"Reading the Machine: Digital Reading Practices and the Contemporary U.S. Novel," investigates how emerging information technologies--networked devices, software programs, and algorithmic protocols--redefine cultural forms of textual production and reception. Focusing on the longstanding literary form of the novel as a point of entry,…

From the 1930s through modern times, African Americans have faced marginalization regarding equal access to higher-paying job opportunities, including job opportunities in the information technology (IT) industry. This study adopts social capital theory as its framework to investigate the influence of social capital on individuals' careers,…

This study's purpose was to explore ways of bridging conspicuous barriers to collaborative knowledge sharing among a specific group of IT Professionals (ITPs) supporting a heterogeneous school of arts and sciences at a large public research university. Forming the core of the study were a structural-cultural lens, a design-based research…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between the use of collaborative technology, video-facilitated observation and feedback, and virtual professional development and coaching and levels of collective teacher efficacy. The study used a questionnaire to survey 547 coaches, content specialists, and district…

The emergence of social networks and social media has resulted in exponential increase in the amount of data that link diverse types of richly structured digital objects e.g., individuals, articles, images, videos, music, etc. Such data are naturally represented as heterogeneous networks with multiple types of objects e.g., actors, video,…

The vast development of digital technology and the widespread use of social network platforms have reshaped how we live in the world. For L2 learners to maximally utilize their language proficiency to function effectively as members of modern society, they need not only the necessary L2 knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) but also essential…

Whether as status notifications in news feeds or interactive prompts in online video services, updates punctuate the background routines of media by bringing a variety of changes to the attention of users. In this dissertation I argue that updates rationalize media change by making previously obscure actions of users and movements of technologies…

This qualitative study described the impact of collaboration and technology-based communication on the professional experiences of rural middle school classroom teachers. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to determine if technology-based tools, such as online discussion boards, email, social networking sites, and short message…

Theories of privacy and identity in relationship to the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) have been a topic of research for decades. However, little attention has been paid to the perception of privacy and identity from the perspective of Muslim Arab technology users. Privacy and identity in the context of the Arab world is highly…

1.) Relationships "de Confianza" and the Organization of Collective Social Action: We examine the relational elements of community change, focusing on how community health workers ("promotoras") build relationships "de confianza." The analysis demonstrates how relationships "de confianza" have laid a…

This study was designed to explore the experiences of Chinese international students attending a research university in the United States, from the time they received offers of acceptance to study abroad until they left China (pre-arrival period) through the end of their first quarter as freshmen (early post-arrival period). The researcher sought…

This doctoral dissertation is focused on both empirical and conceptual contributions relative to the roles social technologies play in informal knowledge sharing practices, both within and across organizations. Social technologies include (a) traditional social technologies (e.g., email, phone and instant messengers), (b) emerging social…

With the weakening economy, many nonprofit organizations have cut their budget and are investigating cost cutting expenditures to survive from cutting employees, to cutting services, to cutting business travel. Several industry challenges have resulted in reduced business activity. Increased demands have required practitioners to be innovative in…

With the Internet advancements of information systems and social media channels, consumer data has become a valuable source for companies and social networking communities. These Internet businesses are allowed to use and share their customers' information, with minimal regulatory intervention other than in health and financial areas. This…

Calls to virtually break down school walls through connected and blended learning environments are ubiquitous as of late as technologies in service of learning evolve and as schools are under pressure to change. Within the subject area of English Language Arts, there is a dearth of research or information on how to facilitate these new, digitally…