Digital Commons Network^™

When Time Stands Still: An Argument For Restoring Public Figures To Private Status, Olympia R. Duhart

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Use Of Artificial Neural Networks, Fractal Time Series And Fractal Neural Networks In Financial Forecasts, Beverly A. Swisshelm

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Effective prediction of future financial states has been a major quest for groups ranging from national governments to individual investors. The size, diversity and complexity of financial markets make traditional statistical methods ineffective in predicting beyond a very short time frame. Alternative models using artificial neural networks and fractal time series have had better results in long-term predictions, but still do not work in all situations. This dissertation combined features of artificial neural networks and fractal time series to create a fractal neural network. Fractals exhibit repetitive patterns when a unit is broken down into its components. This similarity property …

Integrating Concept Mapping Across The Accounting Curriculum -A Technology Solution, Jayne D. Maas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation proposal was to integrate concept mapping into the accounting curriculum at Towson University. The problem was the need for innovative teaching pedagogies and learning tools that explicitly support the development of accounting students' complex thinking skills. These issues were perceived as essential elements for future accounting education and critical needs for future accounting professionals.

A technology solution was proposed, using the visual learning tool Inspiration 6.0®. A qualitative evaluation methodology was be used to collect and analyze data on the course content and topics essential to develop accounting students' complex thinking skills. The results …

Improving Student Achievement And Attitude In Middle Grade Social Studies Classes Through Learning Style Instruction And Design, Jennifer D. Vincent

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve student achievement and attitude in a middle school social studies class. Students were not performing well on tests and exams after experiencing traditional visual and auditory instructional methods. The Jack of diversity and creativity in delivery of instruction resulted in limited academic achievement and poor attitude towards social studies learning. Furthermore, long-term memory was also negatively affected because the traditional teaching approaches did not emphasize higher level thinking that promotes greater retention. The study integrates theoretical research concerning how students learn to the development of a strong historical rationale for implementing learning styles …

The Effects Of Phonological Awareness On Kindergarten Reading Achievement, Barbara A. Grazel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

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Analysis Of Job Satisfaction Between Full And Part Time Faculty Teaching At South Puget Sound Community College, Lee Paavola

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was to determine if the perceived loss of job satisfaction by the part-time faculty was an accurate assessment of the situation. The purpose of this study was to use inferential statistics to compare the level of job satisfaction of part-time faculty to fulltime faculty currently teaching at the college. The research question to be answered was, "Are the perceived levels of job satisfaction of the part- time faculty equal to the perceived levels of job satisfaction of full-time faculty?" Validation followed these procedures. First, a review of the literature was conducted to discover research relevant to …

Development Of An Alternate Curriculum For Bachelor Degree Completion Students In The Lead Program At Ohio Dominican College, William A. Vensel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In the Learning Enhanced Adult Degree (LEAD) program at Ohio Dominican College (ODC), a cohort based accelerated delivery format, students who complete the Associate of Science (AS.) degree had only one bachelor's degree program to choose from, the B.S. in Business Administration. Because Ohio Dominican is a bachelor degree granting institution, classified as Baccalaureate General by the Carnegie Commission, it is desirable to see all enrolled students through to the bachelor degree. The problem addressed by this practicum was that with only one degree program to choose from at the bachelor level, retention of AS. students who desired the accelerated …

Development Of A Syllabus For A Nursing Course That Incorporates The Use Of Technology As A Teaching Strategy, Rhonda Sparrow

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Lima Technical College specializes in offering career technical education programs in business, engineering, health technologies, and human services. Because of the emphasis on technical education, the strategic plan of the college has identified the use of technology in the classroom as an important teaching methodology since 1992.

The problem was that there was a need to develop additional courses incorporating the use of technology as a teaching strategy into the nursing curriculum so that the program would continue to be considered for funding of future initiatives. Senior administrators, at the College stated that unless nursing faculty members designed ways to …

Development Of A Strategic Plan Based On The Evaluation Of Relevant Quality Measures For Joliet Junior College, Mary Lou D'Allegro

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The strategic planning process at Joliet Junior College had been dormant since 2000. The problem, therefore, was that no strategic planning was being conducted that adhered to the institution's accreditation mandates or addressed stakeholder expectations. The purpose of this dissertation was threefold. First, a systematic methodology to develop key performance indicators by soliciting the input of various stakeholder groups was generated. Second, an inventory of those key measures was developed via the input of a formative committee and validation by a summative committee. A pilot study was then conducted to further corroborate lucidity of those quality measures. The final inventory …

Evaluation Of Adventure-Based Training Programs For Adult Learners, Jean Mee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The nature of the problem was a lack of data supporting the validity of the adventure education movement; it was not known whether various adventure-based programs and experiences are teaching what they claim to be teaching. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of adventure-based training programs for adult learners. The study addressed several research questions. First, "Are existing adventure-based training programs utilizing adult learning principles?" Second, "Are existing adventure-based training programs 3 for adult learners effective in meeting the learning needs of program participants?" Third, "What are the goals of adventure-based training programs, and are those …

Evaluation Of The Vocational Curriculum For At-Risk Students At Westinghouse Career Academy, Burchell Love

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was whether or not the curriculum model and/or delivery methods used at Westinghouse Career Academy has an effect on at-risk students completing a four year vocational program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the vocational curriculum at Westinghouse Career Academy. There were two research questions addressed in the study. First, "What were the specific factors that contributed to at-risk students being unable to successfully complete a four-year program." Second, "What were the changes that could be made to improve upon the effectiveness of the vocational curriculum for at-risk students at Westinghouse …

Comparison Of Grade Equivalents Of Participants And Non-Participants In The Summer Bridge Program, Burchell Love

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that a large percentage of eighth grade students in the Chicago Public Schools System were unsuccessful in scoring the minimum required score of7.0 on their year-end standardized achievement tests. A new promotion policy with pre-established criteria for promotion, required students that failed to meet the minimum requirements to attend a summer remediation program. At the end of the summer program, test scores would determine if a student is promoted to high school. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a summer remediation program and to compare year-end grade equivalents of participants …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An Evaluation Plan For A Two-Year Nursing Program, Rhonda Sparrow

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Accreditation of nursing programs is designed to give the general public a measure of confidence regarding the quality of a particular program Many baccalaureate-completion nursing programs require persons to have graduated from accredited basic nursing programs in order to be accepted. The Ohio Board ofNursing also uses accreditation status of a nursing program when granting approval to conduct classes within the state. In 1 999 the nursing program at Lima Technical College was informed that the evaluation plan of the nursing program did not meet all of the criteria established by the accrediting agency. To maintain accreditation status, the nursing …

A Comparison Of The Grade Point Averages And Attendance Of Octorara Area High School Students After Attending The Center For Arts And Technology-Brandywine For One Year, David B. Rutledge

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Center for Arts and Technology-Brandywine (CAT-B) is a vocational-technical school, where high school students spend part of a school day learning skills in career and technical education areas. The problem addressed by this research study 2 was that the grade point averages in academic subjects and school attendance had never been researched on students who had attended the vocational-technical school.

The study contained two research questions. They were, "Does school attendance improve after one year of attending CATB?" and "Does the GPA of academic courses improve for students after attending CAT-B for one year?"

A literature review was conducted …

An Evaluation Of The Professional Development Of Credentialed Ministers Of The Assemblies Of God In Victoria, Australia, Brendan Roach

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Assemblies of God (AOG) in Victoria is a diverse fellowship of Churches, ministers, and non-Church organizations. The fellowship has been growing in numbers and diversity significantly over the last 20 years. This diversity has made it increasingly difficult to run training programs that are relevant to individual needs. The problem is that the perceived professional development needs of AOG in Victoria ministers are unknown. It is also unknown if past professional development programs have met the perceived needs of the ministers.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived needs of credentialed ministers of the AOG in …

Ameliorating The Cycle Of Teenage Pregnancy Among Minority Families, Gloria H. Myrick

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describ.es a program to ameliorate the cycle of teenage pregnancy among Black females in a suburban high school, thereby decreasing the dropout rate of these at-risk students. The younger siblings of childbearing teens were the targeted population for the pregnancy prevention program. Twenty at-risk siblings in Grades 9 through 12 participated in this program. An analysis of a survey conducted by the guidance department and the teenage parenting program indicated that 31% of the students at the targeted high school became teenage parents and eventually dropped out of school before graduating.

A major goal of this program was …

A Comparison Of Student Learning Outcomes In A Web-Based And Face-To-Face Applied Research Methods Course, Trula Morehead Nicholas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem of focus in this study related to student learning outcomes in the Human Services Department, Bellingham campus at Western Washington University. The purpose of this study was to compare learning outcomes of students in a web-based applied research methods course to those of students in a face to- face applied research methods course.

The research question was "Do students who take the face-to face applied research methods class have higher quiz scores than students who take the web-based applied research methods class?" Using the research methodology literature focusing on distance education and web-based learning was reviewed.

A total …

Development Of An Accounting Curriculum For The Devry Institute Of Technology, Arthur A. Gillis

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem is that the DeVry Institute of Technology (DeVry) has been unable to market its accounting program effectively since its curriculum is not current and lacks computer applications. The purpose of the project is to develop an accounting curriculum that is professionally current and includes computer applications.

There were six research questions that needed to be answered in this study. First, what learning objectives should be included in each of the six core accounting classes; second, what will constitute valid measurements as to the learning objectives; third, what recommendations should be included in the applicable curriculum guides for the …

An Evaluation Of The Availability Of Courses At Bevill State Community College, Teresa L. Johnson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine whether courses are offered at Bevill State Community College (BSCC) to allow a student to complete an associate degree within two years. The problem was that a significant number of students transfer to four-year institutions without completing an associate degree at BSCC.

There was one research question for this study: "Does the schedule of courses at BSCC allow students to complete an associate degree within two years?''

The procedures consisted of a literature review, establishment of criteria, selection and validation of evaluation model, selection and administration of a needs assessment instrument to …

Teacher Personal Characteristics And School Organizational/Contextual Factors That Contribute To Retention In The Teaching Profession, Nelson E. Diaz

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is the area’s largest employer with 21,399 instructional professionals. During the 2000-2001 school year, 3,100 new teachers were hired in the district due mainly to growth in the student population and attrition of personnel.

The purpose of this practicum was to identify the personal and organizational factors that have contributed to teachers’ decisions to remain employed in M-DCPS during the first five years of employment. The initial cohort of teachers selected for this study was 1,015 newly hired teachers during the 1996-97 school year. The sample population selected for this study was 749 teachers from …

Comparison Of Final Math Grades Between Bethel College Elementary Education Majors With High As Opposed To Low Act Mathematics Test Scores, Linda Probert

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that some Bethel College students had difficulty passing the initial math courses for elementary education majors. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the final grades for the course Math for Elementary Teachers (MAT201M) of Bethel College elementary education students who had high scores as compared to low scores on the ACT mathematics test. The research question was, "Is there a significant difference between the final grades for MAT201M of students who had high scores on the ACT mathematics test as compared to students who had low scores …

Effect Of Applied Academics On The Final English Course Grade Of Associate Of Science Degree Students In Automotive Service Management Technology, Kathleen Habel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Traditionally, students enrolled in two-year Automotive Service Management Technology degree programs, had a difficult time succeeding in required general education courses, especially math, English composition, and physics. They enrolled in classes open to the general student population but found that the material had little meaning or relevance to their chosen field of study. According to college records, the pass rate was less than the norm for liberal arts students. Because of this, faculty and staff decided that class material needed to be presented through applied academics. The new curriculum demonstrated the relevance of subject matter in general education classes to …

Strategies And Techniques To Impact Teachers’ Ability To Improve Students’ Reading Skills, Helen E. Martinez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study examines strategies and techniques intended to update 5th-grade target students’ reading skills at Our Lady of Victory (OLV) Catholic School. A comparative analysis of the reading comprehension subtest results from the Stanford Achievement Test of successive cohorts of OLV 4th-grade students showed a decline during the students’ 4th-grade year. An effort to identity this decline in performance led the researcher to possible factors: teacher quality and degree of parental involvement. To address this problem, Brandt, Farmer, and Buckmaster’s (1993) cognitive Apprenticeship Model program, in which instruction is modeled and adult learners gradually take responsibility for instructing young learners, …

Aligning Special Education Individualized Education Plans With District Curriculum And Learning Results, Martha G. Corkery

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Instructional practice at Bonny Eagle Middle School in Buxton, Maine, did not fully integrate IEP goals with curriculum and Maine Learning Results developed by the Maine Department of Education in 1997. Students with disabilities were prohibited from optimal learning experiences. In this study, the relationship between a sample group of students, language arts individual education plan goals, and curricular standards were attempted to be strengthened through enhanced instructional methodologies and assessments. The intended results of this study were to impact these students' levels of classroom involvement in addition to building collaboration among special and regular education teachers. Teachers' philosophies about …

The Development Of A Survey Insttument To Identify The Perceived Needs For Professional Development Of Credentialed Ministers Of The Assemblies Of God In Australia, Victoria, Brendan Roach

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that it is unknown what are the perceived needs for professional development of credentialed ministers of the Assemblies of God in Australia, Victoria. The purpose of the study was to develop a survey instrument to measure what are those perceived needs. The research question was, "What should be contained in a needs assessment survey to identify the perceived needs for professional development of credentialed ministers of the Assemblies of God in Australia, Victoria?"

A literature review was conducted to identify the competencies required by credentialed ministers to develop in their ministry function. The findings of …

Development Of A Seamless Transition Program For Inmate Students At The Community College Of Southern Nevada, Theo A. Byrns

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The prison education program at the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) has been in place since 1988. The Department of Prison Education offers a five-semester Associate of General Studies at facilities of incarceration in Southern Nevada. The purpose of the project was to develop a seamless transition program from a prison-based course of study to a course of study outside of the prison for community college inmate students and an implementation and evaluation plan. The seamless transition program would provide students with an opportunity to continue their higher education when released from prison.

There were six research questions in …

Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Training Program Using In-Service Training And A Computer-Assisted Instruction Program For The 344th Air Refueling Squadron, Mark David Lilly

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Over the past several years, the Air Force has realized a decline in the experience levels of its workforce. This decline, in conjunction with the influx of replacement personnel, has resulted in training gaps within the ranks of the United States Air Force.

The problem is that the 344th Air Refueling Squadron, as a training oriented organization, has realized gaps in its aircrew experience levels based on the continual personnel turnover of its aircrew workforce. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement and evaluate an inservice training program and a computer-assisted instruction software program for aircrew members of …

Using Metacognitive Instructional Strategies To Improve Fourth Graders’ Writing Performance, Gary F. Mazzola

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The intent of this applied dissertation was to improve the writing skills of fourth graders in a suburban school district. The composition scores from the last three administrations of a state assessment have been the lowest scores, with little or no increase in performance. A possible cause was inconsistent instructional practice resulting . in the need for teachers to focus on and provide a system of consistent metacognitive strategies, as a possible remedy.

Teachers received four sessions of LINKS,. training. LINKS,,. is a system of metacognitive instructional strategies designed for teaching writing and thinking skills. The ·focus of this training …

Social Learning Theory And The Influence Of Male Role Models On African American Children In Project 2000, Rhonda Wells-Wilbon, Spencer Holland

The Qualitative Report

This study is an assessment of observational learning commonly known as social learning theory of a group of 55 African American students who are participants in a mentoring program known as PROJECT 2000. From first through sixth grades male role models, who were largely African American, were in the classroom as teacher assistants. At the time of the study all student participants were in fifth grade. An interview was conducted featuring a short open-ended questionnaire. Students in PROJECT 2000 had an opportunity to express their feelings about the male role models that worked with them in their classroom. These interviews …

Sulfur Dioxide Uptake And Oxidation In Sea-Salt Aerosol, William Hoppel, Louise Pasternack, Peter F. Caffrey, Glendon Frick, James Fitzgerald, Dean A. Hegg, Song Gao, John Ambrusko, Thomas Albrechcinski

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Articles

Measurements of SO₂ and O₃ uptake by sea-salt and NaCl aerosol were made in a 600 m³environmental chamber by measuring the rate of SO₂ and O₃ depletion during nebulization of seawater and NaCl solutions. The experiments were carried out with starting relative humidity between 80% and 92%, with SO₂ concentrations between 35 and 60 ppb, and ozone concentrations between O and 110 ppb. For NaCl, no SO₂ or O₃uptake was observed. For sea-salt aerosol, uptake in the range of 0.21 and 1.2 millimoles of S per liter of (nebulized) seawater …