Matching Items (478)
Description
The purpose of this project was prove that animated characters have a unique appeal to the empathy of viewers, and to then create assets that could be used in an effective way to spread awareness about endangered species. I sought to explore in what ways animation connects to individuals, and how those connections can be used to create empathy towards endangered animal species. I created two surveys as a way of measuring the connections between participants and the elements of two videos about wildlife conservation; one animated and one live-action. After surveying over 130 people, I found that the video with animated animal characters evoked strong emotions from 82.5% of participants. This, combined with participant interest in other elements such as color and animated style, prompted me to create two animal characters that could be used for educational animated short films. I created character designs for a Galapagos penguin and a black-horned rhinoceros, 3D modeled environments, a storyboard and script for a short video featuring the rhinoceros, and a 3D model and animated walk-cycle for the penguin. These elements were created with the idea that they could be used in order to create educational animated videos about endangered species. The biggest takeaway from this project is that while the aesthetics and characters of animation are important to viewers, it is also important that they are able to learn not only about the endangered species, but how they can contribute to wildlife conservation.
ContributorsOlson, Grace Hannah (Author) / Button, Melissa M (Thesis director) / Cala, Coats (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Analysis into the political career of Texas state senator George Ruby provides invaluable insight to the African American experience during Reconstruction in Texas as a whole. Juxtaposing the needs vocalized by African American communities and the actions taken by Ruby, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and other Texas politicians, helps identify how racial politics dictated the lives of Texas African Americans. Ruby’s rise to power can also be utilized as a historical blueprint for how leaders in marginalized communities can become impactful and obtain power within a racially-biased societal structure. Ruby’s rise and fall in Texas politics is tragic as he finds himself forced to separate from his loyal African American support base—deciding to cater to the needs of elite white Texans to help ensure political favor on both sides of the political and racial spectrum. However, Ruby’s legacy remains one of great success as he managed to break the mold forced upon so many African Americans during Reconstruction and enact lasting change in the marginalized Texas African American communities.
ContributorsCourson, Shawn Thomas (Author) / Schermerhorn, J. (Thesis director) / Delmont, Matthew (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Current funding for education is largely dependent on property taxes and as a result, there is an inequitable access to resources from school district to school district. This paper addresses this inequity by providing an analysis on the consolidation of school districts. The analysis includes case studies from multiple states, a literature study on existing research on consolidation, and a proposal for the state of Arizona, the state where this paper originates. Overall, this paper acknowledges that consolidation is not a universal solution to educational inequity and the successful implementation of this process. Rather, it is a way to reduce the gap.
ContributorsFu, Angela (Author) / Ludlow, Carlyn (Thesis director) / Clausen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the constructs of motivational theories, Self-Determination Theory and Health Belief Model, and adherence to a home exercise program. The constructs of Self-Determination Theory are autonomy, competence, and social relatedness. The constructs of Health Belief Model are perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived severity, and perceived susceptibility. Participants were receiving therapy at two outpatient clinics located in the Phoenix metropolitan area (n=40). Autonomy was assessed with a modified Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire. Competence was assessed with a modified Perceived Competence Scale. Social relatedness was assessed with a modified Health Care Climate Questionnaire. Perceived benefits and barriers were measured with a modified Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale. Perceived severity and susceptibility were measured with a modified Health Beliefs Questionnaire. Adherence was measured with one Likert-type question that was created by the researchers. The data was scored and analyzed with the scoring guidelines provided by the questionnaires and the statistics software, IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The results showed that competence was the only construct that was significantly correlated with home exercise program adherence. The results from this study should be used for further research that focuses on creating a competence-supportive environment in physical therapy settings.
ContributorsAutrey, Makenna Noelle (Co-author) / Hamilton, Marissa (Co-author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Broman, Tannah (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in every 3 individuals will fall in their lifetime. Treadmill perturbation training has been a beneficial tool to increase reactive postural control and decrease the amount of falls. This study looked at the extent of the training effects on 29 healthy young adults to evaluate if stepping improvements in one direction could generalize to improvements in the quality of stepping in other directions. Outcome variables of Margin of Stability (MOS), step length, and step latency were evaluated for all 15 participants trained with forward perturbations and 14 participants trained with backward perturbations. From the paired t-tests, there were limited significant improvements in stepping with regards to motor learning and generalization. The only significant outcome was an increase in step length for the participants who trained in the backward direction (p=0.014; p<0.05). However, this significant increase in step length for this backward group did not generalize when the participants stepped in the forward direction post training. From the correlation tests, there was a significant, moderate correlation between motor learning and generalization (rho =0.527, p= 0.043; p<0.05), thus suggesting there may be a relationship between the amount of learning and the amount of generalization observed. Further evaluation of the second step and the foot motion during stepping may reveal more information and explain the changes in stepping to describe how healthy young adults were able to regain balance with each perturbation given.
ContributorsNowak, Rachael Teresa (Author) / Peterson, Daniel (Thesis director) / Dounskaia, Natalia (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
The Phoenician language was an ancient language spoken by the Phoenicians in modern day Lebanon. The goal of this project is to research the language, looking at the alphabet, inspecting sounds of how the language was spoken (phonology/morphology), as well as the languages structure (grammar, word order, syntax). As well as adding onto the history of the language, the people, culture, and what made the language ultimately die out.
ContributorsHaddad, Yasmine (Author) / Lopez-Villegas, Cristian (Thesis director) / Pruitt, Kathryn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Recent research has highlighted significant racial disparities in both school discipline and academic achievement. However, it's only recently that scholars have begun to explore the potential interconnectedness between these gaps. While discipline policies traditionally cater to a "general" student population, they often lack specificity for particular demographics. This oversight is evident in the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU), where the majority of students are Hispanic (81.4%) and African American (9.4%). Given the crucial link between academic achievement and discipline, there is a pressing need for culturally responsive disciplinary policies tailored to these specific populations. This review critically examines PXU's diversity profile, seven disciplinary policy categories, and quarter 2 disciplinary data for the 2023-24 academic year through a lens of cultural responsiveness. The goal is to provide actionable insights for the Phoenix Union Governing Board to consider adjustments that promote restorative justice in education (RJE) and address racial inequities within the student body.
ContributorsPerez-Montoya, Britney (Author) / Barca, Lisa (Thesis director) / Trombley, Nicole (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The Phoenix Culture United Project is a proposed community solution aimed at increasing the social cohesion between residents of Maryvale and the wider Phoenix area. Inspired by the Warrior Wall by the Glioblastoma Research Organization, a page designated to the names of individuals who have fought glioblastoma, Phoenix Culture United is designed to host a variety of submissions by Maryvale residents, including photos, videos, soundtracks and stories--any media that viewers feel is an embodiment of their culture or tradition. The site also hosts educational content including Maryvale's community history, past and current challenges, community assets as well as ways for those residing outside Maryvale to learn about and partake in community events. The site's central educational page centers the voices of Maryvale residents in communicating the essence, culture and pride of the community. The origins, primary- and secondary-research backed developmental process and evaluation procedures are discussed. While preliminary results of the evaluation process showed promising results that this concept may be somewhat effective and accepted by the community, future directions and potential changes are identified and discussed as well.
ContributorsKispert, Erin (Author) / Hariadi, Rizal (Thesis director) / Holmes, Zhen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2024-05