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The Mystery of Narrative Structure: How \u3ci\u3eScooby-Doo\u3c/i\u3e Challenges Episodic Conventions
No full textThis study examines how the Scooby-Doo franchise employs narrative complexity within an episodic formula, balancing accessibility with layered storytelling. Analyzing two pivotal iterations, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969) and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010), the research challenges the perception that episodic animation is inherently simplistic.
While the original series established a consistent mystery-of-the-week format, characterized by predictable structures and comedic relief, it also demonstrated narrative ingenuity through character dynamics and tonal balance. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! navigated the industrial constraints of Saturday morning cartoons, designed for syndication and commercial viability, by embedding recurring character dynamics, atmospheric tension, and iterative mystery tropes that fostered audience engagement beyond mere repetition. The show’s balance of humor and suspense, alongside its carefully crafted character archetypes, created a sense of cohesion and emotional resonance that transcended its episodic limitations. Each self-contained episode contributed to an overarching narrative familiarity, offering a form of narrative complexity rooted in structure and tone rather than serialized progression.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated builds upon this foundation, incorporating serialized arcs, character-driven conflicts, and intertextual references to sustain long-term narrative engagement. This iteration maintains episodic accessibility while deepening emotional and thematic complexity, blending self-contained plots with overarching mysteries and character evolution.
Drawing on frameworks from television narrative scholars Jason Mittell, Michael Z. Newman, and Roberta Pearson, the analysis explores how characterization, plot structure, and industrial context shape both episodic and serialized formats. Ultimately, this study argues that the binary opposition between episodic simplicity and serialized sophistication overlooks the nuanced strategies employed by both storytelling forms. By re-evaluating the franchise’s narrative transformation, the paper highlights how Scooby- Doo serves as a compelling case study in children’s animated television, demonstrating that formula-driven storytelling can foster innovative, multi-dimensional narratives
Action Research to Explore the Use of Augmented Reality to Support High School Students in Understanding and Creating Art Work in a Drawing Course
No full textHigh school students in Drawing 1 at a high school in South Carolina struggle to understand meaning or make personal connections to their own artwork. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of immersive reality technology, specifically augmented reality (AR), in art for high school Drawing 1 students to help them understand meaning in art and create their own meaningful artwork. Creating personally meaningful symbolic works of art is one of the first Visual Art National Core Standards (National Core Visual Art Standards, 2014). Creating meaning in artwork allows students to understand society, provide an opportunity for expressing thoughts, and help promote a sense of self. In order for students to successfully create meaning in their own artwork, they need to have conceptual knowledge of ways meaning can be constructed. This study focused on three research questions:RQ1: How does augmented reality technology affect high school students’ understanding about the message within a work of art?RQ2: How does augmented reality technology affect high school students’ personalized creation of an art artifact?RQ3: What are high school students’ experiences using augmented reality in an art classroom?
This study followed the parameters of action research design as it allowed greater interaction with the participants. In addition, action research using a constructivism approach allowed the researcher to study a situation in their work environment and create an initiative for change to help the students. The study included 46 participants from two Drawing 1 sessions. The action portion of the research took place among four phases using various AR markers using constructivism design, allowing the students to learn through experiences. Data collection consisted of pre/posttests, think-aloud protocols, interviews, exit tickets, student artist statement/portfolios, and documents in the form of student art artifacts. Data analysis methods included descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, thematic analysis, and visual discourse analysis. Quantitative findings indicated that students’ learning of meaning and their creation of art had a significant increase due to AR. Qualitative findings resulted in six themes pertaining understanding, translation, creation, analysis, and attitude. This study has implications for the use of AR within high school art contexts. Limitations are discussed in terms of the methodology, technology, and researcher
Development of Teacher Leader Identities in Stem Teacher Leader Programs: Key Experiences from the Perspectives of Program Developers and Program Completers
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative case study was to add to the understanding of attributes of a STEM teacher leader project that contribute to the growth of STEM teacher leader identity. Single case study design was employed to explore key experiences in a collaborative Science Technology Engineering and Math teacher leader project and to explore how those experiences enhanced the teacher leader identity of participants. This research includes seven programs from six universities across the United States. The perceptions of two subunits, program developers and program completers, were considered. Data collection began with a document review which included initial university program proposals and year-one program developer interview transcripts from the project. Following the document review, individual interviews were conducted. These interviews included at least one program developer from each of seven programs and a sample of program completers (n = 17) from across the programs.
An inductive coding approach was applied to uncover three categories of key experiences from both PD and PC perspectives: Opportunities to Lead, Professional Communities, and Opportunities to Learn and Grow. Nerstrom’s Transformative Learning Model (NTLM) framed the investigation into how these experiences enhanced the TL identity of PCs. A deductive approach to coding was taken to focus on how experiences transformed TLs’ identity. Findings suggest that as PCs were challenged with new leadership opportunities and encountered demanding learning and growing opportunities within supportive environments, their TL identities were enhanced. These insights may inform the planning and implementation of future TL programs at the district, state, or university levels
\u3ci\u3eNAQBU\u3c/i\u3e: Cosmological Undercurrents in Sumer and AKKAD
No full textThe concepts of primordial incomprehensibility, ordered creation, and the liminal chaos between them, form a foundational framework in Mesopotamian intellectual culture. The distinctive ways in which these concepts manifest in Sumero-Akkadian cultures suggest a systematic cosmological substructure — characterized by the paradoxical, cyclical, and co-creative relationships between forces such as Infinity and measure, generation and destruction, and definition and obscurity — that remains insufficiently examined in current scholarship. Drawing from diverse corpus of Mesopotamian creative works, Kabbalistic exegesis, and post-modern scholarship, this thesis seeks to elucidate the essential dynamics within that substructure. By proposing a semiotic hermeneutical strategy attuned to the hidden dimensions of these traditions, this study aims to inspire new avenues of inquiry, address longstanding gaps in Assyriological understanding, and expand the discourse on esotericism in ancient thought
An Investigation of the Impact of Child-Centered Play Therapy Facilitated Through a Virtual Playroom on Disruptive Behaviors: A Single-Case Research Design
No full textThis multi-manuscript dissertation comprises two interconnected articles that collectively explore facilitating Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) through telemental health (TMH) using a virtual playroom. Chapter Three includes a qualitative manuscript using thematic analysis to understand the experiences of eight counseling students who participated in a training where they learned how to create and utilize a virtual playroom, followed by a virtual play session with elementary-aged children. The results from this study provided six emergent themes and subthemes. Chapter Four includes a quantitative manuscript using a single-case research design. More specifically, this study used a reversal design to investigate the impact of providing the intervention of CCPT through TMH using the virtual playroom for an elementary-aged child with disruptive behaviors. The results of this study support the use of CCPT in TMH to reduce disruptive behaviors. Overall, this dissertation aims to advance the counseling field by understanding how to engage children in telemental health, specifically child-centered play therapy, and its effectiveness in treating mental health disorders
Reactivity of Redox-Active Carboranyl Diphosphines and Carboranyl Diphosphoniums: Metal-Free Pathways for Small Molecule Activations and Transformations
No full textTransition metal catalysis has been an integral part of synthetic chemistry for its ability to selectively activate strong substrate bonds, promoting numerous crucial transformations. Despite their utility, the precious metals that are often employed in these catalytic reactions suffer from several drawbacks (including high toxicity, low natural abundance, high costs, and low sustainability), increasing the motivation to design suitable metal-free alternatives. Towards this end, several ambiphilic main-group systems have been devised to show metal-like reactivity, such as carbenes, borylenes, and Frustrated Lewis Pairs. This manuscript will describe the ambiphilic reactivity of carborane-based phosphorus compounds, highlighting the unique metallomimetic reactivity that arises from tethering electron-donating phosphine arms onto an electron-accepting and redox-active carborane scaffold.
Carboranyl diphosphines have been shown to activate main-group hydrides, alcohols, and electron-deficient terminal alkynes in what can be described as overall oxidative addition to the molecular system. In these reactions, the carborane cluster becomes reduced by two electrons, with opening to a nido- form, and the phosphine arms are oxidized to phosphonium cations, with formation of new bonds to the substrate. In the reactions with alkynes, the products additionally feature novel carborane-containing alkenylphosphonium heterocycles. Insights into the mechanisms of these alkyne activations will be discussed, illuminating the origin of the resultant intramolecular B–H bond activation and cyclization. Carboranyl diphosphines have also been shown to activate the N–H bonds of ammonia, and the remarkable ability of this main-group system to affect the activation of both gaseous and aqueous ammonia to form air- and water-stable products will be highlighted. Subsequent hydrogen atom abstraction of the activated species with TEMPO represents the first example of ammonia oxidation via triple hydrogen atom abstraction facilitated by a metal-free system. Mechanistic investigations, including a computational examination of the unique electrophilic reactivity of the carborane-bound phosphines, will be described.
Lastly, the synthesis and characterization of numerous zwitterionic carboranyl diphosphoniums featuring phosphonium-bound -Br, -CN, -N3, -NCSe, and -NCS functionalities will be reviewed. The potential applications of these carboranyl diphosphoniums toward electrophilic group transfer will be discussed, and the reaction of a carboranyl diazidophosphonium with an external phosphine, resulting in the formation of P–N–P linkages, will be highlighted.
This work demonstrates the incredible synergy between the carborane backbone and exohedral phosphine substituents, enabling metallomimetic reactivity in this main-group system. The transformations and mechanistic details described in this manuscript represent a contribution to the chemistry of redox-active boron clusters and highlight the opportunities for carboranyl diphosphines in sustainable metal-free transformations
Determination of Structure-Function Relationships in Hybrid Catalysts on Metal Oxide Supports
No full textTransition metal catalysis has revolutionized chemical synthesis, enabling efficient and selective transformations critical to the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and materials industries. However, traditional methods often rely on expensive, non-sustainable metals and harsh reaction conditions that generate significant waste. This dissertation explores a series of innovations aimed at bridging the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis through the development of hybrid catalysts. These systems combine the molecular precision of homogeneous catalysts with the stability and practicality of heterogeneous supports, offering a pathway to more sustainable and scalable catalytic processes.
The first area of focus investigates nickel-based hybrid catalysts as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to palladium. While palladium remains a cornerstone of cross-coupling chemistry, its rarity and high cost necessitate alternatives. Nickel, with its redox versatility and abundance, shows promise but suffers from challenges such as dimerization and selectivity issues. Immobilizing nickel catalysts on metal oxide (MOx) supports through novel binding motifs, including the MOx-ester linkage, mitigates these limitations by preventing bimolecular deactivation and variability in speciation.
The MOx-ester binding motif, developed as part of this work, establishes a covalent attachment between molecular catalysts and oxide supports, enabling hybrid systems with tunable reactivity. This anchoring approach boasts several distincedistinct advantages over traditional anchoring moieties, namely high catalyst loading to the support and enhanced tunability.
This dissertation further examines the role of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) in stabilizing hybrid catalysts. ALD techniques provide molecular-level control over catalyst encapsulation, improving resistance to leaching and maintaining activity under harsh conditions. By integrating ALD with MOx-ester catalysts or acid anchoring groups, the catalyst can achieve enhanced longevity and reusability.
Finally, the current limitations of surface modifications, such as scalability, uniformity, and understanding of catalyst-support interactions, are critically evaluated. This comprehensive study underscores the potential of hybrid catalysts to address the pressing need for sustainable catalysis and highlights avenues for future research, including broader applications in industrial and green chemistry.
This dissertation represents a contribution to the field of catalysis, providing new tools and methodologies for achieving efficient, sustainable, and scalable chemical transformations
Moderation Amid Resistance: African American Advocacy, Educational Equity, and School Desegregation in Botetourt County, Virginia
No full textThis dissertation examines the historical and social dynamics surrounding African American education in Botetourt County, Virginia preceding, during, and following court ordered desegregation. Using historiography, the researcher incorporated archival resources, interviews, and oral histories to examine the African American leadership of the County Wide League and their steadfast commitment to provide equal educational opportunities for African American children in Botetourt County. Set against the history of southern segregation, white school boards, and massive resistance to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision to desegregate in Brown v. Board of Education, the historiography represents the moderate stance of the County in response to Brown. The researcher explores in detail this parallel narrative of moderate response against the more well-known narrative of massive resistance to school desegregation, spearheaded in the Commonwealth of Virginia by the Byrd Organization.
As early as the 1920s, African American residents in Botetourt County advocated for equitable resources through the leadership of Ms. Lithornia McFarlin Gibbes, Jeanes Supervisor, and their establishment of Botetourt’s County Wide League. This dissertation focuses on their and the moderate positions taken by the County Wide League and Botetourt County Delegate, Senator Stuart B. Carter and fellow moderate, Senator Armistead L. Booth. Senators Carter and Booth led with arguments of compliance with Brown proposing legislation that aligned with Brown while acknowledging white resistance. The County Wide League advocated for the completion of the already planned Central Academy—a segregated, consolidated school for African American students—that opened in 1959
Filling in the Gaps: Evaluating a Self-Regulated Learning Strategy for Middle School Students Using Action Research
No full textThe purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the effects of a self-regulated learning innovation on middle school students’ self-regulated learning skills. One way to address problems such as student motivation, student engagement, and distracting behaviors in the classroom is to explicitly teach self-regulated learning skills such as goal setting, strategy use, self-monitoring, and systematic practice. Two research questions guided this study: (1) How and to what extent does a self-regulated learning innovation impact 7th and 8th grade students’ self-regulated learning skills (planning, self-monitoring, evaluation, reflection)? (2) In what ways do 7th and 8th grade students perceive the self-regulated learning innovation has impacted their learning experience?
Participants (n = 37) in this study were 7th and 8th grade students enrolled at an independent school in the southeastern United States. Students were placed into a study skills course that implemented an innovation called GAPS for explicit instruction with self-regulated learning strategies. Three data collection methods were used: (a) pre- and postinnovation administration of the Self-regulation of Learning Self-report Scale (SRL-SRS), (b) exit tickets, and (c) pre- and postinnovation focus group interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and inductive analysis.
While postsurvey SRL-SRS subscale means were all higher than the presurvey means, only the planning and self-monitoring subscales were statistically significant. Overall, end-of-innovation exit ticket means were found to be significantly higher than beginning-of-innovation means. However, follow-up contrasts for the individual items on the exit ticket found only two items for planning to be significant. Sixteen students participated in four focus group interviews. Through inductive analysis, three themes were identified: (a) goal setting and planning were important for the development of self-regulated learners; (b) the use of specific strategies for self-regulation improved student perceptions of academic success; and (c) learners identified personal characteristics that aided self-regulated learning. A discussion of the findings related to extant literature, implications for practice and future research, and limitations of the study are also presented
Latinx Parent Acculturation and Acculturative Stress: Impact on Family Functioning and Youth Well-Being
No full textResearch has demonstrated that acculturation and acculturative stress can influence family dynamics and Latinx youth well-being. Guided by the Family Stress Model, the current study aimed to assess a latent measurement model of acculturation and examine the relationship between acculturation and acculturative stress and how acculturative stress is related to family processes and youth adjustment. Data included 898 youth and 630 parents from the SOL Youth study. Structural equation modeling was used to assess a latent two-factor measurement model of acculturation and its relation to parental acculturative stress as well as how parental acculturative stress is related to family functioning and youth well-being. Results indicated that a two-factor acculturation model was a better fit in comparison to a one-factor model but was not a strong fit to the data. While retention of heritage culture was not related to acculturative stress, adoption to new culture was negatively related to acculturative stress. Parental acculturative stress negatively predicted youth-reported anxiety symptoms but not youth-reported family functioning or depressive symptoms. Findings from this study provide knowledge about the measurement model of acculturation and the relationships among parental acculturation, acculturative stress, and youth wellbeing. Recommendations for future intervention and measurement are provided