Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Influencing Teachers' Decisions To Refer Students For Special Education Evaluation, Amanda R. Perry

Masters Theses

This study examined the factors that influence teachers to refer students for psycho-educational evaluation. Fifty seven teachers from Midwest and Southwest suburban and rural school districts completed a questionnaire designed to gather information about the factors teachers consider when referring students for evaluation, as well as their opinion of the etiology of Learning Disability and their preferences for services. Results indicated that the most influential factors in participants' referral decisions were low achievement and behavioral problems. The majority of teachers agreed that eligibility decisions should be based on the child's needs. However, there was no agreement that an ability-achievement discrepancy …

The Effect Of Telepathic Assistance On Performance In A Visual Target-Search Task, James A. Wachtel

Masters Theses

Given the significant controversy regarding parapsychology and the study of psi phenomena, there appear to be opportunities to improve design in parapsychological experimentation through the use of more sensitive and reliable means of measurement. The current study was an attempt to introduce a design that employs time as an outcome measurement, the use of groups and individuals as opposed to just individuals, and the use of more specific and focused content through the use of problem-solving tasks, in an attempt to create a sensitive and replicable experiment in telepathy. Twenty-three undergraduate participants completed 12 trials each by finding targets in …

Connecting People: An Exploration Of Building An Intranet Through Autoethnography, Christopher J. Martinez

Masters Theses

This study examines the development and failure of an Intranet at a small company in Southern Illinois. Using autoethnographic methods, I analyzed the events surrounding the development and rejection of the Intranet by the organization's president. Using Burke's concepts of identification and mystery, I analyzed the relationship between the failure of the Intranet and the president's reasoning for not supporting its development. Throughout this study I evaluate the lntranet's development, the impact of other's involvement, as well as the impact that the design of the layout could have on communication at the Company. I find that the failure to develop …

Calvin Klein: Semiotic Phenomenology, Stephanie L. Crase-Moritz

Masters Theses

This study examined print advertising as a visual communication method by focusing on five of Calvin Klein's jeans advertisements and the themes that are expressed to determine what realities or social meanings Calvin Klein's jeans advertisements constructed and/or reflected. To uncover the themes within Klein's advertisements, the following three-methods were applied: Content Analysis, Informal Focus Group and Semiotic Phenomenology. Together the three-methods, based upon data collected from fourteen males and females aged 13-18, 19-21, 22-24 and 28 years old or above, identified fifteen underlying themes containing stereotypes, potentially dangerous realities and evidence showing our desensitization to controversy and shocking images …

Low Self-Esteem: An Invitation For Victimization, Tommi Devore

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to assess the relationship between self-esteem and victimization. A modified self-esteem questionnaire, entitled "What I am Like," originally developed by Egan and Perry (1998), and a modified bully survey, originally developed by Garrity, Jens, Porter, Sager, & Short-Camille (1994), were administered to students. A total of 32 students from first grade participated in the research project and completed the questionnaires; data were collected in the fall and the spring of the school year. Most students reported some sort of victimization. A Pearsons R was conducted to assess the relationship between self-esteem and victimization. Results …

The Snow Queen: An Opera In Three Acts Based On A Story By Hans Christian Andersen, Elaine Fine

Masters Theses

This is the analysis portion of my thesis The Snow Queen, an opera based on an 1845 story by Hans Christian Andersen. This analysis examines the opera from a structural standpoint and focuses on the harmonic language, the functions of melodic and rhythmic motives in the opera, and the relationship between the original story and its adaptation as an opera.

In addition to the structural analysis I include a discussion of literary and philosophical elements connected with the opera and elaborate on the incorporation of material from Norse mythology, contemporary Finnish poetry, and the work of the 19^th-century …

Vocal Hygiene Training In The Elementary School Teacher Population, Jamie Hethke Talley

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of vocal hygiene training in improving knowledge and self-rated characteristics of the voice. The subjects were 10 kindergarten through third grade school teachers who received 4 half-hour sessions of vocal hygiene training in the experimental group. Eleven kindergarten through third grade school teachers served as control subjects and received no training. The teachers were placed in subgroups dependent upon their reports of experiencing voice difficulties or not experiencing voice difficulties. This study also researched the effectiveness of vocal hygiene for teachers with self-reported vocal difficulties versus those without difficulties. Lastly, the perception of importance of …

Predictive Validity Of Measures Of Phonological Awareness On First Grade Reading Achievement, Jennifer Hervey

Masters Theses

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the degree to which three measures of phonological awareness (Test of Phonological Awareness (TOPA), Torgesen & Bryant, 1994; Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), Kaminski & Good, 1996; Read America Diagnostic Tests, McGuinness & McGuinness, 1998) correlate with each other and with selected measures of reading skills (Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Basic Skills, Brigance, 1976, 1977; Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery (WDRB), Woodcock, 1997). The study also evaluated which of the measures of phonological awareness best predicts reading skills in a first grade population. The current study is an extension of …

The Internet And Traditional Media Displacement, Jessica Cartledge

Masters Theses

This study consists of a survey that measures how much of the Internet college students are using and why they are using it. Using the uses and gratifications perspective and an adapted version of Rubin's 1984 Television Motives Scale this study analyzes what gratifications media consumers are actively seeking to satisfy their communication needs. 217 students were surveyed and results showed that high Internet users were using traditional media less. The study also concluded that high and low Internet users have similar reasons for using the Internet.

The Relationship Of Religiosity With Self-Esteem And Personality, Melissa A. Shea

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to look for meaningful relationships between religiosity, defined as both past religious involvement and present religious involvement, and see if there are significant relationships with self-esteem and personality. Participants were from a denominational university and a secular university, to determine if the type of school one attends has any difference with their self-esteem and personality in terms of religiosity. Participants were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Spiritual Transcendence Scale and Bi-Polar Adjective Ratings Scale. Results support only the initial hypotheses that personality has a significant relationship with religiosity and that school of attendance does …

Anger: In Black & White: A Meta Analysis, James Hazlewood

Masters Theses

The following research investigates whether black and white populations have divergent perceptions of anger and anger expressions in black and white males. A great deal of the research to follow concerns itself with exploring what anger is and how it is delineated. What becomes readily apparent is that anger is a complex component of human experience. There is general agreement that culture and environment are important components in anger expression. The purpose of this research is three fold: 1. Investigate the definition of anger. 2. Investigate whether black and white populations view anger differently and if so how, and 3. …

A Comparison Of Vertical Velocity Profiles From The Balloon Borne Sounding System And The 915/50 Mhz Radar Wind Profiler/Radio Acoustic Sounding System To Parcel Theory At The Arm Sgp Site, Joshua R. Ravenscraft

Masters Theses

In this study we characterized vertical wind velocity profiles in the troposphere using the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) equipment facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Lamont OK established by the Department of Energy (DOE) and administered through Argonne National Laboratories (ANL). Using the Balloon Borne Radio Sonde (BBSS) system launched four times per day, we collected ambient temperature profiles and lapse rates from the period of June to September of

2001. Concurrently the Rass Radar Wind Profiler collected vertical wind speed data at 915 MHz continuously throughout this period. The BBSS data is visualized using a Skew-T …

Saxo Grammaticus: History And The Rise Of National Identity In Medieval Denmark, Christopher L. Bailey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Ghost In Europe: Right-Wing Extremism And Its Metamorphoses, Raluca Viviana Stireanu

Masters Theses

The main assumption of this thesis is that fascism is not an historical feature, nor a geographical one. The premises for the rise of fascism are beyond time and space; it can develop anywhere, anytime, in a certain context and under some conditions. These context and these conditions are to be explained and described in this thesis. I will compare the features of fascism in inter-war Europe with those of neo-fascism, and I will also compare the features of Eastern European fascims with those of the Western Europe; the main reason for these comparisons is that it was argued that …

The Rural Public Television System: The Paradox Of Identity And Role, James C. Jones Jr.

Masters Theses

The American television broadcasting system is preparing for it's greatest upgrade since color television. This change will not only effect commercial television it will also effect our community public television stations.

Since it's inception in 1967 the public television system has been the innovation leader in the broadcast industry for using new technologies to benefit education and servicing the public. Public television was the leader in satellite programming distribution, descriptive television services and closed captioning. Public television has defined and demonstrated its role as a technology leader. This research study was undertaken to define from the public's perspective what it …

The Relationship Between Sex Role Stereotypes, Domestic Violence Training, History Of Law Enforcement Involvement, And Law Enforcement Officer's Perceptions Of A Domestic Violence Incident, Kristen M. Schuch

Masters Theses

This study examined how police officers perceptions of a domestic violence situation are influenced by sex role stereotypes, domestic violence training and history of police intervention. Participants were police officers employed in sheriff's departments or city police departments. Officers received several surveys and a vignette describing a domestic violence scene. Officers were given one of two vignettes, one describing a situation in which there have been previous calls to the address and one in which this is the first call and were then asked several questions to assess their perceptions. Sex role stereotypes were assessed using the Sex Role Egalitarianism …

Framing The War: Government Strategies Used During The Kosovo Conflict, Jocelyn Tipton

Masters Theses

NATO's success in Kosovo ultimately depended upon each member's ability to carefully balance national interest and opposing viewpoints against international pressures from the Alliance. In reconciling these factors, each country created framing strategies designed to garner public support for its involvement in the military operations. Indigenous public support was integral to each country's participation in these efforts and in NATO's ability to maintain a sustained campaign.

This thesis focuses specifically on the strategies used by the government leaders in the United States, Italy and Germany, to influence public opinion and gain national support for military involvement during NATO's operations in …

Regional Specific Brain Apoe Modulation By The Estrous Cycle And Exogenous Estrogen, Emily Rosario

Masters Theses

Previous studies have demonstrated that 17β-estradiol can modify apolipoprotein E (apoE) expression. I found that apoE protein varied as a function of the estrous cycle and 17β-estradiol (E2) in a region specific manner in the mouse brain. I also found that apoE concentration was lowest on estrus in the hippocampus, cingulate cortex and frontal cortex; apoE concentration was highest on estrus in the olfactory bulb and cerebellum. No changes in apoE were found in the striatum throughout the estrous cycle. Exogenous E2 significantly raised tissue levels in the olfactory bulb and cerebellum, but did not increase apoE in cortical samples …

Phylogenetics Of Lymnaeidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) With Emphasis On The Evolution Of Susceptibility To Fascioloides Magna Infection, Sarah Renee Joyce

Masters Theses

Snails in Lymnaeidae serve as intermediate hosts in the transmission of many trematode species, including Fascioloides magna that is responsible for disease and death in domestic livestock in North America. Previous classifications of lymnaeid snails have relied primarily on morphological characters that exhibit high levels of homoplasy; thereby, impeding a sound assessment of relationships in this group. The present study provides a phylogenetic hypothesis for lymnaeid snails employing sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nrDNA, and addresses the evolution of susceptibility to Fascioloides infection in lymnaeid snails. The final data set, comprising ten species of lymnaeid snails …

Reproductive Biology Of Stylisma Pickeringii (Convolvulaceae), An Endangered Plant Of Illinois Sand Prairies, Brent L. Todd

Masters Theses

The sand prairie is a unique ecosystem in the state of Illinois, being the habitat for many interesting plants and animals not found elsewhere in the state. One such plant is the state-endangered Stylisma pickeringii (Torr. ex M.A. Curtis) Gray var. pattersoni (Fern. & Schub.) Myint (Convolvulaceae), also known as Patterson's bindweed or Patterson's dawn flower. It currently is found in only three Illinois counties—Cass, Henderson, and Mason. Presently, two of the three populations of S. pickeringii are located on private lands. Very little information is known about the reproductive biology of S. pickeringii var. pattersoni. Thus, the purpose of …

Asset-Base: New Reserve Requirements For A New Banking Industry, James Robert Bryans

Masters Theses

This paper discusses a regulatory plan known as asset-based reserve requirements. By examining the history of reserve requirements in the United States and of current regulatory proposals and practices, I argue that a system of asset-based reserve requirements may provide a useful, though not often considered alternative to the current structures of liability based reserve requirements and capital requirements. Required reserves based on assets provide the Federal Reserve with a powerful, versatile, and adaptable policy tool for monetary policy. Additionally, they ensure risk-assessment, reduce the moral hazard problem associated with deposit insurance, and when applied to all fmancial institutions create …

Benefiting From Eiu: The University As Catalyst For Economic Development In Charleston, Il, Cara L. Oosterbaan

Masters Theses

In the city of Charleston, Illinois, home of Eastern Illinois University, there exist economic problems such as underemployment, potential for brain drain, and recent market failure in the retail industry. After being defined, the traditional role of EIU is expanded to include the promotion of economic development efforts in Charleston. An economic impact study shows EIU's influence on the local Charleston economy. It is concluded that with the establishment of an Office of Economic Development at EIU and the aid of local government and Charleston citizens, Eastern Illinois University may be able to reverse the effects of underemployment, potential brain …

Aging Coyotes Using Dental Characteristics, Michelle Maher

Masters Theses

The accepted methods of age determination in the coyote (Canis latrans) are either highly subjective and unquantifiable or expensive and require the extraction of the canine tooth. Since neither of these methods are ideal, their limitations have impeded research on this species. Therefore, it was my objective to (1) develop and test the accuracy and precision of a descriptive key based on tooth wear patterns on the lower canine tooth, (2) develop and test the reliability of multiple regression models for aging coyotes using measurements from extracted teeth, and (3) suggest criteria for improving the consistency of results …

The Effect Of Electoral Systems On Voting Behavior And Party Development: The Case Of Canada, Chris Andrews

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore three major areas of political science research: The timing of elections, Duverger's law and voter turnout. Each of these topics has been covered extensively in the literature. However, as with most areas of political science, there remain facets of each of these topics that deserve further examination. Chapter 1 begins this discussion with an introduction to each of these three topics and a description of the Canadian electoral and party systems.

Chapter 2 examines the impact of the timing of elections on the government party in Canadian parliamentary elections. This chapter shows that there are aspects …

The Effects Of Parents, Teachers, And Peers On Academic Motivation, Amanda R. Holden

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to assess the relationship between perceived support of parents, teachers, and peers and academic motivation. The second focus was to assess which variable was more predictive of academic motivation. The Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory by Gottfried, 1986, the Peer Social Support, Peer Academic Support, Teacher Social Support, and Teacher Academic Support subscales of the Classroom Life Measure by Johnson, Johnson, Buckman, and Richards, 1985, and the Family Cohesion subscale of the Family Environment Scale by Moos and Moos, 1994 were administered to the students. A total of 72 students from 3rd, 4th, and …

Women's Heart Of Sorrow: Versions Of The Truyen Kieu In The Works Of Duong Thu Huong And Le Ly Hayslip, Vi Tran

Masters Theses

Nguyen Du's Truyen Kieu or Tale of Kieu has arguably provided a life model for Vietnamese females. The poem's influence extends in important ways to contemporary Vietnamese writers as well, including those as politically and artistically diverse as Duong Thu Huong and Le Ly Hayslip. In Novel Without a Name, Paradise of the Blind and Memories of a Pure Spring, Duong Thu Huong transforms the terms of Nguyen Du's poem to those of Vietnam during its revolutionary period and today. As an overseas Vietnamese who had earlier experienced prostitution and the moral chaos of war, Le Ly Hayslip's …

Keyboard Basics: A Comprehensive Group Approach For Adults, Brenda Siefferman

Masters Theses

Keyboard Basics is a beginning level group course for adults in a classroom setting, using electronic keyboards. The course was born of necessity, because no existing textbooks fully meet the needs of this particular group of learners. It is designed for non-music majors with little or no previous musical experience. The goals of this text are to: 1. introduce students to the world of music and its language; 2. give students several musical experiences to help develop a love and appreciation of music; 3. enable them to think and play musically and with expression; 4. teach students to read music; …

Effects Of Choice Versus Task Preference On Students With Behavioral Problems, Jean A. Mcgrath

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects of choice and assignment of preferred academic tasks on disruptive behaviors and task engagement within the regular education classroom. Two first grade students, identified by their teacher for frequent off-task and disruptive behaviors, participated in this study. After formally assessing academic task preferences, a multielement design was used to evaluate three conditions: (a) assigning a non-preferred academic task, (b) assigning a preferred academic task, (c) providing a choice of academic tasks. Results indicated that both assignment of a preferred task and provision of a choice in tasks had minimal effects on disruptive behavior and task …

A Comparison Of The Level Of Maturity Of Manufacturers In The Lake Land College School District In Lean Manufacturing Techniques As Compared To Goodson's Survey Data, Mark W. Henderson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if manufacturers in the Lake Land College School District have implemented Lean Manufacturing techniques and score as high as the manufacturers in Goodson's Michigan study. Lean Manufacturing techniques have revolutionized the auto industry, with the Toyota Production system the benchmark in Lean Manufacturing techniques. A survey using Goodson's Rapid Plant Assessment compares the level of maturity in the utilization of the Lean Manufacturing techniques with the manufacturers in the Lake Land College School District and Goodson's survey of manufacturers in Michigan. The mean score of 57.67 for the manufacturers in the Lake …

Pheidippides Revisited, James C. Stockwell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.