The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of music and sound effects to recorded stories increased the comprehension and retention of information for fourth grade students. The data were analyzed by a two-factor analysis of variance, with repeated measures for both comprehension and retention tests, for the total population. Each reading level group was analyzed separately by an analysis of variance. Of eight hypotheses tested, six showed a significant difference. The conclusions drawn from this study indicated that the addition of music and sound effects 1) Increases the listening comprehension and retention of fourth grade students; 2) Is more effective for retention for students with a high reading level; and 3) Is more effective for initial listening comprehension for students with low reading level but the effect is not significant for retention.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The Fourth Industrial Revolution has provided new opportunities to tackle problems in health, education, transport and many other sectors. In the financial sector, new financial technology (FinTech) is providing new ways of tackling the problem of financial exclusion. The uptake of cell phones has enabled financial service providers (FSPs) to expand into areas where the most vulnerable have hitherto been outside the reach of the banking agency model. This has ultimately allowed previously financially excluded individuals to have access to bank accounts. Through SMACT (Social Media, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud and the Internet of Things) technologies, FSPs are able to collect new types of data such as call detail record data and mobile app data which have been leveraged globally to enable the emergence of M-Pesa in Kenya, the WeChat payments module in China and KakaoBank, South Korea’s first online-only bank. The common thread in these innovations is that these are telecommunications company-led business models that have encroached into the area of finance. Such digital disruption has happened in South Africa but little is understood about how inclusive digital financial services are in the South African context. Moreover, what are the barriers to further financial inclusion, given that South Africa has significantly high bank account uptake rates? What role can the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies have in breaking those barriers and reaching the lower-income population that has largely been mis-sold financial products that were created for the middle to upper-income population? This study sought to investigate how the diffusion of SMACT technology has contributed to financial inclusion in the South African financial services sector. The study made use of a mixed methods approach to answer this research question. Finscope data from 2012 to 2015 was used as the data source for the quantitative section and key informant interviews as the source of data for the qualitative section. The study found that roughly 80% of adults in South Africa are financially included through formal banks. Despite the near 100% uptake rates of cell phones across all income groups, proximity to an ATM or bank branch still significantly determined whether an individual accessed formal financial services. The study also found that ATM withdrawal, store withdrawal and internet banking were infrequently utilised by lower-income adults. In terms of internet banking and digital financial services in general, financial products, especially digital credit, do not appear to be well aligned with the needs of the lower-income consumer. The mismatch of financial products and the needs of lower-income consumers is further worsened by poor financial literacy levels in South Africa, especially among lower-income consumers. The study concludes that more needs to be done to increase economic inclusion, digital inclusion and financial inclusion for the lower-income population in South Africa. While consumer protection and transparency are well covered in the regulatory and legislative framework to which FSPs by and large adhere, a more inclusive and sustainable financial sector will only exist if product fit, affordability, financial literacy and convenience issues are addressed. This should happen in an enabling environment where ICT infrastructure benefits all, interoperability of digital financial services is reached and a regulatory framework more focused on financial inclusion is in place.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference in achievement scores exists among students based on whether or not they attended preschool as measured by standardized achievement reading-language arts and math scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program assessment for fourth grade students in a single East Tennessee school district. The variables of grade level and preschool attendance were considered. The population consisted of fourth grade students during the 2014-2015 school year. Data were gathered from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement test scores obtained from the 2014-2015 school year and from the school district’s preschool attendance records. Independent t-tests were used to evaluate differences in the variables. Findings in this study did not show any significant difference in achievement tests scores of students who attended preschool and those who did not. Scale scores were tested in this model for fourth grade achievement scores. These scores consisted of Reading-Language Arts and Math. Areas tested were found to have no significant differences for fourth grade when compared by preschool attendance, gender, or ethnicity.

This case study sought to examine constructs of two fourth-grade elementary writing programs in Volusia County, Florida. With only the Sunshine State Standards as a guide, each district, school, or teacher must design a writing curriculum that addresses those standards, develops writers, and provides accountability. Fourth-grade classrooms were selected because students at that grade level are required to participate in the FCAT Writing +, a two-day state assessemnt that requires students to compose an essay on a designated topic within a 45-minute period. A second part of the assessment consists of multiple-choice items covering editing and revising, graphic organizers, and letter writing. Both sections of this assessment measure student progress relative to the Sunshine State Standards' benchmarks for writing. Data was collected through multiple sources. An observation instrument, based in part on Karen Bromley's Key Components of Sound Writing Instruction, was constructed. Survey, focus group, and interview questions were derived in part from a survey Dr. Roger Brindley and Dr. Jenifer Jasinski Schneider created to study fourth-grade teachers' perspectives on teaching writing. Writing artifacts were also collected. Karen Bromley suggested five elements to address both process and product that are necessary for a balanced approach to writing. They are; Standards and Assessment, Large Blocks of Time, Direct Instruction, Choice and Authenticity, and Writing Across the Curriculum. Findings revealed that although both schools subscribed to different methods and materials for writing instruction, similarities were revealed with consideration to these components. Current test scores validated these practices. Implications for further study and investigation based on these findings ensures the advancement of the body of knowledge about writing instruction.

This study investigated the perceptions that fourth grade African American students have of their school experience and explored whether there was a connection between their perceptions of school and academic performance, as measured by the California Standards Test. The students in the study either scored at the proficient or advanced level on the test or scored below proficient. Students who were in Special Education or who had disciplinary problems were excluded from the study. Students were interviewed at their school and asked questions related to school climate, perception of teachers, perception of administrators, and grade to grade perceptions. Results of the study indicated that the students perceived their school as a positive place where they felt valued and respected and came to learn. They perceived the adults as caring and felt positive about their teacher and administrators. In addition, there was no negative shift in grade to grade perception except for second grade. This was true whether students performed at the proficient or non proficient level. It was also true without regards to gender. In spite of the positive perceptions these students have of their school, their academic performance did not improve. Students articulated that they wanted more of a personal connection with their teachers and wanted to see more of their administrators. Based on the findings of the study, suggestions to address issues students expressed in their interviews include building personal relationships between students and teachers, increasing the visibility of administrators on campus, utilizing a variety of instructional strategies to engage students and to connect lessons to real life situations, implementing learning programs beyond the school day, and organizing a mentoring program.

Today, there are several media-related companies that work to process and publish news using only artificial intelligence and algorithms, completely without any type of human intervention. The industry as a whole has seen a trend of replacing human journalists' daily tasks with generative AI, this in terms serves a greater sustainable economic resource management for many media companies. Although, debatably AI has been a blessing in the editorial office in terms of saving journalists time for repetitive, tedious and time consuming tasks, that otherwise would have been used on something more creative. However to leave such responsibility to artificial intelligence poses a potential risk of maintaining journalistic integrity. It rises into question on how much responsibility the editorial office should hand over to AI. Therefore, to understand the balance between technological innovation, the role of journalism and its social responsibility will be the main focus in this thesis.  Using a qualitative research method and semistructured interview will provide a deep understanding of interviewees ideas and opinions, as well as dive into various theories, such as social responsibility theory, managerialism and fourth estate. Theories will be used as the foundation for analyzing the results and the conclusion. Using thematic analysis where we were able to identify results in three categories: i) understanding AI, ii) implementing AI, iii) attitude towards AI. Six journalists from different media companies were interviewed in this thesis and all showed signs of basic knowledge of what artificial intelligence is but only two of them had understanding of what artificial intelligence is trying to achieve. All journalists use AI as tools to get through time consuming and repetitive tasks and half of them use AI for inspiration and ideas. Overall the attitude towards AI has been positive, although all six journalists pointed out that AI-generated content should be monitored and the quality must be ensured by humans. This thesis hopes to contribute to the ongoing discourse in the field by elucidating the need for a balanced approach to AI integration in journalism. One that in hope harmonizes technological advancement with the core principles of ethical journalism. Not only underscores the importance of the ethical considerations in adopting AI in journalism, but also paves the way for future research, emphasizing the need of adaptive and responsible journalistic practices in this rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

Johann Georg Albrechtsberger verfasste 1804 mit der Abhandlung Kurze Regeln des reinsten Satzes einen Nachtrag zu seiner Gründlichen Anweisung zur Composition (1790). Auf nur wenigen Seiten stellt er Überlegungen zu einer völlig dissonanzfreien Satztechnik an. Als Besonderheit schließt Albrechtsberger dabei die Verwendung der wohlklingenden bzw. konsonanten Quarte aus, die im Dreiklang zwischen dem Quint- und Oktavton bzw. im Sextakkord zwischen dem Terz- und Sextton entsteht. 1807 setzte Albrechtsberger seine theoretischen Überlegungen mit der Missa sine dissonantiis auch kompositorisch um. Im vorliegenden Text wird zunächst Albrechtsbergers Idee einer dissonanzlosen Musik genauer untersucht, anschließend werden anhand analytischer Beobachtungen zur Messvertonung satztechnische Konsequenzen für das Komponieren ohne Dissonanzen aufgezeigt. / Johann Georg Albrechtsberger wrote his essay Kurze Regeln des reinsten Satzes (»Short Rules for the Purest Composition«) in 1804 as a supplement to his Gründliche Anweisung zur Composition (»Thorough Guide to Composition«, 1790). In the space of just a few pages, he offered his thoughts on a completely dissonance-free compositional technique. One distinctive feature of this is Albrechtsberger’s exclusion of the euphonious, consonant interval of a fourth that arises in a triad between the fifth and the octave of the tonic and in a sixth chord between the third and the sixth. In 1807, Albrechtsberger put his theoretical considerations into compositional practice with his Missa sine dissonantiis. The present paper first engages in a close investigation of Albrechtsberger’s idea of a dissonance-free music and then uses analytical observations of his mass setting to demonstrate the practical consequences of composing without dissonances.

The present study examines r/WitchesVsPatriarchy, a subreddit hosted on the popular social media platform Reddit, which centres around the themes of women and witchcraft. This thesis employs a mixed methods approach to investigate various aspects of the subreddit. A critical discourse analysis is conducted in conjunction with a netnographic study. Content that is being analysed consists of a forum thread where users get to describe what witchcraft means to them, an introductory post written by the moderators of the subreddit, as well as content posted to the site by other members. The content that was posted was sorted into five different categories: uplifting content, crafts and marketplace, memes and humour, political content, and magic and rituals. The analysis concludes that the r/WitchesVsPatriarchy community exhibits a distinct feminist undertone, specifically embracing the principles of fourth wave feminism. Furthermore, it also reveals characteristics associated with subcultures.  The role of witchcraft is analysed and what way the users engage with it. Within this context, witchcraft is predominantly perceived as a tool for self-care and empowerment, rather than being strictly associated with religious or magical beliefs. Notably, the majority of users express scepticism regarding the magical aspects of witchcraft. Instead, witchcraft is seen as a tool used for empowerment and even as a symbol for feminism.  Regarding subculture theory, the community can be seen as a part of a larger subculture where members use witchcraft for non-religious reasons. Various forms of aspects relating to subculture theory, such as shared identities, sacred objects, resistance, and marginalization.  The thesis contends that this witchcraft community inherently encompasses a feminist dimension, whereby users harness feminist and political connections with witchcraft to empower both themselves and the broader community. Keywords: modern witchcraft, witchcraft communities, Reddit, fourth wave feminism

An examination of third and fourth order Runge-Kutta methods which can be utilized to solve various ordinary differential equations is considered. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

The intent of this thesis is to examine the future of the third-party doctrine with the proliferation of technology and the online data we are surrounded with daily, specifically after the United States Supreme Court's decision in Carpenter v. United States. In order to better understand the Supreme Court's reasoning in that case, this thesis will review the history of the third-party doctrine and its roots in United States v. Miller and Smith v. Maryland. A review of Fourth Amendment history and jurisprudence is also crucial to this thesis, as it is imperative that individuals do not forfeit their Constitutional guarantees for the benefit of living in a technologically advanced society. This requires an understanding of the modern-day functional equivalents of "papers" and "effects." Furthermore, this thesis will ultimately answer the following question: Why is it legally significant that we protect at least some data that comes from technologies that our forefathers could have never imagined under the Fourth Amendment? Looking to the future, this thesis will contemplate solutions on how to move forward in this technology era. It will scrutinize the relevancy of the third-party doctrine due to the rise of technology and the enormous amount of information held about us by third parties. In the past, the Third-Party Doctrine may have been good law, but that time has passed. It is time for the Third-Party Doctrine to be abolished so the Fourth Amendment can join the 21st Century.