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(1 - 15 of 15)
- Title
- A SOFTWARE-BASED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING NARRATIVE TEXTS.
- Creator
-
McDaniel, Thomas Rudy, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Technical and professional communicators have in recent research been challenged to make significant contributions to the field of knowledge management, and to learn or create the new technologies allowing them to do so. The purpose of this dissertation is to make such a combined theoretical and applied contribution from the context of the emerging discipline of Texts and Technology. This dissertation explores the field of knowledge management (KM), particularly its relationship to the...
Show moreTechnical and professional communicators have in recent research been challenged to make significant contributions to the field of knowledge management, and to learn or create the new technologies allowing them to do so. The purpose of this dissertation is to make such a combined theoretical and applied contribution from the context of the emerging discipline of Texts and Technology. This dissertation explores the field of knowledge management (KM), particularly its relationship to the related study of artificial intelligence (AI), and then recommends a KM software application based on the principles of narratology and narrative information exchange. The focus of knowledge is shifted from the reductive approach of data and information to a holistic approach of meaning and the way people make sense of complex events as experiences expressed in stories. Such an analysis requires a discussion of the evolution of intelligent systems and narrative theory as well as an examination of existing computerized and non-computerized storytelling systems. After a thorough discussion of these issues, an original software program that is used to collect, analyze, and distribute thematic stories within any hierarchical organization is modeled, exemplified, and explained in detail.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000012, ucf:46117
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000012
- Title
- RECREATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LEARNING DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AGES 4-8: A META-ANALYSIS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM.
- Creator
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Templeton, Joey, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research focuses on technology (specifically video games and interactive software games) and their effects on the cognitive development of children ages 4-8. The research will be conducted as a meta-analysis combining research and theory in order to determine if the educational approach to this age group needs to change/adapt to learners who have been affected by this technology. I will focus upon both the physical and mental aspects of their development and present a comprehensive...
Show moreThis research focuses on technology (specifically video games and interactive software games) and their effects on the cognitive development of children ages 4-8. The research will be conducted as a meta-analysis combining research and theory in order to determine if the educational approach to this age group needs to change/adapt to learners who have been affected by this technology. I will focus upon both the physical and mental aspects of their development and present a comprehensive review of current educational theory and practice. By examining current curriculum goals and cross-referencing them to research conducted in fields other than education (i.e. technology, child development, media literacy, etc.) I hope to demonstrate a need for change; and, at the end of my research, be able to make recommendations for curriculum adaptations that will work within the current educational structure. These recommendations will be made with respect to budget and time constraints.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001970, ucf:47458
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001970
- Title
- DEFINING WORKPLACE INFORMATION FLUENCY SKILLS FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Zhang, Yuejiao, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Information fluency refers to the ability to recognize information needs and to gather, evaluate, and communicate information appropriately. In this study, I treat "information fluency" as both an overall competency and as a collection of knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study is to explore the specific workplace information fluency skills valued by employers of technical communicators, to find out how instructors perceive and teach these skills, and to suggest how these findings can...
Show moreInformation fluency refers to the ability to recognize information needs and to gather, evaluate, and communicate information appropriately. In this study, I treat "information fluency" as both an overall competency and as a collection of knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study is to explore the specific workplace information fluency skills valued by employers of technical communicators, to find out how instructors perceive and teach these skills, and to suggest how these findings can inform our teaching practices. Within the framework of qualitative methodology, this study employs two data-collection instruments, including a content analysis of online job recruitment postings and a survey of technical communication instructors across the United States. The study discovers that when hiring technical communicators, employers require candidates to have skills in information processing, information technology, and critical thinking. Candidates must be able to identify their information needs, and must know how to use specified tools to gather, evaluate, and communicate information. It also reveals that although "information fluency" is a new terminology to a majority of instructors, the skill sets that constitute information fluency already existed in their knowledge. The study's last finding suggests that the opportunity for an internship is perceived as the most helpful in students' acquisition of information fluency skills. This dissertation concludes with a list of specific employer-valued information fluency skills, recommendations for program administrators and instructors for implementing information fluency, as well as recommendations for future researches on this subject.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003170, ucf:48604
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003170
- Title
- A BURKEAN METHOD FOR ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL RHETORIC.
- Creator
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Stewart, John, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The work of Kenneth Burke provides a method of rhetorical analysis that is useful in terms of bringing features of texts to the surface that are not readily apparent, such as how they produce identification in their audiences, and in revealing rhetorical factors related to but outside the text, for example the authors' motives. Burke's work is wide-ranging and open to many interpretations, so it can be difficult to apply. This study condenses some of his more important concepts into a...
Show moreThe work of Kenneth Burke provides a method of rhetorical analysis that is useful in terms of bringing features of texts to the surface that are not readily apparent, such as how they produce identification in their audiences, and in revealing rhetorical factors related to but outside the text, for example the authors' motives. Burke's work is wide-ranging and open to many interpretations, so it can be difficult to apply. This study condenses some of his more important concepts into a simplified method which has several practical applications; it focuses on how Burke's theories can be applied to analyzing environmental texts, and helps reveal how those texts are rhetorically effective. This method is also shown to be useful for rhetoricians and other students of language in analyzing the motives and meanings behind complicated texts. An example analysis is developed in detail to demonstrate the utility of this approach for analyzing environmental rhetoric and help clarify how to apply it to other texts. A publication by the Center for Ecoliteracy (CEL), a nonprofit organization engaged in environmental education, provides the basis for a concrete example of applying this method to a current work of environmental rhetoric. The CEL serves as an example of current environmental organizations and their rhetoric, and a Burkean analysis of its publications begins by revealing some of the principles operating in the texts that make them rhetorically effective. This analysis also goes beyond basic dialectics to question how the texts function as "symbolic action" and how they fit into Burke's hierarchic system of language. The method developed in this study not only determines how the text produces identification in an audience, but also the motives behind producing the text. The CEL's publications are good representative examples of current environmental writing, so the conclusions drawn from an analysis of the CEL's texts can be applied to other environmental rhetoric.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002594, ucf:48248
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002594
- Title
- CULTIVATING STRONG CITIZENS THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION: GREEK AND ROMAN METHODOLOGY AS A PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
- Creator
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Sarff, Krystina, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The ancient Greeks were a group of people who valued intelligence and athleticism above all other human traits; because of their focus, their society became one of the most revered and advanced civilizations in all of history. They were able to significantly influence the Roman Empire's philosophers, rhetoric, and education system. In order for the United States wants to match the Greeks' paramount feats, citizens have to become more learned and fit. The future intellectual...
Show moreThe ancient Greeks were a group of people who valued intelligence and athleticism above all other human traits; because of their focus, their society became one of the most revered and advanced civilizations in all of history. They were able to significantly influence the Roman Empire's philosophers, rhetoric, and education system. In order for the United States wants to match the Greeks' paramount feats, citizens have to become more learned and fit. The future intellectual development of the United States is at risk of halting progress as a nation if action is not taken. Quintilian's educational philosophies stimulate students' brainpower, but cannot work to its best when schools stock their classrooms with dispassionate teachers. Without mental stimulation, students are prevented from becoming learned citizens capable of social advancements. Moreover, the Greek-designed Palaestra-Dadiscaleum learning environment provides students with the best possible academic and physical educations. The influence of an entire bodily education develops high-quality students who will become intelligent adults capable of making positive change in their community. Over the last decade, the U.S. physical education program has gone through several transformations that have lead to a decline in the importance of fitness as a vital player in the academic school day. To remedy and better U.S. education, schools and teachers must follow the Greek and Roman education methodologies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002675, ucf:48206
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002675
- Title
- MULTI-MODAL READING FOR LOW LEVEL READERS.
- Creator
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O'Neal, Jamie, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The value of this research hinges on the idea that exchanging illustrations for descriptive text can provide appropriate schemas for students with reading difficulties and thereby improve their comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. The research in this dissertation is based on theories and earlier research in the fields of psychology, education, reading, and narratology. A review of these fields offers a variety of perspectives on the processes involved in reading and comprehension. These...
Show moreThe value of this research hinges on the idea that exchanging illustrations for descriptive text can provide appropriate schemas for students with reading difficulties and thereby improve their comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. The research in this dissertation is based on theories and earlier research in the fields of psychology, education, reading, and narratology. A review of these fields offers a variety of perspectives on the processes involved in reading and comprehension. These processes range from the physical systems involved in reading (e.g., early childhood development, eye movement) to the psychological systems, which include cognitive load theory as well as image and text processing models. This study compares two reading methods by analyzing studentsÂÂ' vocabulary and comprehension gains. Both groups read the same text and completed the same pre- and post-tests. The control group read the text from the book which was text only. The experimental group read from a modified text on the computer screen. The text was modified by replacing some sentences with images designed to transmit the same information (e.g., descriptions of the setting, vocabulary items) in a graphic format. The images were in-line with the text, and designed to be read as part of the story, not as additional illustrations. Final analysis shows that the experimental format performed as well as the control format for most students. However, students who have learning disabilities, particularly language learners who have learning disabilities, did not make gains in the text only control format. These same students did show statistically significant gains with the experimental format, particularly the section of reading where the vocabulary words were explicitly presented in the images. Disparate, non-homogenous groupings of students reflect the actual teaching and learning circumstances in the school, as required by the school system. This situation thus represents the actual status quo situation faced by teachers in our school. We leave it to future researchers to work with more homogenous groups of students in order to attain clearer, stronger and more plaintively useful results.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003306, ucf:48486
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003306
- Title
- Grace Hopper and the Marvelous Machine: Lessons for Modern Technical Communicators from the Mark I ASCC Manual.
- Creator
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Meyr, Jessica, Jones, Dan, Dombrowski, Paul, Applen, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Women's technical writing achievements often go unrecognized, both due to the invisibility of technical writing professionals in general, and a lack of famous technical communication role models in particular. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and present an early major work in the technical writing of Rear Admiral (")Amazing(") Grace Hopper, inventor of the compiler and an important figure in computer science history. Although Hopper is arguably best known for popularizing the idea of...
Show moreWomen's technical writing achievements often go unrecognized, both due to the invisibility of technical writing professionals in general, and a lack of famous technical communication role models in particular. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and present an early major work in the technical writing of Rear Admiral (")Amazing(") Grace Hopper, inventor of the compiler and an important figure in computer science history. Although Hopper is arguably best known for popularizing the idea of the (")computer bug,(") her achievements in computer science extend from invention of the software compiler to tireless promotion of the programming language COBOL. Her work A Manual of Operation for the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, written for the first digital computer in America, is analyzed here according to Mike Markel's eight criteria of excellent technical writing: honesty, clarity, accuracy, comprehensiveness, accessibility, conciseness, professional appearance, and correctness. I also cover other specific strengths of Grace's approach, including how she establishes sufficient context, highlights multiple uses for information, and provides numerous well-chosen examples for audience needs. However, I also discuss how modern research principles for improving technical writing, including task-orientation, attention to cognitive load, and minimalism, help explain the manual's shortcomings. I conclude my study with a discussion of Hopper's later work, (")The Education of a Computer,(") to demonstrate her growth as a writer. The conclusion also highlights areas awaiting further research and cements my recommendation that study of Grace Hopper's work be incorporated into our historical understanding of the discipline. Hopper's technical writing deserves to be more widely understood and appreciated as a vital contribution to early software documentation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006625, ucf:51263
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006625
- Title
- The Ethos of Humor in Technical Communication.
- Creator
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Roberts, David, Applen, John, Dombrowski, Paul, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Within the realm of technical communication, humor has often been regarded as an unnecessary or risky rhetorical device that can negatively impact the credibility of a document. While many other professional fields, such as medicine, computer technology fields, or business have used humor, and humor continues to crop up in (")user as producer(") documentation, technical writing continues to approach humor cautiously and with little theoretical guidance. In order to fully understand how humor...
Show moreWithin the realm of technical communication, humor has often been regarded as an unnecessary or risky rhetorical device that can negatively impact the credibility of a document. While many other professional fields, such as medicine, computer technology fields, or business have used humor, and humor continues to crop up in (")user as producer(") documentation, technical writing continues to approach humor cautiously and with little theoretical guidance. In order to fully understand how humor functions, it is important to understand the main theories of humor: superiority, relief, and incongruity. It is also important to understand how humor functions, by looking at Meyer's four functions of humor: identification, clarification, enforcement, and differentiation. Some primary and secondary manuals have successfully used a rhetorical strategy incorporating humor. Google uses a persona and situated ethos that projects a sense of fun and humor, and incorporates some humor into their documentation. The (")(")For Dummies(")(") series is well known and recognized for the situated ethos of providing fun, entertaining direction, while individual authors choose a specific invented ethos for each book written. The three theories of humor and four functions of humor can be applied to humor used in Google and (")(")For Dummies(")("). This demonstration better highlights how humor operates and functions in communication, and can provide technical communicators with a tool to use when considering the application of humor in documentation. The application further highlights the need for greater understanding of how humor affects the credibility and success of documentation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004920, ucf:49629
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004920
- Title
- Technical Communicators in Marketing: Switching Roles and Changing Ethical Perspectives When Working With Content Marketing.
- Creator
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Alvarez, Nicole, Dombrowski, Paul, Jones, Dan, Zemliansky, Pavel, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis presents an alternate career path for technical communicators in the area of content marketing and expands on the ethical and goal-related issues associated with a career change to a marketing-focused role. Many of the skills necessary for technical communication are transferable to marketing communication roles; however, a successful career change requires that technical communicators understand how the ethical values and goals of marketing professionals can differ from those of...
Show moreThis thesis presents an alternate career path for technical communicators in the area of content marketing and expands on the ethical and goal-related issues associated with a career change to a marketing-focused role. Many of the skills necessary for technical communication are transferable to marketing communication roles; however, a successful career change requires that technical communicators understand how the ethical values and goals of marketing professionals can differ from those of technical communicators. Through a detailed literature review and autoethnographic study, this thesis discusses the performance goals of marketing professionals to determine how these clash with those of technical communicators. This study also discusses the ethical values of technical communicators and marketing professionals, and how these values are shaped by their unique job functions. The overall goal is to determine how this affects the technical communicator working with content marketing. After combining the data available in the literature and the data gathered from the autoethnographic study, this study suggests that due to the differing job functions and training received by technical communicators and marketing professionals, ethically charged situations and ethically questionable practices are likely to be viewed under different perspectives by each professional. This can lead to vastly different perspectives on a particular situation and result in the two groups having vastly different ideas in regard to how ethical-decision making should proceed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005570, ucf:50280
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005570
- Title
- Placing birds on a dynamic evolutionary map: Using digital tools to update the evolutionary metaphor of the "tree of life".
- Creator
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Stephens, Sonia, Dombrowski, Paul, Applen, John, Murphy, Patrick, Lindgren, Robb, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation describes and presents a new type of interactive visualization for communicating about evolutionary biology, the dynamic evolutionary map. This web-based tool utilizes a novel map-based metaphor to visualize evolution, rather than the traditional (")tree of life.(") The dissertation begins with an analysis of the conceptual affordances of the traditional tree of life as the dominant metaphor for evolution. Next, theories from digital media, visualization, and cognitive...
Show moreThis dissertation describes and presents a new type of interactive visualization for communicating about evolutionary biology, the dynamic evolutionary map. This web-based tool utilizes a novel map-based metaphor to visualize evolution, rather than the traditional (")tree of life.(") The dissertation begins with an analysis of the conceptual affordances of the traditional tree of life as the dominant metaphor for evolution. Next, theories from digital media, visualization, and cognitive science research are synthesized to support the assertion that digital media tools can extend the types of visual metaphors we use in science communication in order to overcome conceptual limitations of traditional metaphors. These theories are then applied to a specific problem of science communication, resulting in the dynamic evolutionary map.Metaphor is a crucial part of scientific communication, and metaphor-based scientific visualizations, models, and analogies play a profound role in shaping our ideas about the world around us. Users of the dynamic evolutionary map interact with evolution in two ways: by observing the diversification of bird orders over time and by examining the evidence for avian evolution at several places in evolutionary history. By combining these two types of interaction with a non-traditional map metaphor, evolution is framed in a novel way that supplements traditional metaphors for communicating about evolution. This reframing in turn suggests new conceptual affordances to users who are learning about evolution. Empirical testing of the dynamic evolutionary map by biology novices suggests that this approach is successful in communicating evolution differently than in existing tree-based visualization methods. Results of evaluation of the map by biology experts suggest possibilities for future enhancement and testing of this visualization that would help refine these successes. This dissertation represents an important step forward in the synthesis of scientific, design, and metaphor theory, as applied to a specific problem of science communication. The dynamic evolutionary map demonstrates that these theories can be used to guide the construction of a visualization for communicating a scientific concept in a way that is both novel and grounded in theory. There are several potential applications in the fields of informal science education, formal education, and evolutionary biology for the visualization created in this dissertation. Moreover, the approach suggested in this dissertation can potentially be extended into other areas of science and science communication. By placing birds onto the dynamic evolutionary map, this dissertation points to a way forward for visualizing science communication in the future.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004639, ucf:49898
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004639
- Title
- Virtual Teams and Intercultural Ethics: Preventative Measures for Ethical Dilemmas.
- Creator
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Blanton, Rebecca, Flammia, Madelyn, Jones, Daniel, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis examines the ethical challenges faced by technical communicators working in global virtual teams. Virtual teams usage are becoming increasingly more popular and diverse. As a result, it is valuable for technical communicators to understand and recognize the challenges that are faced within global virtual teams in order to find solutions and preventive measures for these challenges. The ethical challenges present in global virtual teams were determined by examining the literature...
Show moreThis thesis examines the ethical challenges faced by technical communicators working in global virtual teams. Virtual teams usage are becoming increasingly more popular and diverse. As a result, it is valuable for technical communicators to understand and recognize the challenges that are faced within global virtual teams in order to find solutions and preventive measures for these challenges. The ethical challenges present in global virtual teams were determined by examining the literature on virtual teams and intercultural ethics and conducting a survey of practicing technical communicators who have experience in virtual teams. The purpose of the survey was to determine the ethical challenges that are present for technical communicators and how these issues were resolved. The survey results reveal valuable approaches to resolving and preventing ethical challenges in virtual teams. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of virtual teams and intercultural ethics and examines the ethical challenges that are faced by technical communicators. Furthermore, the thesis presents preventive measures for addressing ethical challenges. Finally, the thesis also provides suggestions for future research into the ethical challenges that are faced within global virtual teams, particularly those related to cultural differences.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004653, ucf:49887
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004653
- Title
- Creating and Examining an Online Advising Module for Graduate Students: A Usability Study.
- Creator
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Mitchell, Leah, Flammia, Madelyn, Jones, Daniel, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Advisors are always examining best practices when serving students with technology. Online instruction has become a popular choice for students in higher education, and educators and other student personnel are looking to further accommodate their students by including academic services as part of a virtual environment.This study examines the usefulness of an online advising module geared at graduate students. I conducted a usability study of an online advising module created for graduate...
Show moreAdvisors are always examining best practices when serving students with technology. Online instruction has become a popular choice for students in higher education, and educators and other student personnel are looking to further accommodate their students by including academic services as part of a virtual environment.This study examines the usefulness of an online advising module geared at graduate students. I conducted a usability study of an online advising module created for graduate students in the College of Education and Human Performance (CEDHP) at the University of Central Florida. The online advising module was presented to current graduate students in the CEDHP. They were asked to make observations and provide feedback about their interactions with the online advising module. The final part of the usability test included giving students a survey to rate their overall satisfaction with the module.Results of the study showed that graduate students did benefit from viewing the online advising module. Participants reported an overall strong satisfaction rate with the module.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005212, ucf:50621
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005212
- Title
- Recycled Modernity: Google, Immigration History, and the Limits for H-1B.
- Creator
-
Patten, Neil, Dombrowski, Paul, Mauer, Barry, Grajeda, Anthony, Dziuban, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Regulation of admission to the United States for technology workers from foreign countries has been a difficult issue, especially during periods of intense development. Following the dot.com bubble, the Google Corporation continued to argue in favor of higher limits under the Immigration and Nationality Act exception referred to as (")H-1B(") for the section of the law where it appears. H-1B authorized temporary admission for highly skilled labor in specialty occupations. Congressional...
Show moreRegulation of admission to the United States for technology workers from foreign countries has been a difficult issue, especially during periods of intense development. Following the dot.com bubble, the Google Corporation continued to argue in favor of higher limits under the Immigration and Nationality Act exception referred to as (")H-1B(") for the section of the law where it appears. H-1B authorized temporary admission for highly skilled labor in specialty occupations. Congressional testimony by Laszlo Bock, Google Vice President for People Operations, provided the most succinct statement of Google's concerns based on maintaining a competitive and diverse workforce. Diversity has been a rhetorical priority for Google, yet diversity did not affect the argument in a substantial and realistic way. Likewise, emphasis on geographically situated competitive capability suggests a limited commitment to the global communities invoked by information technology. The history of American industry produced corporations determined to control and exploit every detail of their affairs. In the process, industrial corporations used immigration as a labor resource. Google portrayed itself, and Google has been portrayed by media from the outside, as representative of new information technology culture, an information community of diverse, inclusive, and democratically transparent technology in the sense of universal availability and benefit with a deliberate concern for avoiding evil. However, emphasis by Google on American supremacy combined with a kind of half-hearted rhetorical advocacy for principles of diversity suggest an inconsistent approach to the argument about H-1B. The Google argument for manageable resources connected to corporate priorities of Industrial Modernity, a habit of control, more than to democratic communities of technology. In this outcome, there are concerns for information technology and the Industry of Knowledge Work. By considering the treatment of immigration as a sign of management attitude, I look at questions posed by Jean Baudrillard, Daniel Headrick, Alan Liu, and others about whether information technology as an industry and as communities of common interests has achieved any democratically universal (")ethical progress(") beyond the preceding system of industrial commerce that demands the absolute power to exploit resources, including human resources. Does Google's performance confirm skeptical questions, or did Google actually achieve something more socially responsible? In the rhetoric of immigration history and the rhetoric of Google as technology, this study finds connections to a recycled corporate-management version of Industrial Modernity that constrains the diffusion of technology.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005685, ucf:50135
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005685
- Title
- The State of the Anti-Union Address: A Rhetorical Critique of Select Service Worker Training Methods.
- Creator
-
Ries, Richard, Dombrowski, Paul, Hirumi, Atsusi, Jones, Dan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This is an interdisciplinary master's level thesis that explores links among technical writing, training manuals, surveillance, and anti-union rhetoric used with service workers in select American chains and franchises. Brief histories are provided, including those of technical writing, the rise of unions in America, and how technical writing became inextricably linked with labor. A major shift occurred in the 20th century when workers began interacting less with products and more with the...
Show moreThis is an interdisciplinary master's level thesis that explores links among technical writing, training manuals, surveillance, and anti-union rhetoric used with service workers in select American chains and franchises. Brief histories are provided, including those of technical writing, the rise of unions in America, and how technical writing became inextricably linked with labor. A major shift occurred in the 20th century when workers began interacting less with products and more with the public. The research focuses on training manuals, techniques, and rehearsed dialogues of McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Panera, and Publix, though similar organizations are referenced. Service worker language, uniforms, and store decorum are sometimes analyzed for their rhetorical content. The idea of a single, technically written training manual in the service sector is a misnomer; training is delivered through a pastiche of manuals, videos, computers, apps, flipcharts, and on the job training. Unions are avoided through franchising (and therefore eat outlet not possessing enough workers to organize), creating conditions of high turnover rates, rhetoric, and use of euphemism. Global corporations are likened to "superfiefdoms," with service workers equated to modern serfs. If the world has evolved into supercorporations, it is argued then that the Publix employee-owned model may be the best approach and the most dignified of all. The technical writing and instruction in state-sponsored and federalized school pedagogies, which emphasize drills and compliance, may be culturally linked to the training found in these entry-level service jobs, and more academic study exploring these links is called for.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005700, ucf:50134
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005700
- Title
- The Hermeneutics of the Hard Drive: Using Narratology, Natural Language Processing, and Knowledge Management to Improve the Effectiveness of the Digital Forensic Process.
- Creator
-
Pollitt, Mark, Applen, John, Bowdon, Melody, Dombrowski, Paul, Craiger, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In order to protect the safety of our citizens and to ensure a civil society, we ask our law enforcement, judiciary and intelligence agencies, under the rule of law, to seek probative information which can be acted upon for the common good. This information may be used in court to prosecute criminals or it can be used to conduct offensive or defensive operations to protect our national security. As the citizens of the world store more and more information in digital form, and as they live an...
Show moreIn order to protect the safety of our citizens and to ensure a civil society, we ask our law enforcement, judiciary and intelligence agencies, under the rule of law, to seek probative information which can be acted upon for the common good. This information may be used in court to prosecute criminals or it can be used to conduct offensive or defensive operations to protect our national security. As the citizens of the world store more and more information in digital form, and as they live an ever-greater portion of their lives online, law enforcement, the judiciary and the Intelligence Community will continue to struggle with finding, extracting and understanding the data stored on computers. But this trend affords greater opportunity for law enforcement. This dissertation describes how several disparate approaches: knowledge management, content analysis, narratology, and natural language processing, can be combined in an interdisciplinary way to positively impact the growing difficulty of developing useful, actionable intelligence from the ever-increasing corpus of digital evidence. After exploring how these techniques might apply to the digital forensic process, I will suggest two new theoretical constructs, the Hermeneutic Theory of Digital Forensics and the Narrative Theory of Digital Forensics, linking existing theories of forensic science, knowledge management, content analysis, narratology, and natural language processing together in order to identify and extract narratives from digital evidence. An experimental approach will be described and prototyped. The results of these experiments demonstrate the potential of natural language processing techniques to digital forensics.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005112, ucf:50749
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005112
