Digital Commons Network^™

Volume 49, Number 26: February 15, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 49, Number 25: February 08, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Ending Homeiessness In The U.S.: Lessons Learned From The Veterans Affairs Five-Year Campaign, Amanda Higginbotham

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Volume 49, Number 24: February 01, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 49, Number 23: January 25, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 49, Number 22: January 18, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 49, Number 21: January 11, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

A Visitor's Guide To North Dakota: Poems, Thomas Edward Caraway

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a poetry manuscript which explores the author's understanding of the North Dakota landscape. Upon arriving in North Dakota from the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, the author experienced profound disorientation, which he was unable to understand through a poetic sensibility that had been formed in the mountains and forests of his previous home. Absent his familiar vocabulary of imagery and metaphor, he had to adapt his language. In doing so, he discovered a landscape of terrible beauty, absence, and resilient people, who weather winters and disasters alike, with hard stoicism. The poems are characterized by an expansive …

Finding Your Home In A Book: Sociocultural Influences On Literacy Learning In A Rural School, Rachael J. Enger Waller

Theses and Dissertations

In a rural community there is a risk that readers Will not find connections to their own lives, which may affect the pleasure gained from reading. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the use of literature in a small rural elementary school, focusing on how sociocultural factors affect how students connect to and access literature. The study is situated in three theories that help explain how students' prior experiences affect connecting with text. These are Bronfenbrenner's Human Ecology Model, sociocultural theory, and schema theory. The research questions are: 1. How are children living in a rural environment …

Humor In The Classroom: Predicted Outcome Values, Motivation, And Student Learning, Pete Koprince

Theses and Dissertations

While some research has been conducted examining the use of humor in the classroom in terms of how it is perceived or how it affects perceptions of an instructor, communication research has not yet explored how this use of humor can influence students in several tangible ways. These range from student's interest towards the class or the anxiety they feel about taking it. This research explored the use of appropriate humor in the classroom by instructors and its subsequent effects on student evaluations of their perceived interest and motivation in, and their anxiety for, a hypothetical college course. Research involved …

Spiritual Economies: Redemptive Violence, The Body And Social Care, Perry W. Benson

Theses and Dissertations

“Spiritual Economies” asserts that the emancipatory drive in international social care to integrate spirituality and religion in culturally sensitive practice, is much needed given the demographic and social changes engendered by globalization. Ethical codes guiding the practice of international social care, furthermore, have mandated that spiritual and religious beliefs are an important part of cultural diversity. An extensive examination and analysis of the discourse on the integration of religion and spirituality in the predominantly secular social services, however, yielded a number of concerns among international social care scholars and practitioners regarding the inclusion of religion due to the potential for …

The Impact Of Resiliency And Biculturalism On Subjective Well Being In A Northern Plains American Indian Tribe, Paula Maureen Carter

Theses and Dissertations

For generations American Indians struggled with the burden of historical trauma. Despite this trauma, American Indian people have survived and many flourish. With the majority of American Indian research focusing on deficits in this population it is difficult to gain a perspective that positive, strength-based factors may contribute to this cultural survival. The intent of this study is to present evidence for the position that resiliency exists in this population and that the resilience is directly related to acculturation, specifically a bicultural orientation. Further, subjective well-being is impacted by resiliency and biculturalism. Participants from a Northern Plains Ojibwa tribe completed …

Intercultural Communication Competence Among Long-Duration Spaceflight Crew: Implications For Moon, Mars And Beyond, Pratibha Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Intercultural studies have established that communication misunderstandings and breakdowns are inevitable when people from different cultures interact in a multicultural environment. This dissertation study examined intercultural issues among long-duration spaceflight (LDSF) crew interactions, by using the theoretical framework of intercultural communication competence (ICC) theory. Specifically, it analyzed 71 oral histories from the Shuttle-Mir project, live interviews of American astronauts, and 71 journals written by astronauts on the International Space Station. The study employed a deductive qualitative content analysis method, supported by descriptive statistics. It posed three research questions: RQ 1: What are the documented instances of intercultural communication competence in …

Volume 49, Number 20: January 04, 2012, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

The Saga Continues – Trying To Find A Balance In Cercla's Prp Liability Suits, Scott P. Brand

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Valor: Money, Medals, And Military Labor, Mateo Taussig-Rubbo

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Life Span Development: Childhood, Adolescence, And Adulthood, Cindy L. Juntunen, Stephanie San Miguel Bauman

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

This chapter examines human development in the context of multiple identities. It begins with an exploration of the complexity of human development through the lens of ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1977; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), as augmented by multicultural and feminist psychology (Gilligan, 1982, 1996; Hurtado, 2010; Neville & Mobley, 2001; Yakushko, Davidson, & Williams, 2009). The roles of resilience and empowerment in development are then presented in the context of social identities. The remainder of the chapter explores important developmental concerns across the life span, including physical, emotional, social, and cognitive and academic/vocational development. Across each of these life …

Nursing Student Attitudes Toward Oncology Nursing :An Evidence-Based Literature Review, Sarah R. Komprood

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The North Dakota United States Attorney's Office's Anti-Violence Strategy For Tribal Communities: Working To Make Reservations Safer Through Enforcement, Crime Prevention And Offender Reentry Programs, Timothy Q. Purdon

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Role Transitioning For Athletes Coping With Injury And Occupational Loss, Steven L. Huft, Izaak P. Schafer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop an occupational therapy based intervention program for persons who are experiencing changes in their role as athletes. These transitions may include return to sport following an injury, unanticipated retirement from sport, or anticipated retirement from sport.

Methods: A thorough literature search and review was conducted using the following research databases: CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed, and PsycINFO. Evidence from the occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training and psychology professions was reviewed regarding the prevalence of injury in varying sports contexts, athletes’ ability to transition during role changes or interruption, injury rehabilitation, …

Caring For Individuals With Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (Fop): A Treatment Manual For Occupational Therapists, Amanda Rositas, Kathryn Zavoral

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva is a rare and disabling genetic disorder that results in ossification of the soft tissues (Kaplan, Xu, et al., 2008; Kocyigit, Hizil, Hemis, Sabah, & Memis, 2001). There is a lack of research and literature on therapeutic intervention for those with a diagnosis of FOP. However, occupational therapists (OTs) can help those with FOP increase their quality of life through enhancement of activities of daily living (Kaplan, Le Merrer, et al., 2008). Overall, this product will serve as a guide for occupational therapists working with individuals diagnosed with FOP. The benefits of this product will be determined …

Assessing The Biophysical Naturalness Of Grassland In Eastern North Dakota With Hyperspectral Imagery, Qiang Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, non-native species within grassland communities have quickly developed due to human migration and commerce. Invasive species like Smooth Brome grass (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky Blue Grass (Poa pratensis), seriously threaten conservation of native grasslands. This study aims to discriminate between native grasslands and planted hayfields and conservation areas dominated by introduced grasses using hyperspectral imagery.

Hyperspectral imageries from the Hyperion sensor on EO-1 were acquired in late spring and late summer on 2009 and 2010. Field spectra for widely distributed species as well as smooth brome grass and Kentucky blue grass were collected from the …

No Halos For Sex Offenders: An Examination Of The Effects Of Appearance And Gender On The Perception Of Sex Offenders, Adam Charles Austin

Theses and Dissertations

For the last couple of decades, sex offenders have been stereotyped into being strangers to the victim and "dirty old men." However, recent research has shown that the public is no longer endorsing those stereotypes (Fuselier, Durham, & Wurtele, 2002; Levenson, Brannon, Fortney, & Baker, 2007). Instead the public is realizing that there is no stereotypical sex offender and most victims of sex offenses know their assailant to some degree. The purpose of the current study is to look at the judgments made about a teacher being accused of criminal sexual contact with a student, where gender and attractiveness of …

Rhetorical Agency And Survivance: American Indians In College Composition, Rebecca Lynn Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian writers in college have a distinct cultural background related to rhetorical agency and language. Particularly for Indian students who grew up on reservations, the effects of official federal policies regarding the use of English for assimilation remain significant. However, in writing classes, we have an opportunity to reverse course and to specifically teach toward what Scott Lyons calls rhetorical sovereignty.

In this project, four American Indian college students demonstrate agency with writing. All four students grew up on federal Indian reservations (Standing Rock and White Earth), and at the time of this study, were enrolled in their first …

The Process Of Writing "Wind", A Play Inspired By An Actual Event, Matthew J. Hegdahl

Theses and Dissertations

In August of 2007, the Klondike Wind Farm suffered a catastrophic failure of a wind turbine that killed one man and injured another. This accident was the first of its kind in the United States and is the inspiration for the original play "Wind". This thesis will describe the aspects of the Klondike Accident, as well as the personal experiences, that aided in the development of the original play.

Study On Underground Coal Gasification Combined Cycle Coupled With On-Site Carbon Capture And Storage, Peng Pei

Theses and Dissertations

The North Dakota portion of the Williston basin holds huge, but economically unmineable lignite resources in the Fort Union formation. A technology coupling the underground coal gasification with carbon capture and storage (UCG-CCS) is proposed in this study to recover these lignite resources in North Dakota. The UCG-CCS system provides a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach to convert the lignite to electricity and beneficially utilize the by-product of CO2 at the same time. The target coal seam is the Harmon lignite in the Fort Union formation in western North Dakota. The main objectives of this study are to set up the …

Video Game Engagement And Pathology: Relationships Between Gaming Habits And Gaming Experience, Psychopathology, And Personality Variables, John Adam Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

With the rise in video game play, many experts have become concerned about negative consequences from game play, such as aggression, decreased academic performance, and even addiction. It has been very difficult to establish criteria for video game addiction or even to distinguish addicted gamers from recreational gamers. This relates to considerable conceptual overlap between the concepts of addiction and that of engagement or flow. Using multiple online questionnaires, this thesis examines the relationships between video game play habits over the life span, acute psychopathology, personality factors, and positive outcomes. Results indicate that the experience of flow during game play …

Secondary Athletic Administrators' Perceptions Of Title Ix Policy Changes, Gabriel Grawe Dahl

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate North Dakota's Normal Competitive Region (NDNCR) high school athletic administrators' perceptions of 2010 Title IX policy changes respective to their athletic programs. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to investigate the perceptions. Quantitatively, perception data were gathered from a survey (agreement and disagreement to statements on a six-point Likert scale, ranking, and choosing from a list of sports added) and analyzed in order to understand the perceived impact of the 2010 Title IX changes as well as the overall understanding of Title IX. Qualitatively, data from an open-ended survey question were interpreted …

Tools For School: Student Fluency And Perception Of Cell Phones Used For Learning, Mary Beth Humble-Thaden

Theses and Dissertations

Technology is changing the way society interacts, communicates, collaborates, and learns. Improved cell phone capabilities and an ever increasing amount of cell phone applications allow individuals to connect globally and afford almost instantaneous access to information inside and outside the classroom. The majority of students today possesses and uses cell phones and cell phone technology in most every aspect of their daily lives. Most schools enforce current policies banning cell phone use within classrooms during the school day.

The purpose of this study was to investigate current high school junior and senior academic standing students' mobile cell phone technology use, …

Multisexual Identities And Mental Health: Mitigating Factors Of Minority Stress, Kimberly Marie Jorgensen

Theses and Dissertations

Much of the current literature about sexual minorities examines the experiences of lesbian- and gay-identified individuals. The current study was designed to facilitate increased understanding of sexuality for people who have multi-gendered attractions and sexual identities (e.g., bisexual, queer). This work extends beyond discrete binary categories and labels for sexual orientation, such as straight, gay, and lesbian. In the current examination of this expanded category, labeled as multisexual, it becomes important to shift not only the conceptualization of sexual orientation but also the nature of minority stress, from examining homophobia and heterosexism, to biphobia and monosexism. Under circumstances when an …