Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Particle Swarm Intelligence Techniques For Solving University Examination Timetabling Problems, Daniel R. Fealko

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the suitability and effectiveness of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique when applied to the University Examination Timetabling problem. We accomplished this by analyzing experimentally the performance profile-the quality of the solution as a function of the execution time-of the standard form of the PSO algorithm when brought to bear against the University Examination Timetabling problem. This study systematically investigated the impact of problem and algorithm factors in solving this particular timetabling problem and determined the algorithm's performance profile under the specified test environment. Keys factors studied included problem size (i.e., number …

Establishing An Online Community Of Practice For Instructors Of English As A Foreign Language, Christopher M. Johnson

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Communities of practice are entities that emerge for the purposes of learning and advancement of knowledge in a particular area. They emerge under all circumstances, even adverse situations. Because they can spawn great innovation and knowledge advancement, organizations need to cultivate and establish environments that allow them to develop. Currently, communities of practice have moved into the online world, in which their members use computer mediated communication to collaborate with each other.

In January, 2002, a virtual community was formed to enable teachers of English as a Foreign Language to collaborate on learning and applying various computing technologies in language …

A Self-Adaptive Evolutionary Negative Selection Approach For Anomaly Detection, Luis J. Gonzalez

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Forrest et al. (1994; 1997) proposed a negative selection algorithm, also termed the exhaustive detector generating algorithm, for various anomaly detection problems. The negative selection algorithm was inspired by the thymic negative selection process that is intrinsic to natural immune systems, consisting of screening and deleting self-reactive T-cells, i.e., those T-cells that recognize self-cells.

The negative selection algorithm takes considerable time (exponential to the size of the self-data) and produces redundant detectors. This time/size limitation motivated the development of different approaches to generate the set of candidate detectors.

A reasonable way to find suitable parameter settings is to let an …

A Study Of The Relationships Between End-User Information Systems Problems And Helpdesk Critical Success Factors In Higher Education, Richard Dale Parrott

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

In the last fifteen years, information technology (IT) customer support has increased in importance within higher education. The pervasiveness of computers and technology on the campus has allowed students, staff, and faculty to perform a multitude of tasks by controlling their own environments and setting their own priorities. Qualified professional system and user support services have lagged demand. The problem investigated in this study was end-users' satisfaction levels of the higher education helpdesk and how end-users' satisfaction levels affected a helpdesk manager's critical success factors performance and goals. In this study, the first goal was to identify the critical success …

Software Terminology: How To Describe A Software Invention In A United States Patent Application, Christopher E. Everett

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

Licensing And Discipline Of Fiscal Professional In The State Of Florida: Attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, And Real Estate Professionals, Debra Moss Curtis

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

Computer-Supported Rehabilitation Management A Case Study Of Using Virtual Reality Technology In Ambulatory Training For Post-Acute Stroke Patients, Felix O. Akinladejo

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the use of virtual reality (VR) technology in ambulatory training for post-acute stroke patients, and sought to determine whether skills gained in virtual environments transfer to real-world conditions. Patients with stroke typically suffer dysfunctions that impair the complex set of motions involved in walking. The limited amount of therapy and resources offered by the current health care system does not provide the frequency and intensity of training needed for functional recovery of the walking skills in patients following stroke assaults. This study, therefore, developed and investigated an alternative intervention technique capable of providing the frequency and intensity …

The Effects Of Computerized Smell Of Memory, Brandon Spencer

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

It has long been recognized that there is a major correlation between smell and memory. Until recently, commercialized multi-sensory experiences involving olfaction were limited to non-computerized mediums. Companies that manufacture computerized scent technologies tout the educational benefits of their product, yet prior to this study, there appeared to be no scholarly research in regard to the efficacy of computerized scent producing peripherals in educational environments. The aim of this research was to determine the odor memory enhancement benefits of incorporating olfactory, computerized peripherals into computerized multimedia-learning environments, from both a context dependent and context independent stand point. Specifically, within a …

Center For Undergraduate Studies 2005-2006 Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate Programs Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Off Southeast Florida, David S. Gilliam, Walter Jaap, Richard E. Dodge, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Jamie A. Monty, Brian K. Walker, Lauren F. Shuman, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Richard Shaul

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Significant coral reef community development along the eastern shelf of the United States continues northward of the Florida Keys through Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties, Florida (to Latitude 27° N). These Southeast Florida high-latitude coral communities have approximately 30 species of stony corals, stony coral coverage of 2-3%, and a diverse assemblage of reef gorgonians, sponges, and fishes.

This system lays within 3 km of the coast offshore a highly urbanized area comprising a population of over 5 million people (the population of Broward County alone exceeds 1.7 million). These reefs are important economic assets: a 2001 economic …

Techniques For Restoring Gorgonians To Coral Reef Injury Areas, Lauren F. Shuman, David S. Gilliam, Richard E. Dodge, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Jamie A. Monty, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Great attention and energy has been spent investigating reattachment techniques for dislodged and fragmented scleractinian corals; however there has been a lack of controlled experimentation on how to restore dislodged gorgonians following a disturbance event, such as a ship grounding. Unfortunately, reef damage events occur frequently off southeast Florida. As an example, since 1998 at least five freighters have grounded on the reefs near Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County. These freighters dislodged many scleractinian and gorgonian corals and often destroyed thousands of square feet of reef habitat. After these events, restoration efforts concentrated on stabilizing loose debris and rubble, and reattaching …

Qualitative Evaluation Of Emotional Intelligence In-Service Program For Secondary School Teachers, Seval Fer

The Qualitative Report

This paper is an attempt to evaluate the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) In-Service Program on the basis of experiences of 20 secondary school teachers who attended the program in a private school in Turkey. A phenomenological approach, with a focus group method was used. The first objective of this study was to evaluate EQ program on the basis of teachers’ experiences. The second was to explore the teachers’ perceptions about the implications of EQ skills in classroom situations. The results were discussed in terms of the evaluation of the EQ program and its implications for learning and teaching activities in the …

Phd Students Perceptions Of The Relationship Between Philosophy And Research: A Qualitative Investigation, Joan Efinger, Nancy Maldonado, Geri Mcardle

The Qualitative Report

This study explored, described, and discovered meaning in the lived experiences of PhD students regarding two courses: Philosophy of Science and Qualitative Methods. The philosophical underpinning was constructivism. The phenomenological methodology employed a structured questionnaire to collect data. It involved mailed computer disks with questions. Twenty of 43 students returned the disks. Content analysis and QSR N6 software were employed in data analysis. Findings included three broad areas: Thinking about Thinking, The Ah-Ha of Me and Thee, and The Never-Ending Journey of Darkness to Light. Philosophy of Science appears to have value for students in every aspect of their lives. …

The Future Of Learning Technologies: An Interview With Chris Dede, James L. Morrison, Chris Dede

Innovate: Journal of Online Education

No abstract provided.

News From Gold Circle - Fall 2004, Nova Southeastern University

Gold Circle

No abstract provided.

Fall 2004, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Shark Predation And Scavenging On Fishes Equipped With Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tags, David W. Kerstetter, J. Polovina, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

The Knight Volume 15: Issue 1, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To Telemedicine And Email Consultations, Janet C. Struber

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

E-health, telehealth and telemedicine all describe the use of telecommunication and electronic information technology for the provision of health care at a distance. Interest in telemedicine has been heightened recently due to technological advances making equipment more effective and accessible, and increasing healthcare costs and client expectations creating pressures to find alternative modes of healthcare delivery. Although telemedicine suffers from a lack of conclusive evidence regarding its clinical effectiveness, primarily because it has not been adequately evaluated, its popularity and acceptance, particularly amongst lay persons, continues to increase. With the rapid increase in internet use, email, an electronic communication medium, …

The Knight Orientation Issue, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

Estimated date

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2003 Year 1 Final Report, Jennifer Wheaton, Carl Beaver, Walter Jaap, Michael Callahan, Selena Kupfner, Shannon Wade, Jim Kidney, Stopher Slade, Erin Mcdevitt, Eric Ault, Fred Voss, David S. Gilliam, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Jamie A. Monty, Lauren F. Shuman, Brian K. Walker, Richard E. Dodge, Tim Mcintosh, Steven Blair, Kenneth Banks, Louis E. Fisher, David Stout, Joe Ligas, Janet Phipps

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Emissions From Miombo Woodland And Dambo Grassland Savanna Fires, Parikhit Sinha, Peter V. Hobbs, Robert J. Yokelson, Donald R. Blake, Song Gao, Thomas W. Kirchstetter

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Articles

Airborne measurements of trace gases and particles over and downwind of two prescribed savanna fires in Zambia are described. The measurements include profiles through the smoke plumes of condensation nucleus concentrations and normalized excess mixing ratios of particles and gases, emission factors for 42 trace gases and seven particulate species, and vertical profiles of ambient conditions. The fires were ignited in plots of miombo woodland savanna, the most prevalent savanna type in southern Africa, and dambo grassland savanna, an important enclave of miombo woodland ecosystems. Emission factors for the two fires are combined with measurements of fuel loading, combustion factors, …

Understanding The Role Of Language/Culture In Group Work Through Qualitative Interviewing, Gavin Melles

The Qualitative Report

The second language student experience of group work at university is not often transparent in survey evaluations, although the multicultural nature of the student population in Australasia would suggest that culture and language should be on the research agenda. Culture and language, notwithstanding, is used in the higher education literature to position the Asian learner as different and problematic, although such cultural models and stereotypes have been the subject of some criticism in recent years. Through semi-structured qualitative interviewing in focus group interviews with nineteen South East Asian students, I explore the ways students account for their experiences of group …

Visual Evidence In Qualitative Research: The Role Of Videorecording, Sorrel Penn-Edwards

The Qualitative Report

Videorecording allows the researcher to record and replay the pictures and sound of an event. As such, it can be a valuable research tool. Nevertheless, it is not just a simple measuring instrument. As a qualitative research data gathering tool, video recordings should be authenticated. Researchers should indicate clearly the role of this tool in their work and discuss the factors that may have an influence on the way it is used or on the data analyzed. The substance of these factors is shown in inventoried form. This paper discusses these and advises how researchers may address the validity of …

Some Epistemological Issues In The Conduct Of Social And Behavioural Studies In The Faculty Of Education Of Nigeria Universities, Chinedu Onochie Okeke, Theophilus A. Ume

The Qualitative Report

A predominantly positivistic quantitative research tradition is uncovered through a survey of selected Nigerian universities with particular reference to the faculty of education. This predominance of what appears to be a one sided research enterprise and the neglect of the qualitative approaches is born out of the self-evident lack of history of research methods as well as the epistemological undertones underpinning research conduct. Important issues resulting from this lack of knowledge of the historical antecedents surrounding the adoption of the various methods are highlighted in this article. While concluding that the revelations here are not idle ones, this paper noted …

Untitled, Jaclyn Tate

Hieroglyphics: the NSU University School Literary Magazine

No abstract provided.

Network Thinking In Peace And Conflict Studies, Alvin W. Wolfe

Peace and Conflict Studies

Developments in mathematics and social theory and in techniques of communication and computation have brought network analysis to a state where it can be practically applied over a broad spectrum. Surprisingly, this mode of analysis has not been adopted by practitioners and scholars of peace and conflict studies to the extent that it ought to be. Examples of types of analysis that could have important applications are given, using network concepts such centrality, structural equivalence, and regular equivalence.

Blackjack, Benjamin Wald

Hieroglyphics: the NSU University School Literary Magazine

No abstract provided.

Using Genetic Sampling Of Hair To Confirm Origin And Identify Florida Panthers, Julia M. Rabolli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project investigates the origin of a puma currently living in a zoo in Ecuador. Although this particular puma (named Sasha) is assumed to be of South American origin there is some speculation that she was brought to South America from Florida in the early 1980s. In order to determine Sasha’s most likely geographical origin and subspecies, DNA was extracted from hair from three known Florida panthers as well as from one of Sasha’s cubs. The target gene for this research is the mitochondrial NADH-5 (ND5) gene that is passed on from the maternal parent. Several variations (haplotypes) in this …

The Nsu Technology Student Help Site: Ideas To Actions, Angela Quintero, Jennifer Shaw, Jason Mcgwire, Lisa Barnes, Donna Cooper

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Technology students at NSU have many resources, but there are none that are made by students, for students. With this project, current technology students pass on their knowledge and research to new students, creating a network of help and support within the student body, not to mention within the University as a whole. The project uses an annotated format to list web sites that were academically relevant and useful for students. These annotations were categorized according to department (Technology), course (such as TECH 4900), and subject divisions within the course. Within these categorizations were listings of web sites that students …