Digital Commons Network^™

Discourse Representation Of Self And Other In The 2020 Trump-Biden Presidential Debates, Victor Babajide Ogunleye, Adesina B. Sunday

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Presidential aspirants in the United States engage in debates during campaigns as a medium of enlightening the electorate. Existing studies on the American presidential debates have largely focused on politeness, rhetoric, syntax, and gender, with little attention to the strategies employed to construct the self and opponent(s). Therefore, this research investigates the discourse representation in the presidential debates between Trump and Biden using van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of critical discourse analysis. Ten excerpts were purposively selected for their relevance in illustrating representation strategies. The analysis revealed positive self-representation and negative other-representation. Positive self-representation featured the self as competent, honest, altruistic, …

English Faculty Members’ Perception And Attitude Toward The Use Of Chatgpt By English Language Teaching In Higher Education In Saudi Arabia, Wjoud Hussain Almadani

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) driven ChatGPT is an innovative transformation tool in the rapidly evolving educational landscape. This study aimed to understand faculty members' perspectives and attitudes toward using ChatGPT for English language teaching in Saudi Arabia, particularly in Najdi rural areas. Method: The study employed a survey-based quantitative research design involving English-language faculty members in Saudi Arabia, particularly at Shaqrah University. Result: Despite having a mixed opinion on the willingness to use ChatGPT in English language teaching, participants have identified several applications of ChatGPT, such as translation and vocabulary, creating presentations, preparing exam and quiz questions, and creating activity …

Multi-Label Seabed Image Classification: A Comparative Study Of Deep Learning And Machine Learning Models, Anis Bel Hadj Hassin, Elyes Omri

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

This study evaluates the effectiveness of deep learning and machine learning models for classifying seabed images into three ecologically significant categories: algae, rocks, and sand. We investigated five models: ResNet50, VGG16, a custom-designed convolutional neural network (CNN), support vector machines (SVM), and random forests (RF). Deep learning models were fine-tuned on 1259 seabed images, with the custom CNN architecture optimized using depthwise separable convolutions and global average pooling. For SVM and RF, features were extracted using a pre-trained VGG16 network. Class weighting was applied to address potential imbalances in the dataset. The custom CNN achieved the highest validation accuracy (82.01%), …

Effective Strategies For Improving Communication In Organizations That Hr Leaders Use To Increase Employee Productivity, Susan Dean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Research Communication With Visual Tools, Sonya Fogg

Library Class: Lunch & Learn

Understand the role of visual communication in medical research. Distinguish between data visualizations, infographics, and visual abstracts. Identify best practices and some resources and tools for creating effective visuals.

The Shorthorn: April 6, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Meme Event: Memefication, Memory-Making And Political Resistance In The Biafra Digital Discourse, Chimaobi Dick Onwukwe

Theses - ALL

In this thesis, I examine the Biafran digital commemoration on May 30th every year—Biafra Commemoration Day. Specifically, I examine how the Biafran digital commemorative culture functions as memorialization and political action. Drawing on theoretical reserves from modern meme studies and performance studies, I propose a theory of “meme event”—a coordinated digital practice that encompasses not just memetic content but the larger ecology of its creation, circulation, strategic timing (May 30th), and strategic deployment. The rallying slogan “We don’t die, we multiply” serves as the anchor around which the meme event revolves, circulating both memetic content and non-meme posts. This theoretical …

Balancing Innovation & Safety: The Role Of State Law As The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Increases In Oil And Gas Operations, Anna Trahan

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Inundated With Uncertainty: A Cartographic Assessment Of Fema’S Flood Insurance Rate Maps (Firms) And Flood Risk Discourse, Michael Cabal

Theses - ALL

Flooding accounts for almost 90% of all natural disasters in the United States. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is the authoritative agency tasked with mapping Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) that determine high-risk flood zones. These maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), are used to establish mandatory flood insurance requirements, regulate local floodplain building requirements, inform future development, and mitigate potential flood damage. However, the process for updating and implementing flood maps has come under significant scrutiny for being oversimplified, inaccurate, and incomplete. Despite existing scholarship on the shortfalls of FEMA’s recent responses to disasters, there is limited …

Online Rights Defense Among Chinese Americans Against Racial Aggression In The U.S. During The Covid-19, Fangzhu Lu, Wenshan Jia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

This study investigates how Chinese American communities responded to heightened racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing social media platforms to safeguard their civil rights, articulate collective concerns, and mobilize resistance against racial aggression.

Methodology

Through qualitative case study analysis, the research examines the social media activities of six advocacy organizations, including three X accounts (WashTheHate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and three Instagram accounts (Stop AAPI Hate, Stop Asian Hate, Advancing Justice: AAJC). The analysis focuses on the content strategies and communication mechanisms employed to counteract racial hostility.

Findings

The selected organizations used social …

Client Communication Strategy Pitch Deck, Staci Thomas

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Business Client Communication Strategy - Pitch Deck

National Belonging And Cricket Fandom: Narrative Storytelling By Indian Premier League (Ipl) Teams On Instagram, Aman Misra, Adam William Love

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

This study examines how Indian Premier League (IPL) teams employed narrative storytelling on Instagram during the 2020 edition of the tournament, which was held in the United Arab Emirates rather than in India. Throughout the season, IPL teams used social media, especiallyInstagram, to foster online relationships and construct visual narratives reflecting transnational identity and other forms of cultural symbolism. Using Fisher’s (1985) narrative paradigm and Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework for visual narrative analysis, we investigate how Instagram posts from IPL team accounts articulated political and cultural identities. In doing so, the current study provides a novel contribution to …

Examining The Role Of Physical Illustrations Within The Home To Represent Our Connections With The Climate Emergency And Its Potential For Climate Action, Devon Tipping

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

In a time of upheaval and rapid change individuals and society arechallenged emotionally, often expressed as anxiety and a sense of powerlessness.This is particularly relevant in terms of environmental issues and in the context ofthe climate emergency which has contributed to a rise in eco-anxiety. Within thiscontext, illustration can offer valuable tools to inspire climate action. Artwork, acommon feature in most homes, is often viewed daily, yet can it serve a purposebeyond decoration?The project, Floriography, explored how images within domestic spaces can fosterclimate awareness. The focus was to engage people who may find climateconversations overwhelming, using illustration to introduce these …

Beyond Autonomy: An Actor-Network Theory Study Of A Solo Exhibition In Indonesia, Rendy Pandita Bastari, Patra Aditia, Ganesha Puspa Nabila

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

In many exhibition artists are often perceived as singular and autonomous actors. Departing from the critique of this tendency, this study examines the solo exhibition Toyscapes, After Us by Indonesian artist Hilman Hendarsyah (November 2025) as a case study through the lens of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), in order to understand art exhibition as relational and socio-material practices. This study traces how exhibitions are produced through interaction between human and non-human actors within heterogeneous network. The analysis was conducted by following the actors and mapping processes of problematization, translation, and network stabilization. The findings elucidates that solo exhibition cannot be understood …

A Compass For The Forest: Curriculum Opportunities In A Post-Liaison World, Meghan Otoupalik, Erica Defrain

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

This poster highlights a project that reimagines what library instruction, faculty partnerships, and student impact looks like following the transition away from a liaison librarian model. Looking at the academic institution’s general education program’s learning outcomes that all undergraduates must complete, we found Information Literacy (IL) was already built into this multi-disciplinary program. The library was given access to the university’s repository of participating course documents and syllabi allowing us to analyze how the learning outcomes are being met, and even more insights into how IL is being taught across campus. We began a pilot program for the first of …

System Branding In Three Public Libraries: Live Oak Public Libraries, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, And Richland Library, Patrick Roughen

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article examines library catalogs as brand artifacts in the context of two ancient libraries: the Library of Alexandria and the library of the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic capital and brand theory, this research argues that the catalogs of these two institutions functioned as early branding instruments. The Pinakes, the catalog of the Library of Alexandria, projected a brand of universal knowledge and intellectual prestige, and the inscribed wall catalog at Edfu reflected a brand focused on sacred authority and the sustaining of cosmic order (Ma'at).  Together, they illustrate two opposing …

Dealing With Generation Z (Gen Z) Library Users In Information Services Provision: The Challenges Before Nigerian Public University Libraries, Inemesit Udom Udoh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Generation Z are today’s bubbling population in various organizational settings, including students in the institutions of higher learning, with diverse information needs and expectations. This study examined the challenges of dealing with Generation Z (Gen Z) library users in information services provision in Nigerian public university libraries. It adopted a mixed methods research design of quantitative and qualitative types, with a population of four hundred and one (401) professional librarians from 8 public university libraries. A sample size of 205 professional librarians was selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected with structured questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observation …

Mindfulness Across Media: Examining The Effects Of Audio, Audio-Visual, And Virtual Reality Mindfulness Interventions On Social Media Mindsets And Psychological Wellbeing, Rashmi Salian

ETDs from 2020-2029

Social media is so deeply ingrained and integrated into daily life that concerns about its impact on psychological wellbeing continue to grow, prompting pressing questions about how to foster healthier and more intentional use of technology. Recent studies suggest that low-agency mindsets toward social media lead users to develop habitual usage patterns and ambiguous information consumption behaviors, both of which negatively impact psychological outcomes. However, limited research is available on mechanisms that could effectively alter these mindsets. This study uses an experimental methodology to investigate whether mindfulness interventions delivered through varying levels of media immersion can improve psychological mindsets toward …

Student Worksheets Based On The Local Wisdom Of Besilek Serawai For Sixth-Grade Elementary Science Learning, Mice Agustin, Tomi Hidayat, Irwandi Irwandi

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to develop a Student Worksheet (Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik [LKPD]) based on the local wisdom of Besilek Serawai for sixth-grade elementary science education and to evaluate its validity. The study employed the ADDIE development model, consisting of five stages: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. The developed LKPD integrates Besilek Serawai, a traditional martial art of the Seluma community, with the concept of the human locomotor system in science instruction. The worksheet was validated by two subject-matter experts and two media experts. Material validation yielded an average score of 4.26, equivalent to a validity percentage of 85.2%, …

Ethically Implementing Ai To Maximize The Designer's Workflow, Victoria Lyons

Masters Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly advancing technology that has impacted nearly every industry. Graphic design is certainly no exception. AI has provided designers with a multitude of exciting opportunities and new methods to improve their work. At the same time, AI has also created some complex ethical challenges for designers to navigate. AI has the potential to greatly increase workflow efficiency, bring in automation to repetitive tasks, and provide new creative potential, but it also introduces concerns about creative and artistic integrity, intellectual property laws, and transparency with the consumer.

The focus of this thesis research will explore how …

Creating Trust: Strengthening Visual Communication Systems For Small Nonprofits, Jennifer R. Wenz

Masters Theses

This study explores how small nonprofits often fail shortly after they are created because of weak design practices and limited access to professional design tools and skills. Large organizations and nonprofits survive because they invest in strong branding, clear messaging, and long-term design strategy. Small nonprofits rely on volunteers with little to no design training which leaves them with inconsistent branding, unclear visual communication, and materials that fail to build the trust they need to survive. This project will examine the gap through research in the nonprofit areas of communication, visual psychology, accessible design systems, and case studies of successful …

Designing Clarity: A Framework For Nonprofit Branding, K. Caitlyn Crissler

Masters Theses

Nonprofit founders and leaders regularly face the challenge of communicating their mission clearly while working with limited budgets, limited design knowledge, and limited access to professional creative support. As a result, many organizations unintentionally waste time, money, and resources on inconsistent visual materials, unclear branding, and inefficient design processes. This thesis investigates how an accessible, streamlined design framework can empower non-designers in the nonprofit sector to make informed visual decisions, collaborate more effectively with designers, and produce communication materials that support their mission rather than hinder it. Utilizing a mixed-method approach , including a literature review of foundational design principles, …

Virtual Lunch And Learn: Enhancing Research Communication With Visual Tools, Sonya Fogg

TMC Library Newsletter (2015-)

Virtual Lunch and Learn: Enhancing Research Communication with Visual Tools on June 26, 2026 at noon.

Understand the role of visual communication in medical research. Distinguish between data visualizations, infographics, and visual abstracts. Identify best practices and some resources and tools for creating effective visuals.

Register to attend this virtual session!

Artificial Intelligence For Hazard Recognition Training In Construction: An Integrative Review, Van-Yen Ngo, Quan T. Nguyen, Bao-Ngoc Nguyen, Hoai-Nam Le, Quang-Phuong Luu, Van-Hoan Pham, Ngoc-Tuyen Tran, Zeeshan Aziz

CIB Conferences

Hazard recognition is a core capability in construction safety, yet conventional training often provides limited exposure to realistic, dynamic risk conditions. This paper presents an integrative review of 67 peer-reviewed studies on artificial intelligence-enabled hazard recognition training in construction. The review examines how immersive simulation, neuro-biometric sensing, mixed reality and AI-driven safety knowledge systems contribute to safety learning. Four research streams are identified: neuro-biometric analysis of hazard perception, adaptive immersive training, mixed-reality support for situational awareness and AI-based safety knowledge engineering. The synthesis indicates a shift from instructional safety training toward adaptive, data-informed learning ecosystems in which behavioural, physiological and …

Thinking Through Critical Metaphor: A Semiotic-Cognitive Study Of Political Caricatures, Sarah Tariq Hashim, Mahmood Atiya Farhan

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Political caricature serves as a powerful weapon that help caricaturists to reach their opinion to the public. They are used to criticize the political situations and highlight implicit discourse ideologies in a simple way. The current study explores critical metaphor in constructing ideological meaning in political caricatures from a semiotic-cognitive viewpoint. Although political caricatures have been widely studied, limited attention has been given to the interaction between visual signs and cognitive metaphor in shaping ideological interpretation. The findings show that these metaphors (verbal or visual) are not considered as stylistic tools but as ideological tools. Also, caricatures rely on critical …

Instagram Influencers And Egyptian Women: Links To Self- Perception And Behavior, Fatma El Sayad

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid rise of Instagram influencers has transformed the ways young women engage with media, shaping perceptions of appearance, lifestyle, success, and everyday behavior. This study examines how frequent exposure to Instagram influencers affects self-esteem, internalization of beauty and lifestyle ideals, perceived realism of influencer content, and behavioral and consumption habits among young Egyptian females. The study explores participants’ lived experiences, interpretations, and coping strategies in relation to influencer culture. Perceived influencer credibility emerged as a key factor for females to follow them, influencers viewed as relatable, specialized, and transparent were more likely to inspire adaptive behaviors, whereas those promoting …

Learning From Inexperienced Users’ Early Engagement With Food Tracking, Isil Oygur, Saadet Tikac Andic

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Current food tracking applications are largely designed to support behaviour change among users who track their food intake to meet predefined goals. As a result, individuals who are curious about food tracking but do not have specific goals remain underserved, limiting the potential of these tools for preventive care. To address this gap, we conducted a three-phase interview study using an existing food journaling application as a probe to reimagine food tracking experiences for inexperienced users. Thirty-one participants used the app for 14 days and discussed their views on healthy eating, food practices, and their tracking experiences. Our analysis identified …

Ddenso: An Evaluation-Driven Methodology For Information Visualisations, Michele Mauri, Elena Aversa, Anna Cattaneo, María De Los Ángeles Briones Rojas

DRS Biennial Conference Series

When designing Information Visualisations for Media and Information Literacy (MIL) initiatives, a significant challenge lies in ensuring that they effectively transmit and consolidate knowledge, particularly when the Information Visualisation literacy of the audience is unknown. Applying a Research through Design approach, this article describes a meta-process: the reflective and iterative path that led to the definition of DDENSO, a replicable design methodology for creating and evaluating Information Visualisations that allow for knowledge retention. Grounded in prior theoretical and practical experience in Information Design, DDENSO emerged through the development of the artefacts for a MIL exhibition exploring the social implications of …

Interface Cultures, Forever: Speculative Prototypes For Technological Awareness, Mario Ciaramitaro, Pietro Costa

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As artificial intelligence increasingly takes over the designer’s role in shaping interfaces for services and platforms, a key challenge is how to teach young designers to critically reflect on how design mechanisms shape users and their everyday lives. Interface Cultures, Forever was a design workshop that challenged the conventional notion of the digital interface. Participants were asked to design critical interfaces - concepts that reveal tensions, paradoxes, and invisible mechanisms within digital life. Through speculative and ironic prototypes, students explored how interfaces shape behavior, emotion, and identity. The projects articulate a landscape of cultural critique, where the interface becomes both …

Making Sense Of Pain: Participatory Design Approaches To Understanding And Supporting People Living With Chronic Pain, Ivana Nakarada-Kordic, Jannisa Seck, Nathan Beetge, Cassandra Khoo, Stephen Reay

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Pain is universal, yet its invisible nature makes it difficult to express or understand. Understanding the intricate mechanics of chronic pain and how to manage it effectively can be particularly challenging. This paper describes research exploring how human-centred design, transdisciplinary collaboration, and participatory approaches can produce diverse design outcomes that support the management and treatment of chronic pain. Two case studies are presented: 1) an exploration of how pain might be expressed through illustration and storytelling to offer insight into lived experience, and 2) how experiences of pain could be made more tangible through physical artefacts to support patient–clinician communication. …