The process of spoken word recognition is influenced by both bottom-up sensory information and top-down cognitive information. These cues are used to process the phonological and semantic representations of speech. Several studies have used EEG/ERPs to study the neural mechanisms of children's spoken word recognition, but less is known about the…

Due in part to its complex nature, there is still much to uncover in the investigation of the neural processes that contribute to synchronization between speakers and listeners during communication in the context of social cognition, specifically between native and nonnative English speakers and listeners. This study used a novel method of…

Co-speech gesture in monolinguals has been linked to several cognitive processes: prompting memory stores, conveying spatial concepts, searching for lexical equivalents, and supporting rhythm and cohesion. The production of co-speech gesture also occurs in spoken language bilinguals. Studies have demonstrated that bilinguals fluent in American…

Adults with developmental disabilities and educational researchers have identified many holes in the practices currently used to educate non-speaking youth with developmental disabilities, especially those with extensive support needs (Kapp, 2020; Taub, et al., 2017). While technology cannot provide a magical, sweeping fix to barriers to…

In fall 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created a sudden transition to emergency remote teaching for faculty and students in Audio Engineering Technology (AET) degree programs. This qualitative study explored the experience of AET faculty who taught online using synchronous and asynchronous video during both spring and fall 2020. This study uses the…

Research suggests there is no significant difference in outcomes for online learners and on-campus learners. Several decades of online learning have also consistently demonstrated online students are less likely to persist than those students attending on campus. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework describes social presence, teaching…

The perception and encoding of voice cues in consonants have been well studied, whereas there has been relatively little research on aspiration. The current study examined the encoding and perception of aspiration and voicing in Hindi, American English, and Tamil listeners when relevant cues were and were not degraded by noise. This study is novel…

Individual speakers' speech patterns differ from one another, despite presumably similar language input. What are the sources of this individual variability? In this dissertation, I explore sources of individual differences in pronunciation of coronal obstruents (/s/, /t[superscript h]/, /c[superscript h]/, /c/) at the ends of nouns in Korean.…

With the rise of bilinguals globally, extensive research has been conducted to understand how bilingualism affects cognitive functions differently from monolingualism, with significant implications for bilingual education, healthcare, and other fields. Specific to language processing, differences have been identified between second language (L2)…

Speech is a complex, redundant and variable signal happening in a noisy and ever changing world. How do listeners navigate these complex auditory scenes and continuously and effortlessly understand most of the speakers around them? Studies show that listeners can quickly adapt to new situations, accents and even to distorted speech. Although prior…

Engagement in online classes can promote student success but can be met with challenges associated with students feeling isolated from their peers, their instructors, or the course when learning online. Building opportunities for student interaction is one way to combat this isolation. A common activity in online courses that allows for student…

This qualitative study examines how playing levels of a fraction-themed videogame impacts students' thinking. The research question answered is: What do students' gestures reveal about the degree to which their thinking is embodied as they play a videogame that is constructed via a grounded metaphor for mathematical knowledge. Four soon-to-be…

As online programs grow, so should attempts to create a better virtual asynchronous learning experience. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of video-based online learning activities in increasing components of social, teaching, and cognitive presence, among interprofessional healthcare students of various age groups. Studying this…

This dissertation presents a qualitative case study investigating the influence of cognitive coaching on elementary international teachers within a southeastern school district. Guided by four research questions, the study delved into the experiences and perceptions of international teachers participating in cognitive coaching sessions, aiming to…

The current study aims to contribute to the literature supporting better understanding cognitive functions, namely working memory and verbal fluency, in undergraduate pre-lingual deaf sign language users. It is important to understand the specific nuances of cognition in deaf sign language users, as the interplay between working memory and verbal…