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Rain, Eco-Net

RAIN: Journal of Appropriate Technology

Volume 9, Number 3

Inside: The Bioregional Movement; Is There a Pothole in Your Future?; Investing in the Community

RAIN began in October 1974 as a publication of ECO-NET, an environmental education network funded by the Hill Foundation and an Environmental Education grant. Its office was based in the Environmental Education Center at Portland State University. With a focus on the Pacific Northwest, particularly Oregon, RAIN originally described itself as a “bulletin board” with an “emphasis on environmental/energy related and communications kinds of information” and interested in “the evolutionary possibilities of inter-disciplinary connections.”

Formation And Zonation Of Ferruginous Bauxite Deposits Of The Chapman Quadrangle, Oregon, Richard Charles Marty

Dissertations and Theses

Two major theories have been advanced to account for the scattered distribution of ferruginous bauxite deposits. Original workers proposed that ferruginous bauxite originally developed over all exposed Columbia River Basalt in western Oregon and was subsequently removed by erosion. Studies which followed have suggested that it may be locally favorable conditions, especially of drainage, which are responsible for deposit distribution. Field mapping in the Chapman Quadrangle shows a possible correlation between a series of sheared zones, which may have improved drainage, and the distribution of ferruginous bauxite deposits. Examination of the pisolitic zone ferruginous bauxite of the Chapman Quadrangle failed …

Portland State Perspective; Winter 1983, Portland State University

Portland State Perspective

A quarterly alumni newsletter. In this issue: a report on PSU's Center for Urban Studies impact on the city's growth; an interview with Nancy Edwards, a PSU alumn bringing business and social services together; and small businesses get PSU's help

Portland State Perspective; Summer 1983, Portland State University

Portland State Perspective

A quarterly alumni newsletter. In this issue: volunteer support 1982-1983

Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity And Their Perceived Relationships To Substitute Teaching Effectiveness, Castilla Jack Ryan

Dissertations and Theses

This research is an exploratory study of role conflict and role ambiguity and their relationships to effectiveness in the substitute teaching services. In many public school systems, large numbers of substitute teachers are assigned to a classroom on a daily basis when the regular teacher is absent. The assignment is usually done through a central administrative office. Substitutes are assigned with very short notice; and since their assignment is based on availability, they may be asked to teach a subject outside their certified field. In addition, the lesson plans left for the substitutes by regular teachers may be incomplete or …

Portland State Perspective; Fall 1983, Portland State University

Portland State Perspective

A quarterly alumni newsletter. In this issue: a report on the budget crisis; an interview with Donald McKayle, a Broadway director/choreographer; and an interview with the dean of PSU's School of Business Administration, Vergil V. Miller.

Portland State Perspective; Spring 1983, Portland State University

Portland State Perspective

A quarterly alumni newsletter. In this issue: Gandhian scholar David Newhall looks at the phenomenon; a profile of with David Kim, executive director of Holt International Children's Services; and a profile of Oscar Flores Fiol, Portland's Peruvian Consul.

An Exploratory Functional-Structural Analysis Of American Urban Traditional And Alternative Secondary Public Schools, Mary Ellen Sweeney

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the way traditional and alternative secondary public school organizations are structured to impact youths. Some studies have found that traditional secondary schools utilize inappropriate and outdated organizational elements and arrangements. Alternative schools with different organizational arrangements have been initiated in public school districts to institute school reform measures. The three goals of this study are to: (1) collate a large share of the literature on the function, social context and organizational characteristics of conventional and alternative secondary public school organizations, (2) explicate a theoretical framework or interrelated set of propositions of organizational principles regarding modern organizations, including …

Sex Differences In The Language Development Rates Of Two-Year Olds, Laurel A. Hickman

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the language development rate of male and female children, 24 to 30 months of age, during a three month time period.

'At The Greatest Personal Peril To The Photographer': The Schwatka-Haynes Winter Expedition In Yellowstone, 1887, William L. Lang

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Explorer Frederick Schwatka and photographer F. Jay Haynes led an expedition into Yellowstone National Park during January 1887, amid one of the worst winters in the northern Rocky Mountains. The party traveled by ski and snowshoe, but Schwatka suffered physical collapse and dropped out. Haynes and others continued through brutal weather at great personal peril and photographed the major geysers and scenic attractions. Includes biographical information on Schwatka and Haynes and photographs from the expedition.

A Study Of The Modification Of Teachers' Attitudes Toward The Hearing-Impaired Using Two Different Types Of Treatment Workshops, Anita Bell Mcclain

Dissertations and Theses

This experimental study grew out of the ideas gleaned from a review of literature which indicated that the attitudinal role of the classroom teacher serves as a model for students. A justification of the need to modify behaviors toward the hearing-impaired became apparent. The significance of effective workshop procedures could result in notable implications for school district planning and implementation of an in-service education plan. An experimental study was conducted to determine if teacher attitudes toward the hearing-impaired can be modified using two types of in-service workshops, passive versus active participation. Three groups of randomly selected regular classroom teachers at …

An Investigation Of The Reliability, Subscale Intercorrelations, And Validity Of The Administrator Role Perception Inventory, Anne Skirven Wax

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability, subscale intercorrelations, and validity of the Administrator Role Perception Inventory (ARPI), an instrument developed by the investigator and a co-author in the year preceding the study. The ARPI is a 50 item, Likert-type scale which reflects variables thought to be associated with burn-out: expectation, motivation, accomplishment, psycho-physical state, and relationships. Another variable, previously unresearched, was also included; it is the variable of "time" and reflects a negative time orientation, a longing for the "good old days." The inventory was mailed to all of the 2,113 active members of the Confederation …

A Descriptive Predictive Model For The Employment Of Computer-Based Management Information Systems For The Government Of A Developing Country: Case, Iran, Hossein Bidgoli

Dissertations and Theses

This study was undertaken to identify the most decisive variables in the successful employment of a Computer-Based Management Information System (CBMIS) in a developing country such as Iran. A descriptive model was designed. Using a series of predictive models, several dimensions of successful CBMIS employment were investigated. Data were collected via a questionnaire sent to 79 Iranian governmental computer installations. Questions posed by the study are: (1) Under what conditions should a developing country continue to operate manually? (2) If computerization is feasible, what should the acquisition criteria be? (3) What are the most important variables for optimum utilization of …

Institutional Environments As Perceived By The Faculty And Administrators At Six Small Liberal Arts Christian Colleges, Jeffrey Thomas Fouts

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the small liberal arts Christian colleges provide a distinctive environment apart from the traditional classifications of colleges and universities. The environments of the six sample colleges were assessed by administering the Institutional Functioning Inventory (IFI) to faculty and administrators. Statistically significant differences were found among the colleges on eight of the 11 environmental dimensions. However, it was concluded that the colleges constituted a relatively homogeneous group on all dimensions measured except Self-Study and Planning. Total sample means on the 11 scales of the IFI allowed for a generic description of 11 …

A Computer Decision Support System To Assist In Providing Equality Of Educational Opportunity, Porter Sexton

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation presented research by the author in the development of a computer Decision Support System (DSS) for assisting in providing equal educational opportunity in a public school district. The research process consisted of five major phases: (1) The support of a local school district was obtained, and, with the assistance of the superintendent, a task group of concerned administrators was assembled to assist in defining the needs and goals for the DSS. (2) A list of key variables was developed for inclusion in the support system. Data were gathered and stored for a preliminary version of the DSS. (3) …

Teacher Attitude Toward Composition Instruction At The Postsecondary Level: Identification And Formation, Jane B. Braunger

Dissertations and Theses

This study had two objectives: (1) to test the appropriateness of an existing instrument for attitude measurement with Oregon postsecondary writing teachers, and (2) to discover formative influences thus identified. Data were obtained by a questionnaire composed of the Scales for Measuring Teacher Attitudes toward Instruction in Written Composition (Schuessler et al., 1981), and additional original questions on training, demographics, and experience. The questionnaire was mailed to 122 composition teachers at 3 Oregon universities and 2 Oregon community colleges. Response rate was 80%. Additional information was provided by 6 respondents who participated in follow-up interviews. Factor analysis of scale item …

Global Awareness Of Administrators In Higher Education In The State Of Oregon, Elizabeth Marsh O'Malley

Dissertations and Theses

The development of worldmindedness is an educational objective endorsed by many prominent educators. How worldmindedness can be created and developed is a question acknowledged in much of the literature and needs to be answered if the world is to move toward a future of peace and understanding. Authorities agree that to prepare Americans for an interdependent world, the United States must incorporate global education into the nation's existing educational system. This task will require strong leadership on America's college campuses. Consequently, before an effective worldmindedness program can be established in institutions of higher learning, administrators' attitudes toward such a program …

Metropolitan School Administrators: Work Values, Role Perceptions And Burnout, Jacqueline Conner Waggoner

Dissertations and Theses

Data were collected from 388 administrators from ten urban and suburban school districts in Oregon and Washington to identify the work values of public school administrators, (as measured by the Ohio Work Values Inventory, OWVI), and determine the relationship between public school administrator role perceptions associated with burnout, (as measured by the Administrator Role Perception Inventory, ARPI), and their work values. The data were analyzed by levels of administration, background data and specific scales on the instruments. Cluster sampling by district was used; i.e. all administrators within each of ten school districts in Oregon and Washington comprised the initial sample …

Short-Term Wellness Program For A School Staff Comparing Levels Of Support, Wynferd Ray Chilton

Dissertations and Theses

This study conducted an experiment with 139 staff volunteers from a suburban school district (K-12) who participated in an eight-week program of exercise, nutritional practices, and stress control measures. All participants were pretested and posttested for mental well-being and physical fitness. Two treatment groups set goals, wrote contracts, and met weekly to hear speakers and share experiences, and made weekly reports to a director of the project. One treatment group was provided with leaders who organized supporting activities; the other treatment group was divided into support groups without leaders. A third group was composed of individuals who did not participate …

A Rhetoric Of Movements: A Dramatistic Analysis Of The Open Convention Movement, Gunnar Neil Farevaag

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the rhetorical strategies of the Open Convention Movement, a conglomerate of political mavericks who arose during the Democratic Presidential primary campaign of 1980. It consisted of both supporters and antagonists of incumbent President Jimmy Carter, primarily because of opposition to a proposed rule which would have required delegates to the Democratic National Convention to vote, on the first ballot, for the presidential candidate whom they represented in their state-wide primaries.

Toward A Behavioral Analysis Of Attentiveness As A Style Of Communication, Ray Alan Coker

Dissertations and Theses

Attentiveness, a variable of communication, primarily serves a stylistic function in the communicative process by providing behavioral evidence that an individual is actively involved in message reception. Past research suggests that while both verbal and nonverbal behaviors signal attentiveness, nonverbal cues are more closely associated with this construct. Among the many nonverbal behaviors of individuals in interactions, postural positions have been deemed highly indicative of attentiveness. At present however, most of the empirical evidence attesting to this notion has been established through the use of self-report measures. As a result of the felt need by this author to improve upon …

Pragmatic Conversational Skills Of Young Adults In Normal, Emr, And Tmr Classrooms, Jane Nicholson

Dissertations and Theses

Current language theory focuses on how a person communicates within a context (Bates, 1976a). A person's communicative competence depends on how effectively she translates her cognitive and social knowledge into linguistic forms to interact in the specific situation, following pragmatic rules (Prutting, 1982b). Thus, in order to assess a person's language ability accurately, the clinician needs to assess pragmatic skills as well as cognitive, social, and linguistic skills. A person's pragmatic development culminates in the ability to participate in a conversation (Rees, 1978).

Preliminary Study : The Effects Of Instrumentation On The Air Intake Times Of The Esophageal Speaker, Sandra I. Pasak Neuburger

Dissertations and Theses

This research examined the use of visual feedback provided by electronic instrumentation to reduce air intake times of esophageal speakers during speech management. The subjects were six esophageal speakers from the Portland Metropolitan area. Three subjects made up the experimental group and three were placed in the control group. Prototype instrumentation was used to measure air intake times and give visual feedback to the experimental group during twelve sessions of speech management. The control group participated in traditional speech management procedures to reduce air intake times without benefit of instrumentation. Rate of improvement was measured using the prototype instrumentation without …

Adult Oral Diadochokinesis Rates : Preliminary Normative Data, Carol Kafton-Minkel

Dissertations and Theses

In the clinical evaluation and management of speech disorders, a speech-language pathologist may observe disturbances in a client's motor abilities that suggest possible neurological dysfunction. One possible disturbance is in oral diadochokinesis (DIO), an individual's ability to start and stop the movement of the articulators rapidly and execute repetitive, alternating, sequential movements typically associated with speech articulation. It is often recommended that a speech-language pathologist test DIO speed and compare the performance to available norms. There is, however, a lack of normative DIO data spanning all ages of adulthood. The purpose of this study was to develop preliminary normative data …

Pragmatic Deficits In Normal, Articulation Disordered, And Language Delayed Samples, Karen Jean Lucas

Dissertations and Theses

The purposes of this investigation were to identify, via the Pragmatic Protocol, the incidence of pragmatic disorders within public school articulation and language caseloads and a control group of normal students and to specify the pragmatic areas, i.e., utterance propositional, and/or illocutionary/perlocutionary act categories in which deficits occur.

Toward A Phenomenological-Based Perspective Of Acculturation With Application To Scottish Immigrants, Dorothy M. Sermol

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is an attempt to construct a perspective of the acculturation of immigrants drawing on certain communication- based phenomenological assumptions. From these phenomenological assumptions a Framework of Acculturation is constructed as a guide through which to examine the acculturation process. The Framework of Acculturation is then applied to the particular group of Scottish immigrants who live in the Northwest of the United States.

The Placement Information Base: Its Utility And Meaning For Nursing Home Placement Decisions, Darlene Schroedl Mckenzie

Dissertations and Theses

The State of Oregon is using the Placement Information Base, PIB, as part of an assessment process to determine the type of placement needed by Medicaid clients. While used for functional assessment, PIB has not been empirically studied for its use as a screening or predictive instrument to differentiate between the need for nursing home care and community care. This dissertation addresses the question of whether PIB is suitable for use as a screening instrument for nursing home placement decisions. Both PIB's measurement and predictive capabilities are examined. Using secondary PIB data on 2287 elderly Department of Human Resources clients, …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet January 1983, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The January 1983 Monthly packet includes the January agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held December 1982.

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Ordinary Prose And Left-Hand Right-Hand Practice Upon The Development Of Keystroking Skills, Bonnie Sue Smith

Dissertations and Theses

The problem of this study was to compare the effects of Prose practice, Left-hand/right-hand Equal practice, and Left-hand/right-hand Prescribed practice on the development of stroking skills of students enrolled in beginning typewriting classes. In addition, the effects of the practices were examined for subjects with high and low initial straight-copy abilities. The 260 subjects in the study represented 12 classes from three high schools in rural, southeastern Minnesota during first semester, 1982-1983. Pretest and posttest measures of straight-copy, left-hand, and right-hand stroking skills were obtained by the administration of two different three-minute straight-copy, three different one-minute left-hand, and three different …

Psychometric Properties Of The Group Process Questionnaire, Lucia Igou Eakins

Dissertations and Theses

The Group Process Questionnaire (GPQ), a 55-item rating scale, was developed by Richard Wollert in 1981 to assess perceptions of the frequency of processes occurring in self-help groups (SHGs). The GPQ was first employed by Wollert, Eakins, and Dixon (Note 1) as the primary data collection instrument in an ongoing investigation of urban SHGs. This investigation is one of a small number of empirical studies which have attempted to specify the range of SHG activities. Due to the relatively recent emergence of SHGs as topics of research, and the unique obstacles to research presented by the independent character of these …