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The Digital Forum: A Pedagogical Approach to Teaching College English Composition
No full textThis action research study focused on the identification of ways to improve the curriculum of freshman Writing Intensive Seminars using an innovative multimodal pedagogical methodology, the Digital Forum, in addition to formal papers and in-class writing. The research examined a Writing Intensive Seminar with approximately 20 students; There were two Research Questions for the present study. RQ1: How does the incorporation of the Digital Forum as a pedagogical approach in college freshman writing classes influence students\u27 levels of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement? RQ2: How does the incorporation of Digital Forums in freshman English Composition courses affect the quality of students\u27 writing and their ability to meet academic writing standards across different writing modalities? The Action Research study concluded that the Digital Forum embodies the theoretical principles of Engagement Theory and Connectivism and creating improved opportunities for meaningful student interaction, critical thinking, and audience connection. The analysis also found that while students\u27 writing in Digital Forums was less formal and restrictive than for graded essays, participation in Digital Forums did not negatively impact their overall writing quality. When used to complement traditional college composition modalities, the Digital Forum represents a comprehensive and adaptable approach to teaching and learning and helps equip students with the written communication skills necessary for academic and professional success
The Integration of Traditon and Innovation: An Analytical Study of Hindemith’s Piano Sonata No. 2
No full textTwentieth-century German composer Paul Hindemith was influenced by music of the classical period. While music in the twentieth century is often associated with atonality and irregular structures, various compositional trends emerged during this period. Hindemith was recognized as part of the neoclassical movement. His three piano sonatas, composed in 1936, not only incorporate classical elements but also integrate 20th-century techniques. This document examines how Hindemith blends classical and post-tonal techniques in his Piano Sonata No. 2.
This study provides an analytical exploration of Hindemith’s Piano Sonata No. 2 and is structured into five chapters. Chapter One introduces the purpose and content of the document. Chapter Two offers a brief overview of the history of neoclassical music. Chapters Three and Four form the core of the study: Chapter Three explores 20th-century post-tonal theory and examines the balance between tradition and innovation in Hindemith’s sonata, while Chapter Four presents a phrase rhythm analysis, focusing on phrase structure and progression within the piece. Finally, Chapter Five concludes by discussing how performers can develop new interpretations of the sonata based on the analysis and insights presented in the study
The Impact of Teachers’ Cultural Competence on Curriculum Development in Advanced English Courses
No full textAs student demographics become increasingly more diverse, it is imperative that classroom teachers are responsive to the needs of learners from varied backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of teachers’ cultural competence on their curriculum development in advanced English courses. This case study provided insight on the use of administrative instructional coaching as a professional learning approach to aid in teachers’ creation and implementation of culturally responsive curriculums based on the tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. The analysis and triangulation of survey, interview, document, and observation data yielded key themes regarding the considerations and conditions that must be accounted for when supporting teachers’ engagement in the work of designing and executing culturally responsive learning experiences.
The study provides insight on the influence of teachers’ cultural proficiency on their approach to curriculum design including their selection of instructional materials and strategies that affect both learner engagement and achievement as well as the overall learning environment. The findings of this study revealed that teachers’ backgrounds have an influence on their instructional decision making emphasizing the need for strategically planned instructional support by school administrators in the realms of cultural relevance and responsiveness
Bridging the Gap: Implementation and Perception of High-Leverage Practices Among General and Special Educators
No full textThis dissertation explores the use and perception of High Leverage Practices (HLPs) among general and special education teachers within educational settings. Utilizing a concurrent mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to examine how HLP knowledge and use by educators. This dissertation investigates the knowledge and use of HLPs in inclusive settings through the following research questions:
1. What is the self-reported knowledge and use of HLPs by teachers?
2. What are the differences in self-reported knowledge and usage of HLPs in inclusive environments when comparing general education and special education teachers?
3. How do general education and special education teachers describe their experiences and practices of implementing HLPs in their classrooms?
4. How do general education and special education teachers perceive the value and challenges of using HLPs in their teaching environments?
5. How do the perceptions of HLPs differ for special and general educators when examining the qualitative interviews and quantitative survey data?
Key findings indicate that both teacher groups recognize the importance of HLPs and report moderate to high levels of familiarity and usage. However, discrepancies exist in daily implementation. Special education teachers report higher use of data-driven planning, likely influenced by the use of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In contrast, general education teachers often report encountering barriers such as large class sizes and insufficient collaborative planning time, which can impede consistent application of HLPs. These differences suggest a misalignment between what teachers understand about HLPs and the practical conditions that support their implementation. The differences also highlight challenges in translating preparation and training into equitable, inclusive classroom practices.
Implications of this research are significant for educational policymakers, teacher educators, and school administrators. Recommendations focus on enhancing teacher training programs and improving professional development offerings to better equip teachers with HLPs for inclusive settings. Additionally, fostering collaborative environments through Professional Learning Communities and refining educational policies are advised to support the practical implementation of HLPs to meet the diverse needs of all students more effectively
Cultural Identity and Transformation: An Autoethnographic Journey of a Cameroonian-Born Woman Navigating Gender Roles, Marital Relationship Dynamics, Higher Education, and Migration in the United States
No full textThe author produced an autoethnography to address the transnational experiences of sub-Saharan African women’s (SSAW) across traditional and Western gender roles, martial relationship dynamics access to higher education, and migration, in Cameroon and the United States. This work contributes to much needed literature about Cameroonian women’s experiences after migration to the U.S. It represents the unique challenges SSAW face, balancing traditional expectations grounded in Bamiléké culture with modern aspirations in a Western, industrialized economy. The author’s aims were threefold: first, to represent intersectional experiences at the axes of culture, place and transnational geographies; gender roles, marital dynamics, and migration; and experiences in higher education in the U.S. after migration; second, to amplify an underrepresented voice among transnational Cameroonian-born women; and third, to work autoethnographically in order to avoid potentially activating trauma among other SSAW in the use of other forms of inquiry.
The literature review addresses the social construction of gender in Cameroon and the U.S.; SSA and SSAW immigrants’ experiences focusing on acculturation stress and gender role attitudes; the role of gender in contemporary SSA immigration waves in the U.S.; access to and experiences in higher education in the U.S. by SSAW; and the analytical tool of intersectionality. The methodology includes a definition and description of autoethnography, and represents its strengths as well as its limitations. Th author noted it as a compelling choice when committed to contextualizing an individual’s everyday experiences within cultural, historical, political, and historical contexts.
The autoethnographic chapters chronicle the author’s immediate family’s history, emphasizing their commitment to education and how it intertwined with her personal story; her courtship with her future husband, post-secondary education in Cameroon, and early career as a graphic designer; her migration to the U.S. to join her husband through family reunification, and her subsequent experiences as a native French-speaking SSAW learning English. Specifically, the author recounts her migration experiences focusing on transnational gender roles and marital relationship dynamics, immediate and ongoing barrier, her early adaptation and work to build resilience, new intersections of identity, and triumphs in accessing higher education. An epilogue concludes the dissertation, addressing the autoethnographic constructions and returning the reader to the present. The author also addresses intersectional experiences, briefly revisits her personal and intellectual goals, and shares implications.
The dissertation enriches our understandings of SSAW’s diverse experiences across transnational gender roles, marital relationship dynamics, higher education, and migration in the U.S. The work also serves as a tribute to the strength, resilience, and aspirations of SSAW. Readers are invited to engage with these stories, and advocate for greater representation in academic literature of studies addressing SSAW experiences, and promote the continued development of infrastructure and support services for integration, mental and emotional well-being among all immigrants including SSAW
Regression Analysis of Arbitrarily Censored Data and Group-Tested Current Status Data
No full textThis dissertation explores novel and efficient estimation methods for regression analyses of complex survival data, aiming to identify significant risk factors, estimate their effects on survival time, and examine survival patterns. The study focuses on (1) regression analysis of arbitrarily censored survival data, (2) regression analysis of group-tested current status data, and (3) regression analysis of group-tested current status data with retesting.
Chapter 2 explores regression analysis of arbitrarily censored data with the semiparametric Probit model. A sieve maximum likelihood approach is proposed with the unknown baseline function being approximated by monotone splines, and the implementation is carried out by a direct constrained optimization since there are only a finite number of parameters involved. The optimal number of knots and degree are chosen based on the Akaike Information Criteria. The proposed method also provides valid inference under the proportional odds model based on the resulting estimates from the probit model with slight modifications.
Chapter 3 investigates group-tested current status data, arising in disease screening studies with cost-effective group testing strategies. Focusing on the test results of master pools with imperfect tests, we develop two novel estimation approaches, from both frequentist’s and Bayesian perspectives, under a semiparametric Probit model. Both approaches have a good estimation performance in a simulation study and are illustrated by an application to chlamydia data from the Infertility Prevention Project.
Chapter 4 extends the work in Chapter 3 by studying group-tested current status data from studies with any group testing strategies. The proposed method is developed to incorporate both master pool results and individual testing results, allow any group testing strategies including master pooling, Dorfman’s testing, and array testing, and accommodate imperfect tests. Our approach is computationally efficient based on a Gibbs sampler, which allows to sample all unknowns easily from known distributions. The proposed approach has excellent estimation performance in an intensive simulation study and is applied to chlamydia data from the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa.
Chapter 5 discusses regression analysis of bivariate group-tested current status data arising in group testing studies. The research goal is to model two correlated onset times of sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia and gonorrhea, and assess the covariate effects on these two onset times. A Bayesian estimation approach is developed based on a semiparametric frailty model. The proposed method also allows for potential test imperfections. Discussion of continued research effort is provided for completion
\u3ci\u3eMargery\u27s Visions: Sight, Emulation, and Medieval Wall Paintings in the Book of Margery Kempe\u3c/i\u3e
No full textThis project puts the history, context, and reception of medieval murals in dialog with The Book of Margery Kempe to identify neglected parallels between Margery’s sense of sight and the visual culture around her. Guided by a method of recovery that draws on interdisciplinary approaches to text and image, this dissertation combines digital tools, close reading, and archival accounts to compare how Margery responded to visions of holiness—both in spiritual revelations and in physical imagery—in murals which would have been on display during and in proximity to her travels. While mapping, close reading, and analysis have been applied to Margery Kempe’s Book by literary and historical scholars, the approach contained here combines these aspects with art history and archival accounts of “lost” artwork to ascertain the influence of visual culture on Margery’s narrative visions. This project investigates known mural imagery that visually validated or encouraged saintly emulation—and analyzes the consequences for women like Margery who ventured to model their behavior on this artwork
A Spatial Examination of Colonial Anglican Landscapes in the South Carolina Lowcountry
No full textThis thesis project will focus on the early colonial landscape of the South Carolina Lowcountry to analyze the placement of Anglican churches that were built between 1700 and 1730. My research will expand on previous analysis of the Anglican landscape to incorporate additional components that will aid in a better understanding of regional organization. To do so, I will incorporate a landscape archaeology theoretical frame that will allow my research questions to be explored. This project will also include GIS analysis to examine spatial visualizations, navigation paths, and colonial relationships to understand the Church’s early interactions with and on the South Carolina landscape
Help-Seeking, Motivation, and Partner Interactions in Couples Affected by Tramatic Brain Injury
No full textTraumatic brain injury (TBI) affects individuals and their romantic relationships, creating barriers to help-seeking and impacting relational health. Despite evidence supporting the benefits of couples counseling and relationship education, stigma and motivational factors influence engagement in these services. This dissertation examines the interdependent processes of help-seeking, motivation, and relationship satisfaction in couples where one partner has experienced a TBI. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), two studies explore (1) the role of self-stigma in help-seeking and motivation for completing a relationship education program, and (2) the influence of self-stigma for help-seeking on motivation in couples services, particularly in the context of TBI. Study one, based on data from 282 couples, investigated the effect of self-stigma for help-seeking on motivation to complete a relationship education program across online and in-person service modalities. Results revealed that self-stigma negatively influences motivation, with notable partner effects. Study two examined 160 couples in which one partner has a history of TBI, focusing on the intersection of stigma, relationship quality, and motivation. Findings highlighted the differences in relationship satisfaction and provides support for future examinations of help- seeking stigma
“Cruelty, Bloodshed, and Degradation from the Inauspicious Conjunction of Stars”: “Magic” in the 1857-58 Rebellion in India
No full textDuring the 1857-58 rebellion in India, British soldiers and civilians saw ample evidence of Indian belief in “magic”. Prophecies about the end of British rule were implicated in inciting rebellion. When a solar eclipse occurred during the British army’s campaign to regain control of Delhi, victory was attributed partially to Indian superstition. Much of the historiography of the 1857-58 rebellion has uncritically accepted British sources’ conceptions of Indian “magic”, dismissing it as superstitious, politically hindering, and divorced from material reality. Yet, British understandings of magic cannot be taken at face value. Instead, they must be located within broader colonial narratives that justified the subjugation of South Asian peoples by contrasting British rationality and Indian irrationality. Additionally, Indian knowledge systems and practices stigmatized as magic must be placed in their historical contexts to highlight the inaccuracy of this stigmatization. Attention to magic in 1857-58 suggests the limitations of colonial knowledge and ways of knowing, and points to how these limitations are reproduced in the study of history. By uncritically accepting British stigmatizations of Indian practices and knowledge systems as magic and excluding all that lies beyond the secular vision of reality, historians reproduce colonial ways of knowing. By both reading British colonial sources against the biased grain and drawing on underexamined Indian sources, historians can chip away at legacies of colonialism inherent in the archival record