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- 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
- Mode-Division Multiplexed Transmission in Few-mode Fibers.
- Creator
-
Bai, Neng, Li, Guifang, Christodoulides, Demetrios, Schulzgen, Axel, Abouraddy, Ayman, Phillips, Ronald, Ip, Ezra, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As a promising candidate to break the single-mode fiber capacity limit, mode-division multiplexing (MDM) explores the spatial dimension to increase transmission capacity in fiber-optic communication. Two linear impairments, namely loss and multimode interference, present fundamental challenges to implementing MDM. In this dissertation, techniques to resolve these two issues are presented.To de-multiplex signals subject to multimode interference in MDM, Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO)...
Show moreAs a promising candidate to break the single-mode fiber capacity limit, mode-division multiplexing (MDM) explores the spatial dimension to increase transmission capacity in fiber-optic communication. Two linear impairments, namely loss and multimode interference, present fundamental challenges to implementing MDM. In this dissertation, techniques to resolve these two issues are presented.To de-multiplex signals subject to multimode interference in MDM, Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) processing using adaptive frequency-domain equalization (FDE) is proposed and investigated. Both simulations and experiments validate that FDE can reduce the algorithmic complexity significantly in comparison with the conventional time-domain equalization (TDE) while achieving similar performance as TDE. To further improve the performance of FDE, two modifications on traditional FDE algorithm are demonstrated. i) normalized adaptive FDE is applied to increase the convergence speed by 5 times; ii) master-slave carrier recovery is proposed to reduce the algorithmic complexity of phase estimation by number of modes.Although FDE can reduce the computational complexity of the MIMO processing, due to large mode group delay (MGD) of FMF link and block processing, the algorithm still requires enormous memory and high hardware complexity. In order to reduce the required tap length (RTL) of the equalizer, differential mode group delay compensated fiber (DMGDC) has been proposed. In this dissertation, the analytical expression for RTL is derived for DMGDC systems under the weak mode coupling assumption. Instead of depending on the overall MGD of the link in DMGD uncompensated (DMGDUC) systems, the RTL of DMGDC systems depend on the MGD of a single DMGDC fiber section. The theoretical and numerical results suggest that by using small compensation step-size, the RTL of DMGDC link can be reduced by 2 orders of magnitude compared to DMGDUC link. To compensate the loss of different modes, multimode EDFAs are presented with re-configurable multimode pumps. By tuning the mode content of the multimode pump, mode-dependent gain (MDG) can be controlled and equalized. A proto-type FM-EDFA which could support 2 LP modes was constructed. The experimental results show that by using high order mode pumps, the modal gain difference can be reduced. By applying both multimode EDFA and equalization techniques, 26.4Tb/s MDM-WDM transmission was successfully demonstrated.A brief summary and several possible future research directions conclude this dissertation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004811, ucf:49751
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004811
- Title
- Investigation of Tactile Displays for Robot to Human Communication.
- Creator
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Barber, Daniel, Reinerman, Lauren, Jentsch, Florian, Lackey, Stephanie, Leonessa, Alexander, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Improvements in autonomous systems technology and a growing demand within military operations are spurring a revolution in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). These mixed-initiative human-robot teams are enabled by Multi-Modal Communication (MMC), which supports redundancy and levels of communication that are more robust than single mode interaction. (Bischoff (&) Graefe, 2002; Partan (&) Marler, 1999). Tactile communication via vibrotactile displays is an emerging technology, potentially...
Show moreImprovements in autonomous systems technology and a growing demand within military operations are spurring a revolution in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). These mixed-initiative human-robot teams are enabled by Multi-Modal Communication (MMC), which supports redundancy and levels of communication that are more robust than single mode interaction. (Bischoff (&) Graefe, 2002; Partan (&) Marler, 1999). Tactile communication via vibrotactile displays is an emerging technology, potentially beneficial to advancing HRI. Incorporation of tactile displays within MMC requires developing messages equivalent in communication power to speech and visual signals used in the military. Toward that end, two experiments were performed to investigate the feasibility of a tactile language using a lexicon of standardized tactons (tactile icons) within a sentence structure for communication of messages for robot to human communication. Experiment one evaluated tactons from the literature with standardized parameters grouped into categories (directional, dynamic, and static) based on the nature and meaning of the patterns to inform design of a tactile syntax. Findings of this experiment revealed directional tactons showed better performance than non-directional tactons, therefore syntax for experiment two composed of a non-directional and a directional tacton was more likely to show performance better than chance. Experiment two tested the syntax structure of equally performing tactons identified from experiment one, revealing participants' ability to interpret tactile sentences better than chance with or without the presence of an independent work imperative task. This finding advanced the state of the art in tactile displays from one to two word phrases facilitating inclusion of the tactile modality within MMC for HRI.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004778, ucf:49800
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004778
- Title
- Keeping Church Goers Motivated: Church Worship Communication Study.
- Creator
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Trelstad, Anne, Katt, James, Miller, Ann, Davis, Kristin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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At a time when mainline Protestant churches in America are concerned with stagnant or declining worship attendance (Duin, 2008) a better understanding of worshippers' motivations could help church leaders plan and create positive worship experiences (Katt (&) Trelstad, 2009). This study extends the scope of the previous research of Katt and Trelstad by employing a larger sample of purposively selected churches. It attempts to more clearly answer the following question more clearly: What types...
Show moreAt a time when mainline Protestant churches in America are concerned with stagnant or declining worship attendance (Duin, 2008) a better understanding of worshippers' motivations could help church leaders plan and create positive worship experiences (Katt (&) Trelstad, 2009). This study extends the scope of the previous research of Katt and Trelstad by employing a larger sample of purposively selected churches. It attempts to more clearly answer the following question more clearly: What types of incidents serve as motivator and de-motivator factors in the church worship service setting? A sample of 105 church members from thirty-eight churches participated in a survey, either in person or online. The results indicate that there are motivators and de-motivators for attendees of a church worship service which are specific to the context. This research could provide practical information for churches concerned about member motivation and further extend the scope of Herzberg's theory into another context.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004631, ucf:49934
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004631
- 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
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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
- Multiculturalism as Reported by the European Online Press: A Qualitative Study on the Manifestation of Othering Discourses.
- Creator
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Chakrabarti, Shomik, Musambira, George, Sandoval, Jennifer, Hastings, Sally, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study critically examined how issues of multiculturalism and Muslim immigration are discursively constructed within the English language European online press. Through the use of a frame analysis as well as a more focused discourse analysis, an examination was undertaken to uncover how (")us(") versus (")them(") perspectives were manifest within a public discourse. A total of 132 articles from The Daily Mail, Le Monde Diplomatique, Dutchnews.nl, Spiegel Online and The International...
Show moreThis study critically examined how issues of multiculturalism and Muslim immigration are discursively constructed within the English language European online press. Through the use of a frame analysis as well as a more focused discourse analysis, an examination was undertaken to uncover how (")us(") versus (")them(") perspectives were manifest within a public discourse. A total of 132 articles from The Daily Mail, Le Monde Diplomatique, Dutchnews.nl, Spiegel Online and The International Herald Tribune were selected using a systematic sampling method based on the results of a search query for multiculturalism at each news site. The analysis of the data corpus revealed the news media's depiction of multiculturalism and Muslim immigrants as not wholly negative on the surface but under closer scrutiny revealed discursive and linguistic techniques that consistently marginalized and (")othered(") them. The themes found in the data corpus also illuminated a trend of the subordinated population as lacking proper representation and always being spoken for by the news media.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005587, ucf:50241
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005587
- Title
- The Relevance of Benjamin Franklin's and Thomas Jefferson's Technical Writing for Modern Communicators.
- Creator
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Fecko, Kristin, Jones, Dan, Cavanagh, Thomas, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Today's technical communicators enjoy an increasingly broader role and influence in the workplace, and are often given latitude to use engaging rhetoric and personal touches in many kinds of communications. Historical documents, particularly those that are substantially removed from our own era, can offer fresh approaches and insight into the enduring elements of successful communication. This study explores the technical writings of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and considers their...
Show moreToday's technical communicators enjoy an increasingly broader role and influence in the workplace, and are often given latitude to use engaging rhetoric and personal touches in many kinds of communications. Historical documents, particularly those that are substantially removed from our own era, can offer fresh approaches and insight into the enduring elements of successful communication. This study explores the technical writings of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and considers their usefulness to professionals today.Although the political writing of Franklin and Jefferson is more familiar, both men frequently wrote about scientific and technical subjects and were well-known in their day for these documents. Franklin created a captivating persona and arguments which carried emotional and logical appeal. Jefferson was a student of ancient rhetoric and applied classical principles of arrangement to guide readers. His fondness for statistical records led to a skill in presenting numerical data and other types of information in creative, efficient ways. By using tone, language, and description, both Franklin and Jefferson created technical narratives that are equally informative and aesthetically pleasing.The contemporary era of technical communication has been shaped by positivism, the plain language movement, and humanism, among other significant trends. Franklin's and Jefferson's approaches to technical communication both support and challenge the guiding philosophies of these movements. Their styles are reviewed in this study against the context of modern approaches. Opportunities for further historical study are also offered, including additional writings of our Founding Fathers and technical writing from the turn of the twentieth century.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005329, ucf:50526
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005329
- Title
- How emoticons affect leader-member exchange.
- Creator
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Loglia, Jennifer, Bowers, Clint, Fritzsche, Barbara, Joseph, Dana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Emoticons have been shown to be the nonverbal cues of computer-mediated communication and could therefore be a rich source of information, but they are not used in the workplace because they are considered unprofessional. This study aimed to look at the effects of emoticons on relationships, specifically between a leader and member. Participants were asked to read a fake email from a fake boss and answer several questions in regard to leader-member exchange, affective presence, perceived...
Show moreEmoticons have been shown to be the nonverbal cues of computer-mediated communication and could therefore be a rich source of information, but they are not used in the workplace because they are considered unprofessional. This study aimed to look at the effects of emoticons on relationships, specifically between a leader and member. Participants were asked to read a fake email from a fake boss and answer several questions in regard to leader-member exchange, affective presence, perceived message positivity, perceived masculinity/femininity of the fake boss, and perceived professionalism. This study found that the use of a positive emoticon in an email message increased leader-member exchange, mediated by positive affective presence (though the use of the emoticon and positive affective presence were not linked). This study also found that when participants received a message with an emoticon, they found the sender to be both more feminine and less professional.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005028, ucf:50003
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005028
- Title
- MYSPACE OR OURSPACE: A MEDIA SYSTEM DEPENDENCY VIEW OF MYSPACE.
- Creator
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Schrock, Andrew, Brown, Timothy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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MySpace is a type of "social networking" website where people meet, socialize, and create friendships. The way MySpace members, particularly younger individuals, interact online underscores the changing nature of mass media. Media system dependency states that individuals become reliant on media in their daily life because of fundamental human goals. This reliance, termed a dependency, leads to repeated use. Media system dependency was applied in the current study to explain how and why...
Show moreMySpace is a type of "social networking" website where people meet, socialize, and create friendships. The way MySpace members, particularly younger individuals, interact online underscores the changing nature of mass media. Media system dependency states that individuals become reliant on media in their daily life because of fundamental human goals. This reliance, termed a dependency, leads to repeated use. Media system dependency was applied in the current study to explain how and why individuals became habitual MySpace users. To attain results a survey was administered to a convenience sampling of 401 adult undergraduates at the University of Central Florida. Members reported MySpace dependency had a moderate correlation to MySpace use, and they actively used the website an average of 1.3 hours of use per day. Results indicated members use MySpace to primarily satisfy play and interaction orientation dependencies. MySpace use was found to have a correlation with number of MySpace friends. "Number of friends created" in turn had a correlation with MySpace dependency, as people returned to interact with their friends. Individual factors were also found to be a source of influence in MySpace dependency. These individual factors were demographics, psychological factors related to use of the Internet, and psychological factors related to use of MySpace. Factors related to MySpace, extroversion and self-disclosure, were positively correlated with intensity of dependency. The influence of factors related to the Internet was partly supported; computer self-efficacy was not significantly related to MySpace dependency, while computer anxiety was significantly related to MySpace dependency. Speed of connection to the Internet and available time to use the Internet were not related to MySpace dependency. Additionally, significant differences were found between genders in overall dependency, extroversion, self-disclosure, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy. These findings provide evidence that MySpace members were little, if at all, constrained by factors related to use of the Internet, but were attracted to the websites for similar reasons as real-life relationships. Finally, MySpace is just one of the large number of online resources that are predominantly social, such as email, message boards, and online chat. This study found that through a "technology cluster" MySpace members use these other social innovations more frequently than non-members. However, members also used significantly more non-social innovations, which may indicate that MySpace members are part of a larger technology cluster than anticipated or perhaps are in the same category of innovation adopter.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001451, ucf:47057
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001451
- Title
- Framing, Public Relations, and Scientology: An Analysis of News Coverage and a Controversial Organization.
- Creator
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McAllister, Kristy, Sandoval, Jennifer, Neuberger, Lindsay, Coombs, Timothy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study investigated the most common frames used in news coverage of the Church of Scientology from 2009 to 2013. Using textual analysis, with framing and public relations theories as lenses, this study examined recent news coverage (-) both print and television (-) to identify frames used, and the potential public relations crises the Church is currently facing due to this media exposure. Analysis showed three major frames used during coverage, along with their corresponding sub-frames,...
Show moreThis study investigated the most common frames used in news coverage of the Church of Scientology from 2009 to 2013. Using textual analysis, with framing and public relations theories as lenses, this study examined recent news coverage (-) both print and television (-) to identify frames used, and the potential public relations crises the Church is currently facing due to this media exposure. Analysis showed three major frames used during coverage, along with their corresponding sub-frames, which highlight certain aspects of the frame: Culture of Abuse (Imprisonment, Controlling, Family Disconnection, Exploitation of Children, Violence, and Financial Abuse), The Information Paradox (Conflicting Information, Simple Misunderstanding, and Non-Traditional Approach), and Leadership Issues (The Problem Lies with Leadership, Celebrity Obsession). Also uncovered were three potential public relations crises: The Mistreatment of Church Members, The Misuse of Funds, and Bad Communication Strategy. The research showed a strong strategic preference of the Church to use legal tactics or denial strategies when dealing with crises. A review of public relations theory suggests that the Church use a more open approach and also incorporate mortification strategies to accept blame and repair their damaged image.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004887, ucf:49673
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004887
- Title
- Technical Communicators and Writing Consultants: Identity and Expertise.
- Creator
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Cepero, Nichole, Young, Beth, Jones, Daniel, Marinara, Martha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This paper examines the roles of technical communicators and writing center consultants in regards to their identities and the expertise that they bring to what they do. Both fields have struggled with alack of understanding surrounding what their positions entail and more importantly how they perform in their roles. With this in mind, the goal of this paper is to analyze how the growth of each field andthe variations of each position contribute to the issue of identity. Furthermore, as a...
Show moreThis paper examines the roles of technical communicators and writing center consultants in regards to their identities and the expertise that they bring to what they do. Both fields have struggled with alack of understanding surrounding what their positions entail and more importantly how they perform in their roles. With this in mind, the goal of this paper is to analyze how the growth of each field andthe variations of each position contribute to the issue of identity. Furthermore, as a result of the identity problem that faces each position, I suggest using the theory of liminality, communication theory, and genre theory to examine more closely how technical communicators and writing center consultants approach the work they do.Technical communicators and writing center consultants perform very similar roles in their respective fields. Both positions have the ability to contribute to various fields through the work that they do. Technical communicators have the ability to communicate in multiple areas without necessarily being subject matter experts in the areas they participate in. The same holds true forwriting center consultants who may, in one day, assist students in multiple subjects without necessarily having specific disciplinary knowledge of each area addressed. Outsiders do not understand how technical communicators and writing consultants can communicate within anunfamiliar field, which creates a main area of controversy for both roles. Using the three theories mentioned above, I make an argument for just how it is possible for them to perform in this capacity.By focusing on how technical communicators and writing center consultants perform in their roles instead of on their writing, their identity and expertise becomes clear and confusion surrounding each field can be banished. Although technical communicators and writing consultants both face similarchallenges, their responsibilities differ in ways that affect how these theories apply. Still, all three theories illuminate how rhetoric provides the basis for expertise in both technical communication and writing centers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005146, ucf:50706
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005146
- Title
- Preparing for the Inevitable: Sensemaking in Parent-Child Discussions of Death.
- Creator
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Wartmann, Carrie, Hastings, Sally, Musambira, George, Weger, Harry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Death is something everyone will eventually encounter, yet American society has a tendency to avoid or deny death in everyday life and language. Death makes people uncomfortable, and many view it as a topic too complex for children to understand. Children, however, witness big and little deaths in their lives: of pets, relatives, plants, and favorite fairy tale characters. When a child experiences a death, he or she may have questions for parents or other trusted adults which our current...
Show moreDeath is something everyone will eventually encounter, yet American society has a tendency to avoid or deny death in everyday life and language. Death makes people uncomfortable, and many view it as a topic too complex for children to understand. Children, however, witness big and little deaths in their lives: of pets, relatives, plants, and favorite fairy tale characters. When a child experiences a death, he or she may have questions for parents or other trusted adults which our current avoidance-geared society does not prepare adults for.Children exist in a specific cultural context, and learn rules and expectations of society from an early age. How society views a subject like death will influence how it is talked about, experienced, and learned. Parents and families serve as the primary means of socialization for young children and hold a position of expertise within the parent-child dynamic. Both socio-cultural and personal beliefs about death will influence how a parent approaches death education with his or her child.Through examination of the sensemaking and sensegiving accounts of parent participants, this study sought to understand what the process is like for parents who are discussing the subject of death with their children, what goals and concerns parents have, what information a parent privileges as important within the social and historical context of the conversation, and what resources he or she accesses, if any, to assist with communication. By framing the participants' experiences as (")making sense(") of a social environment after an interruption, this study was able to investigate the processes of sensemaking and sensegiving in an interpersonal context between parent and child, the roles of Weick's (1995) characteristics of sensemaking, implicit and explicit messages relayed to children about death, and the influence of social scripts on both processes.Twelve semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted to gather accounts in context of parents who had previously discussed death with their children. Interviews were analyzed based on a modified constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006). The study was designed to remain as close to the relayed experience of the participants as possible with hope that information from the participants' experiences will be useful for both academics and parents as a future resource for preparing for parent-child communication about death.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006415, ucf:51459
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006415
- 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
- Bending the Binary: Effects of Nonbinary Gender Media Representations on Disposition Formation and Media Enjoyment.
- Creator
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Higley, Diana, Kinnally, William, Sandoval, Jennifer, Hanlon, Christine, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Today, the issue of gender plays a larger role in our social discussions than in the past. Over the last decade, new and groundbreaking television shows and movies that showcase gender nonconforming characters and plots that challenge traditional gender roles have become more common. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential effects of gender-neutral representations in media programming and particularly whether different representations of gender might influence audience...
Show moreToday, the issue of gender plays a larger role in our social discussions than in the past. Over the last decade, new and groundbreaking television shows and movies that showcase gender nonconforming characters and plots that challenge traditional gender roles have become more common. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential effects of gender-neutral representations in media programming and particularly whether different representations of gender might influence audience attitudes toward characters and overall enjoyment of the media. Affective Disposition Theory and Moral Foundations Theory were used as a framework for understanding people's perceptions of gender-neutral media characters. The project involved a pretest/posttest experimental method with random assignment of participants to one of three conditions. Participants completed a pretest including measures of moral modules and trait empathy among other characteristics during week one. The next week, they were assigned to read one of three versions of a dramatic plot synopsis in which the gender of the main character was male, female or ambiguous. After reading the assigned synopsis, participants reported their disposition toward the main character in the stimulus and their enjoyment of the synopsis. Results indicated that depictions of gender that don't activate traditional male and female gender schemas can have a negative influence on the participants' initial dispositions toward the character. The gender representation in the stimulus was not related to reported enjoyment of the plot. Intrinsic moral modules appeared to influence participants' dispositions toward the main character and their enjoyment. However, different modules were important to each of the different outcomes. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007469, ucf:52676
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007469
- Title
- Impacts of Complexity and Timing of Communication Interruptions on Visual Detection Tasks.
- Creator
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Stader, Sally, Mouloua, Mustapha, Hancock, Peter, Neider, Mark, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Auditory preemption theory suggests two competing assumptions for the attention-capturing and performance-altering properties of auditory tasks. In onset preemption, attention is immediately diverted to the auditory channel. Strategic preemption involves a decision process in which the operator maintains focus on more complex auditory messages. The limitation in this process is that the human auditory, or echoic, memory store has a limit of 2 to 5 seconds, after which the message must be...
Show moreAuditory preemption theory suggests two competing assumptions for the attention-capturing and performance-altering properties of auditory tasks. In onset preemption, attention is immediately diverted to the auditory channel. Strategic preemption involves a decision process in which the operator maintains focus on more complex auditory messages. The limitation in this process is that the human auditory, or echoic, memory store has a limit of 2 to 5 seconds, after which the message must be processed or it decays. In contrast, multiple resource theory suggests that visual and auditory tasks may be efficiently time-shared because two different pools of cognitive resources are used. Previous research regarding these competing assumptions has been limited and equivocal. Thus, the current research focused on systematically examining the effects of complexity and timing of communication interruptions on visual detection tasks. It was hypothesized that both timing and complexity levels would impact detection performance in a multi-task environment. Study 1 evaluated the impact of complexity and timing of communications occurring before malfunctions in an ongoing visual detection task. Twenty-four participants were required to complete each of the eight timing blocks that included simple or complex communications occurring simultaneously, and at 2, 5, or 8 seconds before detection events. For simple communications, participants repeated three pre-recorded words. However, for complex communications, they generated three words beginning with the same last letter of a word prompt. Results indicated that complex communications at two seconds or less occurring before a visual detection event significantly impacted response time with a 1.3 to 1.6 second delay compared to all the other timings. Detection accuracy for complex communication tasks under the simultaneous condition was significantly degraded compared to simple communications at five seconds or more prior to the task. This resulted in a 20% decline in detection accuracy. Additionally, participants' workload ratings for complex communications were significantly higher than simple communications. Study 2 examined the timing of communications occurring at the corresponding seconds after the visual detection event. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to the communication complexity and timing blocks as in study 1. The results did not find significant performance effects of timing or complexity of communications on detection performance. However the workload ratings for the 2 and 5 second complex communication presentations were higher compared to the same simple communication conditions. Overall, these findings support the strategic preemption assumption for well-defined, complex communications. The onset preemption assumption for simple communications was not supported. These results also suggest that the boundaries of the multiple resource theory assumption may exist up to the limits of the echoic memory store. Figures of merit for task performance under the varying levels of timing and complexity are presented. Several theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005420, ucf:50415
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005420
- Title
- INTERACTIVITY AND USER-HETEROGENEITY IN ON DEMAND BROADCAST VIDEO.
- Creator
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Tantaoui El Araki, Mounir, Hua, Kien A., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Video-On-Demand (VOD) has appeared as an important technology for many multimedia applications such as news on demand, digital libraries, home entertainment, and distance learning. In its simplest form, delivery of a video stream requires a dedicated channel for each video session. This scheme is very expensive and non-scalable. To preserve server bandwidth, many users can share a channel using multicast. Two types of multicast have been considered. In a non-periodic multicast setting, users...
Show moreVideo-On-Demand (VOD) has appeared as an important technology for many multimedia applications such as news on demand, digital libraries, home entertainment, and distance learning. In its simplest form, delivery of a video stream requires a dedicated channel for each video session. This scheme is very expensive and non-scalable. To preserve server bandwidth, many users can share a channel using multicast. Two types of multicast have been considered. In a non-periodic multicast setting, users make video requests to the server; and it serves them according to some scheduling policy. In a periodic broadcast environment, the server does not wait for service requests. It broadcasts a video cyclically, e.g., a new stream of the same video is started every t seconds. Although, this type of approach does not guarantee true VOD, the worst service latency experienced by any client is less than t seconds. A distinct advantage of this approach is that it can serve a very large community of users using minimal server bandwidth. In VOD System it is desirable to provide the user with the video-cassette-recorder-like (VCR) capabilities such as fast-forwarding a video or jumping to a specific frame. This issue in the broadcast framework is addressed, where each video and its interactive version are broadcast repeatedly on the network. Existing techniques rely on data prefetching as the mechanism to provide this functionality. This approach provides limited usability since the prefetching rate cannot keep up with typical fast-forward speeds. In the same environment, end users might have access to different bandwidth capabilities at different times. Current periodic broadcast schemes, do not take advantage of high-bandwidth capabilities, nor do they adapt to the low-bandwidth limitation of the receivers. A heterogeneous technique is presented that can adapt to a range of receiving bandwidth capability. Given a server bandwidth and a range of different client bandwidths, users employing the proposed technique will choose either to use their full reception bandwidth capability and therefore accessing the video at a very short time, or using part or enough reception bandwidth at the expense of a longer access latency.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000085, ucf:46129
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000085
- Title
- A RHETORIC OF TECHNOLOGY: THE DISCOURSE IN U.S. ARMY HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS.
- Creator
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Steward, Sherry Ann, Jones, Dan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation examines the historical technical publications of the United States Army from 1775-2004. Historical research in Army technical communication reveals the persuasive characteristics of its technical publications. Elements of narrative, storytelling, and anthropomorphism are techniques writers used to help deliver information to readers. Research also reveals the design techniques writers adopted to unite the situated literacies of the troops. Analyses of print, comic, and...
Show moreThis dissertation examines the historical technical publications of the United States Army from 1775-2004. Historical research in Army technical communication reveals the persuasive characteristics of its technical publications. Elements of narrative, storytelling, and anthropomorphism are techniques writers used to help deliver information to readers. Research also reveals the design techniques writers adopted to unite the situated literacies of the troops. Analyses of print, comic, and digital media expose the increasing visualization of information since the eighteenth century. The results of such historical research can be applied to new media designs. Automating processes captured in paper-based technical manuals and adding intelligent functionality to these designs are two of many possible design options. Research also dispels a myth concerning the history of modern technical communication and illustrates the development of many genres and subgenres. Modern technical communication was not born of World War II as many scholars suggest, but was a legitimate field in eighteenth-century America. Finally, historical research in Army technical communication shows the systematic progression of a technological society and our increasing dependence on machine intelligence.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000060, ucf:46088
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000060
- Title
- TEACHING CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICES WHICH AFFECT LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH COMPLEX COMMUNICATION NEEDS.
- Creator
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King, Laura, Cross, Lee, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study examined teacher characteristics and practices identified as effective through current research for teaching students with complex communication needs. For this population, communication issues are more complex than those typically encountered in other settings. Specifically, the researcher asked: what are the desired characteristics and practices for this population, and are the desired characteristics and practices present in current settings? Working with six teachers in a large...
Show moreThis study examined teacher characteristics and practices identified as effective through current research for teaching students with complex communication needs. For this population, communication issues are more complex than those typically encountered in other settings. Specifically, the researcher asked: what are the desired characteristics and practices for this population, and are the desired characteristics and practices present in current settings? Working with six teachers in a large urban school district, this study utilized a multiple case study design. Criteria for participation included the teacher as the primary reading/language arts instructor for a student who used an augmentative and alternative communication system (AAC). This study builds on prior research and fills a gap in current research through a focus on the teacher. This study was conducted through three phases: a survey of teacher characteristics, observations of teacher practices, and a semi-structured interview. Four instruments were utilized to ensure validity. Results suggest that teachers for this population require knowledge on language and literacy specific to the non-verbal child. AAC training is critical in regard to programming and navigation. The use of other technology supports which offer auditory, visual, and access options are essential. Strong collaborative teams (school and district) are also important. However, one of the most significant findings documents that success may lie with the teacher's 'choice' to embrace challenges with this population. This issue of 'choice' questions the teacher's willingness (personally or professionally) to accept this commitment. This finding also questions the degree to which teachers are willing to pursue opportunities. Recommendations include the need for: training (teachers and paraprofessionals), pursuit of opportunities for supports, addressing parent issues, a district-based liaison between home and school, and to examine issues which prevent the recommended instructional time (90 minutes of reading instruction plus 45 minutes of supplemental instruction). Conclusions indicated that participants ranged from effective to ineffective. The identification of 'highly qualified' teachers through level of education and amount of experience did not correlate with participants' level of effectiveness. Given the limited research available, this study addresses a need in the field and lays the foundation for future research with this population.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001257, ucf:46921
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001257
- Title
- THE RELATIONSHIP OF PARENT AND CHILD SELF-TALK IN A COLLEGE SAMPLE.
- Creator
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Donnelly, Reesa, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Research has demonstrated the importance of early social interactions in the development of self-talk. It does not appear, however, that existing research has examined the relationship between parents' self-talk and the self-talk that develops in their children. This study examined the relationship between self-talk in parents and their college-age children. Results revealed significant relationships between students' and parents' positive self-talk, but not negative self-talk. Marginal...
Show moreResearch has demonstrated the importance of early social interactions in the development of self-talk. It does not appear, however, that existing research has examined the relationship between parents' self-talk and the self-talk that develops in their children. This study examined the relationship between self-talk in parents and their college-age children. Results revealed significant relationships between students' and parents' positive self-talk, but not negative self-talk. Marginal relationships were found for self-talk ratios (ratios of positive and negative self-talk). Maternal communication was found to mediate the relationship between students' and their mothers' positive self-talk. Different trends also were noted between genders. Finally, self-talk was related significantly to depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Overall, results of this study emphasize the relationship between parents' and their children's positive self-talk and the importance of self-talk in psychological functioning. These findings lend promise to the possibility of modifying parents' self-talk and communication as a way to modify their children's self-talk and psychological functioning.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000414, ucf:46401
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000414
- Title
- ULTRA-WIDEBAND ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY CODED SAW CORRELATORS.
- Creator
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Gallagher, Daniel, Malocha, Donald, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Ultra–wideband (UWB) communication new technology with ability to share the FCC allocated frequency spectrum, large channel capacity and data rate, simple transceiver architecture and high performance in noisy environments. Such communication advantages have paved the way for emerging wireless technologies such as wireless high definition video streaming, wireless sensor networks and more. This thesis examines orthogonal frequency coded surface acoustic wave (SAW) correlators for use in...
Show moreUltra–wideband (UWB) communication new technology with ability to share the FCC allocated frequency spectrum, large channel capacity and data rate, simple transceiver architecture and high performance in noisy environments. Such communication advantages have paved the way for emerging wireless technologies such as wireless high definition video streaming, wireless sensor networks and more. This thesis examines orthogonal frequency coded surface acoustic wave (SAW) correlators for use in advanced UWB communication systems. Orthogonal frequency coding (OFC) and pseudo-noise (PN) coding provides a means for UWB spreading of data. The use of OFC spectrally spreads a PN sequence beyond that of CDMA because of the increased bandwidth; allowing for improved correlation gain. The transceiver approach is still very similar to that of the CDMA approach but provides greater code diversity. Use of SAW correlators eliminates many of the costly components that are needed in the IF block in the transmitter and receiver, and reduces much of the signal processing requirements. The OFC SAW correlator device consists of a dispersive OFC transducer and a wideband output transducer. The dispersive filter was designed using seven contiguous chip frequencies within the transducer. Each chip is weighted in the transducer to account for the varying conductance of the chips and to compensate for the output transducer apodization. Experimental correlator results of an OFC SAW correlation filter are presented. The dispersive filter is designed using seven contiguous chip frequencies within the transducer. SAW correlators with fractional bandwidth of approximately 29% were fabricated on lithium niobate (LiNbO3) having a center frequency of 250 MHz and the filter has a processing gain of 49. A coupling of modes (COM) model is used to predict the experimental SAW filter response. Discussion of the filter design, analysis and measurements are presented. Results are shown for operation in a matched filter correlator for use in an UWB communication system and compared to predictions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001820, ucf:47338
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001820
