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Title: NEWS OR SPECULATION? A COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF HEADLINES AND THE PREVALENCE OF SPECULATIVE LANGUAGE IN CORPORATE AND INDEPENDENTLY OWNED NEWSPAPERS.
Creator: Hudock, Lindsay, Costain, Gene, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study began with the question of whether the press is conveying messages that contain speculation of future events as opposed to the recounting of current events. Speculative language is a form of subjective speech and as such its presence in press content defies the journalist principle of objectivity. The analysis sought to identify two newspaper's use of speculative language within headlines in the news sections. Two other variables considered were article placement, and the ownership...
Show moreThis study began with the question of whether the press is conveying messages that contain speculation of future events as opposed to the recounting of current events. Speculative language is a form of subjective speech and as such its presence in press content defies the journalist principle of objectivity. The analysis sought to identify two newspaper's use of speculative language within headlines in the news sections. Two other variables considered were article placement, and the ownership structure of the news organizations. Previous research supports the claim that the ownership structure of an organization can influence the content it publishes (Lacy, 1986). With this in mind, the study attempted to determine if these variables have an affect on the nature or frequency of speculative language in news content. The researcher explored the question of speculative language in the press by analyzing headlines from the A (Main) and Local sections from two Florida newspapers, the corporately owned Orlando Sentinel and the independent St. Petersburg Times. The researcher chose to study headlines because they convey the newsworthiness of the story and former research confirms that reader perceptions of a news account can depend on the headline (Pfau, 1995; Tannenbaum, 1953). The aim was to comparatively study the news headlines through quantitative content analysis of the language used.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000718, ucf:46622
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000718

Title: TWITTER IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN MEGACHURCHES: AN EXAMINATION OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA'S EFFECTIVENESS.
Creator: Thompson, Andrea, Malala, John, Dodd, Melissa, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study identified what Twitter followers were discussing in reference to the top five megachurches in size. The methods utilized within this study involved an examination of all tweets hashtagging the top five megachurches over a sixteen day timeframe. The first research question was answered by categorizing tweets into predetermined content categories. This study also addressed the second research question by determining if Twitter implementation was beneficial in executing the missions...
Show moreThis study identified what Twitter followers were discussing in reference to the top five megachurches in size. The methods utilized within this study involved an examination of all tweets hashtagging the top five megachurches over a sixteen day timeframe. The first research question was answered by categorizing tweets into predetermined content categories. This study also addressed the second research question by determining if Twitter implementation was beneficial in executing the missions of the top five megachurches. This question was answered by analyzing tweets using a five point Likert scale measuring how reflective each tweet was to the mission statement of each of the Top five megachurches. Ultimately, this study revealed that hashtagged tweets did reflect topics that are beneficial to each individual church's growth, however, tweets hashtagging the top three megachurches did not reflect the mission statements of each church. Therefore, this study concluded that Twitter implementation is beneficial to church growth because followers discuss topics relevant to the success of the church, however, Twitter may not be the most suitable social media platform for megachurches in their attempts to
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005427, ucf:50417
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005427

Title: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A HARDWARE LEVEL CONTENT NETWORKING FRONT END DEVICE.
Creator: Buboltz, Jeremy, Kocak, Taskin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The bandwidth and speed of network connections are continually increasing. The speed increase in network technology is set to soon outpace the speed increase in CMOS technology. This asymmetrical growth is beginning to causing software applications that once worked with then current levels of network traffic to flounder under the new high data rates. Processes that were once executed in software now have to be executed, partially if not wholly in hardware. One such application that could...
Show moreThe bandwidth and speed of network connections are continually increasing. The speed increase in network technology is set to soon outpace the speed increase in CMOS technology. This asymmetrical growth is beginning to causing software applications that once worked with then current levels of network traffic to flounder under the new high data rates. Processes that were once executed in software now have to be executed, partially if not wholly in hardware. One such application that could benefit from hardware implementation is high layer routing. By allowing a network device to peer into higher layers of the OSI model, the device can scan for viruses, provide higher quality-of-service (QoS), and efficiently route packets. This thesis proposes an architecture for a device that will utilize hardware-level string matching to distribute incoming requests for a server farm. The proposed architecture is implemented in VHDL, synthesized, and laid out on an Altera FPGA.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001888, ucf:47390
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001888

Title: SEXUAL CONTENT IN MUSIC LYRICS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON SEXUAL COGNITION.
Creator: Nowotny, Nicole, Wright, Chrysalis L., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the sexual content found in music lyrics of different genres and their relationship to specific sexual cognitions. The study included 902 participants, both male and female, belonging to various ethnic backgrounds, ages 18 and up. It was hypothesized that listening to music containing frequent sexual lyrics will have an affect on men and women�s sexual cognitive beliefs. Results indicated that there was a relationship between frequency of sexually...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the sexual content found in music lyrics of different genres and their relationship to specific sexual cognitions. The study included 902 participants, both male and female, belonging to various ethnic backgrounds, ages 18 and up. It was hypothesized that listening to music containing frequent sexual lyrics will have an affect on men and women�s sexual cognitive beliefs. Results indicated that there was a relationship between frequency of sexually explicit lyrics and views on sexual cognitions. The breakdown by genre shows a more detailed relationship between the lyrics and sexual cognitions. Overall, the results supported the notion that frequent exposure to sexually explicit lyrics has a significant relationship to sexual cognitions.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000009, ucf:45603
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000009

Title: EFFECTS ON TEACHERS' MATHEMATICS CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY.
Creator: Price, Beverley, Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research was to study the implementation of a professional learning community comprised of one group of third-grade teachers in a Florida elementary school where the emphasis was on research-based practices in the teaching of mathematics. Investigated were the growth of teachers' content knowledge in mathematics, specifically in the areas of multiplication and division, and the effects of their professional learning within their classrooms. Specifically this study looked...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to study the implementation of a professional learning community comprised of one group of third-grade teachers in a Florida elementary school where the emphasis was on research-based practices in the teaching of mathematics. Investigated were the growth of teachers' content knowledge in mathematics, specifically in the areas of multiplication and division, and the effects of their professional learning within their classrooms. Specifically this study looked at whether or not the participation of a group of third grade teachers in a professional learning community PLC improved the mathematical content knowledge of the participants of the study. This research design called for the research to be conducted in three phases. In Phase I, the researcher interviewed all participants using a researcher-designed interview guide. A researcher-adapted survey, based upon previously released items Ball (2008) was administered as a pre-test of mathematical content knowledge,. In Phase II of the study, the researcher documented the activities that occurred within a 10-week long professional learning community (PLC) of third-grade teachers. In Phase III of the research, a post-study interview was conducted with each of the participants by an independent observer to elicit participants' perceptions and observations based on their participation in the PLC. A post-test of content knowledge was also administered to the participants. Several themes were identified in the research study. These themes led to recommendations for practice and future research. Themes were related to the lack of mathematical understanding experienced by some teachers and the lack of professional development specifically related to mathematics, the value of the professional learning community, and the benefits of sharing current research and best practices. During this study, the participants were able to read and share examples of research-based best practices in mathematics, and participants then used this new information and additional mathematics content knowledge in their classrooms in teaching their students.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003619, ucf:48856
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003619

Title: INFLUENCE OF THE CSI EFFECT ON EDUCATION AND MASS MEDIA.
Creator: McManus, Sarah, Schultz, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Forensic science television shows, especially CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, have been said to influence the public's perception of how forensic science is used and create interest in studying forensic science and pursuing jobs in the field. This study investigates this claim through a variety of methods. First, definitions of the CSI effect are discussed, including how it was first used and mentioned in the media. Second, survey data from students in a forensic anthropology course regarding...
Show moreForensic science television shows, especially CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, have been said to influence the public's perception of how forensic science is used and create interest in studying forensic science and pursuing jobs in the field. This study investigates this claim through a variety of methods. First, definitions of the CSI effect are discussed, including how it was first used and mentioned in the media. Second, survey data from students in a forensic anthropology course regarding interest in forensic science media and educational and career choices are analyzed. Third, the number and debut dates of forensic science non-fiction books, novels, non-fiction television shows, and television dramas are investigated. Finally, a content analysis of the television show Bones is undertaken in order to understand how the forensic anthropology presented in this show differs from the actual practice of forensic anthropology. Results of this study indicate that, overall, students who wanted to pursue forensic science careers and graduate study did not watch more forensic science television shows and read more forensic science novels than those who did not want to pursue forensic science careers and graduate study. Also, based on the decreased interest in a number of forensic careers, it appears that respondents may have started the course with false perceptions regarding the actual job descriptions of these careers. Regarding the number and debut dates of forensic science media, this study found that the majority of non-fiction forensic anthropology books, non-fiction television shows, television dramas debuted after CSI appeared, corroborating the claim that CSI led to an increase in interest in forensic anthropology. In addition, this study found that while much of Bones is fictionalized for entertainment purposes, many of the techniques and analyses presented on the show have a peripheral basis in scientific methods.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003184, ucf:48596
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003184

Title: Performing on the Screen: An Exploration of Gender Representation in Technology Video Advertisements.
Creator: Persaud, Subriena, Grauerholz, Elizabeth, Carter, Shannon, Huff-Corzine, Lin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study investigates the representation of gender in technology-related video advertisements. This thesis quantitatively and qualitatively examined 54 of the most recent commercials by the top nine Fortune 500 technology companies. A total of 407 characters were coded and quantitatively analyzed while the videos themselves were qualitatively assessed with particular attention given to the videos' themes and the interactions between the characters and the technology products and services....
Show moreThis study investigates the representation of gender in technology-related video advertisements. This thesis quantitatively and qualitatively examined 54 of the most recent commercials by the top nine Fortune 500 technology companies. A total of 407 characters were coded and quantitatively analyzed while the videos themselves were qualitatively assessed with particular attention given to the videos' themes and the interactions between the characters and the technology products and services. Results of the analyses showed that there were more male, Caucasian characters than any other character type based on gender and race/ethnicity. Females were mainly characterized according to traditional stereotypes, such as being linked to the home and expressing emotions. On the other hand, males were most often presented outdoors and conveyed confidence. Overall, the advertisements targeted upper class, Caucasian males while technology itself was associated with power, speed, and progress. These findings have important implications for understanding the persistence of gender inequality in the field of technology and in existing cultural beliefs surrounding gender and technology.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005228, ucf:50580
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005228

Title: A Quasi-Experimental Study on the Impact of Explicit Instruction of Science Text Structures on Eighth-Grade English Learners' and Non-English Learners' Content Learning and Reading Comprehension in Three Inclusive Science Classrooms.
Creator: Rivera, Jelitza, Zygouris-Coe, Vassiliki, Nutta, Joyce, Witta, Eleanor, Ehren, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The focus of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of explicit instruction of science comparison and contrast macro text structures plus micro text structures on the content learning, sentence comprehension, and reading comprehension of eighth-grade English Learners (ELs) and non-English Learners (non-ELs) in three inclusive science classrooms. Although the results of this study did not show significant differences between groups in sentence comprehension, reading...
Show moreThe focus of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of explicit instruction of science comparison and contrast macro text structures plus micro text structures on the content learning, sentence comprehension, and reading comprehension of eighth-grade English Learners (ELs) and non-English Learners (non-ELs) in three inclusive science classrooms. Although the results of this study did not show significant differences between groups in sentence comprehension, reading comprehension, or science content learning, the treatment group increased and maintained their science content learning scores over time, while the scores of the comparison group declined from post-test to delayed post-test. In addition, the researcher sought to determine whether sentence combination scores were a predictor of reading comprehension scores. The results showed that sentence combination scores were good predictors for reading comprehension.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005875, ucf:50864
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005875

Title: Content and Effects of Specific Targeted Feedback from Teacher Observations on Student Achievement in a Large Urban School District.
Creator: Haynes, Rachel, Murray, Barbara, Baldwin, Lee, Doherty, Walter, Spadaccini, Becky, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the content of specific targeted feedback and student achievement and to identify student and teacher knowledge voids from the content of feedback in relationship to achievement level outcomes. This study aimed to deeply analyze the effects of specific targeted feedback as researched by Rafalski (2015). De-identified data from a purposive sample of Rafalski's (2015) original study were selected from a large urban school...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the content of specific targeted feedback and student achievement and to identify student and teacher knowledge voids from the content of feedback in relationship to achievement level outcomes. This study aimed to deeply analyze the effects of specific targeted feedback as researched by Rafalski (2015). De-identified data from a purposive sample of Rafalski's (2015) original study were selected from a large urban school district in Central Florida as well as student achievement level outcome data from the 2013-2014 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0). Raw observation data were used to determine the content of the feedback and analyzed with statistical tests to identify if relationships existed between the feedback content and student achievement. The observation data came from the 2013-2014 Marzano protocol used in the large urban school district in this study. Data were coded from a rubric created to determine the categories and charges of specific targeted feedback. Descriptive statistics were calculated to identify frequencies in the data, and Pearson's r was used to calculate correlations between the categories and charges of feedback coded and the average student achievement level outcomes for FCAT 2.0 assessments for each teacher in the study. Data from frequency calculations showed areas in which elements scored, feedback categories, and feedback charge were heaviest and lacking. Correlations showed areas in which statistically significant relationships occurred and did not occur. From these data it was determined that in terms of supporting level 1 and level 2 students, teachers did not receive much feedback in areas of building student relationships, and probing low expectancy students. Teachers also received predominantly neutral feedback and feedback that contained coaching tips. The validity and relevancy of the feedback was beyond the scope of this study. Correlational data showed both positive and negative relationships between elements coded and student achievement level outcomes as well as feedback categories and student achievement level outcomes. There were no statistically significant relationships between the charge of feedback and student achievement data.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006343, ucf:51562
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006343

Title: SEXUAL CONTENT IN MUSIC'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CONSUMERS' BODY IMAGE, SEXUALIZATION AND OBJECTIFICATION.
Creator: Gilbert, Marika, Wright, Chrysalis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The current study examined the relationship between sexual content in popular pop, rap, and R&B music videos and female consumers' body image, self-objectification, the objectification of other women, and self-esteem. The current study had two main hypotheses: (1) exposure to sexual content in music videos would be negatively correlated with women's body image, self-objectification, and the objectification of other women and (2) Women's body image and self-objectification would mediate the...
Show moreThe current study examined the relationship between sexual content in popular pop, rap, and R&B music videos and female consumers' body image, self-objectification, the objectification of other women, and self-esteem. The current study had two main hypotheses: (1) exposure to sexual content in music videos would be negatively correlated with women's body image, self-objectification, and the objectification of other women and (2) Women's body image and self-objectification would mediate the relationship between exposure to sexual content in music videos and self-esteem. Participants included 308 female college students who answered questions related to the study aims online. Exposure to sexual content in music videos was estimated by the use of self-report viewing habits and content analysis using the frequency method of popular songs performed by artists highly rated by participants. Results indicated that there was a negative association between exposure to sexual content in R&B music videos and participants' objectification of other women as well as exposure to sexual content in rap music videos was associated with negative body image. Results also indicated that exposure to sexual content in rap music videos was related to increased self-objectification, which, in turn was related to decreased self-esteem among participants. Negative body image was also found to be related to decreased self-esteem among participants.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000130, ucf:45950
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000130

Title: A METHOD OF CONTENT-BASED IMAGE RETRIEVAL FOR THE GENERATION OF IMAGE MOSAICS.
Creator: Snead, Michael, Richie, Samuel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: An image mosaic is an artistic work that uses a number of smaller images creatively combined together to form another larger image. Each building block image, or tessera, has its own distinctive and meaningful content, but when viewed from a distance the tesserae come together to form an aesthetically pleasing montage. This work presents the design and implementation of MosaiX, a computer software system that generates these image mosaics automatically. To control the image mosaic creation...
Show moreAn image mosaic is an artistic work that uses a number of smaller images creatively combined together to form another larger image. Each building block image, or tessera, has its own distinctive and meaningful content, but when viewed from a distance the tesserae come together to form an aesthetically pleasing montage. This work presents the design and implementation of MosaiX, a computer software system that generates these image mosaics automatically. To control the image mosaic creation process, several parameters are used within the system. Each parameter affects the overall mosaic quality, as well as required processing time, in its own unique way. A detailed analysis is performed to evaluate each parameter individually. Additionally, this work proposes two novel ways by which to evaluate the quality of an image mosaic in a quantitative way. One method focuses on the perceptual color accuracy of the mosaic reproduction, while the other concentrates on edge replication. Both measures include preprocessing to take into account the unique visual features present in an image mosaic. Doing so minimizes quality penalization due the inherent properties of an image mosaic that make them visually appealing.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001585, ucf:47115
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001585

Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSCIOUSNESS AND INTENTIONALITY.
Creator: Bell, Jordan, Cash, Mason, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Within the Philosophy of Mind two features of our mental life have been acknowledged as the most perplexing - consciousness, the phenomenal "what it is likeness" of our mental states, and intentionality, the aboutness or directedness of our mental states. As such, it has become commonplace to develop theories about these phenomena which seek to explain them naturalistically, that is, without resort to magic or miracles. Traditionally this has been done by analyzing consciousness and...
Show moreWithin the Philosophy of Mind two features of our mental life have been acknowledged as the most perplexing - consciousness, the phenomenal "what it is likeness" of our mental states, and intentionality, the aboutness or directedness of our mental states. As such, it has become commonplace to develop theories about these phenomena which seek to explain them naturalistically, that is, without resort to magic or miracles. Traditionally this has been done by analyzing consciousness and intentionality apart from one another. However, in more recent years the tide has turned. In contemporary theories these phenomena are typically analyzed in terms of the other. This results in two competing views: Representationalism, which seeks to ground consciousness in intentionality, and Phenomenalism, which seeks to ground intentionality in consciousness. David Chalmers has proposed an alternative view to these which takes consciousness and intentionality as essentially interdependent, neither more fundamental than the other. This thesis explores the motivations for Representationalism and Phenomenalism, outlines their extraneous commitments, and analyzes their merits - as well as assessing whether Chalmers' view is a defensible middle ground. This involves an analysis of the metaphysical doctrine of physicalism, phenomenal consciousness, intentionality, and the nature of mental content. I argue that the view which Chalmers advocates is the best supported. Yet, I argue, it could benefit by adopting a thoroughgoing externalism of mental content.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004381, ucf:44988
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004381

Title: CONTENT AND CITATION ANALYSIS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HUMANITIES TEXTBOOKS WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF CURRICULUM THEORY.
Creator: Guidera, Julie, Boote, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze the content of textbooks used in undergraduate survey courses in interdisciplinary humanities to understand the content of the curriculum and how an author's viewpoint shapes the product. By enumerating the texts and images authors and their publishers used to illustrate 20th century culture and the transition into the 21st century, the analysis generated a description of the range of perspectives from traditional to postmodern found in six...
Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation was to analyze the content of textbooks used in undergraduate survey courses in interdisciplinary humanities to understand the content of the curriculum and how an author's viewpoint shapes the product. By enumerating the texts and images authors and their publishers used to illustrate 20th century culture and the transition into the 21st century, the analysis generated a description of the range of perspectives from traditional to postmodern found in six sampled textbooks. Textbook content provided chronological data, while authors' source citations established identity properties of the works' contributors. Through a ranking system of authors' treatment of content and citations, the most traditional perspectives were compared to the most postmodern. Classifying cultural contributors by identity properties gave a quantitative rate of inclusion of traditionally excluded groups. A trend of increase in "diversity-infusion" was observed among all authors when the content of the textbooks was compared in chronological sequence. The qualitative differences, as constructed for this dissertation, indicate that each textbook constitutes a varied and unique representation of author perspective. The project's contribution to future research is the development of a database of art works and literary sources from the years 1900-2006 that can be used for quantification and for further study.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002851, ucf:48075
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002851

Title: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF JIHADIST MAGAZINES: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES.
Creator: Udani, Catalina M, Matusitz, Jonathan, Neuberger, Lindsay; Reynolds, Ted, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: During its violent spread across the Middle East, the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) amassed both a local and international following in large part due to its usage of emergent media distribution. Beginning in 2014, ISIS's Ministry of Media published an English-language magazine, Dabiq, disseminating its issues through online platforms. Dabiq and its successor Rumiyah both serve as propagandistic recruitment material for ISIS's international community as well as broadcasting the...
Show moreDuring its violent spread across the Middle East, the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) amassed both a local and international following in large part due to its usage of emergent media distribution. Beginning in 2014, ISIS's Ministry of Media published an English-language magazine, Dabiq, disseminating its issues through online platforms. Dabiq and its successor Rumiyah both serve as propagandistic recruitment material for ISIS's international community as well as broadcasting the message of the jihadist movement to ISIS's enemies. This study analyzed ISIS's publications using a qualitative content analysis in order to identify jihadist recruitment strategies through the perspectives of agenda-setting theory, the diffusion of innovations, symbolic convergence theory, and speech codes theory. These communication theories characterize the roles that civilizational conflict, population demographics, narrative themes, and emergent media play in the diffusion of the jihadist movement. This study samples the textual content and imagery of issues of Dabiq and Rumiyah, using thematic analysis to procedurally code the data by recognizing shared characteristics and concepts. The fundamental goal of this study is to gain a greater understanding of the way ISIS, its members, and the jihadist movement communicate their intentions, with the hope of preventing further recruitment and radicalization. The two following research questions drive this study: (1) What themes are present in the ISIS publications of Dabiq and Rumiyah? (2) How do the themes of these publications vary over time?
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000351, ucf:52905
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000351

Title: THE INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONTENT AREAS AND ADOLESCENT MOTIVATION.
Creator: Blackwell, Lindsey, Zygouris-Coe, Vicky, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study was designed to investigate the types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) integrated into the content area classrooms of two local high schools, and whether the use of these ICTs motivated adolescent students to read and write in the content areas. The investigator created a student survey, student, teacher, and other support faculty interview protocols, and a classroom observation protocol to collect data for the study. The investigator faced several challenges...
Show moreThis study was designed to investigate the types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) integrated into the content area classrooms of two local high schools, and whether the use of these ICTs motivated adolescent students to read and write in the content areas. The investigator created a student survey, student, teacher, and other support faculty interview protocols, and a classroom observation protocol to collect data for the study. The investigator faced several challenges which prevented her from spending adequate time in the schools. Due to these challenges, sufficient data was not obtained to form conclusions about the research questions. This thesis will present the review of literature, methodology, and plan for completing the study in the future.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003554, ucf:48914
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003554

Title: Media Coverage and the Ferguson Unrest.
Creator: Wyatt, Brittanni, Gay, David, Corzine, Harold, Jasinski, Jana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The media aids in bringing to light many social issues across the nation each and every day. Historically, police force on African Americans can be seen amongst many media outlets. However, with technological advances the media has flourished which makes it possible for the media to supply coverage of police force on African Americans more now than ever before. This exploratory analysis aimed to uncover ways in which the media has framed the individuals involved in the shooting of Michael...
Show moreThe media aids in bringing to light many social issues across the nation each and every day. Historically, police force on African Americans can be seen amongst many media outlets. However, with technological advances the media has flourished which makes it possible for the media to supply coverage of police force on African Americans more now than ever before. This exploratory analysis aimed to uncover ways in which the media has framed the individuals involved in the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014. Articles from four media outlets were used in this analysis. Data was collected from the articles that specifically focused on terms and phrases used to describe the deceased and the officer involved as well as the altercation between the two individuals involved. Results of the analysis show that specific words to identify and describe the deceased and officer involved were used at a much higher rate in national news outlets as opposed to a local news out-let from Missouri. These results are specifically discussed as well as limitations and ideas for further research on the data that was collected and use.?
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006019, ucf:51001
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006019

Title: Content-based Information Retrieval via Nearest Neighbor Search.
Creator: Huang, Yinjie, Georgiopoulos, Michael, Anagnostopoulos, Georgios, Hu, Haiyan, Sukthankar, Gita, Ni, Liqiang, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Content-based information retrieval (CBIR) has attracted significant interest in the past few years. When given a search query, the search engine will compare the query with all the stored information in the database through nearest neighbor search. Finally, the system will return the most similar items. We contribute to the CBIR research the following: firstly, Distance Metric Learning (DML) is studied to improve retrieval accuracy of nearest neighbor search. Additionally, Hash Function...
Show moreContent-based information retrieval (CBIR) has attracted significant interest in the past few years. When given a search query, the search engine will compare the query with all the stored information in the database through nearest neighbor search. Finally, the system will return the most similar items. We contribute to the CBIR research the following: firstly, Distance Metric Learning (DML) is studied to improve retrieval accuracy of nearest neighbor search. Additionally, Hash Function Learning (HFL) is considered to accelerate the retrieval process.On one hand, a new local metric learning framework is proposed - Reduced-Rank Local Metric Learning (R2LML). By considering a conical combination of Mahalanobis metrics, the proposed method is able to better capture information like data's similarity and location. A regularization to suppress the noise and avoid over-fitting is also incorporated into the formulation. Based on the different methods to infer the weights for the local metric, we considered two frameworks: Transductive Reduced-Rank Local Metric Learning (T-R2LML), which utilizes transductive learning, while Efficient Reduced-Rank Local Metric Learning (E-R2LML)employs a simpler and faster approximated method. Besides, we study the convergence property of the proposed block coordinate descent algorithms for both our frameworks. The extensive experiments show the superiority of our approaches.On the other hand, *Supervised Hash Learning (*SHL), which could be used in supervised, semi-supervised and unsupervised learning scenarios, was proposed in the dissertation. By considering several codewords which could be learned from the data, the proposed method naturally derives to several Support Vector Machine (SVM) problems. After providing an efficient training algorithm, we also study the theoretical generalization bound of the new hashing framework. In the final experiments, *SHL outperforms many other popular hash function learning methods. Additionally, in order to cope with large data sets, we also conducted experiments running on big data using a parallel computing software package, namely LIBSKYLARK.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006327, ucf:51544
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006327

Title: Technical Communicators in Marketing: Switching Roles and Changing Ethical Perspectives When Working With Content Marketing.
Creator: Alvarez, Nicole, Dombrowski, Paul, Jones, Dan, Zemliansky, Pavel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis presents an alternate career path for technical communicators in the area of content marketing and expands on the ethical and goal-related issues associated with a career change to a marketing-focused role. Many of the skills necessary for technical communication are transferable to marketing communication roles; however, a successful career change requires that technical communicators understand how the ethical values and goals of marketing professionals can differ from those of...
Show moreThis thesis presents an alternate career path for technical communicators in the area of content marketing and expands on the ethical and goal-related issues associated with a career change to a marketing-focused role. Many of the skills necessary for technical communication are transferable to marketing communication roles; however, a successful career change requires that technical communicators understand how the ethical values and goals of marketing professionals can differ from those of technical communicators. Through a detailed literature review and autoethnographic study, this thesis discusses the performance goals of marketing professionals to determine how these clash with those of technical communicators. This study also discusses the ethical values of technical communicators and marketing professionals, and how these values are shaped by their unique job functions. The overall goal is to determine how this affects the technical communicator working with content marketing. After combining the data available in the literature and the data gathered from the autoethnographic study, this study suggests that due to the differing job functions and training received by technical communicators and marketing professionals, ethically charged situations and ethically questionable practices are likely to be viewed under different perspectives by each professional. This can lead to vastly different perspectives on a particular situation and result in the two groups having vastly different ideas in regard to how ethical-decision making should proceed.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005570, ucf:50280
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005570

Title: The effects of the Vocabulary Think Chart strategy on seventh-grade students' scientific vocabulary knowledge: A mixed-method study.
Creator: Ferreira, Paloma, Zygouris-Coe, Vassiliki, Xu, Lihua, Boote, David, Wilson, Nancy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This mixed-method study examined the effects of the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart in seventh-grade science students' understanding of scientific vocabulary. Participants included 89 students who attended the only three regular Earth Science classes in the study site. Participants were assigned to the treatment and comparison group according to the teachers' wish on how they wanted to participate in the study. The experimental group received one week long preparation on the use of the...
Show moreThis mixed-method study examined the effects of the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart in seventh-grade science students' understanding of scientific vocabulary. Participants included 89 students who attended the only three regular Earth Science classes in the study site. Participants were assigned to the treatment and comparison group according to the teachers' wish on how they wanted to participate in the study. The experimental group received one week long preparation on the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart, followed by five weeks of using the strategy independently. Results of the study did not show a significant change on students' scientific vocabulary understanding and raised questions about vocabulary instruction in science classes. Discussion of the results revolves around the Treatment Teacher's influence in the study, time of intervention, and number of participants.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004839, ucf:49701
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004839

Title: "ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF SINGLE-SOURCING METHODOLOGIES ON THE ROLE OF THE TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR".
Creator: Boehl, Jeremy, Applen, J.D., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis discusses the specific effects of single sourcing methodologies on the role of the technical communicator, his or her job responsibilities, qualifications, collaboration with coworkers, employee and employer expectations, and the effects on career progression. The methodologies discussed included all types of single sourcing methods for technical documentation (such as XML-based), advanced and non-advanced Content Management Systems (CMS), and Digital Asset Management (DAM)...
Show moreThis thesis discusses the specific effects of single sourcing methodologies on the role of the technical communicator, his or her job responsibilities, qualifications, collaboration with coworkers, employee and employer expectations, and the effects on career progression. The methodologies discussed included all types of single sourcing methods for technical documentation (such as XML-based), advanced and non-advanced Content Management Systems (CMS), and Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems. Other topics explored are an overview of single sourcing for technical documentation, a comparison of the "craftsman model" to the current trend of single sourcing and structured content, specific effects on technical communicators such as role changes, the effects of incorporating XML into a technical communicator's daily work environment, and the effects of other emerging technologies such as advanced CMS and DAM systems on technical communicators. General findings include that the practice of single sourcing, whether a positive or negative development, has continued and likely will continue to increase in technical communication groups within organizations. Single sourcing, especially for dynamic, customized content is also increasing because of the current marketplace, but works best via the use of a CMS and other systems used by large organizations. Single sourcing is also best implemented after extensive strategic planning and training of employees. Many technical communicators will have to accept new roles and positions, the direction of which is greatly impacted by the extent of their skills. Recommendations are made for additional research on the effects of single sourcing implementation on the technical communicator, and how to adapt to changes. Additional research is also needed on XML, DITA (Darwinian Information Typing Architecture), and DAM systems, all related specifically to technical communication.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001302, ucf:47031
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001302

content analysis (11)	+ -
Content Analysis (8)	+ -
content knowledge (3)	+ -
Newspaper Headlines (2)	+ -
Qualitative Research (2)	+ -

Sociology (2)	+ -
The Los Angeles Times (2)	+ -
The Washington Times (2)	+ -
communication (2)	+ -
content (2)	+ -
content area reading (2)	+ -
health (2)	+ -
mass communication (2)	+ -
newspapers (2)	+ -
pedagogical content knowledge (2)	+ -
science (2)	+ -
sexual content (2)	+ -
technical communication (2)	+ -
terrorism (2)	+ -
9/11 (1)	+ -
ASTM Test Designation D-698 (1)	+ -
Abortion (1)	+ -
Accessibility (1)	+ -
Adaptive Video Streaming (1)	+ -
Adolescent Media (1)	+ -
Adolescent Motivation (1)	+ -
Adolescent Socialization (1)	+ -
Advertisements (1)	+ -
Agenda Setting Communication Theory (1)	+ -
Ahmadinejad (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (50)	+ -
Honors Collection (5)	+ -

University of Central Florida (55)	+ -
Zygouris-Coe, Vassiliki (4)	+ -
Boote, David (3)	+ -
Costain, Gene (3)	+ -
Kelley, Michelle (3)	+ -

Armato, Michael (2)	+ -
Behrens, Cherie (2)	+ -
Carter, Shannon (2)	+ -
Cintron Delgado, Rosa (2)	+ -
Dixon, Juli (2)	+ -
Flammia, Madelyn (2)	+ -
Hua, Kien (2)	+ -
Huff-Corzine, Lin (2)	+ -
Jasinski, Jana (2)	+ -
Jeanpierre, Bobby (2)	+ -
McCluskey, Maureen (2)	+ -
Murray, Barbara (2)	+ -
Owens, J. Thomas (2)	+ -
Witta, Eleanor (2)	+ -
Zemliansky, Pavel (2)	+ -
Abdallah, Maya (1)	+ -
Akita, Kimiko (1)	+ -
Akpinar, Kutalmis (1)	+ -
Allen, Colleen (1)	+ -
Alvarez, Nicole (1)	+ -
Alvaro, Francisco (1)	+ -
Anagnostopoulos, Georgios (1)	+ -
Andreasen, Janet (1)	+ -
Applen, J.D. (1)	+ -
Arroniz, Inigo (1)	+ -

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