Digital Commons Network^™

Representation Learning With Convolutional Neural Networks, Haotian Xu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Deep learning methods have achieved great success in the areas of Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing. Recently, the rapidly developing field of deep learning is concerned with questions surrounding how we can learn meaningful and effective representations of data. This is because the performance of machine learning approaches is heavily dependent on the choice and quality of data representation, and different kinds of representation entangle and hide the different explanatory factors of variation behind the data.

In this dissertation, we focus on representation learning with deep neural networks for different data formats including text, 3D polygon shapes, and brain …

Developing Communities Of Dialogue, Jonathan R. Cohen

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

We live in an age where American political discourse has become highly antagonistic. Such hostile discourse may influence not just our politics but also our private lives, for the abrasiveness that we witness in political life can readily spill over into our homes, our schools, and the other realms that we inhabit. How can we resist the spread of such antagonism? This Essay makes two basic claims. First, it is important that we consider dialogue as both an individual phenomenon and as a community-based phenomenon. How we speak with one another is a function of both our individual proclivities and …

The Politics Of Spanish In The World, Laura Villa, José Del Valle

Publications and Research

This chapter offers an overview of the spread of Spanish as a global language, focusing on the politics and institutions that have worked toward its promotion in the last decades. The actions of the institutions, as well as those of corporate and cultural agencies involved in this sort of language policy, are to be understood as part of a wider movement of internationalization of financial activities and political influence. Our approach to globalization emphasizes agency and the dominance of a few nations and economic groups within the neo-imperialist order of the global village. In line with this framewrok, our analysis …

Supporting Leadership Success In A Complex Global Economy: Best Practices In Executive Coaching, Noushin Bayat

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s complex global economy is often referred to as VUCA (volatile, unpredictable, complex, ambiguous) to express the rapid pace of disruptive change and the unreliability of long held structures, processes and beliefs. These unprecedented changes are impacting global leadership practice. Leaders can no longer rely solely on decisive and authoritative decision making to help their organizations remain competitive. The rapid pace of unpredictable change and ambiguity of clear solutions is demanding more collaborative decision-making for today’s toughest challenges. Executive coaches who support global leaders are increasingly in positions of trusted adviser to senior level executives. This qualitative study interviews a …

Worry And Rumination: A Rationale For A Transdiagnostic Approach To Treatment, Katya Naman

Theses and Dissertations

Worry and rumination are implicated in various disorders and are believed to contribute to the symptoms that create and maintain psychopathology. The current critical review will examine worry and rumination in the context of depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The review will focus on these two types of repetitive negative thinking more specifically the (a) definition, (b) process, (c) theories, and (d) maintenance of psychopathology; as well as similarities and differences between these two processes. A second emphasis will be on the importance of cultural considerations when …

Studying The Phenomenon Of Expressive Arts With Male Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Megan Hogg

Theses and Dissertations

Male childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a traumatic experience that is prevalent, under-reported, and under-treated. CSA leaves males with feelings of shame, low self-esteem, and interpersonal problems, which put them at risk of developing mental health disorders that persist into adulthood. Although expressive arts therapy has been used as a treatment for trauma in children and adolescents, existing literature on the use of expressive arts with adult CSA survivors is limited to female survivors. The current study aims to explore the experiences of male CSA survivors who have participated in expressive arts therapy, including the effects that expressive arts has …

Arts Education As A Pathway To College: A Case Study Of Title I Latino Students, Eva Lara Arrechiga

Theses and Dissertations

Latino high school graduates enroll into 4-year colleges at disproportionately lower rates compared to their White peers. The visual and performing arts have been documented for having a positive influence on academic achievement. The current study measured the influence of a visual and performing arts high school program and nine independent factors that might explain Latino 12th grade students' decision to apply to a 4-year college. A total of 160 Latino students from one visual and performing arts (VAPA) high school in an urban school district participated in this study. 40 students from each academy (dance, music, theater and visual …

How Do Mid-Level Leaders Communicate With White Collar Workers In A Multi-National Setting?, Susan Al-Shammari

Theses and Dissertations

Managing employees from different cultural and national backgrounds within international business organizations is one of the greatest challenges that mid-level leaders face in the new millennium because of the broad range of communication difficulties that can arise (Cox, 1991; Cupach & Imahori, 1993; Fitzsimmons, 2013; Ietto-Gillies, 2005; Lisak & Erez, 2015; Oliveira, 2013). The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of the communication strategies and tactics of mid-level leaders in one major multinational company with a sizable multinational workforce, Saudi Aramco. The theoretical framework for this study was Communication Accommodation Theory (e.g., Giles, 2014; …

Student Evaluations Of Teaching: Perceptions Of Faculty Knowledge And Their Relation To Learning, Donald L. Gruendler Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of student evaluations of teaching (SET) related studies repeatedly consider matters related to the creation and validity of an assessment tool, as well as the validity, and reliability of SET scores. Not only to determine the usefulness of teaching; but also, the possible sources of student biases related thereto as well (Hofman & Kremer, 1980; Abrami & Mizener, 1983; Tollefson et al., 1989). However, limited research studies have considered SET and their relation to student learning outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify what relationships, if any, exists between the grade undergraduate college students; predict …

Acculturation, Shame, And Stigma Towards Mental Illness Among Asian Indians: A Cross-National Perspective, Soumita Sen

Theses and Dissertations

The study explored the impact of acculturation on the stigma associated with mental illness and the relationship of shame with stigma towards mental illness in an Asian Indian sample. The participants of the study were college students residing in the USA and India who responded to one of two randomly assigned vignettes describing a hypothetical cousin who was either experiencing the symptoms of moderate depression or schizophrenia. Correlation, multivariate analysis, and regression analysis were conducted on the acquired data. The results indicated that level of acculturation had a statistically significant relationship with stigma in both samples. However, when specific aspects …

Coping, Meaning-Making And Well-Being Amongst Immigrants Of Non-European Descent, Jem Powell

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined experiences with immigration and being immigrants in the United States for 1 mother-daughter family unit. Given the challenges of navigating acculturation, this study aimed to broaden the scope of current research to understand linked individual and family experiences of immigration with an emphasis on resiliency and meaning-making. A qualitative research design was used to complete 1 family interview and 2 individual interviews of an immigrant family who had scored high on psychological wellbeing. The focus of this study was to illuminate ways that immigrants make meaning from and make sense of their immigration-related experience, as well as …

Understanding The Perceived Experiences Of Goal Setting Of Mothers Of Preschool Children: A Narrative Analysis, Dawn Eckhoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mothers are often asked to use goal setting to help their children achieve optimal health. Before mothers can be successful, they must grasp the meaning and process of goal setting. Currently there is a glaring lack of published research regarding how goal setting is understood and experienced by mothers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the self-described understanding and experiences of mothers, regarding goal setting for their preschool children. Narrative Inquiry was used to explore mothers' experiences with goal setting. A purposive sample of mothers with children in a Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program were recruited from the central …

Reliability And Validity Of An Arabic Translation Of Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (Ase) On Students At King Faisal University, Mohammed Fahad Almohazie

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF AN ARABIC TRANSLATION OF ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY SCALE (ASE) ON STUDENTS AT KING FAISAL UNIVERSITY

by

MOHAMMED F. AL MOHAZIE

May 2018

Advisor: Dr. Shlomo Sawilowsky

Major: Evaluation and Research

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Academic self-efficacy refers to a student’s confidence in successfully performing academic tasks at a designated level. Empirical research in US students suggests academic self-efficacy is a positive predictor of university student academic performance and retention, two outcomes that need to be increased in Saudi students. Given the potential predictive ability of academic self-efficacy on student academic performance and retention, a reliable and …

The Effect Of Using Board Games In Reducing Language Anxiety And Improving Oral Performance, Yi-Chun Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many English as a second language (ESL) learners feel anxiety about speaking English, and their oral performance is affected in this situation. This study aims to determine the effect of using board games on the improvement of ESL students’ oral performance. Task-based instruction and communicative approaches to pedagogy were used for the games. This is a descriptive method of research which intends to determine the correlation between the usage of educational board games and the level of learners’ language anxiety as well as their improvement in oral performance. The pre-test and post-test which were adapted from the Speaking Proficiency English …

Down Under Punks And Dixie Rock: Reflections On Making The Documentary Film Chinese Whispers - Southern Roots In The Australian Swampy Sound, Gretchen Labudde Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Review: Writing Centers In The Higher Education Landscape Of The Arabian Gulf, Edited By Osman Barnawi; And Emerging Writing Research From The Middle East-North Africa Region, Edited By Lisa R. Arnold, Anne Nebel, And Lynne Ronesi, Erin Zimmerman

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Atg Interviews Beth Marhanka, Interim Associate University Librarian For User Services & Engagement And Head, Gelardin New Media Center/Maker Hub, Georgetown University, Katina Strauch, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

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Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

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Against the Grain

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Optimizing Library Services — International Students And Academic Libraries: Identifying Themes In The Literature From 2001 To The Present, Lindsay Wertman, Caroline J. Campbell, Barbara Blummer, Jeffrey M. Kenton

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Epistemology — Talking About People, Scott T. Plutchak

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Booklover — Fishing For Summer Reading, Donna Jacobs

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Back Matter

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

From The Editors, Pam Bromley, Kara Northway, Eliana Schonberg

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

The Ernie Els #Gameon Autism™ Golf Program For Young People With Autism: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Jerrome Suganthy Selvaraj

Theses

The first evaluation of the #GameON Autism^^ Golf Program was conducted outside of the USA by the UNESCO Chair, I.T. Tralee in conjunction with the Els for Autism Foundation in partnership with LD Golf Ltd. The central aim of this research study was to evaluate the efficacy of the #GameON Autism^ Golf Program on young people with autism (ASD), their families, PGA golf coach, and volunteers. The two main objectives of the research were to analyse the impact of the program on the socia/communication, motor, and golf skills of individuals with autism and to assess the potential for the #GameON …

Developing An Esp Curriculum On Tourism And Agribusiness For A Rural School In Nicaragua: A Retrospective Diary, Stan Pichinevskiy

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

A rural technical secondary school in Nicaragua needed an English curriculum that would support students at varying levels of English proficiency in grades seven through eleven to pass the TOEFL exam their senior year and meet the English national requirement for accreditation. This curriculum should be culturally and locally responsive to meet the needs of the students, teachers and the administrators as well as accommodate for the two separate tracks in English: tourism and agribusiness. Over the course of a year, I collaboratively developed an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum that included a whitepaper proposal, five-year map with overarching …

Capital Games: The Bourdieuxian Movements Of Heathcliff And Nelly Dean In Neo-Victorian Revisitations Of Wuthering Heights, Ryan S. Wise

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

A Literacy Narrative Of A Female Saudi English Teacher And A Qualitative Case Study: 12 Multilingual Writers Identify Challenges And Benefits Of Daily Writing In A College Composition Class, Ghassoon Rezzig

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The author begins this thesis with her literacy narrative and practices what Kirsch and Royster call “strategic contemplation” about the material conditions of her mother’s life leaving school at 12 to marry and to raise 12 children. Her mother’s illiteracy is not the focus, however. Rather it is her mother’s strengths and her commitment to educating her children—all of whom earned college degrees before her mother died. The case study that follows emphasizes that developing English writing skills among multilingual speakers is considered a hard task. In order to improve academic writing, writers must make a tremendous effort and practice …

“If You Wanted Me To Speak Your Language Then You Should Have Stayed In Your Country”: A Critical Ethnography Of Linguistic Identity And Resiliency In The Life Of An Afghan Refugee, Logan M. Amstadter

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Nasreen and her family had not wanted to leave their native Afghanistan, but when the Taliban’s violence forced them to seek refuge in Iran, Nasreen found herself a teenager on the outskirts of Tehran. Discrimination, lack of opportunity, and an unwelcoming environment compelled her to make the dangerous overland journey from Iran to Turkey along with her husband, her brother, and her two sons. Now, they have asylum in the United States, where Nasreen is thriving—earning a degree at a community college and translating for other members of her community. Refusing to dwell on the past and enduringly optimistic about …

The Roma And Documentary Film: Considerations For Collection Development, Rebecca Schiff

Publications and Research

This paper explores the issues and criteria involved in developing a creditable documentary film collection about the Romani people for an academic library. Throughout their history, the Roma, or Gypsies, have dealt with biased, romanticized versions of their story, perpetuated by stereotypes found in legend, literature, song, and film. The expectation in the present undertaking is that the evidence coming from documentary films provides an effective antidote for misrepresentations. The paper reviews pertinent literature, suggests a selection process, and furnishes commentaries on individual titles as they relate to a framework based on the Romani historical and geographical narrative. A critical …