Digital Commons Network^™

Education For Employment: An Update Of Kalamazoo County's Career Education Model, Wendy French

Masters Theses

The major accomplishment of this project was the creation of career education goals that have been accepted by the nine Kalamazoo County school districts involved in Education for Employment. These broad goals are infusable into all the local districts as they review each curricula.

The essential skills of problem solving, group responsibilities, and basic skills are not subject specific and can therefore be addressed in all curriculum areas. Abilities and indicators are listed with the goals to help local districts specifically address student needs.

The Education for Managing the Future (Career Education K-6) committee, as a sub-group of Education for …

An Ergonomic Training Program For Manual Handling Tasks, Akhilesh Agrawal

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to test whether or not muscular endurance of individuals engaged in industrial manual handling tasks can be improved through a short and intensive training program. This investigation also involved the study of the effect of muscular endurance training program on muscular strength.

The study revealed that, over a six-week period, the muscular endurance can be improved significantly. After sixteen sessions of training, the endurance time increased over 500% for manual materials handling tasks and over 1200% for upper extremity manual handling tasks. The endurance training program, however, did not increase both static and dynamic …

A Generalized Data Distribution Model For Distributed Relational Databases, Patrick D. Yurk

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a generalized model for the allocation of data in a distributed relational database. The model is applicable to a network of computers where there are different retrieval and update costs at the various sites, and different communication costs between sites.

The method used in this model is based upon clustering of similar computers within the network. Clusters are derived from grouping together sites with similar update, retrieval and communication costs. Data is then allocated to a cluster based on actual communication and processing costs.

The data distribution method between clusters uses a technique where the benefit of …

The Relationship Of Supplemental Instruction And Final Grades Of Students Enrolled In High-Risk Courses, Sally A. Pryor

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between attendance at Supplemental Instruction (SI) and final course grades. This study focused on a program where only undergraduate students led SI sessions. The subjects were 268 students enrolled in three high-risk science courses at a public university in the Midwest during fall semester 1988.

Three research hypotheses were investigated: (1) There is a significant relationship between level of attendance at SI and final course grades. (2) Students who attend SI earn significantly higher final course grades than students who do not attend SI. (3) There …

Reliability And Validity Of The Body Mechanics Obstacle Course Evaluation, Louise Sinclair-Eastman

Masters Theses

A review of the literature suggests that the way in which an individual performs activities, or body mechanics, can affect the amount of stress placed on the low back. Several clinical programs treat patients with low back pain by teaching proper body mechanics. Although body mechanics obstacle course evaluations are used by occupational therapists to assess patients, there has been no published information regarding the reliability and validity of these evaluations. The purpose of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of one version, the Body Mechanics Obstacle Course (BMOC).

Content validity was established by reviewing the literature …

The Effects Of Monthly Expenses On Worker Choice Of The Percent Age Of Incentive Pay To Expected Total Pay: A Simulation, Shezeen Oah

Masters Theses

Because studies that examine factors that affect worker preference for different pay systems are difficult to conduct in the workplace, the feasibility of using a laboratory simulation was assessed. The dependent variable was subject choice of the percentage of incentive pay to total pay. The independent variable was the percentage of monthly expenses to monthly income. The higher the incentive percentage the greater the potential earnings, but the greater the variability of pay and the probability that subjects would be unable to pay expenses. Work performance was simulated by the roll of a die. Thirty college students worked in groups …

Temporal Discrimination Training Of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury Using Computer-Based Operant Procedures, Robert Edward Obrecht

Masters Theses

Computer-based interresponse time (IRT) and matching-to-sample (MTS) procedures were employed in two experiments to assess and effect changes in temporal discriminations made by adults with a history of traumatic brain injury. The results of Experiment One support the interpretation that maintaining correct IRT > t performance was a function of stimulus conditions that included signalled IRTs, values of t less than 3-seconds, a contract agreement to maintain performance, and other contingencies not explicitly part of the design. The results of Experiment Two, that minimal response latencies on MTS tasks are mediated equally well by an experimenter's verbal prompting as well as …

Psychophysiological Assessment Of Panic Disorder, Kent A. Koehn

Masters Theses

This study compared physiological and psychological measures between 9 subjects meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder (PD) and 9 control subjects to identify psychophysiological differences that might be relevant to the etiology and maintenance of panic attacks. The subjects were assessed through a number of self-report measures and across three laboratory sessions involving five experimental conditions: baseline, role play, relaxation, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor. We measured electrodermal (EDG) and electro-myographic activity (EMG), heart rate (HR), and blood volume pulse (BVP) in terms of absolute values, reactivity, and habituation. Both groups were also assessed in their ability to accurately …

A Comparison Of Selected Old And New Right Wing Groups: Involvement With Law Enforcement, Elvin W. Keith

Masters Theses

This study has determined that current right wing extremist groups in the U.S. have no greater propensity for damage to the national security than older right wing groups.

Although right wing groups are dangerous due to the popularity of conservative causes and the proliferation of modern weaponry, an examination reveals that dedication and increased military capability are offset by more efficient law enforcement response and lack of support by the general populace.

A careful examination of the American right wing, both old and new shows the disparity between the two groups. Emphasis is placed on exploring the old right wing …

Compliance With Universal Precautions By Health Care Workers In A Rural Community Emergency Room, Jane E. Devries

Masters Theses

Performance feedback has been used in various organizations to correct problems in the areas of safety, customer service, absenteeism, and tardiness. The present research examined the effects of performance feedback to increase compliance with universal precautions in an emergency room department. Four subjects (Registered Nurses) were observed for glove wearing in any of six different situations common to the emergency room. These included cleaning instruments, cleaning a laceration, giving an injection, phlebotomy, inserting an intravenous catheter, and obtaining and/or transporting specimens other than blood. A multiple baseline experimental design was employed in this study. Results indicated that performance feedback increased …

Wetland Study Of Southeastern Portage Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Kevin M. Walsh

Masters Theses

Under the Clean Water Act, Congress passed legislation to maintain and restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the water of the United States. The objective of this study is to determine if the wooded area located in Upjohn Company's Property in southeastern Portage Township, Portage, Michigan falls under the classification of a wetland.

This objective has been pursued through an examination of the hydrology of the area, the soil characteristics of the area, and the vegetation types and characteristics of the area. These parameters have been utilized following the guidelines outlined in the "Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Regular Meeting July 28, 1989, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes
• Correspondence
• Remarks by the President
• Grant Report
• Personnel Report
• Nee Graduate Programs
• Gift Report
• Personnel Report
• Fall Semester 1989 Tuition and Required Fee Schedule
• General Fund Operating Budget
• Construction Contract - Carl and Winifred Lee Honors College
• Remarks by the Provost
• Public comments
• Adjournment

Western News, July 27,1989, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Electronic conferencing system debuts at WMU before national introduction, Tuition increase on agenda for Friday Board meeting, Affirmative action programs reviewed during on-site audit

Article Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to articles in volume 29.

Reading Attitudes Of Pre-Service Education Majors, M. Cecil Smith

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of the current study was reading attitudes of undergraduates in training. We wondered if there were any relationship between such students' reading attitudes and the number of reading methods and other reading- and language-related courses they had taken.

Making Story Time A Literacy Event For The Young Child, Beth Weir

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A literacy event is "any action or sequence, involving one or more persons in which the production and/or comprehension of print plays a role" (Anderson, Teale & Estrada, 1980). Story reading by a parent or teacher is perhaps the single most effective literacy event in a young child's experience with written language. Increasingly, reports suggest children's development of skills associated with ease of reading acquisition are enhanced with regular readings of storybooks both prior to and concomitant with formal instruction.

Language And Literacy: Mediating Reading Problems In A Communicative Context, Jim Waddell, Victoria J. Risko

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this paper is to describe how Trevor, a student who failed first grade because he didn't attain minimal reading skills according to school standards, learned to read during his second year in first grade. We believe that this description of Trevor's program will contribute to the understanding of how oral and written language impact on literacy attainment. We describe (a) Trevor's school history and problems that were noted in his folder prior to his second year in first grade, and (b) Trevor's success in learning to read and write in a program that encouraged his use of …

"Sponge" Up That Time For Reading, Linda M. Clary

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In recent years, we have documented that discipline problems rise and learning decreases when students do not have something meaningful to do. Time that is engaged and productive, on the other hand, is usually called time on task (Brookover, Beamer, Efthim, Hathaway, Lezotte, Miller, Passalacqua, and Tornatzky, 1982). Sparks and Sparks (1983) have used the term "sponges" to mean those short activities that can keep the child meaningfully involved while a transition takes place or the rest of the group is ready to move on or the bell rings for recess. Kounin (cited in Brookover) has described the teacher's ability …

Blending Whole Language And Basal Reader Instruction, Robert E. Cooter, E. Sutton Flynt

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Integrated approaches to reading instruction combine aspects of whole language and direct instruction methods to introduce children to literacy in the classroom. In essence, these approaches are based on the assumption that emerging literacy can be nurtured initially in a holistic and natural manner (see Gunderson & Shapiro, 1988) as a prelude to the introduction to commercial reading materials. It is further assumed that the basal reader may be used in innovative ways (Burns and others, 1988; Cooter and Reutzel, 1987; ReutzE> 1, 1986) to promote a variety of literacy experiences. While the notion of integrated approaches has been discussed …

Author Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to authors in volume 29.

Providing For Capable Readers: Beyond The Basal Manual, Diane D. Allen, Rebecca A. Swearingen

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study was an attempt to better understand teacher practices for placement in basal reading series, particularly placement of capable readers. The following questions were addressed: 1. On what do teachers base their placement decisions? 2. What do teachers believe will happen to the skill development of capable students who skip basal reading levels? 3. In actual practice would a teacher allow a capable reader to skip levels in a basal reading series?

Effects Of Sustained Silent Reading On Attitudes Toward Reading, Edward J. Dwyer, Valda Reed

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Sustained silent reading (SSR) is a practice involving readers in the process of reading over a designated time period. The basic assumption, in a pedagogical sense, is that practice in reading contributes to reading achievement. Durkin (1983) suggested that the focus of any reading program should be the development of competence in independent silent reading. In the same light, Gambrell (1978) proposed that "cormnonsense notions about the reading process tell us that independent reading skills are enhanced through daily practice in silent reading ... " (p. 328). On the other hand, little empirical research appears to have been undertaken to …

Reading Horizons Vol. 29, No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 29, issue 4.

The Autobiography As Language Reflection, Kathy E. Danielson

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Often, preservice teachers need to be reminded of the many influences on children's language. By reflecting on their own past language experiences, perhaps prospective teachers can better examine the important elements for language development.

Classroom Oral Reading And Its Needs Or Restraints, John H. Warren

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Few deny the beneficial effects of prose or poetry read aloud by a fluent and expressive reader; imparting reassurance, delivering entertainment, dispensing information or explanation, arousing curiosity, diffusing inspiration (Trelease, 1982). Apart from these advantages as we shall see, oral reading has the capability to engender literacy among individuals, more particularly our schoolchildren (Hoffman, 1982).

Western News, June 29,1989, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Board awards Haenicke 7 percent salary increase, Board grants promotions to 31 faculty members, Thompson named vice president for research

Wmu Board Of Trustees Regular Meeting June 23, 1989, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Resolution re Emeritus Status
• Approval of the Minutes
• Correspondence
• Remarks by the President
• Recommendation re Granting of Honorary Degrees
• Recommendation re Naming of Alumni Office
• Evaluation of President and Recommendation re Presidential Compensation
• Executive Session
• Ratification of Contract
• Grant Report
• Personnel Report
• Political Activities Policy
• Organizational Change - College of General Studies
• Increase in Application Fee
• Increase in Late Application Fee
• Gift Report
• Personnel Report
• Revised 1988/89 General Fund Operating Budget
• Continuation of 1988/89 Budget into 1989/90
• Fall Semester 1989 Tuition and Fee Schedule
• Acquisition of Property
• Bank One - Sturgis Agreement
• Construction Contract - Bernhard …

Western News, June 15, 1989, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: 11 West Michigan institutions reaffirm cooperation, Faculty can purchase microcomputers; software from Apple at 25 percent of discounted price, WESTOPS to showcase new downtown office, Miller Auditorium closed for asbestos removal, Carlson named visiting international scholar to University of Passau in West Germany, Disabled adults join ranks of volunteer corps

The Faculty Recognition Dinner 1989, Western Michigan University

Faculty Recognition

The Faculty Recognition Dinner

Western Michigan University

June 2, 1989

• Robert H. Anderson
• William A. Burian
• Joseph M. Condic
• Tilman C. Cothran
• Francis William Doolittle
• William S. Fox
• Edward L. Galligan
• Gilda M. Greenberg
• Charles R. Helgesen
• Alfred K. Ho
• Andrew C. Nahm
• Emanuel Nodel
• Claude S. Phillips, Jr.
• Wayland P. Smith
• Anne O. Szalkowski
• Richard B. Valley
• Leo C. Vander Beek
• Jess M. Walker
• Robert J. Westley

Faculty Recognition Dinner Photo 1989, Western Michigan University

Faculty Recognition

Faculty Recognition Dinner Photo

June 2, 1989

Photographed:

• Joseph Condic
• Leo Vander Beek
• Andrew Nahm
• Richard Valley
• Wayland Smith
• Robert Anderson
• Anne Szalkowski
• Charles Helgesen
• Claude Phillips
• Robert Westley
• Jess Walker
• Edward Galligan
• Tilman Cothran
• Dorothy Bladt
• President Diether H. Haenicke
• Keith Bailey