Digital Commons Network^™

Hereditary Deafness And Society: The Quest For Ethical Awareness, Danielle Lavigne

Society for American Sign Language Journal

An excellent study of genetics and deafness is Martha’s Vineyard, a small island off the Massachusetts coast that was once known to have a sizable deaf population. This community that prevailed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries relates many genetic concepts, giving insight as to why the deaf population was larger in proportion than that on the mainland. The paper will cover hereditary deafness in more depth than what has been discussed in the American Sign Language/Deaf Studies literature. This includes understanding the significance of population genetics. The paper also takes into consideration that many hearing residents of Martha’s Vineyard …

Bringing Sign Language Back To Martha's Vineyard, Brooke Turell, Jody Cripps, Jaylin Dillard

Society for American Sign Language Journal

Made possible through community-based research, a team involving a professor and students from Clemson University and two residents of Martha’s Vineyard undertook a timely and insightful sign language proliferation endeavor. Understanding that the island was once home to a shared signing community (see Kisch, 2008 regarding the unique communities where deaf and hearing members know and use sign language and experience ease of communication), the team engaged in a project aimed at restoring signing and sign language to the island life. Although the island is no longer home to numerous deaf residents, Martha’s Vineyard can still become a sign language …

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam And The Shifting Balance Of Power In The Horn Of Africa, Muhammad Fauzan Rizki Ramadhan

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This article briefly explains the correlation between Ethiopia’s ambitious GERD project and the potential shift in power distribution in the region known as the Horn of Africa. The GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) is a hydroelectric dam designed to drive economic growth by harnessing the Nile River as its core. Focusing on a regional-level analysis, this article will examine the relationship between the completion of the project and the shift in power distribution between Egypt as the local status-quo power, and Ethiopia as the regional challenger. Thus, the dramatic transition in regional structure is related to categorizing the Nile River …

Intergenerational Programs With Older Adults: Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions On Academic Performance, Jovette Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intergenerational programs bring together two or more generations and engage them in shared activities that inspire, educate, and advance their mutual well-being. Current literature on intergenerational programs involving elementary school children and older individuals describes benefits for both groups. However, most studies concentrate on the benefits for the older adult participants. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to explore elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the academic performance of students who participated in an intergenerational program with older adults. The theoretical framework consists of four processes of modeling a social learning theory component. A purposeful sampling of eight …

Ai Is The Future Of Poetry: Embracing Innovation Or Threatening Humanity?, Jesus Corcho '28

Best First-Year Seminar Writing

Poetry has been shaped by many intellectual and technological innovations. Renaissance poets would have found mesmerizing the use of mathematics that the Oulipo movement applied to poetry, which wanted to use mathematical constraints to produce poetry verses. Similarly, those members of the Oulipo movement or even just the followers, would find hypnotic how GenAI is now being applied to poetry and writing. GenAI, or AI, has been crippling into poetry, as something that does not know how to coexist with it. Now the community is presented with this new technological force as both an opportunity and a challenge: poets and …

Language Identity And Ownership Through Code-Switching Among Bilingual Maya-Spanish Undergraduate Students At An Intercultural-Bilingual-Education Bachelor’S Program, Felipe Acosta-Munoz

2024 Hispanic Linguistics Symposium

Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE) is a paramount advancement for the cultural and linguistic rights for indigenous peoples across Latin America, including Mexico. Nonetheless, in this country, IBE in higher education has faced arduous challenges in its implementation. The minoritization of indigenous languages (ILs) in the educational model for intercultural universities and programs makes IBE a contested educational battlefield throughout Mexico regarding the relevance of ILs. This paper explains the sociolinguistic negotiation processes among Maya-Spanish bilingual students at the Maya Linguistics and Culture (MLC) program at the Universidad de Oriente. These negotiations provide the necessary data to understand students’ language ideologies …

Lenition And Language Contact In Peru, Brandon Rogers, Carol A. Klee, James Ramsburg

2024 Hispanic Linguistics Symposium

Lenition is defined as any type of articulatory consonantal weakening which can result in voicing, spirantization, or elision. Synchronically and diachronically, lenition has had a consistent and considerable influence on the development of Spanish as well as on its variation. For example, historically, intervocalic /p t k/ were lenited and voiced in Spanish and the other Western Romance languages Contemporarily, varying levels of lenition have been documented in wide array of Spanish varieties, some of which have been shown to correlate with different sociolinguistic factors. While the degree of lenition for different consonantal segments varies, the general consensus is that …

L2 Learners' Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Spanish Varieties, Viveca Power

2024 Hispanic Linguistics Symposium

Although every person holds attitudes toward and perceptions of languages, the language attitudes of second language (L2) learners are of particular interest because they can affect the acquisition of the target language (TL). The present study concerns L2 Spanish learners’ attitudes toward four Spanish varieties, Argentinian, Caribbean, Mexican, and Peninsular Spanish, measured in a verbal guise task. The literature review reveals three key factors that have been found to influence L2 learners’ language attitudes: (1) themes of identity, (2) contact with the TL, and (3) perceptions of the “standard” TL. Results from the present study show that Mexican Spanish was …

Imsa's Equity Lens, Dr. Adrienne Coleman

Professional Learning Day

No abstract provided.

Chatgpt Might Slow You Down: Verification Moderates Ai Uses And Learning Efficiency Among College Students, Ruonan Zhang, Nicky Chang Bi, Kate Salerno, Pelqin Chen

Faculty Publications

Generative artificial intelligence without a doubt is one of the most discussed topics in high-er education. It is still unclear whether ChatGPT is contributing to or hindering students’ learning efficiency. Built on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study is designed to examine the influence of ChatGPT usage of college stu-dents on their learning efficiency; to investigate the moderating effects of verification on the relationship between ChatGPT usage and learn-ing efficiency; and to investigate the relationship among ChatGPT usage and its antecedents, in-cluding subjective norm, job relevance, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intention to use. Using survey data …

Learning Outcomes, Benefits, And Challenges Of International Research Experiences For Students (Ires): An Exploratory Study Of An Ires Program In China, Yousef Jalali, James Barilla, Kirsten Davis, Vinod Lohani, Rolf Müller

Journal of International Engineering Education

Despite the increasing number of international programs targeting students’ learning of research and intercultural skills, there has been limited holistic investigation of students’ experiences employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. In this study, we incorporated several measures to explore students’ experiences in an International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program, which benefited from the existing partnership between Virginia Tech in the U.S. and Shandong University in China. We examined students’ intercultural competence and interdisciplinary research skills and explored students’ stories of their lived experiences across three cohorts, each with five students, who completed the IRES program. Both open-ended survey responses …

Exploring Saudi Arabian Teachers' Perceptions Of Smartboard Instruction For Students With Communication Disorders, Mohammed Alqahtani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using smartboards with students with communication needs in the classroom is one way to apply technology in educational settings. Research has shown the benefits of using the smartboard with students with disabilities (SWDs) and second-language learners. There is still a need to understand further teachers’ perceptions towards using the smartboard in their classrooms with students with communication needs. Therefore, I conducted an exploratory qualitative study to explore Saudi teachers' perceptions regarding the use of smartboards with students with communication needs in the classroom. I collected data via in-depth interviews, smartboard screen recordings, and audio recordings of teachers’ lessons taught using …

The Field Research Grant Colloquium, Latin American And Iberian Institute

LAII Events

Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 02:00 pm

Latin American and Iberian Institute (801 Yale Blvd NE)

About:

Join the LAII for a panel event where former field research grant recipients discuss theirresearch projects.

Graduate students can benefit significantly from the opportunity to conduct field research in LatinAmerica, where they combine practice with theory and connect their scholarship to livedexperiences or archival data. To make field research more accessible to students, each spring theLAII offers field research grants (FRGs) to graduate students across campus.

All potential applicants are encouraged to attend.

Featured Speakers:

Anderson Gomes Barbosa (M.A. Student, Spanish and Portuguese) …

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Iv México Versus U.S. Versions In The Assessment Of Mexican Americans, Gabriela Ontiveros, Philip Gerard Gasquoine

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objective:

To delineate score differences between the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV) and the WAIS-IV México in the assessment of balanced bilingual Mexican Americans and to determine the efficacy of five hold measures in predicting summary scores in each version.

Methods:

Hold measures were WAIS-IV Information, Vocabulary, and Matrix Reasoning subtests, picture vocabulary, and the Test of Premorbid Function (English)/Word Accentuation Test (Spanish). Using a repeated measures design, 60 neurologically intact participants were tested in a counterbalanced order, with WAIS-IV version as the repeated measure (mean intertest interval = 5.68 days). To minimize practice effects, the five visual-perceptual subtests, which …

Investigating Retention Solutions For Women In Aviation Education And Flight Training, Jorge L.D. Albelo, Samantha Bowyer, Michael E. Wiggins

Publications

Despite advancements, women remain underrepresented in the aviation industry, particularly in pilot roles. Addressing this disparity, a university initiated the Women’s Ambassador Mentoring Program (WAMP) to enhance the recruitment and retention of female aviation students pursuing an aeronautical science degree. Concerns persist about insufficient support systems hindering progress. This study employs a transformative mixed methodology, utilizing both publicly available quantitative data and qualitative insights from program-involved students. The research assesses the growth in female aviation students compared to certified pilots, examining the university's enrollment and retention of female students over time. Emphasizing the necessity of a supportive culture, the study …

The Effects Of Internal Training And Job Satisfaction Of Library Staff In Some Selected University Libraries In South-South, Nigeria, Okoh Helen Ewere, Ogonwa Jacinta, Ugbenyo Safiya, Ezeanuna Ginika, Ufuoma Eruvwe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study investigated the effect of Internal trainings and job satisfaction of library staff in some selected university libraries in South-South, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The population of the study consists of 89 library staff which was randomly picked. A total of 89 questionnaires were distributed only 78 were retrieved. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics mean and percentage mean score of 2.5 and above and percentage score of 50% were considered. The revealed that the effects of internal trainings of library staff in some selected university …

Oral History As An Instructional Strategy For Emergent Bilinguals, Justin Willis, Maria Garcia

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

This study explored the use of oral history as an instructional strategy for Emergent Bilinguals (EBs), focusing on its impact on learning outcomes, collaboration, and cultural identity. Focusing on patterns of cultural meanings in learning context related to two frameworks, the sociocultural theory, and the culturally responsive pedagogy, this study examined how oral history reduced students’ linguistic and cultural isolation in academic settings towards the goal of educational success. The findings revealed that the use of oral history methodologies enhanced engagement, language development, critical thinking disposition, and perception of belonging of EB students. There are various themes that emerged in …

Tolkien And Laʒamon, Deidre Dawson

Journal of Tolkien Research

In this essay I argue that the Arthurian poem that had the greatest influence on The Lord of the Rings was Laʒamon’s Brut. In a Letter to editor Milton Waldman from 1951 Tolkien expressed his regret that England lacked a mythology and stories of its own that were “bound up with its tongue and soil, ” explaining that the Arthurian world was “associated with the soil of Britain but not with English,” and that “its ‘faerie’ is too lavish, and fantastical, incoherent and repetitive.” Perhaps to rectify these deficiencies in the Matter of Britain, Tolkien began writing his own …

Introduction To The Special Issue On "J.R.R. Tolkien And Medieval Poets", Jane Beal Phd

Journal of Tolkien Research

This is an “Introduction” by Dr. Jane Beal to the Special Issue of the Journal of Tolkien Research on the theme of “J.R.R. Tolkien and Medieval Poets” in honor of Richard C. West.

It begins with an overview of previous scholarly work on the intersections of medieval poetry with Tolkien’s literary corpus. It explains the process of creating this special issue, which is a festschrift in West’s honor, and it gives an overview of the contents of each of the seven academic articles included in it by contributors Dr. Anna Smol, Dr. Christopher Vaccaro, Dr. Kristine Larsen, Dr. Deidre Dawson, …

Contributions Of Speaking, Listening, And Semantic Depth To Word Learning In Typical 3- And 4-Year-Olds, Peter Richtsmeier, Allison Gladfelter, Michelle Moore

CISLL Publications

Purpose: This study examined learning via perception, learning via production, and semantic depth as contributors to word learning in preschool-aged children. There is broad evidence that semantic depth is an important contributor to word learning, especially when semantic cues are repeated and spaced out over time. Perceptual learning and production learning each support word learning sometimes, but not in all cases. The purpose of this study was to examine all three learning mechanisms within a single experimental paradigm.

Method: Thirty-six typically developing preschool children completed the experiment. They were familiarized with 16 novel words that were contextualized as alien names. …

Aurelio M. Espinosa: An Ideological-Political Figure In Hispanic Studies In The United States., Dr. Inés Vañó García

LAII Events

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 | 01:00 pm

Zoom

About:

Join LAII for a discussion led by Dr. Inés Vañó García as she presents her research concerning the formation of Hispanic Studies in the United States. The goal of her research is to unfold, examine, and contest the political history of the teaching of Spanish in the U.S. Drawing on the history of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish (AATS; 1916) as an internationally recognized institution, she examines the role of this association and its members in creating and shaping a new academic field. Within the emergence and positioning of …

A Phenomenological Study Of Support To Develop Teacher Efficacy In State Funded Preschool Classrooms, Jennifer Stark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenology study was to understand the support for teachers in state funded preschool classrooms through the teachers’ lived experiences. The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as it relates to the role of teacher efficacy in preschool programs and its impact on improving learning environments for children. This study includes a central question and three sub-questions focusing on the support, coaching, and professional learning opportunities provided to educators to improve the learning environment for children in state-funded early childhood classrooms. The setting will include South Carolina state-funded prekindergarten classrooms. The participants …

Editorial: Artificial Intelligence And Cybersecurity In Pervasive Computing, Ji-Jian Chin

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Pervasive computing, or ubiquitous computing, is rapidly increasing in capacity and capabilities. With the Internet of Things (IoT) becoming an integral part of daily life and the growing availability of edge computing resources, automation guided by data is advancing applications in healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, and other areas. It's natural that pervasive computing will intersect with artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. AI can improve detection, prediction, and anticipative responses to human needs, while cybersecurity addresses topics like misuse prevention, ethics, policies, and governance. This issue features seven articles on these intersections, including four AI articles exploring natural language processing and computer …

Teachers’ Experiences Of Applying Transcaring Strategies With Secondary English Language Learners In Online Spaces, Rosa Haydee Addis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English language learners (ELLs) have struggled with learning a new language and content online within the U.S. school system. The research problem on which this study was based was that because ELLs have unique cultural and linguistic challenges while learning online, a better understanding of teachers’ experiences of how transcaring strategies are applied in online learning spaces for secondary ELLs was needed. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ experiences of applying transcaring strategies with secondary ELLs in online spaces. Garrison’s community of inquiry was the conceptual framework, in which the research question related to the …

The Spanish Translation, Adaptation, And Validation Of A Community-Engaged Research Survey And A Pragmatic Short Version: Encuesta Comunitaria And Fuertes, Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, Juan M. Peña, Carlos Devia, Blake Boursaw, Magdalena Avila, Diana Rudametkin, Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Margarita Alegria, Lourdes E. Soto De Laurido, Edna Acosta Pérez, Nina Wallerstein

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Introduction: Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) require validated measures and metrics for evaluating research partnerships and outcomes. There is a need to adapt and translate existing measures for practical use with diverse and non-English-speaking communities. This paper describes the Spanish translation and adaptation of Engage for Equity's Community Engagement Survey (E2 CES), a nationally validated and empirically-supported CEnR evaluation tool, into the full-length Encuesta Comunitaria, and a pragmatic shorter version Fortaleciendo y Uniendo EsfueRzos Transdisciplinarios para Equidad de Salud (FUERTES). Methods: Community and academic partners from the mainland US, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua participated in translating and …

Dyslexia And Sight-Reading: Perceptions Of Upper Woodwind Instrumental Students With Dyslexia And Their Approach To Sight-Reading Study, Kristen S. Spiridon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological research study examines the sight-reading abilities and perceptions of eight to ten high school, dyslexic, upper woodwind students from locations in the United States. The study involves students sight-reading an etude that participants had not seen previously. Though studies featuring note reading and dyslexic students are well documented, the literature has not fully addressed this phenomenon among high-school-aged students and upper woodwind students, who regularly encounter the most technically challenging rhythmic figures. The study includes eight to ten dyslexic upper woodwind high school students sightreading the etude and observing their execution. Each student completed a survey …

An Exploration Into The Social And Emotional Effects Of K-12 Music Education, Jerrod T. Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In music education, a student must learn to read music notation, develop eye-hand-mind coordination, develop keen listening skills, develop team skills for playing in an ensemble, and develop the discipline to practice. Several research findings show that musical training is a powerful intervention that could help students emotionally and intellectually mature. This research aims to connect the current research on music education with the lack of exploration and knowledge to find the correlation between music and students’ academic success. The methodology used for this study will be a quantitative historical study format directed to discover research-backed evidence based on this …

The Perceived Effects Of Black Students' Involvement With Microcommunities On Academic Success At Predominantly White Institutions, Darryl D. Wright-Greene

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the perceived influence that micro-communities and support networks have on the academic success of Black students at Predominantly White Institutions across the United States. This study explored how the roles of micro-communities or strong support networks influence the academic success of Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Through the Social Capital Theory lens, the researcher assessed the lived experiences of current or former Black students to understand how involvement with support networks impacted their academic achievement or success, which included factors contributing to network structure, resources, support and the relationship …

Comparison Of Redevelopment Policies, Gentrification, And Disparate Impact In Tallahassee, Dallas, And San Diego, William Dorsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Previous studies found that the economics of poverty are closely tied to property values, education, and employment. Racial disparity in income also exists today. Part of this is attributed to mass gentrification through Urban Renewal Administration programs that legally displaced entire Black neighborhoods under the purview of the Housing Act of 1954 prior to the Fair Housing Act of 1968. For example, Harlem Park was vacated and redeveloped using eminent domain. Critical Race theorists claim that these programs continue today using colorblind policies and secondary discrimination. This dissertation sought to develop a theoretical understanding of the impact ideology has on …

The Shared Experiences Of The Effectiveness Of Christian Mindfulness Meditation For Adult Evangelical Christians In Florida Experiencing Ptsd Symptomatology, Loraine Yvonne Pennant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mindfulness meditation, though secular in origin, is a distinct Christian principle found in the Bible and are practices that Christians in general subconsciously subscribe to especially in times of traumatic stress. When adapted to reflect Christian principles, this practice should retain the basic concepts of mindfulness meditation while safeguarding the integrity of the biblical tenet. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the shared experiences of the effectiveness of Christian mindfulness meditation of adult evangelical Christians in Florida suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder symptomology. A gap in literature exploring the topics of Christian rumination (meditation) and …