Text alert systems can help save lives by alerting individuals to dangers in the area, allowing them to react appropriately to the threat. For example, text alerts can give an individual the time to either run, hide, or fight during an active shooter incident. Conversely, when an individual does not receive an alert, they cannot respond to a…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulties with social communication skills that negatively impacts quality of life. Training parents to implement effective interventions that improve the social communication skills of children with ASD may facilitate parent-child interaction and ameliorate the impact of social…

As an important form of self-disclosure, sharing positive events is related to increased positive affect and reduced negative affect, i.e., affective well-being. The act of communicating a positive personal event to another person and reaping the intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of such communication is termed capitalization in social…

The main focus of this research is to understand how the use of communication technology impacts students of color performance in online gateway courses. The analysis for this research study is part of a larger, ongoing study of online students of color at the institution. The archival data was obtained from Introductory to Business and…

In this dissertation, I analyze the impact of three environmental education strategies implemented in rural northern Tanzania focused on forest-related knowledge. In Chapter Five, I assess the impact of two strategies--face-to-face group discussion and mobile phone texting--on knowledge. I also compare the effectiveness of the two strategies in…

Research about online learning suggests that instructor feedback is essential for student learning, especially when the feedback is personalized, specific, and timely. Feedback enhances instructor presence in online learning and has been shown to positively affect student outcomes. However, even with the technical ability to receive feedback at…

In the first case study, a piece of recent BBC news reported on Chinese netizens leaving random but funny comments on a Western website attracted people's attention. A closer look at those comments reveals that understanding the Chinese netizens' comments requires metaphorical and cultural knowledge. This study starts with theoretical explanations…

The emerging use of portable digital devices by students, parents and teachers, is forcing schools to develop real-time communication systems that integrate technology into the general operations of schools, and contemplate governing policies and procedures to sustain and guide the challenges of these new technologies. This study contributes to…