Digital Commons Network^™

Game Console Modification Chips: The Effect Of Fair Use And The Digital Millennium Copyright Act On The Circumvention Of Game Console Security Measures, Vijay G. Brijbasi

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

Making Sense Of The Lionel Tate Case, Michael J. Dale

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Knight Volume 14: Issue 8, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Impact Of Differentiating Instruction On Student Learning In Middle School Mathematics Class, Marcia Adams O’Neil

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Mathematical achievement across this country lags behind not only that of other industrialized nations but also behind that of other disciplines in the United States as documented by the Third International Math and Science Survey (National Center for Educational Statistics, 1999). Archival data from the state assessment, Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, over the past 4 years document that mathematics performance lags behind English/language arts at all levels. Moreover, performance in mathematics is stagnant at the middle school level, Grades 6-8, unlike continual gains at the elementary and high school level. Clearly, student performance at the middle school level is an …

An In-School Suspension Model To Reduce The Out-Of-School Suspension Rate If Deployed At Pinecrest High School, Gwendolyn D. Harrison

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The primary goal of this study was to design an in-school suspension model that would reduce the out-of-school suspension rate if deployed at Pinecrest High School. An analysis of the data collected from the Systems Information Management Services (SIMS) indicated an increase in discipline referrals schoolwide, leading to out-of-school suspensions.

The desired outcomes of the in-school suspension model included (a) providing an alternative to out-of-school suspension, (b) identifying patterns aimed at behavior management, (c) communicating expectations about appropriate behaviors, (d) identifying character education, and (e) notifying parents of discipline policies and procedures. The development of the in school suspension model …

Creating A Professional Learning Community: Engaging Teachers In Change, Patsy G. Goolsby

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation provided teachers with interventions and strategies to assist in the implementation of a professional learning community at Navy Point Elementary School. In 1999, the state of Florida changed to a standards-based state testing system. Upon receiving a grade of D in the state grading system, the administration of Navy Point Elementary School began a study of the underlying causes for the problems that existed within the school. The community had gone through numerous economic changes. Most of the children in the school were at the poverty level, lived in single-parent homes, and would move 2 or more …

Teacher Education, Computer Technology, And Physical Education In Jamaica, Joyce Graham-Royal

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study proposed an investigation into the use of computer technology in the teachers’ colleges in Jamaica. This paper examined the factors that promoted and/or contributed to the incorporation of computer technology in physical education teacher education programs in Jamaica and determined, within this context, how the diffusion of innovation in this program was encouraged to prepare students to use computer technology in instruction The diffusion of innovations theory (E. Rogers, 1995) was used to guide the examination and interpretation of perceived technological changes and barriers.

Lecturers in the 8 teachers’ colleges, 5 administrators of the Ministry of Education, Youth …

Impact Of A Self-Help Intervention On Performance Of Headache Management Behaviors: A Self-Efficacy Approach, Dale S. Bond, Lynne Durrant, Kathleen B. Digre, Susan K. Baggaley, Carla Rubingh

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

This study evaluated the importance of modeling and performance accomplishment of behavior on enhancing headache management self-efficacy and increasing acquisition and implementation of four headache self-management behaviors: headache diary use, limiting medication overuse, relaxation, and stretching. Primary headache disordered patients (n = 51) were randomly assigned to 3 conditions: self-efficacy videotape treatment (SET; education + modeling and performance of behavior), information-only videotape treatment (IOT; education only), or no-treatment comparison (NTC). The SET group reported higher self-efficacy scores than the NTC at immediate post-treatment. At 1-month follow-up, the SET group reported more headache diary use than the IOT and NCT groups, …

Considering Physical Inactivity In Relation To Obesity, Janet C. Struber

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Physical inactivity and obesity contribute enormously to the current burden of disease in Australia, as in all Western Countries. Although diet and exercise have been linked to health since antiquity, the connection has recently experienced a revival of interest. There is mounting evidence that the current prevalence of obesity is more closely related to decreases in energy expenditure than to the traditionally accepted imbalance between consumption and expenditure, and that physical activity is therefore crucial in maintaining weight loss. With overweight[1] and obesity[2] now the norm in Australia, physical inactivity is a major issue within and beyond the health sector, …

Moving Toward A Strength Perspective: A Case Study Of Counselor Change, Candis Carr

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

According to their mission statement, employees of the Family and Youth Counseling Agency, Inc., (FYCA) operated on the assumption that all individuals possessed the ability to solve their own challenges and live full and healthy lives when support was available. In practice, however, agency counseling reflected a deficit-based, hierarchical framework, wherein counselors expanded on clients’ deficits and failings, defined the goals of counseling, and regarded counselors as more knowing than clients about how best to change. By discrediting the client’s voice, counselors failed to put into action the agency’s guiding principle.

To develop a strength-based practice, counselors met on a …

A National Survey Of Civil Rights Training Programs For Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of Civil Rights Training For Wic Employees, Beverley Demetrius

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was that the state of Georgia Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program was noncompliant with antidiscrimination laws and therefore, risked the loss of federal funds to operate the WIC Program. The purpose of this applied dissertation was to conduct a national survey of civil rights training programs with plans for development, implementation, and evaluation of training for Georgia WIC Program employees.

A combination of the development and evaluation methodologies was used to complete this study. The development methodology was used to develop the civil rights training program for Georgia WIC employees. The evaluation methodology that included process and …

Aproximación A La Calidad Docente Eje De La Excelencia Académica Del Instituto Tecnológico De Santo Domingo, María Altagracia López Ferreiras

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación aplicada estudió y analizó la calidad del personal docente del Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), una universidad con reconocimiento y prestigio en la República Dominicana. Al momento de iniciar esta investigación el INTEC contaba con 5,100 estudiantes, 349 docentes de los cuales el 76% era contratado por asignatura lo que indica una dedicación parcial a la institución.

El análisis de la información para documentar el problema puso en evidencia que tanto los propios docentes, como el personal directivo tenían la percepción de que había disminuido la calidad docente del INTEC y que existía una alta rotación de …

Reducing Discipline Referrals At State Bridge Crossing Elementary School In Alpharetta, Georgia, Renay R. Dixon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The major purpose of this study was to reduce the number of student discipline referrals in a suburban elementary school with a student population of approximately 830 in 2003. An analysis of the annual School Administrative Student Information System Discipline Report indicated that over the past two years (2000-2002), discipline referrals had increased by 44%.

The design most conducive for this applied research was a descriptive design. Pre- and postdata were compared to determine if there was a decrease in student discipline referrals. Data were gathered from students, parents of the 133 representative fifth-grade students, and teachers regarding the school …

Improving African American Males’ Academic And Social Success Through Implementation Of An Alternative Classroom Setting, Kenneth E. Daniels Jr

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In school year 2001, African American males at Swainsboro Elementary School in Swainsboro, Georgia, comprised 51% of total discipline referrals. Numbers were even higher in 2002 and 2003, those being 58% and 70%, respectively. Studies suggested that African American males are the most at-risk group in modern society because of lack of role models, lack of cultural identity, and lack of appropriate social skill development that would reduce social conflicts.

The intervention model contained in this applied dissertation addressed the areas of conflict resolution and social skills development, cultural awareness, and mentoring. Participating students were placed in an alternative setting …

Development Of An Entrepreneurial Training Seminar Using Adult Education Principles For The University Of North Florida Small Business Development Center, Philip R. Geist

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation developed an entrepreneurial training seminar to fill a gap between an existing 3-hour workshop and a semester-long FastTrac™ class. The existing 3-hour workshop, required by contract between the UNF SBDC and the U.S. SBA, serves as a screening mechanism to identify potential entrepreneurs. The FastTrac™ class is designed for existing business owners and assumes significant understanding of business concepts. The new seminar will act as a bridge and be a prerequisite for the semester-long class.

The writer developed lesson plans, an instructor’s manual, a strategy for multicounty implementation using local area presentation partners, and an implementation plan. …

Evaluating Benchmarks For Internet-Based Teaching And Learning At A Community College, Heidi L. Guthrie

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to evaluate existing benchmarks related to Internet-based teaching and learning. The study also assessed the extent to which faculty at a small community college implemented the benchmarks for Internet-based teaching and learning. In response to the need for benchmarks, accrediting bodies, like the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (CRAC), have established standards for the evaluation of distance education programs and institutions. These standards, however, are limited in number and scope.

This study employed a multi- method quantitative descriptive design to identify the benchmarks for Interne t-based teaching and learning. Using a benchmarking process …

Development Of A Curriculum Evaluation Tool For The Crown College Online Program With Plans For Implementation, William J. Hyndman

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

At Crown College Online (CCO), courses have been evaluated for the past four years with student satisfaction surveys only. This provided very limited assessment of how the courses were meeting the institutions learning outcomes. This project developed the following products: (a) three rubrics for evaluating online courses, (b) an evaluative tool in the form of a guide, and (c) an implementation plan with timeline.

There were five research questions addressed in this study: (a) criteria for evaluating online courses, (b) criteria for evaluating course objectives, (c) criteria for evaluating teaching method online, (d) format and design of an online evaluation …

Sensory Integration Dysfunction: The Impact On Social Interactions Among Preschoolers In An Integrated Early Childhood Setting, Kristin Hutton-Fay

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Parents and paraprofessionals have a limited ability to affect preschoolers positively with sensory integration dysfunction ability to socially integrate with their typically developing peers. Lack of professional development for the early childhood staff, limited parent education and support programs, and limited understanding of sensory integration are contributing factors which place preschoolers with sensory integration at risk for social skills deficits. This applied dissertation proposed to increase social interaction skills among preschoolers with sensory integration dysfunction in order to enhance their participation with typically developing peers in the integrated early childhood setting.

The writer used a parent education and support program …

Rank-Ordering Factors Influencing Integration Of Learning Technologies In Elementary School Classrooms, Eric Joseph

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to identify factors reported in the literature as influencing the integration of learning technologies in elementary school classrooms. Further, this study attempted to create an empirical rank ordering of factors influencing teachers' integration of these technologies into elementary classrooms using data collected from a sample of classroom teachers.

This applied dissertation used the mixed methods research design: Sequential exploratory case study approach. It consisted of 3 phases of data collection: qualitative-quantitative-qualitative data collection. A survey instrument was created using items from 5 pre-existent surveys. This was followed by a qualitative open-ended questionnaire that was …

Image Is Everything: An Analysis Of One Urban Middle School’S Culture And The Development Of A Plan For Change, Thelma B. Jackson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the process used by 1 urban middle school to understand and to improve the school’s image, internally and externally through the collaborative efforts of administrators, school leaders, and beginning teachers. Parent surveys, teacher surveys, and a variety of negative media coverage validated a concern regarding the school’s culture, ability to sustain change, the public’s lack of satisfaction, and the propensity to attract undesired media coverage. The major concern was the school’s inability to maintain a professional learning community that focused on student achievement, staff collaboration, and marketing successes, rather than failures.

The research …

Replication Of The Advancement Via Individual Determination (Avid) Program At Dent Middle School, Juanita K. Henry

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to replicate critical components of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program with selected at-risk students at Dent Middle School in Columbia, SC. Students were identified by risk factors of poor academic achievement, poor attendance, and lack of parental involvement. The program was designed to restructure teaching methodologies to improve students' success in college preparatory curricula.

Strategies included the following: (a) targeting students identified as average (between 2.0 and 3.25 grade point average with some exceptions) with academic potential; (b) enrolling students in a rigorous course of study with an emphasis on writing, inquiry, and …

Development Of A Marketing Plan For International Dual Degree Programs, Marla Friedman

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was that the NSU Law Center needed to create means other than the juris doctor program to stimulate enrollment. The creation of dual degree programs was conceived with the intent to draw prospective students to apply to the Law Center. The global economy created a need for a multi-cultural and multi-lingual pool of lawyers. International dual degree law programs allow students to earn a law degree in the United States and another country by studying at a foreign law school while they are enrolled at the U.S. law school.

The research questions that were addressed included: (a) “What …

Improving Analytical Writing Performance Of High School Freshman Social Studies Students Through Uniform Writing Standards, Kimberly Ann Juirdano

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the analytical writing performance of freshman students in their social studies classes. The field of social studies requires students to review documents and respond argumentatively to questions posed by their teachers. The freshman social studies teachers in this applied dissertation profess that freshman students had poor writing skills, and therefore were unable to effectively analyze and argue in written form.

In order to remedy the problem of poor analytical writing skills, freshman social studies teachers implemented interventions such as (a) the development and usage of a locally-constructed common rubric, (b) writing laboratories in …

The Prairie Peace Project: A Program Designed To Reduce Violence And Aggression In Middle School Students, Tony Poole

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to address the problem of violent and aggressive behavior among students in a large, urban/suburban middle school. Despite reductions in all other types of behavioral offenses at the school over a 2-year span, behaviors characterized as violent and aggressive increased, resulting in increased out-of-school suspensions.

The intervention, called the Prairie Peace Project, was a multifaceted approach to reduce student aggression and violence. The first component of the intervention was the implementation of a school-wide antiviolence campaign. Through the use of posters, video announcements, and awareness activities, students were presented with resources to enable them to …

Increasing Student Achievement In The Five Strands Of The Mathematics Portion Of The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Pamela B. Murphy

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The passing and implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 dramatically increased public awareness of accountability in U.S. public schools (S. Charp, 2003). State-mandated testing is now present in nearly 40 of the states. Florida educators have struggled to meet the demands of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). In 1998, the Florida A+ Accountability program, which assigns grades to elementary, middle, and high schools, was initiated. The standards-based accountability has forced administrators, teachers, and parents to search for practices that will increase student achievement.

This applied dissertation describes the practices put in place in one South …

Postsecondary Students’ Perceptions Of The Value Of Learning Communities In Distance Education, Lorraine Miller-Nara

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation examined and compared the perceptions of participants regarding learning communities in distance education. Specifically, it sought to determine how the development and implementation of distance education programs affected perceptions of the learning community among students in 3 different cultural groups: Micronesia, Russia, and the United States. The study sought to develop a deeper understanding of the elements and processes involved in creating virtual learning communities in distance education. It also sought to consider an even more basic question, namely, how relevant and important are learning communities to distance education?

This research study was survey based. Between May …

Development Of A Competency-Based Communication Curriculum With Plans For Evaluation And Implementation, Julie Morgan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was the curriculum in the Communication Program at Eastern University was not strategically integrated with core communication competencies and no program-wide assessments were available to determine if students in the Communication Program learned established core competencies. The purpose of this applied dissertation was to develop integrative learning objectives for each of the four concentrations and establish a process for evaluation of learning with plans for implementation.

There were four research questions for this project. First, in order to establish an integrated curriculum around the nine core competencies, What courses in each concentration should focus on which competency? Second, …

Un Programa Para Mejorar Los Servicios De Los Directores De Las Escuelas De Humanidades Y Negocios De La Universidad Católica Tecnológica Del Cibao, Hilda Pichardo

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación aplicada se realizó para mejorar la efectividad de los servicios de los directores. El problema planteado fue la baja calidad de los servicios de los directores de humanidades y negocios, manifestada en la insatisfacción de los agentes del proceso académico: estudiantes, profesores, directores departamentales, empleadores y egresados.

Para alcanzar el mejoramiento de los servicios de los directores se diseñó un programa de capacitación que se desarrolló en tres fases: (a) un diagnóstico situacional, detectando causas y consecuencias del problema; (b) un proceso de promoción y conducción del cambio para transformar la educación desde su gestión, y (c) un …

Attitudes Of Professors Toward Instructional Technology In American Colleges Of Education Offering Graduate Degrees Via Distance Education, James L. Mowery

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the attitudes of professors teaching advanced degrees via distance education towards the technology tools used for distance education. Today many courses taught via distance education are little more than correspondence courses that use e-mail to send and receive instruction, coursework, and tests. Should distance education attempt to replicate the face-to-face classroom or are simple chat rooms and discussion boards enough? This study provides a heretofore unresearched view of how selected professors feel about the technology.

A survey was conducted among a group of distance education professors from various colleges of education throughout the …

Age, Growth And The Annual Cycles Of Lipogenesis And Reproduction Of Acanthurus Bahianus In Southeastern Florida, Stacy M. Wolfe

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The ocean surgeon, Acanthurus bahianus, is a coral reef fish inhabiting the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic, including southeastern Florida. This study was a 23-month analysis of the reproductive cycle correlated with the annual build up and depletion of fat reserves in the fish. In addition, an age and growth analysis of this species was conducted. A total of 507 fish were analyzed for length, weight, gonad weight and fat body weight. 478 were aged by microscopic examination of the transverse section of the sagittae otolith. The von Bertalannfy growth equation was used to determine length at …