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Title: STUDY OF DESIGN FOR RELIABILITY OF RF AND ANALOG CIRCUITS.
Creator: Tang, Hongxia, Yuan, Jiann-Shiun, Wu, Xinzhang, Sundaram, Kalpathy, Chow, Lee, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Due to continued device dimensions scaling, CMOS transistors in the nanometer regime have resulted in major reliability and variability challenges. Reliability issues such as channel hot electron injection, gate dielectric breakdown, and negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) need to be accounted for in the design of robust RF circuits. In addition, process variations in the nanoscale CMOS transistors are another major concern in today's circuits design.An adaptive gate-source biasing...
Show moreDue to continued device dimensions scaling, CMOS transistors in the nanometer regime have resulted in major reliability and variability challenges. Reliability issues such as channel hot electron injection, gate dielectric breakdown, and negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) need to be accounted for in the design of robust RF circuits. In addition, process variations in the nanoscale CMOS transistors are another major concern in today's circuits design.An adaptive gate-source biasing scheme to improve the RF circuit reliability is presented in this work. The adaptive method automatically adjusts the gate-source voltage to compensate the reduction in drain current subjected to various device reliability mechanisms. A class-AB RF power amplifier shows that the use of a source resistance makes the power-added efficiency robust against threshold voltage and mobility variations, while the use of a source inductance is more reliable for the input third-order intercept point.A RF power amplifier with adaptive gate biasing is proposed to improve the circuit device reliability degradation and process variation. The performances of the power amplifier with adaptive gate biasing are compared with those of the power amplifier without adaptive gate biasing technique. The adaptive gate biasing makes the power amplifier more resilient to process variations as well as the device aging such as mobility and threshold voltage degradation. Injection locked voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) have been examined. The VCOs are implemented using TSMC 0.18 (&)#181;m mixed-signal CMOS technology. The injection locked oscillators have improved phase noise performance than free running oscillators.A differential Clapp-VCO has been designed and fabricated for the evaluation of hot electron reliability. The differential Clapp-VCO is formed using cross-coupled nMOS transistors, on-chip transformers/inductors, and voltage-controlled capacitors. The experimental data demonstrate that the hot carrier damage increases the oscillation frequency and degrades the phase noise of Clapp-VCO.A p-channel transistor only VCO has been designed for low phase noise. The simulation results show that the phase noise degrades after NBTI stress at elevated temperature. This is due to increased interface states after NBTI stress. The process variability has also been evaluated.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004223, ucf:49000
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004223

Title: Analysis and Design Optimization of Resonant DC-DC Converters.
Creator: Fang, Xiang, Shen, Zheng, Batarseh, Issa, Mikhael, Wasfy, Wu, Xinzhang, Kutkut, Nasser, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The development in power conversion technology is in constant demand of high power efficiency and high power density. The DC-DC power conversion is an indispensable stage for numerous power supplies and energy related applications. Particularly, in PV micro-inverters and front-end converter of power supplies, great challenges are imposed on the power performances of the DC-DC converter stage, which not only require high efficiency and density but also the capability to regulate a wide...
Show moreThe development in power conversion technology is in constant demand of high power efficiency and high power density. The DC-DC power conversion is an indispensable stage for numerous power supplies and energy related applications. Particularly, in PV micro-inverters and front-end converter of power supplies, great challenges are imposed on the power performances of the DC-DC converter stage, which not only require high efficiency and density but also the capability to regulate a wide variation range of input voltage and load conditions. The resonant DC-DC converters are good candidates to meet these challenges with the advantages of achieving soft switching and low EMI. Among the resonant converters, the LLC converter is very attractive for its high gain range and providing ZVS from full load to zero load condition. The operation of the LLC converter is complicated due to its multiple resonant stage mechanism. In this dissertation, a literature review of different analysis methods are presented, and it shows that the study on the LLC is still incomplete. Therefore, an operation mode analysis method is proposed, which divides the operation into six major modes based on the occurrence of resonant stages. The resonant currents, voltages and the DC gain characteristics for each mode is investigated. To get a thorough view of the converter behavior, the boundaries of every mode are studied, and the mode distribution is discussed. An experimental prototype is built and tested to demonstrate its accuracy in operation waveforms and gain prediction. Since most of the LLC modes have no closed-form solutions, simplification is necessary in order to utilize this mode model in practical design. As the peak gain is an important design parameters indicating the LLC's operating limit of input voltage and switching frequency, a numerical peak gain approximation method is developed, which provide a direct way to calculate the peak gain and its corresponding load and frequency condition. In addition, as PO mode is the most favorable operation mode of the LLC, its operation region is investigated and an approximation approach is developed to determine its boundary. The design optimization of the LLC has always been a difficult problem as there are many parameters affecting the design and it lacks clear design guidance in selecting the optimal resonant tank parameters. Based on the operation mode model, three optimization methods are proposed according to the design scenarios. These methods focus on minimize the conduction loss of resonant tank while maintaining the required voltage gain level, and the approximations of peak gains and mode boundary can be applied here to facilitate the design. A design example is presented following one of the optimization procedure. As a comparison, the L-C component values are reselected and tested while the design specifications are the same. The experiments show that the optimal design has better efficiency performance. Finally, a generalized approach for resonant converter analysis is developed. It can be implemented by computer programs or numerical analysis tools to derive the operation waveforms and DC characteristics of resonant converters.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004229, ucf:49026
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004229

Title: REAL-TIME CINEMATIC DESIGN OF VISUAL ASPECTS IN COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGES.
Creator: Obert, Juraj, Pattanaik, Sumanta, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Creation of visually-pleasing images has always been one of the main goals of computer graphics. Two important components are necessary to achieve this goal --- artists who design visual aspects of an image (such as materials or lighting) and sophisticated algorithms that render the image. Traditionally, rendering has been of greater interest to researchers, while the design part has always been deemed as secondary. This has led to many inefficiencies, as artists, in order to create a...
Show moreCreation of visually-pleasing images has always been one of the main goals of computer graphics. Two important components are necessary to achieve this goal --- artists who design visual aspects of an image (such as materials or lighting) and sophisticated algorithms that render the image. Traditionally, rendering has been of greater interest to researchers, while the design part has always been deemed as secondary. This has led to many inefficiencies, as artists, in order to create a stunning image, are often forced to resort to the traditional, creativity-baring, pipelines consisting of repeated rendering and parameter tweaking. Our work shifts the attention away from the rendering problem and focuses on the design. We propose to combine non-physical editing with real-time feedback and provide artists with efficient ways of designing complex visual aspects such as global illumination or all-frequency shadows. We conform to existing pipelines by inserting our editing components into existing stages, hereby making editing of visual aspects an inherent part of the design process. Many of the examples showed in this work have been, until now, extremely hard to achieve. The non-physical aspect of our work enables artists to express themselves in more creative ways, not limited by the physical parameters of current renderers. Real-time feedback allows artists to immediately see the effects of applied modifications and compatibility with existing workflows enables easy integration of our algorithms into production pipelines.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003250, ucf:48559
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003250

Title: INFORMATION-SEEKING STRATEGIES OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL WEB SPACE.
Creator: Winter, Debra, Applen, J. D., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This dissertation looks at the information-seeking practices of doctoral students in the context of their search for a doctoral program and considers the implications for design of the graduate school Web space. Of particular interest is the description of patterns of Web use and the practices related to students' preparation for interactions with technology, the nature of the interactions, and the thinking that occurs. An exploratory study that brings together hypertext theory,...
Show moreThis dissertation looks at the information-seeking practices of doctoral students in the context of their search for a doctoral program and considers the implications for design of the graduate school Web space. Of particular interest is the description of patterns of Web use and the practices related to students' preparation for interactions with technology, the nature of the interactions, and the thinking that occurs. An exploratory study that brings together hypertext theory, contextual, holistic approaches, and information behavior, this research includes a focus group of current undergraduate and graduate students to gather fresh details about information-seeking for a graduate program as a preliminary investigation in this area, eight interviews with current doctoral students admitted in Fall 2007 to capture the specific details of students' information-seeking experiences for a doctoral program by mapping the journeys, and an online survey of current doctoral students admitted in Fall 2007 as further investigation of information-seeking for a doctoral program. Doctoral students who participated in this study rely on the Web as the primary source of prior knowledge of graduate education and graduate school, as well as the source most used to build that knowledge during the information-seeking journey for a graduate program and to prepare them for the start of their graduate study. The eight maps of students' information-seeking journeys for a graduate program show how complex and wide-ranging these journeys are. Based on bits collected through their many Web encounters over six months to two years, students develop a "feeling" for the people who make up the graduate program, social interactions within this group and research subgroups, and what it would be like to be a student in the program, all contributing to students' decision making. Academic Web sites play a key role as support structures for students and have to do more than make the information available and findable; they must design in order to encourage and sustain engagement, or deep involvement. This study proposes several suggestions for academic Web design.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002557, ucf:47634
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002557

Title: AN UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION OF THE VARIATION OF INTERNAL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS AND THE EFFECT ON AIRFOIL LIFE.
Creator: Marsh, Jan, Kapat, Jayanta, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Uncertainty in accurately knowing applied internal heat transfer coefficients inside of a cooling passage can lead to variability in predicting low cycle fatigue life of a turbine vane or blade. Under-predicting a life value for a turbine part can have disastrous effects on the engine as a whole, and can negate efforts in innovative design for advanced cooling techniques for turbine components. Quantification of this fatigue life uncertainty utilizing a computational framework is the primary...
Show moreUncertainty in accurately knowing applied internal heat transfer coefficients inside of a cooling passage can lead to variability in predicting low cycle fatigue life of a turbine vane or blade. Under-predicting a life value for a turbine part can have disastrous effects on the engine as a whole, and can negate efforts in innovative design for advanced cooling techniques for turbine components. Quantification of this fatigue life uncertainty utilizing a computational framework is the primary objective of this thesis. Through the use of probabilistic design methodologies a process is developed to simulate uncertainties of internal heat transfer coefficient, which are then applied to the aft section of a non-rotating turbine blade component, internally cooled through a multi-pass serpentine channel. While keeping all other parameters constant internal heat transfer coefficients are varied according to a prescribed uncertainty range throughout the passages. The effect on the low cycle fatigue life of the airfoil is then evaluated at three discrete locations: near the base of the airfoil, towards the tip, and at mid-span. A generic low cycle fatigue life prediction model is used for these evaluations. Even though the probabilistic design process uses independent random numbers to simulate the variation, in reality, heat transfer coefficients at points located closely together should be correlated. For this reason, an autocorrelation function is implemented. By changing the value of this function the strength of the correlation of neighboring internal heat transfer coefficients to each other over a certain distance can be controlled. In order to test the effect that this correlation strength has on the low cycle fatigue life calculation, low and high values are chosen and analyzed. The magnitude of the prescribed uncertainty range of the internal heat transfer coefficient variation is varied to further study the effects on life. Investigated values include 5%, 10% and 20% for the straight ribbed passages and 10%, 20%, and 40% for both the tip and hub turns. As expected there is a significant dependence of low cycle fatigue life to the variation in internal heat transfer coefficients. For the 20/40% case, variations in life as high as 50-60% are recorded, furthermore a trend is observed showing that as the magnitude of the uncertainty range of internal heat transfer coefficients narrows so does the range of the low cycle fatigue life uncertainty.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003496, ucf:48975
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003496

Title: PLUNGERS AND PRODUCTIVITY: A STUDENT ARTIST'S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO MULTI-TASKING.
Creator: Wansa, Amanda, Chicurel, Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: To be a fully functioning theatre practitioner, the developing student artist becomes equipped with a practical skill set that is ordinarily cultivated through formal training and study. Typically, organized study leads him/her to focus on a specific facet of the business: acting, directing, design, etc. However, students often develop a vast array of talents and skills within the profession and find themselves standing at a crossroads between what "kind" of artist to be; what singular aspect...
Show moreTo be a fully functioning theatre practitioner, the developing student artist becomes equipped with a practical skill set that is ordinarily cultivated through formal training and study. Typically, organized study leads him/her to focus on a specific facet of the business: acting, directing, design, etc. However, students often develop a vast array of talents and skills within the profession and find themselves standing at a crossroads between what "kind" of artist to be; what singular aspect of the arts on which to focus. Why not do it all? For those students who "do it all", there is an additional challenge: the artist who is a student immersed in daytime study and nighttime production obligations has to wear two caps. One is that of the learner and one is that of the employee, the producer, and perhaps even the teacher. When are these caps traded or are they both worn through all processes? This thesis will reveal my creative and practical processes from two productions at the University of Central Florida for which I played on- and offstage roles: I worked as a Sound Designer and featured actor in Sophie Treadwell's Machinal; I was the Vocal Director for Urinetown: The Musical, and also played Penelope Pennywise, a leading role. I will describe the challenges and successes of each project by examining the following evidence: my personal process with each piece, demonstrated through reflection and examples from the work; interviews with those involved in the productions as well as outside reviews and feedback; and research of each play. Research will include production history, intent of authors, and aspects that informed my work both onstage and off. Did multi-tasking sacrifice the quality of my work for any of my delegated tasks? Did I enjoy more success in my progress in time management, the ability to solve problems, and collaboration process with fellow artists, or in the actual on-stage products? What aspects of my training in my graduate program added to the quality of my work on these productions? Does being a multi-tasking artist help or hurt one's career in theatre?
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002579, ucf:48283
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002579

Title: THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING-REPRESENTATION PRACTICES ON CONCEPT MAPS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS.
Creator: Finnegan, Lisa, Dieker, Lisa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACT The purpose of this action research project was to determine how my practice of implementing Universal Design for Learning-Representation (UDL-R) principles influenced my studentsÃ‚Â' understanding of content and enhanced their ability to organize their knowledge using concept maps. A secondary purpose of this action research project was to determine if student created concept maps served as a useful tool to enrich studentsÃ‚Â' written...
Show moreABSTRACT The purpose of this action research project was to determine how my practice of implementing Universal Design for Learning-Representation (UDL-R) principles influenced my studentsÃ‚Â' understanding of content and enhanced their ability to organize their knowledge using concept maps. A secondary purpose of this action research project was to determine if student created concept maps served as a useful tool to enrich studentsÃ‚Â' written scientific explanations. Students in this study completed concept maps and wrote explanations about adaptations before and after participating in lessons enriched with UDL-R principles that included the use of multi-media sources, website searches, and trade books. The processes used to collect data for this action research project were concept maps, written explanations, student notes, and videotaped accounts of learning from UDL-R principles. The themes that emerged were deeper content understanding for students and greater engagement in learning through UDL-R practices as evidenced through student notes, student discussions and videotaped accounts. The students in this study showed minimal change in the total average scores on concept maps with mixed results for males versus female studentsÃ‚Â' scores. Although studentsÃ‚Â' concept maps and written explanations indicated minimal improvement or change, their notes listing thirty to over one hundred facts and their comments indicated their interest and engagement in the learning process supported by UDL-R practices.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003045, ucf:48358
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003045

Title: INTEGRATING UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING THROUGH CONTENT VIDEO WITH PRESERVICE TEACHERS.
Creator: Aronin, Sara, Dieker, Lisa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Given current legislation to ensure education for students with disabilities and that institutions of higher education are required to use universal design for learning (UDL) principles, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of video modeling on preservice teachers' knowledge, understanding and application of the three principles of UDL. Preservice teachers were randomly assigned to control or experimental groups to determine if video embedded with UDL principles impacted...
Show moreGiven current legislation to ensure education for students with disabilities and that institutions of higher education are required to use universal design for learning (UDL) principles, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of video modeling on preservice teachers' knowledge, understanding and application of the three principles of UDL. Preservice teachers were randomly assigned to control or experimental groups to determine if video embedded with UDL principles impacted their thinking. Specifically, pre and posttest information of knowledge and understanding as well as self-perceived ability to teach students with disabilities using UDL was analyzed. In addition preservice teacher created lesson plans were analyzed for application of UDL principles after viewing the video intervention. Quantitative analyses were conducted to compare pre and posttest scores of the control group (n = 41) and experimental group (n =45). The quantitative analyses of knowledge, understanding and self-perceived ability to use UDL were mixed. The results of this investigation were consistent with current research that teacher application of a skill requires more than a one-shot intervention.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002816, ucf:48115
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002816

Title: CONNECTING VISUAL DESING AND HOFSTEDE'S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS: THE UNITED STATES, LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN.
Creator: McDonough, Suzanne, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: My thesis discusses whether culture can be used to predict visual design preferences in documentation and whether cultures with similar attributes demonstrate similar visual design preferences. The visual design of a document is an important element in effective communication to an audience. If the audience is outside the United States, it is important to understand the attributes of that culture to create documents that are most effective for the audience. Cultural theorist Geert Hofstede...
Show moreMy thesis discusses whether culture can be used to predict visual design preferences in documentation and whether cultures with similar attributes demonstrate similar visual design preferences. The visual design of a document is an important element in effective communication to an audience. If the audience is outside the United States, it is important to understand the attributes of that culture to create documents that are most effective for the audience. Cultural theorist Geert Hofstede describes cultural attributes in terms of six cultural dimensions: individualism versus collectivism, high versus low power distance, high versus low uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, long-term versus short-term orientation, and indulgence versus restraint. This thesis explores whether we can identify visual design preferences in high uncertainty avoidance cultures and high power distance cultures, such as Spain and Latin American countries. To explore this topic, a study was done on sample report documents from a single company which operates in the United States, Latin America and Spain. Choosing only one company to collect samples from provided a way of discounting different corporate cultures as an influence on standards, tools and how documents are developed. As a framework for comparison of the documents, Kostelnick's visual design matrix was used to analyze the documents for graphics, data displays, document unifiers, decoding devices, and cuing devices. The results show that some elements of visual design can be predicted by cultural attribute, and there is a correlation between different cultures and their preference for similar design elements. For U.S. technical communicators working on documents for Latin American and Spanish audiences, documents need to be shorter in length with simple data displays and need to use more cuing devices to be effective for audiences in these cultures. This study also shows that for technical communicators designing documents for audiences in other cultures, studying the audience and the specific attributes of that culture will provide direction on how to design an effective technical document for that audience.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003734, ucf:48766
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003734

Title: FREEFORM REFLECTOR DESIGN WITH EXTENDED SOURCES.
Creator: Fournier, Florian, Rolland, Jannick, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Reflector design stemmed from the need to shape the light emitted by candles or lamps. Over 2,000 years ago people realized that a mirror shaped as a parabola can concentrate light, and thus significantly boosts its intensity, to the point where objects can be set afire. Nowadays many applications require an accurate control of light, such as automotive headlights, streetlights, projection displays, and medical illuminators. In all cases light emitted from a light source can be shaped into a...
Show moreReflector design stemmed from the need to shape the light emitted by candles or lamps. Over 2,000 years ago people realized that a mirror shaped as a parabola can concentrate light, and thus significantly boosts its intensity, to the point where objects can be set afire. Nowadays many applications require an accurate control of light, such as automotive headlights, streetlights, projection displays, and medical illuminators. In all cases light emitted from a light source can be shaped into a desired target distribution with a reflective surface. Design methods for systems with rotational and translational symmetry were devised in the 1930s. However, the freeform reflector shapes required to illuminate targets with no such symmetries proved to be much more challenging to design. Even when the source is assumed to be a point, the reflector shape is governed by a set of second-order partial non-linear differential equations that cannot be solved with standard numerical integration techniques. An iterative approach to solve the problem for a discrete target, known as the method of supporting ellipsoids, was recently proposed by Oliker. In this research we report several efficient implementations of the method of supporting ellipsoids, based on the point source approximation, and we propose new reflector design techniques that take into account the extent of the source. More specifically, this work has led to three major achievements. First, a thorough analysis of the method of supporting ellipsoids was performed that resulted in two alternative implementations of the algorithm, which enable a fast generation of freeform reflector shapes within the point source approximation. We tailored the algorithm in order to provide control over the parameters of interest to the designers, such as the reflector scale and geometry. Second, the shape generation algorithm was used to analyze how source flux can be mapped onto the target. We derived the condition under which a given source-target mapping can be achieved with a smooth continuous surface, referred as the integrability condition. We proposed a method to derive mappings that satisfy the integrability condition. We then use these mappings to quickly generate reflector shapes that create continuous target distributions as opposed to reflectors generated with the method of supporting ellipsoids that create discrete sets of points on the target. We also show how mappings that do not satisfy the integrability condition can be achieved by introducing step discontinuities in the reflector surface. Third, we investigated two methods to design reflectors with extended sources. The first method uses a compensation approach where the prescribed target distribution is adjusted iteratively. This method is effective for compact sources and systems with rotational or translational symmetry. The second method tiles the source images created by a reflector designed with the method of supporting ellipsoids and then blends the source images together using scattering in order to obtain a continuous target distribution. This latter method is effective for freeform reflectors and target distributions with no sharp variations. Finally, several case studies illustrate how these methods can be successfully applied to design reflectors for general illumination applications such as street lighting or luminaires. We show that the proposed design methods can ease the design of freeform reflectors and provide efficient, cost-effective solutions that avoid unnecessary energy consumption and light pollution.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003311, ucf:48508
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003311

Title: INTEGRATING UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING CONCEPTS INTO SECONDARY GENERAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS COURSES.
Creator: Pawling, Kimberly, Wienke, Wilfred, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Because many general education teachers feel unprepared to provide students with disabilities with appropriate instruction, changes to teacher education programs are needed (Burdette, 2007; Smith et al., 2010). Teacher education programs need to integrate content regarding instructional methods for teaching and accommodating students with disabilities in secondary, general education classrooms (Burdette, 2007; Smith et al., 2010). The results of the research should provide insight (1) to...
Show moreBecause many general education teachers feel unprepared to provide students with disabilities with appropriate instruction, changes to teacher education programs are needed (Burdette, 2007; Smith et al., 2010). Teacher education programs need to integrate content regarding instructional methods for teaching and accommodating students with disabilities in secondary, general education classrooms (Burdette, 2007; Smith et al., 2010). The results of the research should provide insight (1) to determine if integrating instruction on UDL into preservice SGE students' instructional methods courses will increase students' knowledge of UDL and (2) to determine if integrating instruction on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) will affect how secondary social studies (SS) students design lesson plans, particularly, content delivery and student assessment, in regards to the three principles of UDL. The research design was a quantitative, quasi-experimental design. The participants in the research study were students enrolled in four content specific SGE instructional methods courses: Social Studies (SS), Language Arts (LA), Mathematics (M) and Science (S). Research question oneÃ‚Â's data were analyzed both within content area, Wilcxon test for matched pairs, and between content areas, Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples. The results from research question one indicated a significant difference (p < .05). between pre and post UDL Knowledge test scores within the SGE SS participants. Within the other three SGE content areas, M, LA, and S, subjectsÃ‚Â' UDL Knowledge pre to posttest scores did not significantly change. When each content areaÃ‚Â's difference score for the UDL knowledge pre and posttest were calculated and compared between content areas, only the SS and S pairing demonstrated a statistically significant difference score (p < .05). Data from research question two indicated no statistically significant difference (p > .05) between pre and post intervention UDL lesson plan rubric scores. The study provides impetus for future research regarding effective delivery of UDL content in teacher preparation programs. The study also provides suggestions for future researchers who may be interested in designing a similar research study. Finally, the study provides teacher education leadership with questions regarding how the three principles of UDL planning, instruction, and assessment align with the current teacher and student educational evaluation practice of standardized assessments.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003246, ucf:48544
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003246

Title: System for metal coated fiber fabrication.
Creator: Zhang, Da, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, Schulzgen, Axel, Shah, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: For many specific applications, such as sensors, aerospace, chemical industry, deep-well oil-field industry, metal-coated fiber shows strong abilities to satisfy people's requirement. With in-line coating technology, we are able to coat Aluminum on the fibers.Using electromagnetic induction, we can easily heat an electrically conducting thing such as a metal with the eddy current. This process is defined as Induction heating. And we will melt the Aluminum by this induction heating during...
Show moreFor many specific applications, such as sensors, aerospace, chemical industry, deep-well oil-field industry, metal-coated fiber shows strong abilities to satisfy people's requirement. With in-line coating technology, we are able to coat Aluminum on the fibers.Using electromagnetic induction, we can easily heat an electrically conducting thing such as a metal with the eddy current. This process is defined as Induction heating. And we will melt the Aluminum by this induction heating during drawing the fibers on the tower. Introduce the fiber tower system. The drawing process of in-line technology is formed of the following steps: Position, Melting, Forming into fibers, Checking the diameter, Revising, Protective coatings. We will follow these to make the Aluminum coating fiber.With the help of the software which is 123D Design, I have four 3D model of the coating systems. Show the details of the all the coating systems such as the shape and the length of coated-fiber we can get.Talk about the photonic lantern which is the first project that I took part in when I joined the group. Show the mode profiles of our 6 to 1 lantern.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006677, ucf:51251
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006677

Title: Evaluation of Real World Toll Plazas Using Driving Simulation.
Creator: Carroll, Kali, Abdel-Aty, Mohamed, Lee, JaeYoung, Eluru, Naveen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Toll plazas are becoming an essential part of the highway system, especially within the state of Florida. Many crashes reported on highways occur at toll plazas. A primary reason for many vehicle collisions happening at these facilities is the fact that each toll plaza agency has different design, signage and marking criteria. This, in turn, causes driver confusion and possible last minute weaving maneuvers. Even though the varying design of toll plazas is a clear highway safety factor,...
Show moreToll plazas are becoming an essential part of the highway system, especially within the state of Florida. Many crashes reported on highways occur at toll plazas. A primary reason for many vehicle collisions happening at these facilities is the fact that each toll plaza agency has different design, signage and marking criteria. This, in turn, causes driver confusion and possible last minute weaving maneuvers. Even though the varying design of toll plazas is a clear highway safety factor, research in the field is very limited but expanding. This study focuses on one toll plaza, in particular the Dean Mainline Toll Plaza, located in Orlando, Florida. The toll plaza is located directly between two roads that are in close proximity of each other. Because of this, the toll plaza is very close to the on- and off- ramps, which can be even more confusing and stressful for a driver entering or leaving the highway. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficiency of the Dean Mainline Toll Plaza in order to make recommendations to improve or maintain the current toll plaza design, as well as potentially contribute to a nationally set design standard for toll plazas. Using the NADS miniSimTM Simulator, 72 subjects were recruited, and each subject was asked to drive 3 scenarios that were randomly selected from a pool of 24 scenarios. The following factors were changed in order to study the driver's behavior: signage and their location, pavement markings, distances between the toll plaza and ramps, and traffic conditions. All of these factors were altered and observed on five of the eight possible routes than can be taken through the toll plaza. The subjects were asked to complete questionnaires before and after all of the scenarios, as well as in between each driving scenario. These questionnaires included demographic characteristics, such as age, education, income, E-PASS ownership, etc. The data that were collected by the driving simulator and questionnaires were analyzed by ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression models. A positive relationship was found between non-urgent lane changing and the current real-world sign conditions prior to the toll plaza. Relationships were also found between the subjects' speed in various locations and signage before the toll plaza and segment length after the toll plaza. Along with specified recommendations for future research in toll plaza safety, recommendations for the Dean Mainline Toll Plaza include maintaining the current signs and pavement markings, as they were found to be beneficial in drivers performing safe lane changing maneuvers.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006085, ucf:50960
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006085

Title: Investigating Place in the Writing Classroom: Designing a Place-Based Course with a Local Service-Learning Component.
Creator: Pompos, Melissa, Bowdon, Melody, Pigg, Stacey, Rios, Gabriela, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Drawing on literature about place-based education and service-learning, as well as three groups' perspectives about their service-learning experiences, this research describes how place (understood simultaneously as a material agent, a setting for human activity, and a factor in an individual's situatedness) and identity (understood in terms of one's social position) are socially- constructed concepts that impact students' writing and learning experiences. More specifically, this project...
Show moreDrawing on literature about place-based education and service-learning, as well as three groups' perspectives about their service-learning experiences, this research describes how place (understood simultaneously as a material agent, a setting for human activity, and a factor in an individual's situatedness) and identity (understood in terms of one's social position) are socially- constructed concepts that impact students' writing and learning experiences. More specifically, this project presents place-based education as a teaching method that can focus and reinvigorate service-learning in a writing course.Including place-based content and service-learning projects in a writing course requires careful design and reflection. However, course design should not be an activity limited to just teachers. In alignment with feminist research methods and standpoint theory, this research values and privileges the perspectives of stakeholders who are not normally included in the course design process: students and community partners. To present a rich account of these stakeholders' experiences designing, implementing, and participating in a place-based service- learning project, a combination of qualitative data methods (interviews, classroom observations, and textual analyses) is used. This information serves as the basis for the design of a place-based writing course with a local service-learning component. The proposed course asks students to work with community partners to identify a place-based need that can be addressed(-)at least in part(-)by writing-related service. By collaborating with community partners, creating writing products that address community needs, and reflecting on how their identities and learning experiences have been impacted by the places they've worked and the communities they've worked with, students can apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts, write for real audiences, and develop more thorough understandings of the places where they study, work, and live.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005865, ucf:50853
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005865

Title: DESIGNING LIGHT FILTERS TO DETECT SKIN USING A LOW-POWERED SENSOR.
Creator: Tariq, Muhammad, Wisniewski, Pamela, Gong, Boqing, Leavens, Gary, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Detection of nudity in photos and videos, especially prior to uploading to the internet, is vital to solving many problems related to adolescent sexting, the distribution of child pornography, and cyber-bullying. The problem with using nudity detection algorithms as a means to combat these problems is that: 1) it implies that a digitized nude photo of a minor already exists (i.e., child pornography), and 2) there are real ethical and legal concerns around the distribution and processing of...
Show moreDetection of nudity in photos and videos, especially prior to uploading to the internet, is vital to solving many problems related to adolescent sexting, the distribution of child pornography, and cyber-bullying. The problem with using nudity detection algorithms as a means to combat these problems is that: 1) it implies that a digitized nude photo of a minor already exists (i.e., child pornography), and 2) there are real ethical and legal concerns around the distribution and processing of child pornography. Once a camera captures an image, that image is no longer secure. Therefore, we need to develop new privacy-preserving solutions that prevent the digital capture of nude imagery of minors. My research takes a first step in trying to accomplish this long-term goal: In this thesis, I examine the feasibility of using a low-powered sensor to detect skin dominance (defined as an image comprised of 50% or more of human skin tone) in a visual scene. By designing four custom light filters to enhance the digital information extracted from 300 scenes captured with the sensor (without digitizing high-fidelity visual features), I was able to accurately detect a skin dominant scene with 83.7% accuracy, 83% precision, and 85% recall. The long-term goal to be achieved in the future is to design a low-powered vision sensor that can be mounted on a digital camera lens on a teen's mobile device to detect and/or prevent the capture of nude imagery. Thus, I discuss the limitations of this work toward this larger goal, as well as future research directions.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006806, ucf:51792
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006806

Title: Quality by Design Procedure for Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: An Integrated Flowsheet Model Approach.
Creator: Vezina, Ashley, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Rabelo, Luis, Karwowski, Waldemar, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Pharmaceutical manufacturing is crucial to global healthcare and requires a higher, more consistent level of quality than any other industry. Yet, the traditional pharmaceutical batch manufacturing has remained largely unchanged in the last fifty years due to high R(&)D costs, shorter patent durations, and regulatory uncertainty. This has led regulatory bodies to promote modernization of manufacturing process to continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing (CPM) by introducing new methodologies...
Show morePharmaceutical manufacturing is crucial to global healthcare and requires a higher, more consistent level of quality than any other industry. Yet, the traditional pharmaceutical batch manufacturing has remained largely unchanged in the last fifty years due to high R(&)D costs, shorter patent durations, and regulatory uncertainty. This has led regulatory bodies to promote modernization of manufacturing process to continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing (CPM) by introducing new methodologies including quality by design, design space, and process analytical technology (PAT). This represents a shift away from the traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing way of thinking towards a risk based approach that promotes increased product and process knowledge through a data-rich environment. While both literature and regulatory bodies acknowledge the need for modernization, manufacturers have been slow to modernize due to uncertainty and lack of confidence in the applications of these methodologies. This paper aims to describe the current applications of QbD principles in literature and the current regulatory environment to identify gaps in literature through leveraging regulatory guidelines and CPM literature. To aid in closing the gap between QbD theory and QbD application, a QbD algorithm for CPM using an integrated flowsheet models is also developed and analyzed. This will help to increase manufacturing confidence in CPM by providing answers to questions about the CPM business case, applications of QbD tools, process validation and sensitivity, and process and equipment characteristics. An integrated flowsheet model will aid in the decision-making process and process optimization, breaking away from ex silico methods extensively covered in literature.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006923, ucf:51683
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006923

Title: Examining the Effect of the Universal Design for Learning Expression Principle on Students with learning Disabilities in Science.
Creator: Finnegan, Lisa, Dieker, Lisa, Wienke, Wilfred, Hines, Rebecca, Everett, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACT The significance of students being able to express and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in all content areas has always been important especially in the sciences. Students under the Next Generation Science Standards will be required to participate in science discourse through a variety of approaches. This study examined student engagement and student demonstration of content knowledge in inclusive science classrooms through a quasi-experimental research design which...
Show moreABSTRACT The significance of students being able to express and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in all content areas has always been important especially in the sciences. Students under the Next Generation Science Standards will be required to participate in science discourse through a variety of approaches. This study examined student engagement and student demonstration of content knowledge in inclusive science classrooms through a quasi-experimental research design which included four case study participants with a learning disability. The researcher also evaluated student content knowledge through the implementation of Universal Design for Learning-Expression (UDL-E) through a non-replicated control group design. Data were collected through a variety of sources including: researcher observations, review of student academic records, interviews, surveys, UDL-E products, and pre-test and posttest scores. Researcher observations spanned over a 10 week period and were coded and analyzed quantitatively. Findings from a Repeated ANOVA demonstrated no statistical significance, however based on interviews with students; findings show that the students did enjoy exploring the opportunity to express their knowledge using the Expression principle of Universal Design for Learning. Student time-on-task did remain equally as high during UDL-E and students' inattentive behaviors decreased.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004840, ucf:49709
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004840

Title: Kaleidoscopic Community History: Theories of Databased Rhetorical History-Making.
Creator: Giroux, Amy, Chase, Diane, Schultz, John, Walker, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: To accurately describe the past, historians strive to learn the cultural ideologies of the time and place they study so their interpretations are situated in the context of that period and not in the present. This exploration of historical context becomes critical when researching marginalized groups, as evidence of their rhetorics and cultural logics are usually submerged within those of the dominant society. This project focuses on how factors, such as rhetor/audience perspective, influence...
Show moreTo accurately describe the past, historians strive to learn the cultural ideologies of the time and place they study so their interpretations are situated in the context of that period and not in the present. This exploration of historical context becomes critical when researching marginalized groups, as evidence of their rhetorics and cultural logics are usually submerged within those of the dominant society. This project focuses on how factors, such as rhetor/audience perspective, influence cross-cultural historical interpretation, and how a community history database can be designed to illuminate and affect these factors. Theories of contact zones and rhetorical listening were explored to determine their applicability both to history-making and to the creation of a community history database where cross-cultural, multi-vocal, historical narratives may be created, encountered, and extended. Contact zones are dynamic spaces where changing connections, accommodations, negotiations, and power struggles occur, and this concept can be applied to history-making, especially histories of marginalized groups. Rhetorical listening focuses on how perspective influences understanding the past, and listening principles are crucial to both historians and the consumers of history. Perspectives are grounded in cultural ideologies, and rhetorical listening focuses on how tropes, such as race and gender, describe and shape these perspectives. Becoming aware of tropes(-)both of self and other(-)can bring to view the commonalities and differences between cultures, and allow a better opportunity for cross-cultural understanding. Rhetorical listening steers the historian and the consumer of history towards looking at who is writing the history, and how both the rhetor and the audience's perspective may affect the outcome. These theories of contact zones and rhetorical listening influenced the design of the project database and website by bringing perspective to the forefront. The visualization of rhetor/audience tropes in conjunction with the co-creation of history were designed to help foster cross-cultural understanding.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005337, ucf:50472
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005337

Title: Bio-inspired, Varying Manifold Based Method with Enhanced Initial Guess Strategies for Single Vehicle's Optimal Trajectory Planning.
Creator: Li, Ni, Xu, Yunjun, Lin, Kuo-Chi, Bai, Yuanli, Behal, Aman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Trajectory planning is important in many applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles, underwater vehicles, spacecraft, and industrial manipulators. It is still a challenging task to rapidly find an optimal trajectory while taking into account dynamic and environmental constraints. In this dissertation, a unified, varying manifold based optimal trajectory planning method inspired by several predator-prey relationships is investigated to tackle this challenging problem. Biological species,...
Show moreTrajectory planning is important in many applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles, underwater vehicles, spacecraft, and industrial manipulators. It is still a challenging task to rapidly find an optimal trajectory while taking into account dynamic and environmental constraints. In this dissertation, a unified, varying manifold based optimal trajectory planning method inspired by several predator-prey relationships is investigated to tackle this challenging problem. Biological species, such as hoverflies, ants, and bats, have developed many efficient hunting strategies. It is hypothesized that these types of predators only move along paths in a carefully selected manifold based on the prey's motion in some of their hunting activities. Inspired by these studies, the predator-prey relationships are organized into a unified form and incorporated into the trajectory optimization formulation, which can reduce the computational cost in solving nonlinear constrained optimal trajectory planning problems. Specifically, three motion strategies are studied in this dissertation: motion camouflage, constant absolute target direction, and local pursuit. Necessary conditions based on the speed and obstacle avoidance constraints are derived. Strategies to tune initial guesses are proposed based on these necessary conditions to enhance the convergence rate and reduce the computational cost of the motion camouflage inspired strategy. The following simulations have been conducted to show the advantages of the proposed methods: a supersonic aircraft minimum-time-to-climb problem, a ground robot obstacle avoidance problem, and a micro air vehicle minimum time trajectory problem. The results show that the proposed methods can find the optimal solution with higher success rate and faster convergent speed as compared with some other popular methods. Among these three motion strategies, the method based on the local pursuit strategy has a relatively higher success rate when compared to the other two.In addition, the optimal trajectory planning method is embedded into a receding horizon framework with unknown parameters updated in each planning horizon using an Extended Kalman Filter.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005023, ucf:49986
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005023

Title: Connections Between Voice and Design in Puppetry: A Case-Study.
Creator: Skiles, Ryan, Chicurel, Steven, Wood, Vandy, Snyder, Tara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Puppets have been entertaining, educating, and mesmerizing American audiences since the birth of our nation. Both in live theatrical events and TV/film, audiences have watched puppeteers bring their puppet characters to life with clever voice quality choices, unique characterizations, and vivid visual designs. This thesis is a case study that first borrows insight from cartoon character designers, animators, and voiceover actors to provide considerations for voice quality choices,...
Show morePuppets have been entertaining, educating, and mesmerizing American audiences since the birth of our nation. Both in live theatrical events and TV/film, audiences have watched puppeteers bring their puppet characters to life with clever voice quality choices, unique characterizations, and vivid visual designs. This thesis is a case study that first borrows insight from cartoon character designers, animators, and voiceover actors to provide considerations for voice quality choices, characterizations, and design elements when creating a new puppet character. It then investigates the connections that exist between those three elements once a puppet is fully realized. In order to identify these connections, a test was developed in which participants were asked to use a set of blank puppet heads/bodies and a variety of facial features to each build a unique character and then provide their puppets with a unique character voice. The data collected from the test was then deconstructed and analyzed by comparing each included design element to specific Estill Voice Training System(TM) vocal attributes identified within each individual puppet character's voice to find where connections occurred. The goal of this thesis is to provide a systematic method for creating vibrant and rich original puppet characters.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005714, ucf:50153
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005714

design (21)	+ -
instructional design (7)	+ -
Design (6)	+ -
simulation (6)	+ -
Universal Design for Learning (5)	+ -

Lighting Design (4)	+ -
learning (4)	+ -
multimedia (4)	+ -
technical communication (4)	+ -
theatre (4)	+ -
usability (4)	+ -
Instructional Design (3)	+ -
Performance (3)	+ -
Theatre (3)	+ -
art (3)	+ -
higher education (3)	+ -
science (3)	+ -
sound design (3)	+ -
theater (3)	+ -
virtual reality (3)	+ -
Bias (2)	+ -
CMOS (2)	+ -
DFSS (2)	+ -
Design Theory (2)	+ -
ESD (2)	+ -
Experimental Design (2)	+ -
Finite Element Analysis (2)	+ -
Game Design (2)	+ -
Graphic Design (2)	+ -
Instructional Systems Design (2)	+ -

ETD Collection (168)	+ -
Honors Collection (10)	+ -

University of Central Florida (176)	+ -
Vitale, Thomas (10)	+ -
Gunter, Glenda (7)	+ -
McDaniel, Rudy (6)	+ -
Sundaram, Kalpathy (6)	+ -

Dieker, Lisa (5)	+ -
Yuan, Jiann-Shiun (5)	+ -
Boote, David (4)	+ -
Chicurel, Steven (4)	+ -
DeMara, Ronald (4)	+ -
Elshennawy, Ahmad (4)	+ -
Hartshorne, Richard (4)	+ -
Hirumi, Atsusi (4)	+ -
Hopp, Carolyn (4)	+ -
Kassab, Alain (4)	+ -
Leavens, Gary (4)	+ -
Orlovskaya, Nina (4)	+ -
Rabelo, Luis (4)	+ -
Vasu Sumathi, Subith (4)	+ -
Xu, Yunjun (4)	+ -
Abdel-Aty, Mohamed (3)	+ -
Abou-Senna, Hatem (3)	+ -
Al-Deek, Haitham (3)	+ -
Batarseh, Issa (3)	+ -
Bowers, Clint (3)	+ -
Chow, Louis (3)	+ -
Courtney, James (3)	+ -
Flammia, Madelyn (3)	+ -
Gill, Michele (3)	+ -
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