Digital Commons Network^™

University Of Richmond Magazine - Autumn 2024

University of Richmond Magazine

The University of Richmond's Alumni Magazine was first published as The Alumni Bulletin in 1936 and continues to this day as the University of Richmond Magazine.

Responding To Reading Difficulties: An Exploration From Different Professional Perspectives, Ezgi Unlu

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The study was designed to explore educators’ perspectives on reading difficulties and their choice of teaching strategies for students with reading difficulties. The study aimed to understand how educators form their professional perspectives on reading difficulties, how this relates to their understanding of the concept of ‘dyslexia’ and how this informs their teaching methods. Furthermore, the study has explored the extent to which these chosen teaching strategies are inclusive and meet the needs of all students. A qualitative case study was used to generate data to address the research questions and achieve the aims of this study. Data were generated …

Agreeing To Disagree: The Problems Of The Traditional Approaches To The Interpretation Of International Law, Nahuel Maisley

Fordham International Law Journal

People disagree about international law. To help them work through these disagreements, the discipline has developed a series of rules on the interpretation of its various sources—most notably, Articles 31 and 32 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and the standards developed by the International Court of Justice and the International Law Commission for the identification of custom. The problem, however, is that these norms are themselves subject to disagreement, thereby creating a meta-debate about how to interpret the rules on interpretation. This Article delves into this meta-debate, focusing specifically on the views adopted by the “traditional …

Selective Assistance As An Evidentiary Problem In Genocide Cases, Paul Behrens

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Demographic Change, Migration, And The African American Vowel System In Georgia, Jon Forrest, Margaret E. L. Renwick, Joseph A. Stanley, Lelia Glass

Faculty Publications

The theme of this volume is generational trends in language change, with an emphasis on the Baby Boomer to Gen X transition as an important period of time. Many studies have found sharp changes in vowel systems in communities after the Baby Boomer Generation on the East Coast (Thiel and Dinkin 2020) and in the Midwest (Nesbitt 2021). Though we know a great deal about the geographic consistency of the Baby Boomer to Gen X transition, in all of these cases, the focus has been on White speakers and regional varieties. Besides the general importance of including a breadth of …

Assessing Algebra Readiness: A Three-Year Study Of The Orleans-Hanna Prognosis Test And Middle School Math Placements, Tabitha Nicole Ringler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates the viability of the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test (Hanna and Orleans, 1982) as a modern predictor of algebra readiness among eighth grade students. At over 40 years old, the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test (1982) is still commonly utilized by schools as the main source of mathematical ability grouping. The guiding question for this research is whether the test is outdated and should be retired, or is it still a valid predictor of algebra readiness.

Utilizing a longitudinal study spanning three years, the research examines the performance of math students placed in an advanced class versus students who …

A Corpus-Based Comparison Of Keywords And Themes From The Book Of Mormon And The Bible, Brett James Hashimoto, Joshua Cowley

Faculty Publications

The Book of Mormon has been studied for its thematic, literary, and theological content using almost exclusively qualitative methods (e.g., Turley, 2019; Morrill, 2017). However, scholars have conducted little analysis comparing it to the Bible, even though those who view it as scripture consider it directly comparable in purpose. (e.g., The Book of Mormon, 2015; McConkie, 1985). The present study applies quantitative linguistic analysis to statistically derive the distinctive language from the two volumes of scripture and identifies the key themes and language from the two books. To accomplish this, corpora of The King James Version of the Bible (66 …

Neurological Evidence For The Contextindependent Multisensorial Semantics Of Ideophones In Pastaza Kichwa: An Fnirs Study In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Dan Dewey, Jeffrey J. Green, Janis Nuckolls, Auna Nygaard, Tod D. Swanson

Faculty Publications

Ideophones – imitative words using the stream of speech to simulate/depict the rise and fall of sensory perceptions and emotions and temporal experiences of completiveness, instantaneousness, and repetitiveness – have been characterized as semantically empty and context dependent. The research reported here tested a simple schematic for the semantic categories of Pastaza Kichwa ideophones by tracking neurological responses to ideophones categorized as VISUAL, MOTION, and SOUND. Seventeen native speakers of Pastaza Kichwa listened to audio clips of ideophones extracted from sentential contexts. Subjects’ neural activity was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results demonstrate that these posited semantic categories activate areas …

Realizing The Role Of Interdisciplinary Practices In Psycho-Educational Assessment For Learners With Special Education Needs/Disabilities In Guyana, Keon Cheong

Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of students are referred to special education sectors. With the growing numbers, there is a need for structures and systems to be in place to ensure that the least restrictive environment is used while ensuring that learners are adequately placed based on their abilities. This challenge is heightened in the Global South. In the Caribbean, few countries have legislation to address disabilities, and in locations where there is legislation, it is either outdated or not enforced. This dissertation conducts a systematic review using 60 studies to compile comprehensive research-based information about interdisciplinary practices, specifically in the psycho-educational …

Yiddish Intelligibility Retention Across The Jewish Diaspora: A Comparison Between Argentina And The U.S., Shannon R. Friel , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

U.S. Ashkenazi Jews may call their grandma “bubbe” ([bʊbi]) in Yiddish, but in Argentina they usually call her “bobe” ([βoβe]). Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants brought Yiddish to the U.S. and Argentina, where the language was exposed to English and Spanish and Yiddish speakers lost touch with each other as they assimilated to different cultures far away from one another. This study attempts to answer whether English-Yiddish speakers can understand Yiddish words as produced by a Spanish-Yiddish speaker. U.S. participants completed a perception test, listening to a list of 20 words gathered from two Argentinian consultants and answering a series of questions …

Cross-Denominational Dialogue: Sola Scriptura In Setting The Table For Charitable And Faithful Christian Discourse, Ciprian Mihai Manea

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In this project, the problem centers around cross-denominational dialogue. The contemporary Christian theological landscape is highly complex and varied. Theologians engage with different theories of knowledge, authority sources, and theological methods, resulting in diverse perspectives that conflict with each other and with Adventist Christian convictions. The differing rational structures of these perspectives require committed effort to understand and communicate effectively. Best practice cross-denominational dialogue involving the theologically informed must account for these differences and provide a context that can facilitate faithful and charitable discourse. Such a context would not only ease the tensions among different Christian traditions but would …

Colonial Experiences And Contemporary Laws, Yun-Chien Chang, Adam Chilton, Nuno Garoupa, Mila Versteeg

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

Although research suggests that countries’ colonial experiences are associated with a range of contemporary outcomes, the link between colonial experiences and the substance of countries’ laws remains unclear. We explore this question while making four improvements over past research. First, we use more detailed data on both countries’ colonial experiences and contemporary substantive laws. Second, we directly assess whether countries’ shared legal origins—that is, whether they had a common law or civil law system—or their colonial origins—that is, which country had previously colonized them—are more associated with differences in their contemporary laws. Third, we use a research design that makes …

Property Moves: Assembling Service Streams, Lee Anne Fennell

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

In this essay, I consider how we might retrofit property rights to meet modern urban and environmental challenges, which have foundationally rewritten property’s job description. The way forward requires attending to the beneficial services that resources provide, and to the central role of assembly (and reassembly) in generating and sustaining those service streams. To that end, I catalog a repertoire of “property moves” aimed at the moving target of resource optimization. While these moves can be pursued in limited ways within our current property framework, pursuing them in concert at scale requires ownership that is built for ongoing reconfiguration. I …

Empowering Children With Special Needs (Cwsn) In Computer Science: An Interactive Hand Gestures Approach To Number Conversion Teaching, Renjith P.R., Jeeva Jose

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

It is essential for teachers to effectively address the diverse needs of students within the classroom environment, encompassing variations in IQ, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and mathematical proficiency. Ensuring the inclusion of CwSN (Children with Special Needs) is imperative to prevent social division in the classroom. While the department offers accommodations such as scribes, interpreters, or extra time for examinations, these measures may not fully address the specific needs of CwSN. This study explores the efficacy of employing hand gestures as a teaching tool for CwSN in computer science, particularly in the realm of number conversions. A machine learning-based tool …

Courting Citation Consistency: Justice Frankfurter And West Coast Hotel Co. V. Parrish, Helen J. Knowles-Gardner

Touro Law Review

This Article examines the three U.S. Supreme Court opinions authored by Justice Felix Frankfurter that cited the landmark decision in West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937). I describe the three Parrish-citing opinions as: (1) “perfunctory”—Mayo v. Lakeland Highlands Canning Co. (1940) (Frankfurter, J., joined by Black and Douglas, JJ., dissenting); (2) “ugly”—Winters v. New York (1948) (Frankfurter, J., joined by Jackson and Burton, JJ., dissenting); and (3) “good”—American Federation of Labor v. American Sash & Door Co. (1949) (Frankfurter, J., concurring). Whatever one might think about the substance of these opinions, there is absolutely no doubt of the following. …

The Mediation Of Critical Themes Of Motherhood Studies In Storytelling: The Case Of The Girl Who Drank The Moon, Catalina Millán Scheiding

Faculty Works

By contemplating the emotional and intellectual link between the reader and the book, this article considers how a contemporary text might respond to current motherhood studies’ issues, and how these studies are mediated to be considered appropriate for an audience of young readers. A psychosocial research strategy is used, through a feminist theoretical framework, to analyze how the young adult novel The Girl Who Drank the Moon incorporates key ideas of motherhood studies through characters’ agency and the storytelling arch. Motherhood is represented as an institution, an individual identity and an emotional experience, and the novel offers the young reader …

The Impact Of Perception Of L1 Stress Features On L2 Perceived Fluency, Tian Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of stress on perceived fluency, a critical dimension of fluency study, alongside utterance and cognitive fluency. Perceived fluency is defined as the inferences listeners make about speakers’ cognitive fluency based on their perceptions of utterance fluency (Segalowitz, 2010). Previous research demonstrated that factors such as pause phenomena and speech rate significantly affected subjective fluency ratings (Bosker et al., 2012; Kahng, 2018). Stress was also identified as a contributing factor through qualitative analysis (Préfontaine and Kormos, 2016), yet had not been thoroughly examined using quantitative methods.

The cue-weighting theory of speech perception suggests that listeners from …

Motivation And Attitudes Toward Learning English As A Foreign Language: A Case Study Of Urban And Rural University Freshmen In Saudi Arabia, Munif Almasarir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saudi educational system faces several challenges that contribute to low proficiency in English among Saudi students. Previous studies have focused on the EFL curriculum and pedagogical challenges, but there is a lack of research specifically examining other main psychosocial factors that contribute to the attainment of English proficiency. Motivational and attitudinal factors have been proven to have an impact on the proficiency level among EFL students. My study investigates the perceived influence of geographical location on students' attitudes and motivation toward English as a global language in Saudi Arabia. By utilizing an ethnographic approach focusing on both rural and …

How Phonological And Syntactic Overlap Impact Cognate Processing Speeds In Bilinguals, Ella Marie Peterson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This paper investigates individuals who are proficient in two languages (bilinguals) and the speeds at which bilinguals process cognates (words with comparable form and meaning across languages). This paper cites two ongoing experiments: The Language Identification (LID) task and the Self-Paced Listening (SPL) task. Findings from the LID suggest that phonological overlap in cognates facilitates bilingual language processing speeds, when cognates are presented in isolation. Findings from the SPL suggest that syntactic overlap in cognates also facilitates bilingual language processing speeds, when cognates are presented in sentences. These findings are significant in that the tasks present cognates to participants in …

Moving Forward, Looking Back: Narratives Of Indigenous Identity In Montana, 2024, University Of Montana--Missoula. School Of Journalism. Native News Honors Project

Native News Honors Project, 1992-2026

An annual publication that is reported, photographed, edited, and designed by students in the University of Montana’s School of Journalism.

Increasing Minority Student Enrollment: An Applied Research Study On Increasing The Enrollment Of Minority Students In Advanced Placement Courses, Tamekia Helm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Addressing the disparity in Advanced Placement (AP) course enrollment among minority students at Greater High School is the focus of this research. Through an extensive review of the literature, the study examines the various factors contributing to this gap, including access limitations and systemic barriers. Additionally, teacher perceptions, student attitudes, and parental involvement are explored to understand the influence on AP course enrollment decisions. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews, data is collected from students, teachers and parents to gain comprehensive insights.

Proposed solutions to enhance AP course enrollment include targeted outreach initiatives and support for minority students. …

Improving American Learners’ Pronunciation Of Arabic Pharyngeals: Traditional Vs. Tbi Method, Yasmine Sedeek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mastering the phonological aspects of a second language (L2) poses significant challenges for adult learners, often affecting their intelligibility in acquiring that language (Derwing, Munro, & Wiebe, 1998). McAllister (1997) has highlighted L2 learners’ struggles in perceiving and producing novel segmental features, which is corroborated by The Perceptual Assimilation Model of L2 speech learning (PAM-L2) proposed by Best & Tyler (2007), which posits that the perception of L2 phonetics is a critical precursor to their accurate production. Against this backdrop, the present study aims to improve the intelligibility of Arabic pharyngeals (/ʕ/ and /ħ/) among English-speaking learners studying Arabic as …

L1 Thai Learners’ Sensitivity To The Form-Meaning Link Between English Negative Word Pairs Containing Un- And Dis- Prefix Variation, Natcha Limpapattana

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

English negative prefix variation occurs when different negative prefixes get paired with the same base, hence deriving word pairs (e.g. un/dis-armed). Amidst the blurry consensus on their meaning difference, cognitive semantics (CS), the approach to studying meaning that highlights the mind-context interaction, provides a systematic explanation. Each word is born from its own context-based conceptualization. Different prefixes highlight different facets of the same base, resulting in different meanings (Hamawand, 2009). However, due to their similar appearance (negative prefix + same base), one interesting question arises: Will L2 English learners recognize these nuanced differences? Therefore, the present study investigated L1 Thai …

Asset Mindsets And Blended Learning Environments: A Career Educator’S Autoethnography, Elizabeth A. Buffington

Education Dissertations

This autoethnography explores a career educator's personal and professional journey transitioning from a deficit mindset to an asset based mindset. The author examines teaching practices through critical self-inquiry, reflecting on how technology, including Blended Learning Models (Clayton Christensen Institute, 2013), student-centered learning, and an asset mindset enhance educational experiences. The dissertation integrates key frameworks such as Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Mishra, 2019), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) CAST (2024), and the concept of Funds of Knowledge (FoK) (Gonzalez, Moll & Amanti, 2005) to demonstrate how educators can adapt instruction as reflexive practitioners Cunliffe, 2016) to support diverse learners. …

Building A Human Digital Twin (Hdtwin) Using Large Language Models For Cognitive Diagnosis: Algorithm Development And Validation, Gina Sprint, Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe, Diane Cook

Computer Science Faculty Scholarship

Background: Human digital twins have the potential to change the practice of personalizing cognitive health diagnosis because these systems can integrate multiple sources of health information and influence into a unified model. Cognitive health is multifaceted, yet researchers and clinical professionals struggle to align diverse sources of information into a single model. Objective: This study aims to introduce a method called HDTwin, for unifying heterogeneous data using large language models. HDTwin is designed to predict cognitive diagnoses and offer explanations for its inferences. Methods: HDTwin integrates cognitive health data from multiple sources, including demographic, behavioral, ecological momentary assessment, n-back test, …

Social Networks And Large Language Models For Division I Basketball Game Winner Prediction, Gina Sprint

Computer Science Faculty Scholarship

Sporting event outcome prediction is a well-established and actively researched domain, with a particular focus on college basketball’s March Madness tournament. Researchers, fans, and gamblers alike seek accurate game-level predictions using features such as tournament seeds, season performance, and expert opinions. While machine learning algorithms have been harnessed to build prediction models, no perfect model or human-created bracket has emerged. This paper explores a novel approach to basketball game outcome prediction by utilizing the power of social networks and large language models (LLMs). LLMs are trained to understand and generate text, often eliminating the need for a feature engineering step. …

ปัจจัยทำนายคุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะ, วิไลวรรณ แสงเนียม, กัลยพัชร แก้วอุดร, ศิริวรรณ เครือวิริยะพันธ์

Journal of Nursing Research, Innovation, and Health

วัตถุประสงค์การวิจัย: เพื่อศึกษาปัจจัยทำนายคุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะ

รูปแบบการวิจัย: การวิจัยเชิงทำนาย

วิธีดำเนินการวิจัย: กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ ผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะ จำนวน 110 คน เครื่องมือวิจัย คือ แบบสอบถามข้อมูลส่วนบุคคล แบบสอบถามความสามารถในการฟื้นพลัง แบบสอบถามการเผชิญปัญหา แบบสอบถามกลุ่มอาการภายหลังสมองได้รับการกระทบกระเทือน แบบประเมินความสามารถในการทำหน้าที่ แบบสอบถามคุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะ และแบบสอบถามคุณภาพชีวิตแบบทั่วไป ค่าสัมประสิทธิ์แอลฟาของครอนบาค เท่ากับ .93, .92, .87, .88, และ .96 ตามลำดับ วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยใช้สถิติวิเคราะห์ถดถอยพหุคูณ

ผลการศึกษา: 1) คุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะและคุณภาพชีวิตแบบทั่วไป อยู่ในระดับปานกลาง (= 63.1, SD = 10.3 และ  = 61.3, SD = 19.3 ตามลำดับ) 2) ปัจจัยที่สามารถร่วมกันทำนายคุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะได้อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติที่ระดับ .05 เมื่อประเมินด้วยแบบสอบถาม QOLIBRI คือ การเผชิญปัญหา และความสามารถในการฟื้นพลัง โดยมีอำนาจการทำนาย ร้อยละ 18.8 และปัจจัยกลุ่มอาการภายหลังสมองได้รับการกระทบกระเทือน ความสามารถในการฟื้นพลัง และระยะเวลาการบาดเจ็บ มีอำนาจการทำนายร้อยละ 41.4 เมื่อประเมินด้วยแบบสอบถาม SF-36V2

สรุป: ผลการศึกษานี้สามารถนำข้อมูลไปใช้เป็นแนวทางในการพัฒนาโปรแกรมการพยาบาล เพื่อเพิ่มคุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะได้ โดยปัจจัยกลุ่มอาการภายหลังสมองได้รับการกระทบกระเทือนเป็นปัจจัยที่มีอำนาจการทำนายสูงสุด จึงควรเป็นตัวแปรแรกที่ควรนำมาพัฒนาโปรแกรมการพยาบาลจัดการกับกลุ่มอาการดังกล่าว เพื่อเพิ่มคุณภาพชีวิตด้านสุขภาพของผู้ป่วยบาดเจ็บศีรษะ

Overture: Journal Of International Affairs Vol. 4

Overture: Journal of International Affairs

Full issue of Overture: Journal of International Affairs vol. 4. Editor-in-Chief: Sydney Pascal '26. Sponsored by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs.

Research On The Soft Power Of Thai Traditional Food Culture Under The Process Of Globalization, Lu Han

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research explores the role of Thai traditional food culture as a form of soft power in the context of globalization. According to Joseph S. Nye, Soft power operates through the resources of culture, political ideals, and foreign policies. Influenced by factors such as history, geography, climate, and social development, Thai traditional food culture has integrated the characteristics of multiple cultures with its inclusive and innovative ideas to form a unique culture. Through globalization, Thai food culture has gained widespread popularity. This research analyzes the mechanisms by which Thai food culture promotes Thailand’s soft power, including nation branding, gastro-diplomacy, tourism, …

Linear Distance, Agreement Attraction, And Working Memory Effects On L1 Thai Learners' Processing Of L2 English Third-Person Singular Subject-Verb Agreement, Montira Berteau

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In the realm of second language (L2) processing, agreement processing has continued to attract a considerable amount of attention in the field (e.g., Jiang, 2004; Keating, 2009; Lim & Christianson, 2015). A wide range of factors have been speculated to modulate L2 agreement processing, including first-language (L1) influence, L2 proficiency, long-distance agreement/dependencies (LDDs), agreement attraction, working memory (WM), among others. The present study was carried out to investigate three of these modulating factors, including long-distance agreement, agreement attraction, and WM capacity, on L2 agreement processing of L1 Thai learners. According to Hypothesis 1, linear distance would increase a level of …