Digital Commons Network^™

St. Augustine And The Rhetoric Of De Ordine, Natalie Gigliotti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study contributes to scholarship on the question of Augustine and rhetoric by considering Augustine’s use and understanding of rhetoric in De ordine, one of his early philosophical dialogues composed during his transition from a life in rhetoric to a life in philosophy. The author studies the text through consideration of Augustine’s rhetoric in relationship to three major rhetorical authorities of the time, particularly their cultural applications: sophistic rhetoric, Ciceronian rhetoric, and Christian rhetoric. Through study of these relationships, one perceives Augustine’s ingenuity at work as he integrates diverse authorities into his rhetoric of order (ordo) and …

Independence Through Patient Education In A Spinal Cord Injury Population, Justin Mctish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Know More, Live Better program was developed because the population of people with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) includes a substantial number of young people, who often readmit into hospitals for preventable causes such as pressure ulcers, respiratory infections, and bowel/bladder infections. These complications can be avoided through patient education. A needs assessment was conducted at the SCI unit at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, PA. This assessment included structured observation of patient education in the therapy process, semi-structured interviews about site needs and patient education topics completed with patients and occupational therapists on staff, and surveys of multi-disciplinary …

How To Avoid Becoming The Accomplice To Your Own Murderers: Reading James Baldwin As A Critical Pedagogue, Breana Shrease Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

James Baldwin is a well-known author and activist in American literature. He had long been a champion of civil rights, using his platform to speak about the iniquities and issues affecting black people in America. Though his work is read often in literary circles, his writing could serve to supplement the field of critical pedagogy with Rhetoric and Composition. Paulo Freire, the conceiver of critical pedagogy through his foundational text Pedagogy of the Oppressed, identified the pitfalls of educational systems that see teachers as knowledge-givers and students as knowledge receptacles based on his experiences teaching illiterate adults in Brazil under …

Effect Of Nutrition Education On Dietary Behaviors In Elementary School-Aged Children, Danny Alan Hirst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the effect of a multicomponent nutrition education program on dietary behaviors in elementary school-aged children was analyzed. Components involved were cooking, gardening, and general nutrition. Research questions were: 'Does nutrition education over a one-week program increase consumption of fruits and vegetables?', and 'Does nutrition education over a one-week program increase acceptance of novel foods?'. The hypothesis was: nutrition education administered in a one-week program will increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as increase willingness to try new foods. Data collection used repeated measures of two surveys: the Fruit-Vegetable-Fiber Screener and Food Neophobia Scale. Ten …

Protect Your Brain: The Impact Of An Educational Intervention On Helmet Use In Adolescents, Daniella Mlinarevic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to Statistics Canada (2016), approximately 70% of children aged 15-17 in Ontario reported cycling over the last year. It is the law in Ontario that any cyclist under 18 wear a helmet (Ministry of Transportation, 2016). Despite this regulation, less than half of teenagers in Ontario report always wearing their helmet when cycling (Statistics Canada, 2016). This is a clear cause for concern when considering the prominence of brain injury due to cycling-related accidents (Coronado et al., 2007; Burt & Overpeck, 2001). This project attempted to address this issue by analyzing whether an educational intervention based on the functions …

Action To Awareness: Surfacing Dysconscious Racism Through Focused Professional Development, Dorry Altman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing critical race theory (Ladson-Billings and Tate, 1995) and King’s (1991) theory of dysconscious racism, this dissertation aims to explore the beliefs and actions of teachers operating within an inherently racist society. Teachers struggle with many disadvantages from inadequate funding to lacking support structures. Yet these teachers continue to work hard to support their students. One external disadvantage these teachers may face and not even be aware of is dysconscious racism. Through a qualitative pilot study of journals and discussions of two middle school English Language Arts teachers, this research intends to explore how intentional classroom changes to encourage and …

I Cut Off My... Voice: An Autoethnography Of An Artist And Art Educator With A Brca Genetic Mutation, Nicki Lynn Hornbaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of BRCA genetic mutations on artists and art educators had not been known. Autoethnography is a qualitative method for writing about personal experiences through a cultural lens. I used my personal experiences within a BRCA positive community to understand shared experiences among artists and art educators with this genetic mutation. This study aimed to explore the commonalities that are occurring within this subgroup. Anxiety and emotional stress played a role in most of the respondents‟ lives, affecting them in numerous ways. Most of the respondents underwent salpingectomy, oophorectomy, and mastectomy surgeries which led to further emotional and physical …

Play And Exhibitions: Expanding Definitions Within Museums, Helena Sizemore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of the utilization of play, as a method for visitor engagement, within the context of the museum. Play, as a method for learning and engagement, is often a contested topic between scholars and practitioners within the museum field. This is in part due to the ambiguous nature of defining play, the ever-present dichotomy between work and play, and the struggles museums find in balancing education and entertainment. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Denver, Colorado names play as part of one of its core values. Using anthropological theoretical and methodological approaches, I examine …

First Semester Academic Functioning Of College Students : The Role Of Stressful And Traumatic Life Events., Ashlee J. Warnecke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large number of the nearly 20 million students who were attending American colleges in 2015 will not graduate. One factor that may affect the success of students is the influence of past experiences, including past adversity, or exposure to traumatic or non-traumatic stressors. The present study sought to better describe and understand the role of stress/trauma history in college students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The potential relationship this history has with academic outcomes was explored. Additionally, as not all students with a history of stressful and traumatic life events struggle academically, self-reported resilience, as well as resiliency factors, were …

A Sexual Assault Prevention Program Proposal For Abilene Christian University, Ammie Brooks, Ammie Kae Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop the most effective sexual assault prevention

program for Abilene Christian University. The program will meet the federal regulation requiring Universities to participate in sexual assault prevention and education. Additionally, the program will be made to fit the audience at Abilene Christian University. The proposed program is designed to encompass all undergraduate students at Abilene Christian University and use a pretest and posttest to measure the effectives of the program to meet its eight predetermined goals. The following paper presents the program proposal, methodology and evaluation tools needed for its future implementation.

An Exploration Of Cis Interventions And Their Impact On Homeless Middle School Students, Kaitlyn Tudor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Homeless youth face many barriers during their education that have an impact on their overall success in completing school. This study attempts to identify an evidence-based practice to support homeless students in the school setting. Literature suggests that basic need services are more frequently implemented in schools rather than interventions aimed to address academic, attendance, and behavioral concerns. Communities In Schools (CIS) is a dropout prevention program instilled in all of the Abilene Independent School District (AISD) middle schools and high schools. This program utilizes interventions to target students in areas of academics, attendance, and behavior. A gap in the …

Comparison Of Two Methods Of Pediatric Triage Education, Catherine Recznik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. The majority of pediatric emergency patients are seen in mixed-age emergency departments and triaged by general emergency nurses. Educational methods for teaching pediatric triage education to general emergency nurses have not been well studied, and previous studies of the use of the Emergency Severity Index in children have been performed primarily in centers that are high volume for pediatrics. Methods. A repeated measures, randomized crossover study comparing two different methods of pediatric triage education was conducted. Participants were general emergency triage nurses recruited from a general emergency department that is classified as low volume for pediatrics. Each participant was …

The Contribution Of Ethical Reasoning Skills In Forensic Science, Lyndsie Ferrara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forensic science applies scientific methods to matters related to the legal system. Members of the forensic field are part of the criminal justice system charged with upholding justice through science. Numerous wrongful convictions and ethical issues involving forensic science indicate a need to dissect the field from a different perspective. Stories in the media regularly identify ethical issues in forensic science ranging from individual misconduct to systemic organizational failures that lead to injustice. Even with these journalistic investigations, a lack of awareness remains regarding the contribution of ethical reasoning skills in forensic science. This dissertation addresses that gap in the …

Deciphering Climate-Driven Changes In Planktonic Diatom Communities In Lake Superior, Amy Kireta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is affecting lake systems throughout the world, including Lake Superior, the world’s largest lake by surface area. Climate-driven physical changes in Lake Superior are well documented, but there is still substantial uncertainty of how recent biological changes are related to climate change. This research addresses these uncertainties using a variety of approaches to understand the effects of modern climate-driven changes on Lake Superior diatom communities. First, I developed models for environmental variables related to diatom abundance using 10 years of summer monitoring data. Second, I investigated changes in fossilized diatom relative abundances before, during, and after the Medieval …

Timber Harvest And Recreation In Maine's North Woods: Attitudes, Impacts, And Strategies For Coexistence, Chelsea Liddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I explore recreator characteristics associated with attitudes toward logging evidence in recreational settings, potential effects of logging on North Maine Woods visitor spending, and the effects of an educational intervention on attitudes.

In Chapter 1, I use data from a random sample of Maine households to examine the associations between demographic characteristics/recreational activities and attitudes towards evidence of forest management in recreational settings. I use three separate ordered logistic regressions to model the associations between respondent characteristics and three types of forest management settings: old growth forest, a managed forest with selective harvest, and seeing/hearing evidence of …

Score Study Procedures And Processes Among Instrumental Music Teachers And Students Of Varying Experience., Jacob Mark Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Score study is agreed to be an essential part of musical preparation by professional conductors. However, no single method for score study has been established. This thesis examines the score study habits of undergraduate music majors, graduate students with a minimum of five years of instrumental teaching experience, and highly-qualified instrumental music teachers with a minimum of ten years of experience. Qualitative methods are employed, and interview transcriptions are the primary sources of data. Findings showed that instrumental music teachers and those with instrumental teaching experience base many of their score study decisions on the abilities and needs of students …

Symmetry Identified In 2-Dimensional Artwork Compositions Using Visuospatial Ability, Theresa Ferg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the John Langdon Down Foundation A.C. in the La Escuela Mexicana de Arte Down school in Mexico City D.F., Mexico, art students with Trisomy 21 display the use of a mathematical construct in the painting compositions of their artworks. The mathematical construct is a type of symmetry and it carries a positive affect. This is important because there have been no studies that have investigated the use of the symmetry in the artwork compositions of persons with Down syndrome. The geometric construction of the artwork compositions follows the artistic principle of the Rule of Three and the division of …

Evaluation Of Parent Involvement In Families In Transformation (Fit) Wellness Program For Children, Heather Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

African American Women Principals' Perceptions Of Challenges Faced In Obtaining And Maintaining Principal Leadership, Jennifer Denise Jackson-Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the 21st century, an urban teenager sent to see the principal might find an African American womanthe chances are small. If these students are lucky enough to find a black woman in the chair, she fought to get there and fights to stay. This study examined the perceptions of a few of these women vis-a-vis the obstacles they faced while pursuing or working as principals or assistant principals in middle- or high schools. The study illuminated the intersectionality of race and gender according to Crenshaw (1989) pointing out how African-American female principals identify, understand, conceptualize, interpret, and overcome those …

Exploring The Community Impact Of Community-University Partnerships, Stacey D. Muse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field and movement of community engagement in higher education is one way for institutions of higher education to fulfill the public good mission. Community engagement practices have shifted to valuing democratically engaged partnerships between the community and campus (Saltmarsh, Hartley, & Clayton, 2009). However, the research on community engagement reveals a lack of understanding of community voice and perspective on if and how community-campus partnerships make a difference for community-based organizations partnered with institutions of higher education. This embedded case study begins to fill these gaps in the literature by examining the voice and perspective of community-based organizations partnered …

Experiences Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Mississippi Community Colleges, Krystal Michelle Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Deciding On Classroom Composition: Factors Related To Principals' Grouping Practices, Brigid M. Nesmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the factors that may influence elementary and middle school principals’ choice of heterogeneous, homogeneous, or within-class ability grouping in Southeast Georgia. This study employed a quantitative, methodological research design along with descriptive analyses of four research questions using a convenience sample. Data from 64 elementary and middle school principals were received during the spring of 2018 and analyzed to determine the factors that influence their grouping practices.

This study focused on one overarching research question: What factors may be related to principals’ grouping practices in utilizing heterogeneous, homogeneous, or within-class ability …

(Re)Learning To Question: Curriculum Studies And (Re)Thinking Science For The 21st Century, Anthony Jerome Stawiery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a science literacy which revisits the nature of science and how it has fallen away from its inquiry-based roots and has become a tool for oppression and exclusion. The epistemological roots of science begin with curiosity and questioning. Asking questions is also foundational to democratic society. A critical science literacy emphasizes the need to question and to remain curious. Such skills can be incorporated across multiple disciplines. Therefore, this dissertation proposes science literacy not as a literacy in the life or physical sciences, but as a methodology of inquiry, a skillset that nurtures curiosity and strengthens critique. …