Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Innovate Training With Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Raymond John Van Steyn

Theses and Dissertations

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland conducted a training program in 2014 to develop a gestural command for their dolphins called “innovate”. This training paradigm was developed to resemble the seminal research by Pryor, Haag and O’Reilly (1969), as well as more recent efforts of Braslau-Schneck (1993) and Kuczaj and Eskelinen (2014) of training dolphins to offer “creative” behaviors not developed through conventional methods of behavioral modification, such as shaping. The goal of the present study was to observe records taken during the National Aquarium’s training procedure as well as data collected ~3 years after said training in order to …

Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Training Provided To United States Air Force Civil Engineer Officers, And How Engineering Efforts Are Affected On Overseas Air Force Installations: A Delphi Study, Bianca E. Boney

Theses and Dissertations

U.S. military personnel perform a wide array of roles and missions at locations all over the world. As such, this research investigates and describes the current process of cultural training, its adequacy, and examines how cultural differences and collaboration efforts may impede or enhance project management and engineering efforts. This qualitative analysis is conducted through a Delphi study of U.S. Air Force officers consisting of 15 subject matter experts (SMEs) with experiences from 13 different countries. All reported to have daily to weekly interactions with locals and foreign partners due to job requirements; however, no set standard of cultural training …

Educational Leadership Development In Saudi Arabia: Experiences Of Participants Of The Saudi Oxford Program For Educational Leaders, Azizah Fhad Alogali

Theses and Dissertations

Given the recent surge of interest in educational leadership development in Saudi Arabia, a qualitative study was undertaken to evaluate the perspectives of participants in one intensive leadership training program called the Saudi Oxford Program for Educational Leaders (SOPEL). Using interview data with SOPEL participants and an analysis of their final projects, a holistic understanding of the participants’ experiences emerged. Findings included a confusion/conflation of concepts of leadership and management; a desire for more responsiveness and sensitivity to feedback on the part of the participants; logistical, linguistic, and administrative hurdles; quality control concerns; and a need to evaluate programs’ effectiveness …

The Impact Of Pre-Entry Attributes And College Experiences On Degree Attainment For Students In A Collegiate Flight Program, Andrew Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

The aviation industry is currently experiencing significant growth. While several challenges exist due to this increase in demand, a major issue facing the airlines is a lack of pilots. Today, collegiate aviation programs are one of the primary pipelines to train individuals seeking careers as commercial pilots. This study explored different variables that impact students' success or lack of success in graduating from a collegiate program. Furthermore, it looked at what collegiate flight programs can do to more effectively and efficiently train individuals seeking careers as commercial pilots.

It was determined that there is a significant relationship between certain attributes …

Integrating Competency Frameworks And Goal Setting In An Individual Development Plan Process, Farhan Rizvi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design an integrated goal and competency framework based individual development plan process. Interviews with eight employees who had been through the process were conducted. Competency frameworks have been shown in existing literature and this study to be an effective tool for leveraging for employee development and driving discussions that employees value. Findings showed that using competency frameworks provides more than enough benefits to justify people managers investing the time to understand it, socialize it within their teams, and use it as a core piece of this process. Future studies should look at multiple …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cardiovascular-Related Circulating Micrornas, Jacob Luther Barber

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that post transcriptionally modify mRNAs and control gene expression. Circulating miRNAs are significantly altered following a single session of exercise, however the effects of exercise training on the circulating miRNA profile is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of endurance exercise training on the abundance of targeted circulating miRNAs and the association of changes in miRNA levels with concomitant changes in cardiometabolic traits, in a subsample of adults from the HERITAGE Family Study.

METHODS: This exploratory analysis examined 20 previously sedentary adults from the HERITAGE Family …

Cognitive Remediation Of Working Memory Deficits In Children With Chronic Health Conditions: Tailoring Cogmed Training To Address Barriers To Adherence, Kelsey Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and cancer are at risk for working memory impairment due to the disease and treatment. However, inconsistency in adherence to cognitive training programs conducted with this population suggests that adaptations are necessary in order to improve the effectiveness of this intervention. In addition, it is unclear whether gains in working memory translate to improvement in classroom functioning.

Methods: Children engaged in cognitive training exclusively over the summer in order to improve adherence to Cogmed Working Memory Training. A total of 17 children ages 7- 17 with a diagnosis of SCD (n = 14) …