to patriarchal control. My work is based on Judith Butler's poststructural theory on performance and subject construction, with support from postcolonial and feminist theories. The approach is a break from the historical and popular gendered discourses that surround her final years, one that explores the loaded gaps and borders that provide liminal spaces for the transcendence of her voice and gender over the ages. I address the research, speculation, and theories that have misread …

An Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach To Assess Health Service Quality, Yan Li

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

While improving quality in health care is currently at the forefront of professional, political, and managerial attention, the key dimensions constituting health-care quality have not been fully understood. Also, few valid approaches have been proposed to the measurement of health-care quality. In this research, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach is applied to study the structure of health-care quality and deducted relative importance weights for each of the quality elements. A statistical quality model is derived to assess medical equipment quality which is an important part constituting the general health-care quality. Finally, the application of the AHP model to assess …

Feminism, Imperialism, Utopianism, And Science Fiction In Margaret Cavendish's “Blazing World", Terina Garza Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Margaret Lucas Cavendish (1623-1673), the Duchess of Newcastle, was a woman writer in seventeenth-century England who was the first woman in history to be allowed within the halls of the Royal Society. She was also the first woman to write what should be considered the first work of science fiction by a woman titled The Description of a New World Called, The Blazing World, or simply The Blazing World. This thesis focuses on The Blazing World which offers a proto-feminist critique of imperialism and of gender relations in seventeenth-century England and of England’s emergent imperialist culture and points to a …