University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida (UCF): STARS (Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship)Not a member yet
166656 research outputs found
Sort by
Florida Frontiers Radio Program #594
No full textSEGMENTS | The Bartram Trail Society of Florida | Andrew Sledd and Higher Education | Territorial Governor William Pope Duva
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Transformation: “Queue” the Variations of Theme & Variations
Get PDFThe opening of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1969 brought precedence in the growing field of imagineering through its development of the omni-mover ride vehicle, continued success with animatronics, and use of special effects such as Pepper’s Ghost. While these elements are essential to the ride itself, they were heightened by the composition of “Grim, Grinning, Ghosts” by Buddy Baker. Baker introduced a four-measure theme first played by the piano. Throughout the duration of the ride, he developed this theme into variations, which reflected the mood of each scene. For example, when entering the ballroom, the variation is aninstrumental waltz; in the beginning of the graveyard scene, you see and hear a ghost band playing a quirky instrumental variation.In 2024, Disneyland began and completed construction on the queue that included the addition of newly composed music by Ego Plum (Ernesto Guerrero). I call these additions “variations of the variations” because 1) Plum preserved the original theme through variations of Baker’s waltz variation and John Debney’s Phantom Manor score from Disneyland Paris, and 2) the variation of how the music is heard: As one continuous loop with no boundaries for the scenes in the queue. In this paper, I reveal the phenomenon of these musical loops set to specific scenes within the attraction versus the continuous forty-minute loop in the queue of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion through an analysis of its form: Theme and variations. With this exciting addition to the queue, the innovative music ties the mansion together with its spacious grounds, as originally intended by Walt Disney himself
Florida Frontiers Radio Program #596
No full textSEGMENTS | Florida in The American Revolution | Florida as a Borderland | Miami Poet Ariel Francisc
Problematizing the Sonic Constructs of Theme Parks: Toward a Postmodernist Ethnographic Methodology and Anthropocene-Infused Reformulation of Space
No full textTheme parks have long used sound/music as a tool to immerse audiences, employing techniques such as sonic cues and soundtracks derived from transmedia sources. As well, researchers of theme parks, not unlike modernist ethnographers, have been complicit in privileging (accipiens aliquid ab initio) the sonic realities of theme parks as the theoretical and methodological preconditions of their analyses. However, these spatial and methodological constructs often reflect modernist assumptions, emphasizing control, hierarchy, anthropocentrism, and universality in both their creation and study. This paper critically examines the limitations of such methods, proposing a shift toward postmodern approaches that embrace multiplicity, ambiguity, and decentralization. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Stephen A. Tyler’s concept of evocation and middle voice in anthropology, as well as the sonic avant-garde perspectives of Murray Schafer’s Soundscapes and Xenakis’s innovations, this study highlights the need for new methodologies to analyze and design soundscapes within theme parks. Through this lens, the paper also explores how soundscapes intersect with broader cultural and environmental themes, particularly the Anthropocene, which challenges notions of human dominance and foregrounds ecological interconnectedness. By deconstructing traditional approaches and integrating avant-garde techniques, this research proposes an alternative framework that prioritizes sensory diversity and the dynamic interplay between sound, space, and audience. This shift not only deepens our understanding of theme park sound but also aligns with emergent paradigms in postmodern anthropology, fostering a more inclusive and reflexive engagement with soundscapes
Win-Win Field Placement: Creating Research Innovations in Online MSW Programs
Get PDFThis win-win field placement project proposes an innovative research education for the online Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Students usually have challenges in fulfilling the competency requirement on research and feel disconnected between research, practice, and policy (Betts et al., 2024). Through this innovation, we can unleash the potential of the student, the agency, and the university. More importantly, we believe that this approach can be applied to other majors that require a field education and a research methods course as part of their curriculum, such as education, public health, criminal justice, and environmental science
Promoting Critical AI Literacy through Online Video-based Discussion
Get PDFVideo-based discussions can foster critical AI literacy by focusing on the potential benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations of using AI in education. The discussion may include video presentations with real-world examples about AI\u27s advantages and pitfalls, synchronous discussions on video platforms, and asynchronous discussions that allow students to post answers through video. Prompts such as whether AI\u27s benefits outweigh its costs or vice versa may bring in nuanced discourse, promoting a critical outlook toward AI among students
Creating Smaller, Stable Discussion Communities within Larger Online Courses
Get PDFGiven the adverse effects of large online discussions for student engagement and learning, the entry offers a strategy to establish smaller communities of learners by utilizing stable group sets for a series of learning logs. Steps include soliciting student input on their interests; grouping sets to join together students with common interests; using community-building prompts that include icebreakers, connection to lived experience, and soliciting thoughtful responses; and providing faculty feedback and modeling. Students were enthusiastic about the approach in survey data, with 100% recommending continued use, either as is (76%) or with minor changes (24%)
The Scoop, Vol. 11 Issue 10, January 2025
Get PDFLatest news and updates from the Health Sciences Library in our monthly newsletter for January 2025. Please see page 2 for a text-only version of this issue!https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scoop-vol11/1008/thumbnail.jp
Variable Selection using Lasso Regression
Get PDFThis study employs Lasso regression to analyze highdimensional genetic data for predicting flowering time in maize, specifically Days to Anthesis (DtoA). Lasso, or Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, is a form of linear regression that introduces an L1 penalty to the model, encouraging sparsity by shrinking some coefficients to zero. This attribute makes Lasso ideal for feature selection in large datasets, as it highlights the most influential predictors while discarding irrelevant variables. Unlike Ridge regression, which applies an L2 penalty to minimize the squared magnitude of coefficients, Lasso’s L1 penalty induces sparsity, providing a clearer interpretation of the selected variables. This feature selection capability is crucial in genetic studies where the number of predictors far exceeds the number of observations. The study systematically compares different values of the Lasso penalty parameter (λ) to observe how model performance and sparsity are balanced. By adjusting λ, we observe that smaller values allow more variables into the model, increasing complexity but potentially overfitting, while higher values promote sparsity, which can reduce accuracy if too many variables are removed. Ridge regression, while useful in regularizing the model and reducing overfitting, does not lead to the same degree of variable selection due to its tendency to shrink coefficients toward zero without fully eliminating them. By focusing on the optimal λ for Lasso, we achieve a model that is both interpretable and effective for identifying genetic markers. This approach provides a robust framework for feature selection in genetic studies and highlights Lasso’s utility over Ridge in contexts where both accuracy and variable interpretability are essential
How to Use Copilot and ChatGPT to Create Rubrics
Get PDFThis entry explores how AI can assist instructors in creating assignment rubrics that follow a transparency framework. By leveraging AI to generate clear and detailed criteria, instructors can eliminate ambiguity to ensure that students understand what is expected of them