Digital Commons Network^™

Neural Synchrony During Naturalistic Language Perception In Listeners With Aphasia, Lisa Johnson Norris

Theses and Dissertations

Neural synchrony across listeners during language processing has been found to be associated with successful comprehension in neurotypical adults. At initial presentation of auditory-visual stimuli, neural responses appear to oscillate in different rhythms across brain regions. As the stimulus progresses, the time course of neural activity synchronizes across listeners, particularly in primary auditory and visual processing regions. This phenomenon, which we refer to as ‘neural entrainment,’ has been observed in neurotypical individuals attending to the same stimulus. Neural synchrony occurs due to the inherent neural response elicited by a stimulus and has been shown to be consistent across participants in …

Towards Understanding Therapy Response In Chronic Aphasia, Sigfus Kristinsson

Theses and Dissertations

It remains largely unclear what factors determine who responds to aphasia therapy and to what degree. The current study sought to ameliorate this issue by addressing three aims: 1) To identify baseline predictors that dissociate between therapy responders and nonresponders, 2) to identify predictors of degree of treated recovery in therapy responders, and 3) to examine the generalizability of predictors identified under Aims 1 and 2 in randomly selected subsamples of study participants.

Method: Stroke survivors (N = 102; 43 females; age = 60.5y +/- 11.0y) with chronic aphasia (>12m post-stroke) were recruited as part of a multisite trial. …

Evaluation And Implementation Of The C-Pen On The Reading Level, Comprehension, And Oral Reading Fluency Of Third-Grade Students With Learning Disabilities: An Action Research Study, Kawanna Mckenzie

Theses and Dissertations

Third-grade students with learning disabilities struggle to meet reading proficiency levels at both the national and local levels. The appropriate support, services, and instruction of students with learning disabilities can help them achieve reading proficiency. Specific educational laws have been implemented to enable students with learning disabilities to use assistive technologies such as text-to-speech tools to support their reading. The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the impact of a text-to-speech tool—the C-Pen—on the reading skills of third-grade students with learning disabilities at an elementary/middle school. The focus of this study was on three main research questions …

The Impact Of Reading Intervention Supports On Adolescent Reader Identity, Erin Christine Doty

Theses and Dissertations

This case study research aimed to uncover how adolescent students describe their experiences with reading intervention and what aspects of their school experiences they see as contributing to their reader identity. Previous research done with or about adolescent students in reading intervention programs has demonstrated a need for a deeper understanding of students’ perspectives of reading intervention and its impact on reader identity as well as an understanding of how these interventions position students as learners. Using a case study approach, data was collected with three eighth grade students who have participated in reading intervention programs for more than three …

Preliminary Outcomes And Feasibility Of A Brief Online Teacher Training In Culturally Responsive Practices (Crp) To Reduce Disproportionate Discipline In Prek-3rd Grade Classrooms, Samantha Noelle Hartley

Theses and Dissertations

School discipline policies that rely on exclusionary discipline practices, such as office discipline referrals, suspensions, and expulsions, negatively and disproportionately impact racial minority students, beginning in preschool. Disproportionate discipline persists even when schools implement schoolwide interventions that reduce overall rates of exclusionary discipline, suggesting that schools must do more to address other likely causes of the discipline gap, including implicit racial bias, insufficient teacher training in classroom management, and a cultural mismatch between schools and minority students. There has been an increased call for teacher professional development in culturally responsive behavior management practices, but such interventions are often poorly evaluated …

Animacy And Intransitivity In Sentence Processing, Peter Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The distinction between animate and inanimate objects is essential to many cognitive tasks. Research has shown distinct patterns of memory, attention, and language response to animate and inanimate objects. This dissertation examines the effects of noun animacy on sentence processing. I report three psycholinguistic experiments on intransitive constructions, testing how animate and inanimate nouns influence expectations for an intransitive clause. Intransitive verbs fall into types based on thematic role. Unergative verbs assign an Agent role. Unaccusative verbs assign a Theme/Patient role, although a subclass of unaccusative verbs can alternate between intransitive constructions with a Theme/Patient subject and transitive constructions with …

The Impact Of A Four-Station Blended Learning Model Of Differentiating Instruction On Student Engagement In A Middle School Chinese I Class In A Southeastern State, Junlan Li

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the impact of the proposed Four-Station Blended Learning Model (FSBLM) on the engagement level of four middle school students in a Chinese as a foreign language class. For the purposes of the study, student engagement is defined by three aspects: (1) participation in class activities, (2) classwork completion, and (3) student perceptions of Chinese class. Incorporating an action research design, data was collected through utilizing Likert-scale pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, observations and the taking of field notes, students’ work samples, and classwork grades. Both qualitative and quantitative data were …

Shattering The Glass Slipper: An Investigation Into Nontraditional Gender Roles And Norms In The Elementary Classroom, Sara Mclean Suber

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, action research study investigated the ways that third grade students reacted when their worldviews concerning traditional gender roles and norms were challenged through classroom discourse, children’s literature, integrated art projects, and other writing and reading activities. The questions guiding this study were: (1) What is the impact of an English Language Arts unit involving texts and activities that depict nontraditional gender roles and norms on third grade students in a Southern, working class, elementary school?, (2) How are students’ preconceived notions in relation to gender roles and norms challenged over the course of the implemented curricular unit?, and …

The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Socratic Seminar: The Effect On African American Students’ Reading And Their Critical Thinking, Amy Christina Waddell

Theses and Dissertations

Achievement gaps have been an ongoing issue among African American students for years. The continuation of low achievement scores has been the downfall of African American student success throughout their educational history (Royle & Brown, 2014). So much time has been spent helping students achieve grade-level mastery, while little was being done to ensure continuous academic growth for students that were already reading on-grade level. Over time, these on-grade level students remained stagnant or tended to regress. This research study presented two instructional intervention strategies that demonstrated how critical thinking could improve the growth in reading, among rising sixth-grade on-grade …

Postcolonial Narrative And The Dialogic ImaginatioN: An Analysis Of Early Francophone West African Fiction And Cinema, Seydina Mouhamed Diouf

Theses and Dissertations

Francophone West Africa, in the aftermath of colonization, found itself at a crossroads between the necessity to address the problems of neo-colonialism while affirming its cultural identity and the need to embrace a universal message. That dilemma is not shared by literary critics who regard the work of early generation writers merely as an “empire writing back.” In the many classifications of West African literature, the emphasis is oftentimes put either on the importance of a counter-discourse that also rejects Western aesthetics or on the effects of post-independence disillusionment. This study argues that early francophone West African literary productions took …

The Development Of A Tractable System To Assess Caulobacter-Plant Interactions, Louis Berrios

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria play an integral role in regulating plant growth and development. However, many of the mechanisms encompassing bacteria-plant interactions are poorly understood and thus require detailed assessments (see CHAPTER 1). To this end, I coupled bacterial (Caulobacter sp.) and plant model organisms (Arabidopsis) to determine 1) the degree to which select bacteria can enhance the growth and development of plants, and 2) what functions these bacteria possess that enable them to aid plant development. Employing bacterial isolation techniques, monoculture inoculum-based plant growth assays, biochemical assays, comparative genomics, functional genetics, and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), I determined that …

Culturally Responsive Teaching In Science Classrooms, Julia Bender

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Our educational system is producing a generation of dependent learners. Whether because of a lack of confidence or a lack of skills, these scholars often don’t know where to start when tackling complex problems. Inequitable educational experiences have caused these challenges to disproportionately impact students of color. Education scholars, including Geneva Gay, Gloria Ladson-Billings, and Zaretta Hammond, have completed extensive research on how culturally responsive teaching can be used as a strategy to address these inequities. This project takes on a specific focus and works to address the following question: How can science teachers use culturally responsive teaching to help …

How Food Insecurity And Malnutrition Affect Academic Development And Success In School Aged Students, Quinn Davis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Davis, Q. F. (2021). How Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Affect Academic Development and Success in School Aged Students. The question addressed in this Capstone is: How does food insecurity and malnutrition affect school success among elementary school students, and how can teachers combat food insecurity and malnutrition in schools with knowledge of community resources? This Capstone is the documentation of one educator’s exploration of the importance of food and nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Capstone explores effects of malnutrition and how it alters brain development, the importance of proper nutrition, and the importance of educator involvement in solving this …

Increasing Language Output For English Language Learners Through Interactive Language Strategies In The Elementary Mainstream Classroom, Aanya Dibrito

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

My experience as an EL teacher working with language learners on a daily basis and seeing the need for language support throughout the academic day led me to my research question, how can classroom teachers increase language output for English Learners through interactive strategies in the elementary mainstream classroom. Based on my research on interactive language strategies, I created a professional development series intended for all mainstream classroom teachers. The purpose of the presentations is to build teachers’ repertoire of interactive language strategies they can use in their classrooms to scaffold and differentiate for language learners in all content areas. …

Incorporating Mathematics Stations Into The Current Curriculum, Stacy Moua

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Meeting the needs of every single student in a classroom is a struggle. However, providing a variety like math stations will help students succeed. Providing students with interactions, movement, independence, and small groups are some ways to solve that problem. Thus, I came up with the research question: How can mathematical stations be incorporated into the current curriculum and increase students’ math skills in a kindergarten classroom? The project will be a revision of Unit One of the Math Expressions curriculum for kindergarten. The project will include math stations and include what math stations are, what to do, and how …

Culturally Relevant Pedagogies And Literacy Programs For Newcomer Somali High School English Language Learners, Catherine Orfield

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

For over 30 years, Somalis have fled dire situations in Somalia in search for a better life in the United States and other countries of asylum. As Somali students enroll in schools in the United States, they must learn the new culture as well as the English language. Many of these students are grade levels behind in the English language. This capstone project uses a synthesis from a literature review and the creation of a website in order to answer the question: What are the most successful pedagogies to use with newcomer Somali high school English Language Learners to bring …

Adaptation Of English Standards For The Learning Of A Diverse Population Of Students, Lexie Read

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As the demographics of our nation’s schools change dramatically, the issue of the achievement gap within our schools becomes more pronounced. Our students are more diverse in race, ability, language and sexual orientation than ever before. Along with these changes, come changes in the needs and learning styles of our students. It is critical for academic success that students are engaged in material that is relevant to their own lives and reflects their lived experiences. However, in secondary English departments across the country, teachers are being asked to teach the same texts and use the same materials that have been …

How Infusing Music Into Elementary Mathematics Curriculum Affects Students’ Learning And Engagement, Caitlin Riebe

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Mathematics is an academic subject that does not come easily to everyone. Many students who excel in extra curricular activities after school have a poor relationship with academics, but does it have to be this way? The research question addressed in this capstone project is: how does infusing music into elementary mathematics curriculum affect student learning and engagement? Research was compiled in regards to multiple intelligence theory, learning styles, teaching mathematics best practices, and music and math integration in the classroom. The capstone project was then developed in order to gain more insight into the potential benefits of incorporating music …

Antiracism And Culturally Responsive Teaching: Elevating Student Voice To Lead Critical Dialogue On Race, Lars Ericson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Schools in America today operate to assimilate and oppress students of color, continuing to uphold systems of white supremacy that specifically harm Black and Indigenous students (Paris & Alim, 2014, 2017). Given this climate of systematic violence pervasive in schools, it is of paramount importance that all educators commit to unfaltering antiracism. This Capstone Project sets out to answer the research question: How can the implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive discussion protocols elevate students to lead critical conversations about race and identity in an English classroom? Through this inquiry, this study designs curriculum for a high school, English elective …

Promoting Early Literacy Learning, Margaret Baird

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone addresses the importance of early literacy exposure for later literacy development and academic achievement. Literacy levels when students enter school have been shown to be related to later reading achievement and academic success. Caregiver involvement is a significant part of early literacy development. The influence of caregiver involvement is the primary focus of the project. The website created for this project provides caregivers of children birth to age 5 with activities to facilitate the development of early literacy, and community resources dedicated to promoting early literacy. The project is intended for anyone who spends an extended amount of …

How Does The Use Of Annotation Affect Reading Comprehension In The Primary Grades Of Immersion Education?, Erin O’Flaherty

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is developed to support students’ reading ability and comprehension. I want to improve my students' interaction with texts. I hope for students to not just passively read but to actively engage in their reading which will lead to a deeper understanding and better comprehension. The purpose of this capstone project is to address the following research question: How does the use of annotation affect reading comprehension in the primary grades of immersion education? Through my research and literature review I found that annotation of text has a positive effect on promoting students’ reading ability including improving reading …

A Capstone Project Concerning Social Justice In Secondary Science Education, Jacob Skerletts

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Minnesota began collecting and analyzing the graduation rates of different student demographics starting in 2012. This has led to the exposure of the Achievement Gap, in which students of color graduate from high school at an alarmingly low rate compared to white students. Minnesota ranks nationally at the bottom for the graduation rates of students of color. This Capstone Project had the driving question of, How can secondary science teachers bring Social Justice into the classroom in order to help close the Achievement Gap? The literature reviewed showed that effectively using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Disaggregate Pedagogy can increase intellectual …

Multilingualism And Translanguaging In General Education Classrooms: How Educators Can Support The Complex Linguistic Repertoires Of Multilingual Learners In Elementary School, Jenna Healy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is a culmination of research, professional experience and educational growth. Through these lived experiences I studied what many sociolinguists have determined; the population of multilingual learners in the United States continues to increase. According to the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership (MnEEP, 2020), multilingual students are the fastest-growing student group in Minnesota, totaling 73,919 in the 2018-19 school year. Therefore, linguistic pedagogies such as multilingualism need to come to the forefront of professional development to educate and support non-ELL teachers to address the complex linguistic needs of multilingual learners. The paper begins with an introduction of why I …

Multi-Tiered Support Systems For Multilingual Learners: Structures That Inform Reading Instruction And Intervention, Elisabeth Riley

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Multilingual learners (MLLs also known as English Language Learners or ELLs) are a growing population in United States schools. The literature reviewed in this capstone explored the question: How does the research recommend designing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for Multilingual Learners (MLLs) to inform reading instruction? This capstone used the literature reviewed to create a series of three professional development sessions for adult staff in this midwest school to navigate the implementation of a system of support beginning with how data is used. The professional development sessions provided an overview of MTSS, explored culturally responsive teaching methods, investigated …

Finding A Balanced Blend: Designing And Supporting Engaging And Effective Integrated Skills Materials For Adult Esl Blended Learning Classrooms, Marlee Dorendorf

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As technology plays an increasingly critical role in society, responsive classrooms are pushed to innovate in new ways in order to equip students with the skills they need for daily life. Blended learning classes, combining in-person and virtual instruction, went from being a helpful model to a critical need in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Many Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second Language (ESL) programs had not developed robust blended learning programs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to emergency models that, while innovative, were not sustainable. As the field of education moves forward we can consider …

Shifting Voices: Facilitating The Ideal L2 Self Through The Development Of Imagined Communities In The Language Classroom, Kyle Undem

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Much can be learned about second language (L2) learner identities by understanding imagined communities which learners create to imagine participation in a target community. As L2 learners’ identities are varied, vast and imagined, it is important to line our pedagogical practices to help learners connect to and explore their various imagined communities and ideal L2 selves. Transformative pedagogy views language not simply as a set of governing rules, but more importantly from a social perspective, taking into account learner identities as they shift in accordance with the social world. The classroom is viewed as a place where learner investment in …

A Toolkit For Mainstream Teachers Of Multilingual Learners In International Schools, Elizabeth Butterfield

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

International schools date back to the early 20th century, just after the end of World War II. Today, they can still act as a kind of “island of English” in countries where English is not the language spoken by the majority of residents. English learner programs in international schools tend to reflect an English-advantaged mindset which can be detrimental to multilingual learners. This is especially problematic in the international school setting, where English learners are not immigrants, but rather are in the school for a short time (2-4 years), and will likely return to their home countries and home languages. …

Informing Educators On Effective Strategies For Ltels, Maria Soto

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated that students who speak languages other than English are a growing presence in U.S schools. The presentation designed for this project focuses on strategies to help and support ESL students known as long-term ELs. LTELs are typically found in grades 6–12. LTELs mainly go unnoticed in schools ,or worse yet, are misunderstood, perceived as failures. This is why this LTELs research is important to me. Many practices have been implemented in the ESL classroom settings, but research on how to scaffold and use effective instruction with these LTEL students is limited. The project involved creating a presentation …

Enhancing Communicative Competence Of Adult Korean Efls, Ikran Ali

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The objective of this extended literature review was to answer the questions: What obstacles may hinder adult Korean English as a foreign language (EFL) students from improving their communicative competence? and What are strategies to enhance English communicative competence of adult Korean EFLs? This study provides an in-depth look into research on the topic of Korean adults learning English as a foreign language. Many adult Korean EFL students have studied English from a young age but still face many difficulties when attempting to communicate with native English speakers. The literature suggests three major strategies teachers can use to assist students …

A Parent Focused Bilingual Literacy Program, Jordan Perkins

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

While theories and methods surrounding English language teaching are continually evolving, the goal is almost always the same: help students acquire the English they need to be successful in their communication at work and the community. Adult ESL programs are often focused on work and community but leave family communication out of the curriculum. Inclusion of the first language (L1) in adult-focused curricula can help improve the language acquisition of the second language (L2) and improve the overall literacy of the learners. Although many family literacy programs are being created or researched to improve child literacy in the home, and …