Digital Commons Network^™

Spatio-Temporal Modeling Of Earthquake Recovery, Sahar Derakhshan

Theses and Dissertations

The recovery process after a major disaster or disruption, is impacted by the inequality of risk prior to and post event. In the past decades there has been few efforts to model the recovery process and the focus is mainly on staged models (i.e. emergency, restoration, and reconstruction). The overarching research question asks how a non-stage-like model could apply to the recovery process. This study poses three broad questions: 1) what are the indicators suitable for monitoring the recovery process; 2) what are the driving factors of differential recovery trends; and 3) what are the predicted development trajectories for communities …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Observation, Coaching, And Feedback Cycle, Susan B. Ficke

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and viewpoints of how their daily teaching may be refined after implementing feedback from the Observation Coaching Feedback Cycle (OCFC) into their daily instruction. In direct connection, this study’s purpose seeks to fill a gap in literature regarding teachers’ perceptions of the OCFC experience. Reflective Practice Theory was selected as the Conceptual Framework that guided this study. Reflective practice is essential to understand one’s actions so as to engage in a process of continuous learning. Without reflective processes, people would not amend their work (Helyer, 2015). The …

How Can Incorporating Games And Activities Enhance Learning In Environmental Education?, Joan Fasanella

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone was how can incorporating games and activities enhance learning in Environmental Education ? The motivation for this question was to find a way to make learning fun and engaging for participants on many levels while reinforcing lesson objectives. When adding games and activities to traditional lesson plans, the learning shifts to become student-led discovery learning (Anwer, 2019). This type of learning fosters critical thinking and cooperative learning that translate into life skills (Kuo et al., 2019; Volk & Cheak, 2003). Further documentation points to benefits for ADHD and other behavior disorders from interactive …

Culturally Responsive Teaching Within A Montessori Learning Environment, David Luiken

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In 1954 the Supreme Court, in Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education , ruled that the legal segregation of schools based on race was unconstitutional. Sixty-six years later there still exists an academic achievement gap between white students and students of color. Given that this gap exists in Montessori schools with high standardized test scores, this capstone project examines how the use of Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Montessori Learning environment may help eliminate the academic achievement gap ? This capstone reviews literature pertaining to the role culture plays in education and the alignment of Culturally Responsive Teaching with …

Finding A Place In Learning: Facilitating Place-Based Writing In The Secondary Classroom, Ella Rausch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

How can teachers facilitate place-based writing that improves the writing and research skills of high school students? This project contains a facilitation guide for an expeditionary experience that utilizes place-based writing for secondary students. Research has shown the significant benefits of this learning model for high school students and its far reaching effects beyond writing skills. Project-based learning is used as the foundation for the guide, emphasizing cross-curricular learning experiences and student voice and choice to provide authentic learning experiences. The guide is designed to support teachers as they lead students through individual projects related to a place they visit …

Redefining Maine: Grade 3 Maine Studies Curricular Unit, Margaret Hutchison

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Social Studies is considered an essential element of American public education as an academic discipline that cultivates essential knowledge and skills for meaningful participation in democratic society but has become marginalized in recent decades at the elementary level. The current-day state of Maine passed LD291 in 2001 to require K-12 teachers to include Maine Native Americans in all Social Studies instruction. The full implementation of this vision has not yet been achieved due to various barriers and limitations. Yet this work is more critical than ever in current-day Maine, the Whitest state in the nation and a place where the …

Components Of Chinese Culture And Education, Brandon Fike

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question and addressed in this study was: What are three of the most important components of Chinese culture and how do they influence their education system? Key influences included Jin Li, G. Hofstede and H.C. Triandis. This topic was explored through a combination of personal experiences, reflections of those experiences, extensive online research and conversations with former and current EFL/ESL teachers who have taught, and in some cases are still currently teaching, in Mainland China. The three components of Chinese culture this study focuses on are the concept of face, collectivism and Confucianism. All three components are examined …

Juveniles Tried As Adults:The Impact Of Youth Demographic Factors On Juror Perceptions, Denieka Ellis

Student Theses

Abstract: This study explored the impact of defendant age, race and stereotypic crime on verdicts and recommended sentencing of juveniles tried as adults. Previous research shows that jurors enter trial with negative preconceptions and biases of juveniles because they are being tried within an adult venue. These negative preconceptions have led jurors to recommend harsher sentencing for juveniles rather than adults with the same defendant characteristics and criminal history. Crime type and crime severity have also been shown to impact perceptions of juvenile defendants in adult court. However, research has not yet explored the potential impact that stereotypic crime—a crime …

Contrasting The Leadership Styles Of Captain Moroni And Amalickiah, David L. Rockwood, J. Gordon Daines Iii

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The Book of Mormon was written as another testament of Jesus Christ. It was also written by leaders and about leaders. One of the most well-known leaders and charismatic figures in the Book of Mormon is Captain Moroni (hereafter referred to simply as Moroni). His capable leadership enabled the Nephites to survive civil insurrection and invasion by the Lamanites. Mormon, the compiler of the Book of Mormon, holds up Moroni as one of the text’s exemplary leaders. He points to Moroni’s leadership and righteousness as the reason for Nephite success during this trying era.

Pre-Emptive Detection Of Mature Pine Drought Stress Using Multispectral Aerial Imagery, Nancy Grulke, Jason Maxfield, Phillip Riggan, Charlie Schrader-Patton

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Drought, ozone (O₃), and nitrogen deposition (N) alter foliar pigments and tree crown structure that may be remotely detectable. Remote sensing tools are needed that pre-emptively identify trees susceptible to environmental stresses could inform forest managers in advance of tree mortality risk. Jeffrey pine, a component of the economically important and widespread western yellow pine in North America was investigated in the southern Sierra Nevada. Transpiration of mature trees differed by 20% between microsites with adequate (mesic (M)) vs. limited (xeric (X)) water availability as described in a previous study. In this study, in-the-crown morphological traits (needle chlorosis, …

The Consent Of The Governed, Carter A. Hanson

Student Publications

The Consent of the Governed is a Kolbe Fellowship project investigating gerrymandering through the lens of mathematics, Supreme Court litigation, and the potential for redistricting reform. It was produced as a five-episode podcast during the summer of 2020; this paper is the transcription of the podcast script. The project begins with an analysis of the impact of gerrymandering on the composition of the current U.S. House of Representatives. It then investigates the arguments and stories of Supreme Court gerrymandering cases in the past twenty years within their political contexts, with a focus on the Court's reaction to different mathematical methods …

Allopatric And Sympatric Drivers Of Speciation In Alviniconcha Hydrothermal Vent Snails, Corinna Breusing, Shannon B. Johnson, Verena Tunnicliffe, David A. Clague, Robert C. Vrijenhoek, Roxanne A. Beinart

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Despite significant advances in our understanding of speciation in the marine environment, the mechanisms underlying evolutionary diversification in deep-sea habitats remain poorly investigated. Here, we used multigene molecular clocks and population genetic inferences to examine processes that led to the emergence of the six extant lineages of Alviniconcha snails, a key taxon inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. We show that both allopatric divergence through historical vicariance and ecological isolation due to niche segregation contributed to speciation in this genus. The split between the two major Alviniconcha clades (separating A. boucheti and A. marisindica from A. kojimai, …

African, Know Thyself: Hip-Hop Pedagogy, Epistemic Disobedience, And Youth Engagement In West Africa, Noella Binda Niati

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was a 23-month comparative case study of Y’en a Marre, a civic organizing movement based in Dakar, Senegal and FESCI, a student organization in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. This study investigates the ways in which these organizations view Hip-Hop and its pedagogical utility as a means to encourage socialization, promote authenticity, and foster leadership. Through Hip-Hop, young people are drawn to a cultural expression that reflects the social, economic, and political realities of their lives speaking to them in a language and manner they understand. This is critical given sub- Saharan Africa’s tremendous youth population and their potential impact …

Spatial Analysis Of Factors Associated With Hiv Infection In Malawi: Indicators For Effective Prevention, Jerry John Nutor, Henry Ofori Duah, Pascal Agbadi, Precious Adade Duodu, Kaboni W. Gondwe

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

The objective of this study was to model the predictors of HIV prevalence in Malawi through a complex sample logistic regression and spatial mapping approach using the national Demographic and Health Survey datasets.

Methods

We conducted a secondary data analysis using the 2015–2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey and AIDS Indicator Survey. The analysis was performed in three stages while incorporating population survey sampling weights to: i) interpolate HIV data, ii) identify the spatial clusters with the high prevalence of HIV infection, and iii) perform a multivariate complex sample logistic regression.

Results

In all, 14,779 participants were included in …

Private School Choice Programs: What Do We Know About Their Effects On Outcomes For Disadvantaged Students?, Patrick J. Wolf

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report describes the various types of private school choice programs in the United States, their motivation and growth over the past thirty years, and their programmatic effects. Major findings are that choice programs are increasingly important to the viability of a private schooling sector, which is experiencing enrollment decline; they tend to serve disadvantaged subpopulations of students; and the programs generally benefit both participants and the broader society.

“Library And Information Science” Literature In Web Of Science: What A Decade Tells Us About Scholarly Collaboration In The Field (2007-2016), Kim M. Thompson, Kasey Garrison, Carolina Santelices-Werchez, Paulina Arellano-Rojas, Danilo Reyes-Lillo

Faculty Publications

Ensuring access to published research is increasingly important for demonstrating research impact, supporting wide readership, creating interest in collaboration, and making way for funding opportunities. This article provides a bibliometric analysis of publications from 2007-2016 in the Web of Science (WOS) database to update understanding of recent international library science research as a means of discussing research impact and scientific collaboration. The methodology is a descriptive analysis of publications retrieved from the WOS database using keywords “library science” and WOS-generated subject descriptor “Information Science & Library Science.” Analysis focused on descriptive data related to our research questions including representation of …

Far-Right Extremism In America: A Geospatial Analysis Of Incident Distribution, Meredith Leann Lerma

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been little empirical research on the spatial relationship of violent far-right extremism. Previous studies have only focused on portions of far-right violent incidents, such as homicides, or amalgamated all far-right extremist activity, including legal incidents. This study uses data from the Extremist Crime Database (ECDB) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in a temporal frame of 2000 to 2018 to test the relationship of violent incidents against geographic and social factors. The goal is to explore the relationships between macro-level factors and violent far-right extremist incident. The research determines that the presence of hate groups, higher immigrant populations, …

The Formation Of Ottoman Sufism And Eşrefoğlu Rumi: A 15th Century Shaykh Between Popular Religion And Sufi Ideals, Baris Basturk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates a transformative period in the history of the Ottoman State in which the processes of Islamization and Turkification coincided with the expansion and imperialization of the Ottoman polity. This study focuses on an Ottoman Sufi figure, Eşrefoğlu Rumi (?-1469), who benefited form this context, embarked upon a mystical path, and authored seminal works that shaped Ottoman Sufism for generations. This dissertation discusses Eşrefoğlu Rumi’s role in the construction of Islamic orthodoxy based in his Sufi ideals which he disseminated to an Anatolian and Balkan Turkish-speaking Ottoman audience. The significance of this dissertation is that it emphasizes the …

Re-Shaped By Mobile Technologies' Disruption: The Videogame Industry In Turkey, Sercan Sengun, Selcen Ozturkcan

Faculty Publications – Creative Technologies

In this study, we investigate the business disruption effects of mobile technologies for the videogame industry in Turkey. Previous research shows that before mobile gaming became prevalent globally, the Turkish videogame industry was extremely small and lacked any success stories for either console or PC platforms. The rise in mobile and the so-called “casual” gaming gave the local industry a competitive advantage on a global scale. To capture the nuances of this disruptive transition, we performed structured interviews with gaming industry experts and analyzed prominent discussion forums for primary and secondary data collections, respectively. We especially focused on answering the …

Campus Carry In Georgia: Challenges & Recommendations, Elizabeth Lohrmann, Carlie Cooper, Skyler Hooper, Ashley Washington, Zakia Williams-Sledge

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Abstract

The 2017 Georgia House Bill 280 states that, with limited exceptions, a properly licensed handgun owner can conceal carry on Georgia’s public college and university campuses. Since its inception and because of the recent history of mass shootings, much controversy surrounds this law. The infancy and controversy behind this law calls for further research into the subject. In this paper, we will offer a discussion of historical and environmental perspective, compliance with the law, risks and challenges, previous case analysis, and recommendations for Georgia Higher Education administrators. To lessen confusion and controversy surrounding the Campus Carry law in Georgia, …

Chinese Temple Networks In Southeast Asia: A Webgis Digital Humanities Platform For The Collaborative Study Of The Chinese Diaspora In Southeast Asia, Yingwei Yan, Kenneth Dean, Chen-Chieh Feng, Guan Thye Hue, Khee-Heong Koh, Lily Kong, Chang Woei Ong, Arthur Tay, Yi-Chen Wang, Yiran Xue

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article introduces a digital platform for collaborative research on the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, focusing on networks of Chinese temples and associations extending from Southeast China to the various port cities of Southeast Asia. The Singapore Historical Geographic Information System (SHGIS) and the Singapore Biographical Database (SBDB) are expandable WebGIS platforms gathering and linking data on cultural and religious networks across Southeast Asia. This inter-connected platform can be expanded to cover not only Singapore but all of Southeast Asia. We have added layers of data that go beyond Chinese Taoist, Buddhist, and popular god temples to also display …

Illinois State University Annuitants Association Newsletter, Summer 2020, Illinois State University, Annuitants Association

ISUAA News

Illinois State University Annuitants Association newsletter

Para-States As An Instrument For Strengthening Russia's Position - The Case Of Transnistria, Agnieszka Aleksandra Miarka

Journal of Strategic Security

The aim of the article is to analyze and characterize the use of cooperation with the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic by the Russian Federation to strengthen its position in the competition for power with the states of the euoratlantic space. During the initiated research, research methods and techniques characteristic of qualitative research were used, e.g. analysis of documents and statements of leading political decision-makers from Russia and Transnistria. The results of the research unequivocally show that strengthening the statehood of the parastatal state is one of the instruments of the Russian Federation, thanks to which it pursues its strategic goal …

Imperial Nostalgia And Bitter Reality: The United Kingdom, The United States And Brexit, Implications For Regional Integration, Abelardo Rodriguez Dr.

Journal of Strategic Security

Brexit and America First are undeniable examples of a return to state-based politics. This article examines the dichotomy of identity and the state, which has given rise to imperial nostalgia. Nevertheless, the decisions of the elites and the dominant majorities may lead to the fragmentation of the United Kingdom. London has shown itself to be weak in the face of China, Russia, and India and it is not clear if, over the long term, it will be influential in the global political struggles in which the latter countries are challenging the power of the United States. There are even doubts …

Indigenizing Restoration: Indigenous Lands Before Urban Parks, Jessica Hernandez, Kristina Vogt

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Climate change and human activities continue to result in negative environmental impacts that alter land productivity, ecosystem health, and their potential land-uses. However, these environmental impacts are being addressed through land restoration frameworks that do not include the robust narrative on the links between land and Indigenous peoples. This link between land and Indigenous peoples is not visible in restoration frameworks due to the linearity these frameworks follow and their deep roots in western science. In this paper, we contend that restoration projects must incorporate three indicators that re-evaluates restoration from an Indigenous lens. Through a literature review & our …

The Consequences And Correlates Of Racial Identity Discordance: An Explication Of The Social Construction Of Race, Eli X. Ornelas

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current study analyzes the rates at which different racial groups experience identity discordance, or the phenomenon of one’s self-ascribed racial identity not being commensurate with external perceptions of one’s race. While previous research has documented the possibility of discrepancy between self-ascribed and external classifications of racial identities, few empirical studies have sought to determine which racial groups are most susceptible to experiencing identity discordance or investigated specific mechanisms that may contribute to that discordance. Utilizing the 2006 wave of the Portraits of American Life Study (PALS), the current study investigates the rate of identity discordance for Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, …

Applying Settlement Scaling At Copán: Furthering Exploration Into Ancient Maya Urban Dynamics, Ellis Owen Arnold Codd

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

For decades, many archaeologists did not consider ancient Maya centers such as Tikal, Palenque, and Copán to be cities. While today most archaeologists would agree that large Maya centers were cities, the nature of Maya urbanism is still little understood. Maya cities seem different, and in attempt to explain these differences, they have been termed “garden cities” and “low-density agrarian-based cities.” In this thesis, I apply Settlement Scaling Theory (SST) — a quantitative framework for examining the mathematical relationships between human population, social connectivity, and other socioeconomic urban properties — to examine the quantitative relationship between population and area for …

Perceptions Of A Small Midwestern Food Cooperative: A Case Study, Rebecca Forsythe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to illuminate how individuals form perceptions of cooperatives, specifically of Green Top Grocery, a cooperative located in Bloomington Illinois, using the Bourdieu-sian habitus and notions of capital as a frame. Green Top Grocery suffers from fiscal instability since they opened in 2017. They also struggle to gain support of lower income individuals, a key demographic they sought to help since their inception based on their stated values. By conducting qualitative interviews of three sample groups: Green Top Grocery board members and leadership, local food access experts, and West Bloomington residents, and non-participant observations, this …

Impacts Of Green Infrastructure On Flood Risk Perceptions In Hong Kong, Seung Kyum Kim, Paul Joose, Mia M. Bennett, Terry Van Gevelt

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

To better address climate unpredictability, green infrastructure is increasingly deployed alongside gray infrastructure as an alternative strategy for flood risk mitigation. Previous research has not clearly distinguished the flood-mitigation effects of green infrastructure at the local scale due to its complex range of functions including socioeconomic benefits, ecosystem services, and amenity value. Using data on 3768 housing sales from 2009 to 2019 in Hong Kong, we employ a difference-in-differences framework to examine the effect of green infrastructure on perceptions of flood risk mitigation, with housing prices as a proxy for risk perception. We find a positive effect of green infrastructure …

Core-Designated Courses, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.