Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Rater Effects In The Context Of Ethical Reasoning Essay Assessment: An Application Of The Many-Facets Rasch Measurement Model, Madison A. Holzman

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Performance assessments are an often desired type of assessment due to their potential for alignment between the assessment and reality. However, due to the rater-mediated nature of scoring (Eckes, 2015), performance assessments have psychometric challenges that cannot be ignored in testing and assessment work. Specifically, performance assessment scores are prone to rater effects, or systematic differences in how raters evaluate performance assessment products (Myford & Wolfe, 2003). The purpose of this project was to evaluate ethical reasoning essay scores for rater effects. The Many-Facets Rasch Measurement (MFRM) model was used to evaluate ethical reasoning essay scores for rater leniency/severity effects, …

Rhetoric In Film: Three Explorations Of Influence In Documentaries And Digital Stories, Emily Knapp

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This thesis is made up of three distinct articles, two written with the intention of publication while the third consists of a digital story and subsequent reflection on the process of creation. The first article serves to answer the question “Do documentary films inspire activism?” by analyzing data gained after surveying 266 members of the James Madison University community. The results suggest that viewers are moved to emotion when witnessing struggle but that they are moved to action when said action directly impacts their own life. The second article is a rhetorical analysis of the 2013 documentary film Blackfish. …

Ud In The News Dec. 1-14, University Of Dayton

News Releases

University of Dayton faculty expertise spread worldwide the first half of December via The Conversation, an international news outlet that features articles by academics, CTV in Canada, Medium.com, Eyewire and the Detroit Free Press.

A Literature Review Of Pharmacotherapy Treatment Outcomes For Comorbid Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Stimulant Use Disorder: Methamphetamine Type, Abigail L. Christensen

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Procedural Calibration Of Haploscope Wings To Establish Accurate Focal Vergence Depth, Kristen Leigh Massey

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project was undertaken with the intent to discover the source of a known but hitherto unexplained error in the calibration of the wings for a haploscope used in depth perception studies. The angles of the haploscope wings are used to control the vergence angle of the virtual images projected into each eye. This accounts for a strong depth cue used in AR and depth perception studies. Two experiments were devised to both display and attempt to characterize the error between the theoretical wing angles needed to cause a user's vision to verge at some focal depth and the …

Cnl As Outcomes Manager: Improving Communication During The Er To Icu Handoff, Amy Ho

Master's Projects and Capstones

Emergency room (ER) to Intensive care unit (ICU) handoff reports are often ineffective because the lack of an standardized guideline. The aim of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) improvement project was to improve the nurse satisfaction survey scores in the ER and ICU microsystems within a mid-sized community hospital in northern California. Participates included registered nurses, and ER and ICU managers. The failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), Strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle were used for this project. Literature reviews were conducted to identify effective theories, patterns, and tools for handoff reports. Nurse …

Creating A Culture Of Learning: Improving Patient Mobility In A Medical-Surgical Unit, Camille Cabalsa

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

PROBLEM: Hospitalization, especially among older adults aged 65 or over, can result in decreased mobility and functional decline. This decreased mobility can lead to accelerated bone loss, falls, increased length of stay, and delirium. In this medical-surgical unit, a pattern reflecting lack of adequate patient mobility has persisted over one year.

CONTEXT: Northwest (NW), a 42-bed community hospital medical-surgical unit- part of an integrated regional health care delivery system, has not been maximizing the mobilization of their patients for the past year based on internal data.The improvement project described in this paper focused on creating a culture of continuous …

Mothers’ Voices: A Narrative Study Of The Experiences And Perspectives Of Mothers Raising School Age Children With Disabilities In One Of Zimbabwe’S Urban Areas, Emillia Masaka

Special Education ETDs

This narrative study examined (1) how women raising school age children with disabilities in one of Zimbabwe’s urban areas, articulated and conceptualized (a) their children’s disabilities and (b) their experiences as mothers of children with disabilities and (2) how their social status, marital status, age, ethnicity, and/or race intersected with their experiences of raising children with disabilities. A localized understanding of how mothers view their children’s disabilities was important because it influences results of any interventions their children might receive. Eight participants volunteered to have three interviews each, with me. Utilizing the social construction of disability, intersectionality, and thematic analysis …

Emphasizing The Importance Of Cultural Identity Of Second Language Learners In Lesson Plans, Sreyasi De

Master's Projects and Capstones

A sky rocketing trend of one in three United States residents is estimated to be either an immigrant or the child of an immigrant by 2065. How well immigrants and second-generation immigrants are inhabiting in United States is of great significance to the state of being happy, healthy, prosperous, and full of energy and resonance of the United States in general. While economic, political, and social aspects of immigration are frequently contemplated for policy-making, comparatively small investigations have examined the cultural identity of the immigrants. In the review of literature, topics of intercultural competence, cultural competence, and culturally responsive teaching …

Would You Do Cognitive Trainings Again: A View From Participants With First Episode Of Schizophrenia, Mehgan Sierra

Master's Projects and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to identify if individuals with first episode of schizophrenia would utilize computerized cognitive trainings after the study. Using this information, we can identify better ways to support individuals with first episode of schizophrenia in utilizing cost-effective interventions to improve cognition such as attention, memory, and problem solving among ages 18-35 individuals.

Methods: One-hour semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve participants in community-based programs who completed cognitive trainings in the Prodromal Assessment Research and Treatment (PART) lab at UCSF. Fifteen participants who completed their post-testing or dropped out of the study were given …

An "[Un]Readiness To Be Touched": The Critique Of Sentimentalism In Sensation Fiction, Rachel Vernell Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

Early sensation novels such as Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White, Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret, and Ellen Wood’s East Lynne use the eighteenth-century notion of sentiment in very distinct manners. These novels demonstrate a perspective in transition regarding sentimentality in how they apply sentimental qualities to very specific character types. Some characters are extremely sentimental, whereas others appear completely void of emotion and are even described as automata. These sensation novels even feature sentimental journeys and objects, as well as allusions to sentimental novels such as Laurence Sterne’s A Sentimental Journey and Henry Mackenzie’s Man of Feeling. The …

Determination Of Salient Design Elements Through Eye Movements, Aesthetics, And Usability, Bryan C. Asuncion

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of study 1 was to use a remote eye tracker to understand how eye movements change with 7 geometrically varied remote controls to determine design element saliency. 20 participants were used to measure the following eye metrics: number of fixations prior to first fixation of any AOI, time to first fixation of an AOI, number of fixations on an AOI, dwell time of the first fixation on an AOI, total dwell time of an AOI, and the percentage of time spent on an AOI. The results of the study showed that all participants spent between 75-85% of their …

Developing A Short-Form Measure To Predict Illicit Use Of Prescription Stimulants, Joanna C. Hachtel

Theses and Dissertations

Research relating to illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) has, for the most part, focused on describing behaviors of IUPS. However, there have been few attempts to measure IUPS in a consistent manner or determine how to best predict IUPS in an effective and concise manner. Data from Mississippi State University undergraduates (N = 703) were analyzed to create two shortorm measures to predict lifetime IUPS. The data-driven shortorm consisted of 15 items and 5 factors, and accurately classified 74.8% of participants as users versus non-users. The hand-picked shortorm consisted of 8 items and 5 factors, and accurately classified 84.6% …

Effect Of Stress Mindset And Adverse Childhood Experiences On College Students' Academic Success And Psychological Well-Being, Alice Cathryne Long

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse life events that occur in childhood may decrease an individual’s ability to effectively cope with challenges throughout their lives. The proper management of stress is essential to avoid problems that can crop up in all areas of life. College students who employ stress management tactics are better able to achieve well-being and academic success. This study examined the potential moderating association between “from within” coping supports or internal risk factors and academic success, mental health, and resilience qualities. Using a sample of college students at a large public university in the southeastern United States, this study demonstrates that viewing …

Scaling Undergraduate Scientific Writing Via Prominent Feature Analysis, Katarzyna Zaruska Gallo

Theses and Dissertations

Prominent Feature Analysis (PFA) is a reliable and valid writing assessment tool, derived from the writing it is used to assess. PFA, used to assess on-demand expository essays in Grades 3-12, uncovers positive and negative characteristics of a sample. To extend PFA to a new academic level and genre, I assessed scientific writing of 208 undergraduates, identifying 35 linguistic and 20 scientific prominent features. An essay could earn up to 28 positive (24 linguistic and four scientific), and up to 27 negative marks (11 linguistic and 16 scientific). The minimum prominent features number in a paper was 3, the maximum …

Modification Of Training Methods And Alarm Thresholds: Two Ways To Reduce Potential Hazardous Clinical Alarm Related Incidents, Manikantan Shanmugham

Theses and Dissertations

Within the healthcare system, nurses, are involved in many critical steps of the patient care process such as surgery triaging, post-procedure recovery monitoring and handoff release to a caregiver. A significant portion of their time is spent on the hospital floors where patients recover from their medical procedures. In today’s healthcare environments, multiple devices – typically monitors, ventilators, and infusion pumps – are used during said patient recovery process. Health equipment manufacturers often add alarms to medical devices, which serve a variety of purposes, ranging from simple notifications to warnings and alerts about potential hazards that require rapid action. In …

Healthcare Experiences Of Transgender Mississippians: A Qualitative Study, Micah D. King

Theses and Dissertations

For this study, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 transgender adults who lived, or had previously lived, in Mississippi and sought healthcare services in the state. The questions asked focused on identifying the barriers to care that these individuals faced as well as the strategies for navigating the barriers they employed. Recommendations for providers were also considered.

Health Science Curriculum For Early Childhood: Teacher Implementation And Impact On Child Health Knowledge, Carla J. Mays

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains two secondary quantitative data analyses studies. In the first, implementation of the WannaBee Healthy? Be Smart! Be Active! Be a Leader! health science curriculum was examined to expand understanding about teacher usage of an integrated health curriculum. Specifically, researchers assessed the amount of activities within each curriculum domain (i.e., books, creative expressions, language/literacy, math, science) and the number of activities within each theme of the lessons (i.e., nutrition, physical activity, sleep) utilized by participating teachers. Prior to implementation, teachers (N = 68; M age = 35.5 years old) attended a one-hour training where use of the curriculum …

The Art Of Fortune-Taking, Allison Weintraub

Capstones

People suffering grief or emotional distress turn to many places for comfort, which can make them a target of psychic scam artists. Stigma about falling for scams might prevent victims from seeking help. https://medium.com/@allison.weintraub/the-art-of-fortune-taking-5cdedb6718d0

Offset: How The Government Improperly Takes Money From The Disabled, Carmen Reinicke

Capstones

The US Department of Education is supposed to use its computers to match its borrowers who now suffer from total permanent disabilities based on Social Security or Veteran Administration rolls. If the borrower has been disabled for more than five consecutive years, then deductions for unpaid student loans are supposed to cease.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a federal agency that reviews government work, shows that the program, now a computerized system that matches Social Security numbers, fails to identify thousands of individuals who deserve student debt relief.

Link: https://medium.com/@careinicke/offset-how-the-government-improperly-takes-money-from-the-disabled-8928cd556f93

Renouncing The Universal Museum’S Imperial Past: A Call To Return The Rosetta Stone Through Collaborative Museology, Anna Volante

Master's Projects and Capstones

In colonial times, Western empires used orientalism to justify and perpetuate colonialism and imperialism over countries that they believed inferior to their own. These imperial powers plundered cultural heritage artifacts from the nations they oppressed and took these objects back to their national museums to be displayed as trophies of subjugation. The ownership of cultural heritage remains a point of contention throughout the field of museum studies. Despite cries for repatriation, these artifacts continue to be housed in universal museums today. One of the most well-known cases is that of the Rosetta Stone, stripped from the city of Rashid, Egypt …

Accessing Mental Health Services As An Undocumented Individual: Policy Recommendations For The State Of California, Lorena Mosqueda

Master's Projects and Capstones

Undocumented individuals are subject to stressors that may exacerbate existing mental health problems or proliferate new mental health illnesses. Due to unjust historical and current institutional and systemic policies the undocumented population accesses mental health services at a rate far below the general population. As a result, this vulnerable community is left with untreated mental health conditions and is further entrenched in a cycle of inequity. In an effort to address this alarming reality we based a review of relevant literature to identify recommendations to increase access to mental health services among the United States undocumented population. Additionally, a simulation …

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Reduction: A Quality Improvement Project, Wallace Kramm

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Hospital-acquired infections are preventable harm that occurs to patients while in the hospital. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a preventable hospital-acquired infection that continues to plague hospitals nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 13,000 CAUTI related deaths in the United States annually (Scanlon, 2017). In addition to the harm caused to patients by CAUTIs, the estimated $500 million yearly cost for CAUTI treatment has created a fiscal burden on healthcare systems (Scanlon, 2017). Decreasing the rate of CAUTI by decreasing overall number of catheters is the goal of this …

What Role Is Neuroscience Playing In New State Raise-The-Age Laws?, Dane N. Stallone

Capstones

Several states have cited neuroscientific evidence to help justify new raise-the-age laws that raise the age at which offenders can be tried as adults. Neuroscience shows that adolescent brains continue to mature well into their 20s. How much influence neuroscience should have in determining legal policy, however, remains contested among experts.

https://theartofscienceme.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/what-role-is-neuroscience-playing-in-new-state-raise-the-age-laws/

On Education And Family: Testimonios Of Latina Immigrant Daughters, Monica Chavez

Master's Theses

Latina college students must balance the needs of family while navigating pursuit of a college degree. Using testimonio, I explore how family and self-identity influenced the educational journeys of four Latinas who attended and graduated college in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Utilizing the frameworks of mestiza consciousness and subject formation, I uncover the ways their status as first-generation college student, second-generation immigrant daughter, and Latina manifested expectations (from family and self) and feelings of apprehension and loneliness that came to define their college experience. Through the process of testimonio and critical selfreflection, solidarity can be established and the process …

The Integration Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey Via Education, Aysenur Hacioglu

Master's Theses

The Syrian conflict, which was initiated as a pro-democratic movement against Bashar Assad’s government, has displaced millions of people both internally and externally. Since the beginning of the conflict, 6.6 million people are internally displaced, while 5.6 million people seek refuge in other countries. Many Syrians scattered to neighboring countries, principally Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Turkey, who shares the longest borderline with Syria, hosts 63 percent of the total number of Syrian refugees, currently at more than 3.5 million (UNHCR, 2018b). However, Turkey as the country with the highest number of refugees in the world does not legally …

The Best Interests Of The Child Or The State? The Rights Of The Child In Non-Lpr Cancellation Of Removal, Lizzie Bird

Master's Theses

This thesis argues that the United States is failing to fulfill its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in its adjudication of the hardship standard in non-LPR cancellation of removal. It is well-documented that the current interpretation of the “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” standard results in the separation of families and de facto deportation of children, many of whom are U.S. citizens. This thesis contends that this practice is not only unjust, but also unlawful.

First, it argues that the CRC in general and Article 3 (the “best interests” principle) in particular have risen …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

Understanding The Attitude In Israel Towards The Application Of The Right Of Return For Palestinian Refugees, Wafaa Abuzayda

Master's Theses

The Palestinian refugee crisis is considered one of the oldest, largest, and most complicated refugee issues in the world. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced as a result of the 1948 and 1967 wars between Israel and the Arab states. Before fleeing their homes, Palestinians were persecuted and intimidated by the Israeli army in 1947 and 1948, causing people to flee to different neighboring geographical areas such as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The UNRWA, a UN-associated entity, was established and began operations on May 1, 1950 to support relief efforts benefiting the estimated …

The Neuromodulatory And Hormonal Effects Of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As Evidenced By Salivary Alpha Amylase, Salivary Cortisol, Pupil Diameter, And The P3 Event-Related Potential, Christopher M. Warren, Klodiana D. Tona, L. Ouwerkerk, Jeroen Van Paridon, Fenna Poletiek, Henk Van Steenbergen, Jos A. Bosch, Sander Nieuwenhuis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a new, non-invasive technique being investigated as an intervention for a variety of clinical disorders, including epilepsy and depression. It is thought to exert its therapeutic effect by increasing central norepinephrine (NE) activity, but the evidence supporting this notion is limited.

Objective

In order to test for an impact of tVNS on psychophysiological and hormonal indices of noradrenergic function, we applied tVNS in concert with assessment of salivary alpha amylase (SAA) and cortisol, pupil size, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings.

Methods

Across three experiments, we applied real and sham tVNS to 61 healthy participants …