Digital Commons Network^™

#Bg4unity: Testing The Effectiveness Of A Social Media Activism Workshop, Drew Ashby-King

Honors Projects

Social media is not only a form of communication that surrounds one’s personal life, but it has also become a platform for expressing opinions and advocating for social change. Using #BG4Unity, an anti-hate social media campaign, as a foundation I developed a workshop that aims to educate participants on the value of diversity and to increase their social media activism skills. This study found that the workshop increased participant’s attitudes toward diversity, social media activism skills, and that those who attended the workshop had increased attitudes toward diversity and social media activism skills compared to those who did not attend …

The Cowl - V.80 - N.24 - Apr 28, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80- No. 24 - April 28, 2016. 32 pages.

Uncovering America’S Horror Story: A Content And Critical Analysis Of American Horror Story., Jessica Maio

Honors Projects in Communication

The popular television series American Horror Story has captivated millions of Americans with its shocking and twisted plotlines that never fail to surprise. Perhaps one of the reasons that the show has become so popular is that it uses the horror genre as a way to explore controversial topics. The purpose of this project is to examine the controversial topics that are presented in American Horror Society and compare them with the current views of mainstream society to determine whether the show primarily reflects the views of the larger society or challenges them. In other words, how does American Horror …

The Cowl - V.80 - N.23 - Apr 21, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80- No. 23 - April 21, 2016. 24 pages.

Math As Text, Rhetoric As Reason: Can The Humanities Save Math Education?, Elizabeth Melendez

KSU Journey Honors College Capstones and Theses

As a student I had always struggled hopelessly with math. I noticed many of my classmates and associates outside of school shared similar experiences with this subject. However, a unique convergence of fortuitous circumstances shed some much needed light on my difficulties with math. Using a creative and communicative approach, I was able to analyze my experience from a rhetorical perspective, which allowed me to see more clearly, not just the problem I was having with math, but the overall problems many seem to have with math education. My findings were astonishing and became the subject of my research for …

The Cowl - V.80 - N.21 - Apr 7, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 21 - April 7, 2016. 28 pages.

Wanderer: Spring 2016, Columbia College Chicago

Wanderer

A publication created by Visaul Communication and Reporting and Writing II students. 32 pages. Cover article: Life After Columbia: 14 Stories of Success

The Magic Behind Success: What Can Business Leaders Learn From Magicians Regarding Creativity And Communication?, John Logan

Honors Projects in Communication

The following research demonstrates the connection between the art of magic and the world of business. More specifically, it explores the overlap between the innovation and communication techniques magicians use when creating new ideas, developing a routine, performing, and a parallel comparison on what it takes to run a successful business. The capstone will first look at what the "magician" is including the types of tricks they perform. It will then analyze the entrepreneurial magicians and their creative process behind developing new routines. Finally, it will examine the verbal and non-verbal communication techniques magicians use to connect with their audience …

Examination Of Common Errors Committed During Eoc Operations: A Content Analysis Study, Michael Kenneth Ryan

Dissertations

One of the key aspects in the learning process, whether it is at an individual or organizational level, is the ability to recognize where errors occur. This is especially important in the field of public safety where small errors can present a serious threat to the safety of first responders and victims of disasters. Up to this point, there has been no systematic study to identify the most common errors that occur during emergency operations center (EOC) activations at the local level of government. Following the introduction, one chapter explores the history of emergency management and the difficulties local jurisdictions …

A Black Art: Ontology, Data, And The Tower Of Babel Problem, Andrew J. Iliadis

Open Access Dissertations

Computational ontologies are a new type of emerging scientific media (Smith, 2016) that process large quantities of heterogeneous data about portions of reality. Applied computational ontologies are used for semantically integrating (Heiler, 1995; Pileggi & Fernandez-Llatas, 2012) divergent data to represent reality and in so doing applied computational ontologies alter conceptions of materiality and produce new realities based on levels of informational granularity and abstraction (Floridi, 2011), resulting in a new type of informational ontology (Iliadis, 2013) the critical analysis of which requires new methods and frameworks. Currently, there is a lack of literature addressing the theoretical, social, and critical …

Communo Magazine, Spring 2016, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine is produced by Capstone Communication and published annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Your Face Betrays You: A Fantasy Theme Analysis Of Lie To Me, Caroline Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research concerning the consequences of edutainment has revealed that television shows have the capability to influence audience members. As the lines between education and entertainment are becoming increasingly blurred, viewers may not be aware of how watching such shows impacts them. Lie to Me is a popular edutainment television series that educates viewers about the power of micro expressions. Ekman has dedicated a large part of his life to the development of research related to micro expressions. The show’s main character, Cal Lightman, portrayed Paul Ekman’s special talents and knowledge through his ability to detect micro expressions. The first three …

The Scowl - V.80 - N.20 - Mar 31, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 20 - March 31, 2016. 20 pages.

Using Facebook As An Asynchronous Learning Environment, Jessica Belnap

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

Session presented on Saturday, April 9, 2016, and Friday, April 8, 2016:

Nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States, and is currently the largest health care profession (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2011). The practice of nursing, in collaboration with other fields, extends to a variety of settings, including schools, home health, military, education, and others. The demand for educated, skilled, competent nurses is continually rising as the socioeconomic and family structure adjusts to a large aging population. It is projected that over 1 million job openings for nurses will be available by …

The Cowl - V.80 - N.19 - Mar 17, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 19 - March 17, 2016. 23 pages.

Avatar Self-Identification, Self-Esteem, And Perceived Social Capital In The Real World: A Study Of World Of Warcraft Players And Their Avatars, Melissa Watts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between people who play massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs) and their avatars, as well as the impact on players’ self-esteem and perceived social capital in the real world. To examine these influences of online video gameplay, this research investigated gamers who play the popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft (WoW). This study employed an online survey made available on Reddit, a widely-used news, entertainment, and social-networking website, in which all the content is user-generated. The research questionnaire was intended to reveal the bond between MMORPG players and their avatars; the study examined how this relationship …

The Role Of Spokesperson In Ambiguous And Complex Crises: The Cdc And Anthrax, M. Scott Barrett, Kathryn C. Hasbargen, Anthony Ocana, Vern Markey, Matthew P. Berg, Scott Grand, Timothy L. Sellnow

Speaker & Gavel

This study evaluates the role of spokespersons in complex organizations facing ambiguous crises. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) response to the anthrax crisis in 2001 is offered as a case study. A content analysis of the print media coverage of the anthrax crisis reveals that many claiming affiliation with the CDC spoke on behalf of the organization, resulting in what appeared to be a fragmented CDC message. The study concludes that the CDC’s failure to provide a central spokesperson contributed to the ambiguity of the situation.

Computer Mediated Communication And Adult Learners: A Case Study Of Messages Using The Hyperpersonal Framework, Linda B. Dickmeyer, Ronda Knox

Speaker & Gavel

There is an increasing amount of research examining the role of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in a variety of educational settings. Online courses are of particular interest to adult learners. In addition, we notice that communication research rarely studies adult learners, who provide increasing numbers in our face-to-face and computer-mediated classrooms. The purpose of this research is to investigate the interaction that occurs between adult learners in an online course. Specifically, the hyperpersonal framework is used as a lens to examine how participants communicate with one another. The hyperpersonal framework components (receiver, sender, channel, and feedback) were evident through a qualitative …

Third Party Candidates In Political Debates: Muted Groups Struggling To Express Themselves, Carolyn Prentice

Speaker & Gavel

With the rise of a multitude of political parties, some campaign debate organizers are beginning to include third party candidates in their public debates. However, these third party candidates have been ignored in campaign debate literature. This study analyzed the transcripts of three campaign debates that included third party candidates, using muted group theory to understand the impact of third party candidates in campaign debates. The analysis demonstrates that third party candidates experience the communication obstacles of muted groups.

Since World War II, party affiliation among U.S. voters and straight-ticket voting has been on the decline (Miller & Shanks, 1996). …

2016-03 Library Impact Statement For Com 447 Primary Media Market Research, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement submitted in response to new course proposal for COM 447 Primary Media Market Research. This class was supported with no need for additional resources. Responding library faculty: Joanna Burkhardt. Requesting faculty: Justin Wyatt.

Catcalling As A"Double Edged Sword": Midwestern Women, Their Experiences, And The Implications Of Men's Catcalling Behaviors, Colleen O'Leary

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the lack of research surrounding the topic of catcalling, it is essential to give voice to women who have experienced the harm, its effects, and those who perceive it as a societal issue. This study generates discourse regarding Midwestern women's standpoints on catcalling through in-depth respondent interviews about women's experiences and perceptions of catcalling. Thematic analysis of the interviews reveals that catcalling is complex. Women conceptualized catcalling as a primarily negative experience as they associated it with negative emotions and affective states. Women never described catcalling as complimentary, rather, they believed that men perceived their own comments to …

The Cowl - V.80 - N.18 - Mar 10, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 18 - March 10, 2016. 24 pages.

Washington State School District Superintendent Use Of Social Media For Public Relations And Communication, Jonathan R. Tienhaara

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine usage and perception of superintendent participation in social media for the purposes of public relations and communication in the State of Washington. Tenets of Social-Customer Relationship Management (Social-CRM) were used as the theory to support how social media can be used to establish and enhance public relations with school district stakeholders. Washington’s (N = 295) school district superintendents were electronically surveyed to collect data on their use and perception of social media utilization for public relations and communication. The data were analyzed to determine how Washington superintendents use social media for …

Top Habits Of Highly Connected People: Ways To Engage At-Risk Youth Now!, Sadiq A. Ali

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Sometimes the most powerful changes we can make are the most simple. In this powerful session, learn techniques, strategies and new ideas to help you relate better to our at-risk youth, to achieve better results! Primarily addressing Head and Heart, these are the two most critical strands.

The Moderating Effect Of Individual Employee Attributes On The Relationship Between Managerial Communication And Employee Job Satisfaction In Times Of Change, Ashley Hall

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Change is common within organizations today, and companies are seeking employees who will adapt to the changes with a minimum level of disruption to the organization. Although a large literature base exists outlining ways to implement and manage change efforts from both research and practitioner perspectives, many change initiatives do not meet expectations. A lack of communication from management has been identified as a major contributor to resistance to change. As such, managerial communication plays an integral role in the change management process. This study investigated the moderating role of three individual employee attributes (i.e., organizational trust, managerial trust, and …

Cal Poly Sustainability Activities Newsletter Design, Alek C. Johnson

Communication Studies

This project was designed and intended for the use of Cal Poly's Sustainability and Energy department. This project will ultimately influence the upcoming development and implementation of an official Cal Poly Sustainability Newsletter.

The Cowl - V.80 - N.17 - Feb 25, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 17 - February 25, 2016. 24 pages.

On The Conversational Style Of Ronald Reagan: "A-E=[Less Than]Gc" Revisited And Reassessed, Windy Yvonne Lawrence, Ronald H. Carpenter

Speaker & Gavel

During contemporaneous rhetorical criticism of his style in discourse, President Ronald Reagan was assessed in terms of his living up to the eloquence of John F. Kennedy‘s Inaugural Address. In those two Speaker & Gavel Essays, Reagan was found to be deficient and thus a "less-than-great communicator." After revisiting and reassessing those two essays, Reagan‘s essentially conversational mode of communication for television was found to embody rhetorical elements that indeed may have fostered eloquence sufficient to retain the sobriquet of "great communicator."

The Cowl - V.80 - N.16 - Feb 11, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 16 - February 11, 2016. 28 pages.

The Cowl - V.80 - N.15 - Feb 4, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80 - No. 15 - February 4, 2016. 24 pages.