Digital Commons Network^™

Effective Professional Development For Elementary Teachers : Creating Dialogic Classrooms To Improve Reading Comprehension, Amanda J. Mroch

Graduate Research Papers

Understanding the importance of teacher language, literacy discussions, and teacher questioning on students' literacy development in the classroom is important in order to facilitate deeper understanding by students. This research project first describes what dialogic classrooms are and how teachers can create more dialogic spaces for students. The paper also focuses on research that looks at the importance of literacy discussions and teacher questioning in creating classrooms that are open to student ideas.

A professional development program is then developed that will help teachers learn the importance of teacher language and creating dialogic spaces for students to explore complex ideas. …

A Study For Comprehensive And Collaborative Relationships: Partnering Public Schools And Nonprofit Outdoor Programs, Nicole Rottinghaus

Graduate Research Papers

My research paper will explore the divide between urban youth and their participation in outdoor programs. In an effort to provide a foundation of reason for the lack of participation in outdoor programs by urban youth, this study will be completed through an abstract approach on heuristic research and constraint theory. Heuristic research can be defined as the process of researching a “personal venture in search of understanding one’s self and the world around them” (Moustakas, 1990). In addition, constraint theory focuses on the barriers individuals face in regards to participation in activities or the completion of a goal (Samdahl …

Strength In Numbers: Collaborating To Support Nonprofit Advocacy, Emily J. Shields

Graduate Research Papers

The focus of this research is to examine the current literature on the nature and level of nonprofit lobbying activity, as well as the barriers that keep that activity relatively low in most cases. It will also consider factors that impact whether a nonprofit organization's leadership chooses to engage in lobbying activity, what makes that activity successful, and how collaborations can support greater and more effective activity. This review will help to provide best practices and recommendations to nonprofit executives, leaders, and board members who are interested in being a part of critical policy conversations and influencing the overarching, systemic …

Alternative Therapy For Sickle Cell Disease, Huda Alsultan

Graduate Research Papers

Sickle cell disease can lead to serious complications, such as stroke, acute chest syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, organ damage, blindness, skin ulcers, gallstones and priapism. Additionally, patients with sickle cell disease usually have several pain crises during the year, which means they have to be admitted to the hospital a couple days or weeks in order to treat these crises by pain relievers through IV line or veins. This necessitates quite often that the patient would be absent from their jobs or schools. Frequent absences may cause people with sickle cell disease to experience stress which in turn leads to a …

Gleaning In The Cedar Valley: A Post-Evaluation Study, Dylan Thomas Hillyer

Honors Program Theses

Gleaning is a term describing the act of either picking, cleaning or sorting produce that would otherwise be wasted. It is a practice long known to Europe, and in the past thirty years has gained immense popularity among non-profit organizations throughout the United States. The Cedar Valley Gleaning Program (CVGP) had its pilot-year in the fall of 2014. This thesis seeks to improve the efficacy of the CVGP through examining both the pilot year, and a qualitative study of gleaning operations worldwide, to answer the question: How can gleaning become an effective tool for communities in the Cedar Valley.

The Pura Belpré Award And The Portrayal Of Disability, Zoe Houser

Honors Program Theses

The Pura Belpré Award is one of the lesser known literary awards. Because other literary awards have been around longer and received a large amount of attention, there has been much research done over the other literary awards, including how the award books portray disabled characters within their pages. However, there is a lack of research about the portrayal of disability in books that have been awarded or honored by the Pura Belpré Award.

This paper will address the question of how many Pura Belpré Award winning books include prominent characters with disabilities and if they are portrayed positively or …

Investigating Educational Quality At One Comprehensive University, Blake Thurston Findley

Honors Program Theses

President Obama has called for increased access to higher education and simultaneously wants greater educational quality from our colleges and universities. Comprehensive universities in particular, due to their high enrollment of underserved populations, need to ensure they are providing the highest quality education possible. The current study investigated educational quality at a comprehensive university by examining research-supported behaviors related to educational quality as well as perceptions of educational quality of faculty and students. The study found that faculty play a tremendous role in comprehensive universities, yet are underappreciated by their administration. Additionally, comprehensive universities are trying to be everything to …

Juror Misperceptions Of Eyewitness Evidence : Impact On Expert Testimony And Credibility, Tiffany M. Anderson

Honors Program Theses

The criminal justice system generally assumes that jurors have a base knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding memory evidence. On some occasions, however, experts are brought in to testify and explain these issues to jurors. Though jurors (along with judges and attorneys) like to believe they are knowledgeable about the variables that may affect eyewitness memory, the reality is that they have a very limited understanding. However, there is little research on what misperceptions exist among laypeople regarding eyewitness memory. This is problematic because expert testimony may be more useful if it specifically addresses common misperceptions rather than just …

Eastern Iowa Lithics And Their Effects On Oneota Culture, Caitlin Mary Kelly

Honors Program Theses

This research focuses on the experimentation and exploration of heat treatment used on chert by the Native Americans located in eastern Iowa after the Late-Woodland Period. In conjunction with my research advisor, Dr. Chad Heinzel, the geoarchaeologist in the UNI Department of Earth Science, I have heat treated chert from eastern Iowa in order to examine its physical and chemical changes. These experiments took place both in a controlled laboratory setting and in a semi-controlled field setting, comparing the difference between the two different methodologies. Chemical analysis was also performed to assess differences in trace chemicals between raw and heated …

Non-Destructive Dna Extraction Methods That Yield Dna Barcodes In Spiders, Reva Ann Bork

Honors Program Theses

DNA barcodes are short sequences of nucleotides that differ from species to species (Hebert et al., 2003; Hebert & Gregory, 2005). DNA barcoding is very important in helping to reconstruct phylogenetic trees and to confirm the identity of threatened or endangered species in the wild. Additionally, it has become increasingly popular in the food industry to test the accuracy of the food being sold in fast food chains (Wong and Hanner, 2008). For scientific purposes, nondestructive DNA extraction techniques need to be explored because they allow for preservation of the voucher specimen, which is particularly important for rare or extinct …

How Inclusion Is Defined And Implemented In Elementary Classrooms, Bailey Jo Wright

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the various interpretations of inclusion and how we can implement it to a greater and more successful degree in elementary schools. Individuals with disabilities are discriminated against in many education systems, where additionally the law is not being upheld. This thesis provides an accessible, coherent framework for practicing teachers and future educators to gain a better understanding of the definitions of inclusion, the barriers they may encounter, and the best practices to guide them towards inclusive success.

Exploring The Meaning Of Cohabitation: A Relationship Dialectics Perspective, Lindsey J. Thomas, Kristina M. Scharp

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study employed relational dialectics theory to investigate what cohabitation means to cohabiters. Cohabitation is an ambiguous relationship state (e.g., perceived as "more than dating" but "less than marriage") associated with negative outcomes. Scholars have empirically investigated cohabitation; however, little research explores what cohabitation means using a qualitative approach. Exploring the meaning of cohabitation can illuminate perceptions that might coincide with negative outcomes. Framed by Relational Dialectics Theory, a contrapuntal analysis of cohabiters' online stories (n=27) revealed three counter-discourses: Narratives of Cohabitation as a Normal Relationship, Cohabitation as an Easy Relationship, and Cohabitation as a Worthwhile Struggle. Each counter-discourse resisted …

Smartphones And Their Effects On Family Cohesion, Elizabeth Carman, Raegan Zetterlund, Jake Mollman

Iowa Journal of Communication

The increasing prevalence of technologies has led to much research assessing the effects technologies have on the family. This study specifically examines the effects of smartphones on family cohesion and communication by conducting semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal a tension between utopian and dystopian effects of smartphones. Although smartphones amplify familial cohesion by facilitating interactions and assisting in problem-solving among family members, these devices also negatively affect cohesion through distraction, individualization, and annoyance.

Southeast Polk High School's Suicide Culture: Analysis Of Communication And Community Resilience Strategies, Molly D. Wells

Iowa Journal of Communication

This paper analyzes the response to the outbreak of student suicides at Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, during the 2008-09 school year, by applying the theoretical framework of the communication and community resilience approach to crisis management. The key strategies of the communication and resilience framework were applied to assess the efforts of the school district to adapt and build resilience. It was identified that the school district succeeded in implementing two out of the five recommended strategies. The framework highlighted the need to consider suicide as a crisis and to employ all the strategies in order …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Sage Handbook Of Family Communication, Donna R. Pawlowski

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Communication And Female Date Initiation: Differences In Perceptions Based On Asesertiveness Of Initiator, Lindsey K. Odom, Erin Sahlstein Parcell, Benjamin M. A. Baker, Valerie Cronin-Fisher

Iowa Journal of Communication

First dates represent an important event in the early development of dating relationships. Commonly, date initiation is a behavior in which men take control in heterosexual relationships; however, more women are conducting this task. Women initiating dates, as opposed to men, has traditionally been viewed as a deviation from American cultural norms for expected behavior. The deviation in behavior could have negative repercussions for women, which was investigated for the current study. College-aged participants (n = 232) completed an online survey regarding their perceptions of two hypothetical women who initiated dates (i.e., one where her assertiveness was high and one …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 47, Number 2, Spring 2015 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Review Of Teaching Communication Activism: Communication Education For Social Justice, Kristen C. Blinne

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Review Of Alienation: The Divide And Conquer Election Of 2012, Matthew L. Spialeck

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Crises: A Structurational-Material Analysis Of Forgotten Stakeholders, Colleen Arendt

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study applies a structurational-material lens to a case study of the deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota to help explain why and how area small business owners became forgotten stakeholders in the wake of the collapse. By considering the relationship between materiality and structuration theory, this approach uncovers the influence that materiality has on the rules and resources stakeholders, as agents, draw upon in the aftermath of a crisis and helps explain why a key group of stakeholders were ignored by those who had the power to help them weather the crisis. Specifically, the objects, sites, and bodies of …

Higher Education Expenditures And Revenues : A Case Study On The University Of Northern Iowa, Thomas Keld Madsen

Honors Program Theses

Higher education costs have skyrocketed in recent years, leaving millions of students in copious amounts of debt. Facing problems with decreased support from state legislators, universities have increased tuition and fees to compensate. At the same time, university spending, especially in non-academic programs and services, has continued to rise. A fight as emerged between states and the schools residing in them for who is to blame for the increasing cost of higher education, and in the middle of the debate are schools such as the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). A medium-sized school, UNI faces decreasing financial support from the …

The Impact Of Hyped Ipo's On The Market, Elias Escobedo

Honors Program Theses

Increasingly, finance researchers are including irrationality into their understanding of the stock market, including emotions (Tetlock, 2007) or misunderstanding of available information (Huberman & Regev, 2007). The popularity of the recent Alibaba IPO demonstrates that investors can get excited.1 Is excitement an important determinant of the behavior of stock market investors? Empirical evidence suggests that investors “herd” into similar stocks (Wermers, 1999) and may experience common feelings of optimism and pessimism (Tetlock, 2007). If investor’s emotions correlate, what about excitement? Can the excitement for a particular stock spill over into the excitement of other stocks?

To analyze the impact excitement …

Relevant Decision Criteria And Their Level Of Importance In Consumers' Choice Of Hospital, Jordan Brelje

Honors Program Theses

As the health care industry becomes increasingly consumer-driven, it is crucial for hospitals to understand the considerations involved in their patients’ choice of health care institution. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which most heavily influence consumers’ choice of hospital, as well as to make recommendations to health care marketers based upon the conclusions reached. This study also hoped to provide beneficial insights to public policy makers who desire to give consumers more control in the health care decision-making process. Very little research has been performed in recent years as to consumers’ choice of hospital decision …

Does Religion Affect Economic Growth?, Parash Upreti

Honors Program Theses

A majority of the people in the world are affiliated with a religion. A study about world’s major religious groups found out that there are about 5.8 billion religiously affiliated people, which is about 85% of the world’s population (Pew Research Center 2012). It is important for people to understand how religion affects people’s daily lives, especially how religions affect spending and income. In this study, we are interested in finding whether or not religion has an impact on the economic growth of a country. Past studies have suggested that religion, in specific forms and activities, affects the people’s income …

Investigating The Linguistic Identity Development Of Dual Language Learners, Elizabeth Silbernagel

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this research study was to analyze ways in which dual language learners were impacted by their environment (school, home, and community) and explore how these environments impacted their cultural and linguistic identity. Specifically, the goal was to find ways in which educators could better support these students in the classroom to help them achieve academic success, as well as make students feel that their culture is acknowledged and appreciated in the classroom environment. Both of these goals point toward the need to consider the “role identity plays in children’s demonstration and construction of knowledge” (Owocki & Goodman, …

The 21st Century School Teacher Librarian: Trends In The Iowa School Library Survey Data Over The Last Decade, Emily Baltes

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to explore the Iowa School Library Survey data at ten year intervals to describe differences in professional teacher librarian staffing levels, time spent supporting reading guidance, and time spent in collaboration with other teachers. Raw data was examined from the 2003-2004 and 2013-2014 School Library Surveys. Although 1034 surveys were completed in 2003-2004, and 681 were completed in 2013- 2014, this study only analyzed data for the 339 schools with accurate entry both years. The researcher verified data through a process of close reading and comparison across multiple factors eliminating responses with incomplete or …

Genrifying The School Library's Fiction Collection, Andrea Hora

Graduate Research Papers

Genrification, or the act of organizing a library or section of a library by genres or topics, has been a trend in recent years in both school and public libraries. Little to no research has been conducted on the effectiveness of this transition from the Dewey Decimal System in fiction and or nonfiction collections. The purpose of this research is to explore the usefulness of a genrified fiction collection in a school library by examining how students interact with the collection along with teachers’ perceptions of genrifying. This study focused on student browsing behavior in a genrified fiction collection and …

Poverty And Homelessness : A Content Analysis Of Children's Nonfiction Literature, Christine Newell

Graduate Research Papers

Units taught in social studies and language arts that address family issues, neighborhoods, communities, economic diversity, and social issues need to address the struggles, challenges, and fears of children living in poverty or who are homeless. Depictions of poverty and homelessness should be handled with accuracy and sensitivity. Connections made through the use of literature can help all students develop an understanding about the world around them and help them begin to realize the struggles of those who live in poverty.

This study of K-6 nonfiction books about poverty and homelessness investigated how these social problems were depicted in the …

A Literature Review And Application Of Quiet Eye, Anton Stalzer

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper was review the current literature on the concept of Quiet Eye. Quiet Eye is an emerging concept in targeting tasks, and it can improve performance for both experts and non-experts when used properly. It may also help shield performers from the effects of anxiety. The second part of this paper summarized the application of Quiet Eye with a junior high basketball team and how the athletes used Quiet Eye from a coach's perspective. The team was taught how to use Quiet Eye during free throw shooting. The athletes that utilized Quiet Eye had a higher …