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2011

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Linear Precoding For Mimo Multiple Access Channels With Discrete-Constellation Inputs, Mingxi Wang, Weiliang Zeng, Chengshan Xiao Dec 2011

Linear Precoding For Mimo Multiple Access Channels With Discrete-Constellation Inputs, Mingxi Wang, Weiliang Zeng, Chengshan Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, we study linear precoding for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiple access channels (MAC) with discrete-constellation inputs. We derive the constellation-constrained capacity region for the MIMO MAC with an arbitrary number of users. Due to the non-concavity of the objective function, we obtain the necessary conditions for the weighted sum rate (WSR) maximization problem through Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) analysis. to find the optimal precoding matrices, we propose an iterative algorithm utilizing alternating optimization strategy and gradient descent update. Numerical results show that when inputs are digital modulated signals and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is in the medium range, our proposed …

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3d Image Reconstruction From Sparse Measurement Of Wideband Millimeter Wave Sar Experiments, Hamed Kajbaf, Joseph T. Case, Yahong Rosa Zheng Dec 2011

3d Image Reconstruction From Sparse Measurement Of Wideband Millimeter Wave Sar Experiments, Hamed Kajbaf, Joseph T. Case, Yahong Rosa Zheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nonuniform random sampling is applied to a wideband 3D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging system to reduce the number of measurement points in both frequency and space domains. Experimental tests were performed on a construction foam specimen using uniformly sampled Q-band frequencies in 35.04 GHz to 44.96 GHz and at a grid of two-millimeter step sizes. using discrete Fourier transform (DFT) or discrete cosine transform (DCT) sparse representations, the 3D images can be reconstructed from 7% random samples of the experimental data achieving comparable quality as the one from original full-set data. This can translate to significant time reduction of …

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Mahalanobis-Taguchi System As A Multi-Sensor Based Decision Making Prognostics Tool For Centrifugal Pump Failures, Ahmet Soylemezoglu, Sarangapani Jagannathan, Can Saygin Dec 2011

Mahalanobis-Taguchi System As A Multi-Sensor Based Decision Making Prognostics Tool For Centrifugal Pump Failures, Ahmet Soylemezoglu, Sarangapani Jagannathan, Can Saygin

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel Mahalanobis Taguchi System (MTS) based fault detection, isolation, and prognostics scheme is presented. the proposed scheme fuses data from multiple sensors into a single system level performance metric using Mahalanobis Distance (MD) and generates fault clusters based on MD values. MD thresholds derived from the clustering analysis are used for fault detection and isolation. When a fault is detected, the prognostics scheme, which monitors the progression of the MD values over time, is initiated. Then, using a linear approximation, time to failure is estimated. the performance of the scheme has been validated via experiments performed on a mono-block …

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Impact Of Spatial Correlation Of Fading Channels On The Performance Of Mimo Underwater Communication Systems, Jesse Cross, Jian Zhang, Yahong Rosa Zheng Dec 2011

Impact Of Spatial Correlation Of Fading Channels On The Performance Of Mimo Underwater Communication Systems, Jesse Cross, Jian Zhang, Yahong Rosa Zheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The spatial and intertap correlation matrices of fading channels are first estimated for underwater multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems using real experimental data. We confirm that underwater MIMO channels exhibit strong spatial and temporal correlation. the bit error rate (BER) performance of the MIMO system at different correlation scenarios are also evaluated with computer simulation. at BER=0.01%, the required SNR of highly correlated channel is 5 dB higher than the i.i.d. channel. BER results of the experimental data also quantitatively show the performance degradation caused by the correlation. © 2011 IEEE.

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Capacitance Calculation For A Shared-Antipad Via Structure Using An Integral Equation Method Based On Partial Capacitance, Hanfeng Wang, Albert E. Ruehli, Jun Fan Dec 2011

Capacitance Calculation For A Shared-Antipad Via Structure Using An Integral Equation Method Based On Partial Capacitance, Hanfeng Wang, Albert E. Ruehli, Jun Fan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An integral equation method used for capacitance extraction for axially symmetric geometries is extended in this paper to calculate the via-plane capacitances in shared-antipad via structures, by changing the circular ring cells to arc ones. the proposed method is validated with a commercial finite element method-based tool for a typical structure used in modern high-speed printed circuit design. © 2011 IEEE.

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On The Pooling Of Positive Examples With Ontology For Visual Concept Learning, Shiai Zhu, Chong-Wah Ngo, Yu-Gang Jiang Dec 2011

On The Pooling Of Positive Examples With Ontology For Visual Concept Learning, Shiai Zhu, Chong-Wah Ngo, Yu-Gang Jiang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A common obstacle in effective learning of visual concept classifiers is the scarcity of positive training examples due to expensive labeling cost. This paper explores the sampling of weakly tagged web images for concept learning without human assistance. In particular, ontology knowledge is incorporated for semantic pooling of positive examples from ontologically neighboring concepts. This effectively widens the coverage of the positive samples with visually more diversified content, which is important for learning a good concept classifier. We experiment with two learning strategies: aggregate and incremental. The former strategy re-trains a new classifier by combining existing and newly collected examples, …

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Determination Of Sin2Θeff W Using Jet Charge Measurements In Hadronic Z Decays, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas Dec 2011

Determination Of Sin2Θeff W Using Jet Charge Measurements In Hadronic Z Decays, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The electroweak mixing angle is determined with high precision from measurements of the mean dierence between forward and backward hemisphere charges in hadronic decays of the Z. A data sample of 2:5 million hadronic Z decays recorded over the period 1990 to 1994 in the ALEPH detector at LEP is used. The mean charge separation between event hemispheres containing the original quark and antiquark is measured for b b and cc events in subsamples selected by their long lifetimes or using fast D 's. The corresponding average charge separation for light quarks is measured in an inclusive sample from the …

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Revising An Extension Education Website For Limited Resource Audiences Using Social Marketing Theory, Sarah L. Francis, Peggy Martin, Kristin Taylor Dec 2011

Revising An Extension Education Website For Limited Resource Audiences Using Social Marketing Theory, Sarah L. Francis, Peggy Martin, Kristin Taylor

Journal of Extension

Spend Smart Eat Smart (SSES), a unique website combining nutrition and food buying education for limited resource audiences (LRAs), was revised using social marketing theory to make it more appealing and relevant to LRAs (25-40 years). Focus groups and surveys identified the needs and preferences of LRAs. Needs were cooking, basic health, and budget-friendly nutrition ideas. Preferences were limited text, more videos, graphics, and color. Usability testing of the revised site indicated users perceived the information valuable and the design appealing. By incorporating the needs and preferences of LRAs, SSES is now perceived as appealing as well as relevant.

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Factors Influencing Participant Perceptions Of Program Impact: Lessons From A Virtual Fieldtrip For Middle-School Students, Omolola A. Adedokun, Loran C. Parker, Jamie Loizzo, Wiella D. Burgess, Joseph P. Robinson Dec 2011

Factors Influencing Participant Perceptions Of Program Impact: Lessons From A Virtual Fieldtrip For Middle-School Students, Omolola A. Adedokun, Loran C. Parker, Jamie Loizzo, Wiella D. Burgess, Joseph P. Robinson

Journal of Extension

Participant perceptions of program effectiveness and impact are undoubtedly a popular focus of Extension program evaluations. However, the effects of participants' characteristics and contextual variables on program perceptions and how the resulting data can be used for program improvement are less explored in evaluation studies. Using data from the evaluation of an electronic fieldtrip as an exemplar case, this article describes a study that employed the method of linear regression to examine the influences of demographic variables and program contextual factors on participants' perceptions of program effectiveness. The implications for Extension evaluation and programming are also discussed.

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Extension Is Unpopular—On The Internet, Heidi B. Rader Dec 2011

Extension Is Unpopular—On The Internet, Heidi B. Rader

Journal of Extension

The first Extension-authored link in Google Search (2011a) for "how to garden" was ranked an abysmal 82nd. Worse, Internet users selected the top-ranked site significantly more often than they selected the second-ranked one, and they rarely selected any site ranked lower than #10 (Granka, Joachims, & Gay, 2004). An Extension-commissioned poll in Alaska found only 16% of the "Net Generation" had even heard of Extension, compared with 73% of those 60 years or older (Dittman Research & Communications Corporation, 2010). Extension's websites are so unpopular, those who seek research-based, unbiased information will likely not find it. This article proposes solutions.

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Assessing The Culture Of Fresh Produce Safety Within A Leafy Green Producing Community, Kurt D. Nolte, Charles A. Sanchez, Jorge M. Fonseca Dec 2011

Assessing The Culture Of Fresh Produce Safety Within A Leafy Green Producing Community, Kurt D. Nolte, Charles A. Sanchez, Jorge M. Fonseca

Journal of Extension

The 2006 Escherichia coli outbreak in spinach prompted the implementation of unprecedented production strategies (Arizona Leafy Green Products Shipper Marketing Agreement) to minimize microbial risk in leafy greens. As the new procedures require assessments of physical intrusion and excrement in fields, outreach was initiated to educate adult (20-35, 35-50, and > 50 years) Yuma, Arizona residents about these guidelines and animal (e.g., pets, horses) stewardship. Pre- and post-assessments revealed that while sensitivity to fresh produce safety improved, adults over 35 years were more industry responsive. Citizen-based outreach programs, in communities where fresh produce is grown, could benefit field-level safety mitigation.

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Multi-Level Partnerships Support A Comprehensive Faith-Based Health Promotion Program, Annie Hardison-Moody, Carolyn Dunn, David Hall, Lorelei Jones, Jimmy Newkirk, Cathy Thomas Dec 2011

Multi-Level Partnerships Support A Comprehensive Faith-Based Health Promotion Program, Annie Hardison-Moody, Carolyn Dunn, David Hall, Lorelei Jones, Jimmy Newkirk, Cathy Thomas

Journal of Extension

This article examines the role of multi-level partnerships in implementing Faithful Families Eating Smart and Moving More, a faith-based health promotion program that works with low-resource faith communities in North Carolina. This program incorporates a nine-lesson individual behavior change program in concert with policy and environmental change. We offer an overview of the program, an evaluation of its effects on individual behavior changes and policy, and environment and practice changes and provide suggestions on lessons learned for Extension professionals who wish to partner with faith communities to promote nutrition and physical activity.

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Social Media Use Of Cooperative Extension Family Economics Educators: Online Survey Results And Implications, Barbara O’Neill, Andrew Zumwalt, Janet Bechman Dec 2011

Social Media Use Of Cooperative Extension Family Economics Educators: Online Survey Results And Implications, Barbara O’Neill, Andrew Zumwalt, Janet Bechman

Journal of Extension

This article describes results of an online survey conducted by the eXtension Financial Security for All (FSA) Community of Practice (CoP) to determine the social media capacity and activity of its members. The survey was conducted to inform two subsequent FSA CoP programs: an archived webinar on social media programs and impact evaluation methods and a national grant-funded financial education social media outreach project. Survey topics include social media tools and access methods used by FSA CoP members, frequency of use, descriptions of content posted, number of fans/followers, institutional guidelines, and social media impact evaluation strategies.

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Positive Examples And Lessons Learned From Rural Small Business Adoption Of E-Commerce Strategies, R David Lamie, David L. Barkley, Deborah M. Markley Dec 2011

Positive Examples And Lessons Learned From Rural Small Business Adoption Of E-Commerce Strategies, R David Lamie, David L. Barkley, Deborah M. Markley

Journal of Extension

Rural small businesses struggling against the current of competition from "big box" retailers, weak consumer demand, and on-line shopping options must find strategies that work. Many are finding that adoption of e-commerce strategies is a key to survival, even prosperity. This article highlights the lessons learned from a recent case study research project of rural businesses from across the country, sponsored by the National Extension E-Commerce Initiative. Suggestions are provided for Extension educators to use these materials to directly assist rural businesses consider thoughtful adoption of e-commerce strategies.

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Online Nutrition Education: Enhancing Opportunities For Limited-Resource Learners, Patty Case, Mary Cluskey, Jeff Hino Dec 2011

Online Nutrition Education: Enhancing Opportunities For Limited-Resource Learners, Patty Case, Mary Cluskey, Jeff Hino

Journal of Extension

Delivering nutrition education using the Internet could allow educators to reach larger audiences at lower cost. Low-income adults living in a rural community participated in focus groups to examine their interest in, experience with, and motivators to accessing nutrition education online. This audience described limited motivation in seeking formal nutrition education. However, they were interested in relevant, compelling tools emphasizing cooking and saving money. The likelihood of using the Internet for food/nutrition information was influenced by website characteristics. The insights from the study will help educators design online tools that capture and sustain the interest of low-income clientele.

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Conducting Research On Private Farms And Ranches: Approaches, Issues, And Tips, Kimberly A. Nicholas, Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley Dec 2011

Conducting Research On Private Farms And Ranches: Approaches, Issues, And Tips, Kimberly A. Nicholas, Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley

Journal of Extension

We describe factors to consider when establishing collaborative research projects with agricultural growers, issues that can arise in establishing these relationships, and key steps that researchers can take to improve collaborations and increase the likelihood of project success. We conclude that the most important features of successful collaborations between researchers and agricultural cooperators include: (1) discussing research goals and objectives early in the project process, (2) identifying appropriate times and modes of communicating management and research activities, and (3) finding appropriate forums to disseminate research results to the participating growers and larger agricultural community.

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Using Technology 24/7 For Regional Assistance After Shutdown Of Major Industries, Patricia Brinkman, Melanie Hart, Christine Olinsky Dec 2011

Using Technology 24/7 For Regional Assistance After Shutdown Of Major Industries, Patricia Brinkman, Melanie Hart, Christine Olinsky

Journal of Extension

People facing unemployment or who are underemployed need access to community and financial information and resources 24/7. Collaborating with community agencies and organizations, FCS educators developed a website with comprehensive local and state resources and educational tools that the consumer might otherwise not have been aware were available. Although the website was developed for five specific counties, statistics have shown that people in other counties, states and countries have found some of the information valuable. An additional tool, a Facebook page, provides updates on current issues each week.

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Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less A Weight Management Program For Adults—Revision Of Curriculum Based On First-Year Pilot, Carolyn Dunn, Kathryn M. Kolasa, Sheree Vodicka, Lori Schneider, Cathy Thomas, Christine Smith, Carolyn Lackey Dec 2011

Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less A Weight Management Program For Adults—Revision Of Curriculum Based On First-Year Pilot, Carolyn Dunn, Kathryn M. Kolasa, Sheree Vodicka, Lori Schneider, Cathy Thomas, Christine Smith, Carolyn Lackey

Journal of Extension

Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less (ESMMWL) is a 15-week weight-management program that is delivered by local educators. Published research data were used to identify strategies that lead to weight loss and/or weight maintenance. The program uses the Theory of Planned Behavior by informing, empowering, and motivating participants to live mindfully as they make choices about eating and physical activity. The program provides opportunities for participants to keep a journal of healthy behaviors. ESMMWL is offered in worksites, faith communities, and county extension offices. The program was pilot tested and revisions were made. This article updates the earlier description.

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Thermal Correction To The Molar Polarizability Of A Boltzmann Gas, Ulrich D. Jentschura, Mariusz Puchalski, Peter J. Mohr Dec 2011

Thermal Correction To The Molar Polarizability Of A Boltzmann Gas, Ulrich D. Jentschura, Mariusz Puchalski, Peter J. Mohr

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metrology in atomic physics has been crucial for a number of advanced determinations of fundamental constants. In addition to very precise frequency measurements, the molar polarizability of an atomic gas has recently also been measured very accurately. Part of the motivation for the measurements is due to ongoing efforts to redefine the International System of Units (SI), for which an accurate value of the Boltzmann constant is needed. Here we calculate the dominant shift of the molar polarizability in an atomic gas due to thermal effects. It is given by the relativistic correction to the dipole interaction, which emerges when …

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Measuring Global Response Of A Wind Turbine To Simulated Earthquake Shaking Assisted By Point Tracking Videogrammetry, Ian Prowell, Tim Schmidt, Ahmed Elgamal, Chia Ming Uang, Hal Romanowitz, J. Edward Duggan Dec 2011

Measuring Global Response Of A Wind Turbine To Simulated Earthquake Shaking Assisted By Point Tracking Videogrammetry, Ian Prowell, Tim Schmidt, Ahmed Elgamal, Chia Ming Uang, Hal Romanowitz, J. Edward Duggan

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Experiments investigating earthquake response of structures traditionally use conventional wired instruments such as strain gauges, displacement transducers, and accelerometers deployed at key areas of interest throughout structure. for wind turbines the rotor is one of these key areas, but due to rotation it is not possible to use wired instruments without a special slip ring. in a recent experiment conducted using the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Large High Performance Shake Table (LHPOST) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) the global response of a full scale 65-kW turbine (22 m hub height) was monitored using a novel …

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Work In Progress - Exercises In Squeak Smalltalk For Pre-College Education, Steve Eugene Watkins, Nicolette Kowalewski, Kathryn N. Rodhouse, Benjamin Cooper Dec 2011

Work In Progress - Exercises In Squeak Smalltalk For Pre-College Education, Steve Eugene Watkins, Nicolette Kowalewski, Kathryn N. Rodhouse, Benjamin Cooper

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Computer programming education helps to prepare pre-college students to function in a technology-based society and to promote technical careers. However, opportunities are limited for pre-college students to learn computer programming and effective programming instruction can be difficult. A set of introductory, self-paced tutorials in Squeak Smalltalk has been developed for students in high school and middle school. This work describes two supplementary exercises that address the needs of new learners, especially those at younger ages. Students are given tools for drawing and image manipulation. The optional exercises integrate basic concepts while allowing more interactivity and customization through creative "play." © …

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Methodology For Behavioral-Based Malware Analysis And Detection Using Random Projections And K-Nearest Neighbors Classifiers, Jozsef Hegedus, Yoan Miche, Alexander Ilin, Amaury Lendasse Dec 2011

Methodology For Behavioral-Based Malware Analysis And Detection Using Random Projections And K-Nearest Neighbors Classifiers, Jozsef Hegedus, Yoan Miche, Alexander Ilin, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, a Two-Stage Methodology to Analyze and Detect Behavioral-Based Malware is Presented. in the First Stage, a Random Projection is Decreasing the Variable Dimensionality of the Problem and is Simultaneously Reducing the Computational Time of the Classification Task by Several Orders of Magnitude. in the Second Stage, a Modified K-Nearest Neighbors Classifier is Used with Virus total Labeling of the File Samples. This Methodology is Applied to a Large Number of File Samples Provided by F-Secure Corporation, for Which a Dynamic Feature Has Been Extracted during Deep guard Sandbox Execution. as a Result, the Files Classified as False …

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Assessing The Impact Of Recommendation Agents On On-Line Consumer Unplanned Purchase Behavior, R. Eric Hostler, Victoria Y. Yoon, Zhiling Guo, Tor Guimaraes, Guisseppi Forgionne Dec 2011

Assessing The Impact Of Recommendation Agents On On-Line Consumer Unplanned Purchase Behavior, R. Eric Hostler, Victoria Y. Yoon, Zhiling Guo, Tor Guimaraes, Guisseppi Forgionne

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Recommendation agents (RAs) have been used by many Internet businesses such as Amazon and Netflix. However, few authors have studied how consumer behavior is affected by those that make suggestions to online consumers based on their recent shopping behavior. Fewer still have examined the role that RAs play in influencing impulse purchasing decisions online. Our study developed a theoretical model to illustrate the impact of RAs on online consumer behavior. The model was tested through an online shopping simulation which used a collaborative filtering based product RA. Particular attention was paid to the effects of an RA on consumer behavior; …

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Modeling Social Strength In Social Media Community Via Kernel-Based Learning, Jinfeng Zhuang, Tao Mei, Steven C. H. Hoi, Xian-Sheng Hua, Shipeng Li Dec 2011

Modeling Social Strength In Social Media Community Via Kernel-Based Learning, Jinfeng Zhuang, Tao Mei, Steven C. H. Hoi, Xian-Sheng Hua, Shipeng Li

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Modeling continuous social strength rather than conventional binary social ties in the social network can lead to a more precise and informative description of social relationship among people. In this paper, we study the problem of social strength modeling (SSM) for the users in a social media community, who are typically associated with diverse form of data. In particular, we take Flickr---the most popular online photo sharing community---as an example, in which users are sharing their experiences through substantial amounts of multimodal contents (e.g., photos, tags, geo-locations, friend lists) and social behaviors (e.g., commenting and joining interest groups). Such heterogeneous …

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Discussion Of "Biomedical Ontologies: Toward Scientific Debate", Brochhausen M., Burgun A., Ceusters W., Hasman A., Tze-Yun Leong, Musen M., Oliveira J., Peleg M., Rector A., Schulz S. Dec 2011

Discussion Of "Biomedical Ontologies: Toward Scientific Debate", Brochhausen M., Burgun A., Ceusters W., Hasman A., Tze-Yun Leong, Musen M., Oliveira J., Peleg M., Rector A., Schulz S.

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

With these comments on the paper “Biomedical Ontologies: Toward scientific debate”, written by Victor Maojo et al., Methods of Information in Medicine wants to stimulate a discussion on advantages and challenges of biomedical ontologies. An international group of experts have been invited by the editor of Methods to comment on this paper. Each of the invited commentaries forms one section of this paper.

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Point Of Intersection: Arts Participation, Art Appreciation, And Community Cultural Development, Della Marie Cheek Dec 2011

Point Of Intersection: Arts Participation, Art Appreciation, And Community Cultural Development, Della Marie Cheek

Graduate Theses

This thesis is culled from my engaged perspective as writer, recipient, and coordinator of South Carolina Arts Commission's (SCAC) Statewide Arts Participation Initiative (SAPI) grant, which was funded through the Wallace Foundation, and from my simultaneous engaged perspective of developing and teaching Clinton Junior College's (CJC) first offering of academic course ART101: Art Appreciation.

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Songs From A Distant Memory: A Study Of Bright Sheng's Four Movement For Piano Trio And Tibetan Dance, Angela On Yee Wong Dec 2011

Songs From A Distant Memory: A Study Of Bright Sheng's Four Movement For Piano Trio And Tibetan Dance, Angela On Yee Wong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Bright Sheng (1955-) is a contemporary Chinese composer whose music spans Chinese and Western culture. The two piano trios chosen for this project, Four Movements for Piano Trio and Tibetan Dance, have not been thoroughly discussed and analyzed. Sheng's chamber music deserves academic attention because of his creative integration of Chinese and Western culture in his compositions. He fuses Chinese musical elements such as heterophony, pentatonic scales, and Chinese folksongs within the Western genres and structure. He vividly captures the spirit of Chinese music with a contemporary flavor, thus creating his own musical language. This paper will begin with an …

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Dual Enrollment: Breaking The Mold For College Readiness And Persistence In An Urban Charter School, Robert Lemoyne Robinson Dec 2011

Dual Enrollment: Breaking The Mold For College Readiness And Persistence In An Urban Charter School, Robert Lemoyne Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In the later part of the twentieth century, the continued growth in high school and college dropout rates led to the development of educational reform measures that would address an education model that was seen as applicable to a disproportionate percentage of the nation’s students, thereby leaving the majority of schools and their students to struggle (Simmons, 2008). Efforts to increase matriculation between secondary and postsecondary institutions must be connected at all levels of education, which is critical to educational reform—worldwide (Zhou, 2008). Due to its ability to increase the rigor of high school curriculum, an increasingly favored measure of …

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Classroom Practices And Perspective Transformation In An Adult Elementary Spanish Classroom, Stacey Margaret Johnson Dec 2011

Classroom Practices And Perspective Transformation In An Adult Elementary Spanish Classroom, Stacey Margaret Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this research was to explore students' experiences of perspective transformation and the classroom practices contributing to that transformation in a first-semester, college Spanish class. Purposeful sampling was used to choose a college-level Elementary Spanish I class to study. The qualitative case study design required the collection of three kinds of data: 1) participant observation in the classroom, 2) student learning journals, and 3) one-on-one interviews conducted with eight students purposefully sampled from the class. The criterion for selecting interview participants was evidence in the participant observation and learning journal data of the early stages of perspective transformation. …

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Perceptions And Use Of Cooperative Learning By Community College Faculty Members, Marcia Fay Hunter Dec 2011

Perceptions And Use Of Cooperative Learning By Community College Faculty Members, Marcia Fay Hunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The researcher of this study examined the perceptions and use of cooperative learning by community college faculty members. The researcher used the survey method as part of a quantitative, descriptive research. The participants for the study were 148 faculty members who taught at least one face-to-face class during the spring semester of 2011 at a southern urban community college. Cooperative learning brings students together to work in small groups to enhance their own learning and that of their peers. Research identifies it as a pedagogical and andragogical approach that increases the academic and social gains of students. There is limited …

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