Digital Commons Network^™

Using The Virtual World Of Second Life To Teach Cultural Competence For Health Science Professional Students., Ashley Mack 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study provides preliminary evidence that the use of technology, particularly the virtual world of Second Life™, can break down barriers by enhancing student interest in and satisfaction with the content. Methods: A pre-conference survey was administered to students attending the University of Louisville Cultural Competency Workshop series; six questions examined students' attitudes toward the LGBT community. Two health care scenarios were presented to students attending the LGBT sessions, either the traditional workshop setting, or a virtual Second Life™ session. A post-session survey was administered to students in the LGBT breakout sessions. Results: Using Second Life™ to present the …

Effects Of High Fidelity Simulation On Knowledge Acquisition, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction With Baccalaureate Nursing Students Using The Solomon-Four Research Design, Rachel M. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Fidelity Simulation is a teaching strategy that is becoming well-entrenched in the world of nursing education and is rapidly expanding due to the challenges and demands of the health care environment. The problem addressed in this study is the conflicting research results regarding the effectiveness of HFS for students’ knowledge acquisition after participating in simulation exercises. Specifically this researcher determined the effects of a formatted simulation scenario on knowledge acquisition among nursing students and the students’ satisfaction and selfconfidence with the simulation learning activity. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (1984) provided the framework for this study.

This study used a …

The Predictors Of Success Of Palestinian Tawjihi Students In East Jerusalem : A Multilevel Analysis., Rhonda G. Amer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to identify the predictors of success of Palestinian Arab Tawjihi students in East Jerusalem schools. Three theories guided this research study and assisted in developing the conceptual framework; social disorganization theory, ecological theory, and achievement motivation theory. Methods: The sample consisted of 20 schools and 522 students from 19 different neighborhoods. This study was based on existing data and observational data as well as some qualitative data to provide context for the model results. The existing data were gathered from the different schools, the Ministry of Education, local organizations, neighborhood representatives, and …

Examining The Factors That Contributed To The Retention And Graduation Of African American Males At The University Of Louisville., Kia Marie Pruitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American males have the highest college attrition rates of all races and genders (Harper, 2006a). Federal reports indicate that 54.4%of White males finish their college degrees, compared with 33.1% of African American males (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). The 21.3 percentage point disparity leads many to believe that African American male students may need special attention in order to close the gap. Understanding how Black male graduates succeeded and avoided obstacles which could have potentially contributed to their attrition will help colleges take a proactive stance and implement strategies to support and safeguard other Black male students facing similar …

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of Leadership Behavior And Job Satisfaction, Angela L. Askew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership behavior and how these perceptions relate to their job satisfaction. Perceptions were measured by the Leadership Behavior Instrument and the Job Satisfaction Survey. The respondents for the surveys worked in Southeast Tennessee and Northeast Mississippi. This study was guided by the following four questions: 1: How do elementary teachers perceive the leadership behavior of principals in the domains of human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict; 2) To what extent to elementary teachers express satisfaction with …

Educating The Globe: Foreign Students And Cultural Exchange At Tuskegee Institute, 1898-1935, Brian Marc Edward Mcclure

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers a comprehensive and comparative analysis of foreign students at Tuskegee Institute between 1892 and 1935. During this time, aspiring young people from the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia coalesced on the rural Alabama campus, creating a unique cultural space. It became a space not only for intellectual exchange, but also for cultural pride, political solidarity, and global exchange. Although much has been written about the school's founder, Booker T. Washington, very little has been written about the role his school played in forging and sustaining a global community. This dissertation charts the cultural, historical, and contextual significance of …

Authenticity In Education: Theory Into Practice, Caitlin Stuard Lindquist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the role of authenticity in education. By applying Fred Newmann’s theoretical framework of authentic achievement to a specific, K-12 setting operating in the real world, I examined Newmann’s five facets of authentic education and looked for their practical manifestations. Those facets are higher-order thinking, depth of knowledge, connectedness to the world beyond the classroom, substantive conversation, and social support for student achievement. Parker Palmer inspired the addition of the criteria of the spiritual/ineffable to the framework, which is also examined in relation to authentic pedagogy. Combined, these qualities are referred to as the authentic education framework (AEF). …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Requirements Engineering Skills On Project Success, Cynthia Atkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A survey of project managers and requirements engineers was conducted to determine what skills, qualifications, and experiences were associated with project success. Survey results indicated that projects using Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions, use cases, and prototypes to engineer requirements were most successful. Other indicators of project success, according to participants, included an adequate allotment of time for requirements engineering—at least 15% of a project's time—and the use of project managers and requirements engineers with professional work experience. In particular, data indicated that Project Managers with at least five years of experience in Information Technology resulted in more successful projects.

Utilizing The Spectator Perspective In The Acting Process., Jocelyn K. Matsuo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of my goals and outcomes as a theatre practitioner in the role of Beatrice in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the University of Louisville, in November, 2012. In Chapter One I will define my goals in theatre. I will discuss how I have succeeded and failed in pursuit of these goals and asses the causes of each. I will also address the challenges of teaching acting and theatre and how these goals relate to each other. In Chapter Two I will explain my acting process and its application to my thesis performance. In Chapter …

Standardized Testing Of Special Education Students: A Comparison Of Service Type And Test Scores, Christine L. Hogan-Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Modified Academic Achievement Standards (TCAP MAAS) achievement test scores for special education students who receive their instruction in the resource classroom or in an inclusion classroom. The study involved third, fourth, and fifth grade special education students in an east Tennessee school district. The TCAP MAAS scale scores used were from the 2011-2012 school year. An independent samples t-test was implemented in this study. The dependent variable in the study was the TCAP MAAS scaled scores. The independent variable was student placement. …

Accommodating The Wikipedia Project In Higher Education: A University Of Windsor Case Study, Timothy A. Brunet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the question: How has higher education accommodated methods for organizing and disseminating knowledge during the development of the Wikipedia project? The prominence of the Wikipedia project on the Internet has caused an increasing interaction with higher education. This interaction creates an opportunity to consider how knowledge is organized and disseminated within both communities. The Wikimedia foundation has expressed their desire to make Wikipedia more scholarly and more stable. Members of the higher education community want their organizations to be more efficient, nimble, and accessible. Thematic analysis of interviews conducted with subject matter experts suggested that the use …

Understanding The Capabilities And Limitations Of Advanced Interactive M&S: A Cricothyroidotomy Simulation Case Study, Lillian Campbell-Wynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation for surgical education and training is increasingly perceived as a valuable contribution to traditional teaching methods providing a structured learning experience. Surgical simulations allow surgeons to practice tactics, techniques and procedures numerous times without the cost, limitations and ethical problems of using cadaver-based models. The goal of this research is to advance the use of modeling and simulation in support of emergency medical training. This research explores questions identified through a case study of two different modeling and simulation techniques – virtual reality and mannequins - in the support of combat emergency medical education and training. To reduce the …

A Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Culturally Responsive Teaching And A Mathematical Practice Of The Common Core State Standards, Tashana Howse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collective case study explores the nature of the relationship between teachers’ use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices and students’ engagement in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others (SMP3). This study was informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative related to developing mathematically proficient students through the use of student engagement practices consistent with the standards for mathematical practice. As a means to support teachers’ facilitating specific student engagement practices, professional development was provided. This study is situated in the growing body of research associated with student engagement and cultural identity. The case of two …

High School Students Attending College: A Study Of The Dual Enrollment Program And Its Impact On The Postsecondary Institution Of Brevard Community College, Matthew Hiesterman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the dual enrollment program at Brevard Community College in the state of Florida. It uses new interview data to determine if the positive and negative aspects of the program established by the literature still pertain. Four main themes were identified by the study of dual enrollment students and the postsecondary institution: money, quality of students, quantity of students, and opportunities of students and the institution. A discussion of each side of the discourse are made in order to help the program retain its positive attributes. While quality, quantity, and money are all issues concerning the day …

The Metalogicon Of John Of Salisbury: Medieval Rhetoric As Educational Praxis, Brian Gilchrist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the following question: what are the implications of John of Salisbury's rhetorical theory for his approach to education? The Metalogicon, John's defense of the trivium, represents the primary text analyzed throughout the project. John's medieval rhetorical theory explicated the reciprocal relationship between rhetoric and education. The art of rhetoric acquired educational elements by providing ethical-theoretical frameworks to inform the practices of students and teachers. Experiences from the practices of students and teachers influenced the art of rhetoric. John called for an approach to medieval rhetorical education that could be placed into the service of all people living …

Emotional Intelligence Of Entrepreneurs, Eric P. Swift

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurship benefits the individual and society, but it was unclear whether emotional intelligence (EI) predicts entrepreneurial outcomes. New ventures fail at a high rate. A possible factor in the success or failure of small business could be the emotional intelligence (EI) level of the entrepreneur, defined as the ability to perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions. However, few studies to date had empirically explored EI and entrepreneurship or investigated the predictive value of EI in important measures of entrepreneurial outcomes, such as the success rate in starting new businesses, business longevity, and business profitability. The present study was designed to …

Virtual Interactions With Real-Agents For Sustainable Natural Resource Management, Tyler Pierce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Common pool resource management systems are complex to manage due to the absence of a clear understanding of the effects of users’ behavioral characteristics. Non-cooperative decision making based on individual rationality (as opposed to group rationality) and a tendency to free ride due to lack of trust and information about other users’ behavior creates externalities and can lead to tragedy of the commons without intervention by a regulator. Nevertheless, even regulatory institutions often fail to sustain natural common pool resources in the absence of clear understanding of the responses of multiple heterogeneous decision makers to different regulation schemes. While modeling …

School Quality Capitalization Into Housing Prices In Minnesota And Pennsylvania, Jonathan Taylor Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops and estimates a spatial autoregressive with autoregressive errors model of housing prices that accounts for both the endogeneity of spatially-lagged housing prices and local school quality measured by performance on state standardized tests. Two datasets are used from Boyertown, PA and Minneapolis, MN. Homes are spatially weighted against each other using a k nearest-neighbor approach. School quality is thought to be endogenous because unobserved neighborhood amenities in the error term of a hedonic regression are very likely positively correlated with local elementary, middle, and high school quality. Following previous literature, the optimal instrument matrix is constructed as …

Parent And Young Adolescent Perspectives Of Family Meals And Meal Preparation And The Influence Of The Kinect-Ed Program, Jillian Ciccone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, public health messaging has included having more family meals and involving young adolescents (YAs) with meal preparation in order to improve healthful diets and family dinner frequency (FDF). Kinect-Ed, a nutrition education program included a motivational presentation created to encourage YAs (grades 6-8) to help with meal preparation and ultimately improve FDF. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Kinect-Ed presentation, correlations between YA/parent dyad responses, and to determine parents' perception of the Kinect-Ed. Participants consisted of YAs (n=113), and dyads (n=219) from the Niagara Region. Kinect-Ed successfully improved participants' FDF, food preparation frequency, self-efficacy for cooking, …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Professional Learning Community Variables And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Margot Heaton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High levels of teacher self-efficacy have repeatedly been identified as a key attribute of effective teachers. The problems addressed by this study stem from the lack of research regarding the potential relationships between teachers' self-efficacy and professional learning community (PLC) variables. Uncovering these relationships could potentially have many implications for University curriculum and the planning of professional growth opportunities for teachers. This study explored the predictive capacity of the six pillars of professional learning community in relation to participating Ontario teachers' self-efficacy, measured through their Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scores (TSES). Correlation analyses and multiple regression analyses suggested that professional …

Sociocultural Implications On The Learning Of Youth With Concurrent Disorders: Factors That Are Perceived As Necessary For Student Success In Mainstream Classrooms, Bonnie Belczowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that a significant proportion of adolescent students have a concurrent disorder that is significant enough to cause social or educational impairment. Thus the potential consequences of this condition on students as they progress through adolescence cannot be denied. The present study explored the factors perceived by teachers, administrators, and psychologists to be important in helping this population of students to achieve academic and social success in a mainstream classroom. The results of this study indicate that the number of adolescent students exhibiting symptoms of a concurrent disorder within the secondary school environment has increased in recent years. While …

Student Dropout From The Perspectives Of Junior High Counselors In Northeast Mississippi, Kelly Ann Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated fifteen junior high counselors' understandings about student dropout, particularly about identification of and interventions for students at risk for dropping out of school. As an educator, I desired to research the phenomenon of student dropout to understand how to better reach these types of students. Research is available concerning student dropout from the perspectives of teachers, principals, and student dropouts; however, little research on student dropout from the viewpoint of counselors exists. I utilized a qualitative design, in particular a descriptive case study, to develop understanding of the counselors' perspectives of student dropout. Data collection included individual and …

A Comparison Of Students' And Parents' Mathematics Attitudes And Achievement At A Private Historically Black University, Kristopher Childs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to compare students’ and their parents’ mathematical attitudes using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Instrument (ATMI). The sample consisted of 476 newly-enrolled students and 263 parents attending the New Student Orientation and Leadership program at a private historically black university. The sample was predominantly African American, with 96% of the students and 95% of the parents identifying themselves as African American. The ATMI total score and subscale scores of self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation were explored to determine if there was a relationship between the mathematics attitudes of students enrolled at a private historically black …

Employing Quality Management Principles To Improve The Performance Of Educational Systems: An Empirical Study Of The Effect Of Iso 9001 Standard On Teachers And Administrators Performance In The Indonesian Vocational Education System, Andreas Kuncoro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ISO 9001 has been world widely implemented in both manufacturing and service organizations. A lot of studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 implementation on the performance of these organizations. Most of these studies show that ISO 9001 implementation realized positive operational improvements and financial success. Building on the merits of successful implementation of ISO 9001 quality management system in manufacturing and service, educational institutions have been attempted to adopt it in their operations. Even though there are studies relating ISO implementation to education, no research has been done to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 …

Critical Visual Literacy: Exploring Representations Of Aboriginal Peoples In Children's Literature, Patricia Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how Aboriginal peoples and knowledges have been and continue to be portrayed through visual texts in children's picture books. This study examines children's books that were published from 1960 through to 2010. This exploration is important as students and educators interact with these texts in their daily lives both inside and outside of school. Drawing from a critical literacy framework, a critical text analysis is used to gain insight into representations of Aboriginal and First Nations people in children's books. While critical literacy practice is a key component in education today, there …

The Impact Of Motor Skill Training On Balance, Hand-Eye Coordination And Reaction In A Group Of Adults With Autism And An Intellectual Disability, Phillip Mckeen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with autism and intellectual disability (ID) commonly display motor impairments, and these impairments are positively correlated to intellectual level and autism symptoms. In the present thesis, an intervention involving motor skills training, whole body exercise, sports and games was used to improve balance, fine and gross motor manual control and reaction time in a group of adults with autism and ID. Fine motor skill was measured using the 25 Grooved Pegboard Test, gross motor skill of the upper extremities was measured with the Box and Blocks Test, and reaction time was measured with the Stick Catching Test. Additionally, medial-lateral …

The Role Of Parents In Maintaining Cultural Values In Vietnamese Immigrant Families In Windsor, Xuan Le Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study, with narrative inquiry approach, has investigated the parents' perception of their roles, their perspectives and experience as well as their strategies in maintaining cultural values in immigrant families in Windsor. Eight parents from four immigrant families from the Vietnamese church community in Windsor participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Fieldnotes were also used as a supplementary method for collecting field text. The findings highlight the educational roles of parents in maintaining cultural values as a part of the home education. The parents' narratives has shown the parents' great effort to keep the language, habits and traditions such as "respect …

The Effectiveness Of Education Interventions On Coaching Education Students’ Concussion Knowledge, Retention, And Attitudes, Brienna L. Simons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Coaches who don’t have access to qualified health care providers need to be well educated on prevention, detection, assessment, and management of sport-related concussion to help decrease the risks associated. Due to the lack of assessment on educational interventions there is no way to determine the validity of the content. Objective: Determine which of three online concussion education interventions was most influential on coaches’ concussion knowledge, retention of knowledge, and their effects on attitudes amongst a sample of coaching education students. Participants: 233 coaching student’s recruited, used 154 for data analysis (71% male, x̅ age = 21.2 ± 1.68 …

Professional Learning On Twitter: A Content Analysis Of Professional Learning Conversations Among Self-Organized Groups Of Educators, Kelly-Ann K. Power

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the nature of professional learning conversations taking place in an online microblogging platform known as Twitter, through the lens of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000). The CoI framework offers an approach to further understand elements of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence found in constructivist learning environments among educators. A content analysis was conducted on three distinct participant-driven educational Twitter chats demonstrating each chat to contain elements of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. This finding led to a deeper understanding about the use of questioning techniques and facilitation …

Adolescents' Perspectives Of Physical Education: A National And Local Focus, Alexandra C. Wiseman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While PE is as an avenue for students to be physically active and learn about health behaviours; PE enrolment is declining. Mixed methodology was used to examine adolescents' health profiles and gain understanding of their perspectives of PE. Part 1 identified relationships over a two year period between: PE Rating, PA, and health variables using data from the NLSCY. Part 2 examined adolescents' perspective of PE through four focus groups. Overall, PE was preferred over other subjects by 78% of participants; and preferring PE predicted higher frequencies of PA, lower BMI, and higher self-esteem. Participation in high school PE was …