Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Service Technology In A Library System: An Examination Of Potential Library Member Adoption Of Self-Service Checkout At A Southeastern County Library System, Grace Keisha Phillips-Daley

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined potential library member adoption of self-service technology (SST) in a southeastern county library system. The research framework of this study was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). More distinctively, this study explored the significance of motivation factors, to include both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, for choosing to use SST in a library environment as the reasonable effect of familiarity in influencing the possibility of its adoption.

The researcher used a non-probability sampling method to identify participants for the study. Edmonds and Kennedy (2013) suggested that surveys were primarily utilized to observe trends, personal attitudes, or …

Investigating Student Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A First-Year Experience Online Program On Student Retention, Jennifer P. Bowman-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation is a mixed-methods study designed to collect student perspectives of an online First-Year Experience (FE) course and to determine the overall value of the FE course. The researcher sought to identify what is the value of the FE course to the students enrolled in this online course. In the study’s survey, students will be asked a series of questions designed to determine the overall value of the FE course. For this study, the online FE course survey addressed the following theme areas: Course Content, Overall Satisfaction, Transfer Perceptions, and the participants are the new incoming students (first-year …

Status Of Women’S Leadership In The Instructional Technology Field, 2014-2018, Kerrian A. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the leadership status of women in the instructional technology field during the period 2014-2018. Five areas of leadership were examined (a) faculty rank in instructional technology programs, (b) positions on editorial boards of leading instructional technology journals, (c) publications in leading instructional technology journals, (d) presentations at leading conferences in the instructional technology field, and (e) leadership of four leading professional organizations in the field.

The study utilized a quantitative content analysis research method. A code sheet was developed for the five areas of leadership. Research Question 1: What was the leadership …

Diversity In School Leadership: Re-Conceptualizing The Narrative Of Black Male School Principals And Assistant Principals For Recruitment And Retention, James Avery

Theses and Dissertations

Educational leadership is one of the most vastly explored topics in education. School principals and assistant principals make up a substantial portion of those in leadership positions. Experiences in educational leadership have been chronicled for a number of years; however, the diversity in the recorded lived experiences is lacking. To that end, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature by developing an understanding of and recording the essence of Black males’ experiences working in K-12 school leadership positions.

The intersection of race and gender has been proven to create dynamics which impact the enactment of leadership …

Shifting Courses: Achieving Equity In High School Stem, 100kin10, Jeanne Norris

Institute for School Partnership: Research & Publications

Strategies to achieve science equity through high school course offerings, supporting teachers to facilitate active and applied STEM learning, and creating systems to ensure equitable teaching and learning with examples from mySci.

Altered Speech: A Case-Study Of Identity-Driven Speech In A Dissociative Identity Disorder System, Sarah Domin

Scripps Senior Theses

The field of sociolinguistics has long been interested in how speech differs across groups. These studies have been focused on how demographic factors like class, race, and geographical region alter speech patterns. However, more recently, the agency of individuals to use language as a tool to construct a certain identity or persona has been highlighted (e.g., Podesva 2007; Eckert 1989; Eckert 2008). These studies are limited due to the nature of their methods, relying on either one individual with a limited scope of characteristics or on a larger group of people with many different variables at play other than identity. …

Mpas And Marine Citizen Science: Accessibility In The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Christina Marie Hoenow

Open Access Master's Theses

The use of marine citizen science in the management of marine protected areas has grown increasingly popular over the past two decades for a variety of reasons. These include increased monitoring and enforcement capacity, increased engagement with the public, and chances for increased social acceptance hopefully leading to more effective conservation overall. California has taken this a step further and included marine citizen science as part of the Marine Life Protection Act (1999) in an effort to increase public access to marine protected areas as well as access to education and information about marine protected areas and conservation in the …

Student Collaborations In Introductory Statistics Courses; A Network Study, Isabel S. Nowinowski

Open Access Master's Theses

Generation Z, also known as iGen, (individuals born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s), characterized as tech-savvy, independent, and visual, is beginning to graduate college and enter the workforce. While significant research effort has focused on understanding the learning preferences of the preceding Millennial generation (individuals born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s), less is known about the way technology has influenced the educational expectations and learning preferences of Generation Z. A deeper and broader understanding of the way this generation learns would allow universities to modify and enhance course structures and teaching methodologies to suit this incoming generation of …

Underlying Values In Coral Restoration: Responses To The Coral Crisis, Cassandra Wilson

Open Access Master's Theses

Controversy has long existed among global coral experts over how to solve the coral crisis. This problem extends to the U.S. and its coral reef areas, but research on how this controversy influences restoration efforts in Florida is lacking. This study focused on Florida as an important and accessible case study to gain a closer look at the motivations behind coral conservation efforts taking place in real time. Due to a history of national and local coral legislation and consistent threats to Florida’s coral reef tract, coral restoration has emerged as a legitimate form of coral-care that some reef proponents …

The Impacts Of Hearing Loss On Social-Emotional Health, Lili Lan Lebrun Visgilio

Open Access Master's Theses

According to the World Health Organization, over 900 million people are expected to have disabling hearing loss by 2050. Most studies about hearing loss published thus far have focused on the impacts hearing loss has on adults above the age of 60. However, this study examines the relationship between hearing loss and social-emotional health in adults between the ages of 21 and 50. Literature describing the impact of hearing loss on the social-emotional health of young and middle aged adults is sparse. This study uses data from the 2011 wave of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) obtained via the …

Automated Generation Of Detailed Programming Assignment Feedback, Daniel L. Gauthier

Open Access Master's Theses

When teaching students computer programming, instructors often teach specific techniques that students should follow. Students are told to program in these ways, but instructors never really know if the techniques are used; and if they are used, then how effective they are. This project produced a Programming Analysis Plug-In (PAPI) to analyze student academic computer programming course work to measure when and how students are working on programming assignments. These measurements include examining the final assignment submitted by a student as well as the steps a student used to get to the final product. To make sure that this data …

Identifying Opioid Withdrawal Using Wearable Biosensors, Ethan Kulman

Open Access Master's Theses

Wearable biosensors can be used to monitor opioid use, a problem of dire societal consequence given the current opioid epidemic in the US. Such surveillance can prompt interventions that promote behavioral change. Prior work has focused on the use of wearable biosensor data to detect opioid use. In this work, we present a method that uses machine learning to identify opioid withdrawal using data collected with a wearable biosensor. Our method involves developing a set of machine-learning classifiers, and then evaluating those classifiers using unseen test data. An analysis of the best performing model produced a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) …

Changing Moods, Breaking & Building Bonds: Exploring Evt Through Literary Representation, Tina Shanahan

Open Access Master's Theses

“Changing Moods, Breaking & Building Bonds: Exploring EVT through Literary Representation” examines demonstrations of Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) through embodied interactions of fictional characters. With a focus on Jane Austen’s portrayal of interpersonal conflict, this exploration evaluates the theory of expectancy violations (EVT) through the study of the central pairings in Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813), two of Austen’s most celebrated novels, and observes how this theory illuminates interpersonal relationships in Austen’s work. Moreover, it seeks to illustrate how the application of expectancy violations theory (EVT) to literary texts reveals concepts such as self-deception. There has …

An Examination Of Golf Magazines For Health Belief Model Applications And Skin Cancer Protection Advice, Beth A. Bailey

Open Access Master's Theses

Skin cancer rates are elevated among men, especially men who participate in outdoor sports, such as golf. Male golfers who play regularly are particularly susceptible to skin cancers because of the length of ultraviolet radiation exposure during game time, lack of adequate skin protection, plus their cumulative lifetime exposure is higher than non-golfers. Drawing on the health belief model, the purpose of the research was to analyze golf magazines from two decades for editorial content that communicates the increased risk of skin cancer for male golfers as well as protective measures they can undertake to prevent ultraviolent solar radiation exposure, …

Rhetorical Leadership In Organizational Conflict And Change: Case Studies Of Antiracist Preaching, Steven Tramel Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study investigates how leaders call for change while also caring for their organizations. The theoretical framework comes from the interdisciplinary study of a type of religious communication called prophetic rhetoric, developed by scholars of communication, English, and homiletics. That framework is used here in the analyses of speeches and public letters by leaders who challenge ideologies and practices shaped by and contributing to racial injustice. More specifically, this dissertation studies how audiences white fragility leads to constrained prophetic rhetoric that is a communication strategy inviting change without destroying organizations or being expelled from them. From analyses of such rhetoric …

Using Transactional Distance Theory To Explore The Experiences Of Community College Students In Online Developmental Courses, Brian Gerber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The number of community college students taking online courses has steadily increased, which includes students enrolling in online developmental courses. Community colleges have largely embraced online learning in order to improve student access, but many difficulties (e.g. low passing rates, high withdrawal rates) have been discovered in the area of online learning. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of community college students in online developmental courses. The research question that guided this study was: 1.Using Transactional Distance Theory, what is the experience of community college students in online developmental courses?Data was collected using phenomenological …

Religious Studies Teachers Perceptions Of The Role Of Religious Literacy In Students' Civic Preparation, John Grant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of teachers of religion courses who use the study of religion to prepare students for the pluralistic society awaiting them. The primary questions addressed in this study were focused on perceptions of religious studies teachers regarding their definition of religious literacy, the content of a religiously literate person, the civic consequences of an education that ignores religious literacy, and how religious literacy might inculcate civic values. The participants of this study included five purposefully selected religious studies teachers from five different school types (i.e., Christian, Islamic, Jewish, nonsectarian, public). These …

Academic Coaching As Measured By Student Perceptions Of Grit, Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Commitment, Time Management, And Gpa., Elizabeth Ann Gravley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study examines how academic coaching influenced at-risk college students academic performance. Academic coaching places one student with a trained academic coach, who attempts to outline an academic plan with the student. The student contracts with the academic coach and they meet biweekly to assess progress and to discuss experiences and issues. Such an intervention was performed in the fall 2016 semester at a southern, urban, public university (Center for Academic Retention and Enrichment Services [CARES], 2017). One way to examine academic coaching as an intervention and to determine efficacy is to measure students sense of grit, academic self-efficacy, academic …

A Comparative Study Of Young Children's Risk-Taking Behavior In China And U.S.: A Multiple-Group Path Analysis, Jun Hao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Risk-taking is inevitable, uncertain, and essential in early childhood. Researchers suggest four important factors that influence young childrens risk-taking behavior, namely, childrens temperament of sensation seeking, parents perception of risk, parental supervision, and society. However, there has been little effort to examine how the four factors collectively impact young childrens risk-taking behavior. The purpose of this study was to understand (1) what role the three factors (childrens sensation seeking, parents risk perception, and parental supervision) play in childrens risk-taking behavior; and (2) how their relations vary by society. The current study proposed a model (Figure 1) derived from Sandseters (2010) …

Factors Associated With Hiv Among Black Women Experiencing Poverty: Exploring The Intersection Of Gender, Race, And Class, Robin Hardin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

More Black women are living with HIV relative to women from all other racial backgrounds, with unprotected heterosexual sex being the primary mode of transmission. There are power dynamics due to gender, class, and race that may increase susceptibility to contracting HIV among Black women with low socioeconomic status. Exploring the sociocultural and contextual factors that contribute to these high rates of HIV among Black women is critical for prevention efforts. Guided by Black feminist theory, which examines the intersectional effects of multiple marginalized identities, we formulated the current study. This study explored how factors embedded in the intersection of …

Inorganic Materials For Local Drug Delivery, Michael Anthony Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Orthopedic infections, including periprosthetic joint infections and osteomyelitis, are debilitating complications that greatly increase mortality rates and expenditure of healthcare resources. Treatment protocols include surgical debridement of infected tissue, removal of any foreign implants, and several weeks of systemic antibiotic therapy, yet recurrence rates remain high. Local antibiotic delivery systems augment traditional therapy techniques by increasing antibiotic concentrations at the site of infection to levels that are unachievable by IV or oral delivery, thereby improving bacterial clearance rates. Current clinical products are commonly prepared at the surgeons direction, with only limited data and anecdotal reports guiding antibiotic choice and loading. …

On Transcribing Richard Wagners Siegfried Idyll For 21st-Century Wind Ensemble Instrumentation, Brian Edward Hodge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This project contains a transcription of Wagners Siegfried Idyll for wind band. The dissertation project includes documentation as to the transcription process, as well as historical references for Richard Wagner and for two previously transcribed contrasting approaches with Lucien Cailliets Elsas Procession to the Cathedral and Micheal Votta/John Byrds adaptation of Trauermusik. A detailed theoretical analysis of the original work is presented to contextualize the transcription process.

The Effectiveness Of Neurofeedback On Dissociation And Emotion Regulation, Possible Mediators Of Externalizing Behavior In Adolescents In Residential Treatment, M. Greg Horn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Residential treatment (RT) has shown a minimal effect in the treatment of aggression and delinquency in adolescents. Adverse childhood experiences predict these externalizing behaviors, and it is theorized that problems of self-regulation are involved. Neurofeedback has been used to facilitate self-regulation. Little research has examined how problems with self-regulation mediate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and externalizing behaviors. Participants in the current study were male and female adolescents between ages 11 and 17 enrolled in a residential treatment facility. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment-as-usual or neurofeedback with treatment-as-usual condition. Multiple regression was utilized to examine a …

Emporium By Aldo Lpez-Gaviln: A Declaration Of Unity, Dawson Andrew Hull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Cuban pianist and composer Aldo Lpez-Gaviln is known for excelling in both classical and jazz worlds. He stands not only between two musical worlds, but also between Cuba and the United States, in the midst of their turbulent relationship. In 2017, he wrote and premiered his first piano concerto, Emporium, stating that the purpose of the work is to unify the world. He fosters this unity through the combination of music from different cultures and styles, including classical, Cuban, and jazz, and through the emphasis on musical unity seen in the form of work. The tensions between the United States …

Women's Experiences With Leadership Development In An Outdoor-Based Experiential Training Program, Maria Del Socorro Hubbard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Outdoor-based experiential training (OBET) programs are a popular option for leadership development. However, few qualitative studies have explored the structural and textural factors within these programs that contribute to the leadership development of businesswomen who participate in them. This qualitative phenomenological study used a constructivist epistemology to explore the experiences of a sample of women who, during 2018 and 2019, participated in a five-day OBET program for leadership development sponsored by their employer. Gender schema theory served as a theoretical framework to consider the research questions: 1) How do women experience leadership development in an OBET program? 2) What experiences …

Can't Be Broken: The Survival Of Black Girls In A Broken Educational System, Ashley Monique Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation follows a three-article format. The purpose of this study was to explore the components of K-12 urban or suburban, private/charter, and public schools to determine if the setting is prepared to implement holistic approaches to support Black girls to meet there social and emotional needs. The first article uncovers the perceptions of teachers not feeling prepared to implement a social-emotional learning environment through a culturally responsive pedagogical framework. The second article focuses on the impact Black educators have on Black students within the academic setting from a phenomenological lens, lived experiences were shared to understand the passion, purpose, …

Entrepreneurial Process Orientation: A Choice Of Three Theories, David Frank Jorgensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

While entrepreneurship has gained in prevalence among universities in recent years (Singer, 2015), many individuals stay out of the arena due to beliefs of their match to necessary entrepreneurial behaviors, as well as lack of outside acceptance as an entrepreneur. The popular view on which behaviors are required for success in entrepreneurship, however, may be incomplete and even misleading. To address this concern, I introduced the new construct of entrepreneurial process orientation (EPO) and studied how this construct, while it possesses the potential to encompass several facets of personality, could be initially explored using variables from the Panel Study of …

Faculty Members Attitudes And Self-Reported Actions Towards Accessibility In Online Higher Education., Habibah Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Due to an increasing number of students gaining access to online courses, online education is quickly becoming more prevalent within the learning paradigm. In order to accommodate students with disabilities (SWD), a need arised to create an inclusive learningenvironment which allows all learners to feel comfortable in their learning without feeling any prejudice. Federal laws were passed to protect SWD and thus, educational models were developed to create an inclusive learning environment especially SWD. Amongst one of the models developed to create an inclusive learning environment is the universal design for learning (UDL). However, despite the existence of UDL research …

Humans And Nonhumans Becoming Political: Memphis Women's March Assemblages, Margaret Ann King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In this post-qualitative feminist study, object-interviews with women who participated in the Memphis Womens March (MWM) and nonhuman objects were used to explore the interconnections of the MWM and the women and the nonhuman objects, and the relational knowledge generated by the interconnections between humans (e.g., the women who marched, other marchers) and nonhumans (e.g., posters, banners, t-shirts, pink pussyhats, and/or photographs). This study is significant in two ways. First, this post-qualitative feminist study attends to the interconnections of the MWM and the women and the signs. Second, this study will contribute to current post-qualitative work by utilizing object-interviews to …

First Destination Survey 2020: For Degrees Awarded December 2019-August 2020, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

First Destination Survey

No abstract provided.