Digital Commons Network^™

Iran Through Time: A Visual And Content Analysis Of Iranians On The Cover Of Time Magazine, Kianoosh Mousavi Niaraki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study analyzed media bias in the coverage of Iran by studying the covers of Time magazine that have featured Iranian individuals, politicians, and ordinary citizens. Previous literature has studied media’s influence on shaping perceptions of various issues and foreign culture and politics, as well as more detailed studies of media’s coverage of foreign countries and societies; however, this study focused on a neglected area of scholarship regarding depictions of Iranians in popular media. It used visual and content analyses of covers to determine the way Time magazine depicts Iran to American audiences.

Akchessima: Latin Type Design For Digital Chinese (Seal Script) Typefaces, Xuan Zhang

Theses

As multi-language text layout and Chinese/Japanese/Korean typefaces has become an important topic in modern day typography, the visual match-making between Latin and Chinese writing is a very important issue in type design.

For this thesis project, Latin letters are designed based on a Chinese seal script style typeface, in seek of a design principle of matching Latin letter forms for Chinese calligraphic styles, originating from different writing tools and traditions.

There is not one universal principle that would apply on all different Chinese typeface styles. However, based on research of writing habits and technology, multiple methods have been developed in …

The Bee's Knees Or Spines Of A Spider: What Makes An 'Insect' Interesting?, Nathan James Shipley

All Theses

Insects and their kin (bugs) are among the most detested and despised creatures on earth. Irrational fears of these mostly harmless organisms often restrict and prevent opportunities for outdoor recreation and leisure. Alternatively, Shipley and Bixler (2016) theorize that direct and positive experiences with bugs during middle childhood may result in fascination with insects leading to comfort in wildland settings. The objective of this research was to examine and identify the novel and unfamiliar bug types that people are more likely to find interesting and visually attend to when spontaneously presented with their images. This research examined these questions through …

A Strategic Communication Plan For Dominica-America Scholarship And Culture, Inc., Joan Juliana Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this design project was to develop a strategic communication plan for a nascent US-based nonprofit organization with a transnational focus. To accomplish this goal, the researcher drew on concepts and propositions of business and communication theories, best practices and recommendations of nonprofit practitioners and consultants, and studies from research centers. This research was necessary to discover the principles and elements critical to the design of a basic strategic communication plan. To develop a plan specific to the real world experiences and challenges of the nonprofit, the researcher utilized a qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews and action …

Long-Term Sustainment Of Rapid Improvement Events: A Case Study In “Room Readiness”, Gabriela V. Coronel

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Shifting payment models from fee for service (FFS) to pay for performance (P4P) have fundamentally changed the environment of healthcare administration in the United States (Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), 2011). Due to this shift, there has been an increase in demand for tracking and improving quality measures to ensure not only patient safety, but optimization of utilization. Constraints on resources and capacity, coupled with increasing safety measures has developed a new study of patient flow (Miró, Sánchez, Espinosa, et al., 2003). Decreasing patient room turnover times has the potential to maximize utilization while ensuring patient safety and …

Indian Sign Language Numbers Recognition Using Intel Realsense Camera, Sravani Mudduluru

Master's Theses

The use of gesture based interaction with devices has been a significant area of research in the field of computer science since many years. The main idea of these kind of interactions is to ease the user experience by providing high degree of freedom and provide more interactive way of communication with the technology in a natural way. The significant areas of applications of gesture recognition are in video gaming, human computer interaction, virtual reality, smart home appliances, medical systems, robotics and several others. With the availability of the devices such as Kinect, Leap Motion and Intel RealSense cameras accessing …

Efficient Denoising And Sharpening Of Color Images Through Numerical Solution Of Nonlinear Diffusion Equations, Linh T. Duong

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project is to enhance color images through denoising and sharpening, two important branches of image processing, by mathematically modeling the images. Modifications are made to two existing nonlinear diffusion image processing models to adapt them to color images. This is done by treating the red, green, and blue (RGB) channels of color images independently, contrary to the conventional idea that the channels should not be treated independently. A new numerical method is needed to solve our models for high resolution images since current methods are impractical. To produce an efficient method, the solution is represented as …

In Pursuit Of A Black Identity In Contemporary South Africa: Culture, Class, And Gender In Wedding Reality Tv Shows, Tv Audience Comments, And Wedding Speeches, Lindani Memani

Dissertations

This research reveals the opaque social hierarchies which work to structure Black life in contemporary South Africa. Using a multi-modal critical discourse analysis, and four theories: hegemony, neoliberalism, post-feminism and African womanism, this study analyzes the representation of weddings in Our Perfect Wedding and Top Billing Weddings, two South African wedding reality television programs. In addition, the study examines the TV programs’ audience narratives in online spaces. Analyzing online conversations helps to show how audiences actively engage with and interpret messages disseminated by the TV shows as they talk back to the shows and among themselves. The study also examines …

Alphabot: Using Interaction Design To Help Children With Reading Disabilities Through A Multi-Sensory Approach, Chao Luo

Theses

A reading disability is one form of learning difficulty, caused by neurological factors. Young children with reading disabilities are recognized as having trouble with spelling, reading, writing, and other academic activities. Even though there is no cure for reading disabilities so far, there are many things we can do to help these children. For young children, the best way to help them learn is taking advantage of all their senses.

Multimedia has been widely used in education today. Designers use various formats of digital multimedia to enhance user’s experience in learning. It provides an excellent opportunity to help children with …

The Adoption Of Project Based Learning In Graphic Communication Programs, Aezzaddin Aisyah Zainuddin

Theses

Project Based Learning (PBL) is widely recognized as an effective teaching method when compared to traditional lecture-based approaches in the classroom. Recognizing that the graphic communications industry needs employees with requisite skill sets and the established efficacy of PBL as a pedagogical technique for teaching those skills, the researcher examined the implementation of PBL in post-secondary institutions serving the graphic communications industry.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to solicit information from educators in graphic communications programs in the United States. The questionnaire was designed to examine the factors which comprise PBL utilized in the classroom. PBL factors were derived from …

Aided Communication For Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsay Bolding

Honors Projects

This honors project is a series of templates that will serve as a guide for residential facilities for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. What is the most effective way to facilitate communication in residential facilities for adults with developmental disabilities? While working at this type of facility during my time at Bowling Green State University, I have witnessed a need for implementation of new communication routes in the homes. While skill building such as communication is stressed in the homes, plans for staff to fulfill these skills can be lacking. The templates I have created can be used …

Adapting An Organic Chemistry Course For The Visually Impaired, Joseph Cramer Schneider, Brandon G. Vanness

Celebration of Student Scholarship Poster Sessions Archive

No abstract provided.

Student Life Recognizes Campus Leaders For Their Many Contributions, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2017

• Anne Cushman was awarded the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award, while William Keen was presented with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
• The April 20 ceremony was sponsored by the Division of Student Life. Various staff members and Frank Ardaiolo, vice president for student life, presented the awards.

Second April 2017 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

Fundoggy: Using Gamification And Social Network Services To Create A Mobile Fundraising Application For Helping Shelter Dogs, Yu Ri Na

Theses

The proliferation of new media is rapidly changing the world of philanthropy and more effective methods of raising funds and developing donor relationships must be sought. Furthermore, today’s trends indicate that the amount of giving by individuals has increased gradually, but the generation gap in donors is increasing.

Fundamentally, this thesis project seeks effective ways to attract young donors and show how to maintain a continuous connection with them by using today’s trending business and marketing buzzwords, “gamification” and “social network services.” Employing a game’s entertainment, problem-solving challenges, interactive experience, and customer loyalty improvement is expected to create significant synergy …

Aesthetic Survival, Adrienne Devine

CGU MFA Theses

I am a mixed media artist and my creative process is guided by cultural memory, the materials I use, and the pleasure I find in the activity of making. My compulsion to make things is accompanied by a propensity for scholarship, hence, my thesis exhibition incorporates Index Obscura; a growing visual and text-based corpus of research into the history and presence of African American artists in the tapestry of American art and culture. I work with a variety of materials and techniques, and consider wide-ranging themes, connected by recurring motifs, gestures, and attributes. Abstraction creates space wherein viewers can …

3 Top Leadership Competencies For Instructional Designers, Yi Yang

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A successful instructional designer not only needs to be excelling in design and development, but also needs to be a leader, a change agent, and a strategist. Within higher education organizations, instructional design leaders are in demand because they are uniquely qualified to envision the future of education, give critical and strategic direction to others, and ultimately provide an organization with the leadership necessary to move institutions deeper into the 21st century and beyond (Shaw, 2012). However, both International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI , 2012) competency standards and the ATD (2014) competency model put strong …

Deaf Access To Healthcare, Jennifer L. Yates

Senior Honors Theses

Modern medical professionals strive to provide culturally competent care; however, Deaf[1] culture remains overlooked. Common language and experience draw deaf individuals together as a cultural group. Ignorance about Deaf culture perpetuates barriers to holistic care in the medical setting. Deaf patients receive misdiagnoses, delayed treatment, and privacy breaches. Deaf culture understandably avoids healthcare and is characterized by numerous health disparities as a result. Obstacles hindering Deaf access to healthcare are directly opposed to the intended therapeutic relationship and holistic care. Increased awareness of Deaf culture is required to improve the Deaf’s access to healthcare.

[1] The word deaf should …

The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie

Senior Honors Theses

The Land of Milk & Honey Farm exists to provide quality food produced in facilities that practice good stewardship to the Earth. It is a small business devoted to loving, careful stewardship and the production of quality goods. The mission of The Land of Milk & Honey is to combine traditional farming practices with a sustainable and environment-friendly approach to agriculture. It aims to provide customer satisfaction by being respectful and responsible over animals and the earth, and by producing quality products. To reach this objective, the farm intends to educate consumers and provide an alternative source for truly farm-fresh …

How Visible Are Sacred Sites Online? : Availability Of European Sacred Site Websites, Onur Akbulut, Yakin Ekin

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Sacred sites are places where the spiritual world meets the real world. Every culture in the world seeks to acclaim the mysterious, the divine, the martyred or the extraordinary. There are vast numbers of sacred places of prehistoric, historic and contemporary culture in the world. The internet has become a popular tool for gathering information about sacred sites as well as imagery and other required details related to the travel attraction of sacred sites. The internet sources possess an inevitable impact during the selection process of a sacred destination. This study aims to investigate the online background of sacred sites …

Jeff Bellantoni Tapped As Dean Of College Of Visual And Performing Arts, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2017

• Winthrop officials said Bellantoni possesses a successful record of leadership, development and administration of design, art, and liberal arts programs at multiple institutions. He will join the Winthrop University community on July 1.
• Bellantoni was chosen from a broad applicant pool that the search committee narrowed to three finalists. Each finalist interviewed on campus with faculty, staff, students, and administrators from across the university and met with Rock Hill community arts leaders.

Mdd, What And How: A Motion Graphics Short Film, Yi Zhou

Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a growing mental health problem these days as it creates more social issues and creates problems for families and individuals. However, people still do not know enough about this mental disorder. The purpose of this short motion film is to provide people with a quick and effective introduction to MDD. This film explores a way to deliver essential information in a short amount of time and in a clear way for the audience to understand. It tells a story through the point-of-view of those who have friends or family members suffering from MDD. This story …

Reflections In Passion And Progress: Blending Vision, Resilience, And Evolution As A Writer And Scholar Of The English Language, Elizabeth Scoville

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

The following is a final master's degree portfolio of revised graduate work in English composition. Consisting of four projects, this portfolio highlights research, theory, and applications in multidisciplinary writing, visual argumentation, linguistics pedagogy, and professional editing. The pieces within reflect significant growth and adaptation in the field of English comprehension and writing, where successful compositions walk hand-in-hand with innovation, audience acknowledgement, and the willingness to change as language ebbs and flows with the passage of time.

April 2017 Academic Affairs Minutes, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Academic Affairs Committee

Academic Affairs Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Reifying Digital Histories, Ed Ryan

Honors Theses

The use of sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is rooted in nowness. Most users rarely think about the long-term aspects of their relationship with the networks to which they belong, instead focusing on an ever-refreshing interface filled with fresh content. But what happens to this content when it is removed from its familiar digital context? Do the archived interactions, updates, tweets, and other pieces of our digital histories take on new meaning when placed onto a physical substrate? Using the form of the book and my personal Twitter archive, I have addressed my own digital history, looking specifically …

Open Engagement 2017 Catalog, Jen Delos Reyes

Open Engagement

2017 — Chicago, Illinois — JUSTICE

"Open Engagement is an artist-led initiative directed and founded by Jen Delos Reyes committed to expanding the dialogue around and serving as a site of care for the field of socially engaged art. We highlight the work of transdisciplinary artists, activists, students, scholars, community members, and organizations working within the complex social issues and struggles of our time. Since 2007, OE has presented ten conferences in two countries and six cities, hosting over 1,800 presenters and over 7,000 attendees. In addition, OE managed a publishing arm, and assembled a national consortium of institutions, colleges, …

Western Michigan University’S Department Of Dance Marketing Plan, Cassandra Hartline

Honors Theses

The following report constitutes the formal marketing plan for the department of dance at Western Michigan University. This plan is intended to synthesize all of the marketing related information pertinent to Western’s dance department and provide easy one step access to this material at any time. The other purpose of this plan is to dictate the primary objectives the department is looking to accomplish through implementation of marketing tactics.

The first primary objective includes increasing visibility of the department of dance as a whole to both our primary and secondary target audiences; the second objective is to create innovative marketing …

Disseminating Tornado Warnings To Rural Populations, Zebulon Charles Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Tornado warnings are a form of persuasive communication that are intended to motivate people to take protective action. These warnings must reach all of the population exposed to the hazard no matter what time of day it is or where they are located. To accomplish this, multiple platforms are used to disseminate warning information. However, there is little research dedicated to how effective these platforms are in rural communities.Additionally, fatality rates tend to vary among rural communities, particularly between Tornado Alley and Dixie Alley; two high frequency tornado areas of the U.S. The objective of this research is to determine …

Pre-Processing Techniques To Improve Hevc Subjective Quality, D. G. Fernández, A. A. Del Barrio, Guillermo Botella, Uwe Meyer-Baese, Anke Meyer-Baese, Christos Grecos

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Nowadays, HEVC is the cutting edge encoding standard being the most efficient solution for transmission of video content. In this paper a subjective quality improvement based on pre-processing algorithms for homogeneous and chaotic regions detection is proposed and evaluated for low bit-rate applications at high resolutions. This goal is achieved by means of a texture classification applied to the input frames. Furthermore, these calculations help also reduce the complexity of the HEVC encoder. Therefore both the subjective quality and the HEVC performance are improved.

Unbound 2017 Exhibitor Biographies + Collection Descriptions, Risd Unbound, Fleet Library

2017 Print

No abstract provided.