UMBC Language, Literacy, and Culture Department
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Item Toward Transdisciplinary Approaches to Audio Deepfake Discernment(2024-11-08) Janeja, Vandana; Mallinson, ChristineThis perspective calls for scholars across disciplines to address the challenge of audio deepfake detection and discernment through an interdisciplinary lens across Artificial Intelligence methods and linguistics. With an avalanche of tools for the generation of realistic-sounding fake speech on one side, the detection of deepfakes is lagging on the other. Particularly hindering audio deepfake detection is the fact that current AI models lack a full understanding of the inherent variability of language and the complexities and uniqueness of human speech. We see the promising potential in recent transdisciplinary work that incorporates linguistic knowledge into AI approaches to provide pathways for expert-in-the-loop and to move beyond expert agnostic AI-based methods for more robust and comprehensive deepfake detection.Item Sustainability of a dual language program during and beyond COVID-19 challenges(Taylor & Francis, 2024-10-28) Mata-McMahon, Jennifer; Williams, Sabrina; Daramola, Adebola; Kruse, Lance; Hossain, ShahinThis study evaluates the Dual Language Program (DLP) implemented at a Title I public school in Baltimore City during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 school years. Building on previous research, the DLP's implementation, sustainability, and effects on students’ learning outcomes were examined. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study’s second phase included participants from the school’s mainstream, English-only program (MP), enriching the overall understanding of the school community’s perception of the program. Data were collected through surveys, classroom observations, and standardized assessments—the DIBELS and the iReady Diagnostic assessments. Findings showed challenges with curriculum standardization and prevalent misconceptions about bilingualism. Nevertheless, the program's successes were evident in DLP students’ enhanced engagement, parental involvement, and community support. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DLP demonstrated its capacity for scaleability and sustainability. During the 2020–2021 school year, regardless of virtual learning, DLP students not only maintained but, in the case of Cohort 1, showed greater growth in reading skills compared to MP students, with Cohort 3 DLP students improving to reach statistically similar performance levels to their MP peers. Findings indicate that the DLP has the potential to serve as a sustainable educational program, fostering both dual language proficiency and academic outcomes.Item ALDAS: Audio-Linguistic Data Augmentation for Spoofed Audio Detection(2024-10-21) Khanjani, Zahra; Mallinson, Christine; Foulds, James; Janeja, VandanaSpoofed audio, i.e. audio that is manipulated or AI-generated deepfake audio, is difficult to detect when only using acoustic features. Some recent innovative work involving AI-spoofed audio detection models augmented with phonetic and phonological features of spoken English, manually annotated by experts, led to improved model performance. While this augmented model produced substantial improvements over traditional acoustic features based models, a scalability challenge motivates inquiry into auto labeling of features. In this paper we propose an AI framework, Audio-Linguistic Data Augmentation for Spoofed audio detection (ALDAS), for auto labeling linguistic features. ALDAS is trained on linguistic features selected and extracted by sociolinguistics experts; these auto labeled features are used to evaluate the quality of ALDAS predictions. Findings indicate that while the detection enhancement is not as substantial as when involving the pure ground truth linguistic features, there is improvement in performance while achieving auto labeling. Labels generated by ALDAS are also validated by the sociolinguistics experts.Item Commentary: Bringing people and technology together to combat the threat of deepfakes(Maryland Matters, 2024-03-25) Mallinson, Christine; Janeja, VandanaUMBC team is creating and testing short training sessions to help listeners spot common 'tells' of real and fake speech.Item The Influence of the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program on Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: A Mixed-Methods Study(MDPI, 2024-10-02) Goings, Ramon; Boyd, BrittanyThis sequential explanatory mixed-methods study investigated the differences in persistence between students from the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program (STEP), a STEM teacher scholarship and career preparation program, and STEM majors not in the program. Quantitative results indicated that STEP participants had higher levels of academic integration, women scored higher on persistence factors than men, and White students had a higher degree commitment than students of color. Qualitative findings indicated that STEP provided a family atmosphere and connected their coursework to their career aspirations. Women of color felt stereotyped by White classmates in STEM courses, which impacted their degree of commitment, and students of color in STEP relied on the program as a counterspace to racially insensitive STEM classrooms.Item Investigating Causal Cues: Strengthening Spoofed Audio Detection with Human-Discernible Linguistic Features(2024-09-09) Khanjani, Zahra; Ale, Tolulope; Wang, Jianwu; Davis, Lavon; Mallinson, Christine; Janeja, VandanaSeveral types of spoofed audio, such as mimicry, replay attacks, and deepfakes, have created societal challenges to information integrity. Recently, researchers have worked with sociolinguistics experts to label spoofed audio samples with Expert Defined Linguistic Features (EDLFs) that can be discerned by the human ear: pitch, pause, word-initial and word-final release bursts of consonant stops, audible intake or outtake of breath, and overall audio quality. It is established that there is an improvement in several deepfake detection algorithms when they augmented the traditional and common features of audio data with these EDLFs. In this paper, using a hybrid dataset comprised of multiple types of spoofed audio augmented with sociolinguistic annotations, we investigate causal discovery and inferences between the discernible linguistic features and the label in the audio clips, comparing the findings of the causal models with the expert ground truth validation labeling process. Our findings suggest that the causal models indicate the utility of incorporating linguistic features to help discern spoofed audio, as well as the overall need and opportunity to incorporate human knowledge into models and techniques for strengthening AI models. The causal discovery and inference can be used as a foundation of training humans to discern spoofed audio as well as automating EDLFs labeling for the purpose of performance improvement of the common AI-based spoofed audio detectors.Item Sufficient Magic: Queer Prison Comix as Liberation Praxis(Ohio State University Press, 2024) Morse, NicolePrison art has many functions, from representation to healing to rehabilitation, and it can make use of many different kinds of media, including comix. For prison abolitionists, prison art is most powerful when it is connected to larger struggles against the criminal punishment system, and comix offer unique affordances to abolitionist movements. From cells to movement blur to the gutter, comix enable artists to interrogate carcerality and gendered oppression simultaneously. Through close readings of comix and correspondence with artists and organizers, this article examines the world-making praxis of incarcerated trans artists who are creating and distributing original comix with the abolitionist organization ABO Comix. While most scholarship on prison art explores state-sanctioned programs, ABO Comix is independent from the prison system, producing alternative possibilities as well as unique challenges for artists and organizers. In comix by trans artist Krysta Morningstarr* as well as other artists, incarcerated LGBTQ artists use comix as a form of world-making, mutual aid, and collective praxis within and beyond the prison borders.Item Policies and practices for recruiting and retaining teachers of color(Arizona State University, 2024-09-24) Carver-Thomas, Desiree; Bianco, Margarita; Goings, Ramon; Hyler, MariaDespite growing interest and investment in building a more racially and ethnically diverse teacher workforce, increases in the share of teachers of color nationally have stalled in recent years. Even with more new teachers of color entering the profession each year, about 80% of the teacher workforce has been white since 2015. This trend highlights the need for researchers and policymakers to view the recruitment and retention of teachers of color as interrelated and critically important to increase the diversity of the teacher workforce. This paper synthesizes what we know about policies and practices at the national, state, and local levels that support recruiting and retaining teachers of color: access to comprehensive teacher preparation, access to mentoring, and supportive teaching conditions. The paper also provides a series of policy recommendations that can improve recruitment and retention for teachers of color based upon the literature.Item Catriona Macleod, Alexandra Shephard, Maria Ågren (eds), The Whole Economy, Work and Gender in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023, 230 pp. ISBN 9781009359368(Open Edition Journals, 2024-09-19) Froide, AmyItem A Flat Tire Deflates. Weariness and DEI(Rektoverso, 2024-06-07) Morse, NicoleGenderqueer Professor Nicole Erin Morse is fed up with Florida's exhausting diversity policies and protests. In weariness, they find an affective state that allows them to 'be burned up yet keep burning.'Item #SayGay(Collateral, 2023-07) Morse, NicoleItem Dressed to Kill Cis Hetero Patriarchy(Open Library of Humanities, 2023-09-29) Morse, NicoleThrough re-cutting misogynist horror, this video essay approaches the diptych as a tool to construct resistant trans feminist readings in Dressed to Kill, Brian De Palma’s 1980 homage to Hitchcock’s Psycho.Item “It’s Not Steroids, It’s Testosterone!”: Deconstructing Gender and Sex in Bros (2022)(Flow, 2023-09-20) Herold, Lauren; Morse, NicoleItem A place for (socio)linguistics in audio deepfake detection and discernment: Opportunities for convergence and interdisciplinary collaboration(Wiley, 2024-07-09) Mallinson, Christine; Janeja, Vandana; Evered, Chloe; Khanjani, Zahra; Davis, Lavon; Bhalli, Noshaba Nasir; Nwosu, KifekachukwuDeepfakes, particularly audio deepfakes, have become pervasive and pose unique, ever-changing threats to society. This paper reviews the current research landscape on audio deepfakes. We assert that limitations of existing approaches to deepfake detection and discernment are areas where (socio)linguists can directly contribute to helping address the societal challenge of audio deepfakes. In particular, incorporating expert knowledge and developing techniques that everyday listeners can use to avoid deception are promising pathways for (socio)linguistics. Further opportunities exist for developing benevolent applications of this technology through generative AI methods as well.Item Washing Away Brokenness: A Narrative Reflection on Emblems of Black Education(Bowie State University, 2024) Kelly, KristinObjects serve as symbols and emblems that hold stories of family history.This paper uses narrative to investigate the idea and power of emblemsand symbols. It is a socio-historical exploration of a mid-twentieth-century washboard owned by the grandmother of a now 73-year-old Blackmale. Findings in this study unpack socialization stories and reimagineeducational practices of a Black, multi-generational family in the rural American South in the 1950s–1960s by taking a socio-historical approach to understanding family structure, education, and labor. In thispaper, the author argues how Black women, especially Black Grandmothers in the mid-twentieth century, challenged the understanding oflabor and child-rearing and the impact on Black children’s socializationand education.Item RAISING MIXED KIDS IN THE ’BURBS: MIXED-RACE FAMILIES NAVIGATING RACE, IDENTITY, AND DISCRIMINATION IN SUBURBAN SCHOOLS(2024-01-01) Peng, Jackie Matise; Goings, Ramon G; Language, Literacy & Culture; Language Literacy and CultureThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the intersection of familial and school-based racial–ethnic socialization of mixed-race children in suburban schools. Suburban schools provide educational services to most youth in the United States and a growing number of mixed-race families. This dissertation focused on how parents prepare children to navigate racialized school experiences and the impact of their decisions on the racial knowledge development of multiracial youth, the fastest-growing racial demographic under 18.Critical multiracial theory was the theoretical lens used to present findings through storytelling, allegories, and narrated dialogue. The findings showed that parents strategically chose where to live and which schools to send their children. The findings suggest varying parental efforts in cultivating awareness of race based on children’s racial background and appearance. Parents may struggle to address issues of racism, racial stratification, and discrimination due to their perceptions of residing in a good community with good schools. Although young people might downplay the significance of racism in their lives, many acknowledge the subtle impact of systemic racism on their school experiences. The study found structural barriers, such as academic tracking and school zoning, to access to peers from minoritized heritage groups. However, minoritized peers are critical for fostering positive racial–ethnic identities at school. Findings also suggest that young people’s inability to identify the structural elements of everyday racism could relate to the lack of multiracial representation and the neglect of structural and systemic racism in formal curricula. The study could have implications for parents, school leaders, young people, and scholars of racial–ethnic socialization and suburban education.Item THROUGH THEIR LENS: BLACK PRE-PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE ENTRY-LEVEL PA DOCTORATE(2024-01-01) Fleming, Shani D; Goings, Ramon; Language, Literacy & Culture; Language Literacy and CultureBy 2025, Physician Assistants (PA) will be the sole prescribing medical provider without an entry-level doctorate. Over the past two decades, the PA community has vigorously debated the possible shift from a master's degree to an entry-level clinical doctoral degree. Concurrently, the representation of Black PAs has experienced a steady decline, carrying significant implications for addressing Black health disparities and advancing health equity. Studies show a negative link between advanced degree requirements and diversity in the PA field. This study investigates Black pre-PA students' views on the transition and identifies key factors for success. Utilizing the validated Professional Entry Doctorate Degree Survey (PEDDS) instrument supplemented with open-ended questions, the research aims to answer the following questions: 1) What are Black pre-PA students' perceptions of the entry-level doctorate? (2) How do perceptions of the entry-level doctorate vary by Black pre-PA students’ (a) gender; (b) perception of academic rank; (c) first-generation; (d) level of education; and (e) family income? 3) What do Black pre-PA students perceive as essential factors for successfully pursuing an entry-level PA doctorate? While previous studies show opposition to the transition, this study finds mixed opinions among Black pre-PA students. Demographic differences do not significantly impact perceptions. Participants highlighted key areas needing attention, including increased costs, admissions processes, prerequisite barriers, bias, discrimination, and resource limitations. Recommendations include bolstering outreach, scholarships, faculty diversity, and educational initiatives to enhance Black representation and shape future PA policies effectively. These insights hold significant promise for advancing health equity within the PA profession.Item Do Grow-Your-Own Programs Work? Evidence from the Teacher Academy of Maryland(IZA – Institute of Labor Economics, 2024-05) Blazar, David; Gao, Wenjing; Gershenson, Seth; Goings, Ramon; Lagos, FranciscoLocal teacher recruitment through “grow-your-own” programs is a prominent strategy toaddress workforce shortages and ensure that incoming teachers resemble, understand,and have strong connections to their communities. We exploit the staggered rollout of theTeacher Academy of Maryland career and technical education certificate program acrosspublic high schools, finding that exposed students were more likely to become teachersby 0.6 percentage points (pp), or 47%. Effects are concentrated among White girls(1.4pp/39%) and Black girls (0.7pp/80%). We also identify positive impacts on wages (5%on average/18% for Black girls), countering a prevailing narrative that teaching leaves oneworse off financially relative to other labor market opportunities.Item A place for linguistics in combating disinformation by audio deepfakes(UMBC Review, 2024) Evered, Chloe; Mallinson, ChristineDeepfakes and their potential as vehicles for deception and disinformation pose some of the most pressing new challenges of our time. This paper includes a review of existing literature on automatic detection and human discernment of audio deepfakes in particular and identifies three major areas that lend themselves to further study. These areas include (1) the interaction between a voice’s gender and our ability to accurately identify it as fake or real, (2) how an understanding of language variation is relevant to the issue of deepfake detection and discernment, and (3) the potential for socio-variationist and perceptual linguistic principles to be incorporated into educational programs that improve listeners’ ability to differentiate between genuine speech and deepfakes. Findings support a crucial role for linguists to play in addressing the broader societal challenges surrounding misinformation and disinformation.Item How Age- friendly is Brooklyn? Perceptions of Seniors Aged 65+(2023-07-25) Adler, Marina; Finch, Molly; Gilliland, David; Reed, Markya; Schlinzig, TinoMethodology 12 Asset-based and Community-based Participatory Research Methodology 12 The Interviews with Brooklyn Residents Aged 65+ 13 Sample 14 Analytic Strategy: Thematic Analysis 15Results 16 1. Transportation and Necessary Mobility 18 2. Access to Services 20 3. Long-term residents’ perceptions of neighborhood change 26 4. Law and Order 27 5. Informal Support Networks 28 6. “Forgotten” Part of the City 29 7. The Built Environment 32 8. Food Access 33Conclusion and Recommendations