Digital Commons Network^™

Aura: An Ai-Powered Multimodal Prototype For Adaptive Apraxia Of Speech Therapy And Communication Support, Omotayo Omoyemi, Rachel K. Johnson

Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Publications

Apraxia of Speech (AOS) is a motor speech disorder that significantly limits communication and requires intensive, long-term therapy. Access to consistent treatment is often constrained by shortages of speech-language pathologists, high costs, and limited opportunities for continuous monitoring outside clinical settings. Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) provide new opportunities to support scalable and personalized speech therapy.

This paper presents AURA (Adaptive Understanding and Relearning Assistant for Apraxia), a multimodal AI framework designed to support speech therapy, progress monitoring, and communication for individuals with AOS. The system integrates speech analysis, machine learning–based error detection, reinforcement learning for adaptive therapy, and …

From Progressive Politics To Media Censorship: Analyzing The Trajectory Of Lgbt Rights In Taiwan And China, Sabrina Malec

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

Originalism, Methodolatry, And The Only Guarantee Of Wisconsin, Chad M. Oldfather

Faculty Publications

Originalism, loosely defined, commands a majority on the Supreme Court and dominates legal discourse in a way that would have been unrecognizable a generation ago. Yet its actual constraining effect on judicial behavior remains doubtful. This Article offers two contributions to the long-running debate. First, it identifies a pathology in both originalist scholarship and practice that it terms "methodolatry"—a preoccupation with methodological refinement that threatens to elevate method over the purposes interpretation is meant to serve. Second, and more importantly, it argues that debates over interpretive method, however vigorous, fail to address the core problem. Text and history offer relatively …

“Durable Solutions” Revisited: Italy’S Train-To-Hire Pathway Under The Cutro Decree As Alternative Refugee Protection, Tim Streit

Human Rights Brief

I. Introduction

If the average person were asked to imagine a refugee, they might conjure the image of a migrant fleeing war or persecution, showing up at the border of a new country with a few belongings in hand, and asking not to be sent back to the dangerous place from which they came. In fact, it is not only the hypothetical “average person” who pictures this scenario. The international refugee protection system, developed after World War II through the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention) and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees …

Deconstructing Shifting Narratives: Critical Discourse Analysis Of Terminology Trends In Unfpa’S State Of World Population Reports (1978-2024), Naqib A. Noory

Theses and Dissertations

Rooted in both scholarly inquiry and lived experience in global development, this study explored how language shapes power, inclusion, and representation. It analyzed the evolution of population and development discourse in UNFPA’s State of World Population reports (1978–2024) using Fairclough’s Level 1 Critical Discourse Analysis framework. Giddens’ Structuration Theory provided a broader lens linking linguistic change to the interaction between institutional structures and human agency. A theory-based coding framework, drawing on Malthusian, Senian, Spivakian, and MDG/SDG paradigms, guided the analysis of evolving discourse. Findings revealed a layered narrative: earlier scarcity framings persisted beneath newer development language; rights and empowerment rhetoric …

A Case Study On Implementing Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education: Tesol Teachers’ Perspectives On Supporting Caribbean Immigrant Ell Students, Barbara Delaleu

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teachers implemented Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education (CRSE) practices to support Caribbean immigrant English Language Learners (ELLs) in suburban schools. Grounded in Ogbu’s cultural ecological theory and the CRSE framework, the study examined teachers’ beliefs, instructional practices, and professional experiences to understand how culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) influenced student engagement and academic growth. Eight middle school TESOL teachers who worked with Caribbean immigrant ELLs—speakers of Haitian Creole, Spanish, and English-based Creoles participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, …

Reading Between The Lines: Exploring How Technical High School Teachers Navigate Race And Neurodiversity Through Literacy Practices, Genesis A. Ryant

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study employed a hybrid hermeneutic phenomenological design to explore how technical high school teachers experienced and interpreted literacy instruction for Black and Brown neurodivergent students. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), the research examined how educators’ perceptions, instructional practices, and collaborative relationships shaped access, equity, and empowerment in career and technical education contexts. Data was collected from seven academic and trade teachers through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, lesson artifacts, and reflective journals. Analysis followed Peoples’ (2020) hermeneutic explication process and Saldaña’s (2021) multi-cycle coding methods, integrating in vivo, process, and axial coding …

First, But Not Alone: A Phenomenological Study Of Sibling Dynamics In First-Generation College Student Success, Alison Celaya

Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students represent a significant and growing demographic within higher education, facing unique challenges in navigating their educational path. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of first-generation college students (FGCS) by focusing on their relationships with siblings and their influence on academic success. Prior research has primarily focused on the disadvantages faced by FGCS compared to their counterparts in continuing-generation college students. At the same time, little attention has been given to the differences among FGCS between the first sibling to attend college and those who follow older siblings into higher education. This study aimed to address that …

Initial Phonemic Awareness Instruction With Printed Words Compared To Oral-Only Instruction: Segmenting, Blending, And Letter–Sound Learning, Jill R. Zablocki

Theses and Dissertations

Two methods of instruction for blending and segmenting eight vowel-consonant words were compared to examine whether instruction that referenced printed words was beneficial during the initial stages of phonemic awareness instruction. Preschool children included in the study (N = 30, M = 4.4 years) could not fully segment any of the words and did not know the sounds of more than four of the nine included letters (M = 1.0 letter sound). Children were randomly assigned to either instruction that mapped the segmented and blended sounds in spoken words to the letters in printed words or similar oral-only instruction that …

The Role A Teacher’S Level Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Knowledge Plays In The Implementation Of Sound Wall Instruction In Early Childhood Classrooms, Molly Murtagh

Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the relationship between early elementary teachers’ knowledge of phonemic awareness and phonics and their implementation of sound wall instruction. Although sound walls are increasingly used to support systematic and explicit phonics instruction, little is known about how teachers’ linguistic knowledge influences the fidelity and quality of their implementation. Grounded in Adult Learning Theory and the Simple View of Reading, this study explored how teacher knowledge translates into classroom practice. The quantitative portion of the study required teachers to complete a knowledge survey to assess phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge to identify participants at various …

A Qualitative Study On Teaching Strategies For Comprehension Of Ambiguous Language Among Adolescent English Language Learners, Gonzalo Grant Castro

Theses and Dissertations

Ambiguous language—words, phrases, or sentences with multiple meanings—often creates significant instructional challenges in English Language Development (ELD) classrooms. This qualitative case study, grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocognitive theory, investigates how four high school ELD teachers strategically employ scaffolding and social interactions to clarify such ambiguities. In this study, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and detailed analyses of instructional artifacts served as key data sources. These methods provide a comprehensive picture of the classroom dynamics that shape teacher and student interactions, allowing for greater insight into the relationship between instructional strategies and the social context of learning. This study identifies critical elements that …

Exploring Academic Librarians Self-Perceived Teaching Attitudes And Practical Culturally Responsive Teaching (Crt) Strategies In Library Instruction, Jocelyn Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

As campuses continue to see an increase in students from various backgrounds, there is an interest in academic librarianship to explore the use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) strategies in library instruction. Guided by self-perception theory, this quantitative study examined the relationship between the teaching attitudes of academic librarians and the years of teaching experience, and identified practical CRT strategies in library instruction particularly in undergraduate minority serving institutions in the United States. The teaching attitudes of academic librarians were measured using a modified version of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) capturing specific teaching tasks relevant to teaching …

Reading Comprehension For The English As A Second Language Learner: Oral Or Silent Reading Which Method Of Instruction Is More Effective?, Rosanne Ravo-Vernon

Theses and Dissertations

Educators have seen and will continue to see an influx of students in the classrooms who require English as a second language (ESL) instruction. The goal of this research will provide support for educators and administrators in preparing curriculum that focuses on the needs of these students. In pursuit of this aim, the researcher of this study sought to identify which method of reading instruction best suits English language learning (ELL) in the classroom. The research would identify components of both oral round robin and silent reading activities and then reading comprehension activities completed over the course of a two- …

Identifying At-Risk Readers: The Role Of Advanced Nonsense Word Fluency Probes In Early Literacy Screening, Lindsay K. Mcdermott

Theses and Dissertations

Early identification of reading difficulties is critical for improving literacy outcomes. Nonsense word fluency (NWF) assessments are widely used to evaluate early decoding skills, yet traditional consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) probes may not fully capture students’ decoding abilities. This study examines whether an advanced NWF probe incorporating consonant blends and digraphs better predicts oral reading fluency (ORF) than the traditional CVC-based probe. Using a correlational design, first-grade benchmark data will be analyzed to compare the predictive strength of correct letter sounds, whole words read, and blending status across both probes. Grounded in the Simple View of Reading and Kilpatrick’s Phonological-Core Deficit Hypothesis, …

‘Signature Gestures’: Anchoring The Black Diasporic Feminist Praxis In English Studies, Sonia Adams

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation study explores how the Black Diasporic Feminist Praxis (BDFP) serves as a methodology for theorizing, critiquing, and teaching literature by women writers of the Black Diaspora. In order to position the BDFP, I theorize ‘Blackness’ and ‘Indigeneity’ as modes of identity formation and the Black Diaspora (BD) as a fluid, inclusive racialized geographical space. Black Diasporic Feminism (BDF) is an epistemology that validates Black and Black Indigenous identity and life experiences across geography, race, gender, and class. I use the BDFP to examine how Black women writers from England, Australia, Canada, and the United States create a ‘Collage …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Cognitive Writing Strategies On High School Writing Scores In A Suburban Tennessee District, Bethany A. Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment revealed that only 27% of eighth and 12^th graders are proficient in writing. The federal No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds Acts have put pressure on schools to demonstrate proficiency on reading and math tests, leaving minimal time for instruction in other subjects, including writing. In addition to the pressure of standardized testing, teachers also find themselves underprepared to teach writing and overwhelmed by the demands of large teaching loads. While researchers have reported benefits associated with cognitive writing strategies since the 1960s, instructional demands have prevented …

Film In Illiberal Times: Poland’S Public Memory And The European Union, Frances Tanzer

History

This article is about the recent transformation of two powerful, paradoxical, and inseparable narratives of progress that developed in the postwar period: aesthetic autonomy and Holocaust remembrance. As far-right and illiberal parties have gained power across Europe, they adapted these foundational narratives of the liberal-democratic West to assert their own legitimacy and to reimagine the cultural inclinations of the European Union. This article examines how this process has taken place in the reception of Jonathan Glazer's Zone of Interest (2023) and Agnieszka Holland's Green Border (2023)—both international co-productions produced during the repressive eight-year reign of the Law and Justice Party …

Confessions Of A Beginning Dutch Learner, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

I have studied, taught about, and learned new languages throughout my lifespan. In fact, it has been the very core of my teaching career.  Now, I have the humbling experience of testing those truths against a new enterprise:  learning Dutch.  I spent last summer in the Netherlands, pursuing family roots and acquiring what Dutch I could.  I took no formal classes but did attend a free dropin class at the local library, where - believe me - I was the lowest learner in the lowest group! Here are some of my insights, from notes taken during that summer:

Teachers' Worldviews, Teachers' Identities, Ken Badley

Faculty Publications - College of Education

A basic question to ask about a teacher's worldview is whether or not he or she likes to be with students. Is a student's question at the teacher's desk an interruption of the teacher's work, or is it part of the teacher's work? A teacher's unspoken and spoken responses to such a question will reveal some parts of that teacher's worldview. For example, what subterranean currents regarding gender, skills, disabilities, and race affect a teacher's response to a particular student? Reflecting on worldviews in general and on one's own worldview-with all its classroom-related particulars-can help teachers understand better why they …

Redness As Fact And Sensibility In Mindanao’S Abaca Ikat Cloth, Cherubim Quizon

Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work Publications

This paper proposes an approach to the color red as a central consideration in cloth making in the southern Philippines where thread is made from abaca (Musa textilis), a historically and economically significant plant in the banana family. It focuses on red dye derived from the root of the Morinda plant (Morinda citrifolia) and how it is utilized and theorized, both pragmatically and metaphorically, by indigenous women of Mindanao. Drawing on research that relies on ethnographic fieldwork and informed by early 20th century American museum collecting during a time of pacification, this paper frames a phenomenological query using mixed methods …

Visual Word Recognition And The Role Of Diacritics: Evidence From Arabic Vowelization., Maram Alharbi

Linguistics & TESOL Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of vowelization diacritics in Arabic visual word recognition and their contribution to early stages of lexical processing. Across writing systems, diacritical marks differ in their functional role and in whether they are part of letter identity, raising fundamental questions about how such features are encoded during word recognition. Arabic provides a particularly informative testing ground for these questions: vowelization diacritics in this language carry rich phonological information yet are systematically absent from the texts that skilled readers encounter daily. This interaction between the linguistic value of vowelization and its near-total omission in naturalistic reading positions …

Comparing The Evolution Of The Advanced Practice Nurse Role: Insights From Switzerland And Kenya, Carole Mackavey, Sara Kohler, Eunice Ndirangu, Rachel Kimani, Constance Shumba, Bernard Mutwiri, Colette Henderson, Anna Jones

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

The article explores the evolution of Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) roles in Switzerland and Kenya, highlighting their development, challenges, and influence on healthcare delivery. Despite notable differences in income levels and healthcare infrastructure, both countries are committed to strengthening primary care through the deployment of APNs. Switzerland uses APNs to address provider shortages and improve chronic disease management, whereas Kenya uses them to increase access in underserved areas. A comparative analysis explores how regulatory frameworks, educational models, scope of practice, and health system priorities influence the adoption of advanced practice nursing (APN). Switzerland’s established healthcare system supports the integration of …

Cultivating Trust, Communication, And Collaboration: A Relational Leadership Design For Intercultural Collaboration In Nouakchott, Mauritania, Elysse Audrey Burns

Doctor of Leadership

Foreign-led initiatives operating in Nouakchott, Mauritania, encounter challenges in collaborating effectively with local communities, hindering the growth of sustainable, locally driven leadership and contextually relevant initiatives. This doctoral project investigates how relational dynamics shape intercultural collaboration and responds through the development of a structured relational leadership certificate program grounded in the Mauritanian context.

Using documented discovery workshops and one-on-one interviews with Mauritanian and international practitioners, the research identified recurring concerns regarding decisionmaking authority, communication clarity, and the distribution of responsibility within foreignled initiatives. Participants described patterns in which expectations were inconsistently communicated, local voices were unevenly integrated into decisions, and …

Exploring The Feasibility And Acceptability Of The Calm Kitty Curriculum For Promoting Emotional Regulation In Preschoolers, Tabitha A. Irizarry

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This exploratory mixed-methods study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived usefulness of the Calm Kitty Curriculum, a classroom-based emotional regulation program for preschool-aged children ages 3–5, delivered through a teacher-facing orientation. Emotional regulation in early childhood is an important foundation for school readiness, social competence, and later academic outcomes. Because children from historically marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by emotional dysregulation and exclusionary disciplinary practices, accessible and developmentally appropriate classroom-based supports are needed. This study represented an initial phase of curriculum development and focused on implementation readiness rather than child-level effectiveness. A secondary data analysis was conducted using previously collected, …

Cds 2100 : Phonetics And Phonological Development, Cds

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Deepseek And The First Amendment: Assessing The Eighth Circuit And Missouri’S Legal Impact On Open-Source Ai, Alvin Hoi-Chun Hung

Missouri Law Review

The rise of open-source generative artificial intelligence (AI) models presents new challenges for First Amendment jurisprudence. Although computer code has been recognized as protected speech, the emergent nature of AI-generated outputs complicates the boundary between human expression and machine autonomy. This Article examines the constitutional and regulatory implications of compelled disclosures and content filtering, situating the analysis within the precedent of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and recent actions by the Missouri Attorney General targeting algorithmic opacity under consumer protection law. It further examines the limitations of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in addressing liability for autonomous …

A Taxonomy-Driven Modular Defense Against Non-Canonical Language In Vision-Language-Action Models, Viraj Samson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models have recently achieved strong performance across manipulation benchmarks, but these benchmarks rely on highly templated instructions on which the models are typically fine-tuned, leaving their behavior under realistic language-side perturbation unclear. It remains an open question whether the linguistic flexibility inherited from vision-language pretraining survives this fine-tuning, or whether the resulting policies become narrowly tuned to benchmark phrasing and brittle to the intent-preserving language variation that real users naturally produce. We address this gap with a systematic study of VLA robustness under non-canonical instructions, comprising three components: a structured taxonomy of intent-preserving variations spanning linguistic, orthographic, and …

Baking In The Disposition: The Wac/Wid World Through Translational Lenses, Joseph Franklin

Publications and Research

In a global perspective for WAC and other writing programs, the singular identifier of the nation still holds a dominance in articles, books, and conference presentations. But, how we understand relationships between different programs on the global writing studies map often demands a more nuanced unpacking than stable nation-markers can offer. Jonathan Hall (2023) calls us to take up “thinking with trans-” in WAC (p. 13). This chapter answers this call first by locating different pieces of global writing program scholarship along a spectrum from those that aim to establish a single, stable identity for a particular (often national) writing …

A Poor Man's Cup: Chicory Experimentation In Nebraska,1890-1900, Rebecca Hupp

Dissertations and Theses

“A Poor Man’s Cup” explores how Nebraskans actively confronted the problems of the late nineteenth-century through experimenting with new commodities. Prolonged severe drought, economic depression, and poor grain prices created a troublesome situation that grew in complexity as U.S. markets expanded globally and agriculture underwent professionalization. Some lay farmers, like Gabriel and Philomena Bazelman of Holt County, did not wait for new methods to find their way through the experiment station system and instead conducted trials themselves. Through piecing together the story of Nebraska chicory production with periodicals from the 1890s, experiment station bulletins, and Congressional reports, this thesis demonstrates …

Virginia Commonwealth University Courses (2026), Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of courses for the 2026-2027 year.