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- Creator:
- Alsuhaimi, Jenan
- Description:
- This study investigated elementary teachers’ perceptions of substitute teachers, their qualifications, training, and professional development. A survey was used to collect responses from participants recruited via non-random convenient sampling. The participants in this study are teachers of record from elementary schools in urban Los Angeles Unified School District, and a foreign Arab country. Results suggest the expanding role of substitute teachers due to the increased need for them in K-12 teaching. The findings suggest that substitute teachers are also essential in guiding students to higher academic achievement. In order to foster this achievement, the administration should select substitute teachers with higher qualifications and provide them with training and development opportunities. It is recommended that substitute teachers should be afforded a more formal and standardized role in elementary schools. It is also recommended that they should be offered career pathways to join the profession full time.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
2. The effects of video peer modeling among preschool children with autism in the area of pretend play
- Creator:
- Barrera, Karen
- Description:
- Children with autism exhibit difficulties with attention deficits, play skills, communicative skills and repetitive behaviors. On occasion, lack of these skills may lead to being a social outcast among their peers. With guidance and modeling from peers of the same age, children with autism demonstrate improved social interactions and play among peers. This study examined the effects of a six-week peer video modeling intervention focused on the area of pretend play of two preschool children with autism. A total of four participants were involved in the study. Two typically developing participants with age-appropriate pretend play skills acted as peer models for the two participants who had an eligibility of autism. The findings revealed scattered gains in play and social engagement among preschool children with autism.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Special Education
- Creator:
- Baez, Stefani
- Description:
- This paper demonstrates that the findings of Black Feminist Theory run parallel to the themes of selected novels by famed black female authors such as: Maya Angelou, Toni Cade Bambara, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. These authors address core theoretical black feminist themes in their literary work including: oppression in the workplace, oppression in their own homes, the importance of fighting detrimental black stereotypes, exclusive standards of beauty in America, the importance of valuing community over patriarchy, the importance of sisterhood, autonomy, and the preservation of black masculinity. Though the literary approach is different from the social scientific approach, that being fictional and artistic versus factual and didactic, the thematic similarities are an almost perfect reflection. This paper illustrates how the authors under discussion support black feminist ideas and use their literary platform to create stories that shed light on historical and daily oppressions against black women.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Bradley, Tawny
- Description:
- This study provides research on using differential reinforcement and the token economy system, simultaneously, to determine the effectiveness of using a combination of strategies to decrease disruptive behaviors in children with autism. Participants included two children in a special day class. They were chosen based on the frequency of their disruptive behaviors. Results of the study indicate using this particular combination of behavior interventions was effective in decreasing disruptive behaviors in the two participants. Limitations of the research implicate further studies using a larger population are needed, as well as researching other combinations of behavior intervention strategies, in efforts to educate and to assist educators in the classroom.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
- Creator:
- Brown, Aaron M.
- Description:
- This study explores the concept of mythic monstrosity and how John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien) used it within his own literature. It analyzes the concept of evil in literary creatures by looking at the traits that they exhibit in medieval literature, in their modem variants, and the meanings of the words used to describe them. Monstrous mythic creatures examined include dragons, light and dark alfar, shape-shifters and humans. Tolkien's use of monsters, relative to his experiences during the World Wars, is also examined
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
6. The Alchemist and the Magician: quality improvement through empathy and learning in complex systems
- Creator:
- Davies, Robert S.
- Description:
- At the heart of Quality Assurance is Qualia, man’s ability to understand one other as a species. Understanding the customer requirements of a product or service requires empathy. This thesis will explain how quality assurance permits laboratorians to work effectively within healthcare systems, understand the voice of the customer and meet their requirements. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from medical laboratory professionals employed in Canada. Four psychometric instruments were used to determine if: (a) Autistic personality types are prevalent, (b) Machiavellian personality types are prevalent and, (c) the cultural characteristics of the workforce. Personality styles point to learning system archetypes in the human brain. A neurocognitive model called the Triadic Adaptive Learning System (TALiS) is proposed. A vision for humanity, called The Quality System of Goodness, is presented. This cybernetic system is supported by the ethics, science and philosophy of Integral Permaculture. Opportunities for further research are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Garcia, Javier
- Description:
- This paper analyzes the representation of the city in Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus. The competitive conflict between the characters Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Mozart of the play, two classical composers competing for the adulation of Emperor Joseph II, the late eighteenth-century ruler of Vienna, indirectly reveals interactions relevant to the relationship humans have to their city. These considerations fall under two of Carl Schorske’s conceptualizations of the eighteenth and nineteenth-century European city, the “city as virtue” and “city as vice.” Thus, the conflict between Salieri and Mozart will illustrate the nature of industry, art, and competition in relation to Schorske’s two concepts of the city, manifested in the play, while offering a new interpretation of Shaffer’s work.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Herzberg, Christopher
- Description:
- In the early 1930s, a group of writers met each week and discussed their literary works in progress. The types of support varied from confidence builder to constructive criticism from fellow writers. Many times, Tolkien and Lewis’s discourse resulted in the final drafts of pieces of literature. This study uses primary and secondary sources that pertain to the Inklings, specifically C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien’s collective provision of literary support to one another. This thesis addresses the following topics: (1) how war service impacted the fantastical ideologies of Lewis and Tolkien who both had served in various roles during World War I, (2) how the Inklings improved the selected writings of the authors Tolkien and Lewis, (3) how Tolkien’s support and Lewis’s views on theology impacted their writing and spiritual beliefs, and (4) how the camaraderie formed in the Inklings defined authors Tolkien and Lewis.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Lingenfelter, Laura
- Description:
- The iconography of ancient Maya art addresses Maya mythology and communicates the Maya belief system. The decipherment of Maya glyphs has contributed to the understanding of the historical circumstances of much of ancient Maya art; however, the art is more accurately and completely understood by examining the meaning of the images in relationship to myth. While the form of specific artistic works is laudable, the primary focus of this discussion is on the subject matter and reasons for certain innovations. Art can only be understood in the context of its culture and the presentation of certain contemporary Maya beliefs and practices contributes to an understanding of ancient Maya art. By means of examining images, symbols and the rituals illustrated in the art, conjectures have been made as to the reason for the innovative inclusion of a female figure as the primary actor in a series of lintels in Yaxchilan.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Moss, Victoria M.
- Description:
- Research demonstrates that meditators perform better than non-meditators on neuropsychological tests of frontal systems functioning. Thus, meditation may improve frontal lobe-regulated activities (e.g., attention), which could, in turn, have important clinical or educational applications. The current study predicted meditators would outperform non-meditators on four neuropsychological tests of frontal systems function (i.e., the Ruff 2 & 7 Test, the Stroop Color Word Test, the Trail Making Test, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test). These tests were administered to two demographically similar groups of meditators (n = 17) and non-meditators (n = 13). Results indicated meditators outperformed non-meditators on a test of selective attention (the Ruff 2 & 7 Test), but not on any other measures. Interpretation of results suggests meditation may lead to improvements in selective attention, but not working memory, set-shifting, or verbal fluency. Results are discussed in light of study limitations and directions for future research.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Reyburn, Paul
- Description:
- This study utilizes the genealogical method of historical analysis originated by French philosopher Michel Foucault to examine systems of discourse in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. According to Foucauldian theory, statements that are considered to be knowledge or truth in a given historical period result from exercises of power, which consequently generate new knowledge. In Conrad’s novella, the discussion of the antagonist Kurtz’s prowess as an ivory trader and his dedication to “civilizing” the inhabitants of the Congo Free State reflects the “truths” of the discourse produced by the nineteenth century European imperialist powers. This imperialist discourse emphasized the synergistic relationship between European economic prosperity and humanitarian efforts in the African colonies. As both a first class trading agent and man of moral ideas, Kurtz embodies this synergy. Statements made about Kurtz by the other characters in the novella, in turn, serve to legitimize European colonization of the Dark Continent.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of English
- Creator:
- Ruiz, Victor
- Description:
- This paper presents key theories for applying measurement system analysis—in particular Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (GR&R) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)—to determine the source of variation. Additionally, the thesis presents the theory and application of Process Capability studies (Cp or Cpk) to determine the real capability of manufacturing processes and when and how to use these two approaches. It also provides the formula for estimates that may help the analyst determine the overall adequacy of the production process. Finally, this study proposes a procedure using the DMAIC improvement model. It employs GR&R studies, ANOVA, and the criteria to determine acceptability of the measurement system, based on indices such as precision-to-tolerance ratio (PTR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), discrimination ratio (DR), and the acceptance criteria for the manufacturing process, using process capability indices to assist the analyst in deciding the needed action for improvement.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Sewell, Layla
- Description:
- In recent decades, child welfare has shed a spotlight on the disparate and disproportional status of African Americans and Native Americans. An analysis of this social problem and a discussion of a historical perspective are addressed. Disparity includes the services provided to these two groups are inadequate in relevancy. This study focuses on the limited number of parent education programs that are culturally relevant to African American parents. The Afrocentric Parent Program is newly designed to address such need and a sample of this curriculum is used in this study. A program evaluation is utilized to compare African American parents’ perspective of taking a class with and without an Afrocentric component. Parents evaluated their experience with qualitative surveys. Findings revealed that parents appreciated the Afrocentric focus and utilized parental strategies at home. Furthermore, parent education targeted to African American families needs to be fully accessible nationwide.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of Social Work
- Creator:
- Simmons, Meredith
- Description:
- Although frequently remembered as theatrical entertainment, the works of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II also serve as a lasting way to measure the impact of history on culture and vice versa. From Oklahoma! to the Sound of Music, each Rodgers and Hammerstein production is based on a literary source, ranging from short stories to memoirs. These sources are each substantially altered during their journey from page to stage, offering the opportunity to evaluate these changes as a microcosm of culture. This essay investigates the alterations that Rodgers and Hammerstein made in the process of writing their musicals as a way to measure the impact of American culture on the social, economic, and political climate of the eras in which they were written and staged. Through this evaluation, it becomes clear that the productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein serve as more than just masterpieces; they are living pieces of American history.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Stansberry, Jr., Reese Eldon
- Description:
- Because the nature of instruction in Ancient Greece was focused on the formation of the perfect citizen, this study will center on the intent of the initiative known as paideia which helped to formulate what the citizens thought about certain topics and what role each would play in the success of the polis. This idea of instruction was attempted by Alexander Meiklejohn in the early twentieth century at the post-secondary levels. This thesis focuses on the study of the aforementioned ideas in the form of a philosophical narrative, using Sociological and New Historicist approaches to text. It uses translated primary and secondary sources as the basis to understanding how paideia worked, what the effects were on the political structure of Ancient Greece, and the implementation of paideia in Meiklejohn’s experiments in higher education.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Swenson, Casey
- Description:
- This thesis is an investigation into the decision to maintain the use of the death penalty during the French Revolution. One of the most recognizable features of the Revolution was the very public use of the guillotine, and yet in the early stages there was considerable debate over the moral and practical implications of such a punishment. In researching the philosophical attitudes of the preceding Enlightenment, and the arguments at the Constituent Assembly, it becomes clear that while intellectuals were ready to contemplate prohibition of capital punishment, the leaders of the French government opted for a more moderate adjustment of sentencing to a single, seemingly humane alternative form of execution. This paper concludes that this pivotal decision prevented truly revolutionary penal reform and perhaps set back the progress of the Revolution as a whole.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Tamuno-Koko, Affie
- Description:
- As companies continue to adopt quality management principles, attaining employee commitment towards quality goals remains difficult. Researchers have identified a correlation between employee involvement and an organization’s prospects for achieving quality goals. Performance appraisal is predominantly used by organizations to assess employee engagement and commitment towards quality initiatives. Researchers highlight the shortcomings of performance appraisals. The propensity of the practice in some cases deters employees from furthering organizational performance, for this practice can negatively impede employee development and commitment. Performance appraisals are fundamental to organizational success. The purpose of this paper is to examine closely performance appraisal practices and identify elements necessary for quality. Furthermore, this paper introduces the quality management standard ISO 10018:2012 Quality Management Guidelines on People Involvement and Competence as a framework for designing performance appraisal inclusive of quality elements. This framework provides support for performance appraisal practices in capturing and sustaining employee commitment to quality initiatives.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Warick, Mindy
- Description:
- Republican, utopian, poet, historian, and the first true “man of letters,” Robert Southey had a prodigious amount to say; yet very little of his passionate life’s work is recalled, let alone studied. One seemingly insignificant contribution remains in the public awareness – “The Story of the Three Bears.” Published within The Doctor, which is generally thought to be merely diverting nonsense, but is, in fact, full of useful information about Southey’s life and times, and this nursery tale had a personal significance to Southey. This thesis provides a brief overview of Southey's complex life, a careful analysis of the ameliorating insights contained within The Doctor, and a close reading of “The Story of the Three Bears.” This reading shows how a humorous tale incorporates within it Southey's ideas about societal order, stoic control, the joys of literature, and the importance of education.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Whalon, Shelly
- Description:
- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), passed by Congress in 2010, created an increased focus on safe and efficient transitions of care. Case management programs in acute care hospitals have a significant role in the coordination of care. Patients and hospital operations will greatly benefit from an effective high-performing case management program. Research for this project concluded that a Balanced Scorecard (BSC)methodology would provide a framework to identify and achieve objectives designed to improve patient care and lower cost. However, a guide for implementing BSC in an acute care hospital’s case management program did not exist. This project utilizes project management principles to develop a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) implementation guide for use by a person managing the case management program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Zaki, Ayman
- Description:
- Quality practices in the food industry have been shaped by food safety regulations. Regulatory requirements are established to ensure delivering safe products, yet they do not provide a solid preventive framework for quality practices. The lack of the systems approach leaves a gap through which major and frequent problems occur. As a result, the food sector has experienced major quality failures that are manifested in microbial outbreaks and extensive market recalls. Quality practices should not be limited to regulatory standards. Food organizations should embrace a quality management approach to structure and maintain their food safety practices. With this approach, food organizations can develop effective preventive initiatives rather than the appraisal regulatory activities. Implementing quality management in food organizations can be achieved by incorporating quality management elements within the existing regulatory standards or by implementing voluntary quality schemes such as Food Safety Management certifications and Baldrige criteria.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Ceely, Keith
- Description:
- Research has shown that music can elicit positive effects in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research has also indicated that the daily routines of family members become crucial when member of the family has ASD. This qualitative study was designed to examine the use of music in the daily routines of families of children with ASD. A survey was administered to twenty participants, all of whom were all parents of children with ASD. The results of the data obtained from the surveys indicated that music plays a substantial part in the routines of children with ASD in the home environment. Music was shown to be conducive in motivating children with ASD to participate in family activities, complete tasks, and improving behavior. This information may provide valuable insight to professionals and families who seek to create efficient and manageable routines for children with ASD.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
- Creator:
- Wesley, Edwards P.
- Description:
- The cognitive science of religion (CSR) has risen to prominence in the 21st Century as the latest in the long history of natural explanations for religious belief. It is, however, unique in at least two ways: it is well supported empirically, and it explains and predicts the broad contours of the universal phenomenon of religious thought and behavior, including its most counter-intuitive aspects. These unique features create fresh insight into certain contentious questions within the epistemology of religion. This paper focuses specifically on the CSR’s epistemic significance for the rational justification of theism, and defends the view that CSR's findings significantly diminish this justification.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
23. Hold the line: rank-and-file activism and leadership during the Southern California grocery strike
- Creator:
- Hart, Matthew
- Description:
- This thesis is a qualitative study that examined the conditions and experiences that helped to foster activism within a subset of rank-and-file union members during and after the Southern California grocery strike of 2003-2004. The study was conducted through a series of interviews with individuals who had previously not been involved in union activities, but rose to formal or informal leadership positions during or after the labor dispute. This study also examined how these ranks-and-file activists altered their level of consciousness and understanding of power. The conclusion reached was that combined structural access and opportunities, as well as, the shift in perspective and consciousness that helped create the conditions for rank-and-file activism and leadership to emerge. This shift in perspective and consciousness was rooted in the experiences of the conflict itself and the personal identities and experiences of those individuals involved in the labor dispute.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Hromadka, Jeff
- Description:
- This project examines the causes for the decline of religious participation in the United States during the last forty years. The goal is to show that Americans have become more accepting of a secular lifestyle in the face of social, technological, political, and economic changes during the same period. These changes have allowed more Americans to feel that they don't need to belong to a religious institution to feel morally upstanding. This is accomplished by analyzing numerous surveys that questioned the level of importance of religion in American lives, as well as, examining the number of Americans actively attending church or claiming affiliation with a major religion. Through showing the reasons fewer Americans are attending church, the reader will understand that Americans have not turned their back on God but instead found new definitions of being spiritual, finding self-improvement, or directing their focus to better fit their lifestyle and experiences without feeling they are missing an important component in their life.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Keene, Janice L.
- Description:
- In The Voyage Out, Mrs. Dalloway, and To the Lighthouse, there are moments when Virginia Woolf suggests that death is preferable to marriage. However, there are enough exceptions to these grim notions that one must call into question the idea that Woolf is entirely opposed to marriage; there are also moments when she shows the reader the benefits of marriage. These contradictions reveal that Woolf’s outlook on marriage is nuanced and open to multiple interpretations. This thesis explores Woolf’s conflicting views on marriage as portrayed by several protagonists. Through the portrayal of the Dalloways, Woolf shows the benefits of respecting each other’s privacy in a marriage, for in order to thrive as a couple, one must also thrive as an individual. Ultimately, Woolf portrays marriage as neither a wholly positive or negative experience; instead, her characters demonstrate the ways in which marriage involves benefits and sacrifices for both parties involved.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Keene, Paul
- Description:
- Ottoman defeat in the First World War (1914-1918) removed the economic and governing structures that had shaped Palestinian politics for over 400 years. The series of agreements made between the peoples of the Middle East and the major powers, particularly the United Kingdom, coupled with rising nationalist sentiment in the area, established conditions that erupted into patterns of violence that persist into the present. Throughout the British Mandate period (1920-48) political institutions were developed but competing Jewish and Arab claims to the region remained unresolved and escalated into episodes of violence and war in 1948-49. This study examines (1) Palestinian institutions under Ottoman rule 1850- 1914, (2) Arab Nationalism during the First World War, (3) Palestinian leadership during the British Mandate, and (3) Collapse of the Palestinian Leadership by 1939. This study concludes that Palestinian nationalism was ultimately frustrated by a combination of internal discord within the Arab leadership, disruptive patterns of imperial control, and the efficacy of the Zionist movement.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of History
- Creator:
- Nadozie, Angela A.
- Description:
- This study sought to determine if Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), a reciprocal class wide peer-tutoring strategy (Saenz, Fuchs, & Fuchs, 2005), benefited fourth through fifth grade English Language Learner (ELL) students with Learning Disabilities (LD) in a general education English only setting. The study was carried out in a regular school setting. Five elementary students, assessed at far below grade level in reading, were selected and paired with typical same grade peers with advanced reading skills as measured by the California Standardized Test (CST) test scores. The students were given 30 minutes of PALS instruction three times a week, for 10 weeks, with focus on increasing reading comprehension. Reading Comprehension pre- and post-tests, in addition to, weekly Reading Comprehension quizzes were given during the treatment. The data was collected and analyzed for trends during the scope of the study. Results showed that all five students improved in reading comprehension skills.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
- Creator:
- O’Brien, Kaitlin Marie
- Description:
- With the overwhelming popularity of Facebook, researchers have found associations with its overuse such as negative impacts on relationships, mood, and addictive behaviors. Among these characteristics, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity and substance use are most common among Facebook addicts. Based on previous research, it was expected that individuals with emotion dysregulation would be impulsive leading to Facebook overuse—more common among substance users. The current study examined 291 diverse students using hierarchical multiple regressions to determine the predictive roles of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity in the likelihood of developing Facebook overuse among cigarette, alcohol and marijuana users and non-users. Results found that unlike previous research, emotion dysregulation was not predictive of impulsivity and impulsivity was not predictive of Facebook overuse. Overwhelmingly, emotion dysregulation was a main predictor of Facebook overuse as well as low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. Individuals who struggle with emotion regulation could be likely to develop Facebook overuse.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Mirabel, Adrian J.
- Description:
- This paper describes a new Genetic Programming method that leverages the benefits of Grammatical Evolution and high performance convergence of the bacterial conjugate operator. The new method replaces the standard Genetic Algorithm used in Grammatical Evolution, with a High Performance Genetic Algorithm in addition to an intelligent gene injection strategy that is shown to improve convergence rates and inheritability between generations for problems of moderate to high complex.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of Computer Science
- Creator:
- Petrinec, Bianca Tiara
- Description:
- This study sought to determine whether there was a difference in behavioral intervention strategies for decreasing self-stimulating behaviors when using a token system along with tangible reinforcers, versus using a token system alone for elementary students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The research focused on four elementary school students with autism spectrum disorder (high functioning), whose ages ranged from six- to nine-years-old. It was anticipated that providing different combinations of reinforcers would decrease self-stimulating behaviors in elementary students with ASD. With the intervention, fewer behaviors were demonstrated per hour using the token system and tangibles together versus using the token system alone. The use of these two combinations allowed subjects to decrease self-stimulating behaviors in an educational/home setting. Having multiple manipulatives and continuously modifying their likes allowed the subject access to desired reinforcement and yielded for fewer unwanted behaviors per hour.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
- Creator:
- Rodriguez, Veronica
- Description:
- Professional and organizational wrongdoings of publicly funded forensic laboratories have led to destructive outcomes. These outcomes have weakened the public’s faith in the criminal justice system. A root cause analysis provided an understanding on why transgressions occur. Audit findings were qualitatively analyzed and categorized. The use of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standard and ASCLD/LAB ISO 2011 supplemental requirements in the root cause analysis allowed the researcher to isolate the fragile areas of the laboratories’ quality management system (QMS). Pareto analyses of the findings in the isolated areas revealed the potential causes of laboratories transgressions. The study revealed that transgressions ultimately occur due to inadequate leadership, poor establishment of a quality culture and objectives, and failure to maintain a quality system, which affect other areas of the QMS. Defining what quality means to publicly funded forensic laboratories, increasing leadership skills, and adapting a just culture can reduce or prevent these adverse events.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Smith, Matthew
- Description:
- Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), compared to all other disability classifications, represent the largest proportion of students with disabilities in the United States (Zirkel, 2010). Now more than ever, students with disabilities are being included into the general education curriculum to the greatest extent possible. While the National Council for the Social Studies emphasizes rigorous learning, their framework is largely silent on how to teach students with special needs (2013). The Document-Based Lesson (DBL) teaches historical thinking skills by combining explicitly taught background knowledge with primary sources that, though accommodated for brevity, maintain the meaning of the text (Reisman, 2011). This qualitative study analyzed the benefits of teaching dbls to students with SLD by measuring to what extent dbls increased historical thinking among students with SLD. Results were statistically significant, concluding that the utilization of the DBL format can increase historical thinking skills among students with SLD.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
- Creator:
- Lueders, Laurel E.
- Description:
- Purpose: The intent of this thesis is to propose a collaborative landscape level management strategy for the Saline Valley Salt Tram (SVST). This unique aerial tramway was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1974 and was the first tramway to traverse an entire mountain range. With the passing of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, this historically significant site was placed within three separate federal land managing agencies jurisdictions: Death Valley National Park (DVNP), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ridgecrest Field Office, and BLM Bishop Field Office. Due to this, this structure has been managed with three distinct perspectives. The goal of this study is to utilize the SVST as an example for promoting holistic landscape level preservation for cultural resources that traverse borders. Methods: A review of available literature, past and present management plans, applicable legislation, and archival material was conducted in order to create a framework for conceptualizing the current state of the Saline Valley Salt Tram. In addition, the western slope of the project area was examined as a case study for comprehensive landscape management. A pedestrian survey was conducted and two other phases of historic manipulation of the landscape were discovered: a cluster of charcoal reduction sites that predate the SVST, and the modern interactions via a cherry-stemmed four-wheel drive road that acts as an access road into the Inyo Mountain Wilderness. Each of these three human interactions with the landscape were recorded and compiled onto Geospatial Inform System (GIS) Map. Findings: Discussions with employees of DVNP, BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, and BLM Bishop Field Office highlighted both similarities and differences in each agency’s belief regarding management of a NRHP site that sits within a designated wilderness. By focusing on the western slope for the case study, a pattern in natural and human disturbances was noted amongst SVST structures. Conclusions: The management dilemma surrounding the SVST stems directly from the restructuring of borders that placed the SVST across three agencies dominion and wilderness designations that were placed on land that has an extensive history of human manipulation. Acknowledging these factors, alongside reshaping how the public defines wilderness, are the first steps in unifying management. Recently, the California Desert Protection and Recreation Act of 2019 has passed which redefines borders between the National Park Service and BLM while designating large swathes of wilderness across southern California. Therefore, establishing the possibility of potential for fragmentation of a cultural resource.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Cultural Resources Management
- Creator:
- Guarino, Andrea
- Description:
- On December 30, 2004, my father murdered my mother. The wound left by my mother’s absence has never fully healed. This work is my attempt to describe what it felt like to lose everything in one day, to try and find my place in a new family, and to move forward in my relationship with my father. I have poured my soul onto these pages, and my hope is that all who read this memoir know they are not alone.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- English
35. Utilizing electronic soldering techniques to improve the quality of hermetic seals in CRT devices
- Creator:
- VanSickle, Damian
- Description:
- This thesis utilizes a novel approach to root cause analysis by conglomerating principles from three established quality models into a modified model that fits the unique circumstances of the study. The study investigates a problem of indium, used to create hermetic seals in image intensifier tubes, spattering during reflow. This causes a dark spot blemish in the field of view. Analog image intensifiers use an old technology to detect and intensify light that is out of the detection wavelength of humans. Though considered obsolete technology, a need for analog image intensifiers comes from the medical, cosmic, law enforcement, and military industries. Due to the combination of obsolete technology and Department of Defense classifications, little literature is available on the specifics of image intensifiers. This deficiency leads to a need to modify established root cause analysis and process improvement techniques to accommodate the unique nature of this study.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Walker, Christine
- Description:
- This thesis addresses three physical spaces in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the polar ice, the summit of Montanvert, and the Alsace region. In these locations, physical and political boundaries are fluid, and these locations connect the natural spaces with the physical spaces’ collective knowledge. Their physical presence, natural boundaries and man-made turmoil affect the characters while critical plot points occur. The polar ice lays bare the results of pushing nature’s boundaries. In the mountains of Montanvert, the sublime controls and distorts negotiations between creator and created. Alsace’s idealized farmland mimics a failed Edenic origin story. The French Revolution’s idealized philosophy, which was supported by Shelley’s parents, spawned the Reign of Terror’s numerous violations. The Napoleonic Wars exposed the danger of boundary violations without moral or ethical oversight. Frankenstein, in responding to these events, leaves a pointed legacy that reflects on the dangers of ignoring the influence of political and cultural boundaries.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of English
- Creator:
- Williams, Melissa L.
- Description:
- Marie de France was a poet who most likely wrote her works during the twelfth century in Anglo-Norman England. Her lais are a collection of twelve short, lyrical romances that she claims to have translated from Breton stories that originally circulated orally. Marie uses the themes and structure of the prologue to her lais to position herself as a critic and commentator of her texts in the predominantly masculine Latin commentary tradition. She applies this critical frame to common romance tropes and motifs that often served to affirm masculine ideals and political structures. The lais “Le Fresne” and “Lanval” both depict motifs that were familiar to medieval readers, but Marie subverts to motifs to comment on the plight of women in Anglo-Norman England. Marie uses her status as critical narrator to establish feminized spaces in her stories and give voices to women who are normally silent subjects to feudal politics.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of English
- Creator:
- Zorn, Robert H.
- Description:
- The term “filibuster” in the 1800s was nearly synonymous with, and a variation of, the word “freebooter;” pirate to some, liberator to others. Prompted by the belief in Manifest Destiny, increased tensions regarding slavery, the fear of a disappearing Southern identity, and a growing population of young, disaffected men in an increasingly industrialized society, the antebellum filibustering phenomenon left significant impressions on the perception of the American public, fueling the debate between southern and northern ideologies. An examination of antebellum news, literature, art, public opinion, and politics brings into focus the personalities of high-profile filibusters. This contemporaneous media coverage of antebellum filibustery also left an ideological imprint on Americans. While some Americans were sympathetic to filibustering, others were opposed to the practice and its themes of imperialism, racism, and sexism. The ideology was closely tied to the idea of American Exceptionalism, a mindset still seen in American thinking today.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Lowers, Aaron
- Description:
- This thesis examines how the title characters of Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March, Herzog, and Mr. Sammler 's Planet -make meaning of their life experiences . The study employs Viktor Frankl's logotherapy, a theoretical fusion of certain aspects of existential philosophy and psychotherapy that foregrounds meaning as a primary motivation in human beings. Frankl proposes three criteria for deriving meaning from human existence: " 1) by creating a work or doing a deed; 2) by experiencing something or encountering someone; and 3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering" (Man's Search 115). In essence, Frankl maintains that meaning can be found by being of service to others, in love, and in tr~scending the inherent suffering associat ed with human existence without succumbing to despair. This study examines the degree to which Augie March, Moses Herzog, and Artur Sammler accomplish these tasks , and seeks to glean humanistic lessons from the trio's experiences .
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Macy, Jason T.
- Description:
- The goal of this thesis is to examine Ralph Ellison’s literary masterpiece Invisible Man through the lens of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences in Basic Outline: Part 1: Science of Logic, Part 1: “More Detailed Conception and Division of the Logic.” More specifically, it shows how the narrator of the novel moves through Hegel’s triadic structure: “(α) the abstract side of the understanding, (β) the dialectical or negatively rational side, (γ) the speculative or positively rational side” (Hegel 125). This thesis proves that the narrator comes to a rational understanding of his grandfather’s deathbed advice by moving through the three stages. The narrator’s conclusion acknowledges the importance of the past and the importance of sublating its inherent dialectical tension in the creation of the presen
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Spillane, Susan J.
- Description:
- Budget strapped community colleges employ a high percentage of adjunct faculty to help them control costs. Unfortunately, high exposure to community college adjunct faculty has been linked to reduced student success rates. This creates a dilemma for community colleges. Studies have shown that adjunct faculty members have lower performance levels than full-time faculty in key areas that promote student success. Professional development training for adjunct faculty has been presented as a logical way to close this performance gap and improve student outcomes. However, the structure of traditional professional development creates some obstacles to its use for this purpose. This thesis presents a Lean improvement model for use in the creation and delivery of community college adjunct faculty professional development programs. Use of the model is expected to help community colleges overcome the challenges of using professional development as a vehicle to improve adjunct faculty instructional practices and increase student success
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Velsor, Andrea
- Description:
- This paper examines the concepts of identity and ownership of one’s body in relation to voluntary and involuntary tattoos. When personal agency has been removed through forcible tattooing, individuals can ultimately create new meaning for their involuntary tattoos. The study begins with analysis of the skin as an influence on personal identity, drawing primarily upon the theories of philosophers published in books and scholarly journals. The next section details how tattoos communicate individual identity and group membership with emphasis on the voluntary and involuntary tattoos on the historically marginalized groups of prison inmates, women, and more recently, victims of human trafficking. The final two sections examine the related concepts of tattoos that show ownership of the body and tattoos that mark the body as property of another, more powerful, individual or group. This study concludes that tattoos can be used to injure as well as repair the souls of tattooed individuals.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Al-Dossary, Maram
- Description:
- This study examines the use of art education to further student development in other subject areas, as well as in creative and problem-solving abilities. It focuses on students in the first grade. Often, art education is under-funded and underappreciated in curriculum planning. Some teachers are reluctant to attempt interdisciplinary art education. To assist those and other teachers in employing interdisciplinary art education, the study incorporates a series of lesson plans. These plans cover a range of subjects. The study also acknowledges limitations on its scope and recommendations for further research.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education
44. Integration of Lean practices to eliminate waste and improve productivity in software development
- Creator:
- Araujo, Gabriel
- Description:
- Software development organizations are in need of better quality practices and techniques to meet the demands of customers, increase the quality of software, and eliminate waste. Their goal is to ensure that products are high quality, fairly priced, and achieve customer expectations. This thesis presents the Lean Manufacturing Practice, developed by the Toyota Manufacturing System, that promotes the elimination of waste and incorporates the processes and concepts of Lean into the software development environment. The five fundamental principles (value, value stream, flow, pull, and perfection) are integrated into the context of software development. This study focuses on the principles of “Lean thinking” for improving the workflow, decreasing lead time, eliminating waste, conducting preventative maintenance, and increasing software quality. The intent of this study is to illustrate how Lean can eliminate waste and improve quality, which ultimately can lead to greater customer satisfaction in the context of software development.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Azer, Lilian
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to investigate physiological effects associated with tobacco use on cognitive functioning. This study also examined the association between tobacco use, depression and anxiety. It was hypothesized that when compared to non-smokers, smokers will have a decrease in cognitive functioning. It was also hypothesized that smokers will have an increase in blood pressure and cardiac output after a series of cognitive tasks. Lastly, it was hypothesized that smokers who smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a week along with an increased duration of tobacco use will have more depression and anxiety than smokers who smoke one or less packs of cigarettes a week. Participants included 34 (53%) non-smokers and 30 (47%) smokers. Results indicated that smokers have a decrease in cognitive functioning and an increase in blood pressure and cardiac output when compared to non-smokers. All other hypotheses were not supported.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Bouberhan, Nader
- Description:
- The 1990s were a time of political rebirth in Niger. On July 29, 1991, the Nigerien National Sovereign Conference convened, and it led to the revamping of Niger’s political system. The previous constitution was suspended. The sitting president was stripped of his power, and the people of Niger made an organized effort to create a new constitution and bring the nation under civilian rule. However, the effects of the National Sovereign Conference led to a weak transitional government and had little social impact on the nation.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Forsythe, Amanda C.
- Description:
- In order for a process to produce conforming materials or products consistently, the process owners must understand the impact of the process inputs on the outputs. Historically, organizations have failed to isolate the sources of variation in their processes, resulting in unpredictable outcomes. Further, in the medical device industry, regulatory agencies mandate that processes with unverified process outputs be validated. Using the molding of implantable silicone components as an example, this thesis explores the use of a process flow roadmap to assist with process validation, from development through monitoring. The paper also discusses the use of quality tools to detect special causes of variation once the process is live. Statistical techniques at each of the major process validation steps provide a method to quantify variation in order to isolate sections of the process for improvement. The methodology is designed to provide a simple and logical approach to executing process validation.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
48. The suitability of employee engagement for addressing point 8 of Deming’s 14 points of management
- Creator:
- Goodall, Charles Glenn
- Description:
- The eighth point of Deming’s Fourteen Points for Management is “Drive out fear.” This thesis explores the possibility that employee engagement could be used to adequately address the requirements of Deming’s eighth point. Three levels of comparison are used for the research model. One is literary, the second uses a mapping filter, and the third involves examples of fear provided by Deming. The hypothesis is crafted in three parts to correspond to this model. Programs of employee engagement are broken down so their actions could be mapped to corresponding categories involving the filter and Deming’s examples of fear. The research reveals employee engagement addresses fear, but not in all the ways Deming intended. Remedying one of his specific examples of fear requires adherence to his System of Profound Knowledge. The hypothesis fails because employee engagement does not fully address Deming’s eighth point in this research model.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Quality Assurance Program
- Creator:
- Jones, John E.
- Description:
- This study addressed the false film images that are perceived as true by the general public by examining a potential correlation between the film industry’s portrayal of African Americans and the conflict they experience in society as a direct result of this portrayal. The analysis also considered the intervening variables of gender, race, education, age, and the number of movies viewed with African American characters in them. The findings revealed that the majority of people actually believe portrayals in film of people of color to be true unequivocally, and this belief directly correlates with societal conflict. Film is a powerful tool that has been used as a weapon of manipulation to distort the perception of people of color. If the issue of film manipulation can be addresses and reversed, it can ultimately aid in restoring a measure of humanity back to its rightful place.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Humanities External Program
- Creator:
- Lee-Rivers, DeAnna
- Description:
- Questioning has long been an instructional strategy utilized by teachers in a myriad of ways. The purpose of this study is to examine possible links between the frequency of higher order questioning and critical thinking in a secondary science setting. The study documents types and frequency of the different levels of questions, with additional emphasis on the higher order thinking questions that foster and encourage deeper thought. Students were given the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X (2005) as a pre and post-test to assess critical thinking skills as well as metacognitive surveys to capture data about self-perception of skills. Results indicate that asking greater numbers of questions in class relates to increases in critical thinking scores and self-perception of skills. Critical thinking is a developmental skill that has very important implications for students as they are preparing for life as productive members of society in college and beyond.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Dominguez Hills
- Department:
- Division of Graduate Education