Digital Commons Network^™

01-26-2010 (The Liberty Champion Volume 27, Issue 12)

2009 -- 2010

No abstract provided.

Technologies That Assist In Closing The Achievement Gap: A Comparison African American And Caucasian Students’ Learning And Community In The Online Classroom, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Randall Dunn, Holder David

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Higher Education administrators and educators seek to understand how to design and to facilitate online courses to ensure quality, culturally responsive online education for minority students, specifically African American students, and to close the academic achievement gap that exists today. This study examines online students’ using both synchronous and asynchronous technologies to determine whether students’ social presence, cognitive presence, teacher presence, and perceived learning differ based upon ethnicity. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted. Results yielded no significant difference in dependent variables based on ethnicity.

Sharepoint Collaboration: Streamlining The Dissertation Process For Online Students, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Randall Dunn, David Holder

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the era of Web 2.0, document editors and collaborative workspaces have emerged. Primary functions of online collaborative workspaces include the ability to create a documents and document libraries online for others to view and collaborate and share document resources; thus, simplifying and streamlining projects that require collaboration. SharePoint is one such collaborative workspace. SharePoint is a server that has allowed for the simplifying and streamlining of the dissertation process for online students. The use of the various features of SharePoint for collaboration on dissertations are discussed. Benefits of using SharePont are outlined.

Of Student Teachers And Avatars: Working Towards An Effective Model For Geographically Distributed Learning Communities Of Pre-Service Educators Using Virtual Worlds., Randall Dunn, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, David Holder, Deborah Hodgson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

With greater distribution of learning communities through the expanding use of online and distance learning, researchers emphasize focus on the effective use of specific technologies on student preference and achievement. One such technology drawing significant interest in scholarly and practical circles is the use of Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVE), with the more common environment being Second Life, a product of Linden Labs, This research project, having gone through a pilot stage and under current implementation, addresses preference and effectiveness through a mixed-method research endeavor, examining forming communities using Second Life’s environment for small group discussions and large group seminar presentations …

The Effectiveness Of Computer-Assisted Instruction In Developmental Mathematics, Kathy Dye Spradlin, Beth Ackerman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This quasiexperimental study compared academic performance of students enrolled in a developmental mathematics course using traditional instruction (i.e., lecture) and traditional instruction supplemented with computer-assisted instruction. In addition, gender differences in mathematical performance were also investigated. There was no statistically significant difference in the posttest scores of students receiving traditional instruction and traditional instruction supplemented with computer-assisted instruction. There was a significant difference in the posttest scores of females and males, with females outperforming males in both modes of instruction.

Using A Wiki For Collaboration And Learning In Helping Profession Education: A Pilot Study, Amanda Rockinson-Szapkiw, Richard J. Silvey

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Richard Jackson And Neil Howe: The Graying Of The Great Powers: Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Why will religious conflict become an even more serious global problem? Why are the 2020s likely to emerge as the decade of maximum geopolitical danger for the developed world? Why is a “youth echo boom” likely to be a problem during that period? What light is shed on the situation by the “power transition” theories of global conflict? What chronic shortages are likely to be faced by aging develop countries? What will render many developed countries “permanent free riders on their allies?”

David Gress: From Plato To Nato Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Besides being an essay on the concept of the West and the teaching of western civilization, this is a critique of what M. Stanton Evans called “the liberal history lesson” and what David Gress calls “the Grand Narrative.” The ironic title of the book (see page 1) may refer to a 1984 BBC radio series, later published as From Plato to NATO: Studies on Political Thought (1995), by the late British journalist and BBC announcer Brian Redhead. In preparing this study, Dr. Gress acknowledges the influence of Ernest Gellner’s The Conditions of Liberty, Paul Rahe’s Republics Ancient and Modern, and …

What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know About Sunday School (Portuguese), Elmer L. Towns

Towns Foreign Language Book Collection

No abstract provided.

The Daniel Fast For Spiritual Breakthrough (Portuguese), Elmer Towns

Towns Foreign Language Book Collection

No abstract provided.

Measurements Of Platinum Electrode Potential In Blood And Blood Plasma And Serum, Mogely Khubutiya, Anatoly K. Evseev, Vladimir Kolesnikov, Mikhail M. Goldin, Alexei Davydov, Alexander Volkov, Andrey Stepanov

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The method of electrochemical pretreatment of platinum electrode with the goal of standardizing the initial state of electrode surface and its open-circuit potential (OCP) in the blood and other biological media is proposed. The platinum electrode potential is measured in 0.14 M Na2SO4 aqueous solution, in the blood and blood plasma and serum. By the examples of OCP measured in the blood serum of patients with acute poisoning, acute cerebral pathology and patients treated by the method of hyperbaric oxygenation, it was found that the values of blood serum OCP were different for studied pathological states and healthy people.

Ohio Conservation Plan: Plains Gartersnake, Thamnophis Radix, Norman Reichenbach, M. Barrie, K. Becka, G. Burghardt, S. Butterworth, C. Caldwell, F. Dierkes, P. Johantgen, K. Stanford, D. Wynn

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This plan outlines strategies and methods used in an ongoing study initiated in 1999 to restore a selfsustaining population of the Plains gartersnake (Thamnophis radix) in Ohio. Restoring a self-sustaining population would require increases in the current population to where the ratios of T. radix to T. sirtalis are approximately 1:1 in multiple locations in Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (KPWA). This ratio would be similar to what was seen earlier by Reichenbach and Dalrymple (1986) at one site in KPWA.

The plan was developed by a team of enthusiastic conservationists representing, the Division of Wildlife (ODW), the Columbus and Cleveland …

Digital Archival Collections Hosted On Flickr: Institutional Experience Outside Of The Commons, Erin Lemelin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study describes an online survey of institutions which host digital archival collections on Flickr outside of the Flickr Commons. The survey was conducted to determine the experience of these institutions with Flickr in terms of usage statistics, user interaction, and assessment. The results from the survey were also used to determine factors which contribute to the success of a Flickr collection.

The majority of the eighty-nine institutions which responded to the survey reported satisfaction with Flickr and stated that they had achieved their goals. However, many respondents reported low usage or did not know the usage, which indicates weak …

A Study On The Motives Of High School And Undergraduate College Students For Using The Social Network Site Facebook, Michael Hart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An online survey conducted at a mid-Atlantic university and two high schools located in close geographical proximity sought to determine the motives for using the social network site Facebook.com. A redesigned instrument based upon the Interpersonal Communication Motives (ICM) scale used in past uses and gratifications research measured motivations for Facebook use. Motives of undergraduate college students and high school students for using Facebook attempted to predict attitudinal and behavioral outcomes of Facebook use. The study compared the descriptors of the behavioral and attitudinal outcomes of high school students to the descriptors of the behavioral and attitudinal outcomes of undergraduate …

John R. Bolton: How Barack Obama Is Endangering Our National Sovereignty: A Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Brian P. Janiskee And Ken Masugi: Democracy In California Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Ilrc Connections, Volume 1, Issue 3, Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Athletic Participation On Academic Achievement For High School Seniors In Eastern Tennessee, David Andrew Gorman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative study with a narrative component investigated the effect athletic participation on the academic achievement of senior student-athletes and non-athletes who attended three public high schools in Eastern Tennessee. The impetus for the study was the conflicting research as it relates to the impact athletics participation had on academic success at the college and high school levels. Through student athlete and non-athlete comparisons of ACT scores and GPAs, the researcher found athletic participation did not affect academic achievement for high school seniors who graduated in 2009 from the three target high schools when compared to non-athletes. However, statistically significant …

A Presuppositional Critique Of Constructivism, Paul R. Rickert

Christian Perspectives in Education

Educational theories have roots. They have roots in broader philosophies, conceptions of the nature of reality, and the theories utilized in classrooms to teach have implications for broader society. The author takes a presuppostitional view and shows that all systems have most basic beliefs that are un-provable. So at the heart of any form of interpretive schema or paradigm is faith in that schema. The author discusses the role of theories of truth, how fact-constructivism embraces a relativist position that is self-refuting, and ultimately is untenable absent a suspension of laws of logic. The author argues in favor of revelation …

Classroom Management Training: Keeping New Teachers, Michael R. Coggins

Christian Perspectives in Education

Many new teachers begin their first day of school with a sense of idealism. They expect to make a difference in the lives of young students. However, many soon learn the challenges of classroom, behavior management and feel great stress. Can more classroom management training in college and pre-service, student-teaching strategies help these novice educators? This article asks education professionals and researchers to evaluate their teacher training programs and increase classroom management training.

The Relationship Between Selected Predictor Variables And Successful Completion Of Online Courses At A Selected Theological Institution, Murray J. Williams

Christian Perspectives in Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected variables (age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, financial assistance, student status, number of previous online courses, current online course load) and grade achievement of nontraditional, online students at a selected theological institution. The participants consisted of 899 students who enrolled in 37 online courses offered by the institution during Spring 2007. Logistic regression and descriptive analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings from the study showed that three of the independent variables (age, ethnicity, and number of previous online courses) were predictors of grade of achievement. These …

Effective Blended Family Ministry In The Twenty-First Century Church, Ronald Lee Beck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Blended or Step family is the number one family unit in the United States today. As a result, it is imperative that the New Testament Church learn to more effectively minister to the needs of this growing family group. Although the blended family has many issues, six of the more prevalent issues are discussed in this thesis with solutions given to help any family in the blending process to have a better chance of success.

12-08-2009 (The Liberty Champion Volume 27, Issue 11)

2009 -- 2010

No abstract provided.

A Brave New World: Graduate Student Creates Fictional Realm In Fantasy Novel, Liberty University

December 2009

No abstract provided.

Academic Briefs: News And Notes On Programs, Faculty And Students, Liberty University

December 2009

No abstract provided.

Then And Now: Alumni Weekend Brings Generations Of Liberty Graduates Together, Liberty University

December 2009

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Technology On Adolescent Development And Spiritual Formation, Kevin Daniel Monahan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescence is the time when a person develops perceptions about religious thoughts and with proper guidance, can be a stronger follower of Christ. The purpose of this project is to analyze the effects of technology on young people and to show a direct correlation between the influence of technology and spiritual growth of adolescents. I will argue that both the positive and negative influences of technology have made our students more informative yet less personally intimate. This shift of personal interaction presents a challenge to the cognitive development and spiritual formation of all students.

Rural Schooling In Georgia: The Experiences Of A Minority Community Service Organization Involved In Local School Decision-Making Activities, Cynthia Louise Altman Lowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation study was a descriptive case study of a minority community service organization whose members were actively involved in local school decisionmaking and activities in a rural Northeast Georgia community. Rural schools face unique challenges in light of current educational trends. To address the challenges, rural schools must learn to encourage, develop, and sustain effective collaborations with increasingly diverse social groups in order to capitalize on all available social, economic, and intellectual resources. The purpose of this study was to collect and examine the stories and experiences of members of a rural, minority community service organization who actively sought …

The Second Language Acquisition Of English Prepositions, Patricia J. Boquist

Senior Honors Theses

The acquisition of English prepositions is especially difficult for students learning English as a second language. This paper briefly discusses how prepositions are used in English and a few of the reasons prepositions cause problems for English language learners. It also analyzes the underlying system that governs prepositions and how this system might be represented to English language learners. Finally, it analyzes the current pedagogy and suggests a possible alternative to the status quo.

Joss Whedon: Finding Religious Themes In A Science Fiction Universe, Amanda M. Baker

Senior Honors Theses

Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other science fiction television shows, is a devout atheist but still manages to weave religious themes throughout his work, including redemption, free will, and Christ figures. This paper will examine the different themes from Whedon’s shows and encourage the reader to look beyond the entertainment aspect and into the deeper moral meaning of the situations he creates.