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A Study Of The Out-Of-Class Experiences Of Saint Mary's College Students Studying In Maynooth, Ireland, Carolyn S. Langley

Dissertations

Problem Statement. The purpose of this study is to describe the out-of-class experiences of 21 students who studied in the Saint Mary's College Ireland Program in Maynooth, Ireland, during the 1998-1999 academic year. It examines (1) how the program orientation influenced students' desire to become involved in out-of-class activities, (2) how out-of-class experiences fostered students' learning of the Irish culture, and (3) how the experiences influenced students' attitudes toward cultures other than their own.

Methodology. This study employed descriptive qualitative research. Focus groups were conducted to gather data used in developing questions for long interviews, and these long interviews …

Students' Mental Models Of Electricity In Simple Dc Circuits, Andrew C. Isola Iii

Dissertations

This study presents the results of research into middle school students' knowledge about the nature and mechanisms of action of electricity in simple DC circuits. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders (n=99) were asked a series of questions about the roles of bulbs, batteries, wires, and electricity in circuits. Almost half the number of students (n=42) were found to have used detailed, well-defined, and logically consistent mental models based on their responses. A total of 15 different detailed mental models were documented in these students that belonged to one of four different general model types: (1) round trip flow using both …

Japanese Students' Perceived Need For Communicative English And Their Perceived Proficiency Levels, Takanori Mita

Dissertations

Japanese students of English need to develop their proficiencies not only in oral aspects but in overall practical language aspects. English programs from junior high school to college levels need to be improved in consideration of current needs of students.

This study was conducted to assess college students’ perceived need for changes in the English curricula enhancing communicative competence and to seek their perceived levels of proficiency at graduation in the four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in relationship with students’ majors, academic experience in English-speaking countries, and lengths of such experience.

The research was conducted in Tokyo …

Symbolic Politics: Government's War Against The Working Class, Warren Charles Gregory

Dissertations

Symbolism and substance are essential parts of any political system. In our system of government, we typically think of symbolism as serving substantive ends. Using a triangulation of _methods (Participant Observation, Archival Data, and Documentary Evidence), the paper examines two cases (Social Security and criminal justice) and concludes that the mix between substance and symbolism has changed dramatically in recent years with symbolism now assuming the central role.

The current debates over Social Security funding and criminal justice sanctions, for example, are less about the concerns of old-age security or making the public safer as much as they reflect a …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Temporal Requirement And Response Form On Retention, Equivalence, And Endurance, Amy Lorraine Mccarty

Dissertations

Many researchers and practitioners have reported dramatic learning gains that they attribute to the fluency procedure, often citing rate of response as a critical feature. Others have been unsuccessful at demonstrating these claims empirically. A variety of differences between methods and procedures that may account for the different outcomes are discussed in this paper. In particular is the difference in outcomes when topography-based as opposed to selection-based responses were targeted for training. Fluency practitioners, and the researchers who have obtained similar positive outcomes, have for the most part used topography-based forms of response during the drill and practice sessions, or …

Diagnostic Issues With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Conditional Probabilities And A Measure Of Symptom Ratings, Margo Adams Larsen

Dissertations

Current assessment taxonomy, including the DSM -IV and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) (World Health Organization, 1990) editions, have provided semistructured criteria sets to aid professionals in making a diagnosis of ADHD or ADD. The diagnostic taxonomy criteria, however, have resulted in a very heterogeneous population of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disordered (ADHD) individuals. Several studies have attempted to assess the behavioral syndromes— Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)/Conduct Disorder (CD)/ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)—in terms of test or symptom sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power (Landau, Milich, & Widiger, 1991; Milich, Widiger, & Landau, 1987; Waldman & …

The Relationship Between Multicultural Counseling Competencies And Attitudes Toward African Americans Among White Female Graduate Students, Dianne T. Robinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between multicultural counseling competencies and attitudes toward African Americans among White female graduate students in counseling psychology. Participants were 67 White female students enrolled in either the master’s or doctoral level counseling psychology programs in a large Midwestern university. Subjects were administered four instruments. Participants’ self-perceived competencies in multicultural counseling were measured by the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI, Sodowsky, Taffe, Gutkin, & Wise, 1994) and racial attitudes were measured by the Attitudes Toward Blacks Scale (ATB, Brigham, 1993). Demographic information as well as subjects’ level of participation in several activities …

Students’ Conceptions Of Mathematics And The Transition From A Standards-Based Reform Curriculum To College Mathematics, Rebecca K. Walker

Dissertations

Students’ conceptions of mathematics are shaped by the environment within which they learn mathematics and in turn they affect the manner in which students engage in mathematics.

This study examined students’ conceptions about learning, knowing, and doing mathematics after studying four years of a Standards-based reform high school mathematics curriculum developed by the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP). Student conceptions were examined at the end of high school (n = 2S6) and after one semester of college mathematics (n = 92). The study also provides case studies of six students as they navigated from the CPMP curriculum through college Precalculus or …

Majority And Minority Supervisees' Perceptions Of Clinical Supervision, Vivian Barnette

Dissertations

Perceptions of clinical supervision of 175 majority and minority counseling psychology doctoral students selected from a national pool was the study’s focal point. Instruments used were the Revised Relational Inventory (RRI; Barrett- Lennard, 1962; Schacht, Howe, & Berman, 1988) and the Supervision Perception Form-Trainee (SPF-T) developed by Heppner and Roehlke (1984). Participants were instructed to based their ratings on their last supervision experience. Data were collected and scored on the five subscales o f the RRI (Congruence, Empathetic Understanding, Regard, Unconditionality, and Willingness to be Known) and the two subscales of the SPF-T (Willingness to Learn and Supervisory Impact).

A …

The Validity Of The Adhd Section Of The Diagnostic Interview Schedule For Children, Ann M. Mcgrath

Dissertations

The purpose o f this study was to learn more about the validity o f the ADHD portion of the NIMH-DISCIV. In order to accomplish this goal, 58 youth participants were divided into three groups: (1) subjects who met criteria for ADHD based upon both the youth and the caretaker versions of the DISC; (2) subjects who met criteria for ADHD based upon the caretaker DISC, but not according to the youth DISC; and (3) subjects who did not meet criteria for ADHD according to either the youth or the caretaker DISC. Subjects in these groups were compared across parent …

A Comparison Of International And U.S. Students In Apa-Accredited Programs: Acculturation, Counseling Self-Efficacy And Role Difficulties In Supervision, Johanna E. Nilsson

Dissertations

There has been a call in the multicultural supervision literature to enhance the understanding of minority students’ unique training needs and develop appropriate theories and models of training for these students (Leong & Wagner, 1994; McNeill, Horn, & Perez, 1995). Although a few researchers have empirically examined differences between U.S. majority and minority students in multicultural supervision (Cook & Helms, 1988; Vander Kolk, 1974), virtually no empirical studies have been published on international students’ training experiences.

The main purpose of the present study was to advance knowledge regarding the training needs of international students in APA-accredited programs in psychology. It …

Evaluating The Effects Of Postive Peer Reporting On Social Acceptance, Mary Short

Dissertations

The effects of a positive peer reporting procedure on social status and social interactions were assessed. Children who are socially rejected seem to be disliked by their peers due to their high frequency of negative behaviors and low frequency of positive behaviors. Therefore, to decrease the negative behaviors and increase the positive behaviors, rejected children were asked to make positive comments about their peers. Participants included 4 children, ages 10-15 years. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized. Collection of baseline data began immediately following the confirmation of consent and eligibility for the child to participate. Initial baseline data …

Case Studies Of Organizational Evaluation In Community Foundations, Joyce Box Brown

Dissertations

Community foundations are classified as public charities (501(c) 3). They derive their funds from many donors rather than a single donor, and the board is made up of representatives from the community served. They are most often established to serve a specific geographic area. This study investigated and described how three different community foundations approach organizational evaluation— choosing proposals to fund, monitoring programs, improving programs, and assessing program impact.

The three community foundations approach evaluation not as a formal system of grant accountabilities, but as a way of systematically gathering information from various constituents for purposes of guiding important decisions. …

Detection And Robustness Of Digital Image Watermarking Signals : A Communication Theory Approach, George F. Elmasry

Dissertations

The detection and robustness of the watermark signal is studied from a communications point of view. The contributions of this dissertation are presented in two parts. The first part, which covers the detection aspect, introduces a new digital image watermarking approach that embeds meaningful information in a copyright protection watermark signal; demonstrates the need to approach the watermark signal as a power-constrained signal; studies the relationship between the watermark signal dimension and the image capacity to the signal; explains the similarities and differences between detecting the watermark signal and detecting a signal over a spread-spectrum communication channel; and analyzes the …

Evaluation Of Raman Spectroscopy And Ruby Piezospectroscopy As Tools For Investigating The Corrosion Of Metallic Alloys, Daniel P. Renusch

Dissertations

Stainless steel system components that operate in high temperature oxidizing environments obtain protection from corrosion by means of thermally grown chromia and alumina scales. Ongoing investigations of protective scales utilize a battery of experimental and theoretical techniques. A technique which has received little attention is Raman scattering. The reason for its limited use has been long data acquisition times required to obtain suitable spectra from thin surface oxides. Because advances in detection systems, namely the multichannel CCD (charge coupled devices), have recently provided dramatic improvement in the sensitivity of Raman scattering experiments, we decided to reevaluate the technique as a …

Coping Strategy And Social Support Differences Among Copd Patients: Effects On Psychological Well Being, Functional Status, And Health Care Utilization, Terri Belville-Robertson

Dissertations

This descriptive study examined coping strategies and social support among thirty-three patients with moderate to severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to assess relationships to psychological and functional status, and health care utilization. More specifically, the qualitative and quantitative differences in coping strategies and social support were examined in relation to anxiety, depression, activity level, and use of emergency and inpatient medical services. Subjects participated in a one-session screening that included a brief clinical interview, battery of questionnaires and exercise tolerance test. Health care utilization data were obtained from subjects’ medical records. Subjects' primary support persons also provided collateral data …

Intuitive Understanding Of Time And Space At The Age Of Four, Josephine Barry-Davis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the central hypothesis that “children by the age of four years construct accurate and lasting conceptions o f time (past, present, future) and space (near and far away).” In order to test this hypothesis the researcher relied on qualitative research guidelines developed and published in recent years to address social science and educational research issues. The research design is especially applicable to young children where the researcher assumes the role of participant observer. In order to control for the context of the research, the children were observed for time and space cognitive …

The Use Of Curriculum-Based Measurement To Evaluate The Effects Of A Remedial Education Program, Michael D. Hixson

Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of two Direct Instruction programs: Corrective Reading: Decoding and Connecting Math Concepts. The effectiveness of the interventions was evaluated using a single-subject experimental design with curriculumbased measurement (CBM) probes as the main means of assessment. Other methods of assessment included standardized achievement tests, school reports, and pre- and postcurriculum- based assessment probes. The CBM probes for all students were sensitive to the effects of the interventions, although there was a great deal of variability in the CBM reading probes and little correspondence across methods of assessment. The results indicate that the two Direct Instruction programs …

A Bare Unpainted Table: A Manuscript Of Poems, Gladys Cardiff

Dissertations

The poems in this collection reflect Cardiff's bi-cultural Native American and Euro-American inheritance. The book title comes from a sixteenth century chronicle in which the native peoples of the Americas are seen as "simple gentiles" living under the "lawe of nature " . These narrative poems refute the Eurocentric notion that American Indians can be likened to a "bare table" or "a blank sheet of paper to be written upon ". The poem s celebrate her Indian heritage and also engage allusively with Western and Asian tradition s and conventions. Sometimes edgy, sometimes honorific, the juxtaposition of traditions in these …

An Analysis Of Nine K-12 School Districts That Have Established Membership With The Coalition Of Essential Schools, Shari A. Peters Kitchen

Dissertations

In the late 1970s, Ted Sizer, professor of education at Brown University, and a team of researchers traveled the country visiting dozens of secondary schools. The purpose of these visits was to understand the American high school by observing it firsthand. Sizer reported his findings in 1984 in Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School.

In response to the compromises raised in Horace's Compromise, 12 schools volunteered to become the Coalition of Essential Schools. The Coalition rests on a set of nine Common Principles, which include intellectual rigor, simple and universal goals, personalized school, graduation by exhibitions …

Nonmigrainous Pediatric Headache Management: Thermal Biofeedback And Parent Guidelines, Richard E. Arndorfer

Dissertations

This study explored the utility of the combination of thermal biofeedback and parent-mediated pain behavior management guidelines as a treatment for children experiencing nonmigrainous headache. Five children, ages 8 to 14, were assigned to baselines of varying lengths prior to receiving treatment. Four of the five children demonstrated significant reductions in one or more headache parameters (frequency, duration, average peak intensity) following treatment. The utility of thermal biofeedback and parent-mediated guidelines are supported as a treatment for children suffering from nonmigrainous headache.

Improving Special Education Teachers' Use Of Data-Based Instruction, Steven D. Goodman

Dissertations

The data-based decision model involves frequent measures of student performance (i.e., 2 - 5 times per week), frequent analysis of performance data (weekly or bi-weekly), and the application of decision rules. In the first study, we surveyed 406 special education teachers state-wide. Results of the survey suggest that the databased decision model is not generally practiced by special educators in the field. Just over one quarter of the respondents report to assessing student performance frequently enough to qualify as using the model. Only 10% of respondents indicate that they generally graph student performance. Additionally, less than 23% of respondents who …

The Effects Of Sibling-Implemented Training On Social Behaviors Of Autistic Children, Cristin L. Sullivan

Dissertations

The present study investigated the effectiveness of sibling-implemented pivotal response training (PRT) on the social behaviors of five children with autism. Using a multiple-baseline design across sibling pairs, participants were trained to use PRT while playing with their brother’s with autism. Measures of play skills and social behavior were assessed during baseline, training, sibling-independent play, and two-month follow-up sessions. Also, parents were asked to rate randomly selected video-tape segments from baseline and sibling-independent play sessions. The results indicated that siblings were able to learn effectively and implement PRT strategies following training. All of the children with autism demonstrated an increase …

Adaptive Interference Cancelation Techniques For Multicarrier Modulated Systems, Matthijs A. Visser

Dissertations

Current wireline systems and wireless broadcasting systems employ multicarrier modulation (MCM). This includes the high-rate digital subscriber line (HDSL), digital audio broadcasting system (DAB) and the digital terrestrial television broadcasting system (dTTb). Multicarrier modulation is also envisioned for high-speed indoor wireless local area networks (WLAN). Additionally, multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA), a hybrid of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and CDMA, is proposed for the downlink (base-to-mobile) of a 3rd generation wireless system as part of the IMT-2000 standardization process.

The performance of an MC-CDMA system--similar to a direct sequence CDMA (DS-CDMA) system--is limited by the presence of multiple …

Applications Of A Microtrap For On-Line Monitoring Of Volatile Organics, Chaohua Feng

Dissertations

Microtrap is made by packing a narrow metal tubing with adsorbents. The advantage of a microtrap is that it can be heated and cooled in the order of seconds. It has been used previously as a concentration cum injection device for on-line gas chromatography and also monitoring non-methane organic carbon in air emissions. In this research breakthrough and desorption characteristics of the microtrap were studied. A two-stage microtrap system was developed to reduce breakthrough while making sharp injection for GC separation. Microtrap was also used as a concentrator cum injector in on-line mass spectrometry. Finally, a microtrap based, continuous non-methane …

Development Of Membrane Extraction Systems For Measuring Trace Level Organic Compounds In Water, Xuemei Guo

Dissertations

The presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground and surface water resources poses a threat to public health. The measurement of these trace level contaminants in water is of significant importance. Conventional methods for analysis of trace volatile organic compounds in water include purge and trap, head space analysis, and solid phase microextraction (SPME). While these are excellent laboratory techniques, none of them can be used for continuous, on-line monitoring of water streams. Membrane separation of organic compounds from water provides an exciting possibility for on-line extraction and analysis. In previous investigations, water continuously flowed on the feed side …

Chemical Reactions And Mass Transport In Emulsion Liquid Membrane, Huifang Fan

Dissertations

Emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) systems are an important technique for wastewater cleanup. For this purpose, emulsion globules are dispersed in wastewater (external phase), each emulsion globule consisting of many tiny aqueous droplets (internal phase) enclosed in oil (membrane phase). Hazardous chemicals in the wastewater are transported into the internal droplets by mass transfer mechanisms.

Since Li first invented an ELM system in the 1960s, much research effort has been devoted to experimentally finding the optimal conditions for ELM recovery of various chemicals. Such studies would have benefited greatly from the guidance of mathematical models, especially those that provide analytical predictions. …

Long Term Risks Associated With Brownfield Containments, Shailesh Shirish Chirputkar

Dissertations

The sites at which the development is hindered by real or perceived contamination are called as Brownfield sites. It is a common trend in industry to develop these types of sites with surface and peripheral containments. It might prove unwise to develop the sites in this manner from a long term perspective without considering the associated risk. Because of this, a model has been proposed for long term risk assessments of brownfield containments.

Objectives of this study were to develop a contaminant transport model for flow of contaminants towards the surface and peripheral containments inside the site, a model for …

Developing Techniques For Enhancing Comprehensibility Of Controlled Medical Terminologies, Huanying Gu

Dissertations

A controlled medical terminology (CMT) is a collection of concepts (or terms) that are used in the medical domain. Typically, a CMT also contains attributes of those concepts and/or relationships between those concepts. Electronic CMTs are extremely useful and important for communication between and integration of independent information systems in healthcare, because data in this area is highly fragmented. A single query in this area might involve several databases, e.g., a clinical database, a pharmacy database, a radiology database, and a lab test database.

Unfortunately, the extensive sizes of CMTs, often containing tens of thousands of concepts and hundreds of …

Porting The Sisal Functional Language To Distributed-Memory Multiprocessors, Jui-Yuan Ku

Dissertations

Parallel computing is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in recent years. The sizes of application problems continuously increase for solving real-world problems. Distributed-memory multiprocessors have been regarded as a viable architecture of scalable and economical design for building large scale parallel machines. While these parallel machines can provide computational capabilities, programming such large-scale machines is often very difficult due to many practical issues including parallelization, data distribution, workload distribution, and remote memory latency.

This thesis proposes to solve the programmability and performance issues of distributed-memory machines using the Sisal functional language. The programs written in Sisal will be automatically parallelized, scheduled and …