Digital Commons Network^™

Expected And Existing Competencies Of External Industry Trainers In The Human Resource Development Field, Julia M. Zachmann

Dissertations and Theses

In the field of Human Resource Development, high standards of professionalism are needed to increase the commitment to training, especially from the side of management. This study focused on external training deliverers, and investigated different perspectives concerning their competencies. The expectations (E) of core competencies of excellent external trainers had been identified and were compared to the actual performance (P) of external trainers in a specific company. Ratings were gathered from four different perspectives, the trainees and clients (supervisors of trainees) of recent training events (consumers) and HRD managers and external trainers (marketers).

The rationale for the study was a …

Achieving Cochannel Interference Objectives Over Selected Topologies In The Portland Oregon Cellular Network, David A. Wand

Dissertations and Theses

Wireless cellular mobile communications is a rapidly growing global technology which places increasing demands on a limited electromagnetic radio frequency spectrum. However, in North America only a 25 MHz block of spectrum has been allocated to each of two service providers. This must be utilized for all services offered within their assigned market.

The wireless cellular link from the mobile or portable phone to terrestrial base stations utilize this limited frequency spectrum. This is divided into 416 two-way channels, each 30 kHz in width, a subset of which is assigned to each base station. As more base stations are constructed, …

Esl Cd-Rom Principles And Their Application: A Software Evaluation, Stephanie Burgi Lamonica

Dissertations and Theses

CD-ROM applications within the past 5 years have aided the availability of Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) on a mass consumer level. This study assesses how the instructional design of commercial CALL English as a Second Language (ESL) CD-ROM materials make up for the lack of a human instructional component. The framework within which the evaluation takes place is communicatively based. Using a tool developed specifically for the study, 8 software from 6 companies were systematically evaluated. The 3-step process followed in the evaluation makes concessions for student, instructional designer, and instructor needs. Research questions address how the areas of …

Preternatural Rhythm: A Vernacular Application Of The Systemic Grid With Respect To The Influence Of Organic Processes, Mark Richardson Smith

Dissertations and Theses

The practice of Systemic Art was first introduced under the pretext of Minimal/Conceptual art processes in the 1960s, which incorporated the presentation of empty gridded armatures and self-referential charts, (termed non-relational arrangement) as a means of democratizing esthetic content. Systemic objects stressed industrial fabrication and materials m their manufacture over traditional notions of individualized craft, with the intent to demystify the role of the artist in the creative process. For those reasons, systemic practice has remained highly influential among artists concerned with the public context of aesthetics, although its recent applications have gravitated towards incorporation of disparate materials and …

A Comparison Of Parent Interview And Direct Assessment Of Receptive Language In Preschool-Aged Children With Cerebral Palsy, Susan Kathleen Livick

Dissertations and Theses

Cerebral palsy is a multiply handicapping condition which may affect motor skills, hearing, sight, speech and cognitive functioning. Assessment instruments which do not rely on an intact sensory and motor system are needed for use with the population with cerebral palsy in order to obtain valid information regarding levels of functioning. The information obtained from the results of modified assessment instruments can be used to plan and implement intervention at the child's current level of functioning.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether or not parent interview/report is a reliable means of assessing receptive communication skills in …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet June 1997, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The June 1997 Monthly packet includes the June agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held May 1997.

Gross Estimation: A Study Of The Clinical Validity For Measuring Intelligibility, Heather Gail Clarke

Dissertations and Theses

Intelligibility is the most fundamental factor for successful speech communication. Measurements of speech intelligibility carry important clinical consequences that relate to description of severity, need for intervention, intervention goals, service delivery options, and treatment efficacy. It is important, therefore, that speech-language pathologists use an approach that reflects an accurate and valid measure of intelligibility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the two seemingly most common procedures used by practicing speech-language pathologists for measuring speech intelligibility: the gross estimation of intelligibility procedure, and the orthographic transcription procedure. Twelve 100-word connected speech samples were analyzed by 4 …

Review Of The United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Technical Assistance Grant Program, Robert Leslie Annear, Scott A. Wells, Shuguang Li, Marvin Beeson, Michael L. Cummings, Richard Pratt

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The EPA Technical Assistance Grant Program has been around for several years, but there are not many examples of its use in the Pacific Northwest from which citizens can learn from when considering applying for a Technical Assistance Grant. The EPA program is designed to provide citizens with technical assistance in understanding the issues related to a Superfund site (or proposed Superfund site) in their community. This report provides an overview of the Technical Assistance Grant Program with information on applying for the grant, selecting a Technical Advisor and managing the grant. Additionally two case studies are reviewed in order …

Opening Doors: Culture Learning And Conversational Narratives With First Generation Hmong Refugee Women, Lucy Vincent Kimbro

Dissertations and Theses

The life experiences of two first generation Hmong refugee women form the basis of this study. Through loosely structured but guided interviews, memories of their lives in Laos and in refugee camps in Thailand, as well as their perspectives, feelings, and opinions about current aspects of their lives, the effects of American culture on their family; and their engagement in the language and culture learning process are explored.

An examination of the involvement of Hmong women in research and ethnographic accounts concerning Hmong culture, history, and experience, show that Hmong women's perspectives have often been overlooked or disregarded. One purpose …

A Toolkit For Specializing Production Operating System Code, Crispin Cowan, Dylan Mcnamee, Andrew P. Black, Calton Pu, Jonathan Walpole, Charles Krasic, Perry Wagle, Qian Zhang

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Specialization has been recognized as a powerful technique for optimizing operating systems. However, specialization has not been broadly applied beyond the research community because the current techniques, based on manual specialization, are time-consuming and error-prone. This paper describes a specialization toolkit that should help broaden the applicability of specializing operating systems by assisting in the automatic generation of specialized code, and {\em guarding} the specialized code to ensure the specialized system continues to be correct. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the toolkit by describing experiences we have had applying it in real, production environments. We report on our experiences with …

The Periphyton Community Of A Second Order Subalpine Stream Following Salmon Carcass Decomposition, Jonathan Micheal Honea

Dissertations and Theses

To protect and manage Pacific Northwest salmonid stocks, sound management programs must be developed that incorporate knowledge of the ecological processes critical to their survival. One such process is the nutrient dynamic in headwater spawning streams. It is essential that we understand the trophic relationships among the spawners, the I to 3 year-old juveniles, the invertebrates, and the primary producers in these streams.

The hypothesis that I tested is that photoautotrophic production increases due to the decomposition of salmon carcasses. Increased primary production would stimulate the production of invertebrates which are an important food resource of juvenile salmonid species. The …

A Study Of The Level Of Knowledge Of Adult Foster Care Home Providers In Multnomah County In The State Of Oregon About Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids And Communication Strategies, Marsha Peters Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

The level of knowledge about hearing aid use, function, and maintenance of caregivers of the elderly persons who are hearing impaired and residing in adult foster care homes in Multnomah County in the state of Oregon was assessed via a 1 7 question survey. Twenty subjects participated in the study. Subjects' responses demonstrated poor knowledge about this subject and indicated that residents' needs are unmet. The results clearly demonstrate the subjects' limited knowledge of the operation of hearing aids, poor grasp of the basic troubleshooting methods for repair, and inaccurate perceptions of hearing aid adjustment. Access to professional audiologic care …

Comparison Of Intelligibility Estimation And Orthographic Transcription Methods By Preprofessional Speech-Language Pathologists, Kristi M. Mowe

Dissertations and Theses

When the fundamental means of communications is speech, the main component for successful communication is intelligibility. The speech of children with disordered phonologies is often unintelligible; therefore, accurate and reliable methods of measuring intelligibility are essential when determining eligibility, and in selecting and providing appropriate treatment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the percentage estimation method and the orthographic transcription method when measuring speech intelligibility by preprofessional listeners. For this study, the standard measurement of intelligibility was defined as the percentage of words understood in a continuous speech sample derived from orthographic transcription of the …

Temporal Characteristics Of Fluent Speech In The Stuttered Utterances Of Children, Dixon Ira Kirsch

Dissertations and Theses

Studies investigating the stuttered speech of children are fewer in number as compared to those exploring adult dysfluency. This is notable as the features that characterize child stuttering are generally thought to be significantly different from those that describe advanced stuttering. Clinical intervention programs currently use timing-based interventions as one means of treating stuttering. As such, acoustic data describing the timing disorder is critical to determining the efficacy of these programs for both children and adults. The present study investigated the difference in duration (in msec) between words of stuttered and nonstuttered utterances of children. The words immediately before and …

The Poetics Of John Keats In "The Fall Of Hyperion, A Dream", Amy A. Zenger

Dissertations and Theses

The Hyperion poems are Keats's epics. Like Wordsworth in The Excursion, in these poems Keats attempts to write an epic of the unexplored regions of the human mind. Unlike Wordsworth, however, Keats uses the narrative vocabulary of Hellenic myth--a vocabulary already at hand--but alters it to suit his own purposes. As they are concerned with the mind, these poems deal with the same issues that characterize contemporary debates about the relation of mind to language, issues that illuminate what these poems are about as much as they illuminate Keats's own use of language and theory of poetry.

This essay …

Meeting Notes 1997-05-08 [Part A] , Joint Policy Advisory Committee On Transportation

Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation

No abstract provided.

Ethnography Of Communication As On Organizational Communication Assessment Tool: A Test Of The Method, Francisca Inez Trujillo-Dalbey

Dissertations and Theses

Professional organizational consultants and researchers performing organizational communication assessments with non-profit boards of directors have few tools available to them and many of these tools under emphasize the centrality of communication and overlook the power-asdomination (Mumby, 1994) issues present in organizations. This study tested the ethnography of communication (Hymes, 1972) as an organizational communication assessment tool with a board of directors of a non-profit organization in Oregon and examined the results by employing Mumby's (1994) construct, thereby conducting a critical ethnography of communication.

This study offers important insights into boards of directors of nonprofit organizations and has important implications for …

The Impact Of Theories Of Dialogic Epistemology On Composition Theory And Pedagogy, Kandy Sue Robertson

Dissertations and Theses

Dialogic epistemological theory dramatically changes traditional concepts of composition theory and pedagogy in several ways. First, it changes our understanding of the ways in which human beings acquire knowledge. By suggesting that the cognitive environment is dialogic, a product of consensus, rather than isolated within the individual, we come to understand knowledge as a product of experience and interpretation rather than a fixed quantity waiting to be discovered.

Second, dialogic epistemology had changed our concept of the way in which classrooms are configured as well as the ways in which they function. The notion of learning through dialogue facilitates collaboration …

Japanese Intelligibility And Comprehensibility Assessments Of Different English Accents, David Michael Levin

Dissertations and Theses

As the result of historical events and the adaptive nature of the language itself, English is generally accepted today as the world's international language. While various countries have adapted the English language to serve their own specific needs, the question of whether or not the changes made to English in these countries, for example phonological, will still enable the language to be intelligible in the international arena. If English is to be the de facto world language, then international intelligibility should be an important goal.

For this research, 211 Japanese university students were asked to assess the intelligibility and comprehensibility …

A Lay Theory Of Relational Satisfaction With Best Friends In Japan, Eriko Maeda

Dissertations and Theses

Using a total of 529 Japanese college students (275 females, 254 males) living in Japan, the present study employed five sequential stages. First, it explored Japanese people's beliefs about relational satisfaction with best friends and the organization of these beliefs. In order to explore these beliefs and their organization, this study replicated Cole and Bradac's (1994) study of a lay theory of relational satisfaction with best friends, which focused on people from the United States. The study then examined similarities and differences of Japanese beliefs and organization of the beliefs with those of the U.S. Lastly, the study investigated Japanese …

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: President Judith Ramaley’s legacy for PSU is one of innovation through teamwork and a renewed sense of pride; four alums had what it takes to start high-tech companies and become members of the digital elite; novelist Molly Gloss ’66 has turned her richly crafter writing to the mysteries of utopia; outstanding productions and virtuoso grads make the Opera Program a starred attraction; and more.

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet May 1997, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The May 1997 Monthly packet includes the May agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held April 1997.

The Generalization Of Stridency From Treated To Untreated Misarticulated Phonemes, Kathleen Ann Ozanich

Dissertations and Theses

This single-subject study was developed to investigate the potential of treating one misarticulated strident phoneme to induce generalization to other misarticulated strident phonemes. One male, age 4 years 4 months, was trained on /s/ in words. A training program, modified from the Hodson and Paden (1991) phonological cycling approach, was used. Two untreated phonemes from separate and distinct sound classes were monitored as control sounds for across-feature class change. A total of 24 treatment sessions of 50 minutes each were provided. The results from the pretest and posttest showed an increase of 51% correct stridency production for all untreated stridents …

Analysis Of Rhetorical Organization And Style Patterns In Korean And American Business Fax Letters Of Complaint In English, Mi Young Park

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to find out if Korean and American business people use different rhetorical patterns in business writing, and if so, how these patterns differ. Specifically, this study examined rhetorical organization and style patterns of Korean and American business letter writing in English to determine differences.

The data used in this study consisted exclusively of fax transmitted business letters of complaint written in English obtained from seven companies in Korea. The sample consisted of seven letters written by American business people and fourteen by Korean business people. They were analyzed according to a predetermined set of …

Predictable File Access Latency For Multimedia, Dan Revel, Crispin Cowan, Dylan Mcnamee, Calton Pu, Jonathan Walpole

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multimedia applications are sensitive to I/O latency and jitter when accessing data in secondary storage. Transparent adaptive prefetching (TAP) uses software feedback to provide multimedia applications with file system quality of service (QoS) guarantees. We are investigating how QoS requirements can be communicated and how they can be met by adaptive resource management. A preliminary test of adaptive prefetching is presented.

Images Of Women In Abdelhak Serhane's Le Soliel Des Obscurs, Wendy Grace Cook

Dissertations and Theses

Current trends in North African francophone literature include a movement towards the exploration of alienation and exile, most often in the form of novels written about Maghrebian immigrants in Europe. Yet this alienation exists within the North African context as well, and it is possible to feel alienated and exiled, as well as marginalized, within one's homeland. This question is explored by Moroccan francophone author Abdelhak Serhane in his novel, Le Soleil des obscurs, which is the focus of this study.

The purpose of the research is to examine the four principle female characters in the novel and relate …

Meeting Notes 1997-04-10 , Joint Policy Advisory Committee On Transportation

Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation

No abstract provided.

Connecting Curriculum Content With Community Service: Guidelines For Student Reflection, Dilafruz R. Williams, Amy Driscoll

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

As faculty embrace community service as part of the teaching/learning process, most often they simultaneously adopt reflection as a critical component of that process. In fact, the most commonly accepted and used approach to facilitate the conceptual connections of service learning is reflection (Stanton 1991). In other words, students must be asked to reflect if we want them to connect the academic content of our courses with the community experience in which they are engaged. Reflection is a process of thoughtful self analysis directed to the development of awareness and attitudes. It has been used to describe a cognitive process …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet April 1997, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The April 1997 Monthly packet includes the April agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held March 1997.

Rethinking Appropriateness: A Look At Hegemonic Ideals As Related To Perceived Communication Competence In Women, Kristi L. Meade

Dissertations and Theses

The author argues that the hegemonically-constructed criteria of "appropriateness," as related to communication competence, is not palatable or functional for female communicators much of the time for it serves a social milieu which marginalizes women. Spitzberg and Duran (1993) state, "appropriateness seems spring loaded towards the status quo'' and may work against the interests of certain groups. In this paper, the author attempts to illuminate evidence of power imbalances covertly imbedded in the ideologically complex determination of appropriateness as a central criteria for communication competence in women. Competence theory is problematic and must be re-evaluated: it is contradictory and confusing, …