Education Commons^™

Fundamentals Of Teaching Vocal Music Performance, Malcolm Shaquan Richardson

Masters Theses

This study outlines the significance and sole purpose of developing fundamental techniques of student vocal music performances, using professional constructive evaluation that will improve their overall performance experience. One of the most practical ways to support vocalists is to provide a constructive evaluation of their performances. The implementation of constructive evaluation is to reflect upon what is being done well, discover areas of improvement or refinement, plan and facilitate important lessons, and apply the lessons to future performances. As a music teacher who is actively overseeing the development of students as performing or creating musicians, including constructive evaluation is a …

Gamification Strategies For Music Educators: An Online Continuing Education Course, Luis Enrique Espinosa

Masters Theses

This curriculum project is designed to provide music educators in the public and private sector with introductory knowledge about the topic of gamification and game-based learning, framed within the scope of an online continuing education course. It is meant for adult learners who teach young musicians in the K-12 range. The course offers a set of strategies and step-based processes that help transform a traditional music lesson plan into an interactive and meaningful learning experience that leverages games. The games created by the students in the course can serve to motivate music students by incorporating a sense of competition and …

Google It! Supplementing Instructional Material In The Secondary Band Classroom With The Google Suite, Jacob Elder

Masters Theses

In order to meet the needs of the students of the 21st century, the traditional methods for teaching in the secondary instrumental music classroom should be updated. The Google Suite coupled with a variety of commonly used instructional music technology programs is one way to modify the traditional classroom to accommodate modern learners. Data from case studies, information on effectively using the Google Suite, and supplemental programs to use for blended instruction are included as resources for the 6th-12th grade band classrooms. Since technology is rapidly changing, the subsequent information and tools provided will be updated continually. Keeping current on …

Global Englishes: Variations Of A Single Language In All English Classrooms, Amanda Leigh Faulkenberry

Masters Theses

This study was conducted in order to develop a procedure for creating a globally recognized curriculum for teaching students and teachers about global variations of English. The study first sought to discover attitudes towards global variations of English of speakers in each of Kachru’s three-circles model of World Englishes. Once there was an understanding of the negative attitudes that exist towards variations that fall within all three circles, the next goal was to determine what was being done to change this negative attitude. This meant analyzing curriculum and studies to determine how students and teachers are being educated on the …

The Role Of Translation Style In Fostering Cultural Connections Through World Literature, Bridget Baudinet

Masters Theses

While many high school English instructors in the United States teach world literature in translation, few of them explicitly present the literature as translated. High school English students would benefit from learning more about the linguistic origins of the world literature they read. This awareness would increase student understanding of the source culture and benefit their language skills. Various translation theorists have suggested methods to teach translational awareness, but few have offered advice on the type of translation to select. In my research, I examined the question of whether students would derive more cultural knowledge, and specifically language-related knowledge, by …

The Plagiarism-Proof Policy Handbook: A Multidimensional-Systems Approach To Foster Student Writing Accountability And Prevent Plagiarism In College And University Classrooms, Cynthia D. Scott

Masters Theses

Academic integrity, ethical research, and proper documentation practices are key values emphasized within most post-secondary academic communities. To support positive student outcomes, colleges and universities use honor codes, policy measures, and plagiarism detection systems to deter plagiarism, believing that the above measures promote ethical behavior from the students who graduate from their institutions. This thesis first recommends a broader, environmentally focused approach which examines the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of the post-secondary educational setting within universities and colleges using systems theory and strengths theory. It then identifies some important plagiarism barriers and plagiarism enablers students encounter within each environmental …

Responsive Classroom Approach (Rca) In Music Classrooms To Acknowledge And Cultivate Diversity: A Curriculum, Carley Pelella

Masters Theses

In present day America, there is a growing need for educators to acknowledge diversity and create a safe learning environment for all students. Students should feel safe, welcomed, and free to express themselves in any classroom. While there are many social emotional learning (SEL) strategies to support building this atmosphere, for over 40 years the Responsive Classroom Approach (RCA) has made a significant impact on the culture of classrooms across America. By fostering an environment to “build academic and social-emotional competencies every day,” RCA provides teachers a tool to promote relationship building within their school populations. However, with a rapidly …

The Value Of Assessment For The Inclusive General Music Classroom, Mary Elizabeth Quigley

Masters Theses

This project contains an analysis of the current inclusion and assessment practices of the middle school (7th and 8th grade) general music classroom. There are many studies concerning inclusion of students with special needs and the importance of assessments in teaching music. However, there are very few studies that connect assessment techniques with inclusion, demonstrating that music teachers are teaching to each student’s ability. This study used the case study methodology in the qualitative approach with teacher interviews, surveys, and several classroom observations to analyze the data. The data was coded, and names of people and the school district were …

Preferences In Learning "Hiragana": A Comparative Study Between Mobile Apps And Paper Worksheets, Michiko Nakada

Masters Theses

In 2020, technology is generally accepted, and we can see many people using their digital devices such as smartphones everywhere. It is easy to see how dependent we are on technology, anytime and anywhere. Mobile apps are one of the time-effective tools for our daily lives. College students in the United States are always busy with their classes and assignments, and for them, apps are not only for having fun but are also convenient, reliable, and essential supporting tools for their academic and daily lives.

This paper examines the students’ preferences in learning the Japanese writing system “Hiragana” with mobile …

Kofifi/Covfefe: How The Costumes Of "Sophiatown" Bring 1950s South Africa To Western Massachusetts In 2020, Emma Hollows

Masters Theses

This thesis paper reflects upon the costume design process taken by Emma Hollows to produce a realist production of the Junction Avenue Theatre Company’s musical Sophiatown at the Augusta Savage Gallery at the University of Massachusetts in May 2020. Sophiatown follows a household forcibly removed from their homes by the Native Resettlement Act of 1954 amid apartheid in South Africa. The paper discusses her attempts as a costume designer to strike a balance between replicating history and making artistic changes for theatre, while always striving to create believable characters.

Inclusion And Exclusion Of Gender, Social Class, Race And Ability In Elementary German Textbooks, Emmalie Keenan

Masters Theses

Elementary German language textbooks today lack diverse representations of gender, social class, race, and ability. This thesis argues that the exclusion of those categories of diversity impedes the objectives of the communicative learning approach for students in first-year German courses. It examines research on diversity in textbooks with a focus on the concept of the “third space”, and shows how these findings apply to German students. An analysis of chapters from three German textbooks published between 2018 and 2020: Netzwerk neu A1, Impuls Deutsch 1, and Grenzenlos Deutsch provides specific examples of how images, texts, dialogs, grammar, and vocabulary exercises …

The Storying Of Colombian Writing Centers, Jennifer Erin Pretzer

Masters Theses

Using the results from a study conducted on Colombian writing centers, this thesis applies principles from narrative theory to posit a grand narrative for Colombian writing center professionals. The study was modeled on one Jackie Grutsch McKinney used to examine US writing center professionals’ descriptions of their work, and the thesis includes a comparison with her results. Respondents were asked to answer seven questions, two of which were multiple choice and five of which were short answer. The questions asked respondents to describe their tutoring staff composition, their center’s operations, writing centers in general, and ways their center resembles and …

A Musically Embedded Curriculum For Rural Elementary Schools, Rachael Marie Dubay

Masters Theses

Rural school districts across the nation have been at a crossroads for decades. The amount of funding and resources provided to these small towns is often meager and falls short to provide the schools and students with the proper education, teacher training, curriculum, building maintenance, and other necessary educational materials. School officials and board members in these areas across the nation each year have had to make the hard decisions of what to prioritize and what will have to fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, cuts in budgetary and educational reform have regularly faced music education programs and it has become …

Music Education Transformation: How Orff, Kodaly, And Suzuki Promote Academic Success, Michelle M. Angeli

Masters Theses

We all need Music in our lives. Music education is valued less in the education system, but present data from these literature sources of articles, books, and research, tells us another story. For decades school systems have struggled with whether or not to include Music in the education system. There are many values for Music, including individual growth and development. In this research study, I intend to showcase the central benefits of Music to help show there is a need for these programs and to help promote music programs based on their own merits and not just because of academic …

Easily Read, Easily Forgotten: Reassessing The Effects Of Visual Difficulties And Multi-Modality In Educational Text Design, Rebekah Cochell

Masters Theses

The graphic design of a book affects the way the reader receives and processes information. However, design is often focused on aesthetic principles and traditional wisdom, not taking into account how design aspects affect cognitive processes and educational outcomes. This thesis examines the efficacy of page design elements on educational outcomes, specifically disfluent fonts, handwritten fonts and multi-modal design. The traditional wisdom of typography has maintained that the faster the human eye can read a text, the more suited it is for reading materials. However, recent research suggests that disfluent, or difficult-to-read fonts result in significantly improved reading comprehension and …

Moments Of Music: A Qualitative Case Study In A Metropolitan Community Chorus, Katherine Iooss

Masters Theses

Making music in collaboration with others has impacted the strength, development, and connection amongst people throughout American history. Community music ensembles can strengthen social bonds and improve collaboration between citizens. Developing interest and skill in choral singing can provide an avenue for social connectedness in adulthood, as well as reduce stress throughout adolescence. This qualitative study focused on participants’ professed benefits from voluntary participation in a community chorus and the effect of rehearsal participation on perceived stress and/or energy level. The study was situated in a non-auditioned community choir in a densely populated metropolitan suburb in Northern Virginia. Data was …

Secondary School Chorus: Practical Implication Of Praxial Music Education In Sight-Singing And Ear-Training, Euna P. Kim

Masters Theses

High school chorus students are often required to sing and memorize a diverse range of choral repertoire for performances. In the process of performance preparation, students learn many techniques including basic breathing, vocalization, blending of the voice, singing in pitch, keeping the rhythm, and following dynamics. Sight-singing is an essential technique for singers because music requires coordination of sight and singing through recognition of notation and rhythm. When a group of singers have a higher skill level of sight-singing, the learning of the song is easier and more efficient. The competency of sight-singing level of a group of singers allows …

Shopping For Vibrators With My Abuela… #Space #Representation And #Latinidad In @Janethevirgin, Maria Guarino

Masters Theses

Jane the Virgin debuted on the CW in 2014 at a time when anti-immigrant, particularly anti-Mexican and anti-Latinx, sentiment in the U.S. felt very prevalent. This TV show was the latest to offer representations of Latin@s at the forefront and advanced a distinct political stance on immigration by calling for #immigrationreform. The series has not only been a ratings hit amongst the Latinx community, but has garnered wide acclaim from other races, ethnicities, and gender identities across the United States. This thesis explores the representation of the character of Alba (Ivonne Coll), through an investigation of the various physical and …

Creating A Transformative Visual Art Curriculum, Alison M. Marchbanks

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the process of creating transformative learning experiences within a visual art curriculum that emphasizes individual reflection, creative expression, and community involvement. The strategies and philosophies discussed will facilitate student engagement with big ideas and complex messages that will inform their social consciousness beyond their formal school career. Examples of how these practices are being used in K-12 visual art settings are presented to provide an in-depth roadmap for implementing a community-based, social justice learning opportunity.

"Seeing" Music Theory: Graduate Music Theory For The Visually Impaired Music Student, Moriah Leigh Wilson

Masters Theses

Visually impaired individuals often encounter obstacles when seeking to become financially independent and obtain marketable skills. An increase in technology has allowed visually impaired persons, who desire to further their musical skills, the capability to seek further education. However, there is a lack of curriculum, especially in higher education, for teaching music theory skills to visually impaired individuals. Because a foundational knowledge of music is developed through music theory, it is essential that music educators at higher education institutions are prepared and equipped to properly and adequately teach and prepare visually impaired individuals for the music industry. By building on …

Shaking The Ceiling: First Leadership Role Attainment For Collegiate Women, Elizabeth J. Siecinski

Masters Theses

Using qualitative research methodology, factors and barriers influence leadership role attainment for collegiate women were explored and examined. The study used semi-structured interviews with four participants to look at factors influencing leadership attainment and why women decide to lead. The researcher identified factor before and after college that impacted a women’s decisions to lead, and her ability to attain a role. Challenges and barriers that women face in their leadership role attainment were also found. Overall, the research found that due to barriers and challenges women struggle to lead authentically, and that they see leadership as way to contribute to …

Rhetorical Analysis Of Statements Of Purpose (Sps) For Admission To Graduate School: A Shared-Understanding Perspective Of The Sp Genre, Priyanka Ganguly

Masters Theses

"In this study, I analyzed twenty-four statements of purpose (SPs) submitted to the Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) by current and former students. My goal was to determine the applicants' shared understanding of the SP genre. I analyzed the SPs from three dimensions: rhetorical moves, rhetorical appeals (pisteis), and rhetorical style (elocutio).

To understand the rhetorical moves used by the applicants, I analyzed the content of their SPs according to the categories (moves) and codes (steps) validated in my pilot study. To understand the arguments used by the …

Developing Text-Based Writing And Working Through The Revision Process, Valerie Clark

Masters Theses

A narrative continuation is designed to assess a student’s ability to comprehend a text selection and use their own creativity to redesign the text’s conclusion. This study took a narrative continuation writing assessment and analyzed the process which 41 sixth grade students followed, specifically looking at the prewriting and revision procedures. The goal was to determine if the supports and resources provided were effective for the type of writing and student population. Throughout the process, students’ behaviors which indicated motivation levels were noted (participation in discussions, level of focus, attentiveness, and amount of redirection required). Student work was then reviewed …

Persistence Of African American Students At Predominately White Institutions, Candace Thompson

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology, the persistence of African American students at predominately White institutions was analyzed. This was conducted through semi-structured interviews by six participants which evaluated African American students’ overall persistence. Participants expressed what determined their selections of institutions as well as what institutional and personal factors negatively and positively affected their matriculation throughout the institution. In addition, the study provided recommendations to student affairs professionals to better serve this population.

First-Generation Black Males’ Challenges In Attending A Pwi: Understanding What Makes Them Persist, Shakeitra Simmons

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology, the researcher studied the challenges and persistence factors for undergraduate First-generation Black males to persist at a Predominantly White Institution. Through conducting six one-on-one semi-structured interviews, the researcher identified the challenges faced by this group of students as mental health, lack of support, and racism/microaggressions. The researcher also identified the factors for persistence at the PWI to be upward mobility, family and school personnel support, and campus involvement.