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- Creator:
- Jaramillo, Richard
- Description:
- The optimization of lossy compression of images is inherently difficult due to the complexity of human visual perception. Existing optimization techniques perform adequately, but often stop at local optimal points in the search space of compression solutions. Evolutionary programming is an alternative to human-designed algorithms that has been applied successfully to overcome local optima in machine learning applications. Evolutionary programming borrows from nature the concepts of survival-of-the-fittest and the crossover of genetic material between individuals in a population to produce a new generation of individuals. The result is a guided search through the solution space for a problem. Genetic algorithms (GA) and genetic programming (GP) are two types of evolutionary programming. GA has been applied to many applications including vector quantization (VQ) compression codebook generation. GP is an extension of genetic algorithms in which the individuals in the evolving population are represented by hierarchically structured program trees instead of fixed length strings of characters. GP has been applied in various fields such as analog circuit design with results that rival human designed solutions to the same problems. No previous research has been found that applies GP to the problem of VQ codebook generation. Co-evolution is an extension of GP in which a population of problems to be solved evolves at the same time as the solution population evolves. Co-evolution has been shown to perform better than normal evolution at overcoming local optima for some applications. This research examines a novel use of genetic programming and coevolutionary genetic programming for the evolution and co-evolution of VQ codebooks for image compression. The results show that codebooks generated using traditional human-coded compression algorithms can be further optimized with the use of GP and co-evolutionary GP.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Computer Science
- Creator:
- Biscocho, Monica
- Description:
- Social emotional learning (SEL) has shown to be beneficial to not only mental health but it also improves academic performance. Research shows that students who participate in SEL gain an increase in academic performance, reduced rates of aggression and increased behavioral competencies. The purpose of this project was to introduce SEL into inclusive classrooms by making SEL accessible to all learners through the use of Universal Design for Learning and Gradual Release of Responsibility. Research supports the benefits SEL bring to the classroom, yet it is not vastly implemented. Students with disabilities especially have a harder time grasping social emotional cues and so explicit SEL can benefit this population immensely. In many ways, these students do not get to participate because lessons are either not differentiated for them or they are participating in pull out services. This project is to be carried out in elementary school from grades K-5. The lessons are easily adaptable, include differentiated lessons, and adapted worksheets. This can also be used as a pacing guide for educators looking to implement SEL into their classrooms.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Special Education
- Creator:
- Higinio, Eliseo
- Description:
- As technology becomes more abundant in society, digital information is also becoming the norm. With the growing dependability on digital communications, school districts are doing away with paper newsletters and relying on digital platforms to bridge home-school communications. This convenient form of communication places parents, more specifically Latino parents with limited access to computers or the internet at a disadvantage. This digital divide affects Latino parent involvement and places English language learners at an academic disadvantage, as research supports the idea that involved parents increase student academic achievement (Becker, 2007; Cheung & Pomerantz, 2012). This technology curriculum was designed specifically for Latino parents in an effort to provide access to technology and the internet. Parents integrate inherent knowledge and skill sets to acquire complex technological skills. In this manner, parents are able to actively participate in the 21st century classroom. This project provided technology skills to 10 Latino parents in a rural community of North San Diego County. The curriculum covers the fundamentals of technology and builds to more complex tasks such as creating presentations, documents and movies. Additionally, this curriculum encourages parents to become advocates for their and their students’ needs and challenge the status quo of equity and access in a digital age.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Takeshita, Tori
- Description:
- Currently, many schools do not have the funding for the arts programs in schools and with the switch to Common Core State Standards, there is a greater emphasis on Mathematics and English Language Arts. Not only are the arts beneficial for all students, but it allows students with and without disabilities the opportunities to foster relationships and communicate in a different way. Therefore, creating a music and dance, arts integrated curriculum ensures that the arts can be taught in the general education classroom while meeting the needs of all learners. This project contains a scope and sequence of a music and dance, arts integrated curriculum for first grade as well as a 4-week unit integrating music and dance with social studies content. The unit contains four lessons, the first being a music or dance lesson that will be incorporated throughout the rest of the unit and school year. The goal of this project is to provide general education teachers the necessary tools and activities to utilize a music and dance integrated curriculum and foster an inclusive environment for all learners. Keywords: Arts Integration, Dance Integration, Integrated Curriculum, Integrated Arts Curriculum, Inclusion, Inclusive Classrooms, Learning Styles, Multiple Intelligences, Music Integration, and Universal Design for Learning.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Special Education
- Creator:
- Knox, Valerie E
- Description:
- What do colleges, American corporations, and state government have in common? Each spends an astronomical amount of money annually for remedial writing instruction: college campuses spend approximately $1 billion to boost freshmen writing skills; American corporations spend as much as $3.1 billion, and state governments spend approximately one quarter of a billion of taxpayers' dollars ("Most American Students Must Improve Writing," A Ticket to Work Sec A:4, A Powerful Message from State Government 6). The publicly funded university has a wealth of excellent writing resources in faculty and graduate students that if engaged could improve the overall writing health of its community. One successful means to engage students in the community is through community service learning, a pedagogy in which students serve in the community doing planned and meaningful activities that meet both a community identified need and the course's goal and objectives. At California State University San Marcos, the Office of Community Service Learning, the Literature and Writing Graduate Studies program and Human Resources and Equal Opportunity created a synergistic partnership to launch the Professional Writing Workshop Series. The series is designed for the professional working adult who wants to gain confidence in his/her writing ability. Key words: graduate students, English graduate students, community service learning, service learning, professional writing, writing projects, facilitating writing Item only available to the CSUSM community. Authentication with campus user name and password required.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Literature and Writing Studies
- Creator:
- Beagle, Taylor
- Description:
- Much research in the field has established that many new teachers struggle with maintaining a balance and leveraging support with responsibilities in their professional lives, particularly those who serve in the field of special education. In turn, these factors contribute to the high attrition rates prevalent in the special education teaching field. Induction programs are one method that states, including California, utilize in an attempt to address this issue. Despite pointed efforts, data shows that attrition rates have continued to grow, even with induction programs in place. The formal mentoring that constitutes a large portion of most induction programs is examined in this work and has revealed a gap between the less beneficial formal process and the more success found in informal mentoring strategies at retaining education specialists. This study discusses this gap in research that has resulted in a training manual about the best methods and strategies to incorporate informal mentoring procedures into typically formal induction programs within California. Incorporating informal mentoring includes a) establishing a rapport with mentees, b) developing and maintaining trust, c) phrasing feedback to alleviate pressure, and d) appropriately structuring formal meetings. The training manual explores and provides an alternative approach which is promising for both mentors and new teachers.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Special Education
- Creator:
- Todd, Bryan
- Description:
- Students in my middle school science courses often describe the material as not relevant to their lives and future, and as a result seem to take an apathetic approach to their learning. To better understand why my students feel that some science topics are not important, and how I can increase student interest in science phenomena through my classroom teaching, I investigated the research question: What shapes students’ interest in engaging in science curriculum? To help define and investigate the main research question, the following subquestions guided my inquiry: In what ways, if at all, do my students ascribe importance to science phenomena? How does the learning structure and pedagogical approaches used in my classroom shape students’ interest in science, if at all? There were two major findings revealed through this study: Students find science important when they feel a connection to the topics. Students feel more interest towards science when they have hands on activities to explore science phenomena and their teachers show interest in the material and students. My research study has shown understanding students’ interests and demonstrating how science can directly impact students’ lives and future will increase their inquisitiveness and thereby engagement with science curriculum. Students enjoy learning science more when they have an encouraging environment where they know their teacher has their best interest at heart and when they have multiple activities to engage with curriculum, such as hands-on engineering projects and labs.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Crawford, Ashley
- Description:
- With a great need in our nation for innovative thinkers in the careers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), it becomes crucial that educators capture the power of STEM education at the middle school level (National Academies, 2007). During this impressionable time, students can be encouraged to learn problem-solving skills that promote STEM careers. This project created a yearlong STEM curriculum that provides middle school science educators with resources to implement lessons that support developing skills needed for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. The lessons and resources utilize mobile learning with iPads to integrate with STEM curriculum. The curriculum aligns with the Common Core State Standards and the California science standards for grades six through eight. Each module is designed to capture the interest of students at the middle level grades and creates challenges that require students to learn science, engineering, technology, and mathematics in creative and innovative ways.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Equipado, Krisanto
- Description:
- Vaccines have been considered the most effective intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. However, there have been recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and infant deaths linked to unvaccinated children. These children are unvaccinated because new parents are worried about vaccine efficacy, and vaccine safety, and healthcare professionals are unable to provide proper education. Currently, newborn vaccine education is not incorporated in parenting classes, which further impacts awareness of the significance of vaccine benefits. This grant proposal is focused on the study of the impact of newborn vaccine education implemented in parenting classes on primigravida women or parents. The participants’ vaccine knowledge will be assessed using questionnaires related to vaccine knowledge, and reassessed two weeks after they are shown a vaccine education video. The participants will then be reassessed two and four months after giving birth to see if the proper vaccines have been given to their newborn per CDC guidelines. This study is significant to healthcare professionals and the community as it will raise awareness that it is essential to provide early vaccine education on primigravida vaccine safety and effectiveness.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Nursing
- Creator:
- Engles, Brooke
- Description:
- There is a shortage of support for educators willing to teach an inclusive classroom. The lack of training and experience in an inclusive setting, which would include a wide range of disabilities. What are the benefits and improvements that need to be addressed in an inclusive classroom? Having to continually modify lesson plans, teaching strategies and activities that would include all students to help them be successful in the classroom. The research is based upon the behaviorist, and cognitive learning theories. The goal is to transpose the ideology of the learning theories into teaching strategies that can be used within an inclusive classroom.
- Resource Type:
- Capstone project
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Liberal Studies
- Creator:
- Briggs, Sterling
- Description:
- My study is a critical analysis of the reproduction of structural oppression within contemporary high school Social Studies and Sociology. The purpose of my critical analysis was to identify whether or not classroom content within Social Studies and Sociology reproduced various modes of oppression through the process of covert and overt discriminatory practices. The significance of my study is reflective of the growing diverse student population to which represents intersecting social identities that may fall victim to multiple modes of discrimination and oppression. My study is theoretically informed by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s Color-Blind Racism (CBR), Gloria Ladson-Billings Critical Race Theory (CRT), Kimberle Williams-Crenshaw’s Intersectionality, and Herbert Blumer’s theoretical concept of Symbolic Interactionism. Utilizing a mix methods approach of quantitative content analysis and qualitative discourse analysis, I conducted a comparative study in which I examined (2) Social Studies U.S. History Classes and (1) Sociology Class, all three from high schools within the City of San Diego. To answer my research question, “does high school coursework within Social Studies and Sociology challenge or reproduce conditions of inequality?”, I coded a combined total of 2,124 documents representing curriculum, textbooks, daily assignments, PowerPoint presentations and visual images. From my quantitative and qualitative analysis of classroom content I was able to identify numerous examples of how current Social Studies and Sociology reproduce multiple modes of oppression, through the construction of heteronormativity, colorblind racist and overt racist ideology, and the practice of exclusion. My study is just a small glimpse of the reproduction of white eurocentric colonialism that without a critical lens operates covertly, maintaining power and privileges for heteronormative men while reproducing various modes of oppression for marginalized groups.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Sociological Practice
- Creator:
- Regan, Holly
- Description:
- This thesis investigates the ways in which choice shapes middle school students’ engagement in novel study. I asked the following research questions: How do my students’ views on engaging novel study shift following the integration of more choice? Also, in what ways does choice reduce students’ barriers to learning from novel study units? Through my research, I found that students enjoy the freedom to choose the learning products they complete during novel study and that they felt more comfortable when they were able to discuss the novel in small groups of their choice. The results of my research have illustrated the importance of allowing students opportunities for more autonomy in the classroom. Teachers can foster engagement by implementing more instances of structured choice during novel study units.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ha, Taehoon and Alvarez, Olympia
- Description:
- The emergence of antimicrobial resistance presents a global health concern. These infections can result in adverse or fatal health outcomes. Due to this phenomenon, the scientific community must consider effective alternative or supplemental treatments such as bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophage therapy has been in existence for at least a century and has shown to alleviate multidrug resistant infections in multiple clinical trials in the former Soviet Union. However, at the present time, there are limited large-scale clinical evidence performed on patients in vivo, except for a few cases in the United States and Europe. The research question for this capstone project is “What are the perceived barriers to clinical research for bacteriophage therapy?” In this capstone paper, we explore the perceived barriers to clinical research through the evaluation of laboratory articles, human compassionate case studies and phage expert surveys. Both recent non-human in vitro and in vivo animal laboratory articles (n=10, post-2010) and human clinical articles (n=10, post-2009) present perceived barriers as further lab testing needed and large-scale clinical trials needed, respectively. The online survey from 29 phage experts state that perceived barriers consist of lack of funding and willing laboratories to perform clinical research, the scientific unknowns of bacteriophage therapy (i.e. side effects, bacterial resistance development, long term effects post-treatment and genes with unknown functions), the pharmaceutical lobby and the lack of rigorous clinical trials data outlining pharmacology, safety and efficacy. These perceived barriers influence the current state of bacteriophage therapy and explain the slow and cautious progression of the field. Bacteriophage therapy potentially serves as a promising treatment to avert further global morbidity and mortality. The acknowledgement and eventual removal of these perceived barriers would help to make it more accessible in medicine.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Public Health
- Creator:
- Bedford, Amanda
- Description:
- The rationale for this project is to create a user-friendly manual for general education teachers on how to create a clear vision as to how a successful inclusive teaching model can be implemented within their classroom. This manual is entitled A Clear Vision for an Inclusive Classroom: How to Ensure All Students are Successful and provides concrete suggestions for classroom designs, behavioral management, and techniques on how to differentiate instruction for all students. The manual addresses six areas of inclusion: learning styles, classroom design, classroom rules, classroom jobs, behavioral management, and differentiation. All of the information provided supports general education teachers to result in full inclusion for special education students, higher student participation, and a decrease in student non-academic behaviors. This manual was purposely designed for elementary school general education teachers and classrooms because of the experience of the researcher as an elementary special educator.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Nash, Noja
- Description:
- Children in foster care with greater medical complexities are at risk for undesirable placement outcomes. Youth with disabilities are more likely to be placed in group homes or institutions due to lack of placement options. This population is faced with multiple challenges. Childhood exposure to adversities often lead to behavior problems, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, maladaptive coping, and lowered school performance. However, not all children exposed to adversities develop problems, and this is due to resilience. Resilience is the ability to overcome stress or adversity, or it is resistance to environmental risks. Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI) helps individuals to identify their thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies, and can be beneficial in targeting resilience in foster children. In this proposed study, RCI will be administered to medical fragile children with depression aged 10 to 16 to assess resilience. Coping and resiliency will be measured with Children’s Coping Strategies Checklist (CCSC), Child Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (CSDQ), and The Hope Questionnaire (HQ).
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Nursing
- Creator:
- Ruiz, Concepcion
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to assess hypertension and malnutrition among Latinos living in rural areas in Half Moon Bay, CA. This study examined the relationship between hypertension, cultural beliefs, and stress factors. Additionally, this study examined the relationship between malnutrition, access to food, and socioeconomic status. During this study, it was found out that immigrant Latinos living in rural areas, often face many difficulties due to factors such as cultural beliefs, stress factors, access to healthy foods, and socioeconomic status. This study aimed to gather sufficient data through a survey containing contextual information. The findings of this study were used to create more awareness and a better understanding of our local communities. Data were obtained from a health assessment survey distributed to N=80 participants. All participants were patients of the Coastside RotaCare Clinic, females, and males between the ages of 18-65 years old. There was no significant difference observed in the relationship between hypertension and access to healthy foods, stress, and socioeconomic status. However, there was a significant difference was observed between hypertension and cultural beliefs of using home remedies. In this study, there was no significant difference between malnutrition and access to healthy foods, and socioeconomic status. Also, there was no significant between hypertension and stress. Thus there was a significant difference between hypertension and cultural beliefs. The findings indicate that there may be other determent factors that contribute to hypertension and malnutrition among Latinos living in rural communities. This study recommends further research utilizing other factors that investigate different measurements other than demographics and basic historical data.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Public Health
- Creator:
- Baker, Kerry
- Description:
- The witch figure has long been the quintessential female villain. On the surface she is menacing and dangerous because she casts harmful spells and hurts children; on a deeper level she is a threat to the stability of heteronormative and patriarchal Christian societies. The European and North American witch hunts of the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries brought her supposed existence to life while leaving many in modern times to wonder why the witch hunts occurred and how they persisted for so long. Even though the executions have stopped, and magic is not generally perceived as the threat it once was, there is no doubt that her importance as an icon of wickedness still captivates us today. Her history as a practitioner of magic and malevolence in literature can be traced at least as far back as the murderous mother, Medea, in ancient Greece. Since then she has inhabited various iterations of the character in Western literature from Circe to Morgan le Fay to the Weird Sisters in Europe, and Marie Laveau to Tituba in America. She has also appeared in films as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. While each of these characters are unique, they all share some consistent attributes: independence and autonomy, the use of magic and/or the perceived ability to produce nefarious outcomes, and their female gender. Appearing in literature and films during times of economic or cultural instability, the witch figure oftentimes parallels anxieties surrounding the changing position of women in societies. Such is the case with Jadis in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, as well as the Grand High Witch and her coven in The Witches by Roald Dahl. Both texts participate in a lengthy and sexist tradition of the vilification of women via the witch figure.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Literature & Writing Studies
- Creator:
- Corbo, Jennifer
- Description:
- This paper explores teacher and school policies relating to gender and gender identity. Many schools only offer facilities and policies for genders identified with their sex assigned at birth without taking into consideration those students that identify as transgender, gender fluid, or non-binary. Research on this topic include online resources, autobiographies, and an interview with a community partner. The traditional policies are not conforming to the current gender identities and need to be updated to accommodate all students. Information and statistics were performed by online resources and were found to be contradictory to our current policies.
- Resource Type:
- Capstone project
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Liberal Studies
- Creator:
- Compton, Rebecca
- Description:
- It is the evidence in this thesis that demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between art and advertising and the paralleled paths of the two. The back and forth between the two industries illuminates the way they have propelled each other forward. Advertising looked to art for the creativity factor. This has become the most important element of the advertising agency, while the influence on a viewer has become a focus of activist art. From the artists’ exploration of advertising, they found their own voice in the structural aspects of the industry.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Creator:
- Ordoñez Ocampo, Eric Diego
- Description:
- Probably not known to most of the general public are how many military commands are in actuality dual commands. There is a mixed working relationship between military and civilian federal employees, and in the case of leadership, both Senior Military and Civilian government employees (General Schedule-GS) function together in leadership positions. The uniqueness of this type of dual leadership in an organization creates advantages and disadvantages when compared to the typical private or public sector organizations. The private and public organizations can adapt to changing internal and external forces more so than ever before due in part to technological advances and the establishing and coordination of cross-departmental and cross-functional teams to achieve goals. Contrastingly, the military being primarily a traditional hierarchy is not as quickly adaptable to change. In the context of the current recession, the publicity of scandals involving fraud, waste, and abuse such as the recent GSA and Secret Service scandals, the future outlook of our Naval forces, and the results of Command Managed Equal Opportunity surveys and a focus group, this thesis explores leadership and organizational issues, problems, and implications as applied to a Navy Training Support Center.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration