Digital Commons Network^™

Hong Kong’S Post-Colonial Education Reform: Liberal Studies As A Lens, Robert W. Spires

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

The Hong Kong education system is at a crucial point in its trajectory, and changes to public education also reflect broader social, economic and political changes within Hong Kong and globally. Since the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from British control to China, Hong Kong has struggled to develop its own identity under the One Country, Two Systems premise. One of the compulsory courses in the Hong Kong curriculum known as liberal studies, introduced in 2009, provided a useful departure point for exploring many social tensions occurring in Hong Kong. Exploring education reform through liberal studies explains how these social …

Chat It Up: Backchanneling To Promote Reflective Practice Among In-Service Teachers, Laura Kassner, Kate M. Cassada

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

In a graduate education course geared toward developing reflective teaching practice in in-service teachers, backchannels, in the form of chat rooms, were employed in small groups to facilitate peer feedback during viewings of video recorded instruction. This study examined the nature and quality of peer feedback exchanged in the digital medium and gauged graduate students’ impressions of the technology, with potential for carryover into their professional practices in P-12 instruction. Results revealed that the backchannel was perceived as an easy-to-use tool that promoted rich, real-time, high-quality feedback and a space to collaborate and exchange ideas, while improving engagement. Backchannel comments …

Engaging The Power Of Peer Observation, Kate M. Cassada, Julie Harris, Bobby Herting, Tara Warren, Damia Brown-Kidd

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

As a college professor, I have taught hundreds of graduate students in instructional leadership and reflective teaching courses. The overwhelmingly consistent report I hear from these active and engaged educators is that they rarely, if ever, have time to see each other teach. Teaching remains an isolated event - protected time for teachers to share their craft through thoughtful peer discussion and observation rarely. exists. When time is devoted to these activities, it usually is prescribed by building or division-led professional development initiatives, experiences teachers say do not feel genuine, safe, and focused on true reflection and growth. As Daniels, …

Rural Cambodian Women’S Perspectives: An Exploratory Study On Community Ailments, Migration And Opportunity, Robert W. Spires

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

Life in rural Cambodia is difficult, and rural women face issues such as gender-based violence, limited educational opportunities, and pressure to work while maintaining domestic roles. The current exploratory study examines the attitudes of rural Cambodian women (n = 48), framed within in context of migration to Thailand, with particular focus on the areas of community ailments, migration, and educational opportunities. Descriptive statistics indicates the persistence of an unhealthy community, with participants acknowledging the problems of domestic violence, crime, drug use, alcohol use, and depression. The data suggest some improvement in Cambodia, though participants nonetheless recognized working in Thailand as …

Effectiveness Of Gaming In Creating Cultural Awareness, Chenit Ong-Flaherty, D. Valencia-Garcia, D. A. Martinez, W. Borges, L. Summers

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Despite the emphasis on cultural competency education in the United States for the past three decades, inequities and disparities in healthcare continue to persist, particularly among minority populations. With the current growing gap in provider and patient cultural congruence, how effectively we train students to work with diverse populations in healthcare settings warrants attention. This article presents the results of a qualitative study on the effectiveness of experiential learning, in the form of the game BaFa’ BaFa,’ in raising cultural awareness among students of health professions. Using thematic analysis, the authors analyzed written reflections from student participants. The findings support …

Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) And Nature Therapy: A State-Of-The-Art Review, Margaret M. Hansen Edd, Msn, Rn, Reo Jones, Kirsten Tocchini

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Current literature supports the comprehensive health benefits of exposure to nature and green environments on human systems. The aim of this state-of-the-art review is to elucidate empirical research conducted on the physiological and psychological effects of Shinrin-Yoku (or Forest Bathing) in transcontinental Japan and China. Furthermore, we aim to encourage healthcare professionals to conduct longitudinal research in Western cultures regarding the clinically therapeutic effects of Shinrin-Yoku and, for healthcare providers/students to consider practicing Shinrin-Yoku to decrease undue stress and potential burnout. Methods: A thorough review was conducted to identify research published with an initial open date range …

Why Mobile Money Users Keep Increasing? Investigating The Continuance Usage Of Mobile Money Services In Tanzania, Daniel Koloseni, Herman Mandari

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examined factors that affect continuance usage of mobile money services in Tanzania. The Theory of Planned Behavior was adopted as a theoretical foundation of the study. The theory was further extended by including the constructs of perceived cost, perceived trust and satisfaction as determinants of mobile money service continuance usage behaviour. A total of 309 valid and reliable responses collected using questionnaires were used for data analysis. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The findings depict that perceived trust, attitude and perceived behavioral control have significant influence on continuance behavioral intention while perceived trust, …

A Compilation Of Accounting Title Studies, William K. Dossett

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a broad range of accounting topics and issues that are areas of complexity in the accounting profession. Through the course of a year in the independent study course, our class, led by Doctor Dickinson, delved into these topics to further our understanding of them. Each case covered a different topic, and, concerning the matter that we researched, we produced a report. Pertaining to each report, please consult the school archives for the Honors Accounting class for any necessary materials. After completing this thesis, our class has developed an understanding for these accounting …

Beauty In The Eye Of The Producer: The Role Of Appearance In The Careers Of Hispanic Female Broadcasters, Rachel E. Anderson

Honors Theses

This paper explores the pressures of beauty and appearance on a selected group of female Hispanic broadcast journalists. Ten broadcasters who identify as female and Hispanic were interviewed about their experiences in the industry. A careful analysis indicated that there are pressures for adopting ultra-feminine looks for hair and makeup and sexy clothing for on-air appearances based on consumer feedback. News stations also manage employees' appearances to maximize favor with audiences and to increase ratings.

Curriculum Bien Fait: The Quest For A Coherent High School Literature Curriculum, Shelby Reed Knighten

Honors Theses

This literature review examines sources of incoherency——both macrocosmic and microcosmic——that impact the goal of establishing a coherent high school literature curriculum. Macrocosmic sources of incoherency involve the institutions through which standards and curriculum are constructed while microcosmic sources concern issues within the discipline of English. Among the macrocosmic/institutional sources of incoherency are an unclear division of power between federal and state government, the lack of a professional vocabulary in education, competing interpretations of standards and reforms, and a lack of educational infrastructure. Microcosmic/disciplinary sources include competing ideologies within English education as well as the weakening of the classical, ethical, and …

Before Crenshaw: A Historiographical Look At Intersectional Identity In Three Twentieth-Century American Plays By Eaton, Grimké, And Treadwell, Emily Goodell

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This thesis anachronistically applies Kimberlé Crenshaw’s term intersectionality to three dramatic texts using Thomas Postlewait’s model of theatre historiography. These plays were authored by twentieth century female playwrights who had similar intersectional lives as the leads discussed. Yuki, from the 1901 novel turned 1903 Broadway play A Japanese Nightingale, was crafted by Winnifred Eaton. Yuki’s identity will be the subject of the first chapter. The second chapter examines the identity of Rachel from Angelina Weld Grimke’s anti-lynching play Rachel. For the third chapter, the identities of both female leads fromHope for a Harvest by Sophie Treadwell are analyzed. …

Causes And Predictors Of Thematic Intrusion On Human Similarity Judgments, Garrett R. Honke

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Most theoretical accounts of psychological similarity maintain that similarity judgments are based on shared features (and shared relations among those features, e.g., the commonalities between spatula and ladle). Accounts rarely include associations between targets of comparison (e.g., the association between egg and spatula) as a contributor to similarity judgments. This position is taken despite the fact that people will often choose associates over things with shared features and relations in similarity judgment tasks. So-called dual-process models - where thematic integration and feature (and relation) based comparison are component processes of perceived human similarity - have been proposed to handle this …

Measuring Library Impacts Through First Year Course Assessment, Holly Luetkenhaus, Erin Hvizdak, Corey Johnson, Nicholas Schiller

Communications in Information Literacy

This study shows the value of library instruction in the building of first-year students’ information literacy skills and it illustrates librarians as partners in leading student learning outcome assessment. Using research papers from a required first-year course, raters from units across the institution evaluated student information literacy (IL) skill development. Students performed at a “Proficient First Year” level for most information literacy skill areas. The authors found there was a significant correlation between IL skill development and participation in one or more library instruction sessions. For this reason, the authors posit that liaison librarians are in a stronger and more …

Library Instruction And Information Literacy 2016, Latisha Reynolds, Amber Willenborg, Samantha Mcclellan, Rosalinda H. Linares, Elizabeth Alison Sterner

Works by Oberlin College Libraries Staff

Purpose: This paper aims to present recently published resources on information literacy and library instruction providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2016.

Findings: The paper provides information about each source, describes the characteristics of current scholarship and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

Originality/value: The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Copyright And A Synergistic Society, Tracy Reilly

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

From The Attic To The Screen: An Adaptation Of Jane Eyre And Wide Sargasso Sea, Farrah F. Sunn

Honors Theses

Jane and Antoinette is an adapted screenplay from the novels Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. Rhys's novel, written nearly one hundred years after the publication of Jane Eyre in 1847, functions as a prequel to the original text. I develop the two stories into one, cohesive narrative for the screen. The adaptation process includes close analyses of the texts, both independently and in relation to one another. I viewed all film or television adaptations of the two novels and read critical analyses of these adaptations. I also studied adaptation theory and applied those …

Comparative Effectiveness Of An Exercise And Sedentary Break Intervention On Mood Profile And Dietary Behavior In Young Adults: Pilot Study, Hannah Dau

Honors Theses

Exercise and sedentary behavior are both important subsets of PA (Physical Activity) to study, with emerging research demonstrating that sedentary behavior may predict mental health outcomes independent of PA. Additionally, a correlation has been observed between diet and PA, but few studies on this topic have employed an intervention design. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in PA and sedentary behavior influence mood profile and dietary behavior. The PA intervention consisted of progressively increasing their vigorous-intensity PA (jogging) over a 4-week period among an inactive population. The sedentary group was asked not to exercise, but …

Examining Federalism In American Water Policy: Taking Stock Of A Modern Issue, James Harrison Ormesher

Honors Theses

As American water resources fall under increasing scrutiny, with shortages costing millions of dollars annually, questions about the effectiveness of the policy managing these resources arises. In particular blurred responsibilities and goals generated as a result of the American federalist system raise questions about the nature of the state and federal relationship and the ability of it effectively develop a functioning water policy. To garner an understanding of American federalism, American water policy, and the relationship between them, I utilized a comparative analysis of both the history of water policy and federalism in America. Following this history, I offer an …

The Early Adulthood Experience Of Having A Sibling With A Developmental Disability, Carole Frances Jennings

Honors Theses

This qualitative study explored the early adult's experience of having a sibling with a developmental disability and influences on the experience. The phenomenological method was used, specifically the approach of hermeneutic phenomenology as discussed by van Manen. The phenomenological investigation included the collection of data from the experiential descriptions of the participants gathered during interviews. Based on reflection on the data, essential themes of the experience and influences on the experience were identified. To describe the situational context of the participant, demographic data were collected. Five essential themes of the early adulthood experience of having a sibling with a developmental …

Effects Of Second Language Learning On Mental Representations Of Time, Conner S. Clark

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a domain-centered study that examines the effects of second language (L2) learning on mental representations of time in native English learners of L2 Mandarin Chinese. The design of this study attempts to observe the effects of the existence and use of spatiotemporal metaphors in Mandarin Chinese on L2 learners of the language. The methodology used for data collection includes a three-dimensional pointing paradigm—a partially language-independent task—which attempts to isolate cognitive behavior. The task requires participants to answer questions (by pointing) regarding space and time on imaginary axes in front of their person using their own fist …

Taking Things At Face Value: Typeface And Its Influence On Reading, Memory, Judgment And Time Perception, Danielle Hollingsworth

Honors Theses

Differing typefaces, such as serif, sans serif, or script, offer varying physical characteristics and can aid or inhibit legibility. These distinctions between typefaces lead to fonts being deemed as either perceptually fluent or disfluent. As fluency of a text is altered, the notion is offered that processing changes occur, which can influence factors of reading a text. Altering fonts have previously been shown to influence reading speeds, memory, and time estimation judgment. This thesis tests the relationship of font type with these aspects, with the addition of another judgment portion regarding perception of text quality. Determining the aspects which can …

On The 路(Lu) To The Loo: A Case Study Of Public Restrooms In China Since The Chinese Communist Revolution, Elizabeth S. Newsom

Honors Theses

This thesis is a case study of China's changing perceptions on privacy, hygiene and sanitation, as well as gender through public restrooms across the three different time periods of the 1950s, the early 2000s, and the 2010s. I analyze the situations, laws, civil codes, and perceptions that lead to different toilet styles. As toilets and defecation are taboo subjects, I use online anonymous resources like Zhihu to discover the modern perceptions of people on today's toilets as well as architecture and statistics. I in part find that I can analyze China's income disparity through toilets as the Coastal region of …

Pretty Things Around The Sun, Alaina G. Newby

Honors Theses

The following thesis contains six short stories written from July 2016 to March 2017 in Tupelo, Mississippi and Oxford, Mississippi.

Early Foreign Language Education And The Effect On State-Mandated Standardized Testing Scores, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Duda

Honors Theses

Early foreign language education has been shown to have a positive effect on the performance of students on state-mandated standardized scores. This work gives an overview of the history of foreign language education, as well as a description of a specific program at an elementary school in North Texas. In order to analyze the effects of early foreign language immersion education on the performance of students enrolled in the program at Bedford Heights Elementary school, a statistical evaluation was performed using the STAAR scores of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in both the foreign language immersion program and …

Perceptions Of Headache Trigger Potency, Katelyn Sharpe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of The Senkaku/Diaoyu Island Dispute On Sino-Japanese Relations, Meredith Cuilik

Honors Theses

Sino-Japanese relations have long been characterized by the saying "cold politics, hot economics." Poor political relations are an accepted aspect of Sino-Japanese relations, but are good economic relations necessarily the norm? This thesis seeks to question how nationalism and nationalist sentiment in Japan and China affect economic relations following a key "cold political" dispute (the Senkaku/Diaoyu Island dispute of 2012-2013).

Dynamic Cultural Specificities: Mediation Of Culture And Emergent Gay Identity In China, Lynam Brandon

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Argentina's Contemporary Multiculturalism And Its Implications For Chinese Identity In Buenos Aires, Madeleine Achgill

Honors Theses

How has Chinese immigration to Buenos Aires challenged contemporary Argentine multiculturalism? This thesis examines the arrival and integration of Chinese immigrants through a qualitative discourse analysis of Chinese and Spanish-language sources relating to immigration to Argentina, Argentine perceptions of Chinese immigrants, and the Chinese community's self-representation in Argentine spaces. I answer three questions: 1) What is Argentina's new multiculturalism and how does it impact Chinese immigrants? 2) How has the Argentine public responded to new Chinese immigration? And 3) How has the Chinese community responded, establishing their own Sino-Argentine identity? I find that Chinese immigration to Argentina has placed the …

All Things Loved And Unlovable: Discovering Southern Identity In Black Migration Novels, Michael Holman

Honors Theses

This thesis traces the development of the ways that the South figures in the imaginations of black writers by examining Southern identity in three novels centered around migratory protagonists. The thesis examines the ways in which folk identity, urban landscapes, remigration, and gender shape the migration experience in each novel. The novels discussed here are Nella Larsen's Quicksand, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. Quicksand posits the South as a place of unique danger, especially for black women, Invisible Man characterizes it as a place defined by oppressive memory that may be utilized as a resource …

Far Right, Left Out: European Far Right Parties And The Implications For Refugees, Michelle Miller

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.