Digital Commons Network^™

A Framework To Assess The Rehabilitation Of Historic Cave Dwellings In Libya Using Modernization Theory And Technology Acceptance Model, Salaheddin Mohammed Ali Ebrahim

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the associations between the technology acceptance model and modernization theory with Libyans’ perceptions of cave dwellings in the Nafusa Mountains region, West of Tripoli. The researcher formally tested hypotheses linking cave dwelling's ease of use, usefulness, and the perceived intention to live in a modernized cave dwelling with the education, income, age, gender, and employment categories of Libyan participants in the study. A framework for constructing modernized cave dwellings that are attractive to local residents for temporary and permanent living is then provided.

Using 450 responses from Libyans worldwide, this study found that the technology acceptance model …

Utilization Of Research Technologies Within A Local Community Hospital In Ann Arbor, Stephanie Otto

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Technology has the ability to change the way clinical trials are conducted. Technology utilization has expanded into research in the form of handheld smartphones, wearables, and social media. This project explored technologies and assessed which of those technologies are being utilized at a community hospital. A survey was designed, developed, and disseminated to principal investigators and co-investigators of research within the hospital. The results showed that few of the technologies included in the assessment are being utilized by the researchers at the hospital. The most popular technology category being utilized by the researchers is smartphone technology. This research could contribute …

Understanding The Relationship Between Technical And Managerial Factors And Product Innovation At A Tier 1 Engine Component Supplier, Carmo Ribeiro

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided an assessment of the technical and managerial factors on the development of successful innovative internal combustion engine (ICE) components at a XYZ Tier 1 supplier firm. Further, factors related to regulations, component application, and customer integration were identified and complement the study.

A deficiency has been identified in the literature in that most studies concentrate on inter-firm innovation from the customer’s perspective within the supply-chain relationship. While suppliers have increasingly become a source of innovation, very little is known about specific ways in which innovation occurs at Tier 1 suppliers. The mechanisms by which innovative ideas are …

The Impact Of Project Lead The Way Gateway To Technology Foundation Unit Completion On Students' Critical-Thinking Skills, Rula Odai Hashem

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Georgetown's Public Policy Institute (2013) reported that the fastest growing occupations and the highest demand for college education and training fields will be in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), healthcare, and community services. One of the K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs' purposes is to promote critical-thinking skills (Johnson, 1992). This study examined the impact of Project Lead The Way Gateway to Technology (PLTW-GTT) units, a middle school STEM program, on the critical-thinking skills of middle school students. Quasi experimental research methods were utilized to test the impact of the completion of two PLTW-GTT foundation units on students' …

Determining The Degree Of Collaboration Readiness For Regional Transportation Systems: The Formulation Of A Model, Carol Farver

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify factors, both governmental and universal, that indicate the degree of readiness and/or potential for success of a government collaborative project in the field of regional rapid mass transportation. The study is important because collaboration has been recognized as a tool that can help address such challenges as demonstrating the responsible use of limited resources, anticipating converging technologies, and reacting to rapidly changing technologies. There was very limited availability of tools to assist in ensuring successful collaborations. Although tools have been developed that gauge the degree of collaborative readiness of a project, such …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Beliefs And Attitudes Of Teachers Regarding The Developmental Appropriateness Of Technology In Early Childhood, Brandi-Lyn Mendham

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, teacher self-efficacy regarding technology use was examined. Data from a sample of teachers were analyzed to determine the degree to which these educators felt comfortable and confident with the infusion of technology in their practice. Additionally, the beliefs and attitudes these educators held toward the developmental appropriateness of technology were analyzed to determine if the level of integration in their classrooms was impacted by these beliefs and attitudes. This study analyzed surveys from 41 teachers (preschool and kindergarten) along with interviews of six participating teachers in the West Shore Educational Service District region in Michigan. Four of …

Interim Administrative Appointments In A Postsecondary Organization, Valerie Renee Culler

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The appointment of individuals to interim administrative roles is a practice that is common within postsecondary institutions in the United States. The purpose of this study was to answer three questions: (a) what were the experiences and perspectives of individuals who worked in interim administrative roles, (b) what were the organizational rationalities that led to the appointment of people to interim administrative roles, and (c) what were the experiences and perspectives of individuals who worked under interim leadership? This was a qualitative research study that was framed through the constructivist paradigm. The study took place at a public research university …

Perceived Barriers To Technology Integration, Adam J. Hartley

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed-methods study explores the potential barriers to change related to the integration of technology among elementary teachers. Data were collected through the use of a survey, interviews, and focus groups. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) developed by Hall and Hord (2001) was used to capture teacher perceptions of the technology integration. Additional qualitative data were gathered through an open-ended questionnaire, and followed up with interviews and a focus group with eight teachers from the district studied. Two teachers, from each of the four elementary buildings within the school district, were chosen. The population of this study consisted of approximately …

Visual Literacy And The Integration Of Parametric Modeling In The Problem-Based Curriculum, Matthew Benedict Assenmacher

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study investigated the application of visual literacy skills in the form of parametric modeling software in relation to traditional forms of sketching. The study included two groups of high school technical design students. The control and experimental groups involved in the study consisted of two randomly selected groups of students. The participants were exposed to eight weeks of technical drawing and parametric modeling instruction prior to the start of the study.

The potential applications of emerging technologies for the purpose of integrating visual literacy into the curriculum are not fully understood. Society is moving towards a more immediate …

Building Bridges And Solving Crimes? A Critical Examination Of How Police Use The New Aged Technology Of Social Media - Specifically Facebook, Seyed Raza Mirmajlessi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The social media conglomerate Facebook has dramatically grown over the past few years. As a result, many law enforcement officials -- specifically police -- have taken notice. Recently, this has translated into police departments nationwide adopting Facebook in their daily efforts to improve police performance. Extensive reports from news media outlets have documented the assortment of uses Facebook provides police personnel. It has been reported that police are not only using the tool to prevent crime, but also as an innovative way to engage and interact with the community. In an era of community policing, it is vital to explore …

Student Loyalty Assessment With Online Master's Programs, Ali Dehghan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Relationship marketing is attracting, maintaining, and, in multi-service organizations, enhancing customer relationships. Educational programs and services, like those of businesses, depend highly on the repeated purchases of their loyal customers. The purpose of this descriptive research is to investigate the relationships between factors that may lead to student loyalty in online graduate educational programs. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the relationships between service quality, technology, trust, commitment and satisfaction, reputation and ultimately loyalty. A new model is presented, which includes the results of testing these variables.

The results of this study concluded that satisfaction with the program has the …

Exploring A Paperless Business Administrative System (Bas) Implementation In A K-12 School, Marwan M. Issa

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how a paperless BAS can affect the overall performance of a school’s administrative activities. The research included direct observation, survey questionnaires, document review, and both structured and unstructured interviews.

The selected school, a K-12 charter school, was an ideal candidate for this study as it allowed unrestricted access. The effects of the move to a paperless BAS were overwhelmingly positive. These effects included enabling employees to complete their resource requests more speedily and accurately. The implementation also incorporated “smart” forms that did not allow users to submit incomplete forms. Employees …

The Relationship Between Technology And The Body In Muriel Rukeyser's Poetry, Fathi Nasaif

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis studies Muriel Rukeyser‟s view of the relationship between technology and the body by analyzing some of her poetry in her Collected Poems and her philosophy of poetry in her book The Life of Poetry. The thesis also deals with the relationship between science and art; Rukeyser thought of science and art as supplementing and complementing each other through her idea of dynamism in nature and in artistic thought. In addition, my thesis discusses some critical responses to Rukeyser‟s poetry and philosophy of art. The theories that form the basis of my study are Rukeyser‟s idea of relational …