Digital Commons Network^™

Vocabulary Development With Instructional Coaching Support, Jessica L. Swaab

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review was to examine the importance of vocabulary development among kindergarten students, identify risk factors that effect vocabulary development, recognize developmentally appropriate practices, identify best practices and interventions to promote student growth, and determine if support from an instructional coach benefits the classroom teacher's pedagogy. Various research articles were collected and analyzed in order to find methods for closing the language gap as well as to change instruction that challenges students to reach their optimal vocabulary development range. Aside from socioeconomic status, there are several risk factors that affect vocabulary development, including age, cultural backgrounds, …

Behavior Management Methods, Procedures, Strategies, And Resources For Camp Adventure Child And Youth Services, Shannon Nichole Betzer

Graduate Research Papers

The Child and Youth Services (CYS) programs strive to provide the best possible care based on standards for the children and youth they serve. Behavior management is an essential element in the success of programs and services offered during various play environments. Such environments are perceived to be essential to the positive and healthy growth and development of children and youth (Biddle, Garcia-Nevarez, Henderson, & Valero-Kerrick, 2013). The utilization of behavior management resources in the Camp Adventure Child and Youth Services (CACYS) program will serve as a tool for staff needing to incorporate a broader range of strategies to implement …

Effects Of Role-Goal Methods On Student Engagement: A Case Study, Zachariah John Lillquist

Honors Program Theses

As a pre-service teacher, areas of focus that I have found to be incredibly intriguing are student motivation and student engagement. How educators motivate their students in their respective classrooms is something that has always been of interest to me. Many topics, including science – my field of teaching – are often remembered by students as the class they disliked the most or the one with the poor teacher. This could be due to a number of factors; it may be the style of teaching, the methodology of teaching, the age of the teacher, the curriculum itself, etc. The list …

Lessons From "The Fleet": Improving Organizational Leadership Based On Prairie Lakes Church Practices Through Fictional Narrative, Christopher Huling

Honors Program Theses

Prairie Lakes Church (PLC) is a religious institution with a rich history within the Cedar Valley. The church’s origins date back to 1854, only one year after Cedar Falls was incorporated. Throughout the years there have been many changes to the organization, including their name, location, and the population served. Many of the more radical changes have occurred during the last decade. In 2006, Prairie Lakes Church had a single location with roughly twenty staff and a congregation of around 1,000 individuals. Since then, the church’s presence has expanded to five other communities across Iowa. Over sixty people are now …

Using The Growth Mindset To Improve Opportunities For Negotiation In Argument-Based Inquiry Elementary Classrooms, Bridget Tharp

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if teaching students about the growth mindset improves achievement on standardized science assessment in a classroom that uses argument-based inquiry (ABI) instruction. A critical part of ABI is also referred to as negotiation and is considered cognitively demanding for students. The demands of argumentation often make its implementation extremely challenging for teachers because students often do not have strategies to overcome the failure they will encounter during the process. ABI is a research-based instructional practice that has been shown to improve student learning in science. This study will look at specific aspects …

Play-Based Early Childhood Classrooms And The Effect On Pre-Kindergarten Social And Academic Achievement, Amy Mcginn

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the effects of a play-based early childhood curriculum on the academic and social development of pre-kindergarten children. The findings in this literature review examine the relationships between free play, social skills, and academic outcomes in the early years of school. The reviewed research suggested a positive correlation between free play in early childhood and future school success in literacy and social development. The conclusion of this review includes recommendations for improving teacher practices and educational policies.

The Effects Of Blended Learning On K-12th Grade Students, Laura Hesse

Graduate Research Papers

Blended learning is used to incorporate technology into the classroom and to aid in instruction. This literature review examines the effects of blended learning on student engagement, student achievement, and student perception in K-12th grade classrooms. Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2016 were selected for analysis in this review. The reviewed research indicates that student engagement, student achievement, and positive student perceptions of learning increased when blended learning was used. Students also developed additional skills through the use of blended learning, such as the ability to self-pace and self-direct. Future research into implementing blended learning in K-12 classrooms …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Relationship Communication: Introduction To The Special Issue, David T. Mcmahan

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 49, Number 1, Fall 2017 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

The Dyadic Influence Of Attachment And Affection On Relationship Satisfaction, Gemme M. Campbell, Grace Ellen Brannon, Emily A. Rauscher, Colin Hesse, Sara L. Trask

Iowa Journal of Communication

Using affection exchange theory, this study proposed a mediating model between attachment style, affectionate communication, and relationship satisfaction. This dyadic model used marital couples to test actor and partner effects. Overall, results supported the predicted model, including several significant indirect effects. Specifically, affection mediated the relationships between anxious attachment for wives and relationship satisfaction for both wives and husbands. Affection also mediated the relationship between anxious attachment for husbands and husband relationship satisfaction. Affection also mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment for wives and wife relationship satisfaction, as well as between avoidant attachment for husbands and husband relationship satisfaction. Additionally, …

Haunted By The Past: Examining The Breakup Story Through Duck's Dissolution Model, Sara L. Trask

Iowa Journal of Communication

After a breakup, individuals are often haunted by the presence of their past relationships, making relationship termination one of the most emotionally painful events that individuals throughout their lifetime (Sprecher, Felmlee, Metts, Fehr, & Vanni, 1998). Some individuals even go as far to believe that relationship termination is like experiencing the death of one they loved (Emery, 2004). Using three of the five processes of Duck's Dissolution Model (DDM) (1982; 2005), this study examined what individuals' breakup stories reveal about their ability to adjust after a breakup has occurred. The study interviewed 18 individuals who shared their personal stories of …

Knapp's Model Of Relational Development In The Digital Age, Robert L. Duran, Lynne Kelly

Iowa Journal of Communication

The purpose of this study was to re-examine Knapp's (1978) model of the stages of relationship development to identify the ways in which communication technologies are used within those stages as romantic relationships progress. The goal was to incorporate technological activities into the descriptions of Knapp's stages of relational growth to better reflect how college students conduct their romantic relationships. Undergraduate students (N = 251) completed a survey, including a measure of their relationship stage (Welch & Rubin, 2002) as well as measures of their uses of Facebook, texting, and cell phone calling in the context of the relationship. Results …

Review Of Humanitarian Aid And The Impoverished Rhetoric Of Celebrity Advocacy, Haneen Shafeeq Ghabra

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Review Of Afrofuturism 2.0: The Rise Of Astro-Blackness, Toniesha L. Taylor

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Review Of Contemporary Studies Of Sexuality & Communication: Theoretical And Applied Perspectives, Valerie Peterson

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Education On Legislative Responsiveness In Three Field Experiments, Jayme Neiman

Faculty Work

Three field experiments were used to investigate whether a constituent’s education level influences state legislators’ responsiveness to their request for assistance. Legislators were sent emails that were randomly varied as to the education level of the writer. Results indicate that communication from constituents with lower education levels receive fewer replies. Two potential explanations for the variation in legislative response are explored—political party and the legislator’s own education level. Analysis suggests that neither of these variables account for the response differential to the email manipulations.

University Of Northern Iowa Graduating Senior Survey 2016-2017 Academic Year, Alba Karuni

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Methodology & Survey Highlights --- 3
Response Rate by College --- 4
Student Response Rate by Demographics --- 5
Response Rate by Gender --- 7
Principal Activity after Graduation --- 8
Plans for Continuing Education --- 9
Educational Experience & Skills --- 13
Academic & Social Environment --- 20
Comparison of Past Years --- 27
References --- 36
Survey Form --- Appendix

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2016/2017, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Some Comparisons
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Degrees Granted 2016/17
--- Degree Summary 2016/17
--- Program Certificates 2016/17
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Root Community, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Pairs of students play a battleship-style game to show how roots explore the soil to obtain resources.

Faculty Tenure Report, Fall 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Institutional Research And Effectiveness.

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Statistical report showing the number of faculty that are tenured, on the tenure track, or not on the tenure track, broken down by college, department, gender, minority status, and if full or part time.

Creating Digital Displays Of Grief: Appropriateness, Relationality, And Mourning Loss, Jenna L. Currie-Mueller, Kay M. Beckermann, Adam J. Copeland, Gunther-Michael Jahnl

Iowa Journal of Communication

More than half of enrolled college students experience a significant loss during their education. When coping with loss, students may turn to social media to express grief This study explored how college students participate in communicating loss online and how students perceive grief expressions and mourning messages of others on social media. Data was collected through virtual focus group interviews with 26 participants and analyzed using eclectic and pattern coding (Saldana, 2013). Results indicate participants perceived online mourning as either appropriate or inappropriate based on relational tie, channel, and perceived authenticity of the other's communication. When observing others' grief, participants …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 49, Number 2, Spring 2017 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Review Of Intercultural Communication In Japan: Theorizing Homogenizing Discourse, Albert Rintrona Iii

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Education Summit 2017 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Education.

Education Summit Programs

Program for the 2017 UNI Education Summit

The Impact Of Peer Coaching On Peer Relationships And The Distribution Of Knowledge In Pre-Service Teachers, Kelsey J. Bowers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of peer coaching on peer relationships and the distribution of knowledge in pre-service teachers. The increasing prevalence of teacher attrition in schools across the nation provides rationale for investigating potential avenues in combating this issue (Ingersoll, 2003). Increasing support and reducing teacher isolation are two important goals in peer coaching processes (Kurtts & Levin, 2000). This qualitative study was conducted using a single-case study research design. Pre-service teachers enrolled in an undergraduate advanced literacy practices course within an after-school literacy clinic setting were the participants of this study. Participants learned …

Lead Content Of Lip Balms: A Cross Sectional Convenience Sample With Exposure Assessment Estimating An Average Daily Intake For Young Children, Julie Grunklee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Lead remains one of the largest environmental toxins affecting children today (Costa, et al., 2004). It is associated with lower IQ, learning difficulties, decreased economic potential and other negative health effects and social behaviors (Kordas et al., 2006). In the United States (U.S.), high amounts of lead remain in and immediately around housing built before 1978 (Tarragó, 2015) as well as a variety of other sources, including cosmetics such as lip balms, that are marketed to the most lead-vulnerable population: young children. Lip balm was found to be the source a lead poisoned child in Minnesota (Minnesota resident, 28 years …

Afro Culture And Performance Within The Bar Space, Jessany Maldonado

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this thesis, I engaged in an ethnographic study of a predominantly Afro social space, specifically the bar setting. Utilizing authoethnobiographical and critical ethnographic methods, I established rapport with participants in order to learn the dynamics of their communication performances within the space of the bar. I explored the ways that Afro folk communicatively (re)established the Afro bar as a location of discursive performances and practices out of the dominant public gaze, indicative of a counterpublic (enclave) space.

My thesis sought to address two research questions. First, I wanted to know what communicative practices characterize Afro bar culture. In addressing …

Graduate Voice Recital Abstract, Makayla Mcdonald

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

MaKayla McDonald, soprano, presented her graduate voice recital at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday March 28, 2017. This performance took place in Davis Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at the University of Northern Iowa. Given in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree, the recital was performed in collaboration with pianist James Jenkins. The program consisted of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Fauré, Lori Laitman, and Gaetano Donizetti. This abstract provides a brief analysis of the music, text, and salient musical characteristics for each piece as it appeared in the recital.

Iowa Schoolmarms: The Significance Of Rural Schools And The Feminization Movement, 1865-1920, Ashley Nicole Loper

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Approximately twelve to fourteen thousand one-room schoolhouses occupied the Iowan landscape during the late nineteenth century. Rural schools possess a strong connection to the memories Iowans have of their state and have a particularly strong impact on women’s recollections. The state was established during the climax of the educational reformation led by Horace Mann and Catharine Beecher. Consequently, Iowa mostly negated schooling by religious leaders and developed public school systems almost immediately upon the state’s foundations. The majority of the people settling Iowa already contained firm beliefs on public education being accessible for all citizens. Women began entering the schoolhouse …