Teaching Academic Writing for Engineering Students: An Embodied, Rhetorical Approach

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Description
This dissertation details an action research study designed to teach engineering students enrolled in a First Year Composition course understand and learn to use effective conventions of written communication. Over the course of one semester, students participated in an…

This dissertation details an action research study designed to teach engineering students enrolled in a First Year Composition course understand and learn to use effective conventions of written communication. Over the course of one semester, students participated in an intervention that included embodied and constructive pedagogical practices within a rhetorical framework. The theoretical perspectives include Martha Kolln’s rhetorical grammar framework, embodied cognition, and Chi’s ICAP hypothesis. The study was conducted using an explanatory multi-methodological approach. The majority of students demonstrated that in their post-intervention writing samples, their ability to use effective conventions had improved. Over the course of the study, students’ attitudes about writing improved as did their self-efficacy about their writing ability.
Date Created
2020
Agent

Factors Encouraging Upward Employee Voice in an Online Workplace Portal: A Case Study of an Academic Research Institute

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Description
Few studies bridge workplace engagement and employee voice with internal communication. This analysis builds upon both the crucial concept of employee engagement and its implications for communication professionals and leaders. Further, it calls for more strategic integration of upward employee…

Few studies bridge workplace engagement and employee voice with internal communication. This analysis builds upon both the crucial concept of employee engagement and its implications for communication professionals and leaders. Further, it calls for more strategic integration of upward employee voice in internal communications. By examining factors that support communication (in two directions) and especially upward employee voice, researchers examine a case study of an intranet site at a major academic research institute. Factors that support employee expression are compared with data streams from both user survey and website analytics. The results point to voice-inducing techniques include projecting critical mass, fostering trust, and emphasizing intranet usefulness and rewards. By enriching workplace communications, voice can strengthen the employee’s ability to contribute, connect leaders with a source for direct feedback, and help employers be more responsive and nimbler.
Date Created
2020
Agent

Divine Unity Community Church Gatekeepers Communication Guide

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Description

This applied project investigates the methods, modes, and tools used to communicate between different audiences at Divine Unity Community Church (DUCC) to create a communication guide. Communication is an integral part of the church’s function and effectiveness, not only externally to…

This applied project investigates the methods, modes, and tools used to communicate between different audiences at Divine Unity Community Church (DUCC) to create a communication guide. Communication is an integral part of the church’s function and effectiveness, not only externally to the congregation and surrounding community, but also internally to ministers, leaders, and volunteers. As the church continues to grow, it has struggled to maintain a consistent, efficient, and scalable communication culture. To document and sustain the communication culture, I drafted a communication guide that provides a comprehensive explanation of the church’s culture and tools for communicating in different contexts. The guide was developed with feedback from focus groups and observations of DUCC’s communication practices, and is being used as a training resource for leaders and volunteers.

Date Created
2020-04-27
Agent

Proposal Editing in University Research Administration

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Description
This project presents a mixed methods analysis of proposal editing in sponsored research administration at U.S.-based universities. As sponsored research funding has become increasingly competitive, universities have sought to support their faculty and research infrastructure by offering proposal editing services…

This project presents a mixed methods analysis of proposal editing in sponsored research administration at U.S.-based universities. As sponsored research funding has become increasingly competitive, universities have sought to support their faculty and research infrastructure by offering proposal editing services as a component of the proposal development process. However, the relative newness of proposal and research development as fields, combined with prior studies that show a general lack of research into proposal editing and faculty perceptions of proposal development resources, mean that these areas can benefit from additional focused research. This study aimed to answer two primary research questions: How do universities approach and offer proposal editing as a component of the proposal development process, and what are faculty reactions to editing services as a resource during that same process? The study consisted of two components: a survey of 32 faculty members' perceptions of editing services as an element of their proposal development, and interviews with ten research administrators and editors to discuss how editing services function within the proposal preparation process. Despite a small sample size and disciplinary homogeneity, the survey results showed that demand for institutionally provided editing services varies by research field and activity level, but that faculty showed noticeable interest in at least having the option of an editor reviewing their proposals prior to submission. Interview participants agreed that faculty who are new or early in their careers, along with faculty who speak English as a second language, are especially interested in receiving editing services. Editors themselves provide various levels of edit, dependent on their own backgrounds, editing timelines, and faculty receptiveness to the edits. When provided, edits focus on compliance and grammar, but deeper edits help academic styles of writing transition into more persuasive grant writing styles to strategically position the proposal. As proposal editing services become more widespread as a way of supporting faculty and increasingly proposal quality and success, universities should implement editing services according to faculty demand and needs. Careful implementation can ensure that editing services fully support faculty while making a meaningful impact on a university's research development strategies and goals.
Date Created
2019
Agent

WCAG 2.0 success criterion 1.1.1 compliance: using accessibility checkers to find empty alt attributes in university home-pages

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Description
With 285-million blind and visually impaired worldwide, and 25.5 million in the United States, federally funded universities should be at the forefront when designing accessible websites for the blind community. Fifty percent of the university homepages discussed in my thesis…

With 285-million blind and visually impaired worldwide, and 25.5 million in the United States, federally funded universities should be at the forefront when designing accessible websites for the blind community. Fifty percent of the university homepages discussed in my thesis failed accessibility checker tests because alternative text was not provided in the alt-attribute for numerous images, making them inaccessible to blind users. The images which failed included logos, photographs of people, and images with text. Understanding image content and context in relation to the webpage is important for writing alternative text that is useful, yet writers interpret and define the content and context of images differently or not at all. Not all universities follow legal guidelines of using alternative text for online images nor implements best practices of analyzing images prior to describing them within the context of the webpage. When an image used in a webpage is designed only to be seen by sighted users and not to be seen by screen reader software, then that image is not comparably accessible to a blind user, as Section 508 mandates.
Date Created
2018
Agent

A localization theory: user experience research in the United States & Canada

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Description
Today, in the internet-age with global communication every day, it is more important than ever to learn how best to communicate across cultures. However, a review of literature and localization research reveals no studies comparing written communication preferences between…

Today, in the internet-age with global communication every day, it is more important than ever to learn how best to communicate across cultures. However, a review of literature and localization research reveals no studies comparing written communication preferences between cultures using the English language. This gap in research led me to my question–How do localization needs or preferences differ between English-speakers in the U.S. and Canada? To answer my research question, I created a study focused on written communication using a quality measure after consulting the IBM rubric (Hofstede, 1984). I incorporated a demographics questionnaire, a sample document of an Alberta Government brochure, and a survey to measure participant perceptions of quality for use with the sample document. Participants for the study were recruited from Phoenix, Arizona and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. All participants reviewed the Canada-based sample document and answered the questions from the survey. The survey responses were designed to obtain data on culturally specific variables on contexting, which were critical in understanding cultural differences and communication preferences between the two groups. Results of the data analysis indicate differences in cultural preferences specific to language, the amount of text, and document organization. The results suggest that there may be more significant differences than previously assumed (Hall, 1976) between U.S. and Canadian English-speaking populations. Further research could include a similar study using a U.S.–based document and administering it to the same target population. Additionally, a quality-based measure could be applied as a way of understanding other cultures for localization needs, since inadequate localization can have an adverse impact on perceptions of quality.
Date Created
2018
Agent

Defining the research-practice gap in pediatrics

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Description
There is a gap between today's scientific advances and their application--between what is known and what is actually being done. This gap occurs because of the process of knowledge translation required to digest research findings for policymakers and practitioners. Studies…

There is a gap between today's scientific advances and their application--between what is known and what is actually being done. This gap occurs because of the process of knowledge translation required to digest research findings for policymakers and practitioners. Studies have repeatedly shown that because of this "know-do" gap, approximately one-half of patients in the United States and Europe are not receiving care according to the most recent scientific evidence. Children are a medically unique and underserved population that stands to be most affected by this gap. Therefore, in this study, the research-practice gap in the pediatric field was calculated and discussed in the context of knowledge brokers, who facilitate opportunities for knowledge translation. Article mentions from the journal Pediatrics were identified in policy documents and analyzed for the years 2010, 2013, and 2016 with the use of the Altmetric platform as a quantitative means of identifying patterns and drawing conclusions about the knowledge translation gap in pediatrics. Altmetric is a bibliometric tool that offers viable insights into the types of impact not covered with traditional methods of citation analysis. The expert policymaking bodies that cited the Pediatrics articles in their policy documents were coded, categorized, and subcategorized to clarify how and where Pediatrics research is ultimately being used to create health policy and to discover whether the gap is similar or different between the various types of policymaking organizations. This allowed the quantitative findings to be nested within a qualitative context. It took a mean of 7.1 years for research to reach the point of policy uptake for practitioners, with a range of 0-32.8 years. There were more international policy mentions than U.S. mentions, but information made its way through the knowledge translation process more quickly in the United States than it did elsewhere. In fact, nearly 40% of articles were cited in policy fewer than five years after original publication. The gap in pediatrics is thus significantly shorter than the 17-year average reported in the literature. However, knowledge brokerage activities performed by technical communicators are continually needed to build links between research, policy applications, and practice.
Date Created
2018
Agent

Connecting with Users: Developing Personas for The Improvement Of The Smithsonian’s Museum on Mainstreet WaterSim America App

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Description

The WaterSim America is an interactive iPad game app included with the exhibition that takes users through several scenarios and asks them to make decisions about how their town’s water supply should be distributed among a variety of user groups,…

The WaterSim America is an interactive iPad game app included with the exhibition that takes users through several scenarios and asks them to make decisions about how their town’s water supply should be distributed among a variety of user groups, including townspeople, farming, industry, and energy. The purpose of this applied project was to design user personas which will be used by the developers at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC) to improve the Smithsonian’s WaterSim America app (SWSA) that they designed for the new Smithsonian Institute’s Water Ways Traveling Exhibition (SWWTE) and to recommend improvements to the app. To do this, I created a contextual inquiry with select SWWTE user groups in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia to observe the app in the context of use. The primary goal of this research was to observe potential users engaging with the app and then interview them about their experiences with the app. Based on the research, I offer six recommendations to improve the educational value of the WSAA. This report includes the research methods of this study, participants’ feedback and seven user personas based on the research.

Date Created
2018-05-04
Agent

Feedback and Threat States: A Case Study of the Formal Feedback Process in the PCC

Description

In this case study, the formal feedback process of the PCC was researched to determine if the process causes a potential threat state within PCC representatives, and, if so, identify aspects of the process that are potential causes of the…

In this case study, the formal feedback process of the PCC was researched to determine if the process causes a potential threat state within PCC representatives, and, if so, identify aspects of the process that are potential causes of the threat state. Researched was complete via survey, and data was analyzed using open coding and various quantitative methods. Based on the data obtained in the survey, a threat state was determined to exist due to the feedback process, and two potential causes were identified. A recommendation report was built from the data, and two recommendations were presented. The first recommendation was to adjust to process of how feedback is sent to a PCC rep, and the second was around how often that feedback is delivered. Also included in the recommendation report was discussion around limitations to the research and how those are potential options for future research.

Date Created
2018-05-02
Agent

Audience, Usability, and Reliability: Qualities to Increase Reader Engagement for The State Press

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Description

Information can be created and shared online instantaneously. While this means that users can be informed faster than ever, it also means that inaccurate or fabricated stories can spread just as quickly. Newsgroups have become more scrutinized than ever. With…

Information can be created and shared online instantaneously. While this means that users can be informed faster than ever, it also means that inaccurate or fabricated stories can spread just as quickly. Newsgroups have become more scrutinized than ever. With this in mind, I wanted to research how an independent publication like The State Press can get the retain their reader base and I provided recommendations that are based on three key concepts of Technical Communication: write for an audience, provide an efficient user experience, and establish an ethos. I researched academic and professional articles related to communication and analyzed data that was provided by an editor from The State Press. The recommendations pertain to five categories: content output, operating systems and service providers, user demographics, user behavior, and search engines. The content is ethical and feasible for an independent publication and will bolster the readership and increase the overall level of engagement between the staff and the readers.

Date Created
2018-04-30
Agent
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