Education Commons^™

Promoting Civil Discourse In The Honors Forum Through Argument Mapping And Systematic Empathy, Sean Michael Cassidy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the impact that co-curricular programming delivered by the University Honors Program (UHP) at North Carolina State University through the Honors Forum course had on first-year students’ self-reported knowledge of civil discourse, their assessment of its importance and impact, and their evaluation of their commitment to the skills and values related to it. The Honors Forum is designed to help students develop a broad worldview by exposing them to lectures by scholars and public figures, panel discussions about contemporary societal debates, peer-facilitated discussions about books, films, and current events, and conversations with faculty and UHP graduates. This project …

Curriculum Change In Undergraduate Strategic Communications Programs: How Strategic Communications Programs Are Adapting To 21st Century Media, Allyson B. Goodman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The year 2014 has been described by scholars as transformative in how consumers interact with technology and media. Pointing to such digital milestones as the explosion of social media and mobile technology and the decline of traditional television ratings, these scholars have described the evolution as a move from a broadcast era to a postbroadcast era of media. This mass media evolution has opened a digital talent gap between the skills needed by the industry and the abilities of current and potential employees.

Focusing on undergraduate strategic communications programs, this research discusses the current status of new and social media …

Esl Students' Language Anxiety In In-Class Oral Presentations, Yusi Chen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This case study aims to explore connections between ESL students’ speaking-in-class anxiety and their presentation performance, factors causing oral anxiety during presentations, and strategies to regulate L2 students’ speaking anxiety in presentations. Findings of this research contribute to the investigation of speaking-in-class anxiety from non-English major L2 students. Three Chinese ESL students enrolled in the INTO program at Marshall University individually gave two presentations in speaking classes. Triangulated data sources were collected to delve into three research questions. The results suggest that L2 students’ anxiety forms mental blocks during presentations, but it has less influence on their presentation performance. Based …

Discourse Analysis Of Interpersonal Features In Esl And Jsl Textbooks, Yukina Takahira

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Textbooks play an important role in language classrooms. They serve as models for language use in a target community and significantly influence language learners in their development of language use and perceptions of the target community. In traditional grammar teaching, teachers seldom look into linguistic choices at the discourse level and mainly use language textbooks to focus on grammatical accuracy at the sentence level. Language cannot be divorced from the context and culture of its use; contextual and cultural aspects of language are inherent in discourse. Language textbooks provide not only the needed linguistic resources, but also reflect the interpersonal …

Describing The Spoken Discourse Practices Of Second And Third Grade Classroom Teachers In Appalachia, Natasha Janel Scott

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In order to meet the academic demands of the school system, school-aged children must be able to understand the language (discourse) of their teachers and the curricular expectations for verbal expression. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), working within the schools, need to identify and include in their therapy planning the learning supports that will contribute to students’ classroom success. One useful data-set for this planning is knowledge of the types and levels of discourse used and expected by the classroom teacher. The purpose of this study was to examine the spoken discourse practices of second and third grade teachers in Appalachia. By …

Principals And Technology: A Case Study Of The Use And Perceived Effectiveness Of Technology To Communicate With Constituents, Bonnie Ann Allman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Among the many qualities or attributes that serve as the framework for school leadership development programs, communication is repeatedly noted as being an important facet of the administrative leader’s repertoire (Finch, Gregson & Faulkner, 1992; Gougeon, 1991). It is not enough for a leader to be concerned only about communicating with constituents; it is essential that the leader also considers the effectiveness of this communication (Gougeon, 1991). The consolidation of schools in West Virginia over the past forty years has placed more importance on the ability of a principal to communicate with staff, other administrators, students, parents and communities. Each …

Methodological Orientations Of Articles Appearing In Allied Health's Top Journals: Who Publishes What And Where, Pamela Lea Mccloud Alderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined articles published in the major peer-reviewed journals, either hard copy, web, or both formats, in five allied health professions from January 2006 to December 2010. Research journals used in this study includes Journal of Dental Hygiene, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Physical Therapy Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, and Radiologic Technology. These journals were chosen after reviewing the professional organizations’ of each discipline, as well as the professional honor societies, and the recommendations by the discipline-specific national accreditation agencies found on the organizations’ websites. All research articles published in these …

Trait And Situational Variables Affecting Communication Channel Preferences In College Students, Britt Alan Frye

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As more and more interpersonal communication is being conducted via mediated communication channels, important theoretical questions about the impact of this shift in the use of communication media are raised. This study began the process of exploring the implications of the shift in channels used in interpersonal communication situations by examining several factors that previous research has linked to important aspects of relationship development and maintenance. Specifically, respondents were surveyed about their preferred channel of communication in four types of interpersonal communication situations that reflect varying levels of interpersonal comfort in association with communication locus of control scale (CLOC) scores. …

Assessing The Presence And Use Of Nonverbal Communication In Primary Reading Instruction, Amelia C. Ferrell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research examined the presence and types of nonverbal communication presented in primary reading instruction. Primary instructors were surveyed about their use and types of nonverbal communication employed during reading instruction. Nonverbal communication variables studied were determined from relevant literature regarding nonverbal immediacy, primary education, and reading instruction. Findings revealed that almost all nonverbal communication variables studied were employed frequently and most respondents had no prior training. Findings suggest how future studies can better evaluate the role of nonverbal communication in reading instruction and provide education for primary teachers in hopes of improving literacy education.

Emergent Literacy Activities In Preschool Years : The Effects Of Explicit Instruction On Rhyming And Narrative Development, Kristie Dawn Callihan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Reading, a vitally important skill, develops early in a young child’s life. Research suggests that strong phonological awareness and narrative skills predict reading success. Using children’s literature that emphasized either rhymes (one of the earliest phonological awareness skills to emerge) or narrative structure, this study examined the effect of explicit teaching of rhymes and narrative structure on young children’s improvement in the ability to recognize and generate rhyming words and on improvement in the sophistication of narrative retellings. The results of this study, as well as the implications these findings have for speech-language pathologists and the need for further research, …

Effects Of Student Nonverbal And Verbal Immediacy Behaviors On Teachers' Behaviors And Perceptions, Nina C. Persi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the education profession, teachers are often hired, retained, or terminated based on their effectiveness at teaching and moreover, their skill in engaging students to learn. Effective teachers promote student learning which involves cognitive, affective and behavioral changes (Bloom, 1956). As Comstock, Rowell, and Bowers (1995) state, “In other words, teachers who communicate positive regard to their students promote student learning” (p. 251).

Numerous studies have sought to identify the particular communication behaviors that a teacher can employ to increase his or her effectiveness in the classroom. Additionally, researchers have been interested in explaining how teachers communicate this positive regard …

A Survey Of Existing And Proposed State Legislation Protecting High School Students' Rights To Free Expression And A Free Press, And A Proposal For Such Legislation In West Virginia, Vaughn Gibson Rhudy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Since the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial and historic 1988 Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier decision, the debate over whether high school newspapers should have First Amendment protection and rights has been waged from one end of the country to the other. Many principals hailed the decision as giving school administrators the responsibility they should have by putting "the high school press in its proper relationship with principals" (Dickson, "How Advisers View" 2). Conversely, many advisers, students, and journalists criticized the ruling for limiting constitutional rights of student publications to remain free from censorship as guaranteed by the First Amendment (Garneau …