Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Factor Structures Of The Erq-Ca, Rcads, And Rsca To Identify Unique Predictors Of Ptsd Symptom Clusters In Maltreated Youth, Amanda N. Howard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Youth who have experienced maltreatment have a higher risk of developing posttraumatic disorder (PTSD), which is associated with poorer mental and behavioral health outcomes including emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, and lower resiliency. At present, the literature largely focuses on youth who have experienced general trauma or PTSD symptoms, while maltreated youth are vastly understudied. The present investigation was the first study to date to examine the factor structures of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA), the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), and the Resiliency Scale for Children and Adolescents (RSCA) in a sample of maltreated …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Mindful Self-Regulated Learning Scale (M-Srls), Sarah Wolff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Modern mindfulness is a catch-all term. Just exactly what it looks like within the context of education and how it is taught vastly varies. As such, program fidelity and integrity is questioned. Here a definition of mindful self-regulated learning is proposed and the Mindful Self-Regulated Learning Scale (m-SRLS) is developed. This includes item generation and development, systematic testing of item performance, scale dimensionality, convergent and divergent validity, measurement invariance across groups and subgroups, and scale reliability over a series of five pilot studies and five primary studies using independent samples. The resulting m-SRLS is a context specific measurement tool that …

Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Perspectives Of Evidence-Based Grading, Chase Bos, Robert Bud Mckendree

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

As education leans into competency-based assessment methods, Evidenced-Based Grading (EBG) presents as a potential effective option for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers. In this study we use a basic qualitative design to explore CTE teachers’ perceptions of assessment, student growth, and implementation of an Evidenced-Based Grading system. Eight teachers in a Career-Tech Center in Michigan participated in the study, with each completing one semi-structured, in-depth interview about their perceptions of EBG, and data were analyzed following an inductive coding process with open and axial coding. Member checking, audit trails, and peer debriefs were utilized to enhance trustworthiness of findings. …

Evaluating The Scl-90-R For Use In Collegiate Athletes, Elena Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study examines psychometric properties of the Symptom Checklist 90 – Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994) in collegiate athletes. The SCL-90-R is one of the most widely utilized measures of broad psychiatric distress. Current literature, however, suggests its factor structure varies across populations (Ardakani et al., 2016; Bakhshaie et al., 2011; Olsen et al., 2004; Ronan et al., 2000; Sereda & Dembitskyi, 2016; Smits et al., 2014; Urbán et al., 2016). Although the SCL-90-R has been previously utilized in studies involving athletes, the psychometric properties of this scale have yet to be investigated in this population. This study examined the …

The Effects Of Real-Time Computerized Needle Tip Location Feedback On State Anxiety And Immediate Performance Of Simulated Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia, Joseph Janakes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Complications of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) in the clinical setting are severe and frequently related to improper needle tip placement, which is a challenging skill for novice student learners. Accordingly, anesthesia education programs are incorporating simulation-based teaching methods that use expensive procedural task trainers to aid in UGRA training. However, it was unknown if the task trainers with real-time computerized needle tip location feedback affect student anxiety and immediate simulated UGRA performance, leaving educators wondering if the cost was justified.Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of real-time computerized needle tip location feedback on students’ …

Training Design Enhancement Through Training Evaluation: Effects On Training Transfer, Elham Arabi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With recurring changes in the society, in terms of economy and technology, companies need to ensure that their human capital is aligned with these transformations in order to sustain in a competitive industry. To date, organizations view training as a requirement to increase their employees’ efficiencies and productivity, and reduce their attrition rates. Despite investment in employee training, research shows a lack of transfer of learning to job and as a result minimal return on investment. This issue is due to many barriers, but can be addressed by learning professionals. Poor learning design and training evaluation practices have been identified …

Unlv Special Collections And Archives 2019 Archival Processing Metrics Survey Dataset, Cyndi Shein, Sarah R. Jones, Tammi Kim, Karla Irwin

Library Faculty Datasets

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries Special Collections and Archives is studying how archival processing metrics (including the hours of labor required to process each linear/cubic foot) are gathered and used by our colleagues. UNLV Special Collections and Archives conducted a survey with the objective to gather informal opinions and realities about processing metrics in an effort to understand the broader use of such metrics, to learn what data points are most essential, and to understand why more archival programs are not collecting and assessing processing metrics. The survey utilized the web-based tool Google Forms to gather responses …

University Libraries Co-Curricular Outreach Plan July 2017 – June 2019, Rosan Mitola

Instruction Session and Workshop Materials

The purpose of this document is to align new co-curricular outreach efforts for undergraduate and graduate students with the University Libraries’ Strategic Framework

July 2017 - June 2019. The University Libraries contribute to student learning that takes place outside of the curriculum through a number of ways, throughout the academic year. This plan will be adapted and updated as needed to stay in alignment with the work of the Educational Initiatives department and the University Libraries.

Breaking The Language Barrier: Equitable Assessment In General Chemistry, Eshani Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Because language provides the framework through which knowledge is constructed, it is crucial to consider the ways in which students with limited English proficiencies are able to express their understanding. English language learners (ELLs) make up a significant portion of the student body in the education system and represent many ethnic and racial minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) fields (Burke & Mattis, 2007). Despite the national push to build a more diversified, STEM-ready workforce, there is little research that considers the way ELLs are assessed in STEM courses at the postsecondary level. Literature reports that science tests …

"Already Writers": A Case Study In Assessment And Visual Rhetoric Connections In Digital Multimodal Composition, Fawn Elise Canady

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

English language arts must respond to shifts in literacy practices that reflect changes in ‘college and career ready’ that are more than technologically mediated, but also emphasize creative and social skills. The case study in this dissertation is a small part of a larger, ongoing formative experiment in digital multimodal composition (DMC). A formative experiment is a methodological approach that favors a collaborative, iterative research process that is centered on an instructional goal in authentic classroom settings (Reinking & Bradley, 2008). The intention of the larger research study was to support students’ learning through DMC. This dissertation explored one of …

Defining Problematic School Absenteeism Using Nonparametric Modeling, Kyleigh Kay Skedgell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contemporary classification models of school absenteeism often employ a multitier approach for organizing assessment and treatment strategies. Researchers have yet to agree, however, on how to objectively define problematic school absenteeism and identify demarcation points for each tier. The present study aimed to inform a multitier approach by determining the most relevant risk factors for problematic school absenteeism. The most useful targets of assessment for problematic school absenteeism are also addressed. The present study examined problematic school absenteeism defined at three distinct cutoffs: 1%, 10%, and 15% of full school days missed. The present study evaluated interactions among several youth- …

The Data Framework: A Collaborative Tool For Assessment At The Unlv Libraries, Starr Hoffman, Ashley Hernandez-Hall

Library Faculty Publications

Keeping track of the data that academic libraries capture is a massive task. The University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV) University Libraries developed a data framework as a tracking tool for data points. This framework is both a data dictionary and a manual that records data-gathering procedures. This ensures that the data is continually gathered and reported in the same way, and also ensures that institutional memory of those procedures is preserved, regardless of staff turnover. Additionally, the revised Data Framework, and the revision process, transformed staff attitudes about data reporting and strengthened the libraries' culture of assessment.

Development And Testing Of An Assessment To Measure Spatial Thinking About Enhanced Greenhouse Effect, Heather Jean Skaza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Americans, in general, do not behave in environmentally sustainable ways. We drive cars and fly in planes that emit planet-warming carbon. We purchase food in nearly indestructible packaging that is not recycled or repurposed. We do not consider the environmental impact of the “stuff” stuffed into our grocery and department stores, most of which is made of materials that had to be dug out of the ground, leaving rivers and skies full of pollution in its place. Citizens have a responsibility to understand complex global and local environmental problems. A person’s ability to think about the way that an environmental …

Indicators Of Clinically Significant Gambling Treatment Gains, Meredith K. Ginley, Walter R. Winfree, James P. Whelan, Rory A. Pfund, Andrew W. Meyers

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Treatments should be tailored to the individual in order to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. An assessment of treatment gains is essential to this goal, particularly the ability to identify when clinically significant change is achieved. This paper will examine the sensitivity and specificity of two constructs that moderate change for gambling-focused treatments: self-efficacy to control gambling and strength of gambling-related cognitive distortions.

Participants completed measures of gambling symptoms: the Gambling Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (GSEQ) to assess self-efficacy to control gambling, and the Gamblers’ Beliefs Questionnaire to assess cognitive distortions (GBQ). Included was a clinical sample of 312 treatment-seeking outpatient disordered …

Using Generalizability Theory To Investigate Sources Of Variance Of The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 With Trainees, Dorothy Rita Parriott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be considered a serious developmental concern, which, complicated by its rising rate, creates a challenge for psychologists in properly and consistently diagnosing the disorder. Various types of assessments such as reporting measures, observation systems, and standardized assessments are currently used in the identification of ASD. Any one instrument typically examines multiple domains of functioning such as intellectual, neuropsychological (including adaptive, attention, sensory, motor, language, memory, executive functioning, academic, and social/emotional), and behavior (social and repetitive/restricted). Often, evaluators combine assessments that were not originally meant to detect ASD with those that were intended for that purpose. …

Factor Analysis Of The Sport Interference Checklist With Collegiate Athletes, Travis Albert Loughran

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There are a variety of cognitive and behavioral factors that have been indicated to have a negative impact on sport performance. College student-athletes may be at particular risk to evidence problems that interfere with optimal sport performance due to high physical, social, and emotional demands. To fully understand what factors influence student-athlete sport performance, appropriate, psychometrically validated assessment measures are needed. The Sport Interference Checklist (SIC) is an assessment tool that was developed to assess sport performance in both training and competitive situations for student-athletes. The SIC includes two scales, the Problems in Sport Training Scale (PSTS) and the Problems …

Impact Of A Grade Contract Model In A College Composition Course: A Multiple Case Study, Nayelee Villanueva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Due to the complex nature of assessment in critical pedagogy practices, continued research is necessary in order to investigate the constantly evolving nature of education and the way we come to know how people learn. To research assessment in the critical classroom requires both instructor and students. This qualitative multiple case study investigated impacts of a grading contract as a form of assessment on student writing in a Basic Writing composition course. This study examined the impacts of a grade contract on students' writing, motivation for writing, revision practices, authorship and expectations of a Basic Writing composition course. Through a …

Interorganizational Performance Comparisons Using Quality Assurance Audit Results, Raymond E. Keeler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires government agencies to conduct performance measurements of their contractors for purposes of evaluation and comparison. To be most meaningful, performance comparisons need to consider all relevant characteristics that are of importance to the agency. Yet, bounded rationality theory states that managers of complex programs may have insufficient time and resources to consider all potentially relevant factors. Therefore, metrics used for decision making need to incorporate all relevant factors before the information is provided to decision makers.

Over the last several decades, government agencies have increasingly identified Quality Assurance compliance as …

Comparison Of The Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test And Modified Checklist For Autism In Toddlers: Which Is The Better Predictor Of Autism In Toddlers?, Vanessa Marie Fessenden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has significant impact on children and families. Early intervention optimizes long-term diagnosis for children with ASD. Unfortunately, many children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age three and often receive services from a local school district rather than through early intervention services. However, many of the symptoms of ASD can be hard to identify because symptoms during infancy may be more difficult to detect or may present differently than manifestations of the symptoms at older ages. Despite the difficulty in identifying symptoms of ASD in young children, there are certain …

Assessing The Effect Of Simulation Models On Systems Learning In An Introductory Environmental Science Course, Heather J. Skaza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence within the systems dynamics community supporting the use of systems simulations in the classroom to improve student understanding, there is little published, controlled, experimental research. This paper describes the results of a paired experiment testing the effect of using system dynamics simulations to increase systems understanding in an introductory environmental science course. We believed that the students using the systems simulations would demonstrate a greater systemic understanding of environmental issues than those who did not.

We conducted an experiment during the fall semester of 2009, with 304 students enrolled in four sections of …

A Study Of Selected Hotel Officials And Managers With Respect To Assessment Of Job Attitudes, Michael Joseph Signorelli

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify those characteristics which make up an appropriate work attitude among officials and managers in a Resort Industry setting. Upon identification of these management characteristics, acceptable guidelines would be followed to develop an objective instrument to assess management work attitudes which might help reduce job turnover, thereby reducing the costs incurred in replacing key executives; An attitude scale was chosen because instruments which measure intelligence, aptitude and achievement favor those individuals with more formal education than found among managers in the resort industry. In addition, research indicated that an appropriate work attitude increases …

The "White-Eyed" Eastern Towhee: A Molecular Assessment Of The Validity Of Pipilo Erythrophthalmus Alleni, Jeremy Shawn Batten

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Exploring the factors that influence the distribution and diversification of organisms is essential to the field of evolutionary biology. Molecular examination across a species' distribution may result in the discovery of differentiated populations that, when interpreted in the context of past events (e.g. climate change), may elucidate the causal mechanisms. Comparative phylogeographic studies have revealed both similar and disparate genetic patterns among co-distributed organisms, although similar geographic patterns may differ greatly in temporal scale and thus in the magnitude of genetic differentiation. Studies of diverse taxa occurring across the southeastern United States have revealed several common patterns of intraspecific divergence …

True Reflections? An Assessment Of The Correlation Between Self-Reported Racial Identities And Craniometric Patterning, Rebecca V Lockwood

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Modern anthropologists reject the notion that individuals can be assigned to clear-cut divisions of racial origins, yet this identification technique is a required practice in forensic settings. Forensic anthropologists study morphological features and craniometric values to assess the possible ancestry of an unidentified set of human remains. This ancestral assessment is subsequently translated into a "racial" description, as these categories are commonly used and understood by society; Race, however, is an artificial social construction, and racial categories fluctuate over time and space. Consequently, the forensic assessment of race based on cranial characteristics could significantly differ from an individual's self-assessment of …

Knowledge Maps And Their Application To Student And Faculty Assessment, Ricky Castles, V. K. Lohani, Pushkin Kachroo

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

This paper discusses the development of knowledge maps for enhancing engineering learning. These maps are somewhat similar to concept maps, which have been widely used and developed in various areas of study. Knowledge maps, however, extend concept maps in that they not only illustrate the underlying concepts of a discipline, but they actually embed the knowledge in each of those concepts through various multimedia attachments. Knowledge maps also allow reverse mapping so that students can be assessed based upon how many concepts they know and whether they have understood the proper relationships between the concepts. A reverse map can be …

Complex Questions, Evolving Answers: Creating A Multidimensional Assessment Strategy To Build Support For The “Teaching Library”, P. S. Mcmillen, A. M. Deitering

Library Faculty Publications

Since 2001, librarians at Oregon State University's Valley Library have been working to build a "teaching library" supported by a clearly articulated instruction program. From the start, we believed that we needed to assess the teaching library's impact, not only to determine the success or failure of our efforts but also to demonstrate the need for intentional, proactive in formation literacy instruction on our campus. No single assessment tool or method proved adequate to effectively measure student learning happening both inside and outside the library. We describe our evolving, multi-pronged approach to measuring the impact of the library on student …

Amnesty As A Tool Of Conflict Resolution: A Comparative Assessment, Nabil Ouassini

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Drawing upon various theoretical approaches and the analysis of case studies, the current study explores the use of amnesty as a way of dealing with civil strife in national and international conflicts. Conflicts in different regions in the world are examined to illustrate the use of amnesty for restorative purposes, but primary attention will focus on how Arab countries are using amnesty in the current war on terror. By examining amnesty in both general and specific cases, the present study hopes to shed light on the effectiveness of amnesty as a restorative principle in addition to the manifest and latent …

Habitat Selection By The Relict Leopard Frog (Rana Onca): Assessment Of Vegetation Use At Two Scales, Sean Moran Harris

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, two populations of the rare Relict Leopard Frog (Rana onca) have gone extinct. These population extinctions occurred concomitantly with the encroachment of native emergent vegetation into pools in which frogs were usually observed. In order to determine if adult Rana onca prefer more vegetatively open habitats, a radio-telemetry study was conducted. A total of 809 radio telemetry observations were made on 34 frogs from April 2 through December 7, 2004. Binary Logistic Regression was used with both macrohabitat and microhabitat data to compare habitat characteristics between low-use and high-use segments of the spring. A more traditional multiple …

The Forgotten Chinese Cemetery Of Carlin Nevada: A Bioanthropological Assessment, Ryan William Schmidt

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The investigation of historical cemeteries enables direct assessment of biological variability, health and disease, and additional insights into populations that have gone relatively undocumented in North America and elsewhere. This thesis examines a historic cemetery located in northern Nevada, in the town of Carlin. A total of 13 well-preserved skeletal individuals were excavated in 1996, all buried within coffins and whose Chinese origin has been confirmed through historical documentation and associated artifacts (Chung et al. 2005). Although the sample size is small, it provides a number of important insights into the health and behavior of early Chinese-American communities, including dental …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Assessments Of Generations X And Y At The Palms Casino Resort, Ch-A Mosley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Las Vegas area casino hotels have recently begun to vie for the attention and business of Generations X and Y. This is evidenced by the influx of night clubs, lounges, and party-like pool scenes in Strip properties. The purpose of the study is to utilize the Palms Casino Resort's young adult clientele to determine what attributes they find appealing about it. The data garnered through primary empirical research revealed implications for potential marketing initiatives and future research. This project was both quantitative and qualitative in nature.

A System Model For Source Water Assessment In The Las Vegas Valley, Silvia Albuquerque

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The 1996 amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 created the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) with an objective to evaluate potential sources of contamination to drinking water intakes. The development of a Source Water Assessment Plan for Las Vegas Valley surface water runoff into Lake Mead is important since it will guide future work on source water protection of the main source of water; Once the vulnerability of the intake was determined, a tool was developed to help with source water assessment, using the system dynamics model Stella. This model calculates the average vulnerability of the intake, …