Digital Commons Network^™

Variedades. Second Edition. Intermediate/ Advanced Spanish Conversation, Carmela V. Mattza

Faculty Publications

VARIEDADES. Second Edition. Intermediate/ Advanced Spanish Conversation is a textbook for the student at the intermediate / advanced intermediate level. Through audiovisual activities, the student is expected to put their previous knowledge into practice and improve their ability to understand, write, listen, and speak in Spanish. VARIEDADES offers communicative activities that can be easily adapted into courses of different levels. In addition, it offers an appendix of activities with films and a Spanish grammar section that by subject directs the student to electronic databases that are freely accessible or are part of the Open Access platform.

Does Speech-To-Text Assistive Technology Paired With Graphic Organizers Improve The Written Expression Of Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries?, Kayla Cuifolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can range from mild to severe and can cause debilitating outcomes that require children to need specialized medical or educational services post-injury. Outcomes vary and are dependent on the location of injury, age, severity, and environmental factors. Some common deficits that happen as a result of a brain injury are fine motor and executive functioning skill difficulties. Fine motor and executive functioning skills are an important component of written expression. Therefore, this current study utilized a brief experimental analysis in order to determine the effects that speech-to-text assistive technology along with a graphic organizer has …

Rooted In Environmental Justice: Phytogeography And Ethnoecology Of Serianthes, Else Demeulenaere

Biological Sciences

Serianthes Benth. (Fabaceae) is one of the most endangered plant genera in the world, with 12 of the 18 species listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Serianthes trees are culturally important to island communities of the Indo-Pacific region for canoes, boats, traditional houses, and medicine. Habitat loss and ecosystem degradation increased pressure on these trees, also threatening its Indigenous cosmology and traditional practices. This interdisciplinary study integrated genomic, biogeographic and ethnoecological approaches to develop appropriate policies that protect the Indigenous biocultural diversity of Serianthes. Phylogenomics of 401 nuclear exons and non-coding flanking regions using both a multi-species …

A Public Health Ethics Approach To Substance Use Disorder, Adele Flaherty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the dissertation is to undertake an analysis of substance use disorders that focuses on a public health ethics perspective. The ethical argument focuses upon justifying the use of harm reduction and is primarily concerned with the current opioid crisis. While substance abuse/misuse over the course of history has been identified as a public health concern, this dissertation presents substance use disorders over the course of the lifespan, examining various contexts in which it can affect daily living and health outcomes. It achieves this by analyzing substance use disorders through the lens of the socioecological model of public …

Systems And Methods For Scalable Retinal Screening Programs, Jeremy Richard Benson

Computer Science ETDs

This dissertation addresses gaps in artificial intelligence-based computer vision tasks in the medical image processing field. We demonstrate effective methods for standardizing and augmenting digital fundus photographs so that robust convolutional neural network-based systems can perform high-throughput disease classification and generalize to never-before-seen data from novel camera technologies, scaling with the changing hardware landscape, as well as keeping up with vast amount of incoming data from the ever-increasing population. We also tackle the problem of discovering relevant samples in an unlabeled cohort of image data, thus widening the bottleneck to all downstream supervised machine learning tasks.

Multicultural Music Education: Preparedness, Perceptions, And Practice Among Virginia Elementary Music Educators, Benjamin J. Luna

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Benjamin Joel Luna, M. M.

James Madison University, 2021

Supervisor: Lisa M. Maynard

The purpose of this study was to examine the Multicultural Music Education (MME) practices of established (i.e. more than three years of music teaching experience) Elementary Music Teachers in the state of Virginia by examining their responses to a series of survey questions specific to the topic. Participants (N=18) were all current Elementary Music Teachers in the state of Virginia with more than three years of experience.

Participants were asked to use Likert-scale ratings for the majority of the questions but were also given the …

Reducing Implicit Bias: Evaluating Cultural Humility And Mindfulness Practices In The Perinatal Microsystem, Charlene Johnson

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: In one perinatal microsystem, an assessment revealed 49 reported events that alleged perceived bias occurred over a one-year period. This project aims to address implicit bias and educational solutions to improve communication and create a culture of humility and equity.

Context: The setting was an urban hospital within a large non-profit healthcare organization. The improvement team included registered nurse champions, obstetrical technicians, midwives, physicians, managers, and an educator.

Intervention: A virtual interactive education session for a multidisciplinary volunteer group (n=18) was introduced followed by five weekly follow-up discussions. The education focused on translating the cultural humility …

Motivating Poetry In The Adult Esl Classroom, Lenore Marin Myers

Master's Projects and Capstones

Current research into motivation in second language acquisition, including Dörnyei (2005, 2009, 2015), offers compelling evidence that adult language learners who develop and habitually strengthen a vision of their future, linguistically capable selves using concrete, sensory imagery are more likely to sustain the necessary motivation to achieve their personal language-learning goals. My thesis proposes that poetry writing can be an effective medium for language learners to build facility in developing concrete, sensory imagery (tactile, visual, kinesthetic, olfactory, and auditory), including creating a motivating vision of their future, linguistically capable selves. Because poetry can directly support and build learner motivation, it …

Distribution, Abundance And Natural Enemies Of The Invasive Tomato Leafminer, Tuta Absoluta (Meyrick) In Kenya, G. Kinyanjui, F. M. Khamis, F. L.O. Ombura, E. U. Kenya, S. Ekesi, S. A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has become a serious menace to sustainable production of tomato in Kenya. A survey was conducted between April 2015 and June 2016 to determine its distribution, abundance, infestation, and damage levels on tomato, and associated natural enemies. Trap counts of T. absoluta moths were recorded in all surveyed 29 counties, which indicated its nationwide distribution irrespective of altitude. Tuta absoluta was present in both open fields and greenhouses. The highest moth/trap/day was 115.38 ± 15.90. Highest leaf infestation was 92.22% and the highest number of mines and larvae per leaf were 3.71 ± 0.28 and 2.16 ± …

中小学英语学术词汇标准参照测验的开发及验证, Christopher D. Barr, Diane August, Lauren Artzi, Coleen D. Carlson, David J. Francis

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

本研究开发了一项英语学术词汇测验 (the Test of Academic Vocabulary in English, TAVE)，并报告了TAVE的设计和验证过程。该测验旨在衡量学生对学术词汇的掌握情况，不同年级题本之间进行了垂直等值，而且评定结果可以统一到同一个发展性的量尺 (a developmental scale) 之上。此外，测验分数可以向一个有意义的语料库 (a meaningful corpus) 中推广。本研究以先前的试点工作为基础，所用样本包含2,238名来自西南某大城市的3到8年级学生，当中既有英语学习者 (English learner, EL)，也有非英语学习者，并阐述了语料库与测验的开发思路及过程。结果表明，TAVE测验呈现单维结构且具有很高的信度和关联效度，测验也能很好地区分低年级之间学生的词汇掌握能力。本文研究意义在于提出了一种发展性的度量方法 (a developmental metric)，使得学生的测验分数可以推广到一个有意义的语料库中——该语料库涵盖了学术文本中的常见词汇，而且能获得学生对语料库各单词的掌握概率。本文实践意义在于提供了一个不同年级分数可比的测验工具，并能用它来追踪学生短期或长期上词汇量的变动。

Designing And Validating A Criterion-Referenced Assessment Of High Utility Academic Vocabulary In English For Elementary And Middle School Students, Christopher D. Barr, Diane August, Lauren Artzi, Coleen D. Carlson, David J. Francis

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

This study reports on the design and validation of a vertically equated assessment of academic vocabulary that generalizes to a meaningful corpus of words and is measured on a developmental scale: the Test of Academic Vocabulary in English (TAVE). The study builds on previous pilot work and uses a larger sample of students who are English learners (ELs) and non-EL students in grades 3 to 8 (n= 2,238) from a large urban Southwestern region, and describes the rationale and process of corpus and assessment development. A review of the findings from the study found the academic vocabulary construct …

Rejecting Word Worship: An Integrative Approach To Judicial Construction Of Insurance Policies, Jeffrey W. Stempel, Erik S. Knutsen

University of Cincinnati Law Review

Insurance coverage litigation is a quest for discerning meaning: Does the insurance policy cover the loss at issue? Construing the insurance policy, courts attempt to give legal effect to what the document purports to command. But what were the intentions and expectations of insurer and insured? Do those intentions even matter? Or is only the written text of the policy relevant to the coverage result? Courts addressing these questions typically frame the interpretative choice as one of strict textualism versus contextual functionalism.

In many, perhaps even most situations, text and context align to create an “easy” case. If a factory …

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Understanding And Embracing Cultural Diversity In The Chinese Classroom, Jing Gao

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

Schools and society have become more diverse. Culturally responsive teaching as an effective teaching method has been applied in different school subject areas. This article introduces the concept of culturally responsive teaching and discusses its implementation in the Chinese classroom. This article addresses the establishment of an inclusive, safe, and academically rigorous learning environment, diversification of curriculum content knowledge and instructional strategies, and incorporation of culturally responsive assessment. Culturally responsive teaching in the Chinese classroom provides an opportunity for teachers not only to develop students' language skills and cultural understanding, but also to cultivate students' attitudes and dispositions toward diversity …

A Comparative Study Of The Teaching Of Chinese And Swahili Credit Courses At Burundi University, Mfitiye Ferdinand Mf.

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

Abstract

Our study compared the teaching of Chinese credit course and Swahili credit course at the Burundi University. The goal is to find out the reasons why many students prefer to learn Chinese credit course instead of Swahili, whereas the two courses have the same volume of hours. It also aims to know the students points of view on the teaching of Chinese in Burundi, to know the problems facing the promotion of Chinese in Burundi and the appropriate measures that can be taken to resolve these problems. The study proceeded by a method of survey that we carried out …

Online Chinese Learning: A Case Study Of The Use Of Youtube Instructional Videos, Mireia Vargas-Urpí, Yanjun Xu

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

YouTube is one of many online platforms that provide good, free learning resources for students of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). This article aims to explore the role and implications of YouTube videos in CFL education. To that end, it firstly introduces a questionnaire survey conducted among Chinese language learners in Barcelona, Spain, focusing on their viewing habits related to YouTube Chinese-learning videos. The results of the survey not only reveal the students’ preferences for certain types of video content/formats, but also indicate that they make only very limited use of YouTube resources to supplement their formal language education. …

Ukrainian Political Economy: An Analysis Of Past, Present, And Future Trends, Franklin Shobe

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Unpacking Political Identity In First-Time Voting Christian Women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Mary Grace Golden

Honors Theses

As political science tends to focus on polling and statistical analysis to examine individuals’ voting behaviors, the reasoning behind constituents’ decision-making process is often left in the dark. This is particularly true in first-time voting women who come from religious backgrounds that uphold complementarian gender values. This study focuses on the following research questions: How do women experience their political identity in relation to their gender identity? How do women experience their political identity in relation to their religious or faith identity? How do women experience their political identity in relation to voting for the first time? I answer these …

Does Digital Literacy Empower Adolescent Girls In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Salima Meherali, Komal Abdul Rahim, Sandra Campbell, Zohra S. Lassi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: The vast majority (90%) of the world's adolescents aged 10-19 live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); and in those resource-limited settings, girls face distinct challenges across multiple health, social, and economic domains. Gender equality and girls' empowerment are key goals in their own right and are central to all other development goals. Digital literacy is a great enabler for the empowerment of young girls. This systematic review aims to assess the range and nature of digital literacy interventions implemented to empower adolescent girls in LMICs and identify evidence about adolescent girls' access and use of digital technologies in …

Fear, Loathing, And The Hemispheric Consequences Of Xenophobic Hate, Ernesto Sagás, Ediberto Román

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

“When you have fifteen thousand people marching up . . . how do you stop these people?” “You shoot them” [crowd member shouts] [chuckling, Trump responds:] “[O]nly in the Panhandle can you get away with that thing.”¹
President Donald Trump

“Thousands of criminal aliens. They’re pouring into our country.”²
President Donald Trump

“They’re not people, these are animals.”³
President Donald Trump

“Take a look at the death and destruction that’s been caused by people coming into this country caused by people that shouldn’t be here.”⁴
President Donald Trump

“ [We] have millions and millions of people …

Falling Through The Cracks Of Education: A Comparative Analysis Of Canada’S And The United States’ Use Of Standardized Testing Within The Realm Of Public Education, Micaela Baldner

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

The education system is foundational to society. Public education is based on the concept of equal educational opportunities for all. Although the purpose of standardized testing is the elimination of bias to prevent certain segments of society’s students from receiving unfair academic advantages, there is little empirical verification that suggests that standardized testing actually achieves its intended purpose. In fact, the evidence indicates that standardized testing negatively impacts low-income, marginalized, and English-learning students, as achievement gaps for these groups have remained the same or have even grown with the increased use of such tests. This article will discuss the intended …

A Trauma-Informed Inquiry Of Covid-19’S Initial Impact On Students In Adult Education Programs In The United States, David A. Housel

Publications and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on adult education programs throughout the world, abruptly transforming in-person instruction to distance teaching/learning. Can the lessons learned from adult students, especially related to the “digital divide,” be leveraged to enhance adult education and create more inclusive policies and practices moving forward? To grapple with this question, this exploratory qualitative study sought the insights of adult learners in the northeastern United States through an online survey of primarily open-ended questions. Through multiple rounds of coding using a trauma-informed lens, the following themes emerged: (a) anxiety and loss; (b) distractions, adjustments, and balance; …

Subject Disintegration: Identity And Alterity In The Age Of The Hyperreal, Sophie Ell

American Studies ETDs

What do the signs “identity” and “alterity” point to within the economy of representation and the logic of simulation that govern the present era? How does the visual saturation of a screen-mediated life affect the study of identity? Where does the information overload within which we operate leave the production of knowledge about otherness? My goal in this project is not to resolve these questions, but rather to linger in them. Focusing on various portrayals of categorical identities in film, photography, and digital media, I utilize a semiotic analysis to examine the formulaic, repetitive maneuvers of signification practices that reproduce …

Contextualizing Caves Within An Animate Maya Landscape: Caves As Living Agents In The Past And Present, Brent K. S. Woodfill

KIP Articles

After groundbreaking work by multiple archaeologists in the latter half of the 20th century, caves in the Maya world are currently acknowledged as fundamentally ritual rather than domestic spaces. However, a more nuanced read of the anthropological literature and conversations with Indigenous collaborators in the past and present pushes us to move still farther and see caves not as passive contexts to contain ceremonies directed elsewhere but animate beings with unique identities and personalities in their own right. This article combines archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic documentation of Maya cave use in central Guatemala to build a foundation for examining caves …

Winter Commencement: December 16-17, 2021, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Winter Commencement program from December 16 and 17, 2021.

Blended Language Learning: The Decision-Making Process In Designing A Blended Portuguese Course, Camellia Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This study identifies how content specialists, instructors, and instructional designers made decisions about what content to teach in person and what to teach online for a second year Portuguese university course. Qualitative vignettes around three course design participants highlight emergent themes and course artifacts from their interviews that show how they made decisions about what learning opportunities to do online and what to leave in person. The blended language course involved Canvas learning management system with two additional main technology tools used in development: GoReact and H5P. The results are subdivided to reflect the views of the instructional designer, the …

Civic Environmental Stewardship: Aligning Organizational And Participant Motivations, Kathleen L. Wolf, Weston Brinkley, Dale J. Blahna

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Natural area management and sustainability in cities is ever more reliant on civic environmental stewardship. Many conservation organizations sponsor stewardship programs that enlist volunteers to care for the land and restore urban ecosystems. Stewardship program success depends on alignment of individuals’ and sponsoring organizations’ goals. We conducted surveys with a sample of 165 volunteers across natural areas stewardship events in metropolitan King County (Washington, U.S.). An adapted Volunteer Functions Inventory framework was used to understand volunteers’ motivations, satisfactions, and volunteering history. Our findings confirmed the multidimensional dynamics of volunteerism, as stewardship volunteers were motivated and expressed satisfaction for practical altruism, …

The Connection Between Pre-Literacy Development And Parent Use Of Strategies, Jhay-Lah Kennell

Honors Projects

The topic of this senior project is to research and develop strategies that parents of preschoolers can use to facilitate development of pre-literacy skills. The outcome will be a set of facilitation strategies embedded in a children's book focusing on phonological awareness skills. Additional, the book includes a method for training parents to use strategies to help their child(ren) develop skills regarding rhyming and blending. The book will be annotated with the specific parent coaching ideas. Overall, the children's book will include a developmentally appropriate storyline with underpinnings of the rhyming and blending skills of phonological awareness. The book will …

Desgarrandonos De Nuestra Lengua: Ripping Us From Our Language, Lillian Ramos, Julia N. Ramirez

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Using a testimonio methodology, this study provides insight on how language ideologies, family, and education in the Texas Borderlands impacted two Latina teachers’ view and understanding of their identity. Through our personal experiences as PK-16 students, classroom teachers, and doctoral students, we were able to understand the colonization of our language and the subsequent endangerment of our bilingualism, which upon reflecting, had an impact on how we see ourselves as individuals, bilinguals, teachers, and Latinas. Our experiences with our bilingualism affected the way in which we perceive ourselves and our community. The reflection and analysis of our experiences allowed us …

An Examination Of Leadership Needs, Preparation, And Expectations In Rural Indigenous Communities, Roselyn Carroll-Trujillo

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT Every single person has leadership ability. Some step up and take them. Some don't. My answer was to step up and lead. ̴Wilma Mankiller ̴ How well prepared are New Mexico school leaders to serve in leadership positions in rural communities with high ratios of Indigenous populations? In this study, I utilized an Indigenous research paradigm to explore policy, reciprocal relationships, licensure requirements in one state, and perceptions from a variety of individuals in rural communities to develop an understanding of what is necessary to create and sustain successful school leadership in an Indigenous community. An Indigenous paradigm of …

An Open Source Direct Messaging And Enhanced Recommendation System For Yioop, Aniruddha Dinesh Mallya

Master's Projects

Recommendation systems and direct messaging systems are two popular components of web portals. A recommendation system is an information filtering system that seeks to predict the "rating" or "preference" a user would give to an item and a direct messaging system allows private communication between users of any platform. Yioop, is an open source, PHP search engine and web portal that can be configured to allow users to create discussion groups, blogs, wikis etc.

In this project, we expanded on Yioop’s group system so that every user now has a personal group. Personal groups were then used to add user …