3,180 Matching Results

Results open in a new window/tab.

Credentialing in Higher Education: A User Experience Study of the University of North Texas' Student Learner Record (open access)

Credentialing in Higher Education: A User Experience Study of the University of North Texas' Student Learner Record

This was a mixed-method user-centered study regarding the University of North Texas's student-owned learner record and credentialing system. Through methods of quantitative and qualitative inquiry, student perceptions were unearthed and recommendations to improve the system were provided.
Date: December 2021
Creator: Stutts, Sarah
System: The UNT Digital Library
GIS-Based Analysis of Local Climate Zones in Denton, Texas (open access)

GIS-Based Analysis of Local Climate Zones in Denton, Texas

This study implemented a GIS-based analysis of local climate zones (LCZ) in Denton, TX with data sets from 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2016. The LCZ scheme enables evaluation of distinct regions' thermal characteristics with greater granularity than conventional urban-rural dichotomies. Further, the GIS-based approach to LCZ mapping allows use of high-resolution lidar data, the availability of which for the study area enabled estimation of geometric and surface cover parameters: height of roughness elements, sky-view factor, and building surface fraction. Pervious surface fraction was estimated from National Landcover Database impervious imagery. A regular grid was used to estimate per-cell mean values for each parameter, and with a decision-making algorithm (if/then statements) two maps were produced (2011 and 2015) and six LCZ identified in each: LCZ 6 (open low-rise), LCZ 8 (large low-rise), LCZ 9 (sparsely built), LCZ A (dense trees), LCZ B (scattered trees), and LCZ C (bush/scrub). Post-processing was carried out to ensure identified zones met the spatial minimum for qualification as LCZ. Landsat Collection 2 Level 2 surface temperature products from various seasons of 2011 and 2015 were acquired to examine LCZ thermal differentiability, and preliminary surface urban heat island intensity values were estimated. Particular attention was afforded to …
Date: December 2021
Creator: Michel, Daniel
System: The UNT Digital Library

Biomonitoring at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport: Relating Watershed Land Use with Aquatic Life Use

The Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport is located in a densely urbanized area with one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S.A. The airport property includes a large tract of "protected" riparian forest that is unique to the urban surroundings. This dissertation explores variables that influence the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure found in urbanized prairie streams that were initially assessed by the University of North Texas (UNT) Benthic Ecology Lab during four, non-consecutive biomonitoring studies (2004, 2005, 2008, and 2014) funded by the DFW Airport. Additionally, land use analysis was performed using 5-meter resolution satellite imagery and eCognition to characterize the imperviousness of the study area watersheds at multiple scales. Overall, flow conditions and imperviousness at the watershed scale explained the most variability in the benthic stream community. Chironomidae taxa made up 20-50% of stream communities and outperformed all other taxa groups in discriminating between sites of similar flows and urban impairments. This finding highlights the need for genus level identifications of the chironomid family, especially as the dominant taxa in urban prairie streams. Over the course of these biomonitoring survey events, normal flow conditions and flows associated with supra-seasonal drought were experienced. Prevailing drought conditions of 2014 did not …
Date: August 2021
Creator: Harlow, Megann Mae Lewis
System: The UNT Digital Library
Building Resiliency: The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in the Trauma-Affected Community of Santa Fe, Texas (open access)

Building Resiliency: The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in the Trauma-Affected Community of Santa Fe, Texas

On May 18, 2018, a shooter entered Santa Fe High School, killing eight students and two teachers. Using ethnographic methods, this research examines the role of faith, rituals, language, and symbols in the trauma-affected community during the response, recovery, and resiliency efforts as perceived by the Santa Fe community and those impacted by the tragedy. Qualitative data collected from 100 individuals ages of 17-84 illustrated how historical trauma, community culture, and faith-based organizations impact community resiliency and how illusions of a homogenous view of the community left many feeling shocked, divided, forgotten or muted.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Jordan, Mandy M
System: The UNT Digital Library

Diversity Without Inclusion: The Experience of Female Graduate Students of Color at a Minority Serving Institution

Graduate education can be psychologically taxing, and the academic tasks that graduate students are required to perform can cause a great level of stress, insecurity, and uncertainty. The unique experiences that female students of color face at the intersections of gender, race, and class may have negative effects on their academic performance and attainment. This research explored the experiences of discrimination among the female African American/Black and Hispanic/Latina graduate students and their coping strategies to survive in the program of study at the University of North Texas (UNT), as a minority serving institution (MSI). A narrative research method was applied and 13 in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview protocol. The findings showed the participants experienced various types of intragroup and intergroup discrimination based on the intersections of their multiple identities, especially race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The findings of this study revealed structural discrimination that participants experienced through their education; starting with their low income neighborhood where they were raised and the discrimination at the university. They perceived that minorities are not represented in the management and faculty positions, and there is an inadequacy of support resources and lack of racially sensitive advising services for female graduate students …
Date: August 2021
Creator: Khalaf, Zahra Fazli
System: The UNT Digital Library

Impact of Instructional Technology on Student Motivation and Vocabulary Knowledge

This study examined the influence of instructional technology on Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) vocabulary acquisition and the intrinsic motivation language learners present while learning vocabulary in a second language. A quasi-experimental design helped determine the impact of the instructional technology intervention using Quia and Quizlet to learn vocabulary over direct instruction. A nonrandom convenience sample of (N = 47) participants was divided into the experimental group (n = 25) and control group (n = 22). Data was collected from face-to-face interactions. Participants were secondary Spanish two students, ages 14–17, and from a north Texas public school. I taught 10 lessons over 10 days during a 30–45-minute instructional technology or direct instruction activity independently. The findings revealed whether the strategies, (a) instructional technology or (b) direct instruction, have a significant impact on Spanish vocabulary acquisition and student intrinsic motivation. The study's findings were derived from independent t-tests, which indicated that using instructional technology did not impact vocabulary acquisition over participants learning through a direct instruction method. Student intrinsic motivation was also not impacted. The analysis determined no significant impact between instructional strategies or the student's intrinsic motivation while learning vocabulary in a second language. While this study provides practical …
Date: August 2021
Creator: Perez, Araceli
System: The UNT Digital Library

A Multi-Proxy Approach to Identifying Marine Overwash Sedimentation and Terrestrial Flood Sedimentation in a Coastal Lake in Southeastern Texas

This research project focuses on using a multiproxy approach to discriminate between overwash and non-hurricane marsh sediments within the bed of a coastal lake. 3 marsh cores were collected in an area of McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge just south of Clam Lake that are known to contain 4 hurricane overwash deposits, Ike, Rita, Carla, and Audrey. LOI and XRF analysis were used to determine the signature of the hurricane overwash layers. 3 more cores were collected from Clam Lake where there are no visible sand layers. The elemental signature of the overwash layers found in the marsh cores was used to run a hierarchical cluster analysis on the lake cores. This was able to determine the effectiveness of XRF's ability to distinguish between hurricane overwash and marsh sediments. The combination of cluster analysis, LOI, and XRF can tentatively identify hurricane overwash deposits in a coastal lake, however, it is more successful in the marsh cores. Results in the lake cores are somewhat inconsistent and uncertain, possibly because there may have not been enough overwash deposits to identity or that the XRF analysis needs more distinct sand layers to distinguish between overwash and marsh.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Beaubouef, Chelsea E.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Ozone Pollution Monitoring and Population Vulnerability in Dallas-Ft. Worth: A Decision Support Approach

In urban environments, ozone air pollution, poses significant risks to respiratory health. Fixed site monitoring is the primary method of measuring ozone concentrations for health advisories and pollutant reduction, but the spatial scale may not reflect the current population distribution or its future growth. Moreover, formal methods for the placement of ozone monitoring sites within populations potentially omit important spatial criteria, producing monitoring locations that could unintentionally underestimate the exposure burden. Although air pollution affects all people, the combination of underlying health, socioeconomic and demographic factors exacerbate the impact for socially vulnerable population groups. A need exists for assessing the spatial representativeness and data gaps of existing pollution sensor networks and to evaluate future placement strategies of additional sensors. This research also seeks to understand how air pollution monitor placement strategies may neglect social vulnerabilities and therefore, potentially underestimate exposure burdens in vulnerable populations.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Northeim, Kari M.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Engine Running: Essays

Engine Running: Essays is a collection of creative nonfiction that explores, in parts, a persona's distancing from home and self against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured family doing the same. Through a variety of forms, the essays seek to balance themes like loss, self-discovery, and manhood in reflections on the role of childhood memory, the early revelations and experimentation of sexuality, and the carving-out of personal identity in West Texas.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Mason, Chesley Cade
System: The UNT Digital Library

West Dallas AR

West Dallas AR is an interactive location-based app, using the power of multimedia and augmented reality to highlight the stories shared by West Dallas residents.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Johnson, Eboni
System: The UNT Digital Library
Crafting Downtown Denton: An Exploration of Craft Beer Consumption as an Activity in Denton, Texas (open access)

Crafting Downtown Denton: An Exploration of Craft Beer Consumption as an Activity in Denton, Texas

Craft beer as a cultural phenomenon coincided with the revitalization of downtown Denton, Texas. Much of the existing literature on craft beer and its relation to place focuses on breweries rather than bars. This exploratory study aims to explain why people consume craft beer, what factors influenced its popularity in Denton despite little beer production, and to explore considerations for the promotion of Denton as a craft beer destination and making downtown an inclusive space. Data was collected through interviews, participant observation, and a survey. Findings indicated that craft beer consumption in Denton is largely related to perceptions of community, localism, and knowledge seeking. The ethos of the craft beer industry closely aligned with participants' perceptions of Denton as a city.
Date: December 2020
Creator: Hooker, Jenny
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Seeking Behaviors of Transitioning Veterans When Job Hunting in North Texas (open access)

Information Seeking Behaviors of Transitioning Veterans When Job Hunting in North Texas

This study explored a part of our population that can be misunderstood, marginalized, and underserved: veterans who are seeking to transition from the military to employment in North Texas. At the time of this research (before the COVID-19 pandemic), overall unemployment in North Texas was only 3.9%.Veteran unemployment was calculated at approximately the same before considering the underemployed veterans or those who have given up finding employment (and before the COVID-19 global pandemic), and that calculation likely exceeds 16-18% according to the Texas Workforce Commission. By understanding the information-seeking behaviors of the veteran population targeting North Texas for future employment, their ability to find useful information for successful relocation, attainment of employment, and the resources that enables their sense-making processes, the services provided to veterans seeking employment can be improved. Further understanding can be gained by using a qualitative approach that references Dervin's sense making model (SMM) as the framework. The revelations and conclusions can be used to improve existing programs, inspire new programs, and provide answers that are useful to the Veteran's Administration (VA), other veteran-focused organizations, policymakers, non-profits who serve veterans, veterans themselves, and future employers who enable successful transitions by providing satisfying and inclusive employment opportunities for …
Date: December 2020
Creator: Eaves, Tresia D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Lynching of Women in Texas, 1885-1926 (open access)

The Lynching of Women in Texas, 1885-1926

This work examines the lynching of twelve female victims in Texas from 1885 to 1926.
Date: December 2020
Creator: Brown, Haley
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Faith-Based Congregations during Disaster Response and Recovery: A Case Study of Katy, Texas (open access)

The Role of Faith-Based Congregations during Disaster Response and Recovery: A Case Study of Katy, Texas

When governments are unable or unwilling to provide necessary relief to communities, local faith-based congregations (FBCs) step in and fill the gap. Though shown to provide for so many needs following disaster, FBCs have largely been left out of the institutional emergency management cycle. The aim of this study was to explore the role of FBCs in the disaster response and recovery process and investigate how recovery impacts FBCs. The primary objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of FBCs and how to better integrate them into the formal emergency management process.The main questions were as follows: First, what is the role of FBCs during the disaster recovery process? Second, how do FBCs change (temporarily and permanently) during disaster recovery, and what factors may promote or inhibit change? To answer these questions, qualitative semistructured interviews were held to develop a case study of Katy, Texas and its recovery from Hurricane Harvey of 2017. The applied and conceptual implications resulting from this study, which apply to FBCs, researchers, emergency managers, and policy makers, highlight the opportunity to better incorporate FBCs formally into emergency management practices.
Date: December 2020
Creator: Elliott, Julie R
System: The UNT Digital Library

Unlocking Digital Literacy: A Multiple Case Study of Digital Literacy Instruction and the Interactive Decision Making of Teachers in a Texas Charter School

The rapid expansion of computers and digital technology requires citizens to be digitally literate. Teachers must prepare students for a digital world despite the lack of consensus on a definition or its components. This multiple case study explored the digital literacy instruction and interactive decision making of teachers with varied levels of expertise. Each participant completed a survey and the General Decision Making Style Questionnaire prior to a series of interviews and classroom observations. Findings from a qualitative analysis of the data suggest variations in the use of digital literacy components during instruction and that skills are related to one another. Findings also indicate similarities and differences in interactive decision making and teaching expertise behaviors related to instruction. Based on these findings, recommendations to better promote digital literacy are directed toward teachers, administrators, teacher preparation institutions, and future researchers. Current events emphasize the need for increased efforts in turning the key of digital literacy for students.
Date: December 2020
Creator: Stone, Barbara K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Early Music Audiences: A Survey and Analysis of Early Music Consumers in Texas (open access)

Early Music Audiences: A Survey and Analysis of Early Music Consumers in Texas

Texas has a rich tradition of Early Music ensembles that dates back to 1969. However, there is little reliable information based on statistical data collection and analysis concerning Texas Early Music consumers. Little is known about why they attend Early Music performances or other important factors that affect the Early Music industry. Through the use of an extensive survey and accompanying statistical analysis, this study answers many questions regarding Early Music consumers in the State of Texas. This study collected demographic and psychographic data in January 2020 about the Early Music concert-going public in three major Texas cities - Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Other factors were identified in two primary areas: audience characteristics and ticket pricing practices.
Date: August 2020
Creator: Emanski, Julianna
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effect of Barrier Height on Magnitude and Character of Hurricane Harvey Washover Fans, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas (open access)

Effect of Barrier Height on Magnitude and Character of Hurricane Harvey Washover Fans, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas

This study uses topographic profiles, washover fan volumes, and shoreline retreat rates to explore relationships between barrier types and Hurricane Harvey storm washover sedimentation. Pre- and post-Hurricane Harvey topographic profiles were created on 15 transects using Bare Earth LiDAR (2016) and surveyed elevations (2019). Depth and area of washover fan measurements were collected to estimate washover fan volumes. An inverse relationship was found between washover fan volume and pre- and post-storm barrier heights. Based on the topographic profiles, one section of shoreline had a scarp up to 3m high which blocked overwash, but appears to have increased shoreline erosion. In contrast, a low-lying section of shoreline generated relatively large washover fans, but experienced less shoreline retreat. Shoreline retreat was further quantified between 2014 and 2019 using Google Earth Imagery from 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019 to track migration of the shoreline. The entire shoreline in the study area is undergoing relatively rapid retreat, but the results suggest that Hurricane Harvey increased erosional rates. The Colorado River Jetty borders the study area and may have acted as an anthropogenic barrier, likely reducing storm surge energy and contributing to marsh aggradation on transects in its close proximity. The study findings indicate that …
Date: August 2020
Creator: Rains, Bradley Jacob
System: The UNT Digital Library

Fire Eater in the Borderlands: The Political Life of Guy Morrison Bryan, 1847-1891

From 1847 to 1891, Guy Morrison Bryan was a prominent Texas politician who influenced many of the policies and events that shaped the state. Raised in his Uncle Stephen F. Austin's shadow, he was a Texas nationalist who felt responsible for promoting the interests of his state, its earliest settlers, and his family. During his nineteen years in the Texas Legislature and two years in the United States House of Representatives, he safeguarded land grants, supported internal improvements and education, and challenged northern hostility towards slavery. Convinced that abolitionists would stop at nothing to destroy the institution and Texas, he led his state's walkout of the National Democratic Convention in 1860 and became a leading proponet of secession. During the Civil War, he served as a staff officer, and his ability to mediate conflicts between local and national leaders propped up the isolated Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department. Finally as Speaker of the House, he helped oust Governor Edmund J. Davis in 1874 and "redeem" the state from Republican rule before convincing President Rutherford B. Hayes to adopt a conciliatory policy towards Texas and the South. Despite the tremendous influence Bryan wielded, scholars have largely ignored his contributions. This dissertation establishes his …
Date: August 2020
Creator: Kelley, Ariel Leticia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measuring College Readiness: Developing a System of On-Track and Off-Track Metrics for Texas High School Students (open access)

Measuring College Readiness: Developing a System of On-Track and Off-Track Metrics for Texas High School Students

The purpose of this study was to analyze and determine the predictive power of individual and a combination of different indicators that are used to determine college readiness. For this study a logistic regression analysis was conducted due to the dichotomous nature of the dependent variable. The dependent variable for the study was the earning of a post-secondary credential. The independent variables included high school diploma type, Advanced Placement course taken, Advanced Placement test performance, SAT performance, ACT performance, a multidimensional index made up of all the variables, and high school GPA. The study found that high school GPA had the strongest odds ratio, Exp(B), for the participants earning a post-secondary credential (Exp(B) = 6.597), followed by diploma type (Exp(B) = 6.316), taking an Advanced Placement course (Exp(B) = 4.368), earning at least one qualifying Advanced Placement test score (Exp(B) = 3.846), a multidimensional index (Exp(B) = 2.318), ACT score (Exp(B) = 1.161) and SAT score (Exp(B) = 1.003). Future analysis is needed by using live data of student's college performance, stratifying the data to account for differences in post-secondary performance by different racial and socio-economic groups, and studying the effects of the State of Texas' chosen college readiness variables.
Date: August 2020
Creator: Saenz, David Pael
System: The UNT Digital Library
Refugee Employment in Dallas, TX: Experiences and Barriers (open access)

Refugee Employment in Dallas, TX: Experiences and Barriers

Changing national policies in recent years represent an unprecedented attack on refugee resettlement in the United States. In this period of political and social uncertainty, understanding the barriers to refugee economic integration is more critical than ever. Following a review of existing literature on refugee resettlement and economic integration, this research assesses experiences of refugee employment in Dallas, Texas—one of the cities that resettles the most new refugees nationwide—through investigating the experiences of four key populations: resettled individuals themselves (including refugees, asylees, and SIVs), resettlement caseworkers, third-party staffing agencies, and the management/HR staff of refugee employers. These diverse perspectives will assist in understanding the structural constraints that shape refugee employment services, as well as the interaction of these various individuals and organizations as parts of a dynamic system. The project also aims to explore employers' experiences of hiring refugees and working with resettlement programs, as the perspectives of entrepreneurs and the business community are those most likely to influence the attitudes of legislators and encourage renewed support of resettlement in Texas. The conclusion of this study offers recommendations for how resettlement organizations can navigate the ambiguities of a resettlement system driven by neoliberal economics and a push for rapid employment …
Date: August 2020
Creator: Orzech, Mark N.
System: The UNT Digital Library
That Isolation Creeps In: Exploring the Intersection of Public Transit and Mental Health in Dallas County, Texas (open access)

That Isolation Creeps In: Exploring the Intersection of Public Transit and Mental Health in Dallas County, Texas

The primary goal of the research project was to organize a community needs assessment, which culminated in a report attached in the appendix. Data from sixteen interviews with community leaders involved in mental health promotion throughout Dallas County, Texas was used as the foundation of the professional report. This data revealed several key barriers faced by those with mental illness in their ability to access mental health services in Dallas County. The information gathered prompted further exploration into the intersection between public transit and mental health. Transit became the focus of this work when it came up as simultaneously a barrier to care and mode of prevention in the majority of the interviews. Interestingly, Dallas County has public plans to address transit related disparities; however, their intervention pulls from strategies determined to be ineffectual among the poor and disenfranchised. In this work we explore community needs and the civic culture of Dallas with a specific focus on transportation.
Date: August 2020
Creator: Sanderson, Brittney
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Administration of Unemployment Relief by the State of Texas during the Great Depression, 1929-1941

During the Great Depression, for the first time in its history, the federal government provided relief to the unemployed and destitute through myriad New Deal agencies. This dissertation examines how "general relief" (direct or "make-work") from federal programs—primarily the Emergency Relief and Construction Act (ERCA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)—was acquired and administered by the government of Texas through state administrative agencies. These agencies included the Chambers of Commerce (1932-1933), Unofficial Texas Relief Commission (1933), Texas Rehabilitation and Relief Commission (1933), Official Texas Relief Commission (1933-1934), Texas Relief Commission Division of the State Board of Control (1934), and the Department of Public Welfare (1939). Overall, the effective administration of general relief in the Lone Star State was undermined by a political ideology that persisted from, and was embodied by, the "Redeemer" Constitution of 1876.
Date: May 2020
Creator: Park, David B.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Analysis of Interrelationships between Climate Change and Cotton Yield in Texas High Plains

The Texas High Plains produces the most substantial amount of cotton in Texas. The region is a semi-arid area with limited precipitation, and it is, therefore, susceptible to climate change. Cotton production in the Texas High Plains is mostly dependent on irrigation to increase yield. The overall goal of this research was to study the interrelationships between climate change and cotton yield using correlation analysis and also to study how climate has changed in the region using trend analysis. A three-decade data (1987-2017) was analyzed to establish the relationship between climate change and cotton and also to determine how climate has changed in the area over the last 30 years. The research used precipitation and temperature data to assess climate change.The results of this research showed that annual mean temperature has lesser impacts on cotton yield, and the correlation between annual precipitation and cotton yield is insignificant. It also found out that high rates of temperature at the boll opening stage of cotton growth results in decreased cotton yield and that at the boll development and boll opening stages, precipitation is needed. Again, the research indicated that, on average, there had been a significant increase in temperature, but precipitation trends …
Date: May 2020
Creator: Sarbeng, Lorenda
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Differences in Mental Effort and Task Difficulty between Veterans and Non-Veterans in Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science Degree Programs at Texas Public Universities (open access)

The Differences in Mental Effort and Task Difficulty between Veterans and Non-Veterans in Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science Degree Programs at Texas Public Universities

This dissertation seeks to determine the differences between veteran and non-veteran students' mental effort and task difficulty within undergraduate online courses in Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) programs at three public Texas universities. The BAAS program is geared toward non-traditional students, which includes veterans. The courses are delivered in flexible formats, including online courses, face-to-face courses, and blended courses, which use a combination of online and face-to-face courses. After reviewing literature and utilizing both the cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the cognitive learning theory, a survey was conducted using undergraduate students enrolled in BAAS programs at three public Texas universities. The data was analyzed by conducting a factorial ANOVA and Pearson correlation to determine if there was a difference between veterans and non-veteran students' mental effort and task difficulty within online courses within the BAAS programs. The results indicated that that all three hypotheses failed to reject the null hypotheses that: (1) there is no difference in mental effort of students who had military service, versus those who did not have military service, (2) there is no difference in mental effort of students who had military service, versus those who did not have military service, and (3) …
Date: May 2020
Creator: Turner, Arielle
System: The UNT Digital Library