Welcome to Cardinal Scholar
Cardinal Scholar is the University Libraries Institutional Repository for archival and scholarly research produced at Ball State University.
Recent Submissions
Item Navigating the new norm: the rise of remote work in the post-pandemic era(2024-05)The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a seismic shift in the traditional landscape of work, with remote work emerging as a prominent feature of the new normal. This paper examines the multifaceted phenomenon of remote work in the post-pandemic era, exploring its impact on productivity, employee well-being, company culture, and collaboration. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of primary sources including research papers, industry reports, and expert insights, this creative project provides a detailed analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with remote work and offers recommendations for organizations and policymakers to effectively navigate this new paradigm of work. The accompanying journalistic story provides context and a personal lens into the lived experience of remote work.Item Seasons in a cycle: a musical theatre song cycle an analysis of the compositional process(2024-05)My Creative Project, partially fulfilling the requirements for a Master of Music degree in Composition, is Seasons in a Cycle, which is a musical theatre song cycle consisting of four songs about depression through the four seasons. I wrote the lyrics in addition to the music. The music is for one unnamed tenor and piano. In order, the titles are the following: “Spring in the Dark,” “Summer Contemplations,” “Moments in Fall,” and “Winter Introspection.” The subject material follows my experience with seasonal depression. In “Spring in the Dark,” the character reflects on memories while on a walk in the park that progresses into a dark mental spiral. “Summer Contemplations” is the aftermath of the Spring, and he sings about his negative reflection of his life leading into thoughts of suicide. After surviving the past two seasons, he reflects on the nature of life in “Moments in Fall” and realizes how there can be hope and life amid decay. He ends his revelations in “Winter Introspection” when he realizes he has a lot to be thankful for and can sit in peace. The music supports the lyrical matter through key changes, dissonant harmonies, and tonal clusters, musically suggesting ambiguity of the tenor’s thoughts. The piano sets the mood of the tenor and carries suggestive themes seen in each of the pieces as references to previous thoughts. The vocals are text-driven and have loose rhyming schemes.Item High Spirits pilot(2024-05)In this speculative script for a television pilot, I focus on the riches to rags fall from grace of an affluent young woman forced to take her first real job. Major themes for this work include realistic depictions of service industry workers and grounded depictions of LGBTQIA+ people. The chosen genre for this work is dramedy, which focuses on a slice of life narrative that combines elements of humor and consequence in equal measure, or there about, where the consequences of character choices transcend the end of the episode. My hope is that the audience will come away with a sense of empathy, catharsis, and feel that they relate to the struggles of the characters, if not the characters themselves. Major influences for this script are Dan and Eugene Levy’s Schitt’s Creek for its positive representation of LGBTQIA+ people and Michael Hurwitz’s Arrested Development for its wit and cleverness. In subsequent revisions I intend to expand on the humor to better reflect the tone of these shows. My intention with this work is to continue revising, and also to supplement it with a speculative cast list, series overview, season overview, and other materials used in pitching for a television production company. My overall goal is to be a professional writer for film and television and to that end this work will be included in my portfolio, among others I have started here at Ball State University.Item Virtual reality for classroom language learning(2024-05)With this creative project, I sought to design and develop a Virtual Reality (VR) experience to support second language learning in university classrooms. The prototype links language learning through traditional classroom curricula to language acquisition through virtual environments where world language applications can be practiced in simulated scenarios with native-speaking characters. The design and development of the project is guided by interview, ethnographic, and secondary research; development and programming language technical capabilities; and usability design principle frameworks. Research and Thematic Analysis is used to identify key considerations and best practices for integrating a digital tool of this nature into traditional classroom settings. Research insights shape the foundation of the user experience design, directing its focus on utilizing VR as a supplemental practice space for hearing and speaking a language in conversational scenarios. Taking technical capabilities into consideration, this project leverages the affordances of the Unity Real-Time Game Engine, C-Sharp (C#) programming language, OpenAI’s WhisperAI Speech Recognition System, and Oculus Quest 2 Head Mounted Display. The capabilities of these tools directly influence the mapping of the user flows and interaction setups within the experience. Usability heuristics and design principles for VR products guide the creation of user interface elements to ensure optimal visual accessibility, intuitiveness of layout, and appropriate signaling to effectively guide the user through the experience. By combining technological capabilities of development with research-informed design, this project introduces a novel application of VR for the language learning use case. It is designed to complement traditional classroom teaching methods rather than replace them, offering students an engaging platform for practical language practice. Overall, this prototype is an exploration of VR’s potential as an educational tool that can extend language learning beyond the classroom—it provides students with an immersive space for reinforcing their linguistic skills, connecting in-class theory with real-world practice. A supplementary demonstration video of the product is included in the final project upload, which includes a voiceover where I detail the user experience in the perspective of a student and overview some of the major research insights that influenced my design decisions.Item Advancing inclusivity and accessiblity of crossfit for athletes with intellectual disabilities(2024-05)Exercise is crucial for preventing diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and obesity. CrossFit offers a unique approach to fitness by combining gymnastics, weightlifting, and cardio sports into one program. Moreover, all CrossFit movements can be modified to fit anyone’s skill level. For people in their 70s to teenagers, CrossFit is intended to serve the masses. However, a major gap still exists: CrossFit spaces are not fully inclusive for athletes with intellectual disabilities [ID] due to a lack of knowledgeable and experienced coaches. Currently, there are few resources to help coaches modify workouts for their athletes and even fewer resources to help them coach ID athletes. I bridge this gap by creating a mobile app designed to help coaches learn to adapt CrossFit movements and coach the ID population. By using design thinking methods, I created X-Adapt, an app that helps coaches work with intellectually disabled athletes.
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