Text messaging is a significant social phenomenon that merits investigation. Communications theories are well suited to this type of research because text messaging serves as both mediated communication and interpersonal communication. This kind of research can also contribute to a deeper understanding of communication differences between genders. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there are gender differences in the use of text messaging and, if so, what the differences are. Participants for the study were recruited via convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 27 participants ages 18--35; 14 were female and 13 were male. Data were collected from the participants via the focus group approach. Two of the groups consisted of females, and two of the groups consisted of males. Transcripts of the focus group sessions were analyzed using the constant comparative approach. This approach involves continually sorting through the data, comparing categories, and analyzing the resulting information. Areas of difference between the genders include selecting recipients, gathering information, seeking entertainment (trolling), ending relationships, arguing, seeking privacy and exclusion, using text shorthand and slang, remaining alert, and using text messaging for dating. These findings provide new insight in the areas of text messaging and gender studies.

Capstone courses are well embedded into the curriculum of undergraduate programs in Colleges of Business and are often used to assess program outcomes and curricular goals. Assessment of best practices of Capstone programs and skills within Capstone courses are examined as assurance of learning requirements under AACSB mandates. The conceptual framework of problem-based learning serves as the foundation for national Capstone course models with student-centered pedagogies that enhance learning about a subject through the experience of problem solving by using thinking strategies and domain knowledge. Rubrics assess student mastery of content, professionalism, organization, language structure and presentation skills. The main purpose of this study was to determine to what extent students provided evidence of skills and competencies, as demonstrated through Capstone projects and presentations at a large metropolitan university in Central Florida, which were required to meet the needs of potential employers. Using focus group research, this study examined and interpreted Capstone student papers and presentations to determine to what extent the skill sets evidenced were sufficient for hiring entry-level positions in community business partners' respective organizations. This study served to contribute to an understanding of the factors that should be embedded in course design, linking assignments to course objectives, and overall curricular goals in order to fulfill assurance of learning requirements as established by AACSB mandates.

Drill and practice systems provide students with an informal learning environment to learn programming languages. In a traditional classroom setting, while feedback is personalized for each individual, it is a time consuming process. These online environments possess the ability to provide instantaneous feedback and can be accessed from any location. However, while these are conveniences, there is still an issue with the quantity and quality of feedback that is provided to each user by the system, and whether it is helpful towards helping them solve the exercise with a large understanding of the concept being tested. In this thesis we investigate how students perceive additional feedback would help them in completing coding exercises in CodeWorkout. We conducted these investigations through user studies, across two focus groups, with Computer Science students from various years. The study was conducted over one semester with a total of seventeen participants. A discussion based frequently asked questions (FAQ) tool, the ability to request a hint during submissions and the option to provide a hint to other users, to encourage active learning, were all options presented to participants during these focus groups. The information gathered though these group discussions formed the basis of our conclusion and implications. The overall feedback on all three tools was both positive and constructive. The idea of having a less traditional FAQ tool, complete anonymity in responses, as well as the ability to vote on hints provided were strong emergent themes through the study. The majority of Participants felt that they would utilize all these tools in some fashion, were they provided, and would find them helpful in completing a coding exercise if they were stuck. Lastly, we conclude with suggestions for potential design and feature options for the system. / Master of Science

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