UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
Browse
3 results
Search Results
Item A HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH TO IMPROVING THE USER EXPERIENCE OF SOFTWARE UPDATES(2016) Mathur, Arunesh; Chetty, Marshini; Library & Information Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Software updates are critical to the security of software systems and devices. Yet users often do not install them in a timely manner, leaving their devices open to security exploits. This research explored a re-design of automatic software updates on desktop and mobile devices to improve the uptake of updates through three studies. First using interviews, we studied users’ updating patterns and behaviors on desktop machines in a formative study. Second, we distilled these findings into the design of a low-fi prototype for desktops, and evaluated its efficacy for automating updates by means of a think-aloud study. Third, we investigated individual differences in update automation on Android devices using a large scale survey, and interviews. In this thesis, I present the findings of all three studies and provide evidence for how automatic updates can be better appropriated to fit users on both desktops and mobile devices. Additionally, I provide user interface design suggestions for software updates and outline recommendations for future work to improve the user experience of software updates.Item Meaning Making for Immigrant Latino Fathers in Dynamic Family Contexts(2014) Ospina, Estefania; Roy, Kevin; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Existing research on fathers has historically focused on fatherhood involvement with children as a cornerstone of paternity. These studies have primarily used White-male fathers as the exemplary demographic (Campos, 2008). However, less has been said about immigrant Latino father's parenting and even less about their process of fatherhood meaning making. The present study used a qualitative approach to better understand immigrant Latino men's accounts of their fathering in dynamic contexts. The data used consisted of transcribed life history interviews conducted with 19 immigrant Latino fathers who were recruited from a HEAD START program and lived in neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois. In using this method, insights of their experiences and perspectives on fathering were discerned into three chapters. The findings suggest that the fatherhood meaning making for this sample was fluid and influenced by relationships and context. The analysis provides four major contributions to Latino fatherhood literature: immigrant Latino fathers exemplify a different kind of machismo that is multidimensional; protection was important to fathers and embedded in context; fathers were active agents that conveyed familismo through practicing and teaching family values; and the cultural value of familismo looks into the future and enriches efforts to create a family legacy.Item Listening to Student Voices: A Case Study on the Basic Communication Course(2012) Cohen, Steven D; Wolvin, Andrew D; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This exploratory case study examines undergraduate student perceptions of the basic communication course. Given that past studies of U.S. basic communication courses rely largely on data from faculty members and administrators, we know relatively little about how students perceive their course-related experiences. The present study helps address this gap in the literature by exploring what students perceive to be the strengths of the course, the shortcomings of the course, and the changes that ought to be made to the course. Through an analysis of student perspectives, this study adds a critical "voice" to the conversation about the state of the basic communication course. This study focuses on the summer 2012 sections of "Oral Communication: Principles and Practices," the basic communication course at the University of Maryland. As part of the study, I conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with students in three different sections. I then used the constant comparison approach within grounded theory to analyze how students made meaning of their course-related experiences. The data analysis process led to the emergence of several important themes. The data revealed five key strengths of the course: small class size; guided practice opportunities; real-world applicability; opportunities for self-reflection; and a focus on the public speaking process. Additionally, the data revealed five key shortcomings of the course: unclear link among course components; lack of differentiated section offerings; insufficient focus on public speaking; unclear assignment expectations; and the design of the interview unit. Finally, the data revealed five key changes that ought to be made to the course: allocate class time to most important topics; offer additional speaking opportunities; integrate technology into course components; enhance opportunities for presentation feedback; and expand the focus on group dynamics. This study makes numerous scholarly and practical contributions. On a macro level, it suggests that interviewing may help administrators form a more complete understanding of students' course-related experiences. Moreover, the study discusses the potential of two alternate course formats: the blended approach and the modular approach. On a micro level, this study captures a variety of student perspectives on how best to handle specific elements of the course.