Theses and Dissertations from UMD
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2
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 give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item Memorizing the Sacred in the Digital Age: Exploring Qur’an Memorization Experiences Using Physical & Digital Formats(2021) Kabir, Arif Abdal; Golbeck, Jennifer A; Library & Information Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)For centuries, millions of Muslims have been memorizing the entirety of the Qur’an, the holy scripture of Islam that provides guidance to its believers and contains over seventy-seven thousand words in Arabic. This study explores the present-day experiences of these adherents who utilize traditional and digital methods to commit the Qur’an to memory and investigates whether the experience changes when using the different formats. The research instruments include multiple questionnaires, a monthlong diary study involving two weeks of memorization with a digital device and two weeks with a physical Qur’an and interviews with twenty-three participants. The study offers findings that include reported differences in difficulty, sentiments, and sense of connection to God, insights into the prevalent benefits and challenges of digital and traditional scriptural memorization and design suggestions on tools and methods to improve the experience of memorizing the Qur’an with both formats.Item An Architecture of Activism: Grassroots Organizing in the Digital Age(2018) Akbar, Wadiah; May, Lindsey M; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis responds to the culture of fear and division that is dominating American society today by asking how architecture can better facilitate debate and dialogue in the digital age. It aims to make a place for the often invisible infrastructure of grassroots organizing, in the public realm of the city. It recognizes that today, the public realms of the digital and physical worlds are intertwined, and the conversations and activities that happen on one, inevitably impact the other. By studying and cross comparing the ways we use physical and digital public spaces, we can pursue a more complete and effective model for the design of public urban places - for people from diverse backgrounds, views, and goals, to regularly meet, and engage in civic and community building activity. The design proposal builds on a sensitive and thorough understanding of the layered history of the city of Baltimore, and offers insights for similar postindustrial, gentrifying, politically active cities.Item Digital Libraries in Schools: The Best Practices of National Board Certified Library Media Specialists(2009) Massey, Sheri Anita; Druin, Allison; Weeks, Ann C.; Library & Information Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study investigated the digital library integration behaviors of school library media specialists (SLMSs) who have achieved certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). A qualitative interview study design was chosen to convert tacit knowledge related to digital library use into explicit knowledge that can be shared with others. The goal of this research was to identify behaviors and techniques that exemplary SLMSs share when using digital libraries to support the curriculum in K-12 schools. The researcher interviewed and collected artifacts from 10 local National Board certified SLMSs and analyzed the resulting transcripts and materials using thematic analysis. A preliminary coding scheme was derived from the NBPTS Library Media technology innovation standard, which requires candidates to demonstrate expertise in providing technology access, teaching effective technology use, engaging learners with technology, and using technology to enhance the curriculum. Themes related to these four areas emerged from the data, as did sub-themes in the form of barriers the SLMSs encountered and strategies they developed to meet the standard. The barriers are discussed using Ertmer's (1999) first- and second-order classifications. The strategies are the SLMSs' best practices. To provide digital library access the SLMSs made themselves and their assistants available to learners; demonstrated mental and resource flexibility when they encountered obstacles; and, implemented creative funding strategies. To teach digital library use they used the research process to help students bridge knowledge learned in various contexts; provided training; remained abreast of digital library innovations; and, offered suggestions to product developers. To maintain engagement with digital libraries they used proven teaching techniques that build on strong instructional design principles. Finally, they relied on collaborative relationships when integrating digital libraries. They increased collaboration by building trust among colleagues; extending their reach beyond the SLMC in person and virtually, diversifying their role within the school, and gathering curriculum information to incorporate information literacy skills into lessons. Key implications: encourage SLMS-teacher collaboration, build a knowledge management system that captures expertise and supports SLMS communication, reconsider blocking social networking tools in schools to bridge the disconnect between students' home and school information-related behaviors.Item High power microwave interference effects on analog and digital circuits in IC's(2008-01-17) Kim, Kye Chong; Iliadis, Agis A.; Electrical Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Microwave or electromagnetic interference (EMI) can couple into electronic circuits and systems intentionally from high power microwave (HPM) sources or unintentionally due to the proximity to general electromagnetic (EM) environments, and cause "soft" reversible upsets and "hard" irreversible failures. As scaling-down of device feature size and bias voltage progresses, the circuits and systems become more susceptible to the interference. Thus, even low power interference can disrupt the operation of the circuits and systems. Furthermore, it is reported that even electronic systems under high level of shielding can be upset by intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI), which has been drawing a great deal of concern from both the civil and military communities, but little has been done in terms of systematic study and investigation of these effects on IC circuits and devices. We have investigated the effects of high power microwave interference on three levels, (a) on fundamental single MOSFET devices, (b) on basic CMOS IC inverters and cascaded inverters, and (c) on a representative large IC timer circuit for automotive applications. We have studied and identified the most vulnerable static and dynamic parameters of operation related to device upsets. Fundamental upset mechanisms in MOSFETs and CMOS inverters and their relation to the characteristics of microwave interference (power, frequency, width, and period) and the device properties such as size, mobility, dopant concentration, and contact resistances, were investigated. Critical upsets in n-channel MOSFET devices resulting in loss of amplifier characteristics, were identified for the power levels above 10dBm in the frequency range between 1 and 20 GHz. We have found that microwave interference induced excess charges are responsible for the upsets. Upsets in the static operation of CMOS inverters such as noise margins, output voltages, power dissipation, and bit-flip errors were identified using a load-line characteristic analysis. We developed a parameter extraction method that can predict the dynamic operation of inverters under microwave interference from DC load-line characteristics. Using the method, the effects of microwave interference on propagation delays, output voltage swings, and output currents as well as their relation to device scaling, were investigated. Two new critical hard error sources in MOSFETs and CMOS inverters regarding power dissipation and power budget disruption were found. EMI hardened design for digital circuits has been proposed to mitigate the stress on the devices, the contacts, and the interconnects. We found important new bit-flip and latch-up errors under pulsed microwave interference, which demonstrated that the excess charge effects are due to electron-hole pair generation under microwave interference. We proposed a theory of excess charge effects and obtained good agreement of our excess charge model with our experimental results. Further work is proposed to improve the vulnerabilities of integrated circuits.