Digital Commons Network^™

An Esl Instructor's Guidebook For Reducing Test Anxiety At The Community College Level Through Exploring Alternatives In Assessment, Allison D. Grant

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this project is to decrease test anxiety within ESL community college students by providing their instructors with a guidebook for implementing alternatives in assessment. Chapter one dives right into the problem of ESL students experiencing test anxiety. At the community college level, there are added pressures from family needs, work, legal issues, adjusting to a new culture, and more. Teachers could offset this external anxiety by eliminating test anxiety in their classrooms.

Chapter two outlines much of the relevant literature dealing with the topics of test anxiety, foreign language anxiety, ESL testing practices, ESL at the community …

Accessibility And Technology: Remote Access To Art Through Telepresence Robotics, Jenna M. Hebert

Master's Projects and Capstones

This capstone project details a proposal for a remote tour pilot program and community partnership written for the Art Institute of Chicago, Snow City Arts and the John H Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. The proposal seeks to provide a model for remote accessibility to art museums for visitors with mobility disabilities. The pilot program utilizes telepresence technology as a tool for providing remote tours and for emulating the social benefits of a museum visit. Within the program, telepresence technology becomes a mechanism for communication and collaboration between the museum and members of the community, allowing individuals previously unable …

The Prison-To-School Pipeline & The Role Of Private Higher Education In California, Kelly Mills

Master's Projects and Capstones

Given the realities of mass incarceration in the United States, the disproportionate effects that the criminal justice system has on already marginalized populations-particularly men of color-and our currently very high rates at which the formerly incarcerated return to prisons or jails, it is necessary to determine which programs reduce recidivism and create new opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. As the research has shown that educational opportunities for the currently and formerly incarcerated are successful at reducing recidivism rates, these types of opportunities have become more widely available. By the end of 2016, community college courses will be offered in prisons …

Collections Management Systems At Natural History Museums: A Centralized Approach, Allison M. Pohl

Master's Projects and Capstones

Natural history museum collections are an invaluable learning tool for audiences of many ages. However, learning experiences can be hampered if collections are poorly managed. Inconsistent object numbering systems, scant information associated with a specimen, and differences in records management styles of individuals in the same organization all stem from the lack of collections management standards set forth by some institutions. Natural history museums historically manage their collections in a decentralized manner, with each collections department responsible for its own objects, managing records as the staff sees fit. This report advocates for the unification of collections in natural history museums …

Doula Support As A Means To Improve Birth Outcomes For Minority Women, Christina Bao Ngoc Thich

Master's Projects and Capstones

Ethnic minorities such as African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Laotions, Hmongs, and Alaskan Natives have higher rates of cesarean delivery, pre-term birth, fetal demise, perinatal laceration, and congenital abnormalities than their white counterparts. Continuous labor support by way of doula care has been recommended for all pregnant women as a means to prevent adverse birth outcomes. Despite this, the population most in need of such support in unable to access doula services due to low socioeconomic status, availability of services, and cultural inaccessibility. This paper focuses on my capstone experience with UCSF and Roots of Labor Birth Collective as we …

Feminist Herstory Through Indian English Literature, Suryaa Rangarajan

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project explores how the definition of femininity is deeply intertwined with the concept of nationalism, and the performance of cultural duty in order to protect the sanctity of marriage and family. Beginning with investigating how laws and policies have held women back in their status as second-class citizens, unable to exercise their right to feel safe, the chapter will delve into the roles that critical pedagogy and third world feminism play in achieving sustainable equity in India. These policies and theoretical frameworks provide a foundation for my curriculum design project, which uses Indian English feminist literature to amplify monolithic …

Motivational Interviewing In General Dental Practice: A Review Of The Evidence, E. J. Kay, D. Vascott, A. Hocking, H. Nield

Peninsula Dental School

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Micro-Level Poverty Interventions In The Highlands Of Guatemala, Jacqueline A. Castro

Master's Theses

Despite immense efforts of poverty alleviation in the Western highlands of Guatemala, poverty is intense and widespread. Amidst an abundant array of poverty interventions, existing evidence on those interventions are not sufficient. Highlighting basic knowledge regarding impact evaluations, this paper aims to determine the most effective poverty intervention for the Western highland areas of Guatemala. Focusing on impact evaluations, this paper reviews 17 Latin American interventions, paying close attention to what may be applicable to this region. Using only the highest quality data from Latin America, it is clear that cash transfers and graduation programs are the most impactful interventions …

Challenging Filipino Colonial Mentality With Philippine Art, Francesca V. Mateo

Master's Theses

For 350 years, the Philippines was colonized by Spain and the United States. The Philippines became a sovereign nation in 1946 yet, fifty years later, colonial teachings continue to oppress Filipinos due to their colonial mentality (CM.) CM is an internalized oppression among Filipinos in which they experience an automatic preference for anything Western—European or U.S. American—and rejection of anything Filipino. Although Filipinos show signs of a CM, there are Filipinos who are challenging CM by engaging in Philippine art. Philippine art is defined as Filipino-made visual art, literature, music, and dance intended to promote Philippine culture. This …

The Politics Of Contagion, Joseph M. Young

Master's Theses

Contagion events have occurred throughout history leaving death and destruction in their wake. Often sensationalized in movies and shows such as Contagion and The Walking Dead, contagion events are life-altering events filled with gory symptoms and elevated mortality rates. The dangers of contagion events prompted governments to develop agencies with the purpose of preventing and mitigating the risks contagions pose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies across the globe pour millions of dollars each year into eliminating the risk of contagions and making the world a safer place. However, while more resources are dedicated to …

Challenges Associated With Improving The Nutritional Quality Of Foods Available In Schools: The Case Of San Francisco Unified School District, Marianne Hoeidal

Master's Theses

This thesis examines school meal programs as a governmental intervention to improve food security among children. Further, it will examine how the global nutrition transition is affecting school meal programs and what challenges schools have met in their attempts to improve the nutritional components in meals served in schools. This thesis uses the case of San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) located in California, United States of America, as an opportunity to investigate the key challenges in the process of improving the nutritional components of their meal plans, and how they overcame this challenges. The thesis begins with a historical …

Long Working Hours, Happiness, And Quality Of Democracy With The Case Studies Of Japan And Denmark, Yu Namie

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to reveal the hypothesis that long working hour reduce people’s happiness and undermine democracy. For achieving this goal, this study clarifies the relationship between long working hours, happiness, and political engagement. Moreover, in order to seek the way to increase social happiness, it tries to figure out how global free market economy relates the working hours. The research method mainly relies on the fieldwork in Japan and Denmark.

First, this study succeeded to reinforce the argument that long working hour negatively influenced people’s happiness. Also, if we define the quality of democracy as the society constituted with …

Plastic Oceans: A New Way In Solving Our Plastic Pollution, Dakota S. Floyd

Master's Theses

By 2050, the world’s oceans will have more plastic than fish with potentially catastrophic consequences on sea life and the health of the ocean. Economically, countries with coastal boundaries will be heavily impacted as plastic pollution has already generated a 13 billion dollars in monetary losses. Considering that this is an extreme problem that we are currently facing the current solution is not enough in curbing our plastic pollution. While, recycling programs have been beneficial in reclaiming some plastic our mass consumption of plastic has outpaced the capabilities of recycling efforts. If we are to find a solution in our …

Notions Of Discontent And Distinction: Reflections Of Young Diasporic Taiwanese Americans, Andrew T. Chen

Master's Theses

In 1971, Taiwan lost its seat in the United Nations and has been vying for international validation ever since. The Kuomintang’s (KMT) loss and the development of Taiwan’s democracy has left millions with varying opinions pertaining to the status of Taiwan. It also brings up the importance of what it means to be Taiwanese and how Taiwanese people identify and distinguish themselves from China. For much of the Republic of China’s (ROC) existence in Taiwan the independence movement for the de facto nation-state has lived outside of its borders, making achievements and enduring hardships for Taiwan and Taiwanese Americans throughout …

Emigration, Repatriation And The Reality Of Returned Youth In El Salvador, Isabel C. Duarte Vasquez

Master's Theses

According to US Customs and Border Protection, over 59 thousand unaccompanied minors from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) have been detained at the US border, of those 59 thousand, 17 thousand are from El Salvador. El Salvador is home to some of the most dangerous and ruthless gangs of the twenty-first century. Their ruthlessness comes from 1980s guerrilla warfare experience. In addition, El Salvador serves as a transshipment point for illicit substances from South America into Mexico. These dynamics fuel the homicide rate of the region as local gang members must protect their territory by any means …

“Mexico, Public Policy And Obesity In A Global Context”, Daniela Carina Bermudez

Master's Theses

Mexico has one of the most obese populations in the world. A country known for its diversity of rich flavorful food is drowning in low nutritional food products. This thesis examines Mexico’s obesity epidemic within the larger global context of international economic trade policies, public policies and Mexico’s health policies. The key research questions are 1) why is there an obesity epidemic in Mexico? and 2) what remedies should Mexico implement to control it? This thesis contributes to a viable policy strategy for the Mexican government to control and prevent the further increase of this obesity epidemic. Reviewing both the …

Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Climate Niche Variation Of South Pacific And Hawaiian Psychotria, Elaine Zhang

Master's Theses

Why do some species have broad geographic distributions, while other species are confined to a narrow distribution? Species age, ecological niche, or dispersal traits may help explain why some insular species are abundant and found on many islands, while others are rare and restricted to one island. In this study, I inferred a robust, time-calibrated phylogeny of the Hawaiian Psychotria, using two nuclear and eight chloroplast loci, sampling 67 individuals. I coupled my phylogenetic hypothesis with climatic data, ecological niche modeling, and morphological dispersal characteristics to explain the variation in number of islands occupied by each species. My inferred phylogeny …

The Persuasive Effect Of Youtube Videos On Food Waste Habits, Deeti Gupta

Master's Theses

In the past decade, food waste has emerged as one of the most important food sustainability issues in developed societies and has received increased attention from academic scholars, policymakers, environmental and other civil society organizations. There have also been a growing number of efforts to mitigate this problem, an important component of which has been education to provide consumers with a clearer understanding of the food waste problem and the methods that they can take to change their food waste behaviors. One of the educational approaches has involved social marketing. Social marketers have recently turned to YouTube and other video …

Board Of Trustees Agenda, Dec. 16 2016, Indiana State University Board Of Trustees

Board of Trustees

No abstract provided.

Wind Ensemble Is Finalist In National Competition, University Communications

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Across The Great Divides: An Exploratory Tryptich, Andrew Vaught

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spatial Data Mining Analytical Environment For Large Scale Geospatial Data, Zhao Yang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, many applications are continuously generating large-scale geospatial data. Vehicle GPS tracking data, aerial surveillance drones, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), world-wide spatial networks, and high resolution optical or Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery data all generate a huge amount of geospatial data. However, as data collection increases our ability to process this large-scale geospatial data in a flexible fashion is still limited. We propose a framework for processing and analyzing large-scale geospatial and environmental data using a “Big Data” infrastructure. Existing Big Data solutions do not include a specific mechanism to analyze large-scale geospatial data. In this work, we extend …

Time Enough, Lb Kovac

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Vocabulary Development In The Science Classroom: Using Hypermedia Authoring To Support English Learners, Robert Pritchard, Susan O'Hara

TAPESTRY

This study investigated the impact of authoring hypermedia projects on the academic vocabulary development of middle school, ESL students. Vocabulary definitions, inprocess verbalizations, observations and semi-structured interviews were the primary means of collecting data and assessing vocabulary growth. The results of this study indicate that hypermedia authoring had a positive impact on students' understanding of grade level, science concepts as well as on student engagement in and attitudes toward vocabulary building activities. Thus, the procedures implemented in this study provide a potential model for teachers to follow as they attempt to facilitate their students' vocabulary and concept development.

A Study Of Optimism Among Latinos In A Successful Urban School, Kathleen A.J. Mohr

TAPESTRY

This quantitative study investigated the levels of optimism and self-concepts of 76, fourth-sixth graders who attend an academically successful, English immersion, private school serving a majority Latino and urban population. Two instruments measured the students' self-perceptions with expected and unexpected results. Although academically successful and functioning as the majority, these Latinos were not particularly optimistic. Gender, language proficiency, and grade level were all factors related to the significant findings. The related discussion challenges educators to explore the various aspects contributing to positive self-concepts and to better understand how to develop and sustain optimism among students often considered academically at-risk.

From Inaction To Action: The World Health Organisation And Tobacco Control Policies In Nigeria Since 1970, Benjamin Uchenna Anaemene

Journal of Retracing Africa

The need to regulate tobacco usage became internationalized in 1970 following the adoption of a resolution by the World Health Assembly calling on member states to take action in view of its damaging effects. Arising from this, two periods are discernible in the fight against the use of tobacco. The first period is from 1970 to 1995 that was characterized by weak laws which were inconsequential. The second period is from 1996 to date that was marked by multilateral cooperation and effective action at the global level. A glaring manifestation during of the second period is the adoption of the …

Like Disney For Adults: Life In Freedom Village, Janice G. Schuster

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

With an increasingly aging population, American society needs to more effectively address living options for the aging population in the present and future. Older adults have unique needs due to their age, physical and mental condition, varying needs for medical and health care and assistance with their daily activities. Freedom Village is an example of a very successful continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Holland, Michigan. Using a case study approach and structured questions to ask two residents of Freedom Village, her aunt and uncle, over a period of several months, the author learned that they have lived very happily …

A Policy Of Rock: How Rock And Roll Undermined The Communist Revolution In Cold War Russia, Neal Albright

Historical Perspectives: Santa Clara University Undergraduate Journal of History, Series II

No abstract provided.

No Room For Error: How A Breakdown In Naval Communication Led To A Needless Tragedy, Phillip Di Tullio

Historical Perspectives: Santa Clara University Undergraduate Journal of History, Series II

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Historical Perspectives: Santa Clara University Undergraduate Journal of History, Series II

No abstract provided.