Digital Commons Network^™

Direct Instruction In The Writing Process With An Emphasis On Planning: An Action Research Project, Renee J. Deberg

Graduate Research Papers

Writing has become a major focus ln classroom teaching. Writing calls for active participation from all students. thus encouraging learning. It focuses thought, makes thought available for inspection, and allows for more complex thought.

Performance Technology: The Role Of The Training Professional, Marie L. Grabenbauer

Graduate Research Papers

According to Gary Worley (1988) in his article "Improving Productivity Through People" modem businesses face three major challenges: improving product quality, improving worker productivity, and competing in a globel [sic] marketplace. If the economy of the United States is going to continue to prosper, efficient worker performance is one of the primary concerns for the business world. This means increasing pressure for people to perform in jobs and increased emphasis on performance technology.

Classroom Writing: Understanding The Writing Process, Mary Jane Mccollum

Graduate Research Papers

The writing across the curriculum movement began in the 1960s with a study conducted by James Britton and his associates (Britton, Burgess, Martin, McLeod, Rosen, 1975) on the kinds and uses of writing in the British schools. They studied over 2,000 pieces of writing collected from students aged 11 to 18. In the United States, during the 1970s, teachers realized that the standard approach to teaching writing skills did not seem to be producing desired results (Gray, 1988). A large percentage of young people seemed to lack the motivation needed to learn to write well. They weren't persuaded that writing …

Educating For The Future: An Examination Of Global Education, Jean K. Seeland

Graduate Research Papers

Comissioned [sic]by President Carter, the Global 2000 Report To The President (1982), stated that for hundreds of millions of the desperately poor, the outlook for food and other necessities of life will be no better in the year 2000. For many it will be worse. Life for most people on earth will be more precarious in 2000 than it is now unless nations of the world act decisively to alter current trends. (1982) stated that for hundreds of millions of the desperately poor, the outlook for food and other necessities of life will be no better in the year 2000. …

"What's Wrong With This Tree?": Integrating Effective Communication With Tree Care Instruction, Rick Tagtow

Graduate Research Papers

An instructional development project using an exhibit illustrating improper tree care is integrated with the model of the events of instruction (Gagne & Briggs, 1979) and with the model of the stages of the innovation-decision process (Rogers, 1983). These two models are correlated and related to the field of arboriculture. An arborist using these correlated models in conjunction with the "What's Wrong With This Tree" exhibit will be able to provide effective and efficient instruction on the topic of proper tree care.

Reporting Pupil Progress To Parents Of Kindergarten Students, Rose M. Sternberg

Graduate Research Papers

The report card used for the kindergarten at Shelby-Tennant Community School needs to be revised. The areas covered on the report card do not include some items which are essential to the kindergarten curriculum at Shelby-Tennant. Items such as "color recognition" and ''knows address and phone number" are not listed on the report card but the item "listens" is listed twice. A new report card which reflects the kindergarten curriculum content at Shelby-Tennant Community School will be developed. A review of the related literature and report card examples will provide a basis for deciding what to include in a new …

An Investigation Into The Problem-Based Learning Model For The Educational Preparation Of Dental Hygienists, Sarah Ann Turner

Graduate Research Papers

Dental Hygiene is a young profession by most standards. The first class for training dental hygienists began in 1913, a mere seventy five years ago. From its inception, the mission of dental hygiene was to serve the public providing preventive oral health care to those in need. That singular focus has not changed to this date nor is it likely to change in the future. However, what is changing is the emergence of a profession in the fullest sense of the word. A profession is defined by Webster as: "a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic …

Invented Spelling In A First-Grade Classroom, Jean Lynn Bellis

Graduate Research Papers

The outcomes of a writing program allowing children in a first-grade classroom to invent spellings were investigated. Samples of five students' writings, student observations, and parent and student interviews were collected and analyzed. Findings were reported concerning (a) spelling, (b) fluency, and (c) attitude toward writing. The acquisition of literacy is a problem-solving process in which children naturally and actively engage as they discover the underlying principles of English orthography. Learning to spell requires children to construct and test rules constantly with experiences that are meaningful and purposeful. Invented spelling depends on children's ability to isolate the separate speech sounds …

The Use Of Manipulatives In Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Linda Zimmerman

Graduate Research Papers

Mathematics classes have traditionally been teacher-centered classes, particularly at the junior and senior high level. Lecture with a few illustrations has been the standard method used by teachers. In general, students want to simply apply an algorithm so they can finish their drill- and-practice assignment as quickly as possible. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in activity-based methods, especially the integration of manipulative activities into the mathematics classroom.

Implications For The Design Of A 2-Way Video Distance Learning Facility, Daniel C. Moore

Graduate Research Papers

The decade of the 80's has witnessed the virtual birth and proliferation of interactive distance learning systems. The rapid multiplication of these inqtructional delivery systems has not been preceded nor followed by appropriate research. Distance learning applications pose entirely new questions for the educational researcher. Among the many questions raised, are those which specifically address the layout of a distance learning terminal facility. In the effort to achieve maximum educational efficiency and effectiveness in a 2-way video system, this paper examines some specific questions regarding distance learning classroom design. Until more focused research is forthcoming, this study proposes to investigate …

The Effects Of Dialog Online Searching On High School Senior Students, Odell Overgaard

Graduate Research Papers

One of the goals in teaching writing has been to include research. Rural high school instructors have been faced with the additional burden of teaching research with limited resources. Kitzhaber (1968) also draws a similar conclusion when he states that "many small school libraries are too small to provide adequate information for all but a few research topics" (p. ii). Large urban school districts are often able to spend more on library books and indexes than are rural schools. On an average large schools spend $48,000 on materials compared to $15,000 by the small rural school districts (Heintz, & Hodes, …

Elements Of Effective Instruction: An Analysis Of Five Models, Susan Wulf Osvald

Graduate Research Papers

Concern about effective instruction is nothing new. Confucius (c. 550-478 B.C.) said: 3 . When a superior man knows the causes which make instruction successful, and those which make it of no effect, he can become a teacher of others. Thus in his teaching, he leads and does not drag; he strengthens and does not discourage; he opens the way but does not conduct to the end without the learner's own efforts. Leading and not dragging produces harmony. Strengthening and not discouraging makes attainment easy. Opening the way and not conducting to the end makes the learner thoughtful. He who …

Elder Abuse, Mary Frances Osborne

Graduate Research Papers

A distinct characteristic of this century has been the increase in population of individuals 60 years of age and older (Galbraith, 1986). Recent medical advances have enabled more people to live longer, healthier lives (Galbraith, 1986). Most affected by these advances have been individuals 75 years and older. The United States Bureau of Census (1973) reported that between 1960 and 1970 the number of persons in the 75 years and older category increased at nearly three times the rate of those in the 65-75 age group. Between 1970 and 1980, the 75 years and over population increased an additional 2.4 …

The Effects Of Clinical Experience At A Rehabilitation Unit On Student Nurses' Attitudes Toward The Disabled, Marianne Brooks Reynolds

Graduate Research Papers

We know that daily, children are being born with lifelong limitations and adults are experiencing catastrophic illness or trauma. These health-care problems touch the rich and the poor, the young and the old. No one is immune to these medical dilemmas. Though they may not be aware of it at the time, the infant born with a birth defect and the child or adult who is afflicted later in life will be limited not so much by the actual disability as by society I s attitude toward that disability. It is society that will define the disability as a handicap, …

Fostering The Writing Abilities Of Kindergarteners, Marcia A. Stirler

Graduate Research Papers

Adults praise children for their first attempts at oral communication. Adults do not point out the errors children make but listen for the ideas children are trying to communicate (Bissex, 1981; Calkins, 1986). As a result, children see the function of oral language as a means of achieving their personal needs. While involved in the process of speaking, children are taking risks and making mistakes thus learning language. They do not wait until they know all the conventional rules and forms of oral language (Rhodes, 1981).

The Effect Of Teaching Method On Spatial Visualization, Diane Kimm Mitchell

Graduate Research Papers

In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, there can be no question about the importance of mathematics for entrance into, and success at, the vast majority of careers, both for men and for women. However, cries of "Back to the basics", and "Excellence in education", indicate a growing dissatisfaction with the level of mathematics achievement in the United States. Brown et al. (1988) reported on the seventh-grade and eleventh-grade results of the fourth mathematics assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and indicated that performance of the students was not very good. Specifically, poor performance in the …

The Middle School: A Review Of Current Literature, Lindy K. Daters

Graduate Research Papers

Education in the United States has presented many patterns of school organization. Separate junior and senior high schools were suggested in the early 1900 1 s, but the grade levels and ages for distinguishing these divisions were unclear (Wiles & Bondi, 1981). The junior high was designed to bridge the gap between elementary and high school. It usually included grades 7-8-9. An alternative to the junior high school, the middle school, began to emerge in the late 1950 1 s. The middle school was designed to facilitate grades 6-7-8. Its development was primarily to relieve overcrowding and to provide an …

Adolescent Stress And Its Implications For Middle School Educators, Nancy L. George

Graduate Research Papers

The German expression "Sturm und Orang" has been used to denote the adolescent years. Literally translated, "Sturm und Orang" becomes "Storm and stress," suggesting the turbulent nature of the transition years between childhood and adulthood (Jensen, 1985; Grinder, 1973). Although there is some disagreement regarding the extent and causes of teenage discontent, it cannot be disputed that adolescence is a period of marked change, turbulent or otherwise.

Listening Games Versus Listening Worksheets In The Kindergarten Classroom, Alice A. Hager

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Teaching Strategies For Developing A Positive Self-Concept In Elementary School Children, Judith Hostetter

Graduate Research Papers

This is a fast paced, continuously changing, technological world. The daily papers are filled with crises and social problems. Will the children, who are being educated today, be prepared for the future? Will the skills and knowledge be outdated and of little or no use in the future? Are they being prepared to be happy, productive adults?

The Visual Element Of Television: Do Some Production Practices Inhibit The Amount Of Information Viewers Can Recall?, John L. Weih

Graduate Research Papers

Video production today can no longer be compared to the type 1 of productions enacted even 20 years ago. It is true that studio productions have not changed much in that time, but advanced technology in computer visuals and in the miniaturization of equipment has allowed amateur photographers to become their own video production staff. Contrasts in production techniques cause concern among educators today and lead them to ask if a vast difference in the quality of the videos being produced is having an effect on the amount of information recall of students. Certainly, some benefit is coming from amateur …

The Teaching Of Elementary Social Studies: A Classroom Teacher's Perspective, Kristi A. Wernimont

Graduate Research Papers

Elementary teachers have long sought answers to ease the frustration of teaching elementary social studies. It is a subject with great potential for integration with other subject areas, yet is restricted by textbook and classroom management problems, with ambiguous local, state, and national goals. The result is that programs range from a few individually developed, enlightening models to the notion that social studies is an insignificant subject in the elementary curriculum and thus needs little attention. The problem and confusion still exist--how should the subject of social studies be taught in the elementary classroom? Is the current practice of one …

Does Sentence Diagraming Help Seventh Grade Language Art Students Understand Sentence Structure?, Bradeen Y. Short

Graduate Research Papers

Sentence diagraming could be an appropriate strategy used in teaching and reinforcing the concept of sentence structure to seventh grade language arts students. The goal of using appropriate teaching-learning strategies has been important to educators for many years (Levin, 1986). In pursuing this goal, there needs to be "matching" between the strategy selected and the characteristics of the learner at a given developmental stage; the match must be appropriate if the learner is to receive benefit from the teaching technique (Levin, 1986). According to Levin's study, both the specific skills and the competencies of the learner should be the central …

Resource/Team Teacher: Service Delivery Option Designed To Help More Effectively Meet The Needs Of Mildly Handicapped Students In The Least Restrictive Environment, Carol M. Straka

Graduate Research Papers

The initiative and premise of this paper stems from an interpretation of the least restrictive environment aspect of PL 94-142, that an increase in appropriate effort should be made to meet the academic and affective needs of mildly handicapped students within the regular classroom. A review of literature foundational to this interpretation is presented, as well as some of the cautions regarding this movement. The option illustrated by the project described herein is that of a resource teacher team teaching with a regular classroom teacher within the regular classroom. Indications are that student academic and affective achievement improved under these …

The Role Of The Elementary School Counselor In Dealing With Children Of Divorced Parents, Julie Ann Riggert

Graduate Research Papers

Divorce continues to rip at the ties that bind the traditional American family. The idealized "Norman Rockwell" portrait of the forever-married couple in which the father is assigned the full economic responsibilities and the mother as the homemaker, has rapidly diminished. In fact, the families that now conform to this description are in the minority. Recently, it was noted that divorce statistics have risen 127% since 1962 (Bundy & Gumaer, 1979; Kelly & Wallerstein, 1976; Hetherington, 1979). It is indicated that one million children experience the divorce of their parents annually (Luepritz, 1979). Despite the growing number of students entering …

Relationships Among Adolescents’ Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors And Educational Aspirations, Sandra Appleby Kahler

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated relationships among adolescent 's sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, communication about sexuality, reported contraceptive behavior, and educational aspirations of junior/senior high school students. A survey which included questions from Kirby's (1984) instruments was administered to 177 students attending a rural mid-western high school. Data were analyzed using chi-square, analysis of variance, and Pearson Correlation Coefficients. Statistical significance was reached for five of the eleven hypotheses tested. A higher degree of sexual knowledge was positively associated with both student's use of effective birth control and their educational aspirations. Premarital sexual behavior was less likely to occur with students reporting …

The Production And Transcription Of Syllabic Stress In Young Children, Diane Marie Brammer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The reliability of listeners' transcription of young children's syllable stress has not been the focus of any experimental study. Goffman (1985) reported poor reliability between listeners' judgments of syllable stress productions by two-year-old children. Two possible reasons for the poor reliability were hypothesized. First, the children may not have been consistently altering the acoustic parameters which signal stress (fundamental frequency, intensity, and duration). Second, listeners may have focused upon different acoustic parameters when making their judgments. The purpose of the present two-part study was to initiate the study of adult transcription of children's production of stress in words. Experiment I …

An Experimental Cost Model For The Analysis Of Quality Cost In A Manufacturing Enterprise, Wallace Charles Carlson Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The intent of the study was to construct a quality cost model for manufacturing enterprises. A quality cost model provides a manufacturing enterprise with a cost structure which enables it to gauge and measure the efficiency and effectiveness of its management and processes. The quality cost model was specifically constructed to aid a manufacturing enterprise in establishing a quality cost system for its operations and activities and contains three distinct initial implementation or decision areas; the quality cost management decisions area, the quality cost system applications area, and the quality cost system utilization area.

The quality cost model was evaluated …

The Importance Of Computer-Based Subject Matter Topics For Graduates Of An Undergraduate Manufacturing Technology Program As Perceived By Practicing Manufacturing Engineers, Anthony Cecil Favre

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this study was to identify the perceptions of practicing manufacturing engineers regarding the importance of computer-based subject matter topics required for graduates of undergraduate manufacturing technology programs. This problem is reflective of the literature which indicates that there is a need for the further development of manufacturing science curricula in order to provide the types of knowledge needed in the emerging computer-based manufacturing field.

A questionnaire was used to collect data. It was mailed to 425 randomly selected practicing manufacturing engineers. Thirteen were returned as undeliverable, thus reducing the number to 412. The size of the sample …

Native Trees In An Urban Area: A Case Study Of The Waterloo Metropolitan Area Black Hawk County, Iowa, Alice Christine Robbins

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigates the history and role of the native forest in an urban area of about 100 square miles, encompassing the cities of Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Evansdale in Black Hawk County, Iowa. It examines various human influences in an attempt to determine how important each has been in preserving or destroying the natural forest.

The original forests in the study area were concentrated along the rivers and adjacent bluffs. The most serious impacts to the upland forests have been agriculture, residential and commercial development, whereas the floodplain forests have been most affected by industrial expansion, gravel mining, flood …