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- Title
- METACOGNITIVE COACHING AS A MEANS TO ENHANCE COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DISORDERS.
- Creator
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Parsons, Christine, Marino, Matthew, Ph.D., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Preparing undergraduate students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a national priority. This project analyzed the effects of virtual metacognitive academic coaching between graduate student coaches and undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders at a large, four-year university. The project team analyzed the persistence of the undergraduate students in their major, as well as the graduate students' abilities to...
Show morePreparing undergraduate students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a national priority. This project analyzed the effects of virtual metacognitive academic coaching between graduate student coaches and undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders at a large, four-year university. The project team analyzed the persistence of the undergraduate students in their major, as well as the graduate students' abilities to transfer the coaching experiences to K-12 settings. A mixed-methods design evaluated qualitative (i.e. student/coaches' surveys and interviews) outcomes for undergraduate STEM majors and for graduate students. The goal of this project is to develop iteratively a model of scalable supports that can be utilized to support undergraduates with disabilities in STEM majors' at large universities such as UCF. Graduate student coaches paired with undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders (n=26) worked collaboratively throughout one semester to developed strategies that supported the success of the undergraduate students' coursework. Both coaches and students provided examples of positive effects of the academic coaching process that supported student course work and created experiences that the graduate students could use in a K-12 setting.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000176, ucf:45947
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000176
- Title
- CLASSROOM MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES IN A PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION COURSE USING AN INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE RELATED TO PLACE VALUE AND OPERATIONS.
- Creator
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Andreasen, Janet, Dixon, Juli, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This qualitative study documents a classroom teaching experiment in a semester-long undergraduate mathematics education course for 16 prospective elementary school teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social aspects of the classroom environment facilitated the collective mathematical learning of place value and whole number operations by preservice elementary school teachers. Design-based research methodology was used for formulating the study. A hypothetical learning...
Show moreThis qualitative study documents a classroom teaching experiment in a semester-long undergraduate mathematics education course for 16 prospective elementary school teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social aspects of the classroom environment facilitated the collective mathematical learning of place value and whole number operations by preservice elementary school teachers. Design-based research methodology was used for formulating the study. A hypothetical learning trajectory and instructional sequence related to place value and operations were created and refined in the two semesters prior to this study. The instructional sequence was in its third iteration for this study. The developmental levels that children progress through in learning place value and operations were used in identifying the learning trajectory and supporting tasks in which the preservice teachers were asked to engage. A large portion of the instructional sequence involved a setting of base eight instead of base ten. The sequence returned to base ten in order to discuss whole number operations and alternative strategies for operations in an effort to further develop the preservice teachers' conceptual understandings of place value and operations and to examine children's thinking strategies. Data were collected through video-taped recordings of class sessions, audio-taped recordings of table discussions and research team meetings, field notes, and journals written by the research team. Sixteen preservice teachers participated in the study which lasted over 5 class sessions of 3 hours and 10 minutes each. The emergent perspective which attempts to coordinate the individual learning and the social aspects of the classroom that support collective learning was used as an interpretive lens for data collection and analysis. The social aspects along with some aspects of individual student understandings together give an indication of collective mathematical understandings of the students as a whole group. Social norms established were: a) the expectation of providing explanations and justifications for solutions and solution methods, b) making sense of each other's solutions and c) asking questions of classmates or the instructor. Sociomathematical norms that were valued but not fully established were: a) criteria for different solutions and solution methods and b) criteria for what constituted a good explanation. Data analysis for the establishment of classroom mathematical practices was conducted using Toulmin's argumentation model (Toulmin, 1969). A three phase approach described by Rasmussen and Stephan (in press) was used in determining what constituted a classroom mathematical practice. The classroom mathematical practices that facilitated student learning in this study were: a) unitizing, b) flexibly representing numbers, and c) reasoning about operations. This study led to the refinement of the hypothetical learning trajectory and further progress in defining an instructional theory of how preservice teachers may come to understand place value and whole number operations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0000917, ucf:46718
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000917
- Title
- DOES HOPE VI DEEP-SIX THE POOR? ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF DISPLACEMENT FORMER RESIDENTS OF DISTRESSED PUBLIC HOUSING IN A MID-SIZED SOUTHERN CITY.
- Creator
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Zeller, David, Wright, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Do downtown revitalization efforts detrimentally affect people who are displaced? HUD's HOPE VI grant program provides local housing authorities with funds to leverage private investment to demolish blighted, severely distressed public housing units and replace them with mixed-use, mixed-income units. In 2002, the OHA secured an $18 million grant to redevelop a public housing project then known as Carver Court. 212 units of public housing were razed and former public housing residents were...
Show moreDo downtown revitalization efforts detrimentally affect people who are displaced? HUD's HOPE VI grant program provides local housing authorities with funds to leverage private investment to demolish blighted, severely distressed public housing units and replace them with mixed-use, mixed-income units. In 2002, the OHA secured an $18 million grant to redevelop a public housing project then known as Carver Court. 212 units of public housing were razed and former public housing residents were displaced to make way for redevelopment. Interviews with 55 former residents of Carver Court are analyzed to determine the self-reported effects of the local implementation of federal housing policy. Outcomes measured include satisfaction with occupation, housing costs, neighborhood quality, crime, social interactions, access to public transportation, and quality of life overall, among others. In addition, the analysis uses Census data to examine the extent to which poverty deconcentration, a major policy goal of HOPE VI, has been accomplished. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of HOPE VI's position in the history of American housing policy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0000995, ucf:46701
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000995
- Title
- A DIALECTICAL METHODOLOGY FOR DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS DESIGN.
- Creator
-
Elgarah, Wafa, Courtney, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As organizations continue to grow in size, reaching global proportions, they have ever increasing impacts on their environments. Some believe that a much broader array of concerns should be brought into organizational decision-making processes, including greater consideration of social, political, ethical and aesthetic factors (Mitroff and Linstone, 1993; Courtney, 2001). Decision environments such as these are decidedly "wicked" (Rittel and Webber, 1973). Designing decision support systems...
Show moreAs organizations continue to grow in size, reaching global proportions, they have ever increasing impacts on their environments. Some believe that a much broader array of concerns should be brought into organizational decision-making processes, including greater consideration of social, political, ethical and aesthetic factors (Mitroff and Linstone, 1993; Courtney, 2001). Decision environments such as these are decidedly "wicked" (Rittel and Webber, 1973). Designing decision support systems in such environments where there is a high level of interconnectedness, issues are overlapping and a multiplicity of stakeholders is involved, is a very complex task. In this dissertation a methodology for the development of a DSS for wicked situations is proposed using the design theory building process suggested by Walls et al. (1992). This proposed theory is based on dialectic theory and the multiple perspective approach suggested by Linstone and Mitroff (1993). The design process consists of identifying relevant stakeholders, their respective worldviews, and conflicts in these worldviews. A design (thesis) and "counter design" (antithesis) are created, and a prototype systems based on these designs are developed. These prototypes are then presented to the different stakeholder groups who engage in a dialogue which leads to the development of a synthesized design. The process is repeated until all conflicts are resolved or resources are exhausted, and a final system is produced. Using action research and system development research methodologies, the proposed design theory was applied to zoning decision process in Orange County, Florida. The results of this study led to the following: 1. It is feasible to implement the MPDP methodology proposed in this dissertation. 2. The MPDP methodology resulted in a synthesized design that accommodates the different views of the stakeholders. 3. The MPDP methodology is suitable for contentious situations and may not be feasible for structured decisions. 4. Most of the subjects did achieve a more understanding of the decision process. These results suggest that the MPDP design theory can be effective in developing decision support systems in contentious situations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000883, ucf:46637
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000883
- Title
- CONTROLLING RANDOMNESS: USING PROCEDURAL GENERATION TO INFLUENCE PLAYER UNCERTAINTY IN VIDEO GAMES.
- Creator
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Fort, Travis, McDaniel, Rudy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As video games increase in complexity and length, the use of automatic, or procedural, content generation has become a popular way to reduce the stress on game designers. However, the usage of procedural generation has certain consequences; in many instances, what the computer generates is uncertain to the designer. The intent of this thesis is to demonstrate how procedural generation can be used to intentionally affect the embedded randomness of a game system, enabling game designers to...
Show moreAs video games increase in complexity and length, the use of automatic, or procedural, content generation has become a popular way to reduce the stress on game designers. However, the usage of procedural generation has certain consequences; in many instances, what the computer generates is uncertain to the designer. The intent of this thesis is to demonstrate how procedural generation can be used to intentionally affect the embedded randomness of a game system, enabling game designers to influence the level of uncertainty a player experiences in a nuanced way. This control affords game designers direct control over complex problems like dynamic difficulty adjustment, pacing, or accessibility. Game design will be examined from the perspective of uncertainty and how procedural generation can be used to intentionally add or reduce uncertainty. Various procedural generation techniques will be discussed alongside the types of uncertainty, using case studies to demonstrate the principles in action.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004772, ucf:45386
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004772
- Title
- THE USE OF FOLEY IN LIVE THEATRE AS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THEATRE UCF'S PRODUCTION OF SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT- THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF LOUIS DE ROUGEMONT (AS TOLD BY HIMSELF).
- Creator
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Narciso, Anthony, Perry, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Foley, a term named after Universal Studios sound pioneer Jack Foley, is an all-encompassing word for the creation of sound effects with materials that can emulate the sound of real world occurrences. While it is used heavily in the film and television world, Foley does not see much direct use in live theatrical performances. The widespread availability and use of prerecorded sound effects has altered the field of theatrical sound design. With thousands of audio files at a designer's disposal...
Show moreFoley, a term named after Universal Studios sound pioneer Jack Foley, is an all-encompassing word for the creation of sound effects with materials that can emulate the sound of real world occurrences. While it is used heavily in the film and television world, Foley does not see much direct use in live theatrical performances. The widespread availability and use of prerecorded sound effects has altered the field of theatrical sound design. With thousands of audio files at a designer's disposal, the need to create custom sounds is reduced. However, certain scripts do call for the use of live Foley. While most of these plays are staged radio dramas, Donald Margulies's Shipwrecked! An Entertainment... is a brilliant theatrical work that focuses on the art of storytelling. His request for a Foley Artist is a request to stay true to the essence of the play. This thesis will detail the production process for a theatrical Foley designer by outlining the research, design, and execution phases and detailing the experimental nature of adding Foley to a live theatre performance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004544, ucf:45209
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004544
- Title
- APPEARANCE-DRIVEN MATERIAL DESIGN.
- Creator
-
Colbert, Mark, Hughes, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In the computer graphics production environment, artists often must tweak specific lighting and material parameters to match a mind's eye vision of the appearance of a 3D scene. However, the interaction between a material and a lighting environment is often too complex to cognitively predict without visualization. Therefore, artists operate in a design cycle, where they tweak the parameters, wait for a visualization, and repeat, seeking to obtain a desired look. We propose the use of...
Show moreIn the computer graphics production environment, artists often must tweak specific lighting and material parameters to match a mind's eye vision of the appearance of a 3D scene. However, the interaction between a material and a lighting environment is often too complex to cognitively predict without visualization. Therefore, artists operate in a design cycle, where they tweak the parameters, wait for a visualization, and repeat, seeking to obtain a desired look. We propose the use of appearance-driven material design. Here, artists directly design the appearance of reflected light for a specific view, surface point, and time. In this thesis, we discuss several methods for appearance-driven design with homogeneous materials, spatially-varying materials, and appearance-matching materials, where each uses a unique modeling and optimization paradigm. Moreover, we present a novel treatment of the illumination integral using sampling theory that can utilize the computational power of the graphics processing unit (GPU) to provide real-time visualization of the appearance of various materials illuminated by complex environment lighting. As a system, the modeling, optimization and rendering steps all operate on arbitrary geometry and in detailed lighting environments, while still providing instant feedback to the designer. Thus, our approach allows materials to play an active role in the process of set design and story-telling, a capability that was, until now, difficult to achieve due to the unavailability of interactive tools appropriate for artists.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002217, ucf:47913
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002217
- Title
- THERMAL MODELING AND LASER BEAM SHAPING FOR MICROVIAS DRILLING IN HIGH DENSITY PACKAGING.
- Creator
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Zhang, Chong, Kar, Aravinda, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Laser drilling of microvias for organic packaging applications is studied in present research. Thermal model is essential to understand the laser-materials interactions and to control laser drilling of blind micro holes through polymeric dielectrics in multilayer electronic substrates. In order to understand the profile of the drilling front irradiated with different laser beam profiles, a transient heat conduction model including vaporization parameters is constructed. The absorption length...
Show moreLaser drilling of microvias for organic packaging applications is studied in present research. Thermal model is essential to understand the laser-materials interactions and to control laser drilling of blind micro holes through polymeric dielectrics in multilayer electronic substrates. In order to understand the profile of the drilling front irradiated with different laser beam profiles, a transient heat conduction model including vaporization parameters is constructed. The absorption length in the dielectric is also considered in this model. Therefore, the volumetric heating source criteria are applied in the model and the equations are solved analytically. The microvia drilling speed, temperature distribution in the dielectric and the thickness of the residue along the microvia walls and at the bottom of the microvia are studied for different laser irradiation conditions. An overheated metastable state of material is found to exist inside the workpiece. The overheating parameters are calculated for various laser drilling parameters and are used to predict the onset of thermal damage and to minimize the residue. As soon as a small cavity is formed during the drilling process, the concave curvature of the drilling front acts as a concave lens that diverges the incident laser beam. This self-defocusing effect can greatly reduce the drilling speed. This effect makes the refractive index of the substrate at different wavelengths an important parameter for laser drilling. A numerical thermal model is built to study the effect of self-defocusing for laser microvias drilling in multilayer electronic substrates with Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers.. The laser ablation thresholds was calculated with this model for the CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers respectively. Due to the expulsion of materials because of high internal pressures in the case of Nd:YAG laser microvia drilling, the ablation threshold may be far below the calculated value. A particular laser beam shape, such as pitch fork, was found to drill better holes than the Gaussian beam in terms of residue and tapering angle. Laser beam shaping technique is used to produce the desired pitchfork beam. Laser beam shaping allows redistribution of laser power and phase across the cross-section of the beam for drilling perfectly cylindrical holes. An optical system, which is comprised of three lenses, is designed to transform a Gaussian beam into a pitchfork beam. The first two lenses are the phase elements through which a Gaussian laser beam is transformed into a super Gaussian beam. The ray tracing technique of geometrical optics is used to design these phase elements. The third lens is the transform element which produces a pitchfork profile at the focal plane due to the diffraction effect. A pinhole scanning power meter is used to measure the laser beam profile at the focal plane to verify the existence of the pitchfork beam. To account for diffraction effect, the above mentioned laser beam shaping system was optimized by iterative method using Adaptive Additive algorithm. Fresnel diffraction is used in the iterative calculation. The optimization was target to reduce the energy contained in the first order diffraction ring and to increase the depth of focus for the system. Two diffractive optical elements were designed. The result of the optimization was found dependent on the relation between the diameter of the designed beam shape and the airy disk diameter. If the diameter of the designed beam is larger, the optimization can generate better result. Drilling experiment is performed with a Q-switched CO2 laser at wavelength of 9.3 μm. Comparison among the drilling results from Gaussian beam, Bessel beam and Pitchfork beam shows that the pitchfork beam can produce microvias with less tapering angle and less residue at the bottom of the via. Laser parameters were evaluated experimentally to study their influences on the via quality. Laser drilling process was optimized based on the evaluation to give high quality of the via and high throughput rate. Nd:YAG laser at wavelengths of 1.06 μm and 532 nm were also used in this research to do microvias drilling. Experimental result is compared with the model. Experimental results show the formation of convex surfaces during laser irradiation. These surfaces eventually rupture and the material is removed explosively due to high internal pressures. Due to the short wavelength, high power, high efficiency and high repetition rate, these lasers exhibit large potentials for microvias drilling.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002363, ucf:47799
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002363
- Title
- Design of Low-Capacitance Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection Devices in Advanced Silicon Technologies.
- Creator
-
Dong, Aihua, Sundaram, Kalpathy, Fan, Deliang, Gong, Xun, Wei, Lei, Salcedo, Javier, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) related failure is a major IC reliability concern and this is particularly true as technology continues shrink to nano-metric dimensions. ESD design window research shows that ESD robustness of victim devices keep decreasing from 350nm bulk technology to 7nm FinFET technologies. In the meantime, parasitic capacitance of ESD diode with same It2 in FinFET technologies is approximately 3X compared with that in planar technologies. Thus transition from planar to...
Show moreElectrostatic discharge (ESD) related failure is a major IC reliability concern and this is particularly true as technology continues shrink to nano-metric dimensions. ESD design window research shows that ESD robustness of victim devices keep decreasing from 350nm bulk technology to 7nm FinFET technologies. In the meantime, parasitic capacitance of ESD diode with same It2 in FinFET technologies is approximately 3X compared with that in planar technologies. Thus transition from planar to FinFET technology requires more robust ESD protection however the large parasitic capacitance of ESD protection cell is problematic in high-speed interface design. To reduce the parasitic capacitance, a dual diode silicon controlled rectifier (DD-SCR) is presented in this dissertation. This design can exhibit good trade-offs between ESD robustness and parasitic capacitance characteristics. Besides, different bounding materials lead to performance variations in DD-SCRs are compared. Radio frequency (RF) technology is also demanded low capacitance ESD protection. To address this concern, a ?-network is presented, providing robust ESD protection for 10-60 GHz RF circuit. Like a low pass ? filter, the network can reflect high frequency RF signals and transmit low frequency ESD pulses. Given proper inductor value, networks can work as robust ESD solutions at a certain Giga Hertz frequency range, making this design suitable for broad band protection in RF input/outputs (I/Os). To increase the holding voltage and reduce snapback, a resistor assist triggering heterogeneous stacking structure is presented in this dissertation, which can increase the holding voltage and also keep the trigger voltage nearly as same as a single SCR device.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007172, ucf:52251
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007172
- Title
- MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION FOR HEAVY EARTHMOVING CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT BASED ON TIME, COST, AND POLLUTANT EMISSIONS.
- Creator
-
Alshboul, Odey, Tatari, Omer, Al-Deek, Haitham, Abou-Senna, Hatem, Awad, Amro, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Earthmoving activity is considered a significant activity in the construction project. The cost of earthmoving activity in the construction projects in some cases reaches about 30% of the overall cost of the project. Moreover, heavy equipment selection needs to be utilized in this activity, such as trucks and excavators. Such equipment emits a huge amount of carbon that has a negative effect on environmental dimensions. A mathematical model to optimize all design variables (i.e., capacity,...
Show moreEarthmoving activity is considered a significant activity in the construction project. The cost of earthmoving activity in the construction projects in some cases reaches about 30% of the overall cost of the project. Moreover, heavy equipment selection needs to be utilized in this activity, such as trucks and excavators. Such equipment emits a huge amount of carbon that has a negative effect on environmental dimensions. A mathematical model to optimize all design variables (i.e., capacity, number, and speed) related to this equipment is urgently required to prevent these negative impacts. The proposed model offers a genetic algorithm-based optimization technique for earthmoving activity. The model has four main phases: (1) define all related decision variables for earthmoving equipment, (2) detect all related constraints that impact the optimization model, (3) derive the mathematical optimization model, and (4) apply the multi-objective genetic algorithms. The optimization approach is utilized to minimize the cost and duration of the earthmoving activity, along with reducing the carbon emissions and fuel consumption. A case study is applied to test and validate the addressed model. Optimization outputs have proven the model efficiency in saving substantial cost and time compared to the actual results. The results of the case study show that the innovative and original contribution of the created mathematical optimization model. These unique and new competencies are anticipated to support contractors and construction management engineers to minimize time and cost associated with earthmoving activities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007598, ucf:52518
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007598
- Title
- RESOURCE BANKING: AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT, RUN-TIME ADAPTIVE PROCESSOR DESIGN TECHNIQUE.
- Creator
-
Staples, Jacob, Heinrich, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
From the earliest and simplest scalar computation engines to modern superscalar out-of-order processors, the evolution of computational machinery during the past century has largely been driven by a single goal: performance. In today's world of cheap, billion-plus transistor count processors and with an exploding market in mobile computing, a design landscape has emerged where energy efficiency, arguably more than any other single metric, determines the viability of a processor for a given...
Show moreFrom the earliest and simplest scalar computation engines to modern superscalar out-of-order processors, the evolution of computational machinery during the past century has largely been driven by a single goal: performance. In today's world of cheap, billion-plus transistor count processors and with an exploding market in mobile computing, a design landscape has emerged where energy efficiency, arguably more than any other single metric, determines the viability of a processor for a given application. The historical emphasis on performance has left modern processors bloated and over provisioned for everyday tasks in the hope that during computationally intensive periods some performance improvement will be observed. This work explores an energy-efficient processor design technique that ensures even a highly over provisioned out-of-order processor has only as many of its computational resources active as it requires for efficient computation at any given time. Specifically, this paper examines the feasibility of a dynamically banked register file and reorder buffer with variable banking policies that enable unused rename registers or reorder buffer entries to be voltage gated (turned off) during execution to save power. The impact of bank placement, turn-off and turn-on policies as well as rail stabilization latencies for this approach are explored for high-performance desktop and server designs as well as low-power mobile processors.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003991, ucf:48675
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003991
- Title
- Process Optimization Towards the Development of an Automated CNC Monitoring System for a Simultaneous Turning and Boring Operation.
- Creator
-
Hernandez, Manuel, Xu, Chengying, Chew, Phyekeng, Xu, Yunjun, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Manufacturing operations generate revenue by adding value to material through machine work and the cost associated with part production hinders the maximum profit available. In order to remain competitive, companies invest in research to maximize profit and reduce waste of manufacturing operations. This results in cheaper products for the customer without sacrificing quality. The purpose of this research was to identify machine settings of an Okuma LC 40 Turning Center and optimize the cost...
Show moreManufacturing operations generate revenue by adding value to material through machine work and the cost associated with part production hinders the maximum profit available. In order to remain competitive, companies invest in research to maximize profit and reduce waste of manufacturing operations. This results in cheaper products for the customer without sacrificing quality. The purpose of this research was to identify machine settings of an Okuma LC 40 Turning Center and optimize the cost of machining in terms of tool cost and energy consumption while maintaining part quality at a productive cycle time. Studying the relationship between energy consumption, tool life, and cycle time with the speed and feed settings through statistical Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method will allow the production plant to make profitable financial decisions concerning simultaneous turning operation of forged chrome-alloy steel. The project was divided into three phases; the first phase began with a literature survey of sensors used in current manufacturing research and the adaptation of our sensors to the Okuma LC 40 turning center. Then, phase II used design of experiments to identify spindle speed and feedrate settings that optimize multiple responses related to the turning process. The result was a saving in energy consumption (kWh) by 11.8%, a saving in cutting time by 13.2% for a total cost reduction from $1.15 per tool pass to $1.075 per tool pass. Furthermore, this work provides the foundation for phase III to develop an intelligent monitoring system to provide real-time information about the state of the machine and tool. For a monitoring system to be implemented in production, it should utilize cost effective sensors and be nonintrusive to the cutting operation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004278, ucf:49510
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004278
- Title
- Three essays on the marketing strategies of a durable goods manufacturer.
- Creator
-
Chau, Ngan, Desiraju, Ramarao, Krishnamoorthy, Anand, Joshi, Amit, Chintagunta, Pradeep, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
When purchasing durable goods, consumers not only pay for current but also future consumption; consequently, forward looking behavior is an important consideration in durable goods markets. For example, anticipating that prices will go down in the future, consumers may delay the purchase today; such behavior has a significant impact on the firm's marketing strategies. This dissertation investigates the impact of durability on two marketing strategies: new product introductions and supply...
Show moreWhen purchasing durable goods, consumers not only pay for current but also future consumption; consequently, forward looking behavior is an important consideration in durable goods markets. For example, anticipating that prices will go down in the future, consumers may delay the purchase today; such behavior has a significant impact on the firm's marketing strategies. This dissertation investigates the impact of durability on two marketing strategies: new product introductions and supply chain design. The first part of this dissertation (Chapter 3) examines a durable goods manufacturer's new product introduction strategy under different market environments where network effects and product compatibility are important. More specifically, this part explores the incentives of a firm to use either a replacement strategy or a skipping strategy---in the former, the firm commercializes the existing technology, while in the latter, it does not; in either case, an improved technology will be available in the future and the firm will introduce a new product at that time. Using a two-period analytical model with network effects, the analysis shows how the level of improvement in the new product, along with the type of compatibility between the products, interacts with network strength to determine the manufacturer's optimal strategy. Under gradual new product improvement, there is a strict preference for replacement. In contrast, under rapid new product improvement, that preference only holds in markets with relatively high levels of the network strength; at lower levels of the network strength, skipping is preferred; interestingly, for moderate values of the network strength, the level of product improvement affects the manufacturer's optimal choice differently under varying types of compatibility.The second part of this dissertation (Chapters 4 and 5) focuses on the supply chain design decisions of a durable goods manufacturer who is a sole supplier of an essential proprietary component for making the end product. Three different supply chain structures are considered. In the first, the manufacturer operates as a ``component supplier'' and sells the component to a downstream firm who then makes the end product. In the second structure, the manufacturer produces the end product using its component but does not make that component available to any other firms; here, the manufacturer operates as a ``sole entrant''. Finally, the manufacturer can operate as a ``dual distributor'' who not only makes the end product using its own component, but sells the component to a downstream firm who then competes against the manufacturer in the end product market.The extant literature on the optimal choice among the above supply chain structures has focused mainly on static settings in a framework of price competition. By contrast, researchers predominantly use quantity competition to examine durable goods markets in dynamic (i.e., multiple time period) settings. Moreover, the literature notes diversity in optimal firm behavior under the two types of (i.e., price and quantity) competition. Therefore, to transition from supply chain design in a static setting to a more dynamic one where consumers are forward-looking, this part utilizes Chapter 4 to analyze the manufacturer's choice using quantity competition in a static setting. This analysis (in Chapter 4) identifies precisely the shift in the manufacturer's choice of supply chain structure when moving from price competition to a quantity competition framework. With that analysis as a benchmark, the next chapter focuses on the manufacturer's choice in a dynamic setting. More specifically, Chapter 5 investigates the impact of durability on the optimality of the supply chain structures identified above. Using a two period setting, the analysis explores how the manufacturer's preference for different supply chain structures is modified. The findings reveal that, e.g., when durability is taken into account, the manufacturer's preference for the sole entrant role goes up, while the preference for the component supplier role goes down. Further, under certain conditions, the manufacturer may opt to be a dual distributor in the first period and then choose to become only a component supplier in the second period. The underlying rationale for such shifts in preference is directly linked to durability, which creates future competition and substantially reduces the manufacturer's profitability in the long run. Interestingly, this negative impact varies across different supply chain structures.Overall, this dissertation contributes to the current literature on durable goods and enhances our understanding of the impact of durability on the optimality of distinct marketing strategies, and provides insights that are valuable to both academics and managers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004364, ucf:49428
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004364
- Title
- FABRIC ARCHITECTURE: BODY IN MOTION.
- Creator
-
Cosovic, Daniela, Robinson, Elizabeth Brady, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Making a dress, creating an object for someone else is a simple act of giving to another person. I did not want to decide between an object to wear and one to hang on the wall, so I gave you both, and movement in between. Take a dress off of a wall. Wear it. Put it back on the wall. Repeat it, or not. There is balance in movement of an object between a person and the wall. It is this quietness of balance amongst the sound of movement that I am seeking in my work.
- Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002606, ucf:48291
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002606
- Title
- A WEARABLE HEAD-MOUNTED PROJECTION DISPLAY.
- Creator
-
Martins, Ricardo, Clarke, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Conventional head-mounted projection displays (HMPDs) contain of a pair of miniature projection lenses, beamsplitters, and miniature displays mounted on the helmet, as well as a retro-reflective screen placed strategically in the environment. We have extened the HMPD technology integrating the screen into a fully mobile embodiment. Some initial efforts of demonstrating this technology has been captured followed by an investigation of the diffraction effects versus image degradation caused by...
Show moreConventional head-mounted projection displays (HMPDs) contain of a pair of miniature projection lenses, beamsplitters, and miniature displays mounted on the helmet, as well as a retro-reflective screen placed strategically in the environment. We have extened the HMPD technology integrating the screen into a fully mobile embodiment. Some initial efforts of demonstrating this technology has been captured followed by an investigation of the diffraction effects versus image degradation caused by integrating the retro-reflective screen within the HMPD. The key contribution of this research is the conception and development of a mobile-HMPD (M-HMPD). We have included an extensive analysis of macro- and microscopic properties that encompass the retro-reflective screen. Furthermore, an evaluation of the overall performance of the optics will be assessed in both object space for the optical designer and visual space for the possible users of this technology. This research effort will also be focused on conceiving a mobile M-HMPD aimed for dual indoor/outdoor applications. The M-HMPD shares the known advantage such as ultra-lightweight optics (i.e. 8g per eye), unperceptible distortion (i.e. ≤ 2.5%), and lightweight headset (i.e. ≤ 2.5 lbs) compared with eyepiece type head-mounted displays (HMDs) of equal eye relief and field of view. In addition, the M-HMPD also presents an advantage over the preexisting HMPD in that it does not require a retro-reflective screen placed strategically in the environment. This newly developed M-HMPD has the ability to project clear images at three different locations within near- or far-field observation depths without loss of image quality. This particular M-HMPD embodiment was targeted to mixed reality, augmented reality, and wearable display applications.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003431, ucf:48390
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003431
- Title
- DESIGNING FOR MULTICULTURAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES: CREATING CULTURALLY-INTELLIGENT VISUAL RHETORIC AND OVERCOMING ETHNOCENTRISM.
- Creator
-
Moore, Bridget, Jones, Dan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Various cultures interpret visual rhetoric differently; therefore, technical communicators must adjust their rhetoric accordingly by creating effective visual rhetoric for their international and multicultural audiences. Although there is a great deal of research in the field regarding how to create effective visual rhetorical rhetoric, this research often fails to take into international and multicultural audiences into consideration. Many visual rhetoric solutions proposed in technical...
Show moreVarious cultures interpret visual rhetoric differently; therefore, technical communicators must adjust their rhetoric accordingly by creating effective visual rhetoric for their international and multicultural audiences. Although there is a great deal of research in the field regarding how to create effective visual rhetorical rhetoric, this research often fails to take into international and multicultural audiences into consideration. Many visual rhetoric solutions proposed in technical communication involve ÂÂ"catch allÂÂ" approaches that do little to communicate to people of non-Western cultures and can even serve to offend or confuse international and multicultural audiences. These solutions are generated by a globalization mindset, but are not realistic when we acknowledge how varied technical communication audiences are with regard to culture. The globalization approach also fails unless technical communicators intend to limit the reach of their communication to certain types of Western audiences. To create the most useful visual rhetoric, technical communicators must learn to use color, graphics, icons/symbols, and layouts (web and print) appropriately for audiences. They must learn more about different types of cultures (individualistic or collectivistic, universalist or particularist, high-context or low-context, high uncertainty avoidance or low uncertainty avoidance, monochronic or polychronic, linear thinking or systemic thinking, masculine or feminine), and they must address these different cultural expectations accordingly.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003036, ucf:48333
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003036
- Title
- TWO ESSAYS ON PRODUCT DESIGN AND CONSUMER EVALUATIONS.
- Creator
-
Lee, Sangwon, Echambadi, Raj, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This paper is about the central role of product design on consumer evaluations. While the design literature has articulated two different types of design, i.e. form-based design and function-based design (Khalid 2004), most extant marketing literature has mostly focused on the impact of functional design on performance (see Chitturi, Raghunathan, and Mahajan (2007) for a notable exception). In this paper, I examine the individual and joint effects of the two design dimensions: form design and...
Show moreThis paper is about the central role of product design on consumer evaluations. While the design literature has articulated two different types of design, i.e. form-based design and function-based design (Khalid 2004), most extant marketing literature has mostly focused on the impact of functional design on performance (see Chitturi, Raghunathan, and Mahajan (2007) for a notable exception). In this paper, I examine the individual and joint effects of the two design dimensions: form design and functional design on consumer evaluations of new products. In the first essay, employing theoretical underpinnings from processing fluency theory, I investigate four major research questions. First, all else equal, does form design matter? Second, how does form design interact with functional design? Third, does the interaction between form and functionality change in an innovation context? Specifically, given a certain level of functionality, what type of form is more advantageous for a radically new product (RNP) or an incrementally new product (INP)? Fourth, is there an individual difference in consumer evaluations to innovative products with various form designs? Results from the four experiments conducted demonstrate that (1) more typical form design leads to more positive attitudes toward the product than less typical form design, (2) a more typical design compensates for the average functionality of the product and hence a product with average functionality is evaluated as well as highly functional products in the more typical design condition. In a less typical design condition, a product with high functionality leads to much lower consumer attitudes towards the product, (3) whereas the form design for incremental innovations must be closer to the incumbent products for favorable evaluations, less typical form is evaluated as good as more typical form for radical innovations. (4) Form design of an innovative product matters more to the technologically more sophisticated consumers (experts) than technologically less sophisticated consumers (novices). In the second essay, I examine the issues involved in using form design to nullify first mover advantage. Pioneers or first movers can be defined as the first firm to sell in a new product category. Despite the proliferation of the pioneering advantage research, there are few empirical studies which examined how the product design enables the later entrants to nullify the first mover advantage. Employing theoretical underpinnings from categorization theory, I investigate the following research questions. First, what type of form is more likely to enhance consumer evaluations and nullify first mover advantage when the followerÂÂ's product is featured with higher or lower functionality? Second, how does form design interact with functional design for the followerÂÂ's product? Results from the experimental study conducted demonstrate that (1) if the followerÂÂ's functionality is not superior to the pioneerÂÂ's, follower had better focus on design differentiation which can compensate for the lower functionality of the follower (2) if the followerÂÂ's functionality is superior to the pioneerÂÂ's, follower had better follow the pioneerÂÂ's design for the better product evaluation. The managerial implication is clear: Form design is a critical determinant of consumer evaluations. Form design helps create and appropriate value for firms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003249, ucf:48546
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003249
- Title
- Assessment of Instructional Presentation For Emergency Evacuation Assistive Technology.
- Creator
-
Boyce, Michael, Smither, Janan, Joseph, Dana, Hancock, Peter, Bowers, Clint, Wilson, Darren, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
It is often the case that emergency first responders are well equipped and trained to deal with a situation that involves evacuation of someone with a physical disability. However, emergency responders are not always the first line of defense, or they may be otherwise occupied with assisting others. This research examined the effects of instructions for emergency stair travel devices on untrained or novice users. It was hypothesized that through redesign of the evacuation instructions,...
Show moreIt is often the case that emergency first responders are well equipped and trained to deal with a situation that involves evacuation of someone with a physical disability. However, emergency responders are not always the first line of defense, or they may be otherwise occupied with assisting others. This research examined the effects of instructions for emergency stair travel devices on untrained or novice users. It was hypothesized that through redesign of the evacuation instructions, untrained individuals would be able to successfully prepare an evacuation chair and secure someone with a disability more effectively and efficiently. A pre-post study design was used with an instructional redesign occurring as the manipulation between phases. There was an improved subjective understanding and improved performance metrics, such as reduced time on task and a reduction of the number of instructional glances, across three evacuation chairs when using the redesigned instruction sets. The study demonstrated that visual instruction style can account for a significant portion of explained variance in the operation of emergency stair travel devices. It also showed that improvements in instruction style can reduce time on task across device type and age group. The study failed to demonstrate that there was a performance decrement for older adults in comparison to younger adults because of the cognitive slowing of older adult information processing abilities. Results from this study can be used to support future iterations of the Emergency Stair Travel Device Standard (RESNA ED-1) to ensure that instructional design is standardized and optimized for the best performance possible.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005136, ucf:50694
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005136
- Title
- Configural Displays: The effects of salience on multi-level data extraction.
- Creator
-
Fok, Audrey, Mouloua, Mustapha, Hancock, Peter, Szalma, James, Pharmer, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Displays are a useful tool for users and operators to understand information quickly. Configural displays are effective in supporting focus and divided attention tasks through the use of emergent features. Emergent features are highly salient and are generally used to support divided attention task However, due to the salience of emergent features, a potential performance costs to focused attention tasks arises with configural displays. To address this cost, semantic mapping has been used to...
Show moreDisplays are a useful tool for users and operators to understand information quickly. Configural displays are effective in supporting focus and divided attention tasks through the use of emergent features. Emergent features are highly salient and are generally used to support divided attention task However, due to the salience of emergent features, a potential performance costs to focused attention tasks arises with configural displays. To address this cost, semantic mapping has been used to map salience techniques to information needed by focus attention tasks to increase their saliency (Bennett (&) Walters, 2001; Bennett et al., 2000). Semantic mapping is the process of mapping the domain constrains to the display, which in turn is mapped to the users capabilities and limitations to understand that domain data. The objective of this dissertation is to extend the use of semantic mapping to address potential performance costs of configural displays for hierarchical domains using the scenario-based training (SBT) instructor domain. Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of salience application and salience type on data extraction accuracy and response time performances at low-level, mid-level, high-level, and a remediation task. The first study examined the effects of one salience technique mapped to the display. This study employed a 2(low or mid application) X 3(baseline, color techniques, and alphanumeric techniques) mixed model design in which 63 participants completed 3 blocks of 32 trails each using displays with the salience techniques mapped to either low- or mid-level data. Results from the first study showed that salience type had a significant impact on multi-level data extraction performance, but interactions were not found. The second study changed the manipulation of application and mapped two salience techniques display at the same time, using either the same technique or a combination of different techniques. The same experimental design was utilized and 65 participants completed study 2. Results of study 2 showed that different application resulted in greater improvements of performance and specific salience combinations were found better support data extraction performance. Across study analyses were also performed and revealed that more salience is not better than less salience. Instead it is the specific mapping of salience type and application which improves performance the most. Overall, these findings have major implications for theories of semantic mapping, attention and performance, and display design of hierarchical domains.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005947, ucf:50797
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005947
- Title
- Comparison of Modeling Methods for Power Cycle Components Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as the Operating Fluid.
- Creator
-
Schmitt, Joshua, Kapat, Jayanta, Kassab, Alain, Vasu Sumathi, Subith, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Supercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid in a Brayton power cycle has benefits but also faces unique challenges in implementation. With carbon dioxide, turbomachinery is much more compact and potentially more cost effective. The primary impediments to cycle component performance are the high pressures required to bring the fluid to a supercritical state and the wildly varying fluid properties near the critical point. Simple design models are often used as a quick starting point for...
Show moreSupercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid in a Brayton power cycle has benefits but also faces unique challenges in implementation. With carbon dioxide, turbomachinery is much more compact and potentially more cost effective. The primary impediments to cycle component performance are the high pressures required to bring the fluid to a supercritical state and the wildly varying fluid properties near the critical point. Simple design models are often used as a quick starting point for modern turbomachinery and heat exchanger design. These models are reasonably accurate for design estimate, but often assume constant properties. Since supercritical carbon dioxide varies not only in temperature, but also in pressure, the models must be evaluated for accuracy. Two key factors in cycle design, aerodynamics and heat transfer, are investigated through the modeling of the performance of the first stage of the turbo-expander and the recuperative heat exchangers. Lookup tables that define the change in fluid properties relative to changes in pressure and temperature are input into the fluid dynamics software. The results of the design models are evaluated against each other. The simpler models and the fluid dynamics simulations are found to have acceptable agreement. Improvements to the simple models are suggested.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006229, ucf:51085
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006229
