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Individual Cognition And Dual-Task Interference In Group Support Systems, William G. Heninger, Alan R. Dennis, Kelly Mcnamara Hilmer Jan 2006

Individual Cognition And Dual-Task Interference In Group Support Systems, William G. Heninger, Alan R. Dennis, Kelly Mcnamara Hilmer

Faculty Publications

Previous research shows that synchronous text discussion through group support systems (GSS) can improve the exchange of information within teams, but this improved information exchange usually does not improve decisions because participants fail to process the new information they receive. This study examined one potential cause for this failure: Dual-task interference caused by the need to concurrently process new information from others while also contributing one's own information to the discussion. Although prior research argues that dual-task interference should be minimal, we found that it significantly reduced participants' information processing and led to lower decision quality. The effect sizes were …

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Predicted Redidual Strength Of Damaged Isotrussâ® Structures, Travis S. Carroll Dec 2005

Predicted Redidual Strength Of Damaged Isotrussâ® Structures, Travis S. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis utilized a linear analytical approach to explore the damage tolerance or residual strength as a function of increasing damage in traditional single and hybrid-grid IsoTruss® structures. Residual strength was studied for structures subjected to axial compression, torsion and flexural bending, independently. Carbon/epoxy material properties were applied in all load cases, and fiberglass/epoxy material properties were also applied in the flexural bending case. Prior to imposing damage conditions, the IsoTruss® structures were parametrically optimized to achieve the highest strength-to-weight ratios. Typical compression strut, driveshaft, and utility pole specifications governed the design strength dimensions and boundary conditions. Damage growth was …

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Learning Successful Strategies In Repeated General-Sum Games, Jacob W. Crandall Dec 2005

Learning Successful Strategies In Repeated General-Sum Games, Jacob W. Crandall

Theses and Dissertations

Many environments in which an agent can use reinforcement learning techniques to learn profitable strategies are affected by other learning agents. These situations can be modeled as general-sum games. When playing repeated general-sum games with other learning agents, the goal of a self-interested learning agent is to maximize its own payoffs over time. Traditional reinforcement learning algorithms learn myopic strategies in these games. As a result, they learn strategies that produce undesirable results in many games. In this dissertation, we develop and analyze algorithms that learn non-myopic strategies when playing many important infinitely repeated general-sum games. We show that, in …

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Marc Vs Xml, Peter A. Zuber Dec 2005

Marc Vs Xml, Peter A. Zuber

Faculty Publications

Some of the issues in discussion between MARC and XML deal with the desire to expand the content of the bibliographic record. An often-cited example is the library that wishes to enrich the current electronic record with a table of contents. Although a table of contents inclusion is actually possible with the MARC record, it is certainly not an ideal platform for such content. The MARC record is described as being a "flat" record, meaning it does not have a hierarchal nature. As such, it is a poor candidate for hierarchal structures such as a table of contents. A discussion …

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Customer Acquisition Training For Acn Independent Representatives, Kaly Gillette Shippen Dec 2005

Customer Acquisition Training For Acn Independent Representatives, Kaly Gillette Shippen

Theses and Dissertations

The following report discusses the design, development, and evaluation of an online training on customer acquisition of telephone customers for a telecommunications company called ACN. The report includes a description of the following elements of the project: (a) the need and purpose for the instruction, (b) the target audience of the instruction, (c) the methodology and rationale for the design of the instruction based on relevant literature, (d) an existing materials search, (e) the instructional materials, (f) the evaluation, (g) the critique, (h) the schedule, and (i) the final budget report. The instruction was found to effectively teach learners the …

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Delayed Versus Immediate Feedback In An Independent Study High School Setting, Duane C. Lemley Dec 2005

Delayed Versus Immediate Feedback In An Independent Study High School Setting, Duane C. Lemley

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is general agreement that feedback plays an important role in student performance, the majority of the studies found in the research literature explore the impact of different types of feedback in a traditional and university-level setting. In order to explore the impact of different feedback types in a non-traditional distance learning setting, 352 high school students enrolled in courses offered through BYU's Independent Study (IS) department received either delayed feedback or immediate feedback generated by Speedback™, BYU's automated grading and feedback program, depending on whether they had opted to submit end of unit assignments by mail or …

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Toiling Among The Seed Of Israel: A Comparison Of Puritan And Mormon Missions To The Indians, Christina A. Skousen Dec 2005

Toiling Among The Seed Of Israel: A Comparison Of Puritan And Mormon Missions To The Indians, Christina A. Skousen

Theses and Dissertations

Substantial comparative analyses of Puritanism and Mormonism are lacking in historical scholarship, despite noted similarities between the two religions. This study helps to fill that void by comparing the Puritan and Mormon proselytization efforts among the Indians that occurred at the respective sites of Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Southern Indian Mission. In my examination of the missionization attempts that took place at these two locations, I analyze a common motive and method of the two denominations for attempting to Christianize the Indians. The Puritan and Mormon missionaries proselytizing in Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Southern Indian Mission shared an …

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The Making Of The Ahupuaa Of Laie Into A Gathering Place And Plantation: The Creation Of An Alternative Space To Capitalism, Cynthia Woolley Compton Dec 2005

The Making Of The Ahupuaa Of Laie Into A Gathering Place And Plantation: The Creation Of An Alternative Space To Capitalism, Cynthia Woolley Compton

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a labor history of the Laie sugar plantation between 1865 and 1931. It explores intercultural and race relations that were inherent to colonial and plantation processes in Hawaii. Particular attention is given to the role of religion in advancing the colonial project. In 1865 Mormon missionaries bought approximately 6,000 acres with the hope of creating a gathering place for Hawaiian converts to settle in. The ideal of the gathering was a metaphor the missionaries brought with them from Utah, and it was a metaphor appropriated by Hawaiians and infused with their own cultural meanings, particularly the importance …

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Electromagnetism In Gravitational Collapse, Craig Ernest Skinfill Dec 2005

Electromagnetism In Gravitational Collapse, Craig Ernest Skinfill

Theses and Dissertations

A numerical approach to including electromagnetism with general relativity is developed using GRAXI as a starting point. We develop a mathematical model describing electromagnetism coupled to a scalar field in an evolving axisymmetric spacetime. As there are numerous formulations of electromagnetism, we evalute different formulations in a limited flat space case. The full curved space system is then developed, using the flat case as a guide to implementing electromagnetism. This model is then implemented using GRAXI as a code base.

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Toward A Domain Theory Of Fluent Oral Reading With Expression, Reo H. Mcbride Dec 2005

Toward A Domain Theory Of Fluent Oral Reading With Expression, Reo H. Mcbride

Theses and Dissertations

Today's educators are in need of tests or rating systems that provide specific and valid feedback to parents, students and programs. This need includes the area of expressive fluent oral reading. One way to address this need is to provide a rating system based on theoretical models that explore how fluency develops. This study explores the dimensions, constructs, or aspects that make up fluency. It also explores whether there is a sequence or order in how fluent oral reading with expression develops and the theoretical reasons for that ordering. This study further addresses whether word recognition or accuracy confounds the …

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Front Matter/ Webwise, Marriage &. Families Dec 2005

Front Matter/ Webwise, Marriage &. Families

Marriage and Families

No abstract provided.

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Full Issue, Marriage &. Families Dec 2005

Full Issue, Marriage &. Families

Marriage and Families

No abstract provided.

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Trust Broker: A Defense Against Identity Theft From Online Transactions, Michael George Edvalson Dec 2005

Trust Broker: A Defense Against Identity Theft From Online Transactions, Michael George Edvalson

Theses and Dissertations

The proliferation of online services over the years has encouraged more and more people to participate in Internet activities. Many web sites request personal and sensitive information needed to deliver the desired service. Unfortunately, it is difficult to distinguish the sites that can be trusted to protect such information from those that cannot. Many attempts to make the Internet easier to use introduce new security and privacy problems. On the other hand, most attempts at creating a safe online environment produce systems that are cryptic and hard to use. The TrustBroker system is based on a specialized online repository that …

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How Coming To Terms With Difficulties In The Family Of Origin Positively Influences Adult Children's Relationship/Marital Quality, Vjollca Kadi Martinson Dec 2005

How Coming To Terms With Difficulties In The Family Of Origin Positively Influences Adult Children's Relationship/Marital Quality, Vjollca Kadi Martinson

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research have shown that family-of-origin experiences are generally important predictors of individuals' later relationship/marital quality. On average, the healthier these experiences are, the healthier adult children's relationships and marriages tend to be. The focus of this study was to investigate how coming to terms with difficulties experienced in the family of origin may enhance adult children's ability to create high quality relationships and marriages. The study employed a sample of 6423 U.S. couples, 18-45 years old, who were dating, cohabitating, engaged or married. This study showed that individuals in couple relationships who reported healthier family-of-origin experiences and those …

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Industrial Technology Education Teachers Perceptions Of National Standards For Technological Literacy In The State Of Arizona, Allan R. Mcrae Dec 2005

Industrial Technology Education Teachers Perceptions Of National Standards For Technological Literacy In The State Of Arizona, Allan R. Mcrae

Theses and Dissertations

Today, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a growing interest, concern, and need for technological literacy. To this end, the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) through the Technology for All Americans Project, has developed and promulgated the Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology. This effort is part of the ongoing initiative to develop technology standards on a national level, and to focus on what every student in grades K-12 should know and be able to do in order to achieve technological literacy (ITEA, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived …

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A Metaevaluation Of An Evaluation Of A Second Language Course, Edmilson Bezerra Torres Dec 2005

A Metaevaluation Of An Evaluation Of A Second Language Course, Edmilson Bezerra Torres

Theses and Dissertations

This project is a metaevaluation or critique of an evaluation of an intermediate course in a second language curriculum. In this report, the intermediate course evaluation is described to provide a basis for understanding the metaevaluation. Then the metaevaluation is presented. The evaluation was the first stage of a department-approved and college-supported curriculum redesign project to improve the quality of a second language curriculum in terms of instructional materials, methodological approaches, and pedagogical practices to promote optimal second language learning gains. Through the evaluation, strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum were identified so that these issues could be addressed during …

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Autologous Stem Cell Transplant: Factors Predicting The Yield Of Cd34+ Cells, Elizabeth Anne Lawson Dec 2005

Autologous Stem Cell Transplant: Factors Predicting The Yield Of Cd34+ Cells, Elizabeth Anne Lawson

Theses and Dissertations

Stem cell transplant is often considered the last hope for the survival for many cancer patients. The CD34+ cell content of a collection of stem cells has appeared as the most reliable indicator of the quantity of desired cells in a peripheral blood stem cell harvest and is used as a surrogate measure of the sample quality. Factors predicting the yield of CD34+ cells in a collection are not yet fully understood. Throughout the literature, there has been conflicting evidence with regards to age, gender, disease status, and prior radiation. In addition to the factors that have already been explored, …

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A Detailed Approach For Concept Generation And Evaluation In A Technology Push Product Development Environment, Andrew Nelson Dec 2005

A Detailed Approach For Concept Generation And Evaluation In A Technology Push Product Development Environment, Andrew Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Many companies rely on successful product development as a means to increase their revenues and expand their operations. Market pull, the most common form of product development, begins with a specific customer, and focuses on how to satisfy that customer's needs. Technology push is a product development process where a technology is first discovered, then embodied in products that may be marketed to specific customers. Technology push presents several obstacles not encountered in market pull processes, such as a lack of a defined market, lack of established processes and difficulty in execution. These complications keep technology push from being more …

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Statnamic Lateral Load Testing And Analysis Of A Drilled Shaft In Liquefied Sand, Seth I. Bowles Dec 2005

Statnamic Lateral Load Testing And Analysis Of A Drilled Shaft In Liquefied Sand, Seth I. Bowles

Theses and Dissertations

Three progressively larger statnamic lateral load tests were performed on a 2.59 m diameter drilled shaft foundation after the surrounding soil was liquefied using down-hole explosive charges. An attempt to develop p-y curves from strain data along the pile was made. Due to low quality and lack of strain data, p-y curves along the test shaft could not be reliably determined. Therefore, the statnamic load tests were analyzed using a ten degree-of-freedom model of the pile-soil system to determine the equivalent static load-deflection curve for each test. The equivalent static load-deflection curves had shapes very similar to that obtained from …

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School Psychologists' Perceived Concerns Regarding Crisis Intervention With Diverse Populations, Ana E. Kemple Dec 2005

School Psychologists' Perceived Concerns Regarding Crisis Intervention With Diverse Populations, Ana E. Kemple

Theses and Dissertations

With the ever-increasing diversity among students in the United States, American schools are seeing more of a mismatch between school personnel and students. Service provision has traditionally addressed multicultural competencies in the area of assessment and more recently in counseling procedures. With the increased attention given to school-related crises, the role of school psychologists has expanded to include crisis intervention. The current study will present information on the need for multicultural competencies in crisis intervention and assess the current concerns of nationally certified school psychologists in this area of service provision. Responses from a random sample of school psychologists (n= …

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School Counselors' Concerns Regarding Effective Crisis Intervention For Students Of Diverse Backgrounds, Michelle Lynn Canada Dec 2005

School Counselors' Concerns Regarding Effective Crisis Intervention For Students Of Diverse Backgrounds, Michelle Lynn Canada

Theses and Dissertations

Although school counselors routinely provide crisis intervention, minimal research has focused specifically on providing such services in a manner sensitive to multicultural and ethnically diverse students. Responses of a random national sample of school counselors (n = 276, 69% return rate) indicate that approximately half voice some sort of concern related to providing crisis intervention services to students from diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to summarize school counselor's concerns, providing an initial understanding for this aspect of school-based crisis intervention. Additionally, school counselors' comments were further analyzed to examine possible relationships between the type of concern and …

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Curriculum Development Of Elang 105: A Ge First-Year Academic Literacy Course For International Students, Tamara Lee Burton Lamm Dec 2005

Curriculum Development Of Elang 105: A Ge First-Year Academic Literacy Course For International Students, Tamara Lee Burton Lamm

Theses and Dissertations

Each year more international students enroll in American universities, and administrators nationwide must determine how to meet students' unique writing needs. Compared to similar institutions of higher learning, Brigham Young University (BYU) has a large percentage of international students—4.3 percent of the student body, approximately 2,000 students each year from 112 countries. Prior to Fall 2004, international students were placed in courses offered through the English composition program, which focuses on "mainstream" college writers who compose in their first language (L1) and not on second language writers and their unique needs. As a result, many international students did poorly and …

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Cornelius P. Lott And His Contribution To The Temporal Salvation Of The Latter-Day Saint Pioneers Through The Care Of Livestock, Gary S. Ford Dec 2005

Cornelius P. Lott And His Contribution To The Temporal Salvation Of The Latter-Day Saint Pioneers Through The Care Of Livestock, Gary S. Ford

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis combines two studies: the role of livestock in the temporal salvation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Mormon exodus of 1846 and Cornelius P. Lott's contribution in the care of cattle and sheep during that time period. At Winter Quarters, the Church and its members depended in large measure for their survival upon the sizeable cattle herds they had acquired prior to their exodus from Nauvoo and during their trek across Iowa. Church leaders relied on men like Lott, whose expertise in the care of livestock, contributed significantly to the salvation of the …

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Transparency In The Government Communication Process: The Perspective Of Government Communicators, Jenille Fairbanks Dec 2005

Transparency In The Government Communication Process: The Perspective Of Government Communicators, Jenille Fairbanks

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents an understanding of the role of transparency in the communication processes of agencies of the United States Federal Government, as guided by principles of stakeholder management, models of public relations, and a model for government agency communication. These theories and models all suggest that increased openness in organizations will result in improved organizational functioning and in some instances, increases in organizational trust. The perspectives presented in this paper were collected through eighteen semi-structured in-depth interviews of professional communicators for various agencies in the United States Federal Government. The data shows that government communicators recognize the need for …

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Advanced Structured Query Language Instruction For Engineers Of The Office Of Information Technology At Brigham Young University, Vincent Brian Rackliffe Dec 2005

Advanced Structured Query Language Instruction For Engineers Of The Office Of Information Technology At Brigham Young University, Vincent Brian Rackliffe

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the purpose, design, development and analysis of SQLTips, an online instructional delivery framework and set of instructional modules relating to advanced features and performance tuning of Oracle's Structured Query Language (SQL). SQLTips was developed using Wiki, server-side software that allows users to edit web pages with almost any browser. The report includes a literature review of existing SQL instructional materials and a review of instructional theory. The report also includes a description of the formative evaluation process and results. These results show that SQLTips is easy and enjoyable to use. Based on a scale of 1 to …

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Preliminary Design Approach For Prosthetic Ankle Joints Using Compliant Mechanisms, Jason Matthew Wiersdorf Dec 2005

Preliminary Design Approach For Prosthetic Ankle Joints Using Compliant Mechanisms, Jason Matthew Wiersdorf

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to develop design approaches and models for prosthetic ankle joints using kinematic models of the human ankle and compliant mechanisms technology. Compliant mechanisms offer several potential design advantages over traditional rigid-body designs including high reliability and low cost. These design advantages are ideal for use in prosthetics. Some prosthetic ankle/foot systems currently on the market have multiple degrees of freedom yet are expensive. Additionally, even though these systems have multiple degrees of freedom, none of them are designed after the actual movements of the biological ankle. In this thesis a two, single degree-of-freedom hinge …

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An Investigation Of Employee Satisfaction And Employee Empowerment Specific To On-Site Supervisors In The Residential Construction Industry, David Lars Halvorsen Dec 2005

An Investigation Of Employee Satisfaction And Employee Empowerment Specific To On-Site Supervisors In The Residential Construction Industry, David Lars Halvorsen

Theses and Dissertations

Employee satisfaction and empowerment are vital elements to businesses in most industries. The construction industry has various types of employees, ranging from managers and executives to on-site supervisors and laborers. This study was conducted to obtain a greater understanding about the elements and levels of satisfaction and empowerment of on-site supervisors in the residential construction industry. An on-site supervisor in the residential construction industry is responsible for coordinating and managing employees, materials, equipment, budgets, schedules, contracts, and the safety of employees and the general public. They are also the employees most frequently perceived as accountable for the success or failure …

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Modeling Microwave Emissions Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, David G. Long, Haroon Stephen Dec 2005

Modeling Microwave Emissions Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, David G. Long, Haroon Stephen

Faculty Publications

Sand seas (ergs) of the Sahara are the most dynamic parts of the desert. Aeolian erosion, transportation, and deposition continue to reshape the surface of the ergs. The large-scale features (dunes) of these bedforms reflect the characteristics of the sand and the long-term wind. Radiometric emissions from the ergs have strong dependence on the surface geometry. We model the erg surface as composed of tilted rough facets. Each facet is characterized by a tilt distribution dependent upon the surface roughness of the facet. The radiometric temperature (Tb) of ergs is then the weighted sum of the Tb from all the …

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Question Of Bias: A Content Analysis Of The Visual Coverage Of The 2004 Presidential Campaign, Angie Bergstrom Nov 2005

Question Of Bias: A Content Analysis Of The Visual Coverage Of The 2004 Presidential Campaign, Angie Bergstrom

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the question of preferential treatment by U.S. national newsmagazines of presidential candidates in the 2004 election as evidenced by their visual coverage. Using content analysis, all the visual depictions of candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry were analyzed for 10 visual attributes to determine whether one had received better pictorial treatment. This study asked if the newsmagazines had printed greater amounts of visuals overall for one candidate and if one candidate's visuals were more or less positive than the other. The author concludes that more coverage was given to Bush over Kerry in a 60/40 …

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Testing Primitive Polynomials For Generalized Feedback Shift Register Random Number Generators, Guinan Lian Nov 2005

Testing Primitive Polynomials For Generalized Feedback Shift Register Random Number Generators, Guinan Lian

Theses and Dissertations

The class of generalized feedback shift register (GFSR) random number generators was a promising method for random number generation in the 1980's, but was abandoned because of some flaws such as poor performance on certain tests for randomness. The poor performance may be due to the choice of primitive polynomials used in the generators, rather than inherent flaws in the method. The original GFSR generators were all based on primitive trinomials. This project examines several alternative choices of primitive polynomials with more than one "interior" term to address this problem and hopefully provide access to good random number generators.

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