Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessment Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition: Possible Effects On Alpine Ecosystems Above 9000 Feet In Grand Teton National Park, Jennifer Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Certain forms of nitrogen (N) in the atmosphere are pollutants with effects that mimic fertilizer application. If there is too much N, it can become a stressor, and the ecosystem may undergo drastic changes (e.g. certain plant species may decline or disappear). The N load at which a system starts exhibiting negative effects is dependent on the type and location of the ecosystem. Alpine ecosystems (i.e. above 9000 feet in Wyoming) may be particularly sensitive to low levels of atmospheric N input because of short growing seasons, sparse plant cover, and shallow soils that limit their ability to absorb the …

Determining Multidimensional Gender: Development And Psychometrics Of A Measurement Instrument, Karyl Lounsbery

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity is often thought of only as a binary construct, masculine and feminine, despite the fact that there are many people who do not see themselves as fitting this dichotomy (Rochman, 2006). Within the counseling field, it is likely that every counselor will eventually see someone who will be struggling with issues of gender identity (Ehrensaft, 2011). The introduction of the Arkansas Multidimensional Gender Scale (AMGS) will show there is a much broader scope of gender identity, more in line with the idea that all gender identities are normal and that there are as many gender identities as there …

You’Re Doing More Than You Think: Acknowledging The Small Victories In Assessing Digital Literacy Instruction, Rick A. Stoddart

Rick A Stoddart

The Role Of Dysregulation In Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: An Examination Of Symptom Severity, Impairment And Treatment Outcome, Joseph F. Mcguire

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric OCD is frequently complicated by co-occurrences with ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders. Although each of these disorders is associated with impaired self-regulation, there has been little examination of impaired self-regulation (i.e., dysregulation) in youth with OCD. Dysregulation is characterized by affective, behavioral and cognitive problems, and can be assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile (CBCL-DP). Dysregulation may help account for the varied yet related findings identified for symptom severity, impairment and treatment outcome in pediatric OCD. This study examined the role of dysregulation on symptom severity, impairment and treatment outcome in a large sample of youth with OCD. …

Academic Libraries And The Credit-Bearing Class: A Practical Approach, Margaret G. Burke

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic librarians are expanding their teaching roles and increasing numbers are involved in teaching information literacy by means of the credit-bearing class. Librarians at the Axinn Library at Hofstra University have been teaching credit-bearing classes since 2001. While doing research on the subject, the author found that the literature contained very little practical information concerning this important responsibility for academic librarians. In order to answer some questions that arose from Axinn librarians' experiences with credit-bearing classes, a survey was conducted using the Association of College and Research Libraries' Information Literacy Instruction's Discussion List as the study group. Among the topics …

Major Difference: An Examination Of Student Writing Performance By Major And Its Implications For Business Communication, Lucia S. Sigmar, Geraldine E. Hynes

Administrative Issues Journal

This study analyzes the writing performance levels of 352 students to determine the extent to which business students are achieving written communication competency and whether differences exist among the business majors. Although most students met or exceeded expectations in format and content on a common writing task, students were weakest in grammar and mechanics, with almost half scoring below expectations across all majors. The findings indicate no statistically significant differences in writing competency among majors. This study also suggests that business communicators can serve as “collegial consultants” in a cross-disciplinary effort to improve student writing.

The Promises And Realities Of Evidence-Based Practices: Perceptions From Assessment Personnel, Jessica A. Rueter, Cynthia G. Simpson

Administrative Issues Journal

Assessment personnel are those individuals who work in the capacity of evaluation of students with disabilities, including, but not limited to, educational diagnosticians, educational examiners, psychometrists, and instructional specialists. These professionals are responsible for identifying strengths and weaknesses and for providing teachers with evidence-based recommendations that can be implemented in the classroom to improve performance of students with learning deficits. This qualitative study examines 19 educational diagnosticians’ perceptions related to the barriers and supports that impacted their ability to provide evidence-based recommendations for students who are learning disabled. Three categories of barriers to issuing successful evidence-based recommendations emerged as a …

The Multi-Trajectory Theory Of Adult Firesetting (M-Ttaf), Therese A. Gannon, Caoilte Ó Ciardha, Rebekah M. Doley, Emma Alleyne

Rebekah Doley

The assessment and treatment of adults who set fires deliberately are underdeveloped relative to other areas of forensic-clinical psychology. From a scientist–practitioner perspective, all clinical assessment and treatment should be guided by a theoretical and empirically based understanding of the presenting clinical phenomena. In this paper, we critically review current typologies, motives, and theories regarding the etiological features of deliberate adult firesetting. Then, using a theory knitting perspective, we synthesize the prime parts of this information into a comprehensive multifactorial framework of deliberate firesetting. The resulting Multi-Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (M-TTAF) is an integration of current theory, typological, and …

Tapping Into Student Feedback: Instant Surveying With A Tablet, Jennifer Link Jones

Jennifer L. Jones

Ongoing assessment in academic libraries, particularly the measurement of student perceptions, preferences, and satisfaction, can be a challenge to schedule and execute. Georgia State University Library piloted the use of a tablet computer--in this case, Apple’s iPad--loaded with survey software to poll subjects quickly in the library buildings. The result was a practical model that maximized convenience for both subjects and researchers, and that other campus administrative and academic units easily can adopt. Presenters will discuss methodology, benefits of using tablet computers for formative assessment, recommendations and lessons learned, and ideas for future projects.

Assessing Creativity With Self-Report Scales : A Review And Empirical Evaluation, Paul J. Silvia, Benjamin Wigert, Roni Reiter-Palmon, James C. Kaufman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article reviews recent developments in the assessment of creativity using self-report scales. We focus on four new and promising scales: the Creative Achievement Questionnaire, the Biographical Inventory of Creative Behaviors, the revised Creative Behavior Inventory, and the Creative Domain Questionnaire. For each scale, we review evidence for reliability, validity, and structure, and we discuss important methodological features for users to consider. We then present new analyses of each scale based on a large, diverse sample. We evaluate each scale's item-level and scale-level psychometric features, using both classical test theory and item response theory, and we examine how the scales …

Peer Assessment Of Oral Presentations Using Clickers: The Student Experience, Graham Barwell, Ruth Walker

Ruth Walker

This paper reports student reactions to the use of a personal response system (clickers) to provide peer assessment. Trials were conducted in three upper level seminar classes in two different subjects in an Arts Faculty, where students were required to give individual in-class presentations as part of their assessable work. Class members assessed the presenters using criteria based on those used by the tutor, but modified to make them appropriate for student use. At the end of the session some students in the trials discussed their experiences in focus groups. The comments of those focus group participants are analysed to …

Reliability And Factor Structure Of The Psychological Maltreatment And Neglect Scales Of The Computer Assisted Maltreatment Inventory (Cami), Cindy L. Nash, Sarah A. Hayes-Skelton, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Psychological Maltreatment (PM) and Neglect subscales of the Computer Assisted Maltreatment Inventory (CAMI; DiLillo et al., 2010). The CAMI is a retrospective self-report measure that assesses multiple forms of child maltreatment (i.e., sexual, physical, psychological, neglect, exposure to interparental violence) retrospectively from adults. The CAMI’s PM and Neglect subscales were administered to a geo-graphically diverse sample of 400 college students and a sample of 412 newlyweds. Exploratory fac-tor analyses were conducted for each group separately by subscale. Represented in the PM factor structures were items that …

Automating The Reporting Of Survey Data, Larry D. Long

Larry D. Long

The presentation explains how to automate the reporting of assessment data using the mailmerge feature in MS Word.

Distortion, Disparity, And Dubious Data: The Impact Of Accountability On Instructional Practice, Curtis Jack Barnes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the impact that state and federal accountability systems have had on instructional practice in two large Texas school districts by comparing the performance of students at these schools on individual items from the 2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and relating performance to item difficulty and the schools' accountability risk as determined by prior accountability performance. To make this comparison, schools were placed into accountability risk groups based on past performance on the No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) accountability instrument. The researcher then calculated the mean differences between average performance …

A Picture Is Worth 150 Words: Using Wordle To Assess Library Instruction, Rhonda K. Huisman, Kathleen A. Hanna

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2010

Tired of the "one minute paper" and other "quick and dirty" assessment tools? By using word clouds, students can demonstrate their grasp of library fundamentals and information literacy concepts in less than 10 minutes. Wordle [http://www.wordle.net] is an extremely user-friendly online tool that provides an active learning activity for students and allows librarians to rapidly evaluate what students recall from the instruction session. Use it for quick assessment of student comprehension of library jargon or compare the students' Wordle clouds with information literacy standards or the main points of your instruction. It's free, flexible, and looks great on a t-shirt.

Follow The Rubric Road: Assessing The Librarian Instructor, Ned Fielden

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2010

As librarians assume ever greater instructional roles in higher education, ongoing assessment is vital for maximizing instructional quality. Rubrics as an assessment mechanism are commonly used to gauge the extent of learning outcomes in classes and library instructional sessions. Rubrics allow for standardization of application, ease of use, and provide an expandable framework for quantitative evaluations, yet their use in evaluating library instructors has neither been widely explored nor employed.

This is a case study of the development of an instructor rubric at San Francisco State University, and will examine both theoretical and practical issues in the creation and application …

Assessing Metacognitive Skills In Waking And Sleep: A Psychometric Analysis Of The Metacognitive, Affective, Cognitive Experience (Mace) Questionnaire, Tracey L. Kahan, Kieran T. Sullivan

Psychology

The Metacognition, Affective, Cognitive Experience (MACE) questionnaire was designed to assess metacognition across sleep and waking (Kahan & LaBerge, 1996). The present research evaluates the psychometric properties of the MACE. Data from two recent studies (N = 185) were used to assess the inter-item consistency, test-retest reliability, and factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity of the MACE. Results show that the MACE is a reliable measure with good construct validity. Exploratory factor analyses revealed one self-regulation and two monitoring factors. One monitoring factor emphasized monitoring internal conditions; the other emphasized monitoring external conditions. This factor structure is consistent with the Metacognitive …

Ch4, Co, And H2o Spectroscopy For The Sentinel-5 Precursor Mission: An Assessment With The Total Carbon Column Observing Network Measurements, A Galli, A Butz, R A. Scheepmaker, O Hasekamp, J Landgraf, P Tol, D Wunch, N M. Deutscher, G C. Toon, P O. Wennberg, D W. T Griffith, I Aben

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) will be part of ESA’s Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) satellite platform scheduled for launch in 2015. TROPOMI will monitor methane and carbon monoxide concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere by measuring spectra of back-scattered sunlight in the short-wave infrared (SWIR).

Comparison Of Assessment Performance Of Rural And Regional Students In A Unique Australian Graduate-Entry Medical Program, David L. Garne, J Bushnell, A Lethbridge, J Douglas

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Wollongong is one of Australia's newest medical schools, with a regional/rural focus and a distributed campus, and students are all expected to spend a significant proportion of their training in a rural setting. Due to the diverse learning environments that students are exposed to, we sought to determine by phase if there was any difference in examination results between groups who were located in rural settings and those in regional settings.

Bioregional Assessment Project: Sydney Metropolitan, Southern Rivers And Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchments: Data Collation Phase To Study The Impact Of Mining Activity And Coal Seam Gas On Environmental Assets, John Bradd, Tim Cohen, Sam Marx, Sol Buckman, Emma Burkhardt, A Clarke, Nicole Cook, Stephen Cullen, James Daley, Alexi Gavin, Ren Hu, Emma Kiekebosch-Fitt, Matt Lemcke, Andrew Lowe, Thomas Mcmahon, Luke Mcneilage, Kaitlyn O'Mara, Garth Nagle, Sam Robson, Carolyn Silveri, Joe Stammers

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This study was commissioned by the Hawkesbury-Nepean (HNCMA), Sydney Metropolitan (SMCMA) and Southern Rivers (SRCMA) Catchment Management Authorities and undertaken by the University of Wollongong to collate existing data and to provide a preliminary assessment of the potential impacts of coal seam gas (CSG) and coal mining activities on environmental assets within the three CMA regions, where environmental assets were defined under three broad themes; water, land and biodiversity. This study formed part of the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC) Bioregional Assessment initiative within regions potentially affected by CSG and coal mining activities. …

What's On The Menu For The 75+ Health Assessment?: An Opportunity For Nutrition Screening Of Older Patients In General Practice, A H. Hamirudin, K E. Charlton, K L. Walton, A Bonney, J. Potter, Marianna Milosavljevic, G Albert, A Hodgkins, A Dalley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Australia, 27-30 November 2012, Wollongong, Australia

Does Targetted Assessment Of Function Influence Emergency Department Re-Poresentation In Older Adults: An Australian Insight, M Bissett, A Cusick

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the IFA 11th Global Conference on Ageing, 28 May-1 June 2012, Prague, Czech Republic

Training Self-Assessment And Task-Selection Skills: A Cognitive Approach To Improving Self-Regulated Learning, Danny Kostons, Tamara Van Gog, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

For self-regulated learning to be effective, students need to be able to accurately assess their own performance on a learning task and use this assessment for the selection of a new learning task. Evidence suggests, however, that students have difficulties with accurate self-assessment and task selection, which may explain the poor learning outcomes often found with self-regulated learning. In experiment 1, the hypothesis was investigated and confirmed that observing a human model engaging in self-assessment, task selection, or both could be effective for secondary education students' (N=80) acquisition of self- assessment and task-selection skills. Experiment 2 investigated and confirmed the …

Thermodynamic Assessment Of Aluminium Production Through Carbosulphidation Route, Nazmul Huda, Muhammad A. Rhamdhani, M A. Dewan, Geoffrey A. Brooks, B J. Monaghan, L Prentice

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Indirect carbothermal reduction of alumina for the production of aluminium has been claimed to be better compared to the existing Hall-Heroult process in-terms of energy usage, generation of perfluorocarbons and overall greenhouse gas emission. In the process, alumina is reduced to an intermediate compound which is then further reduced to Al. It has been shown from the previous thermodynamic study by the authors that high conversion of alumina can be obtained if it is reduced to Al-chloride, Al-nitride or Al-sulphide. This paper deals with detailed systematic thermodynamic analysis of the process through carbosulphidation route, where alumina is first reduced to …

The Use Of Transient State Estimation For Voltage Dip/Sag Assessment, A Farzanehrafat, N R. Watson, S Perera

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Voltage sags are common events on the electric power network caused by network faults and the large load connections. This power quality issue can affect a wide range of electrical equipment malfunctions, interruptions or losses and are of particular concern to industry. A complete knowledge of the source is a prerequisite before any remedial action is taken. On the other hand, it is not feasible to fully monitor voltage sags occurred throughout the network. For this reason state estimation techniques have been extended into power quality issues and called Power Quality State Estimation (PQSE). This paper, introduces the use of …

Quantitative Assessment Of Landslide Frequency Versus Magnitude Of Displacement, P N. Flentje, R N. Chowdhury, Anthony Miner, C Mazengarb

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Understanding landslide frequency is an important challenge in the process of the assessment of landslide risk. Importantly, from the perspective of landslide risk management today, this paper investigates the relationship between 'how often will a landslide move' and 'how far will it move when it does move'. Such relationships must reflect the continuum between the lower frequency 'catastrophic' type failures and the much higher frequency millimeter type magnitudes of displacement; and intervals along this continuum will likely have different management significance. So, when considering the frequency of landslide move-ment, the full question must be 'what is the frequency of a …

Exposure Assessment Of Greenhouse Workers With Anti- Cholinesterase Pesticides By Biological Monitoring, Shahnaz Bakand, Y Dehghani, M R. Gohari, M Mosadegh, S Mirmohammadi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and Aims: Organophosphate compounds are the most popular insecticides with the widespread application in pest control. These toxic compounds interfere with the blood cholinesterase and inhibit the cholinestarse activity.Measurement of Cholinesterase activity is widely used for diagnosis of poisoning and adverse effects caused by pesticides. Green-house workers are one of the important occupational groups with the high risk of poisoning with organophosphate and karbamat pesticides .The purpose of this study was to assess the exposure of green-house workers with anti-cholinesterase toxic compounds by measuring the blood cholinesterase activity using electrometric method. Methods: This research is a descriptive cross sectional …

Linguistic Discrimination In Writing Assessment: How Raters React To African American “Errors,” Esl Errors, And Standard English Errors On A State-Mandated Writing Exam, David M. Johnson, Lewis Vanbrackle

Faculty Articles

Raters of Georgia''s (USA) state-mandated college-level writing exam, which is intended to ensure a minimal university-level writing competency, are trained to grade holistically when assessing these exams. A guiding principle in holistic grading is to not focus exclusively on any one aspect of writing but rather to give equal weight to style, vocabulary, mechanics, content, and development. This study details how raters react to “errors” typical of African American English writers, of ESL writers, and of standard American English writers. Using a log-linear model to generate odds ratios for comparison of essays with these error types, results indicate linguistic discrimination …

Building Support For The Introductory Oral Communication Course: Strategies For Widespread And Enduring Support On Campus, Jon A. Hess

Communication Faculty Publications

A strong introductory course is important for many communication departments, for the discipline, and for meeting our obligation to society. This paper utilizes the example of a recent curricular reform that threatened to eliminate a required oral communication course to reflect on strategies departments can use to build widespread and lasting support for the course. The paper reviews the events that led to the challenge and details the department’s response, which offers lessons that may be useful for other institutions. Four lessons include:

* Tailoring the introductory course to the institution’s needs and mission

* Involvement in university work

* …

Reef-Scale Assessment Of Intertidal Large Benthic Foraminifera Populations On One Tree Island, Great Barrier Reef And Their Future Carbonate Production Potential In A Warming Ocean, Steve S. Doo, Sarah Hamylton, Maria Byrne

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Populations of large benthic foraminiferans (LBFs) that inhabit coral reef platforms are major producers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in reef ecosystems. This study documented the population density of living intertidal LBF populations at One Tree Reef (OTR), southern Great Barrier Reef, in a community dominated by Marginopora vertebralis and Baculogypsina sphaerulata. Densities of 7.7 × 103 M. vertebralis individuals (ind.)/m2 and 4.5 × 105 B. sphaerulata ind./m2 were estimated for these populations in May 2011. We applied remote-sensing technology to determine reef-scale estimates of suitable Foraminifera habitats and used these to estimate overall stocks of LBF populations on the intertidal …