Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Signatures And Certification Authorities For A Central American High-Tech Powerhouse: The Need For E-Commerce Legislation In Costa Rica, Matthew Thibaut

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

Legislative proposals addressing electronic commerce (e-commerce) are primarily concentrated in the United States, Europe, and various areas in Asia

The Use Of Video-Conferencing Technology In Legal Education: A Practical Guide, Catherine Arcabascio

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the use of advanced computer technologies to offer distance learning programs in United States law schools. It begins with an explanation of the original distance learning methods and differentiates them from current methods that incorporate computer-based technologies. The article also explains the different types of technologies available for use in distance learning and describes the model currently in use at the Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University ("Law Center"). Finally, it discusses the pedagogical and planning issues that arise when using this technology, the hardware that is required, and the costs associated with this type …

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2001 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Abundance And Distribution Of Commensal Amphipods From Common Marine Sponges Of Southeast Florida, Stacie E. Crowe

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Marine sponges were examined from shallow waters of southeast Florida and the Florida Keys to determine species composition and distribution of commensal amphipod crustaceans from shallow reef, mangrove, and seagrass habitats. Twenty sponge species were investigated during this study, sixteen of which housed amphipods in the families Colomastigidae and/or Leucothoidae. Six species of commensal amphipods were identified. Leucothoe spinicarpa (Abildgaard) species "complex" was the most dominant amphipod commensal, representing 63% of the total amphipods collected. The L. spinicarpa "complex" contains four local morphotypes, which are diagnosed and briefly described. Common sponge hosts included Callyspongia vaginalis, Mycale sp., and Myriastra kallitetilla.

Environmental Analysis Of Cores From The Helike Delta, Gulf Of Corinth, Greece, S. Soter, Patricia Blackwelder, C. Tziavos, D. Katsonopoulou, Terri Hood, Carlos A. Alvarez Zarikian

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The fan delta southeast of Aigion on the southwest shore of the Gulf of Corinth was the site of ancient Helike, a city destroyed and submerged by an earthquake and seismic sea wave in 373 BC. Bore holes drilled on the Helike Delta yielded numerous ceramic fragments in the upper 12 meters, and a record of changing local environments on the delta during the Holocene period. At about 8 m below present sea level the core profiles show a general upward transition from marine to lacustrine/lagoonalc onditions.T he transition dates from about 8 kyr BP and is probably due to …

The Extraction Of Classification Rules And Decision Trees From Independence Diagrams, Robert W. Kerbs

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Databases are growing exponentially in many application domains. Timely construction of models that represent identified patterns and regularities in the data facilitate the prediction of future events based upon past performance. Data mining can promote this process through various model building techniques. The goal is to create models that intuitively represent the data and perhaps aid in the discovery of new knowledge.

Most data mining methods rely upon either fully-automated information-theoretic or statistical algorithms. Typically, these algorithms are non-interactive, hide the model derivation process from the user, require the assistance of a domain expert, are application-specific, and may not clearly …

Dynamic Update Techniques For Online Maps And Attributes Data, Thanh H. Pham

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Online databases containing geographic and related tabular data for maps and attributes often require continuous updates from widely distributed sources afield. For some applications, these data are dynamic, and thus are of little value if they do not reflect the latest information or changes. A status map that depicts graphically temporal data affecting accountability is an example of this type of data. How can accommodations be made collectively for the perpetual data updates in the database and the need to deliver online information in real time without making concessions? The goal of the dissertation was to analyze and evaluate techniques …

Guidelines For Development Of Courses For Delivery Over The Iowa Communications Network, Gary F. Hasman

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the quality of education as it relates to the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). It reviews the literature to determine a working definition of quality that was used to create a list of characteristics desirable in teachers who use technology. A list of such teachers was solicited from three administrative committees of the ICN and from the directors of the state's 15 area education agencies. Four teachers were selected from the list and their approach to creating programs for delivery over the ICN was examined. Personal interviews were used to discover commonalities among the four teachers' approaches to …

Comparison Of Student Performance And Attitude In A Lecture Class To Student Performance And Attitude In A Telecourse And A Web-Based Class, William J. Ryan

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Increasing numbers of students are returning to school and choosing alternatives to the lecture method of instruction. Using technology to reach students is a solution colleges and universities are evaluating and implementing with the goal of increasing enrollment and reducing the cost of instruction. This research examines the impact two technology-based delivery systems have on the student's learning experience compared with an equivalent classroom-based instructional method.

Academic institutions are being asked to respond to the rapid changes faced by the communities they serve especially as current workers return to join new students in obtaining knowledge and skills needed in today's …

Graduate School Of Computer And Information Sciences--Master Of Science Degree Programs 2001-2003, Nova Southeastern University

College of Engineering and Computing Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Wayne Huizenga Graduate School Of Business And Entrepreneurship 2000-2001 Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Huizenga Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Perceptions Of Educational And Personal Needs Of Undergraduates In The Department Of Human Ecology At Virginia State University, Alice F. Joyner

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the perceptions of educational and personal needs held by undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Human Ecology. The descriptive research design was utilized to carry out the study. The procedures used to complete this study are as follows: (1 ) a comprehensive literature review, which provided the conceptual framework for this study, (2) procurement of a list of students enrolled in the department from the Registrars' office, (3) correspondences and consent forms where mailed to students and faculty regarding the nature and logistics including a time line and location …

Comparison Of Safety Knowledge Transfer In Employees From Oscar-Ma Yer Davenport Using Computer-Aided And Traditional Methods Of Training Delivery, Barbara L. Durant

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Developments in the use of technology in computing and telecommunications have created a demand in the workplace for individuals with advanced sets of skills. Due to these developments there has been an increase in the range of options in training design and delivery. The problem prompting this study was that it was unknown if the computer-aided instruction (CAI) was an effective means to deliver the necessary safety knowledge.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of computer-based training (CBT) versus the traditional lecture method. The research hypothesis for the study was; "Is there a significant difference in …

Development Of A Workshop To Prepare Nursing Students At Northwest College To Communicate Effectively With Low Literate Patients, Leslie A. Oja

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem existing at Northwest College was effective communication with low literate patients was not integrated into the nursing curriculum. The purpose of this study was the development of a workshop for nursing students to learn effective communication skills with low literate patients. There were six research questions. First, "What is the best model for developing a workshop including the assessment of educational needs?" Second, what are the components of a needs assessment for low literate patients? Third, what content is needed for developing a workshop? Fourth, what format will be needed for a workshop? Fifth, what is the best …

Enhancing School Climate To Improve Teacher And Student Morale: An Ethnographic Study, Mark Register

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Through an ethnographic process, the researcher sought an enhanced school climate that would result in improved morale among teachers and students at Sacred Heart School. The opportunity provided was to take the school beyond the level of solid and move it toward the status of being regarded as a major private educational institution.

Data were obtained for this project through surveys and personal interviews of faculty members, parents, students, and alumni in the attempt to describe past and current school climate and culture accurately. School archives were researched to gain further information concerning the philosophical foundation on which this institution …

Evaluation Of The Usage And Effectiveness Of Computer Assisted Instruction In Basic Skills Remediation At The East Los Angeles One Stop Career Center, Rex Steffey

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem for investigation encompassed three domains that identified the One Stop Career Center's (OSCC) remedial programs, the ability of its clients to enter federally funded job training programs, and clients' success in the programs they entered. Another facet of the study examined whether OSCC was using its current instructional software effectively in client remediation. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the use and effectiveness of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in basic skills remediation.

Four research questions guided the study. First, "Does the center's basic skills remediation program prepare clients to enter federally funded job training programs?" Second, …

Development Of A Comprehensive District-Wide Student Service Plan To Enhance Student Success At Tarrant County College, Lonzetta R. Smith-Allen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Tarrant County College (TCC) is a comprehensive community college dedicated to the mission of providing quality education in response to the expectations of the people of Tarrant County. The institution holds student success and learning as top priorities and is dedicated to providing meaningful educational experiences in support of these priorities (Tarrant County College, 2000a).

In recent years TCC has faced many challenges, including state accrediting agency mandates, changing demographics, technological advances, community demands and increased competition, that have necessitated institutional change. The changes are affecting who is being taught as well as the services that are being required.

Similar …

Relationship Of Academic Performance Of Those Students Who Utilize Peer-Tutoring And Those Who Do Not, Bonnie Higgins Bonnie Higgins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem of this study was the high attrition rate in the Adult Nursing Course. Peer tutoring was a strategy implemented to decrease the attrition rate. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between academic performance and participation in a peer-tutoring program. There was one research question, "Is there a relationship between academic performance and participation in a peer-tutoring program?"

A two by two bivariate frequency distribution was constructed with the variables academic success and participation in the peer-tutoring program. The relationship between the two variables was determined through the use of the Fisher's Exact test. The …

An Evaluation Of The Third-Grade Reading Curriculum At Daniel Webster Elementary School, Stacey Y. S. Hunt

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This practicum report presents an evaluation of the current 3rd-grade reading curriculum for the Gary Community School Corporation (GCSC) in Gary, Indiana, at Daniel Webster Elementary School. Traditionally, Daniel Webster Elementary School students have performed well, particularly, at the 3rd-grade level in reading achievement as measured by the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. However, during the 1997-1999 school years, test scores for the district, as well as Daniel Webster Elementary School, declined or failed to show progress. Results from a district evaluation of the reading curriculum in 1 998, along with the decline in reading scores, caused the GCSC to …

Evaluation Of The Associate Logistics Executive Development Course At The United States Army Logistics Management College, Robert Jones A. Robert Jones Iii

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Army Logistics Management College (ALMC) has the mission to provide quality training, products, and services in acquisition, logistics, resource management, decision science, management science, environmental management, and related subjects to the United States Army, Department of Defense, and to other eligible organizations. The ALMC opened in 1954 at Ft. Lee, Virginia. The college is a traditional Army school with courses that range from three days to over six months for military, civilian, and international students of all ranks.

Since its inception, ALMC has grown to use eight modes of instruction to deliver its courses. Those modes of instruction include …

Improving Teacher Intern Self-Evaluation Through The Use Of Preservice Experience, Pamela Sanders

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This practicum involved an analysis of the relationship between preservice experience and the self-evaluation of teaching ability of 1st-year teacher interns in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The preservice experience was part of the Teachers For Chicago (TFC) program. The practicum took place at an elementary and a high school in the CPS that implemented the program between July 2000 and June 2001.

As part of the practicum, a survey was developed by the researcher and the program's independent evaluator. The 110 selected teacher interns in the practicum were a heterogeneously mixed group of aspiring educators with common beginning teaching …

Development Of A Pediatric Specialization Track In The Occupational Therapy Program At College Misericordia, Lalit J. Shah

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that there were no classes offered that culminated into a specialization track in the occupational therapy (OT) curriculum. The purpose of this applied dissertation project was to develop a specialization track in pediatrics in OT curriculum at College Misericordia that would provide students with multiple options to complete their educational requirements and also provide specialized training.

There were four research questions for this study: ''What are the advantages of a specialization in pediatrics at College Misericordia?" "What are appropriate components to be included in the development of a specialization program in pediatrics at College Misericordia?" …

Development Of A Diagnostic Assessment System To Improve The Motn Ation Of Admitted Students To Matriculate Into The Nursing Program At D’Youville College, Melanie S. Macneil

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Enrollment in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at D'Youville College is below expectations. Although the decline in application rate reflects a national and international trend, the matriculation rate needs to improve. Without adequate numbers of matriculated nursing students at D 'Youville, the nursing program faces closure.

The purpose of this project was to develop a diagnostic assessment system to improve the motivation of admitted students to matriculate into the nursing program at D'Youville College. The research questions concerned information in the literature about motivation to matriculate by students in nursing programs, the specific content and design for …

A Special Remedial Program To Improve The Skills Of Failing Eighth-Grade Students, John J. O'Malley Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes an afterschool remedial program during the 2000-2001 school year at Forest Grove Middle School in Worcester, Massachusetts. The remedial program was an effort to improve the skills of 8th-grade students who fall short of the state norms on the mandatory 8th-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Test (MCAS; Massachusetts Department of Education, 1999). An analysis of the 1999 test indicated that 480 8th-grade students in a 905-pupil enrollment at the school fell short of the passing grade, 51% in the mathematics section and 21% in the language arts section.

Planned solution strategies included (a) an afterschool and vacation remedial …

Student Dress: Does Uniformity Equal Student Achievement?, Aaron G. Turpin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a student uniform program that was implemented in a suburban Atlanta Grades 6-8 middle school. The goals of the program were to decrease the number of student disciplinary referrals, increase attendance, and increase academic achievement. Students followed the student uniform policy, or their parents chose to have them opt out of the dress code. Only 3% of parents chose the opt-out option.

This study utilized two control schools for comparison. Questionnaires assessed parent, teacher, and student perceptions on the effectiveness of school uniforms. Quantitative data were compiled on the impact uniforms had on the number of disciplinary …

How Can Increasing Parent Involvement Improve Student Performance In Reading And Math?, Mary O. Jones

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In 2000, parents were less likely to be involved in school than in the previous decade. Increasing parent involvement may be related to improved student performance and prevention of poor performance in students. This practicum was conducted at 1 elementary school in a small, rural school district to investigate how to increase parent involvement and how that increased involvement would affect student performance in reading and mathematics.

Teachers were surveyed about school needs and identified parent involvement as the needed area of improvement. Parents were surveyed about participation in the school, and a set of strategies was designed to involve …

Implementation Of Performance Assessment Tasks To Improve Third-Grade Achievement, Christine Gary-Johnson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Performance assessment tasks are activities in which students demonstrate in a variety of ways their ability to think creatively and critically in producing a product. The research question that guided this. project was, Can the. implementation of performance assessment tasks improve 3rd-grade achievement as measured by the Baltimore Quarterly Assessment (Baltimore City Public School System, 1996a)? The participants in the program were 74 third-grade students, a cadre of 3 classroom teachers, 1 master teacher, 1 consultant teacher, 1 instructional support teacher, 1 Chapter I teacher, 1 parent liaison, and 2 administrators at Rosemont Elementary. School #63 in Baltimore, Maryland. Extensive …

Reducing Disciplinary Referrals And Academic Failure Rate Of Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Students, Melad Smith Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This practicum addressed the excessive disciplinary referrals and the academic failure rate of 7th- and 8th-grade students of Charlton County High School in Folkston, Georgia. The data collected during the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 school years served as the basis of this practicum. During the 1998-1999 school year, the 7th and 8th grades accounted for 46. 9% of all high school referrals, and an alarming 23. 5% of total students in 7th and 8th grade failed academic courses in social studies, math, science, and English. During the 1999-2000 school year, a preliminary investigation was implemented to curtail the academic and discipline …

Parents In Partnership With Children To Improve Student Readiness Skills, Glenda G. Miller

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In compliance with Goal 1 of Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994 (U.S. Department of Education, 2001), all children should enter school with all developmental skills in place, ready to learn. In the 2000-2001 school year, educators reported that a large majority of kindergartners continued to enter school with less than the expected chronological-age-level skills, and it is their anticipation that this goal will continue to be unmet. Partially due to the lack of agreement on what readiness constitutes and the lack of availability of programs that are designed to focus on appropriate developmental programs for preschoolers, children continue …

Multiple Spatial Scale Assessment Of Coral Reef And Hard-Bottom Community Structure In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Steven Miller, Dione W. Swanson, Mark Chiappone

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

The zoning plan for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) established 23 relatively small no-fishing zones distributed mostly along the offshore reef tract in 1997. In 1999, a two-stage, stratified random sampling design based on the proportion of coral reef and hard-bottom types within the FKNMS was conducted. Our study focused on differences in coverage, density, and condition of benthic organisms with respect to habitat type, regional variations, and differences between no-fishing zones and reference sites at 80 locations spanning 200 km. Most variables exhibited significant spatial differences by habitat type or between individual no-fishing zones and reference sites …