Digital Commons Network^™

Datasets Used In Fifteen Years Of Automated Requirements Traceability Research, Palak Sharma

Theses

Datasets are crucial to advance automated software traceability research. Acquiring such datasets come in a high cost and require expert knowledge to manually collect and validate them. Obtaining such software development datasets has been one of the most frequently reported barrier for researchers in the software engineering domain in general. This problem is even more acute in field of requirement traceability, which plays crucial role in safety critical and highly regulated systems. Therefore, the main motivation behind this work is to analyze the current state of art of datasets used in the field of software traceability.

This work presents a …

Audialtext: Improving Communication Accessibility For The Deaf Through Automatic Voice-Recognition And Wearable Smart-Technology., Ernest Roszkowski

Theses

Whether you are ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or receiving a phone call from a family member, it is apparent that human communication is an important part of everyday life. Those who are deaf have limited communication accessibility compared to their hearing counterparts, and by default, obtain less public information and face more obstacles during social interactions.

This thesis project will attempt to bridge this communication gap through the exploration of human interactions with user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. The goal is to design and develop an application concept for wearable smart-technology that will …

Accelerating Stochastic Random Projection Neural Networks, Swathika Ramakrishnan

Theses

Artificial Neural Network (ANN), a computational model based on the biological neural networks, has a recent resurgence in machine intelligence with breakthrough results in pattern recognition, speech recognition, and mapping. This has led to a growing interest in designing dedicated hardware substrates for ANNs with a goal of achieving energy efficiency, high network connectivity and better computational capabilities that are typically not optimized in software ANN stack. Using stochastic computing is a natural choice to reduce the total system energy, where a signal is expressed through the statistical distribution of the logical values as a random bit stream. Generally, the …

Abyss, Manojh Reddy

Theses

“When the human civilization continues to pursue its darker deeds, the wrong doings, the dark demons in every individual, the rage we show towards Mother Nature is the path to the end of the entire civilization. And, that end will not come with a bang, but with a whimper “ - Manojh Reddy

Systemverilog Verification Of Wishbone-Compliant Serial Peripheral Interface, Avinash Srinivasan

Theses

Synchronous serial interfaces provide economical on-board communication between the processor, digital to analog and analog to digital converters, memory, and other building blocks on the chip. A number of Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturers develop and produce components that are compatible with serial interfaces. The common serial interfaces include Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), and Universal Serial Bus (USB). SPI is widely used and advantageous over other serial interfaces due to its features of simplicity, low cost, clock synchronous, and non-interrupting high-speed data transfer rate. SPI is the core controller of the design. An …

Configurable Random Instruction Generator For Risc Processors, Krunal Mange

Theses

Processors have evolved and grown more complex to serve enormous computational needs. Even though modern-day processors share same dna with processors half century ago, verifying them today is the huge wall to scale. Verification dominates production cycle even with advances both in software (programming as well as CAD tools) and manufacturing (fabrication) as there are too many test scenarios to cover. Testing complex devices like processors with manual-testing alone in certainty missing the dead lines. Automatic verification is a great way to overcome hurdles of manual testing viz. speed, manpower, and ultimately cost. The work described in this paper targets …

Optimization Of Residential Battery Energy Storage System Scheduling For Cost And Emissions Reductions, Zachary Olivieri

Theses

The introduction of dynamic electricity pricing structures such as Time of Use (TOU) rates and Day Ahead Pricing (DAP) in residential markets has created the possibility for customers to reduce their electric bills by using energy storage systems for load shifting and/or peak load shaving. While there are numerous system designs and model formulations for minimizing electric bills under these rate structures the use of these systems has the potential to cause an increase in emissions from the electricity system. The Increase in emissions is linked to the difference in fuel mix of marginal generators throughout the day as well …

Chimes: December 1, 2017, Calvin College

Chimes

How gentrified is GR? by Morgan Anderson

Fourth 2029 panel talks Reformed identity by Joshua Polanski

New curriculum proposed for honors program revamp by Leah Thompson

Transcendence: prof talks art, icons and being a "disruptive witness" by Emily Joy Stroble

Women's volleyball falls at semifinals by Purun Yeo

Lecture examines Trump's 'court evangelicals' by Hannah Butler

Seminary professor discusses philosophy of everyday life by Ben Feikema

Libraries And College Readiness: The Bronx Community College Library High School Collaborative, Carl R. Andrews, Dickens Saint Hilaire

Publications and Research

In today’s information-rich global economy, City University of New York (CUNY) graduates need strong critical thinking skills. Over three quarters of the students who enroll across CUNY’s 24 campuses are drawn from schools in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) (Strang, 2014). The NYCDOE, the largest public school system in the United States, serving over 1 million students (Strang, 2014). Unfortunately, many of the students who matriculate to CUNY’s college and universities are underprepared for college-level work. This is especially the case with students who attend high schools throughout the Bronx, one of New York City’s five boroughs. …

Bard Free Press, Zine (December 1, 2017), Bard College

Bard Free Press - All Issues (2000-2018)

No abstract provided.

A Program Evaluation Of Double-Period Algebra, Jason Major

Dissertations

Students in ninth grade traditionally take algebra courses, but many students come in lacking foundational skills in mathematics. High schools have tried to solve this problem by introducing double-period algebra courses with sporadic results. During this program evaluation, I interviewed an administrator and a teacher from two different high schools about the methods they used to begin and evaluate the program; I found that student-teacher relationships were the most important factor in the effectiveness of the program. Using quantitative data was a good starting point to determine the students who would benefit from the program and who would be successful, …

Policy Advocacy For Letting Schools Be Schools, Jason Major

Dissertations

Ever since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools have been in an era of high stakes accountability around test scores, attendance, and climate and culture. This has also ushered in a wave of accountability down to teachers in the form of paperwork, mandates, and a heavy emphasis on reading and math. In Chicago Public Schools, all schools in the district are rated on the School Quality Rating Policy, which utilizes the Northwest Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress assessment to determine student growth from the spring of one year to the spring of the next. This heavy …

One Size Doesn't Fit All: Implementation Of Differentiated Instruction, Janet D. Butler

Dissertations

SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL: IMPLEMENTATION OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION-A CHANGE LEADERSHIP PLAN

Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching in which educators actively plan for students' differences so that all students’ academic needs are met. It is also a process of ensuring that what a student learns, how he or she learns it, and how the student demonstrates what he or she has learned is a match for that student's readiness level, interests, and preferred mode of learning (Tomlinson, 2008). In a differentiated classroom, teachers divide their time, resources, and efforts to effectively teach students who have various backgrounds, readiness and …

Improving Teacher Evaluation Through Enhanced Support For Teachers And School Based Administrators, Dywayne Hinds

Dissertations

It is no secret that school accountability is a common theme heard in discourse among governmental and local officials. This theme reaches across educational institutions throughout the Nation. Parents, policymakers, and educators are calling for and demanding educational reform to improve the quality of instruction taking place within schools. Improving student achievement scores on standardized tests is the driving force behind the demand for educational reform. Consequently, education reform efforts must focus on teacher quality and improved student performance.

The relationship between the evaluation ratings of classroom teachers and student achievement is an ongoing topic of leaders in and outside …

Utilizing Formative Assessments To Inform Teacher Instruction And Student Engagement, Kim Ontiveros

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this program evaluation was to gain a clear understanding of how formative assessments impact teacher instruction and engage students. I used a survey with the teachers and data taken from their math formative assessments and NWEA MAP testing results on the mathematical concepts such as: Operations and Alegebraic Thinking, Numbers and Operations, Measurement and Data and Geometry. There were gaps identified with the formative assessments, teacher reflection with instruction and the absence of student engagement throughout the process. I found that teachers were not always using formative assessments to reteach concepts or adapt their instruction. Additionally, …

Homework Practices That Need A Change, Kim Ontiveros

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this change policy is to bring to light an issue that is facing schools, teachers and students nationwide. Homework plagues students and families every night throughout the school year. It impedes on their family time, creates frustration for students and parents, all the while not producing the sense of achievement most people would think. Kohn (2012), Parker (2014), and Shumaker (2016) support the idea the elementary students do not sustain achievement or measurable learning because of homework. A change in district policy would allow for more flexibility in the process, procedures and learning that should take …

A Collaborative & Strategic Approach To Improve School Achievement Through The Advocacy Of An Effective Grading, Promotion And Reporting Policy, Hector Freytas

Dissertations

This policy advocacy study examined the current grade and promotion policy on record for Mountain West School District (MWSD) as it relates to mastery of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Illinois Learning Standards (ILS), the academic targets identified for students to be successful in colleges and careers. Furthermore, this study recommended changes to the existing policy at MWHS so as to report grades from coursework and those at the end of marking periods as accurately and fairly as possible, with specific skills-based feedback related to the mastery (or lack thereof) of both local and national standards that …

A Collaborative & Systematic Approach To Implementing An Effective Standards-Based Grading And Reporting System: A Change Leadership Plan, Hector Freytas

Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined the collaborative efforts between the Standards-Based Grading and Reporting Committee (SBGRC) at Mountain West High School (MWHS) and the Leadership District Team (LDT), which consisted of the following stakeholders: the district superintendent, the chief business officer, the chief financial officer, multiple principals and assistant principals, students, and parents of Mountain West School District (MWSD). These groups researched effective grading and reporting policies and procedures for possible implementation, and worked toward developing a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (SMART) goal. In addition, a multiyear action plan was cocreated to streamline the process (DuFour, 2006). This …

Addressing The Need For Systemic Implementation Of Social Emotional Learning, Emilie Correa

Dissertations

Two alarming trends are on the rise in schools, the rise of school violence and school shootings, and our nation’s hyper-focus on academics and standardized test scores. I argue that schools have a societal responsibility as stewards of the public to prepare students academically, socially, and emotionally to ensure well-being in school, life, and work in the 21st Century. I will also argue that not teaching social emotional learning (SEL) in schools is a disservice to our students, our school culture, and our community at large. This change leadership plan illustrates the “As Is” (Wagner et al., 2006) of a …

Policy Advocacy: Adoption The 4 C’S Rubrics Into Illinois Vision 20/20, Michael Marassa

Dissertations

The focus of this policy advocacy is to add evaluation language to the Illinois Vision 20/20 policy specific to 21st Century Learning. The Illinois Vision 20/20 policy pillar of 21st Century Learning already identifies that students in Illinois develop skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. The policy does not provide an explanation for school districts on how to achieve this goal. This policy advocacy adds language to the 21st Century Learning pillar through rubrics. These rubrics, specific to the skills described above and referenced throughout this dissertation as the 4 C’s, provide standard definitions for each of these …

Elementary Teachers Of Writing: Paths, Passions, And Practices, Amy Huftalin

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined the personal and professional experiences of early elementary teachers related to writing, seeking relationships between their experiences and instructional practices. Data included a survey of 61 kindergarten, first, and second-grade teachers and two focus group interviews in a large urban district in the Midwest. Three major themes emerged from the data concerning the writing instructional practices: (a) the importance of peer collaboration on instructional practices and professional learning, (b) the consistent use of a common writing curriculum, and (c) the application of a Writer’s Workshop approach. The findings suggest that because writing is not a consistent …

Establishing A Common Language: The Meaning Of Research-Based And Evidence-Based Programming (In The Human Sciences), Debra M. Sellers, Lisa M. Schainker, Peggy Lockhart, Hsiu Chen Yeh

Journal of Extension

This article describes the development, implementation, and exploratory evaluation of a professional development series that addressed educators' knowledge and use of the terms research-based and evidence-based within Human Sciences Extension and Outreach at one university. Respondents to a follow-up survey were more likely to select correctly the commonly accepted standard for each term, and they reported asking more questions, talking with others, examining programs' evidence bases, and placing more value on fidelity and evaluation following participation in the professional development series. Educator reactions to the series were generally positive, although researchers interested in designing like programs might consider engaging educators …

Preparing Future Professionals For Holistic Family And Consumer Sciences Programming, Karen Franck, Dena Wise, Allisen Penn, Ann A. Berry

Journal of Extension

It is critical that the value of Extension family and consumer sciences as a broadly focused profession be recognized both in and out of Extension. Establishing universally recognized competencies and assuring that agents possess those capabilities are vital steps to securing and maintaining the integrity of the profession and its value to those it serves. University of Tennessee Extension has developed a process for assessing basic competencies of newly hired agents and responding to their competency gaps with targeted training.

What Lies Beneath: How Paranoid Cognition Explains The Relations Between Transgender Employees' Perceptions Of Discrimination At Work And Their Job Attitudes And Wellbeing, Christian N. Thoroughgood, Katina B. Sawyer, Jennica R. Webster

Management Faculty Research and Publications

With the recent public gender transitions of celebrities like Caitlin Jenner, greater visibility of transgender characters on television (e.g., Transparent), and controversial laws enacted in some U.S. states and cities banning transgender employees from accessing bathrooms that align with their gender identities, issues of gender expression have been thrust into the national spotlight. In order to promote greater awareness and acceptance of transgender people, greater knowledge of their life experiences is needed. Adding to a small, but growing, body of research on the work experiences of transgender individuals, the goal of the present study is to examine the cognitive …

To Group Or Not To Group? Good Practice For Housing Male Laboratory Mice, S Kappel, P Hawkins, M Mendl

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

It is widely recommended to group-house male laboratory mice because they are ‘social animals’, but male mice do not naturally share territories and aggression can be a serious welfare problem. Even without aggression, not all animals within a group will be in a state of positive welfare. Rather, many male mice may be negatively affected by the stress of repeated social defeat and subordination, raising concerns about welfare and also research validity. However, individual housing may not be an appropriate solution, given the welfare implications associated with no social contact. An essential question is whether it is in the best …

Utah 4-H, County Contests, Joshua Dallin, Kelsey W. Romney

All Current Publications

This manual gives information for conducting succesdsful county contests.

Measuring Heightened Attention To Alcohol In A Naturalistic Setting: A Validation Study, Ramey G. Monem, Mark T. Fillmore

Psychology Faculty Publications

Attentional bias to alcohol-related stimuli is believed to be an important contributor to the development and maintenance of drug abuse. There is a considerable body of research examining attentional bias, much of which has typically utilized image-display tasks as a means to assess the phenomenon. Little, however, is known about the nature of this bias in an individual’s natural environment. The current study sought to implement a novel approach to assessing attentional bias in vivo. Participants wore portable eye-tracking glasses that recorded video from their point of view and measured fixation time to objects they observed. They entered a room …

Analyzing The Fundamental Aspects And Developing A Forecasting Model To Enhance The Student Admission And Enrollment System Of Msom Program, Sultanul Nahian Hasnat

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A forecasting model, associated with predictive analysis, is an elementary requirement for academic leaders to plan course requirements. The M.S. in Operations Management (MSOM) program at the University of Arkansas desires to understand future student enrollment more accurately. The available literature shows that there is an absence of forecasting models based on quantitative, qualitative and predictive analysis. This study develops a combined forecasting model focusing on three admission stages. The research uses simple regression, Delphi analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and classification tree system to develop the models. It predicts that 272, 173, and 136 new students will apply, matriculate …

Estimating Global Ecosystem Isohydry/Anisohydry Using Active And Passive Microwave Satellite Data, Yan Li, Kaiyu Guan, Pierre Gentine, Alexandra G. Konings, Frederick C. Meinzer, John S. Kimball, Xiangtao Xu, William R. L. Anderegg, Nate G. Mcdowell, Jordi Martinez-Vilalta, David G. Long, Stephen P. Good

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

The concept of isohydry/anisohydry describes the degree to which plants regulate their water status, operating from isohydric with strict regulation to anisohydric with less regulation. Though some species level measures of isohydry/anisohydry exist at a few locations, ecosystem-scale information is still largely unavailable. In this study, we use diurnal observations from active (Ku-Band backscatter from QuikSCAT) and passive (X-band vegetation optical depth (VOD) from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on EOS Aqua) microwave satellite data to estimate global ecosystem isohydry/anisohydry. Here diurnal observations from both satellites approximate predawn and midday plant canopy water contents, which are used to estimate isohydry/anisohydry. The …

Rebranding Visual Feedback As A Product-Making The Unspeakable Visible, Nicolette Wever

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Rebranding Visual Feedback as a Product

Why do visuals work and why do they have such impact on the process of change? Because visuals connect directly with feelings, they have the power to improve the life of others. They have the power to improve and enrich communication. They have the power to handle information overload and they have the power to bridge cultural differences. ‘Images speak louder than words’ because images are connected with emotions in our long term memory. When ten different persons look at one single image, they see ten different things. Like a mirror, the …