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Editorial Matter 1997

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Ordering Information

Permission to Copy

Instructions to Contributors for the 1998 Volume

Reviewers for the 1997 Volume

Mission Statement

Membership, Conference and Programs Information

Contents

Foreword, by Deborah DeZure

Introduction, by Deborah DeZure

About POD

A Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Computer Usage And Staff Development Needs In Edwards County Cusd #1, Albion, Illinois, David R. Savage

Masters Theses

In recent years the integration of computer technology into the activities for students in public schools has become an important goal for educators throughout the nation. This study was designed to determine Edwards County Community Unit School District (CUSD) #1 teachers' perceptions regarding (a) use of computers at home and at school; (b) the extent that school personnel in buildings have established a technology plan; (c) availability of computer technology to students and themselves; and (d) the preferred time, method of training (e.g., workshops, one-on-one instruction, and college course), and incentives to attend computer staff development program.

The study took …

Swosu Fact Book Fall 1997, Denisa Engelman

Fact Books

I am proud to introduce the sixth annual Southwestern Oklahoma State University Fact Book. It provides a ready source of information to answer frequently asked questions about the University and its operations. Unless otherwise noted, the information in this Fact Book came from computer-generated reports that are printed following the tenth class day of each fall semester. Because of student fluctuations during the semester, numbers will not match other published enrollment numbers that may be based on enrollment at the end of a semester.

A Uniform Dress Code Policy For Middle/Junior High School, Cynthia A. Thoman

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design a model uniform dress code policy for the student population of a selected middle/junior high level school district in Washington State. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature regarding student dress codes and policies was conducted. Additionally, related information from selected public schools currently using student uniforms was obtained and analyzed.

The All Encompassing Role And Function Of The Computing Coordinator In Western Australian Government Senior High Schools, Diana C. Brown

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to determine the role and support afforded Computing Coordinators at Western Australian government senior high schools by undertaking a census survey. Previous studies performed by Weber and Kershaw (1990) and Kershaw and Weber {1991), portrayed the role of Computing Coordinators at Australian high schools as demanding a diversity of knowledge and skills in computer technology together with excellent management qualities. The literature also suggested that time management skills were a major factor in how effectively coordinators carried out the myriad of tasks expected of them. This study found that most Computing Coordinators considered their …

Journal Of Pedagogy, Pluralism And Practice, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 1997 (Full Issue), Journal Staff

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

No abstract provided.

Iowa Teachers' Perceptions About Involvement In Decision-Making, Michael S. Jurgensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to look at shared decision-making in the public schools of Iowa. Specifically, attention was given to the desire of teachers to be involved in strategic managerial issues that have been the traditional purview of administration. Fourteen decisional areas were selected for the study including organizational managerial, policy development, and resource allocation/utilization issues.

Four research questions were utilized with a quantitative research approach. A survey instrument was mailed to 600 K-12 public school teachers within Iowa. The final sample included 431 responses that represented a return rate of 72.3%

Statistical tests were conducted at the.05 …

University Reporter - Vol. 01, No. 07 - January 1997, University Of Massachusetts Boston

1996-2009, University Reporter

No abstract provided.

Crisis Of Affiliation: The Merger Of Arkansas Agricultural And Mechanical College With The University Of Arkansas, Gary S. Gaston

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the applicability of Kurt Lewin's Force Field Theory to the merger of Arkansas A&M College and the University of Arkansas System in 1971. The merger followed Lewin's change process: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. This study also examined the applicability of Hugh Thompson's '21 Suggestions for a Successful Merger' as a framework for addressing the variety of issues in an institutional merger. This examination asked five questions: What were the forces moving Arkansas A&M toward a merger? What were the forces opposing the merger? What preparation went into the merger? What was the political process for the merger? …

Identity Development And Student Involvement Of African-American Undergraduate Students At Historically White Colleges And Universities In Southern Appalachia, Rosemary G. Bundy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study of African American undergraduates at Emory & Henry College, Tusculum College, Western Carolina University, East Tennessee State University, Appalachian State University, and University of North Carolina at Asheville was conducted to determine students' stages of identity development, level of involvement in campus activities, and demographic characteristics within historically White Southern Appalachian colleges and universities, both public and independent. Three research questions were answered by analyzing 21 null hypotheses using the t-test and the chi square test. Hypotheses were tested at the.05 level of significance. Data collected in this study revealed that the students' perceptions of identity development and …

Use Of The Internet Connection In Selected Illinois Schools, Dean Keller

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the practice of school districts connecting to the internet within the Southern Illinois Instructional Technology Association. The research questions for this study were: (a) Should an internet connection be initiated, continued, improved, or terminated? (b) To what extent is connecting to the internet cost effective for schools? (c) To what extent do increased program expenditures increase the use of the internet connection by staff and students? (d) To what extent does the program achieve its intended objectives?

The review of literature indicated that school districts can effectively use an internet connection as …

Perceptions Of Parents Of Elementary Students In Paris Union School District #95, Paris, Illinois, Regarding Curriculum Trends, Instructional Techniques, And Support Services, Lorraine A. Bailey

Masters Theses

The purpose of the field study was to ascertain the perceptions of parents of elementary students in grades K-5 in Paris Union School District #95, Paris, Illinois, regarding curriculum areas, instructional techniques, and support services. Addressing these areas was believed to be one important component in the process of determining the extent of the need for new or remodeled facilities at the elementary level in the district.

The researcher believed facilities of the future may be significantly different from their predecessors depending upon the nature and extent of curriculum changes. Before new facilities were proposed for Paris Union School District …

A Resource Document For The Development Of An Alternative Education Program For Disruptive Youth, Deborah Claunch

Masters Theses

This qualitative study developed a model for an alternative education program for disruptive students in grades 6 through 8 in Franklin and Williamson Counties in Southern Illinois. It was facilitated by the issuance of grant funds to the Regional Offices of Education by the Illinois State Board of Education under the Safe Schools Act of 1995.

The desire of the researcher was to develop a program that would lead to changes in behaviors, promote academic achievement, and return students to the regular school environment with fewer incidents of misbehavior. The outcomes of this qualitative study resulted in a comprehensive resource …

Dimensions Of Capacity For Shared Decision Making, Cheryl Grayson Reynolds

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

This study was based on the rationale that no school district should design or implement a restructuring or reform initiative such as shared decision making (SDM) without a careful examination of the existing level of all the interrelated dimensions of restructuring and reform in each school. A school's capacity is critical for successful reform; therefore, if policy makers are to design successful policies, they must pay attention to the multiple dimensions of capacity in a school's climate.

This study's first purpose was to develop a survey instrument based on the precepts of shared decision making as a restructuring mechanism for …

Graduate Study In The Communication Discipline: An Extension Of 1994 Directory Data, Michael W. Shelton

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article provides information on the evaluation of communication education programs at the graduate level in the U.S. American society has become virtually obsessed with evaluation and analysis of its educational institutions and programs. Federal investigations have spotlighted a near crisis state in elementary and secondary education. Scholars and investigators within the communication discipline have devoted much effort to the appraisal of instructional programs, particularly at the graduate level. Specific graduate courses, such as argumentation theory have been examined. Specific programs of study, including mass communication have garnered attention. More generally, masters-level programs in speech communication have been evaluated. The …

Using Cognitive Assessment Testing To Evaluate And Improve A University Program In Communication Studies, Michael R. Neer, Joan E. Aitken

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article attempts to demonstrate how cognitive assessment may be used to empower both faculty and students by offering pedagogical and administrative strategies that enhance student learning in the U.S. The faculty limited its cognitive test, the Pre-Communication Assessment Measure to the four competencies--critical thinking, interpersonal, decision-making and theoretical competencies--common to two of five required courses. The components of the cognitive test are: critical thinking competence, interpersonal competence, decision-making competence and theoretical competence.

Teaching Awards: The Problem Of Assessing Their Impact, Nancy Van Note Chism, Borbala L. Szabo

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Although teaching awards are a popular approach to the reward and improvement of teaching, their impact has not been studied extensively. The studies that have been done find that they are motivational and affirming, but extensive, clear effects on teaching improvement have not been documented. Part of the difficulty in studying effects of awards involves goal complexity and vagueness. Suggested ways of studying effects begin with goals and employ a variety of approaches, ranging from interviews and surveys to document analysis.

Teaching Improvement Consultation For Teaching On Television, Joyce Povlacs Lunde, Myra S. Wilhite

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Instructional consultants have traditionally offered individual consultation to faculty members on their campuses to improve teaching and learning. This kind of consultation to improve teaching is also valuable for those teaching on television, but consultants may need to prepare themselves in learning technologies and distance education in order to help faculty offering instruction via television. In addition, the phases of initial interview, data-gathering, data feedback, implementation, and evaluation, which constitute a process often used to improve teaching, need to be expanded to address teaching over television.

Curricular Fidelity, Diversity With Connection: The Duquesne Experiment, Janie M. Harden Fritz

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents information on a conceptual scheme detailing the functions of a communication curriculum applied at the University of Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From an organizational systems perspective the excellence of any academic department is shaped by its relationship to its field, its position and role with regard to the mission of the university setting that forms its particular context, and how it relates to the outside world-the community and larger society that it serves. The nature of the undergraduate curriculum is important not only for disciplinary maintenance but also because it concerns a primary enabling public of the …

Perceptions Of Quality In Journalism And Communications Education: A Delphi Study, Marian A. Smith

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article provides information on a study on the perceptions of quality in journalism and communications education. In many academic disciplines, including communications, accreditation has been the ruling paradigm of quality assurance for many years. Accreditation standards often have been used to measure many characteristics of institutions, but such standards may not be capable of identifying and measuring the true quality of institutional excellence. The study gathered information from a selected group of participants about those characteristics students, faculty and practitioners consider to be necessary components of high quality programs. The study also examined whether the accreditation standards used for …

A "Glimpse" Of The Status Of The Discipline: Internal Identity Of Speech Communication At A Small College, Barbara J. Adler

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article discusses the results of a survey administered to faculty and administration at a small U.S. liberal arts college associated with the Lutheran Church, to assess the attitudes toward the speech communication discipline at the college. Speech communication discipline was assessed according to its level of respect, its overall status and its identity as a reputable academic field. Speech communication received its highest ranking for the descriptor applications based, matching the perception that the field is dominated by utility courses that teach students how to give a speech.

The Historical Account Of Undergraduate Theatre Curricula's Rise In The Academy, Anne Berkeley

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article discusses the history of post-secondary theatre education in U.S. colleges and universities. The sheer volume and speed of growth of theatre curricula in undergraduate education contradicts the marginal attention it has received by historians of education and theatre. The first phase of collegiate theatre instruction, between 1900 and 1925, grew out of universities' official sanction of extracurricular clubs and productions after the Civil War. As historians of higher education explain it, higher education in the latter half of the nineteenth century initiated a process of democratization and professionalization that provoked radical change and dislocation in the academy. Theatrical …

In Their Own Words: Using Media Artifacts To Teach Media Literacy, Micheal J. Gotcher, Margaret Duffy

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article discusses methods and associated readings for teaching media literacy. The prescribed methods allow the media and their decision-makers to implicate themselves using examples of their own products and their own words. Media kits, video news releases and advertisements are used to illuminate and criticize media structures, products and economic imperatives. Media literacy may be defined as the learned ability to understand the rules, conventions and persuasive elements of mass mediated products. Media literacy involves inviting individuals to see media products as part of the process of building realities and of constructing cultures.

Providing Focus On Participatory Democracy In Academic Departments Of Communication, Timothy G. Hegstrom, Shawn Spano

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article aims to illustrate how academic departments of communication can help contribute to a revitalized public sphere. Some of the projects to enhance participative democracy in order to show one direction in which the public sphere seems to be changing have been highlighted. Academic departments of speech communication can do much to accommodate this change by focusing more on the relationship between communication and democracy. This intention can be formally stated in university planning documents, course titles and outlines, general education guidelines, the establishment of research and consulting consortia, and in partnerships with external institutions. Benefits to the department …

Using The Internship As A Tool For Assessment: A Case Study, Beverly Graham, Pamela G. Bourland-Davis, Hal W. Fulmer

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents a case study involving public relations internship letters that were used to generate a checklist for the assessment process. The case study suggests three key points about the usefulness of internships in assessment. First, the internship can be translated into empirical results, greatly assisting those individuals who directly shape the public relations program. This empiricism should also be advantageous when confronting non-program administrators (deans, vice-presidents) with the need for additional human and physical resources. Second, this case study highlights the significant confluence that occurs between the program administrator (the faculty typically), the students of the program, and …

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Faculty Senate Meeting, December 12, 1996, Marshall University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Ua11/1 On Campus, Vol. 6, No. 10, Wku University Relations

WKU Administration Documents

On Campus newsletter featuring articles about faculty, staff and events at Western Kentucky University. Regular features are:

• College News
• Sponsored Programs
• Hot off the Press
• Personnel File
• Coming Up - Calendar of Events

This issue includes articles:

• Goldie Blumenstyk. Philosophy Goes High Tech - Cassandra Pinnick
• Hughey, Aaron. Kentucky's Future Tied to Universities, Colleges
• Payne, Nikcole. Dr. Charles Smith, Music Teacher of the Year
• Payne, Nikcole. Why Clinton Defeated Dole in '96 - Larry Winn
• Adult Day Care: A Winner Again
• Forensic Team Sweeps Tournament

Newsletter Vol. Xx, No. 2, Wku University Senate

Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate newsletter. This issue includes articles:

• White, Bart. Senate Newsletter
• White, Bart. There's Always a Better Answer
• Lohr, Glenn. A Bridge to Higher Enrollments
• Keeling, David. Western's Service Area and Student Accessibility

Pod Network News, December 1996

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: POD Network News

POD Conference Communiqués: Many Thanks to Conference Volunteers, Future Conference Sites, 1997 Conference, Call for Proposals

Core Committee News: Core Committee Report, Core Committee Elections, Information Request, POD Joins ICED

Your Thoughts on POD

Bright Ideas

Regional Association Overview

An Invitation to POD Retirees for Membership Emeritus/Emerita

WWW Workings: Pages on Practice, New Home Page

Conferences

New Journal

New Books

Member News

FIPSE Participation Opportunity

Call for Manuscripts

POD Electronic Mailing List

POD Network News Submissions

Defining the Field Survey

For You to Do