Digital Commons Network^™

Expectations V. Reality: A Study About Chinese Students' Expectations And Experiences At A Midwestern University In America, Sarah J. Barg

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

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to add to the research regarding the expectations and experiences of Chinese students studying at an American university. In doing so, this study sought to examine newly arriving Chinese students’ expectations of what their experience would be like compared to the reality of what their experiences actually were while attending Midwestern State University (MSU). Ten participants participated in two semi-structured interviews. The first set of interviews explored what Chinese students expected their experience studying at MSU to be like. The following interview explored the actual experiences the Chinese students had while studying at …

"Thaai Thathaiyai Ngai Thaai": Narratives Of Rituals, Agency, And Resistance In The Klfa (Mau Mau) Struggle For Kenya's Independence, Henry Muoki Mbunga

Pan African Studies - Theses

The purpose of this project is to examine the role of rituals in the Mau Mau struggle for Kenya's independence. Traditionally, research on the Mau Mau has focused on the political and socio-economic aspects of Kenya's anti-colonial struggle. As a result, the place of spirituality and, in particular, the role of rituals in the Mau Mau struggle has largely been ignored in existing literature. Initially, when KLFA rituals were studied at the height of the Mau Mau struggle, the task was undertaken by colonial anthropologists and psychologists who were often unable to escape the snare of racist and Eurocentric prejudices …

Knowing How: An Empirical, Functionalist Approach, David Joseph Bzdak

Philosophy - Dissertations

Only very recently has the subject of knowledge how and its relation to propositional knowledge, or knowledge that, been given much attention by philosophers. In recent debates on the subject, positions tend to divide around the question: is knowledge how (KH) reducible to, or a kind of, knowledge that (KT), or are they fundamentally distinct categories of knowledge? I argue for the latter view, and I base my argument in the claim that KH and KT serve fundamentally different functional roles - specifically, KT is representational, while KH is practical. I develop my positive, functionalist account of KH …

The Uncertainty Of National And Cultural Identity In Salman Rushdie’S East, West And Midnight’S Children, Tress Klassen

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project involves the examination of two works by Salman Rushdie: a short story collection, East, West and a novel, Midnight’s Children. Looking at these texts through a postcolonial lens, I analyze Rushdie’s writing in terms of its relationship to the academic debates of the period and the historical context that grounds the works. Throughout the paper, I analyze Rushdie’s portrayal of the relationship between culture, nationhood, and identity, while also focusing on different aspects of the works in the project’s two chapters. In the first, I examine the relationship between postcolonialism and magical realism in East, West, …

Molière’S Le Misanthrope, Ian B. Carlino

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

My Capstone project is a French-to-English translation of about 1,100 lines of Molière’s Le Misanthrope. I chose that play because I was interested in exploring translation theory and the act of translating — not because I wanted to contribute some revolutionary new work to the numerous translations of it that already exist. I had never tried to translate, so I wanted the project to be an exercise in the work.

I began by selecting the parts of the play I thought to be most significant and helpful in giving a feel for what the play means. The plot was …

Comparing Oral Reading Fluency Growth To Elementary-Level Students’ Pre-Assessment Disposition, Katie Flatley

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Reading is an essential skill; however, the majority of elementary-aged students are not performing at grade level. This is problematic because poor reading is a significant risk factor for dropping out of high school. A number of demographic factors have been associated with students’ reading performance, including sex, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. Educators use a number of measures to assess students’ reading performance. One screening measure, curriculum-based measurement in reading (CBM-R), is a time- and cost-efficient tool to assess elementary-aged students’ oral reading fluency. However, a number of research studies have shown that students’ performance on CBM-R assessments may be …

Does Menstruation Hinder Women's Empowerment? Working Toward Social Change In South India, Sarah Walton

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

With so many challenges facing education today, it is difficult to think about any more potential problems kids around the world have to deal with. However, as I came to realize during a semester abroad in South India – one problem might be messier than all the rest. And, it only affects girls. Menstruation often limits a girl’s ability to go to school for a variety of reasons. This paper documents some of those challenges girls face in regard to cultural taboos and social stigmatization, a lack of knowledge or historical misunderstanding, as well as the fact that for many …

Self-Reported Symptoms Of Central Auditory Processing Dysfunction Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Devon Beebe

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion, has emerged as a major public health concern in the United States and worldwide. Of the estimated 1.7 million head injuries that occur nationally each year, about 75% are mTBI. Despite the “mild” label, a significant percentage of these individuals continue to experience a wide array of life-altering physical, emotional, and cognitive post-concussion symptoms for months and years following injury. The central auditory nervous system is vulnerable to several injury mechanisms in TBI and, as a result, auditory problems can be among these long term problems.

Although evidence of auditory processing …

The Cartoon Lady, Laura Jungreis

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

“The Cartoon Lady” is the biography of Bunny Hoest, a longtime cartoonist. The biography aims to tell the story of Bunny’s life and how she entered the cartooning world, as well as the history of cartooning and its future. Bunny’s story is used as an example and a vehicle to explore issues in cartooning, such as ownership and advancing technology.

This project preserves a history. Bunny is the subject of the biography because she is a pioneer in the industry as a strong, female figure. The text demonstrates her significant role in cartooning history as well as the resilience of …

Treatment Of Stuttering In Children: Clinician Perceptions Of Therapy Approaches, Kolbee Gilmore

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the range of therapy approaches used to treat children who stutter in order to determine if there was a trend for clinicians to use technological devices rather than verbal methods. The questions of the study included the frequency at which each approach was used, whether or not the results differed based on the approach used, whether developmental age group was a factor regarding results, and the clients’ opinions on each approach. A brief survey was electronically distributed to 100 speech-language pathologists who have conducted therapy using either of the two approaches. The …

Delayed Action Or Locomotion? Con/Versions Of Reality In Dramatism And Inception, Jacob Greene

All Theses

This essay seeks to draw out the connections between perceptual conversions of reality within the work of Kenneth Burke and the film Inception (Christopher Nolan 2010). By establishing the degree to which Inception portrays an impossible pursuit of objective reality, one can better understand how dramatism implicitly instigates a similar pursuit of a mythic reality separate from any kind of orientational contingency. As way of reacting to this misconception of dramatism made apparent through the metaphor provided by the film, I want to foreground the concept of 'delayed action' as the fundamental basis of Burke's formulation of dramatism in A …

'Pulse For Pulse, Breath For Breath:' Reconsidering Embodiment Through The Phenomenology Of Respiration, Erica Britenburg

All Theses

A phenomenological examination of the respiratory process reveals that possessing the ability to breathe carries with it more significance than an action that solely supports life: capable of leaving the immediate confines of the body, the breath is an enigmatic extension of the self. This particular traversing capability of the active body challenges notions of what it means to be fully embodied by indicating the possibility of subjective expansion outside that which is tangible and fleshly. Due to the intertwining and exchanging characteristics implicit within respirational activity, the sensational boundaries of subject and object become conflated with one another; the …

A Model-Free Approach To Vehicle Stability Control, Chinmay Pandit

All Theses

This project explored the feasibility of using measured responses of a passenger car together with a fuzzy logic based control algorithm to sense the onset of under-steer (or loss of steering control) and mitigate or eliminate it. The controller is simple and robust and, unlike existing controllers, instead of comparing the vehicle response to that of an idealized model it makes decisions based solely upon the measured response of the car.
Simulations were conducted (using CarSim) of various vehicles executing the skid pad and the double lane change tests to characterize the vehicle behavior. Consistent and qualitatively similar patterns in …

Understanding Architectural Iron Conservation: Corrosion Studies At Fort Sumter National Monument, Amy Elizabeth Uebel

All Theses

Iron is one of the most overlooked materials in architectural conservation. Its status as a functional construction material, rather than a decorative element, often makes iron the least understood material by architectural conservators. As historic metal becomes increasingly significant in the built environment, new approaches must be developed in order to better predict and understand the corrosion process. The behavior of corrosion has been extensively studied in the engineering and conservation communities, but the two fields have developed different approaches to iron conservation. Typically, engineers classify corrosion on a macroscopic scale, while conservators approach iron on a microscopic level. Both …

Condemnation Without Basis: An Expressive Failure Of Corporate Prosecutions, Gregory M. Gilchrist

UC Law Journal

This is the second of two Articles on the expressive aspects of corporate criminal liability. The first Article argued that to justify imposing criminal liability on corporations we must refer to the expressive function of criminal liability. This Article considers the expressive function of actual corporate prosecutions and identifies aspects of corporate prosecutions that generate expressive costs rather than benefits. These are the expressive failures of corporate prosecutions. This Article identifies a number of these failures and introduces a model of perceived legitimacy and the expressive function of punishment that explains how expressive failures harm the legal system. Mere respondeat …

Performance Assessment For Quality Teaching: Three Critical Variables For Measuring And Improving Teaching And Learning, Kathleen L. Gallagher Phd

Dissertations

While outstanding teachers are any school system's most important investment, assessing the quality of instructional practice has proven to be an ongoing challenge for the profession. Despite assertions that effective teachers are the single most important school-related factor responsible for increased learning, no teacher's employment is dependent on their performance in the classroom or the quality of instruction that they provide. This problem has fueled a growing mistrust in school districts nationwide, specifically in the area of teacher evaluation. One possible explanation is that the profession lacks the scaled level of expertise needed to evaluate instruction consistently and in a …

Accounting For The Attrition Of African American Males In An Academic Support Setting, Ronald R. Lancia Phd

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses a continuing crisis in our nation's education system. Historically African American students have underperformed academically. This achievement gap is particularly pronounced for African American males. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), an academic support program for underachieving students, most recently created the African American Male Initiative (AAMI). The AAMI was designed specifically to respond to the needs of black males. Despite its efforts, the AAMI has had a difficult time attracting and retaining black male participants. The purpose of this study was to better understand why African American high school males are not choosing to participate in the …

Exploring The Paradoxical Role And Experience Of Fallback In Developmental Theory, Valerie Townsend Livesay Phd

Dissertations

Constructive-development and stage development theory, which posits that individuals move through different stages or action logics throughout life, has been the foundation for several models of human transformation. The literature on the leading stage theories indicates that research has focused on exploring stages and their behavioral correlates, but little work has been done on how individuals move between stages. Stage theory has primarily been conceived of as a linear and unidirectional transition from one stage to the next, which encompasses earlier stages, however emerging research has revealed that stage transition may be more fluid and bi-directional than originally thought and …

Data-Driven Decision Making: Teachers' Use Of Data In The Classroom, Tammy Wu Moriarty Phd

Dissertations

Data-driven decision making has become an important educational issue in the United States, primarily because of federal and state emphasis on school accountability and achievement. Data use has been highlighted as a key factor in monitoring student progress and informing decision making at various levels of the education system. Federal and state policies require educators to use data to inform decision making and the assumption is that educators already know how to analyze, interpret, and use data to make informed decisions. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of classroom teachers' engagement in data-driven decision making …

How To Kill Copyright: A Brute-Force Approach To Content Creation, Kirk Sigmon

Cornell Law Library Cantwell Prize for Exemplary Student Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Meaning Of Science In The Copyright Clause, Ned Snow

BYU Law Review

The Constitution premises Congress's copyright power on promoting "the Progress of Science." The word Science therefore seems to define the scope of copyrightable subject matter. Modern courts and commentators have subscribed to an originalist view of Science, teaching that Science meant general knowledge at the time of the Framing. Under this interpretation, all subject matter may be copyrighted because expression about any subject increases society's store of general knowledge. Science, however, did not originally mean general knowledge. In this Article, I examine evidence surrounding the Copyright Clause and conclude that at the Framing of the Constitution, Science meant a system …

Subtle Messages: An Examination Of Diversity In The Illustrations Of Secondary Level One French Textbooks, Stephen Richard Adamson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Textbooks in all content areas have been criticized for the hidden curriculum that subtly teaches messages, which elevate some cultural groups while diminishing the efforts and contributions of other cultural groups. Research into the hidden curriculum and inclusion of diversity in French textbooks has been limited. The present study focused on the inclusion of diversity in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, and body size present in the illustrations of the three newest French One textbooks. Results indicate that diversity has increased but the diversity within the illustrations does not always mirror the actual demographics of the United States …

Re-Examining Late Chalcolithic Cultural Collapse In South-East Europe, Harvey Benjamin Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research into the Balkan Chalcolithic often overlooks the dramatic changes in society that occurred beginning in the late Fifth Millennium BCE. Most settlements were abandoned along with changes in mortuary customs, ceramic and decorative traditions, domestic rituals, crafts, housing styles, mining, and metallurgy. These changes happened at a time when these Chalcolithic societies seemed to be at their peak. Theories as to what caused these changes include migrations/invasions, anthropogenic environmental degradation, gradual internal changes through innovation and outside contacts, and climate change. This thesis attempts to synthesize, and critique material relating to this topic, and ultimately provide my own opinions …

Agricultural Development In The Northern Savannah Of Ghana, Tara N. Wood

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Since declaring independence in 1957, the Republic of Ghana has become a stable constitutional democracy. Ghana’s economy has grown substantially over the past decade, yet remains primarily agrarian, accounting for 50% of the total employment and 25% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Smallholder rain-fed farming using rudimentary technologies dominates the agricultural sector accounting for 80% of total agricultural production. Approximately 90% of smallholder farms are less than two hectares in size, and produce a diversity of crops. The major crops cultivated in Ghana include numerous cereal, root and tuber, leguminous, fruit, vegetable and industrial crops. Maize is the most …

Researching North America: Sir Humphrey Gilbert’S 1583 Expedition And A Reexamination Of Early Modern English Colonization In The North Atlantic World, Nathan Probasco

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s 1583 expedition to North America was the first attempt by an Englishman to colonize beyond the British Isles, and yet it has not been subject to thorough scholarly analysis for more than seventy years. Although it is often overlooked or misinterpreted by scholars, an exhaustive examination of the voyage reveals the complexity and preparedness of this and similar early modern English expeditions. Gilbert recruited several specialists who expended considerable time and resources while researching and otherwise working in support of the voyage. Their efforts secured much needed capital, a necessary component of expensive private voyages, and they …

Adapting To A Changing World: An Environmental History Of The Eastern Shoshone, 1000–1868, Adam R. Hodge

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using the Eastern Shoshone Tribe as a case study, this dissertation argues that the physical environment must be considered integral to processes of ethnogenesis. It traces the environmental history of the people who became known as the Eastern Shoshone over the course of several centuries, exploring how those Natives migrated throughout and adapted to a significant portion of the North American West – the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, Columbia Plateau, and Great Plains – prior to the reservation era. In examining that history, this project treats Shoshones, other Natives, and Euro-Americans not as people who simply used the environment, but …

Exploring The School Counselor's Role In Response To Intervention (Rti) Efforts For Struggling Readers In Elementary Grades, Rachel Merz

HIM 1990-2015

Student success is important for student learning, for parents, and for schools; however, in the last decade standardized test data has shed much light on the need for improved student performance across grade levels. Research findings identify that there are millions of struggling readers in US schools. Using assessment data, schools are implementing various types of intervention systems in an effort to meet all students' needs. Response to Intervention (RtI) is a method of intervention that provides systematic assistance to students who have learning difficulties and need additional support beyond regular classroom instruction. Results showed that RtI related activities (i.e., …

Central Auditory Processing Disorder: A Literature Review On Inter-Disciplinary Management, Intervention, And Implications For Educators, Lauren Patrusky

HIM 1990-2015

Clinical Questions: What top-down and bottom-up interventions across the psychology, audiology, educational, and speech language pathology domains are most effective for children and adolescents with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)? What considerations for planning research and intervention might be offered to a classroom teacher to further support students diagnosed with CAPD, especially in relation to the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), formerly known as Response to Intervention (RTI)? Method: Inter-Disciplinary Literature Review Study Sources: PsycInfo, Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts, ProQuest, International Journal of Audiology, American-Speech-Language Hearing Association, Journal of Neurotherapy, Medline-Esbcohost, ERIC Ebscohost, Professional Development Collection Education, and What …

Exploring The Linguistic Styles Of Students With A Propensity For Alcoholism And Students With Symptoms Of Depression, Sarah Sanders

HIM 1990-2015

The present study investigated whether participants with a high propensity for alcoholism demonstrate the same linguistic pattern previously established for depression in response to a personal essay. It was hypothesized that students with a higher propensity for alcoholism would display a similar linguistic style when compared to those with symptoms of depression; specifically students with a higher propensity for alcohol abuse or dependence would use more first person singular pronouns and less first person plural pronouns. They were also hypothesized to use more negative emotion words similar to those with symptoms of depression. Participants completed a writing exercise that was …

Voice As A Parameter Of Emotional And Physical Health, Ahmed Abdelal

Bridgewater Review

This article provides basic information about voice and laryngeal health to fellow educators and professional voice users with the hope that it can make a difference in their lives. I tackle voice from a multi-dimensional approach integrating research and clinical practice. What follows is based on extensive research that I have reviewed over the years, on coursework that I have taught in related areas (including anatomy and physiology of speech, language and hearing; phonetics, linguistics, and neurological bases of speech, language and hearing) and on my own experience as a licensed speech language pathologist who has diagnosed and treated patients …