Education Commons^™

Evaluation Of Academic And Social Engagement In A Technology-Based Collaborative Approach To Inclusive Geoscience Field Learning, Anita Marie Stone Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Field learning is an important aspect of geoscience education to teach or reinforce concepts and skills, and the highly social experience of field work can improve learning outcomes, create networks to support future academic success, and promote a sense of belonging in the geosciences. However, field learning presents significant barriers to participation for students with physical disabilities. The introduction of digital data collection and communication devices into traditional field work settings has created new opportunities to expand access to field learning experiences such as remote collaboration; a method of undertaking field work through collaborative teamwork and the use of digital …

Case Study Of A Collaborative Approach To Evaluation Within A School District Central Office, Oriana Eversole

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) provides an in-depth examination of a collaborative approach to evaluation within a school district’s central office. This study analyzes the implementation of collaborative approaches to evaluation (CAE) within a school district’s central office with an emphasis on evaluation use from the evaluators’ perspectives. It also explores the role and evolution of the evaluators throughout the evaluation process. Furthermore, this study adds to educational research on how to support the implementation and use of improvement processes in school district central offices. The analysis focuses on the evaluation activities that my colleagues and I led as …

Conformational Fluctuations Of Biomolecules Studied Using Molecular Dynamics And Enhanced Sampling, Geoffrey M. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biomolecule structural fluctuations determine function, regulating numerous biological processes My research has shed light on several interesting cases in which structural fluctuations have been identified to assess functional differences. Chapter 2 discusses the effects of structural rearrangement of the β2-β3 loop on the DNA binding affinity of the type 6 human papillomavirus E2 protein. Chapter 3 investigates the effects of phosphorylation on the C-terminal domain of Cdc37, a protein important in the Hsp90 chaperone cycle. Chapter 4 studies the effects on cyclycization on the conformational fluctuations of a γ-AApeptide used for high-throughput libraries. Chapter 5 is a structural study on …

Integration And Cross-Coupling Of A Notched-Turbine Symbiotic Power Source For Implantable Medical Devices, Samuel Perez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to design and integrate a symbiotic notched-turbine energy generator for implantation as a cross-coupled system capable of continuously and perpetually powering an electronic implantable medical device (IMD), which is a device designed to operate inside the body of a higher mammal to enhance, correct or provide the body with a function that has deviated from the norm or has stopped altogether. The list of IMDs available for implantation keeps growing every year, one of the newest being the VBLOC, produced by EnteroMedics®, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 15th, …

Spin Seebeck Effect And Related Phenomena In Functional Magnetic Oxides, Vijaysankar Kalappattil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Spin Seebeck effect (SSE) emerges as one of the efficient and easiest ways to generate pure spin current for spintronics devices. In this dissertation, we have systematically studied the SSE and related phenomena like spin Hall magneto-resistance (SMR), anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) in functional magnetic oxides for both fundamental understanding of their origins and practical ways to apply into technological devices. The research has been performed on three different systems of topical interest: (i) Y3Fe5O12 (YIG)/Pt and YIG/C60/Pt, (ii) CoFe2O4 (CFO)/Pt and CFO/C60/Pt, and (iii) Nd0.6Sr0.4MnO3 (NSMO).

In case of the YIG/Pt structure, we have achieved a …

"We're Not Going To Talk About That:" A Qualitative Case Study Of Three Elementary Teachers' Experiences Integrating Literacy And Social Studies, Rebecca L. Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretive, qualitative multi-case study (Merriam, 2001; Stake, 1995) was to describe the experiences of three elementary classroom teachers as they integrated literacy and social studies during their literacy instruction. This study was grounded in an interpretivist paradigm and a theoretical lens of symbolic interactionism. The guiding questions were: What are the experiences of three elementary teachers when integrating literacy and social studies instruction? What information do teachers use when making decisions about integrated instruction? How do teachers’ beliefs align with their practices? How do teachers organize, plan for, and provide integrated instruction, including how they use …

Music Software In The Compositional Learning Process, Daniel L. Nevels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Computer software for music has made a significant impact by affecting the perspective of music making, music creating, music education, music production, and music distribution. This impact continues to evolve as individuals seek new avenues of musical expression. Through the papers included in this document, I seek to explore the range and impact of computer software in music, especially software related to music creativity and composition.

The first paper is a review of literature concerning the effect of software on creative thought, creativity in music, and the influence this has had in musical composition. In this paper I also explore …

Parent Perceptions Of Family Quality Of Life Raising A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Bahamas, Sharlene Monique Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous research showed having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can affect families in many ways (Brace, 2009; DeGrace, 2004; Fantaroni, 2012). The primary types of impact include family relationship (spousal and sibling relationships), finances, and access to resources and services to assist with caring for the social, emotional and academic development of a child with autism (Grindle & Remington, 2014; Harper et al., 2013; Koydemir & Tosun, 2009; Ludlow, Skelly, & Rohleder, 2011; Montes & Cianca, 2014). While extensive studies have shown similar findings of the impact of autism on family quality of life in America and other …

Analyzing The Effects Of Ca2+ Dynamics On Mitochondrial Function In Health And Disease, Patrick Toglia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria plays a crucial role in cells by maintaining energy metabolism and directing cell death mechanisms by buffering calcium (Ca²⁺ )from cytosol. Therefore, the Ca²⁺ overload of mitochondria due to the upregulated cytosolic Ca²⁺ , observed in many neurological disorders is hypothesized to be a key pathway leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. In particular, Ca²⁺ homeostasis disruptions due to Alzheimer’ s disease (AD)-causing presenilins (PS1/PS2) and oligomeric forms of β-amyloid peptides Aβ commonly found in AD patients are presumed to cause detrimental effects on the mitochondria and its ability to function properly. We begin …

Enrollment And Disenrollment In Voluntary Prekindergarten: A Study Of Educational Leaders’ Decision-Making, Angela Cherie Passero Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on how school leaders’ understandings of (dis)ability were implicated in decision-making and affected student (dis)enrollment in Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK). More specifically it explored how leaders in private VPK programs invoked conceptions of normality, and subsequently abnormality, during decision-making processes for student (dis)enrollment. Combining a critical poststructuralist approach (critical disability studies, critical policy analysis), decision-making on (dis)enrollment was contextualized within the current policy ecology. This policy ecology was framed as an historical development of policies regarding preschool for children with and without disabilities in a marketplace shaped by the convergence of federal, state, and …

Animated Pedagogical Agent’S Roles And English Learners’ Prior Knowledge: The Influence On Cognitive Load, Motivation, And Vocabulary Acquisition, Fadwa Yasin Flemban

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers and educators have always strived for creating appropriate instructional tools and resources that help students to acquire knowledge. Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) embedded within multimedia learning settings are one of the emerging technologies that provide a powerful and supportive learning environment. According to previous studies, APAs can effectively promote learning and support social interaction with learners (Johnson & Lester, 2016; Lane, 2016). However, APAs also may cause cognitive load without providing motivational benefits in some cases and distract learners during the learning process. In other words, the results of previous studies on APAs do not provide enough evidence to …

Coarse-Grained Modeling Studies Of Polymeric And Granular Systems, Hong Trung Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation is devoted to computational study of the solidification, dynamics and mechanics of model semiflexible polymers with variable chain flexibility as well as a computational investigation of the clogging phenomena observed in granular materials.

Chain stiffness is an intrinsic factor that governs single-chain flexibility. It plays a critical role in the physics of polymeric materials. In this work, we employ a coarse-grained polymer model in which chain stiffness can be tuned by a single parameter (bending stiffness kb) that yields chain shape ranging from coil-like to rod-like in the flexible and very stiff limit respectively. In chapter 2, we …

A Novel Framework To Determine Physiological Signals From Blood Flow Dynamics, Prashanth Chetlur Adithya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 11.2 million people require critical and emergency care in the United States per year. Optimizing and improving patient morbidity and mortality outcomes are the primary objectives of monitoring in critical and emergency care. Patients in need of critical or emergency care in general are at a risk of single or multiple organ failures occurring due to a traumatic injury, a surgical event, or an underlying pathology that results in severe patient hemodynamic instability. Hence, continuous monitoring of fundamental cardiovascular hemodynamic parameters, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, …

Computational Discovery Of Energetic Polynitrogen Compounds At High Pressure, Brad A. Steele

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High-nitrogen-content energetic compounds containing multiple N-N bonds are an attractive alternative towards developing new generation of environmentally friendly, and more powerful energetic materials. High-N content translates into much higher heat of formation resulting in much larger energy output, detonation pressure and velocity upon conversion to large amounts of non-toxic, strongly bonded N2 gas. This thesis describes recent advances in the computational discovery of group-I alkali and hydrogen polynitrogen materials at high pressures using powerful first-principles evolutionary crystal structure prediction methods. This is highlighted by the discovery of a new family of materials that consist of long-sought after all-nitrogen N􀀀 5 …

Predictive Validity Of Florida’S Postsecondary Education Readiness Test, Alisa Murphy Žujović

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The role of the community college is constantly evolving. At its inception in the early 1900’s, the community college’s broad focus was to provide quality, affordable education to the members of the community the college serves. Today, that focus remains the same, but has also morphed into one that meets the specific needs of its students. One of these needs that is a critical issue for community colleges relates to developmental education.

The assessment of developmental education has been a contentious subject among higher education institutions. Defining college readiness, methods describing how to measure it, and instruments with which to …

An Intersectional Examination Of Disability And Lgbtq+ Identities In Virtual Spaces, Justine E. Egner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a multi-methodological project that examines the experiences of being both LGBTQ+ and disabled from an intersectional perspective through narratives constructed in virtual spaces. In this project, I address the question ‘how do individuals who identify as both disabled/chronically ill and LGBTQ+ negotiate these often contradictory identities?’ I also complexify this intersectional analysis by examining how LGBTQ+/disabled identities are constructed in relation to race, class, and gender. Additionally, by conducting virtual ethnography as the primary method of data collection, I explore questions pertaining to how members of LBGTQ+ and disability online communities engage in virtual identity construction and …

The Making Of A Nationally Recognized Band In A Small, Private Liberal Arts University: The Historical Significance Of The Bobby L. Adams Years, 1987-2012, Joshua David Blair

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and detail the contributions and methods, decisions and specific techniques that Dr. Bobby Adams used while President of the Florida Bandmasters Association and Director of Bands at Stetson University to build and maintain a nationally recognized collegiate wind band program and a strong music education division at a private liberal arts university. Through historical documentation from the archives at Stetson University, interviews, phone calls, and emails, a brief overview of the United States wind band and its development at the tertiary level was discussed. To identify why Adams was considered a successful …

Union Representatives’ Stories: From Leading The Classroom To Leading A District, Holly Magaditsch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While much is known about what contributes to teacher attrition, there is less research on those who leave teaching positions to work as a union representative. The purpose of this study was to explore how three teacher union representatives frame their experiences with mobility, leadership, and advocacy in education. The research question was: How do former teachers enter and perform the role of teacher union representative? The sub-level questions were: a) How do they story their transition from teaching students to representing teachers? b) How do they frame the responsibility of teacher unions and teacher union representatives to advocate? Data …

Nontraditional Community College Students' Motivational Regulation In A Blended Core Technology Course, Jennifer Hart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of empirical research on the motivational regulation and reactions of higher education students enrolled in blended courses. Studies that target this focus with nontraditional adult learners enrolled in the community college are even more difficult to locate. In this mixed-methods exploratory case study, I explored in what ways nontraditional adult learners' motivational regulation and their motivational reactions to course design relate to their perceived learning experience in a blended technology course with a flipped design. Specifically, I investigated how nontraditional community college students described their goals for participating in a blended course prior to the start …

Transition Of Persons With Developmental Disabilities From Parental To Sibling Co-Residential Care: Effects On Sibling Caregiver Well-Being And Family Functioning, Richard Steven Glaesser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive improvements in medical care, technology and residential settings have resulted in persons with developmental disabilities (DD) advancing to older age and outliving parental caregivers (Heller & Arnold, 2010). Typical siblings are expected to become the primary caregiver to their sibling with DD when parents become ill or die and unable to provide care (Burke, Fish, & Lawton, 2015; Heller & Arnold, 2010). This dissertation looks at the wellbeing and family functioning of siblings who become the co-residential caregiver following the transition of a brother or sister with DD from parental to sibling co-residential care. The family systems framework was …

Occupational Sharps Injuries In Medical Trainees At The University Of South Florida: A Follow-Up Study, Kourtni L. Starkey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Medical trainees (medical students and resident physicians) are at high risk of sharps injury (needlestick injury). High rates of sharps injury in this population and the risk incurred by exposure to bloodborne pathogens poses a threat both to medical trainees who are at risk for bloodborne pathogen exposure and to training institutions for legal and financial reasons. This study examines the prevalence of sharps injuries in medical trainees at the University of South Florida and compares that to data on sharps injuries in US medical trainees. Data from the present study was compared to previously collected USF medical trainee sharps …

Culture Et Langue : Les Séquelles De L'Esclavage Sur La Société Réunionnaise Contemporaine, Illustré Par Le Film Sac La Mort., Lucie Folio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bien que l’esclavage ait été aboli en France il y a maintenant plus de 150 ans, la domination de l’Empire français subie par les diverses colonies, a laissé des traces visibles sur les populations de ces dernières. Par son oppression, sa violence physique et psychologique, et l’imposition d’un modèle occidental à suivre, la colonisation a laissé derrière elle des peuples vidés de leur culture, de leur langue et de leur identité.

En 2017, un film d’Emmanuel Parraud, intitulé Sac la mort, sera la parfaite illustration cinématographique de cette situation postcoloniale sur l'Île de la Réunion. S’appuyant sur les théories de …

A Queer And Crip Grotesque: Katherine Dunn's, Megan Wiedeman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The grotesque has long been utilized in literature as a means for subverting societal constraints and inverting constructions of normalcy. Unfortunately, in many instances, it has been constructed at the expense of disabled characters using their embodiment as metaphorical plot devices rather than social and political agents. Criticism of the grotesque’s use of bodily difference has prompted this analytical project in order to rethink disability as socially and politically positioned within texts, rather than simply aesthetics for symbolic means. The aim of this paper is to explore the ways the literary grotesque can be reread using queer theory and crip …

Les Femmes Et L'Éducation Dans Le Théâtre Du Grand Siècle:, Hayley E. Jayson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Notre thèse vise à analyser la représentation de l'éducation des femmes dans le théâtre français du dix-septième siècle. Dans cette période du théâtre néoclassique, on écrivait des pièces dans le style classique avec des thèmes et des personnages qui reflétaient la société de l'époque. Les dramaturges créaient leurs œuvres afin de divertir le public ainsi que d'instruire aux spectateurs comment on devrait se comporter. Nous avons choisi quatre pièces des genres et des thèmes différents afin d'analyser comment les femmes étaient éduquées ainsi que comment elles s'instruisaient. Nous considérons l'instruction dans un sens formel et académique ainsi que dans un …

Teaching Debit Card Skills Using General Case Programming, Kristin More

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Independent living skills are extremely important for individuals with developmental disabilities as these skills aide in autonomy, lessen the burden on caregivers, and assist with integration into the community. An important skill that should be targeted is purchasing skills. Teaching purchasing skills can bring individuals into contact with new environments and access to items that would not have been available for them to access independently before learning the skill. Traditional purchasing skills often target teaching money and math skills. However, as technology advances, these skills are not only hard to teach to various individuals but may be outdated. There have …