Digital Commons Network^™

Blood And Belonging: Remembering Massacres Of The American West In The Twentieth Century, Mountain Meadows And Sand Creek, Kenzie Burns

Honors Theses

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries marked a turning point in mainstream America’s sense of national identity. A wave of nostalgia for the American Frontier enshrined the region’s idealized nineteenth-century past as myth. A key part of the story is romanticized violence—often depicted through cultural imagery of cowboys, gunfights, and battles with American Indians. This project seeks to understand more about how violence is represented in the cultural memory of the American Western past. Within the past twenty years, scholars of the American West have begun to incorporate the study of memory into their scholarship, frequently with how cultural …

Borrowed Mantles: Neoclassicism, Theology, And The Construction Of Authority In Phillis Wheatley-Peters, Zoe N. Lament

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how Phillis Wheatley-Peters established literary and intellectual authority within an eighteenth-century world that questioned both her authorship and her intellectual capability as an enslaved Black woman. Rather than focusing on the external validation provided by the prefatory materials to Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773), this study argues that Wheatley-Peters constructs authority through the poetry itself. Specifically, it explores how her use of neoclassical poetic conventions alongside Christian theological language functions to establish credibility and strengthen her moral and intellectual arguments.

Through close readings of poems including "On Being Brought from Africa to America" and …

The Stories That Shape Us, Brenna Strand

OTD 721: Cultural Responsiveness & Occupation

Reading has always been a meaningful occupation in my life. Some of my earliest memories involve my family gathering around stories, reading a chapter of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson before bed, or sharing stories around a campfire. These rituals shaped my sense of connection, imagination, and belonging. However, when I entered school and began struggling to read independently, I felt a growing disconnect from the culture and routines that had once grounded me. That experience made me aware of how deeply reading influences identity, confidence, and participation in everyday life.

This zine explores reading through an occupational therapy lens, …

Legal Turbulence: Addressing Unresolved Questions In Civil Aviation Through Judicial Adjudication, Arthur Shirichena

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

The increasing complexity of international civil aviation has outpaced the mechanisms currently available for the peaceful resolution of disputes. While aviation has long been governed by treaties such as the Chicago Convention of 1944 and managed through institutions like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), many emerging issues remain unresolved by these frameworks. Questions concerning the interaction between aviation and competition law, the legality of air blockades and no-fly zones, and the definitional ambiguities surrounding dual-use technologies such as weaponized aircraft or unmanned aerial systems have created pressing normative and jurisdictional challenges. This Paper argues that the establishment or empowerment …

The Effects Of Inadequate Training On Knowledge Management Systems: Retention Crisis Of Captains In The United States Army, Lexis R. Grudzinski

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the relationship between the United States Army’s communication strategy in knowledge management for officers and the desires of captains to continue serving beyond their service obligation. Amidst the current retention crisis (Winkie, 2023) at the captain rank, blame often falls on factors outside of the Army’s control. This research, however, seeks to investigate a factor within the Army’s control and offer workable solutions.

For this research, we will use the common definition of knowledge management (KM): the process of creating, capturing, and organizing knowledge within an organization in a way that improves efficiency. KM includes both explicit …

Literacy Intervention At The Middle Level: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of The Implementation Of Thinking Maps, Ashley Chantal Choice

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the implementation of Thinking Maps® as a literacy instructional intervention for students in grades four and five. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study investigated the effect of Thinking Maps® on student achievement, changes in students’ literacy-related work products, and teachers’ perceptions of the strategy. The study was conducted at a rural Title I elementary school in the southeastern United States and included nine teachers and 150 students across English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies during an eight-week intervention period. Quantitative data included unit pretest and posttest scores from standards-aligned assessments and teacher perception …

Timbral Effects Of 3d Printing Brass Wind Musical Instruments: A Comparison Between Traditional And 3d Printed Construction, Cole K. Zelman

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the timbral effects that manufacturing wind instruments from thermoplastics (via 3D printing) has in comparison to traditionally made instruments. The project mainly focuses on the individual properties of different thermoplastics in comparison to traditional materials like brass. The instrument tested is a C bugle for a simple example of a brass wind instrument and is compared directly against the traditional brass construction. Results employ spectral centroid, spectrograms, and professional subjective analysis to compare the different thermoplastic test samples to the control brass bugle.

Why Stay? A Qualitative Case Study Of Parents Who Choose Local Public Schools Over Alternative Options, Michael Antonio Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Public schools face challenges that directly impact the quality of education and educational programming. Declining student enrollment trends affect school funding and resource allocation for school improvement. This qualitative case study identified key factors influencing parents' perceptions of school quality and explored how these perceptions shaped school choice decision-making. Guided by Rational Choice Theory, the study examined how individuals make enrollment decisions by weighing perceived costs, benefits, constraints, and available resources to achieve desired educational outcomes. Semi-structured interviews, an open-ended survey, and archival school performance data were used to explore the perspectives of parents with children enrolled in public high …

The Relationship Of Federal Title V Funding To Retention And Graduation Rates Of Hispanic-Serving Institutions In The Southeastern United States, Julio Cesar Llanos Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The number of Latino/a or Hispanic students, also known as Latinx students, are expected to grow demographically in various regions of the United States over the next several years. To ensure Latinx students are progressing toward graduation in their respective cohorts, it may be beneficial to anticipate and prepare for the increase in this student demographic. This study focused on institutions in the Southeastern region of the United States. This study compared the relationship of federal Title V funding and retention rates and graduation rates of students; it also compared degrees awarded to Hispanic students and enrollment of Hispanic students …

The Nfl’S Collision With Antitrust Law: A Strategy For Defending The National Football League’S Joint Agreements With Streaming Providers, Jack Mays

Chapman Law Review

The next frontier of sports broadcasting is here. Media consumption has shifted dramatically in recent years. Streaming services have become the preferred medium for television shows and movies, and sports broadcasts have expanded beyond traditional cable to streaming services. Given this reconfiguration of public behavior, the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA)—a 1961 exemption to antitrust law—should be construed to allow the National Football League (NFL) to collectively negotiate with streaming providers like Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Netflix.

The SBA exempts joint agreements between professional sports leagues and broadcasters from antitrust scrutiny when those agreements involve the “sponsored telecasting” of games. …

Reactionary Radicals, Radical Reactionaries: A Review Of Against The Machine: On The Unmaking Of Humanity, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

Paul Kingsnorth, in his book Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity, asserts that the ecological destruction, consumerism, and social atomization that have come to define contemporary life are the product of a malevolent force he calls the Machine. This review finds that his proposed solution to these crises, namely a return to "traditional" forms of family and community, insufficiently addresses the material and structural conditions underlying the capitalist mode of production. Kingsnorth’s dismissal of Marxism is then interrogated by juxtaposing his critique of the Machine with Marx’s analysis of estranged labor. Finally, this review concludes that the …

Mastering Enterprise Networks (3rd Ed), Mathew J. Heath Van Horn

OER Main

Mastering Enterprise Networks, is a comprehensive guide to building, defending, and attacking enterprise networks. It covers a wide range of topics, from network fundamentals to advanced security concepts. The book is well-organized and easy to follow, making it a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced network professionals.

One of the strengths of this book is its focus on hands-on learning. The book includes 50 chapters of labs that allow readers to practice the concepts they have learned. These labs are a great way to reinforce your understanding of enterprise networks while developing practical skills.

This book covers security from …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Reading Comprehension And Secondary Education, Noah W. Hillman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review is designed to look at how reading takes place in a classroom setting and how teachers might support students as they read - primarily in secondary education (middle and high schools). Students at all levels need scaffolding and support to be successful when interacting with challenge texts. The instructional role of the teacher as it pertains to reading comprehension impacts the success of students’ skills. The literature review examines teacher practices and instructional strategies that can be used to support students’ reading comprehension at the secondary level.

Ai-Supported Socratic Questioning And Instructional Scaffolding: Effects On Student Comprehension, Reshma John

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examines how the intentional use of artificial intelligence (AI) designed for Socratic questioning and instructional scaffolding affects students' comprehension of course content. The literature suggests that AI is most likely to support comprehension when it prompts students to explain their reasoning, respond to guided questions, reflect on their understanding, and receive support adapted to their needs. In contrast, systems that primarily provide direct answers may encourage overreliance and mask gaps in students' understanding. Overall, the educational value of AI depends less on its availability and more on how it is designed and implemented.

Teaching Primary Sources To Increase Engagement And Build Literacy, Lindsey L. Beaulieu

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviews the use of primary sources in education. This literature review analyzes 30 articles regarding educators’ use of primary sources. There are four major themes within the articles: literacy with primary sources, engagement with primary sources, comprehension with primary sources, and examples of primary source units or lessons. While specific teaching topics vary, the overall consensus is that primary sources can help students’ skills with literacy, engagement, and comprehension. A main topic among the research is the educators’ understanding of scaffolding, pre-teaching, choosing primary sources, and re-using the primary sources, to be able to teach students effectively.

Meconium Metal Concentrations And Infant Temperament And Development, Fiona Fogarty

Dissertations and Theses

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to metals poses significant health consequences for early childhood development. Understanding the factors influencing metal concentrations that infants are exposed to in-utero is crucial for developing targeted interventions, particularly when maternal characteristics and environmental factors, may contribute to varying levels. Meconium offers insight into in-utero exposures for the developing infant, and the effect of each individual metal may be mediated or exacerbated by another and therefore should be studied in the context of a mixture. The effect of metal mixture exposure, as measured in meconium, on milestone and temperament outcomes has yet to be determined.

DESIGN: …

The Effect Of Occupational Roles, Burnout, And Efficacy On Job Satisfaction Among K-12 Teachers, Chloe Schwahn

Masters Theses

The aim of this study was to investigate variables that may impact the ratings of job satisfaction by practicing Illinois K-12 teachers specifically examining if the variables of occupational roles, burnout, efficacy, and other relevant covariates are correlated and/or have predictive utility on teacher job satisfaction. A secondary goal was to raise awareness about the stressors teachers face in their work environments. Survey materials included a demographics questionnaire, an occupational roles catalog, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, and the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale. Seventy-six practicing Illinois K-12 teachers completed the study. Results of the current …

Implementing Gestures Into Vocabulary Instruction To Aid Recall And Retention, Emma Dilley

Masters Theses

This study highlighted the idea of incorporating gestures into vocabulary instruction to help the students recall and retain the new vocabulary words. The researcher predicted that with the incorporation of the strategy of gestures into instruction, kindergarten students will be able to retain more vocabulary words compared to vocabulary instruction that does not include gestures. A total of 22 students and one teacher from a rural town in central Illinois participated in the study. This study was a mixed methods study, which included quantitative data in the form of pretest and posttest and qualitative data in the form of a …

Good Girl Bootcamp: Performative Femininity, Purity Culture, And Other Things Girls Are Taught, Kiersten Holland

Masters Theses

Performative femininity is a dangerous and controlling idea that subjugates women and places their inherent worth on how well they can conform to societal standards in male dominated spaces. Consequently, the reactionary messaging that surfaced as a result of these social pressures created a series of stereotypical female characterizations often depicted in the material and visual cultures of each period. By comparing contemporary literature with literature from the Victorian time period, it emphasizes the longstanding and controlling gender stereotypes pervasive throughout the past few centuries. This thesis attempts to understand and analyze the way that literature both critiques and supports …

Teachers' Perceptions And Professional Uses Of Artificial Intelligence In Education, Lexie Coartney

Masters Theses

This study explores Illinois teachers’ perceptions and professional uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. A mixed methods approach was implemented, including a survey completed by 137 Illinois teachers and four interviews. The research questions examined teachers' perceptions of AI, their professional use of AI, and their approach to students’ use of AI. Findings concluded that participants generally hold positive perceptions of AI, especially its time-saving abilities and being supportive, while also holding concerns including reliability, accuracy, and ethical issues. Results showed that 77% (n = 106) of teachers use AI tools mostly for lesson planning, creating assessments, differentiation, …

Trade-Offs In Avian Parental Care, Rebekah A. Mckinnon, Malgorzata Lagisz, Sheeraja Sridharan, David F. Westneat, Kimberley J. Mathot

Biology Faculty Publications

The selective forces shaping parental care have been studied for over 50 years. While theoretical and experimental work has yielded qualitative progress, the large body of empirical work testing predictions about parental investment based on life-history trade-offs has yet to be synthesized. We first provide an overview of the core life-history theory exploring how selection might shape parental care. We then conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on studies that experimentally manipulated brood size in birds, a widely used experimental approach to manipulate parental investment. We extracted 313 estimates from 62 studies representing 31 species of birds from 19 different …

Independence Of Spectral Contrast Effects Across Different Frequency Regions In Speech Perception, Christian E. Stilp, Matthew B. Winn

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Identification of speech sounds is influenced by spectral contrast effects (SCEs), the perceptual magnification of spectral differences between successive sounds. SCEs result in the categorization of a target sound being biased away from spectral properties in the preceding acoustic context. Given remarkable consistency in the magnitudes of these contrast effects within the same frequency region, it was hypothesized that they would also show stable relationships across different frequency regions. In this study, normal-hearing listeners’ phoneme categorization and contrast effects were assessed where phonetic contrasts were driven by changes in low-frequency F₁ (“big”-“beg” continuum), mid-frequency F₃ (“dot”-“got”), or high-frequency …

Elementary General Education Teachers' (Tk–1) Experiences Implementing Inclusive Practices For Students With Disabilities, Emily Ruth Engelson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to examine the challenges elementary general education teachers (TK–6) face, including confidence and skills, when working to successfully include students with disabilities in their classrooms. The study also sought to identify the most valuable professional development experiences, the role of grade-level collaboration in building teachers' capacity, and the administrative support and resources that contribute to teachers' success in including students with disabilities.

Methodology: This qualitative multi-case study employed semi-structured interviews with six TK–first grade general education teachers in Orange County, California, each with at least one year of experience including a …

Precision Metagenomics Reveals Microbial Landscape In Acute Upper Respiratory Infections: A Comprehensive Dataset, Sadia Almas, Rob E. Carpenter, Vaibhav K. Tamrakar, Anuradha Singh, Aditya Sharma, Rahul Sharma

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives The comprehension of the microbial composition in upper respiratory tract infections is pivotal for the progression of diagnostic and treatment methodologies. This article presents a dataset derived from Precision Metagenomic next-generation sequencing using hybridization capture-based targeted sequencing. Nasopharyngeal samples from 24 patients with acute URIs were analyzed using the Illumina®/IDbyDNA Respiratory Pathogen ID/ AMR panel. The dataset contains a wealth of information on the composition of the microbiota, including the relative abundance of known pathogens and their potential clinical significance. Data description This dataset serves as a valuable asset for future research in respiratory medicine, infectious disease epidemiology, antimicrobial …

Student Scholars: Access-To-Justice Research In The Law School Direct Representation Clinic, Claire Johnson Raba

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Testing The Influence Of Increased Predation On The Evolution Of Morphological Coloration Plasticity In Trinidadian Killifish (Anablepsoides Hartii), Alyssa M. Laux

Biology Theses

The ability to camouflage is a widespread trait in both vertebrates and invertebrates that enhances survival in risky environments. The ability of organisms to respond to shifts in environmental conditions and change color is a conspicuous example of camouflage. Such coloration plasticity can occur rapidly (seconds to minutes) versus longer periods of time (days to months). There are numerous examples of physiological coloration plasticity (short-term) and morphological coloration plasticity (long-term). Yet, there are few tests of the conditions that drive the evolution of physiological vs. morphological coloration plasticity. In this study we use Trinidadian killifish (Anablepsoides hartii) as …

The Role Of Academic Vocabulary Instruction In Supporting Secondary English Learners' Science Proficiency, Chue Seng Her

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examines the extent to which academic vocabulary instruction influences secondary English learners’ (ELs’) science proficiency. Science learning requires students to interpret complex texts, engage in academic discourse, and construct evidence-based explanations using discipline-specific language, which may present challenges for ELs. This review provides an overview of research on language demands in science and instructional approaches that support vocabulary development. Findings indicate that academic vocabulary plays a critical role in students’ ability to comprehend scientific content, participate in discourse, and communicate reasoning effectively. Instructional approaches such as explicit vocabulary instruction, scaffolding, discourse-based strategies, reciprocal teaching, cognitive strategy instruction, …

Economic Exchange And Relational Work In Doubled-Up Households, Hope Harvey

Sociology Faculty Publications

Doubling up, or sharing a home, is an increasingly common way that families make ends meet. Drawing on over 170 in-depth interviews with 60 parents, I ask how doubled-up household members understand and contest their economic relationships. I show that the success of intra-household economic exchange depends not only on the amounts exchanged, but also the shared meanings behind these exchanges. Given the lack of institutionalized expectations guiding doubled-up household relationships, household members draw on competing norms, framing the household as either a solidarity unit or a series of independent nuclear family units. Although disagreement over economic relationships is common, …

Suicide Stigma In A Cross-Cultural Context: Comparison Between Mexican And Mexican American Communities., Robin E. Gearing, Micki Washburn, Kathryne Brewer, Luis R. Torres-Hostos, Pedro Isnardo De La Cruz, Miao Yu, Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Alberto Cabrera, Adelaido Garcia Andres

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Suicide and suicide-related stigma are serious public health issues affecting Latine communities and often serve as a barrier to help-seeking Mexicans and Mexican Americans experiencing mental health concerns. Despite this, there are still gaps in our understanding of how suicide stigma specifically impacts Latines of Mexican heritage. While Mexicans and Mexican Americans share many familial, cultural, and religious values, their exposure to different societal norms may shape distinct perceptions of suicidal ideation and mental health. To better understand suicide-related stigma in these communities, we conducted a community-based survey with 248 Mexican Americans in Houston and 203 participants in Mexico City …