Digital Commons Network^™

Review Of 3d Visualization Tool Usage For Select Manufacturing Firms, Damarius J. Washington

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research is to assist business decision makers who choose software upgrades and CIM application usage in manufacturing firms. They can then utilize this research to make informed decisions regarding production application usage within their business. The purpose of this research is to examine which methods and uses of virtual reality are helpful in increasing efficiency within the production and manufacturing of goods via case studies, interviews with manufacturing personnel, ai1d most importantly a survey .. of manufacturing professionals. The survey will be sent to manufacturing employees within an agricultural equipment corporation.

The Biopsychosocial Model Of Medicine: Implications For The Future Of Healthcare, Abby M. Luensmann

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The science of medicine is changing at an incredible rate. New treatments, technologies, and biologically-based discoveries seem to occur almost daily. In fact, the health care business has evolved into the largest service industry in the United States, grossing more than $1 trillion annually (Taylor, 2003). Despite the obvious attention paid to health-related issues in this country, is our health care system actually providing American citizens with the most efficient and effective care treatments possible? Do current medical practices have the best interests of the American public in mind, or are outdated philosophies being used to treat illnesses and diseases …

The Impact Of The Iowa Children's Water Festival On The Children's Attitudes And Behaviors Toward The Environment, Sang-Min Kim

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As a result of the growing concern about environmental issues, many countries have developed mechanisms and regulations directed at protection and conservation of the environment. As a part of this movement, many governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) have launched a variety of environmental education programs, in an attempt to promote awareness of environmental issues. The Iowa Children’s Water Festival (ICWF) is an annual half-day environmental education program in Iowa. The goal of the ICWF is to provide educational opportunities throughout the state to K-5 children and to educate customers of tomorrow on the importance of safe, reliable drinking water (ICWF, …

Impact Of The Child-Parent Relationship On Affectual Solidarity Between Grandchildren And Grandparents : The Perspective Of Young Adults, Maria A. Monserud

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this quantitative research was to examine the ways that the parent-child bond influences affectual solidarity between college-aged adults and their grandparents. This study sought to overcome flaws of prior research in this area by further exploring how several dimensions of intergenerational solidarity between young adults and each of their parents (i.e., joint activities, global relationship quality, and probability of discussing problems) affect grandchildren's feelings of closeness to each of their living grandparents. In addition, the present research explored the impact of such factors as lineage, gender of the grandparent and of the grandchild on the grandchild-grandparent relationship. …

Modeling And Measuring The Dispersion Of Odors From Hog Confinements, François Béra

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A comparison was made between predicted and measured odor concentration downwind of two hog finishing confinements. Two Gaussian dispersion models, STINK.BAK and AERMOD, were used. The experimental cases examined odor emanating from a mechanically-ventilated facility and a curtain-sided facility during summer 2003. A field olfactometer was used to measure odor concentration. The odor concentrations served as input to STINK.BAK, which then estimated the odor emission rate from the confinement. AERMOD used this emission rate and other meteorological data to predict the peak concentration of odor around the confinement over the sampling hour. The calculated odor emission rates are slightly higher …

Cmc Interpersonal Relationships: A Phenomenological Study Of Online Relational Stages, Traci Mccollom Dillavou

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Initiating and developing Internet interpersonal relationships is becoming increasingly popular as technology becomes more relevant and available. In fact, according the Pew Internet and American Life Project (PIALP) (1995) and IntelliQuest (1999), which monitors the penetration, use and appreciation of media in society, the number of Americans online increased from twenty-five million in 1995 to eighty-three million in 1999, an increase of nearly 60 million American onliners in 4 years. More recently, about 106 million American adults have used the Internet; in addition 73 percent of all American young adults between the ages of 12 and 17 have also used …

Relationships Among Belief In Divine Intervention, Belief In Good Luck, Paranormal Beliefs, Locus Of Control, Academic Ability, Cognitive Ability, And Gender, Jenni Rebecca Durham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among superstitious concepts, academic abilities, cognitive abilities, locus of control, and gender. This study explored the hypotheses that adherence to superstitious concepts is associated with a greater external locus of control and lower cognitive abilities. Consequently, little or no adherence to superstitious concepts results in an internal locus of control and higher cognitive abilities. This study also investigated hypotheses that an internal locus of control is associated with higher academic abilities, that females have higher superstitious belief than males, and that higher cumulative GP A is associated with higher …

The Frequency Of Imagery Use On The Performance Of A Complex Motor Skill, Eric Rebhuhn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The use of imagery to enhance athletic performance has been an interesting topic for coaches, athletes, and researchers. Indeed, a number of researchers have found that using mental imagery resulted in improved athletic performance (Blumenstein, Bar-Eli, & Tenenbaum, 1995; Corbin, 1972; Feltz & Landers, 1983; Weinberg, 1981). In addition, imagery has been reported to be one of the most utilized cognitive strategies by athletes (Defrancesco & Burke, 1997; Gould 1994). Findings suggest that imagery can be an effective performance improvement strategy. Moreover, a majority of the research has focused on simple motor tasks performed in laboratory settings rather than on …

American Indian Women Warriors: Their Perceptions Of Success Factors In Graduate School, Loretta Dominquez

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Higher education is not just a Black and White issue, but also an issue regarding First Nations people (i.e., American Indian/Native American and Alaskan Indians). American Indians throughout history in the U.S. have been neglected in all levels of education. American Indian women in graduate programs have experienced prejudices, isolation, and lack of support, guidance, or mentoring from the faculty, staff, or administration in graduate programs. An ethnographic qualitative research of personal interviews was the methodology chosen to grasp the personal perceptions of four American Indian woman warriors in professional higher educational positions. They shared their experiences of their success …

Determining Criminal Motive Using Deductive Profiling: A Feasibility Study, Kelly J. Dupont

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In recent years criminal profiling has gained increasing popularity and attention as a result of media and law enforcement interest. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the field is lacking in essential empirical support. The FBI's Crime Classification Manual, used to train FBI profilers, states in its opening pages that the information provided in the manual is not empirically derived; rather it is based on the collective opinion of those with experience in law enforcement (Douglas, Burgess, & Burgess, 1992). An area particularly in need of research is the relationship between motive and criminal behavior. Understanding motive can be a …

A Preferred Vision For Leading Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Mark R. Sade

Graduate Research Papers

I have chosen education as my lifetime career because I believe education is, perhaps, the most important occupation within our culture. I believe teachers, individually and collectively, not only change the world, but also improve it. In the service to children, I find personal and professional renewal. I am proud to be part of this noble profession and want to be counted among those in whom future teachers can say they found inspiration.

Early Literacy And Making Sense In An Inclusive Preschool Classroom, Patresa A. Hartman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to build understanding regarding the meaning and role of early literacy as a meaningful interaction in one inclusive preschool classroom. I was specifically interested in the idea of literacy as a social construction - as an interaction with one's environment for the purpose of making sense of it. Furthermore, I investigated the way this construction facilitated or denied one child's citizenship in the classroom community, which is located within an early childhood center in a mid-sized, Midwestern city. My topic, examining early literacy as a sense-making interaction, lent itself quite naturally to qualitative …

Perceived Exercise Constraints And Motivation For Exercise Among University Undergraduate Students, Ryan Paul Harkema

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived exercise constraints and motivation for exercise among university undergraduate students, and to identify if there is a difference in perceived exercise constraints and motivation for exercise among university undergraduate students in the three exercise behavior categories of regular exercise participants, intermediary exercise participants, and nonparticipants. As issues related to overweight and obesity continue to grow in the United States, research efforts must concentrate upon exercise behavior and the factors that influence exercise participation levels. This study focused upon the exercise behaviors of university undergraduate students, as Americans aged …

Children’S Perceptions Of Peers’ Intentions In Ambiguous And Aggressive Situations, Tara Jo Finch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to examine high aggressive and low aggressive children's perceptions of their peers' intentions in ambiguous and aggressive situations. Teacher ratings of aggression were assessed for 25 first grade children. Measures were taken to evaluate children's judgments about aggressors' intentions in ambiguous and aggressive acts. In the first part of the assessment, children were read three stories about an ambiguously aggressive situation, asked whether or not it was okay for the provoker to perform the action, and asked why they believed the provoker carried out the aggressive act. In the second part, children were read …

Gender Moderation Of The Relationship Between Hours In Role And Work-Family Conflict: A Test Of Competing Theories, Lucas D. Gray

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Americans' roles as family members and workers have been clashing in recent history. The past fifteen years have expanded the work-family conflict (WFC) literature considerably. Gutek, Searle, and Klepa (1991) proposed and tested two views of how WFC may be affected by sex. The rational view predicts that WFC originates in the role that the person spends more time in. However, the gender role view predicts that the more time a person spends outside traditional gender roles increases conflict. Thus, the two theories make incompatible predictions regarding the relationship between time spent in a role, gender and WFC. The current …

The Teacher-Student Relationship: Managing Dialectical Tensions And Their Impact On The Classroom Environment, Lori L. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this study, I suggest that teachers and students have opportunities to develop and maintain relationships. It is my belief that learning happens within these relationships. This ethnographic study examined dialectical tensions within the teacher-student relationship. Relational dialectics theory suggests that relationships are characterized by ongoing tensions and the ways in which these tensions are managed dictates relational life. The concept of tension simply refers to the ongoing, ever-changing interaction between unified opposites, such as the tension of independence-dependence. In this study, I examined if tensions were visible, how they were managed through interactions, and possible effects on the classroom …

Educational Change Process: A Case Study Of A Rural School District's Reading Reform, Barbara M. Havel Bohach

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beginning reading instruction is the subject of much debate in educational fields as well as in the political arena. The product of such debates is often a push to reform reading programs and teachers are targeted as the ones to carry out these reforms. If reading educators have been actively involved in a reading change process, what are their concerns about change and the influence of mandated legislation?

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine how teachers and administrators initiated and implemented a balanced reading innovation. It also investigated how the Concerns-Based Adoption Model identified teachers' concerns …

A Case Study Of Senior Students' Perceptions Of Factors That Shape Aspirations In One Low-Income Rural Iowa High School, Louise Elizabeth Esveld

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Rural Iowa high school graduates from districts enrolling fewer than 600 students are more likely than their more urban peers to be economically disadvantaged as measured by eligibility for free and reduced cost meals. They are also less likely to aspire to high levels of educational attainment. Over the last decade, the percentage of graduates from small, rural schools intending to pursue any postsecondary education or training has approached or exceeded the percentage in more urban districts. However, among rural graduates with postsecondary intentions, the ranks of those students planning to pursue a four-year degree or higher remain disproportionately thin. …

"Changing Tradition: New Frontiers In Spelling Instruction" : A Developmental Spelling Word Study Workshop, Melissa A. Adams

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project is to create a three day workshop focused on a word study curriculum that is based on the developmental theory of spelling. The audience for this workshop would be elementary teachers (first through fifth grade) who are interested in developing a spelling curriculum that is based on current research and individual student needs. The workshop would introduce current research and teach teachers how to analyze student spelling errors. It would also focus on three main questions for developing a word study curriculum: How do I assess and evaluate students?; How do I group and manage …

The Impact Of A Word-Study Spelling Curriculum On Spelling Instruction And Student Spelling Achievement, Jan Baker

Graduate Research Papers

Word study uses direct instruction at the appropriate developmental level, hands-on activities, the study of orthographic structure, and a philosophy of problem-solving in a positive atmosphere. Pre- and post assessment data suggest that this is an effective instructional approach for improving student spelling achievement.

Parents Join The Club : Inviting Parents And Children To Participate In A Family Book Club, Kimberly Gansen

Graduate Research Papers

A fifth grade elementary teacher who regularly uses book clubs as a part of her reading program offers the parents of her students the opportunity to learn about and participate in a book club with their children. The parents of the teacher's 24 students were invited to attend an informational meeting to learn how book clubs function in their child's classroom and to discover the value of discussion in developing and promoting reading comprehension. Eight parents and their children joined the Family Book Club. They all read In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord …

The Effects Of Homogeneous Grouping Practices On Talented And Gifted Students, Angela Kurt-Sconsa

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review was to examine research findings about the effects of homogeneous grouping practices on gifted students. As school budgets have been cut, many gifted programs across the country have been impacted. Also, as tracking has become a political faux pas, many gifted programs have been eliminated.

The following are recommendations for education policy makers: realize that one teacher cannot do it all in a classroom with a wide range of abilities; know that content, in addition to grouping, is a main factor in students' advancement; remain flexible with grouping and programming; and try to overcome …

Using Technology To Support An Adult Constructivist Learning Environment, Regina A. Rankins

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to look at the connection between constructivist learning theories and the application of technology in an adult learning environment. The review examines five components consisting of constructivism, the purpose of constructivist learning environments, technologies in constructivist learning environments, adult learning, and the constructivist approach for using technology to support adult learning. This review addresses the question: how does the constructivist approach for using technology support adult learning in a technology-based environment?

Multiple Intelligences Of Young Adolescents, Kelly A. Schloss

Graduate Research Papers

This study investigated how multiple intelligences related specifically to young adolescents. Self-perceptions of seventh and eighth graders, attending a large middle school and a moderately sized junior high in Iowa, were compared. Intelligence categories rated by students included intrapersonal, interpersonal, body/kinesthetic, mathematical/logical, verbal/linguistic, visual/spatial, and music/rhythmic.

Implications for this research include utilizing activity based instruction, promoting risk free learning opportunities for girls, implementing developmentally responsive practices at the middle level, providing educational support for low socio-economic students who may lack other resources often needed for success, and using visual, kinesthetic and musical approaches to learning for learning disabled students.

A Preferred Vision For Leading Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Ellen M. Williams

Graduate Research Papers

This reflection paper affords the rare opportunity to sit back and think about this course of study and how I ended up at this particular juncture in life. I have completed many classes, and all I have taken away is a grade. This assignment has given rise to the discovery that there is a foundation and value system at the root of my professional life. That value system is mine, and I am building on an existing foundation that realizes the necessity of education and sound leadership.

Ceasing Or Reducing Participation In Leisure: A Study Of International Students In Japan, Tomomi Sukigara

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether international students in Japan ceased or reduced participation in leisure activities in which they regularly participated in their home country before coming to Japan. The study employed a nonexperimental descriptive design. A self-administered survey was distributed to 174 international exchange students in a private university in western Japan. Seventy-eight students (45%) returned a completed survey. Data were analyzed with SPSS pc, using frequency, chi-square, t-test, and correlation analysis. The results indicated 62.8% of respondents had ceased or reduced participation in leisure in Japan. The most common reasons for ceasing or …

Professional Development : The Missing Component In Education, Brett C. Ernst

Graduate Research Papers

Professional development addresses student needs and is based on researched teaching strategies that are proven to assist both the teacher and the student in meeting high achievement standards. Other indicators of effective professional development, as described by NCLB, include: ongoing support; data-driven decision making; and effective evaluation of the professional development. It has the potential to improve educators' attitudes, behaviors, knowledge and skills, so it benefits student learning. High quality professional development, when explicit about the results it is seeking to achieve, can assist both teachers and students to meet or exceed the desired outcomes they are being asked to …

Is Inclusion Working At One Middle School In Iowa?, Brett Alan Fischels

Graduate Research Papers

This study investigated how the inclusive special education program was operating at Thompson Middle School in Southeast Iowa. Three conclusions were found. First, a majority of the teachers interviewed felt inclusive education was having a positive impact on all students. Second, most of interviewees felt the administrators needed to provide more resources to insure success. Finally, the more years teaching experience an educator possessed, the less they viewed inclusive education as having a positive impact. Recommendations are made to address these conclusions.

Considerations In Counseling International Students, Michael L. Williams

Graduate Research Papers

Much has been written about the culture shock that international students experience while studying at a United States college or university. Sometimes adjustments to new living conditions, language, food and culture have exacerbated latent emotional issues in some international students or contributed to the development of emotional disturbances in others. While living in their home countries, many students from other cultures rely on sources such as older family members or spiritual, religious, or medical experts to discuss emotional conflicts. This population often views counseling as performing two primary services: one, to meet education or career goals; or, two, to deal …

Grandparents In Education Project, Kim Renee Freund

Graduate Research Papers

The research strongly suggests that family involvement in education is vital to a child's academic achievement (Epstein, 1987; Zill, 1996). The Grandparent in Education Project goes beyond the parents and into the previous generation of grandparents. In many families grandparents have played a key role in children's lives. Today the numbers of grandparents that help raise or are full-time guardians to children are on the rise (Bafile, 1999). It is a logical connection to include them in today's educational environment.

Another important component is technology and the current role it plays in society. Digital media is continuing to influence communication …