Digital Commons Network^™

A Holistic Approach To Mima Mound Prairie Restoration, Kristin R. Anicito

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Invasive winter annual grass (IWAGs) abundance has increased throughout much of the western United States, with serious consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem function. While a variety of tools have been used to control IWAGS, they often fail to achieve the goal of creating a self-sustaining native plant community. Therefore, a major goal of my thesis has been to explore and test restoration approaches that might help realize such plant communities. These approaches include ecologically based invasive plant management (EBIPM) and assisted succession. EBIPM is a holistic approach that aims to restore ecological functions damaged by IWAGs with a combination of …

Using Electronic Writing To Promote Students' Writing, Munirab Abdullah Alanazi

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"The purpose of this study was to promote students' writing by using electronic writing (e-writing) tools. Formal writing can lack the use of imagination and fun; thus, it is important to combine formal writing strategies and digital tools to offer a more enjoyable experience for students via the world of technology. This study examines the following research questions: 1) How might using e-writing increase students' motivation to write? and 2) How might informal e-writing promote formal writing? A review of the literature showed the following important categories of investigation: the importance of the writing process, writing to learn, writing for …

Integration Of Technology Into Teacher Training Courses In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Awadh Alzahrani

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

The Loathly Lady From Archaic To Modern Tales, Kirsten M. Dresker

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

The Tigers That Corner Us, Meredith L. Jeffries

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Student Participation In Course Evaluations: A Comparison Within Degree Levels, Yvonne Aitken

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Purpose. Identifying participation motivation within degree levels may offer insight and improve Course Evaluations (CEs) effectiveness. Problem Statement. CEs have been used widely in educational settings to gain feedback from students. Studies within literature address participation as a critical factor in gaining feedback. Literature also demonstrates purpose and meaning behind CEs, factors that contribute to participation, and recommendations for improvement, in addition to gaps in research. Little is known how level of degree (undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctorate) affects participation in CEs. Method. This study was designed to address the following research objectives: (a) to determine health professional students' awareness of …

Assessment Of The Hatchery Kokanee (Oncorhynchus Nerka) Release Program In Lake Roosevelt 2009 -- 2012, Alix O. Blake

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This study determined which kokanee stock performed best in Lake Roosevelt, WA: Lake Whatcom, Meadow Creek, or F1 mixed stock. The F1 mixed stock was created by collecting eggs from Lake Whatcom, Meadow Creek and non-marked kokanee that returned to Hawk Creek and raising them to the residualized smolt stage at the Spokane Tribal hatchery for release back into Lake Roosevelt. Fall spawning run data (2009 – 2012) were analyzed to assess the percentage and sex ratios of each stock returning to spawn in Lake Roosevelt. We had record returns of hatchery kokanee in 2009 (n = 8,895) and 2010 …

Clinicians' Views On Periodontal Coding, Jessica Amber Scruggs

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Recommendations to alter the current dental coding system maintained by the American Dental Association (ADA) have been suggested by American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), and explored in various dental education and public health settings. However there is no research surveying dentists and dental hygienists in a regional format on what their opinions are concerning the current system and potential addition of diagnostic codes. This study was conducted primarily as a small-scale; quantitative non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional survey. A binary style survey was implemented using an Internet survey site and face-to-face interactions. The survey was distributed …

Using The Branching Story Approach To Motivate Students To Read, Hanan Farhad Aldurayb

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Investigating Perceptions On Process And Outcomes In Applying The Alexander Technique In Vocal Production, Amanda Dick

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"This case study investigated perceptions on process and outcomes of applying the Alexander Technique in vocal production. The setting was the campus of a state university in the United States of America. The perceptions of three levels of participants were investigated- a master Alexander Technique teacher, a collegiate vocal professor and three undergraduate music students, all experienced in the Alexander Technique in vocal production. Data collection included interviews with the participants; documentation in student practice journals, and field observations. Data were analyzed, determining consistent trends between all the participant's perceptions of the processes involved in applying Alexander Technique in vocal …

Determining The Relationship Between C-Reactive Protein, Visceral Fat, And The Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors, Evan Hilberg

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a diagnosis that includes several clinical criteria that indicate a higher than normal risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Central adiposity is considered a risk factor for the MetS and is also associated with increased mortality and morbidity. The use of ultrasonography (US) has made it possible to measure the amount of visceral fat (VF) in a cost-effective and non-invasive manner as opposed to computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase inflammatory marker, has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease and has been shown to have a relationship with …

Using Phishing To Test Social Engineering Awareness Of Financial Employees, Rebecca M. Long

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Social engineering is the biggest security threat to financial institutions because it exploits the weakest link in any security system: the human element. It is proposed here that combining specialized training on social engineering followed by repeated audit tests will be more effective at lowering employee vulnerability than standard security training alone. This research developed a training module specializing in social engineering with an extra emphasis on phishing, then used phishing trials on financial employees to audit their awareness and knowledge of social engineering to determine if it lowers the vulnerability level to phishing attacks"--Document.

Elliptic Curves And Their Cryptographic Applications, Samuel L. Wenberg

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"This thesis is a basic overview of elliptic curves and their applications to Cryptography. We begin with basic definitions and a demonstration that, given an elliptic curve addition, the points of an elliptic curve form a mathematical group. We then proceed to delve further into the mathematics, discussing torsion points on the group of elliptic curves before investigating the behavior of elliptic curves over finite fields wherein is given a proof of Hasse's Theorem on elliptic curves. With these tools, we discuss the discrete log problem, and the connection between elliptic curves and the field of cryptography. Finally, we look …

Use Of Magnetic And Olfactory Cues For Orientation By A Fossorial Rodent, Thomomys Talpoides, Dustin J. Cousins

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Fossorial, or below ground, living provides shelter from the elements and some predators, but comes at a cost with respect to metabolic requirements of movement and reduced, or altered, sensory cues. I examined the ability of the North American pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides, to use magnetoreception and olfaction in navigation and foraging. Magnetoreception was tested using three manipulative experiments: 1) field homing of displaced animals, 2) nest location in an 8-arm maze, and 3) movement through a complex labyrinth. Homing results, analyzed by V-test, indicated that the gophers displaced from their burrow systems relied on magnetic cues for homing orientation. …

"Rosa Alchemica," "The Tables Of The Law," And "Adoration Of The Magi," Edited And With An Introduction, Brady J. Peneton

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"This volume contains an introduction to William Butler Yeats' early occult short stories "Rosa Alchemica," "The Tables of the Law," and "The Adoration of the Magi." Panned by critics over the last century, the three stories contained in this volume are both controversial and difficult. The introduction explains the language of occultists and alchemists in terms of Jungian psychology and describes how alchemical doctrine influenced Yeats' writing and the largely alchemical mythology contained in A Vision. Yeats' desire for apocalypse is identified as a desire for the general population to see the divine through symbol and to discover the psychological …

The Impact Of Service-Learning On Academics Related To Neurogenic Communication Disorders, Ricki A. Konnerup

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Service-Learning (SL) is a pedagogical approach used to assist students in higher education in learning academic material by providing them an experience with a community partner. SL involves academic course objectives that are linked to a community need and includes student reflection on the experience (Goldberg, McCormick Richburg, & Wood, 2006). SL research is limited, but has been an increasing interest for medical, sociology, education, and communication disorders fields. This study describes the effect that SL has on academic learning related to neurogenic communication disorders, attitudes towards SL, and community benefits. One section of a senior level undergraduate course in …

K-12 Teachers' Perceptions About Social Media Integration Into Instruction In Saudi Arabia, Hamdan Abdulaziz Alamri

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Using Board Games To Teach Physics, Kadia Mohammad Alfaifi

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"This was an exploratory study that examined how board games affect students' motivation and learning of content about science (Physics). Quasi-Experiment research was used to determine the academic effects of the board game as well as an attitudinal survey to evaluate motivation. Participants were selected by a convenience sample from undergraduate courses in the Department of Education at a regional university. Participants were taught by two methods: using a board game and traditional (lecture). Participants in both groups gave a pretest to determine their knowledge of physics followed by posttest to determine their retention after using the board game, or …

To Labor As An Indian Travels: What The Spokan Indians Taught The Eells And Walkers, Early Missionaries On The Columbia Plateau, Pippin J. Rubin

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Between 1838 and 1848, two New England families interacted and lived among a small band of Spokan Indians. During their time together, both groups learned much from each other. The story of how the Eells and Walkers related to the Spokan is different from other missionary tales. Their peaceful existence and daily cultural exchanges shines a gentler light on this era of transition on the Columbia Plateau. Their story should not distract from what occurred elsewhere in the Oregon Country during the 1830s and 1840s, but its telling gives a fuller and thus a more accurate picture of what took …

Transcending The Status Quo: A Communication Perspective For Improving Health Behaviors At Eastern Washington University, Nicole L. Ridnour

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"There is a belief known as the 'college experience;' an experience that some understand as a right of passage. This notion continues to be passed from generation to generation; what happens without our noticing is that the demands of that 'college experience' are changing. Survey results indicate that this 'experience' continues to perpetuate, that college students have skewed perceptions of vulnerabilities and are willing to take unhealthy risks, all as part of the 'college experience.' Through a mixed methods approach, this research demonstrates that advances in remedial health education are positively affecting students 'abilities' to "gain access to, understand and …

'Simple' Takes On The Supreme Court, Robert Tsai

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This essay assesses black literature as a medium for working out popular understandings of America’s Constitution and laws. Starting in the 1940s, Langston Hughes’s fictional character, Jesse B. Semple, began appearing in the prominent black newspaper, the Chicago Defender. The figure affectionately known as “Simple” was undereducated, unsophisticated, and plain spoken - certainly to a fault according to prevailing standards of civility, race relations, and professional attainment. Butthese very traits, along with a gritty experience under Jim Crow, made him not only a sympathetic figure but also an armchair legal theorist. In a series of barroom conversations, Simple ably critiqued …

The Referendum Process In Maryland: Balancing Respect For Representative Government With The Right To Direct Democracy, Steven G. Shapiro

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This article will examine the Maryland referendum petition process to determine whether any changes in the current law should or could be made. This includes whether the legislature should reverse the holding in Whitley, whether it should add additional requirements to and restrictions on the signature gathering process, and whether the percentage of voters needed for a successful challenge should be increased.

First, as a matter of policy, should the law be changed? For example, does it strike the proper balance between respect for the legislative process and allowing for more voices in legislative matters by the public at large? …

In Search Of Racial Justice: The Role Of The Prosecutor, Angela J. Davis

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This article examines the role of prosecutors in establishing and maintaining racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and examines efforts of the Prosecution and Racial Justice Program of the Ve,:-a Institute of Justice to enact reform within prosecutors' offices. After providing an overview of the debate on causes of such racial disparities generally, the article examines how seemingly race neutral charging and plea-bargaining decisions by prosecutors can actually cause and perpetuate racial disparities. As a model for reforming such practices, the article evaluates and critiques the Prosecution and Racial Justice Program and makes recommendations for how this program can …

The Ambition And Transformative Potential Of Progressive Property, Ezra Rosser

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The emerging progressive property school celebrates and finds its meaning in the social nature of property. Rejecting the idea that exclusion lies at the core of property law, progressive property scholars call for a reconsideration of the relationships owners and nonowners have with property and with each other. Despite these ambitions, progressive property scholarship has so far largely confined itself to questions of exclusion and access. This Essay argues that such an emphasis glosses over race-related acquisition and distribution problems that pervade American history and property law. The modest structural changes supported by progressive property scholars fail to account for …

Panel Iv: Challenges To Proving Cases Of Torture Before The Committee Against Torture, Juan E. Mendez

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Uncertainty And The Design Of Social Insurance: Reflections On The Obamacare Case, Michael J. Graetz, Jerry L. Mashaw

Faculty Scholarship

In 2010, Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the ACA), a complex statute of more than nine hundred pages that fulfilled his goal of extending health-insurance coverage to virtually all Americans – an objective that previous U.S. presidents had sought and failed to achieve for a century. This legislation was hotly contested in the Congress, passing with the support of very few Republicans in the Senate and none in the House.

To broaden access to health insurance, the ACA relies primarily on two devices: (1) an expansion to Medicaid – a joint federal-state health-insurance program for …

The Landmark That Wasn't: A First Amendment Play In Five Acts Case Study And Commentaries, Stephen Wermiel

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

What follows is an original case study of our First Amendment law of free expression and how it is created by the Supreme Court. Drawing heavily on heretofore unpublished internal papers from the chambers of Justice William Brennan and other Justices, this Article reveals how the 1964 landmark decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan was once in serious jeopardy of being overruled. In the course of this discussion, and in their examination of the evolution of the Court’s decision in Dun & Bradstreet v. Greenmoss Builders (1985), the authors describe and analyze: (1) how and to what extent …

Promoting Language Access In The Legal Academy, Jayesh Rathod, Gillian Dutton, Beth Lyon, Deborah M. Weissman

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Since the 1960s, the United States government has paid increasing attention to the rights of language minorities and to the need for greater civic and political integration of these groups. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the issuance of Executive Orders, and intervention by the federal judiciary, progress has been made in the realm of language access. State and local courts have likewise taken steps (albeit imperfectly) to provide interpretation and translation assistance to Limited English Proficient persons. Most recently, responding to both lack of services and inconsistent practices, the American Bar Association has set out …

Kiobel V. Royal Dutch Petroleum: The Alien Tort Statute's Jurisdictional Universalism In Retreat, Kenneth Anderson

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell), a long-running Alien Tort Statute (ATS) case brought by Nigerian plaintiffs alleging aiding and abetting liability against various multinational oil companies for human rights violations of the Nigerian government in the 1990s, including a non-US Shell corporation, first came before the US Supreme Court in the 2011-2012 term, following a sweeping Second Circuit holding that there was no "liability for corporations" under the ATS. In oral argument, however, several Justices asked a different question from corporate liability: noting that the case involved foreign plaintiffs, foreign defendants, and conduct taking place entirely on foreign sovereign …

Play, Collaborate, Break, Build, Share: 'Screwing Around' In Digital Pedagogy, Katherine D. Harris

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Digital Humanities has become a “hot” topic in academia over the last few years (as of 2012), primarily in research and scholarship. While many push forward into new realms of using technology to articulate cool findings, others at non research intensive universities are moving forward with engaging their undergraduate students in var ious forms of Digital Pedagogy, a facet of Digital Humanities. Single day bloom and fade projects, individual assignments, and larger scaffolded projects all comprise Digital Humanities curriculum. Here, I provide examples of all three types of projects an d include a discussion about risk, play, and productive failure …