Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Bilingual Features To A Young Augmentative And Alternative Communication User With Autism, Paola Gallegos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how a minimally verbal, young Spanish-English bilingual child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) uses translanguaging toggle features on an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device to produce multi-word picture descriptions. The study employed a Rapidly Alternating Treatments Design (RATD) to analyze AAC performance under language-controlled Spanish-only and English-only conditions. A quantitative analysis examined the frequency and patterns of bilingual AAC feature use during aided modeling and instruction, while qualitative methods explored the related challenges and benefits. This study highlights the potential for bilingual AAC systems to enhance communication effectiveness and underscores the importance of incorporating user and …

Transnational Teachers On Both Sides Of The U.S.-Mexico Border: Exploring Their Identities And Conocimiento. A Phenomenological Study With A Comparative Stance, Isaac Frausto Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The transnationalism phenomenon is at the core of an increasingly globalized world. This phenomenological study with a comparative stance explores the lived experiences and perspectives of teachers with a transnational migration background with regards to how they [re]construct their identities and conocimiento. It compares and contrasts the histories and insights from participants in the borderlands with those from the heart of Mexico. Specifically, this study contributes to the under-explored body of literature which has taken a comparative stance in looking at transnationalism in education on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Data derived from migration memory maps and in-depth, phenomenological …

Voice-Language Cues In Speech Comprehension, Andy An Huynh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Voice familiarity has a powerful effect on speech comprehension, improving both intelligibility and recall. Speaker consistency also benefits speech comprehension with better recall for words spoken by one versus multiple speakers. The goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the benefits of voice familiarity for bilinguals depend on the consistency between a familiarized voice and the language of production, with improved perception for words when the speaker produces in the same language versus in a different language. Highly proficient Spanish-English bilinguals performed a speech-in-noise transcription task. During a familiarization phase, participants listened to brief utterances in …

Imperial Ideology And Subversive Practice In Arthurian Legend, Emma Katherine Keppler

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This project approaches Arthur and Arthurian legend as vital elements in British self-identification from the medieval period onward by examining narratives of national origin in legendary history, romance, and other forms of cultural production. In my readings of these texts, I am concerned with how national identity and otherness are constructed and negotiated in a literary space, how myths of utopian origins rely on the endorsement and glorification of cultures of violence that sustain and justify imperial enterprises in the Middle Ages and beyond. It is my argument that in the absence of actual voices of resistance, romance tropes often …

From Text To Utility: Distance-Aware Contrastive Learning For Detection-Ready And Shareable Malware Descriptions, Ivan Alejandro Montoya Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The rapid rise of sophisticated malware variants poses significant challenges for cybersecurity analysts, particularly due to the scarcity of data on newly emerging threats. Due to privacy, legal, and operational constraints, malware samples are often not shareable; instead, organizations publish cyber threat intelligence (CTI) in natural language. However, these reports are typically unstructured and inconsistent, limiting their utility in machine learning (ML) models. This thesis explores whether high-fidelity, shareable threat intelligence can be automatically generated from structured malware behaviors to supplement ML models when direct access to malware samples is limited. Two central questions are addressed:(i) How can descriptions be …

Myradas, Mercedes Soledad Moresco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

La presente tesis presenta Myradas, una colección de poemas bilingüe que explora la relación entre imagen, palabra y disposición espacial en la página. El proyecto tuvo su origen en una revista que combinaba textos poéticos, dibujos y collages. A partir de la separación de los poemas de sus imágenes originales, surgió una reflexión sobre cómo sostener la fuerza poética a través del uso del espacio en blanco como elemento significativo. El manuscrito incluye principalmente poemas de tipo ecfrástico, inspirados en obras visuales como fotografías o pinturas, así como textos que dialogan con otras obras literarias. En esta propuesta conviven distintos …

Rhetorical Hermeneutics After The Posthuman Turn, Michael Noricks

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation revisits Steven Mailloux's (1989) concept of rhetorical hermeneutics, according to which persuasion always conditions our interpretive practices. Seeking to bring Mailloux's insights into conversation with rhetorical theory's posthuman turn, my inquiry begins with the following questions: How might posthuman theories of meaning-making allow us to extend or reimagine rhetoric's relation to interpretation? How might recourse to rhetorical hermeneutics help us understand posthuman rhetoric? Can we indeed theorize a posthuman rhetorical hermeneutics? If so, what does it entail? What are its affordances? What are its contexts? How does it affect our understanding of rhetorical situations and the artifacts produced …

El Terror Y El Ritual: Estudio De Los Festivales De Cine De Terror En México, Luis Jesús Quiñones Beltrán

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Esta investigación contribuye al campo de los estudios de festivales de cine, cine de género y representaciones simbólicas del miedo. Analiza el papel de los festivales de cine de terror en México como espacios de construcción simbólica, circulación cultural y resignificación del miedo. A partir de un enfoque cualitativo basado en entrevistas a organizadores de festivales y cineastas colaboradores, se examina cómo estos festivales configuran experiencias colectivas en torno al terror a través de prácticas rituales, afectivas y culturales. Se retoman conceptos como el capitalismo gore, necro-máquina y contra-máquina para contextualizar la investigación. Se utilizan categorías de los estudios de …

An Evaluation Of Using Linked Digital Activity Schedules To Teach Sociodramatic Play, Nicholas Lindgren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Individuals with ASD often have difficulties communicating with peers and navigating social interactions (APA, 2022). Building these skills may help these individuals interact with peers, siblings, and others in the community. One area where individuals with ASD may need support is engaging in play. Specifically, in engaging in sociodramatic play (i.e., pretend play that involves role-playing aspects of real life). Traditionally, applied behavior analysis (ABA) and activity schedules are evidence-based approaches that have been used to teach play behaviors to individuals with ASD. However, few researchers have evaluated how a linked digital activity schedule can increase the sociodramatic play responding …

Critically Assessing Normative Methods And Their Limitations In Managing Crowding Within Parks And Protected Areas, Glendon R. Vansandt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Visitor experiences in parks and protected areas are shaped by a variety of environmental, managerial, and social factors. To ensure that visitors enjoy their time in these spaces, management agencies often adopt guidelines to establish acceptable levels for different aspects of these experiences. One of the most selected factors is perceived crowding, which reflects how crowded visitors feel in a given area. When perceived crowding exceeds desired levels, it can significantly diminish visitor satisfaction.

This thesis presents two studies aimed at identifying the shortcomings of the management of perceived crowding. The first study conducts a comprehensive literature review that identifies …

Development Of The Sexual Mindfulness Measure For Abstinent Persons, Kaitlyn Zito

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Sexual wellbeing plays a crucial role in overall health, influencing physical, emotional, social, and even spiritual aspects of life. One key factor in sexual wellbeing is sexual mindfulness, or the ability to be aware and accepting of one's sexual thoughts, feelings, and sensations. While previous research has focused on sexual mindfulness in romantic relationships, little is known about how it applies to abstinent individuals. To address this gap, I developed a 16-item validated measure of sexual mindfulness specifically for abstinent individuals: the Sexual Mindfulness Measure for Abstinent Persons (SMM-AP). This tool adapts key elements from the Five Facets of Mindfulness …

Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, And Metacognition: The Influence Of A Professional Development For Grades Three To Five Teachers, Jason Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Formative assessment is a strategy that teachers use to improve student learning. This study explored how professional development focused on assessment for learning practices (AFL), with the main emphasis on learning intentions and success criteria, influences teacher use of those strategies and changes in teacher and student metacognition. The overarching research question was: How does professional development on AFL practices influence teachers' reported use of AFL practices and teacher and student metacognition? This study utilized a mixes-methods research design and provided professional development on AFL practices to 16 in-service elementary mathematics teachers and measured changes to their AFL practices and …

Caregiver Implemented Standardized To Individualized Behavior Analytic Toilet Training Package For Autistic Preschoolers, Jessica A. Osos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Autistic children often face challenges with toilet training and may benefit from a more structured and systematic approach compared to methods used for neurotypical children. While research and literature in this area has shown that behavior analytic toilet training packages can lead to increasing successful urinations and reducing accidents for autistic children, limitations such as not including caregivers as the individuals implementing the package, unsustainable sit schedules, and lack of acceptable levels of checks for accurate data collection and implementation of procedures highlight the need for refining of implementation oversight and examination of updated toileting procedures without the use of …

Component Analysis Of Interactive Computer Training To Teach Paraprofessionals To Deliver Behavioral Skills Training, Scott V. Page

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In education and Applied Behavior Analysis, there is growing demand for well-trained entry-level individuals to deliver behavior interventions. Interactive Computer Training allows trainees to access online instruction with video demonstrations, interactive tasks, and feedback, without a live instructor. This training approach could save valuable training time and money. Prior researchers demonstrated these types of training can teach trainees to correctly use behavior interventions. There are gaps in our understanding of Interactive Computer Trainings that limit its successful use. Few studies measured cost-effectiveness, identified the effective features of Interactive Computer Training (e.g., videos, quizzes, feedback), or trained users to deliver effective …

Color Expressions In Euripides’ Ion, Erik Shelley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This analysis explores color expressions in the play Ion by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. Because the ancient Greeks experienced color differently, I examined words used in the play, including light, dark, fire, green, water, blood, and gold. These expressions imply different themes and concepts that Euripides uses to portray the duality between his two main characters, Ion and Creusa. This thesis showed how the mother-son pair acts as a foil for the different aspects of color found throughout the play that reflect ancient Greek culture.

Desert Drowning: A Short Story Collection, Steve Shumway

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As many young men born in Utah, I grew up Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. While this is not out of the ordinary in this state, my connections within the history of the church were. My grandfather's great grandfather Charles Shumway was one of the first Mormon settlers to cross the plains and settle in what would become the state of Utah. Not only that, he was one of Brigham Young's most trusted lieutenants, instructed to scout ahead of the main wagon trains, and later settle parts of Northern Arizona, where the town …

Imagen De La Guerra E Idea De Nación En El Poemario Unción De La Sombra, Carla Vanessa Gonzales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

El presente trabajo analiza los vasos comunicantes entre poesía, historia y memoria, partiendo de la representación de la guerra como expresión del fenómeno del conflicto y sus correlatos del trauma colectivo en el contexto de la violencia histórica. Es a través del poemario Unción de la sombra, que dicha investigación explora la manera en que la poesía escrita puede proyectar el dolor, la pérdida y el sentido de la identidad en relación con eventos de conflicto como uno de los fenómenos más controversiales de la expresión humana, con enfoque en la Guerra del Pacífico (1879-1884) y sus secuelas. Esta tesis …

An Alienated Population; Societal Issues And Educational Neglect In The Field Of Gifted Education, A Narrative Literature Review, Venus Jennifer Mendez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative literature review is to explore societal issues and educational neglect in gifted education, focusing particularly on the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic students. Through a comprehensive analysis of 36 peer-reviewed sources, the study reveals systemic inequities which leads to a creation of different themes stemming from racial and linguistic biases, imprecise definitions of giftedness, and the lack of teacher diversity, which collectively hinder equitable access to gifted programs. The findings magnify the urgent need for reform in identification process and procedures where the impact of having imprecise definitions and a lack of teacher diversity …

The Relationships Between Behavioral And Sociocultural Constructs And Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) And Cannabis Patterns In Hispanic Young Adult University Students, Kevin Sandoval Medina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The proliferation of both electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and cannabis has contributed to a concerning trend of dual usage, posing a greater public health risk, particularly pronounced among at-risk populations of increased substance use, such as Hispanic young adult college students. This study utilized the socioecological framework and social cognitive theory to observe behavioral and sociocultural constructs associated with dual use and identify potential risk and protective factors. Four hundred and twenty-one Hispanic young adult university students completed a cross-sectional survey assessing sociodemographics, depression, anxiety, stress, familism, acculturation, self-efficacy, and past month dual use and dual use recency of …

Bilingual Inconsistency Effect, Colin Andrew Scholl

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One of the leading models of discourse processing states that the activation of information within a text occurs through an automatic spread of activation between associated concepts, known as cohort-based retrieval. Moreover, previous studies that have investigated bilingual reading comprehension have found that certain processes that support the construction of quality mental representations of discourse are less efficient in a bilingual's non-dominant language (L2) compared to their dominant language (L1). The current study investigated cohort-based retrieval in the L1 and the L2 using a sample of 44 highly proficient, college-aged Spanish-English bilinguals that read narrative passages all in their L1 …

Lizita, Meet Liz A Memoir, Elizabeth Shannon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A change of life baby, Liz was born to poor, middle-aged Mexican American parents who didn't want the same things in life that she wanted. Generational trauma, internalized racism, and family dysfunction permeated her psyche and crippled her self-worth sending her into the fantasy worlds she created in her head. She managed to escape her family through marriage at nineteen years old, quickly realizing she had traded family dysfunction for marital dysfunction. But, then, an affair with a man more than twenty years her junior forced her to face the reality of her marriage. Newly divorced and finally free to …

Efecto De Soles, Natalia Soriano Moreno

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

En este texto quiero exponer cómo fue el proceso de creación de Efecto de soles, el cual se desarrolló entre los años 2022 y 2025. El libro presenta la cotidianidad de un barrio que un día se ve afectado por distintos cambios en la naturaleza cuando aparece un fenómeno particular: los soles de algunas casas se vuelven cuadrados y aumentan su nivel de alumbramiento. Esto hace que el entorno natural del barrio comience a cambiar: aparecen gusanos fosforescentes, las flores pierden su olor, la lluvia se vuelve negra, las mariposas se van y a los árboles les salen hojas de …

Retoriando "La Neta": Cosechando Testimonios Del Campo Y Desahogos Laborales As Regenerative Rhetoric Pathways For Raza Obrer@ Performing La Talacha In Marginalized Laboral Spaces, Ramiro De Anda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Emic, phenomenological, and interdisciplinary, this study draws on and seeks to bring the fields of Sociopsychology and Rhetoric and Writing Studies into conversation to address the potential intracultural cognitive bias of raza obrer@ (RO), by raza non-obrer@ (RNO), throughout the Borderland (the El Paso/Juarez Region) through the strategic application of Regenerative Rhetoric.

In this dissertation, I examine testimonios del campo (personal narratives from laboral spaces) and desahogos laborales (emotional laboral releases) of RO performing la talacha (arduous blue-collar work) within marginalized labor spaces utilizing Regenerative Rhetoric reparative discourse/dialectic strategies that spur sentipensamiento en la sudoracion (sensing and thinking within the …

The Depths Of Horror: Exploring The Manifestation Of Fear In The Natural World, Jordan Eugene Easley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The horror genre is uniquely powerful in that it is one of the only hands of fiction with the ability to reach off the page and follow you. The feeling of fear originally formed in the confines of a scary story can lie dormant in the reader after the story has finished and be resurfaced later by a related trigger. On a late night after work walking through a deserted car garage, home alone in the middle of a storm, or stumbling into an abandoned hospital, the reader is imbued with an ability to detect a threat that was previously …

Authentic Self-Actualization: The Underlying Mechanisms Of The Self That Are Associated With Well-Being And Alcohol Outcomes Among At-Risk Drinkers, Rebeca Fierro Perez-Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Research indicates that individuals who consume alcohol beyond recommended guidelines are at-risk for harmful health outcomes. Moreover, alcohol is often used as a coping strategy to alleviate negative emotions that stem from self-discrepancies, potentially reinforcing maladaptive drinking behavior and exacerbating alcohol-related problems. Although various motivational theories related to the self-concept have independently contributed to our understanding of drinking behavior, no framework has synthesized these perspectives. Grounded in self-discrepancy theory, self-determination theory, and self-actualization, the present study introduces Authentic Self-Actualization as a comprehensive theoretical framework to examine how motivational aspects of the self-concept influence well-being and alcohol-related outcomes. A total of …

Transnational Teachers On Both Sides Of The U.S.-Mexico Border: Exploring Their Identities And Conocimiento. A Phenomenological Study With A Comparative Stance, Isaac Frausto Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The transnationalism phenomenon is at the core of an increasingly globalized world. This phenomenological study with a comparative stance explores the lived experiences and perspectives of teachers with a transnational migration background with regards to how they [re]construct their identities and conocimiento. It compares and contrasts the histories and insights from participants in the borderlands with those from the heart of Mexico. Specifically, this study contributes to the under-explored body of literature which has taken a comparative stance in looking at transnationalism in education on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Data derived from migration memory maps and in-depth, phenomenological …

Testing A Benign Multi-Modal Bilingual Intervention To Increase Self-Efficacy, Intentions, And Willingness To Administer A Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test In A Predominately Hispanic Sample, Uchenna Gbugu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Testing is one of the most effective methods for reducing the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 antigen tests can detect proteins from the COVID-19 virus called antigens and produce results within minutes, making them suitable for at-home use. Several factors have been identified as barriers to self-administering a COVID-19 antigen test, including the language of the testing instructions, the cost of testing, and access to tests. Interventions to reduce barriers to self-administering COVID-19 rapid tests are warranted to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of the present study is to test the impact of a benign multi-modal bilingual intervention …

Angelic Wasting: The Impacts Of The Enlightenment, Evangelicalism, And The Industrial Revolution On Romanticization Of Tuberculosis In England, 1800-1850, Sara M. Sudano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to elucidate the intersections between the portrayal of tuberculosis in the Romantic era and the Enlightenment, evangelism, and the Industrial Revolution. This study aims to do so by locating and analyzing depictions in the primary source representations of the disease, then considering the effects of the three factors mentioned above on its representation. The Enlightenment, evangelism, and the Industrial Revolution interacted in a variety of ways, and the influence of all three factors was found within the representations of tuberculosis, albeit in often indirect ways. In the novels of Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell and Charlotte Brontë, tuberculosis was …

The Uneven Disruptions Covid-19 Caused To Scholars’ Publication: A Preregistered Study, Marco De Prosperis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This proposed, preregistered study investigates the uneven impacts of COVID-19 on scholarly productivity among University of Arkansas faculty, focusing on how demographic and professional factors—such as gender, ethnicity, academic rank, tenure status, field of study, and the presence of children—may have moderated productivity during the pandemic. Utilizing a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, this research will collect data from 160 full-time faculty members through an online survey. Grounded in Role Theory, the study will examine role conflict and enrichment as faculty navigated shifting responsibilities in research, teaching, and caregiving during remote work. This study is particularly relevant as many assistant professors who …

How Novice Arkansas Teacher Corps Teachers In The Arkansas Delta Stabilize In Their Profession: A Dissertation, Nicholas G. Patterson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Foundational research exists on the teacher life cycle, novice teacher struggles, and the role of burnout on public sector employees, including teachers (Huberman, 1989; Veenman, 1984; Maslach & Jackson, 1981). However, less research explores teachers' perceptions about what allows them to move through the profession’s life cycle and past initial struggles and avoid burnout. There is a significant gap in the literature about why some teachers persist while others leave the profession at alarming rates (U.S. Department of Education, 2007; Alliance for Excellent Education, 2005). Seven phases exist in a teacher’s life cycle: survival/discovery, stabilization, experimentation/activism, reassessment/self-doubts, serenity, conservatism, and …