Digital Commons Network^™

The Efficacy Of A School-Based Support Group On Adolescent Self-Esteem And Social Support, Julia Ann Smith Phd

Dissertations

Adolescents are faced with daily obstacles that affect their ability to progress into adulthood successfully. Rising divorce rates and subsequent single parenting, adolescent pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, and lack of parental involvement represent only a few of the many issues teens confront. School nurses are on the front lines, attempting to educate youth against an alarming rise in personal and social controversies that impede their ability to come to school ready to learn. As part of the educational team, school nurses are in a prime position to develop and integrate intervention strategies aimed at assisting adolescents during this …

Investigating Graphical User Interface Usability On Task Sequence And Display Structure Dependencies, Tirthankar Sengupta

Dissertations

Designing Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) requires the consideration of task sequence requirements (sequence of operations arising from task structures and application constraints) and display structure (layout of the elements of the interface) relationships. The basic purpose was to understand the usability differences of the interfaces through efficiency, motor performance, and search performance.

Thirty-two subjects performed experiments in four groups. The experiments differed in display structure and compatibility of task sequences. Subject mouse actions, mouse coordinates and eye positions were recorded. The derived measures, click efficiency, mouse traversal and eye visits to different areas of interest (namely the tool, object, and …

Network Anomaly Detection Using Management Information Base (Mib) Network Traffic Variables, Jun Li

Dissertations

In this dissertation, a hierarchical, multi-tier, multiple-observation-window, network anomaly detection system (NADS) is introduced, namely, the MIB Anomaly Detection (MAD) system, which is capable of detecting and diagnosing network anomalies (including network faults and Denial of Service computer network attacks) proactively and adaptively. The MAD system utilizes statistical models and neural network classifier to detect network anomalies through monitoring the subtle changes of network traffic patterns. The process of measuring network traffic pattern is achieved by monitoring the Management Information Base (Mifi) II variables, supplied by the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) LI. The MAD system then converted each monitored …

Modeling Usage Of An Online Research Community, Yi Zhang

Dissertations

Although online communities have been thought of as a new way for collaboration across geographic boundaries in the scientific world, they have a problem attracting people to keep visiting. The main purpose of this study is to understand how people behave in such communities, and to build and evaluate tools to stimulate engagement in a research community. These tools were designed based on a research framework of factors that influence online participation and relationship development.

There are two main objectives for people to join an online community, information sharing and interpersonal relationship development, such as friends or colleagues. The tools …

The United States Supreme Court And American Individualism, Gary C. Roberts

Dissertations

The United States Supreme Court occupies an unusual, oftentimes paradoxical position within American democracy. On one hand, it is an institution that seemingly lacks democratic legitimacy, and on the other, it is an institution that dutifully gives meaning to the nation's democratic values. The uniqueness and possibly the grandeur of the American Supreme Court is that it has historically been able to successfully combine these two apparently contradictory aspects in such a manner as to expand upon the nation's traditional sense of individualism--the whole notion of an individual's inalienable right to life, liberty, and property.

Using legal case analysis, the …

Avid Program Graduates: Negotiating The First Year Of College, Leslie J. Hays Edd

Dissertations

Although the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program has been operating in San Diego County for more than twenty years, there was a lack of research investigating how AVID program graduates experienced the transition to college. A well-established positive correlation between acceptances to four-year universities by AVID program graduates exists, but research on AVID lacked individual student narrative needed to give more depth to the data. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the transition experiences of AVID program graduates who were beginning their second year of college at competitive four-year public universities. All eight participants, in the …

Language Interactions Between Reading Recovery Teachers And Their English-Language Learners, Leslie Yerington Edd

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated characteristics of student-teacher interactions during the new book introduction portion of Reading Recovery lessons. The new book introduction provides the student with background knowledge and story plot sufficient to render a successful first attempt reading the book that takes place directly after the introduction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of student-teacher interactions during the new book introduction portion of Reading Recovery lessons in order to describe the nature of these interactions and discover the relationships, if any exist, between the interactions and student performance. The study also searched for common themes …

Examining The Meaning And Experience Of Self-Determination And Its Impact On Quality Of Life For Individuals With Cognitive Disabilities, Carol Marie Sundberg

Dissertations

There is a national agenda for advancing self-determination for persons with disabilities. Broadly defined, self-determination means having control over ones own life. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of self-determination and its effect on the quality of life of persons with cognitive disabilities. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was selected. Ten individuals from a community mental health system in southwest Michigan participated in the study. Participants had a developmental disability and were dependent on others for their care. The research combined qualitative interviews with behavioral observations and proxy interviewing, and included the audiotaping of those interviews. …

Mothers Of Us All: When Does Political Message Take Precedence Over Art In Some Modern And Contemporary Women’S Poetry, Shanda Hansma Blue Easterday

Dissertations

This dissertation contains an essay with the above title, as well as two sections of poems. The first section of poems is entitled Maria Sibylla Merian, Artist and Naturalist , and is a collection of poems about, and in the voice of, Merian. Many of these are what are known as personna poems. The second section of poems is entitled The Beekeeper's Wife , and uses autobiography as a framework for communicating the humor in human relationships, and for illustrating the surrealism in the human race's relationships with the natural world.

My research for my essay entailed the study of …

From Violence-Prone To Violence-Prepared Organizations Assessing The Role Of Human Resources Management In Preventing Workplace Violence In American City Governments, Saleh Abdel Rahman Ahmed

Dissertations

Violence is a significant occupational hazard in the American workplace. Nearly a thousand employees are murdered on the job each year and workplacehomicide has become the leading cause of death for women and the second for men. From 1993 to 1999, there were an average of 1.7 million nonfatal violent victimizations each year, accounting for 18% of all violent crime. Although government employees accounted for 18% of the U.S. workforce, they made up 37% of workplace violence victims.

A review of literature found no unified definition of workplace violence. Recent scientific research regarding this problem is rare, despite its increasing …

Examining The Behavioral And Physiological Components Of Communication Skills Training With Married Couples: Are Differential Effects Mediated By The Topic Discussed And Initial Level Of Marital Distress?, Tara L. Cornelius

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to experimentally examine the effects of the Speaker-Listener technique when the couple was instructed to either (a) discuss an issue within, or (b) outside the marriage, on couples’ initial and long-term levels of marital distress and satisfaction. This study was designed to examine Gottman, et al. (1998) hypothesis that the Speaker-Listener skills training technique may be effective and lead to improved levels of marital satisfaction when the couple is complaining about a third party, but complaining about each other may become divisive and weaken the marital relationship, and that such an effect would …

Dear Beyond, Kirsten Hemmy

Dissertations

My project. Dear Beyond, a collection of poetry, examines the connection between landscape—both internal and external, or private and public—and environment. My poetry reflects my own unique background and my struggles with emplacement, or the placing of oneself in any particular landscape. It aims to challenge dominant paradigms of voice, expression, and even inquiry; it questions traditional, systematic forms of inquiry such as the Cartesian idea of an essential separation between object and subject. Culture and landscape, I have discovered, manifest themselves everywhere, in variegated forms: in spaciousness or intimacy, in internal and external contexts, in tactile experiences, in focused …

Levittown, Pennsylvania: A Sociological History, Chad M. Kimmel

Dissertations

I take the suburban community of Levittown, Pennsylvania, as my field of study. I use primary documents to tell the history of this community, a story filtered through a sociological perspective, one that is firmly grounded in the sociology of C. Wright Mills. "All sociology worth the name," argued Mills, "is historical sociology." An important voice in this story is that of the original Levittown resident--those individuals still living in their homes after 50 years.

As a sociologist, my task is to uncover and make real the interrelationships between biography (the individual resident) and history (the community of Levittown and …

The Effects Of Elevated Co2 And Environmental Variation On Plant Phenotype, Herbivore Performance, And Evolutionary Potential In A Brassicacae Model System, John Michael Landosky

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Factors Affecting School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use Of Language Assessment Practices With Bilingual Children, Lena Gloria Caesar

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the assessment procedures and practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) employed in the state of Michigan. A survey method was used to gather information from 409 SLPs regarding the assessment procedures used for assessing both their bilingual students, as well as their monolingual English-speaking students. The survey also gathered information regarding perceptions about language proficiency, professional training, and bilingual assessment products. In order to analyze factors related to their use of recommended practices, the study investigated the relationship between selected demographic, caseload, and work-setting variables, and the type of bilingual assessment methods …

Differentiation Of The Causal Characteristics And Influences Of Virtual Reality And The Effects On Learning At A Science Exhibit, Arlene De Strulle Edd

Dissertations

Within the context of the informal science center, exhibits are the main interface for public learning. Essential to the success of a science center is how well exhibits model effective strategies for learning. Virtual Reality (VR) technology with its flexible, adaptive, multimedia, and immersive-learning capabilities is emerging for use by science centers in exhibits; however, research on learning in virtual environments at exhibits is scarce. To support the future development of VR science exhibits it is critical to investigate VR's pedagogical value and effects on science learning. Research investigated the Smoke & Mirrors VR exhibit at the Reuben H. Fleet …

“Imagined Communities” In Showcases: The Nationality Rooms Program At The University Of Pittsburgh (1926-1945), Lucia Curta

Dissertations

From the inception of the program in 1926, the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh were viewed as apolitical in their iconography. Their purpose was primarily didactic. Designed as classrooms meant for lectures and seminars, they were however ad-hoc museums for the display of symbols of national identity. In many ways, they constitute an excellent illustration in terms of the decorative arts of Benedict Anderson's concept of "imagined communities."

The identity referent of the symbolism attached to the decorative arrangements of these rooms was not that of the ethnic communities in Pittsburgh, for whom the rooms were supposedly designed …

Counselors’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Career Education Programs In Assisting High School Students When Making Career Decisions, Sandra L. Roberts Standish

Dissertations

In 1997, the Michigan Department of Career Development unveiled the Michigan Career Preparation System, which provided guidelines and funds for school districts to offer career education opportunities for students. Since high school counselors are oftentimes viewed as the primary provider of careerinformation to students, this study examined their perceptions of Michigan's Career Preparation System and the impact this initiative has had on studentsand educators. To gather this information, a 13-question survey was designed and distributed to a randomly selected group of high school counselors. Theresearch also provided a framework for understanding all of the components of both the Michigan Comprehensive …

The Interactions Between An Orthodox Christian Worldview And Environmental Attitudes And Beliefs; For The Purpose Of Developing Better Instructional Practice In Support Of Environmental/Ecological Attitudes And Knowledge, Robert S. Keys

Dissertations

Students bring with them to the classroom a wide variety of beliefs and attitudes about the environment and its associated issues. One worldview belief structure prominently discussed in ecological discussions is the worldview of orthodox Christianity. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to analyze the degree to which the orthodox Christian worldview of students influences their environmental attitudes and beliefs. Surveys were conducted with 281 undergraduate pre-service elementary teaching students enrolled in a science methods course to determine the degree to which orthodox Christian worldviews and ecological worldviews interact with one another. From this pool of students, 16 …

Assessing The Gender Component In Coronary Heart Disease; A Comparative Analysis Of Osteopathic And Allopathic Rural Physicians' Medical Approaches To Diagnosing And Treating Female Coronary Heart Disease, Victoria S. Curtis

Dissertations

Heart disease is the number one killer among women in the United States. This dissertation examines how the knowledge base of rural physicians affects his/her approach to diagnosing female heart disease. It compares the knowledge base of doctors trained in osteopathic medicine with doctors trained in allopathic medicine to determine if knowledge base affects how women are diagnosed in comparison with men. Current data suggests that a male model of recognized heart symptoms is most often used to diagnose heart disease, that women and men experience different cardiac symptoms, and those physicians more often overlook and/or misdiagnose women presenting with …

Child Welfare And Devolving Federalism: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Federal Funding Schemes On Selected Child Welfare Outcomes In Michigan, Timothy J. Kangas

Dissertations

Child abuse and neglect has become a pervasive problem across the United States. Between 1985 and 1995 the foster care population in the United States grew by 79%, with costs soaring into the billions. During the mid-1990s, in an effort to address this issue, the federal government shifted from using a funding scheme identified with a traditional model of federalism to one identified with devolving federalism. In Michigan, the focus of this research, this shift in approaches occurred through the issuance of block grant funding for child welfare programming. The intent of this shift was to decentralize elements of the …

Taiwanese Female Counselors’ Experiences Of Managing Work And Family Roles And Responsibilities, Joy Yuyin Huang

Dissertations

Mental health professionals work in emotionally demanding environments when they work with clients who have emotional problems and interpersonal conflicts. Self-care and managing family and work responsibilities are concerns of great importance for mental health professionals to maintain quality in their services. This is of special concern for Asian female counselors who play important supportive roles for their families. As a result, Asian female counselorsnot only work with clients but also assume heavy family responsibilities, yet there is a dearth of literature on this specific group (Leong, 2002; Saso, 1999; Lee, 1998).

This qualitative study using grounded theory methods explored …

Deconstructing Fordism: Legacies Of The Ford Sociological Department, Georgios Paris Loizides

Dissertations

Institutional theories of organizations state that organizations reflect society's wider values and norms. Less attention has been placed on the questions of whether and how private interest organizations influence wider societal values and norms. This study examines archival material, as well as published primary and secondary sources, relating to the history of the Ford Motor Company, in particular its Sociological Department, in an effort to assess the company's progressive era project to instill in its workforce a particular set of values and attitudes, which were seen by Ford as healthy, and appropriate. Though we are used to seeing Henry Ford …

Girls And Science: A Qualitative Study On Factors Related To Success And Failure In Science, Paula Denise Johnson

Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to determine how girls perceived factors that contribute to their success in science programs designed to maximize their achievement. The sample consisted of 20 students in 9th and 12th grades attending a school of choice. Respondents were interviewed using a structured interview protocol.

The National Council for Research on Women study (Thom, 2001) found that girls are more successful in math and science programs that incorporate acooperative, hands-on approach than in programs that stress competition and individual learning. This finding was supported by this study among 20 high school girls in a school whose mission is …

School Counselors’ Perceptions Of Developmental Guidance: A Qualitative Study, Lori A. Pashnik

Dissertations

A developmental emphasis is the fundamental core of the school counseling profession. However, Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Programs (CG&CPs) that have been identified as developmental have been shown to have significant gaps with regard to developmental theoretical concepts. In addition, counselors who are implementing CG&CPs are unsure of how to put developmental principles into practice. This study explored how elementary and middle school counselors who currently implement CG&CPs perceive the developmental philosophical foundation of the program. A focus group methodology was used for this study to gain an in-depth understanding of elementary and middle school counselors’ perceptions of developmental guidance. …

Sustaining Innovation In Career And Technical Education, Brenda S. Clark

Dissertations

There has been little research done in education to determine what makes programs sustainable once the person who started the program has left or funding has decreased or disappeared. Innovative and successful programs are frequently started only to close or to reach a dead end. This study will seek to determine what components are necessary to sustain and grow a Career and Technical Education program. The primary audiences for the research study will be community college and university teacher preparation departments and career and technical education departments.

A survey was sent to Occupational Education Studies (OES) students and to OES …

Career Commitment And Retention Strategies For New Teachers: A National Study, A. Celeste Shelton-Harris

Dissertations

In spite of the logical link between new teacher support and retention, the attrition rate for beginning teachers continues to be greater than their more experienced colleagues. To this end, this study examined the relationship between new teacher career commitment and retention strategies across gender, race/ethnicity, and instructional level. Comprehensive national data, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) 1999-2000, were analyzed primarily utilizing chi-square and logistical regression tests. Key findings were found for new teachers with 3 years or less classroom experience. First, more beginners are "very committed" (62.3%) than "not so or not committed" (37.7%) to their chosen teaching career. …

Structural Equation Modeling As A Tool For Multisite Evaluation, Carl Edward Hanssen

Dissertations

Two fundamental purposes exist for program evaluation: to document program results and to improve programs. These purposes are commonly called summative and formative evaluation. The fundamental questions related to these purposes are (1) what occurred in the program? and (2) how can the program be improved? The answer to the second question implies the need to explain why program results occurred.

This dissertation developed an approach to support formative evaluation and answering the question of why program results occur. This approach integratedmultisite evaluation, theory-based evaluation and structural equation modeling. The context for this dissertation was the National Science Foundation's Advanced …

Controversial Maternal Roles Of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse Cases, Rhonda Elliott Mcgee

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Child Sexual Abuse case files, to determine which "maternal role": (a) protector, (b) co-victim, (c) co-perpetrator/conspirator, or (d) perpetrator was the most common in court cases studied in this research. The researcher also sought to find: (1) The most dominant maternal role in reference to percentage; (2) The effect, if any, of certain "role types"; (3) And the consequences and/or effects of selected variables (e.g. age, race, and gender) had in family court decisions and adjudications.

The target population consisted of forty-one cases of Child Sexual Abuse cases, adjudicated by the Family …

Optimization Studies Of Thermal Bimorph Cantilevers, Electrostatic Torsion Actuators And Variable Capacitors, Wuyong Peng

Dissertations

In this dissertation, theoretical analyses and optimization studies are given for three kinds of MEMS devices: thermal bimorph cantilevers, electrostatic torsion actuators, and variable capacitors. Calculation, simulation, and experimental data are used to confirm the device behavior and demonstrate the application of the design approaches.

For thermal bimorph cantilevers, an analytical model is presented which allows theoretical analysis and quantitative optimization of the performance based on material properties and device dimensions. Bimorph cantilevers are divided into two categories for deflection optimization: either the total thickness is constant, or the cantilever has one constant and one variable layer thickness. The optimum …