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Undergraduate And Graduate Course Descriptions, 2012 Fall, Wright State University

Course Descriptions

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Fall 2012.

The True Measure Of Success: The Leadership Of RoméO Dallaire In The United Nations Assistance Mission For Rwanda, Sarah Devonshire

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire, as force commander for the United Nations Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) and the figure most associated with the infamous mission, has often been ac- cused of providing poor leadership that ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of genocide in April 1994. To evaluate this claim, it is necessary to analyze Dallaire’s actions prior to the outbreak. By looking at his personal suitability, situational nuances, and moments of opportunity during the UNAMIR mission between October 1993 and April 1994, it is possible to form an accurate assess- ment of Lieutenant General Dallaire’s leadership in Rwanda and its …

Morphological Alternations At The Intonational Phrase Edge, Robert Henderson

English Faculty Research Publications

This article develops an analysis of a pair of morphological alternations in K'ichee' (Mayan) that are conditioned at the right edge of intonational phrase boundaries. I propose a syntax-prosody mapping algorithm that derives intonational phrase boundaries from the surface syntax, and then argue that each alternation can be understood in terms of output optimization. The important fact is that a prominence peak is always rightmost in the intonational phrase, and so the morphological alternations occur in order to ensure an optimal host for this prominence peak. Finally, I consider the wider implications of the analysis for the architecture of the …

Terra Nova, An Experiment In Creating Cult Televison For A Mass Audience, Laura Osur

Media Studies - Theses

When it aired in Fall 2011 on Fox, Terra Nova was an experiment in creating a cult television program that appealed to a mass audience. This thesis is a case study of that experiment. I conclude that the show failed because of its attempts to maintain the sophistication, complexity and innovative nature of the cult genre while simultaneously employing an overly simplistic narrative structure that resembles that of mass audience programming. Terra Nova was unique in its transmedia approach to marketing and storytelling, its advanced special effects, and its dystopian speculative fiction premise. Terra Nova's narrative, on the other hand, …

What Makes A Font Persuasive?: An Eye-Tracking Study Of Perception In American And Chinese Assessment Of Fonts, Kimberly Sulak

All Theses

Professional, technical, and visual communication practitioners and academics have historically overlooked visual rhetoric and how it is employed in business communications as well as how various cultures comprehend and respond to the design elements and visual composition of business documents. More specifically typography, the building blocks of a document, has been little explored in professional and technical communication research. As such, this study utilizes eye-tracking technology in conjunction with other data collection methods to understand if and how fonts contribute to the persuasiveness of business communications and if different cultures vary in typeface assessment and perception.

Mackiewicz and Brumberger have …

In The Gutter: Comix Theory, Chase Gregory

Faculty Journal Articles

Comix illustrate queerness, literally, both in the comics ‘gutter’ (the space between panels), and in the ‘stutter’ of the repeated frame. The gutter in comics makes clear that narrative can continue (in the form of reproductive futurity) only inasmuch as we continue to suture together gaps in narrative (the gaps of queer jouissance) through the ‘imperative of figuration’ and the compulsion to create meaning. The gutter and repetition stand in relation to deconstructionist ideas about the slippage inherent in meaning, but also have implications for our understanding of Lacanian orders (see David Ault’s work on comics and Lacan). The comics …

Paris: Reflections Of A Modern City, Brian J. Schultz

History Theses

From 1853-1870, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussman transformed Paris from a medieval infrastructure to a modern bourgeois metropolis. This sweeping reform not only changed the aesthetic of Paris, but also its class structure, forms of leisure, and the way in which people viewed their rapidly changing society. Utilizing two icons of aesthetic modernity, Charles Baudelaire and Edouard Manet, I intend to demonstrate that revisiting Paris in the second half of the nineteenth-century, the very model of infrastructural modernization, can help us discover the roots of aesthetic modernism with all its contingencies and contradictions.

Survival Of The Fictiveness: The Novel’S Anxieties Over Existence, Purpose, And Believability, Jesse Mank

English Theses

The novel is a problematic literary genre, for few agree on precisely how or why it rose to prominence, nor have there ever been any strict structural parameters established. Terry Eagleton calls it an “anti-genre” that “cannibalizes other literary modes and mixes the bits and pieces promiscuously together” (1). And yet, perhaps because of its inability to be completely defined, the novel best represents modern thought and sensibility. The narrative form speaks to our embrace of individualism while its commodification seems so natural, perhaps even democratic, to a capitalist economy. A historical look at the novel’s inception reveals that the …

Two Radio Plays By Günter Eich: The Hundredth Name Of Allah And Zabeth, Thomas Andrew Meunier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a translation of two radio plays by Günter Eich, the most celebrated author in this genre. They have been translated from the original German into English. These two radio plays illustrate Eich's examination of the limits of language in negotiating the chasm between the spiritual and physical worlds.

An Exploratory Study Of Characteristics Associated With Postsecondary Educational Attainment In Students Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Amy Marie Hebert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is well documented that attrition in the postsecondary settings for students who are deaf or hard of hearing is greatly due to their academic and communication skills, as well as pre-entry attributes. However there is little evidence that indicates why students who are deaf or hard of hearing are successful in the postsecondary setting. This study tested a hypothesis that demographic, family, psychological and educational variables have a relationship with postsecondary attainment. The variables included in the study were gender, race, math literacy, reading literacy, high school academic setting (public/residential), communication modality (sign language/oral speech), cochlear implant user, parental …

Intercultural Transfer And Comparative History: The Benefits And Limits Of Two Approaches, Gabriele Lingelbach

Traversea: The Journal of Transatlantic History

No abstract provided.

Cultivating ‘Roots’: Towards A Diasporically Imagined Transnational Community, The American Historical Society Of Germans From Russia, 1968-1978, Amber N. Nickel

Traversea: The Journal of Transatlantic History

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Response To Intervention : Comparing The Reading Achievement Of Ells And Native English Speakers., Philip Kiersten Sapienza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching reading in the mainstream classroom is a challenge. This challenge is compounded when trying to meet the needs of English language learners. Recently, Response to Intervention (RTI) has been suggested as a framework for classroom teachers to use in order to meet the wide range of needs of their students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an RTI reading instructional model when used with English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms. A mixed-method, quasi-experimental, pre/post design was implemented. A purposive sample was drawn from third grade students in schools that integrated ELLs and native …

Signals The Interplay Between Literacy, Gender, And Semiotics, Patricia Parker

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this study is to examine adult literacy beyond its constraints as a social problem and instead consider the implications of illiteracy as a particular form of lived experience, analogous to women's oppression at large. Through a complex system of meaning making, the knowledge accrued by illiterate adults is qualitatively different, and examining these differences in terms of their correlation to coping mechanisms developed in the face of social alienation and diminished professional prospects yields a greater understanding of class privilege and how nontraditional learners fit into a larger social structure. From the perspective of academic feminism, adult …

Understanding The Relationship Between Reading Fluency And Reading Comprehension: Fluency Strategies As A Focus For Instruction, Jennifer Cotter

Education Masters

Understanding the relationship between reading fluency and comprehension is important. Reading fluency strategies can be used to help increase overall reading comprehension in students. Five students and one parent participated in the study of how repeated readings impact overall reading comprehension. Students were exposed to a set of reading passages that were read each week, and data was collected. At the end of the school year, students were given a reading comprehension post assessment to compare the results from September. When analyzing the data, it was clear that the repeated reading strategy was successful in increasing reading comprehension among the …

The Effect Of Mulitcultural Picture Books On Students' Perceptions, Alaina K. Long

Education Masters

Through the observation of seven students in small groups leading their own discussion about two picture books representing the Japanese culture I looked to find whether or not students’ previous assumptions of another culture would be altered or upheld. I found that with the use of a critical lens and multiple perspectives to study multicultural literature, teachers can create a more tolerant and accepting classroom environment. Multicultural literature is an essential point of instruction for our increasingly diverse classrooms and will help students grow with society as we move towards a global economy through the use of literacy and technology.

Language Of Instruction Policies: Discourse And Power, Katherine Ann Dockweiler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study identified the control structures and power relationships that exist in four state language of instruction policies using a neo-institutional and postmodern framework. Policies selected include two states with English-only instruction and two states without. Critical discourse analysis was applied in three phases (individual case, within-group, between group) using a Layers of Analysis Framework. Three key findings emerged. First, policy discourse has the potential to positively or negatively impact students. Second, issues of control and power emerge when misalignments exist between the state and society. Third, discourse style alone does not dictate a state's relationship to society. Recommendations include …

Effects Of Teacher-Led Reading Teaching Activities And Student Independent Reading On Fourth Grade Ell Student Reading Comprehension, Siping Liu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation study examines the effects of four teacher-led reading activities recommended by the reading teaching policy and student independent reading activity on the development of English language learners (ELL) reading proficiency at fourth grade in U.S. elementary schools. In this study, I first introduce the significance of studying the relationship between ELL reading development and the reading teaching activities recommended for ELL students' reading development and discuss the potential conflicts of the ideas underlying these teaching activities with some assumptions underlying the second language theories. With such an introduction as a base, I raise some research questions for my …

Construct And Criterion Validity Of The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Spanish Version In Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury, Cristobal Neblina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is among the most commonly used English-language neuropsychological tests of verbal learning and memory. Previous research supports the validity and clinical utility of adaptations of the RAVLT into many diverse languages. In the United States, Hispanics represent the largest and fastest-growing ethnic minority group. As the Hispanic populace continues to grow, so does the need for empirically validated Spanish-language neuropsychological measures. In 2002, a Spanish adaptation of the RAVLT was developed in Puerto Rico (Acevedo-Vargas, 2002). However, validation studies have not been undertaken with clinical samples, and little is known regarding its psychometric …

Orientalism And Media Representations Of Iran In The Usa, Ashutosh Mishra

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to understand the phenomenon called Orientalism and reviews how Edward Said elucidates this subject. Its key argument is that certain forms of representation, including those through mass media, can and often do consist of efforts to represent reality in a subtle manner, which may distort the picture to the disadvantage of one group, or set of persons, or even states. The efforts at such representation succeed on account of an existing power differential as well as a body of texts having already established what "knowledge" is, what truth is about a subject, without any countervailing capacity or …

Teaching The Torture Memos: "Making Decision Under Conditions Of Uncertainty", Clare Keefe Coleman

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Moving Forward On Common Ground: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of National Standards, Sharon Kay Cogan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is extant literature regarding teacher professional development; however, there is limited research in the area of "high-quality" teacher professional development practices which are advocated for at the government and district levels based on Learning Forward's (formerly National Staff Development Council - NSDC) guidelines for school reform.

The intent of this proposed research study is to examine the professional development practices of three elementary schools in a large urban area in the southwest region of the United States, and how well the professional development practices align with Learning Forward's national standards for constructing effective professional development. Administrators and teachers anonymously …

The Update, August/September 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue:

-- Art Making at the House of Hope
-- Department News
-- Annual Scholarship Benefit Concert: 120 Years: The Road to Excellence
-- Alumni Spotlight: Theatre: Sarah Noll Wilson
-- Student Spotlight, Department of Computer Science: Cody Bardell
-- UNI Undergrad EPSCoR Winning Finalist
-- Explorers of Religion
-- Physics in the Classroom: Alumni Spotlight, Science Education
-- School of Music Events
-- Music Professor Earns Award
-- Student Spotlight: Department of Communication Studies: Harrison Postler
-- Save the Date: Tackling Global Challenges in Sustainable Chemistry Using Transition Metal Catalysis
-- Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Popular Perceptions Of The Relationship Between Religious And Ethnic Identities: A Comparative Study Of Ethnodoxy In Contemporary Russia And Beyond, David M. Barry

Dissertations

The relationship between religion and ethnicity is well documented. However, previous studies have usually approached the relationship by focusing on the converging of two 'objective' social categories, religion and ethnicity. In doing so, the subjectivity, or the actor's own understanding of the interplay between religion and ethnicity is typically neglected. This study fills this gap by exploring popular perceptions of group identities and the affiliation with imagined ethno-religious communities. To accomplish this, the concept of ethnodoxy, first developed by Vyacheslav Karpov and Elena Lisovskaya, is applied that captures the belief that affiliation to an ethnic group's dominant religion is essential …

The Admissions Process: An Evaluation Of Access For Minority Students At The Silberman School Of Social Work At Hunter College, Nireata D. Seals

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate minority access throughout the admissions processes at the Silberman School of Social Work (SSSW) at Hunter College. In addition, the study determined what factors or barriers prevent minority applicant from applying, submitting, and completing their applications to the School of Social Work. The methodology used for this research was a participatory action research design that was adapted to accommodate and take advantage of the unique characteristics of American higher education. PAR is “grounded in a qualitative research paradigm whose purpose is to gain greater clarity and understating of a question, problem, or …

Simulating Real Lives: Promoting Global Empathy And Interest In Learning Through Simulation Games, Christine Bachen, Pedro F. Hernández-Ramos, Chad Raphael

Communication

In response to an increasingly interdependent world, educators are demonstrating a growing interest in educating for global citizenship. Many definitions of the “good global citizen” value empathy as an especially important disposition for understanding others across national borders and cultural divides. Yet it may be difficult for people to achieve empathy with others who are perceived as psychologically and geographically distant. Can computerized simulation games help foster global empathy and interest in global civic learning? This quasiexperimental classroom study of 301 Northern California high school students in three schools examined the effects of playing REAL LIVES, a simulation game that …

Transnational Organized Crime, Terrorism, And Criminalized States In Latin America: An Emerging Tier-One National Security Priority, Douglas Farah Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The emergence of new hybrid (state and nonstate) transnational criminal/terrorist franchises in Latin America operating under broad state protection now pose a tier-one security threat for the United States. Similar hybrid franchise models are developing in other parts of the world, which makes the understanding of these new dynamics an important factor in a broader national security context. This threat goes well beyond the traditional nonstate theory of constraints activity, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, into the potential for trafficking related to weapons of mass destruction by designated terrorist organizations and their sponsors. These activities are …

Vol 57 #1, Judy Zelenski

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Human And Nonhuman Animal Relations In J. M. Coetzee's Elizabeth Costello (2003)., Rodrigo Martini Paula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past four decades, scholarship on the relationship between human and nonhuman animals has been growing inside the academy and sprouting ontological and epistemological concerns about the status of the Humanities as an institution. Between 1997 and 2003, South-African author and Nobel Laureate J. M. Coetzee created Elizabeth Costello, an Australian writer that delivers lectures at certain universities and causes controversy when addressing the nature of animal rights movements. This work aims at analyzing the situations in which Coetzee uses Costello to speak about the cruelty to nonhuman animals. What I argue is that in entering the conversation through …

Ideological Tensions, Pedagogical Gaps : Multilingual Engineering Scholars' Response To Language Variation In Academic Writing., Ghanashyam Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how nonnative English speaking (NNES) faculty and students in engineering respond to language variation and how that response influences their teaching and learning of academic writing. Using grounded theory approach to analyzing data gathered from multiple rounds of interview, writing samples, informal discussions, and class observation among ten participants, the study draws on and responds to two related bodies of scholarship in composition studies and writing in the disciplines (WID). Contrary to claims in much of current scholarship on engineering writing, the findings of this study show that in spite of subscribing to views about language and …