Digital Commons Network^™

In-Group / Out-Group Dynamics And Effectiveness In Partially Distributed Teams, Faina Privman

Dissertations

When organizations collaborate they often do so using partially distributed teams (PDTs). In a Partially Distributed Team there exist at least two distinct sub-groups. In addition, at least one of the sub-groups has two or more members that are geographically co-located. Co-located members can meet face to face; chat in the hallway; have lunch together; and otherwise socialize with one another. On the other hand, remote members must rely on technology to communicate and work together. This distinct characteristic of partially distributed teams makes them especially susceptible to the In-Group / Out Group dynamic (Huang and Ocker, 2006). This dynamic …

Design Development And Evaluation Of Collario, A Group Support System For Collaborative Scenario Creation, Xiang Yao

Dissertations

In the fields of Emergency Management and Business Continuity Planning, scenarios are a widely used tool for planning, training and knowledge sharing purposes. The ability to create and discuss emergency scenarios in virtual teams can lead to many potential applications, such as discussing emergency scenarios by world-wide experts, conducting on-line exercises, and creating Communities of Practices. Existing scenario creation systems, like NxMsel provided by FEMA, allow distributed groups to create scenarios together. However, collaborative support in these systems is generally limited.

This dissertation explores an innovative solution to provide various types of collaboration support around a knowledge structure and uses …

Probing The Complex Magnetic, Electronic And Structural Properties In Correlated Manganese Oxides, Peng Gao

Dissertations

Rare-earth Manganese Oxides (RMnO₃) exhibit two distinct structural phases: the orthorhombic structure and the hexagonal structure. The doped orthorhombic phase exhibits a metal to insulator transition, charge ordering and a strong response of electron transport properties to magnetic fields (colossal magneto-resistance). At low temperatures, this system may also exhibit a finite polarization which couples to external magnetic fields. The hexagonal phase is known to have a large spontaneous polarization at high temperatures which couples to the low temperature magnetic order. These materials are important from the basic point of view of understanding strong electronic correlations and …

The Relationship Of Level Of Traumatic Exposure, Perceived Stress, And Resilience With Salivary Cortisol And Salivary Alpha-Amylase Diurnal Rhythm In Palestinian Children 10-12 Years Exposed To Chronic War Violence, Mohammad R. Asia Phd, Rn

Dissertations

Political violence, war, and genocide exist across the world and often the innocent children and civilians become victims. War and long-term violence have potentially harmful psychological and physiological effects on children. There are limited studies on the effect of prolonged armed conflict on the child's physiologic and psychologic stress responses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between level of trauma, stress and resilience with salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) diurnal patterns in Palestinian children, ages 10-12, living in a long standing war zone. Salivary cortisol, a surrogate marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity, and salivary …

Creative Metacriticism: The Portrayal Of Literary Theory In Contemporary Fiction, Zaydun Ali Al-Shara

Dissertations

Some modern creative writers have shown a talent not only in writing tales, but also in philosophy and theory as they examine questions and problems in fiction-making and the very act of reading. This dissertation examines the role the metafictive novel plays in the development of literary theory and fiction. I explore how writers of this type of novel emerge as creative metacritics who overtly and/or covertly, through their fiction, respond to and critique literary theory. The inquiry examines the reciprocal relationship between the fiction of creative metacritics and important movements in literary theory in the late 20th Century. All …

A Conceptual Integration Analysis Of Multiple Instructional Metaphors, Robert Johnson

Dissertations

The present study was conducted to investigate some of the practical implications of conceptual integration theory for educators. This research was a mixed-methods study exploring how improvements in understanding—learning—(as measured by a selectedresponse assessment) are reflected in changes in learner language (described in terms of conceptual integration patterns). After a pretest with open-response and selected-response prompts, two groups of young adult participants viewed different videos of a slightly different review lesson in genes, genetics, and heredity, the difference lying in two different metaphor conditions: the experimental group was shown a more “metaphorrich” version of the lesson using two classic metaphors …

Mapping The Global Landscape In Women's Diasporic Writing, Martha Addante

Dissertations

As a contribution to the theory of cognitive mapping, the dissertation examines the ways in which contemporary novels by women writers of diasporic literature offer new conceptual maps of the present global space. This study argues there is a need for alternative mapping strategies that locate the female diasporic subject within the new global political economy. Fredric Jameson's theory of cognitive mapping and Arjun Appadurai's model of global flows provide a useful framework for mapping global space, yet each must be filtered through a feminist critique and modified by a feminist politics. Ultimately, the dissertation argues for a feminist theory …

Analytical, Computational And Experimental Studies Of Capillary Flow In Complex Geometries, Yongqing Peng

Dissertations

The dynamic processes of capillary flow in complex geometries have been studied analytically, computationally and experimentally in this research. A general approach for modeling the capillary flow in arbitrary irregular geometries with straight axis of symmetry is proposed. Using this approach, the governing equation to describe the dynamic capillary rising motion in capillaries with nonuniform elliptical cross-section is first derived under the assumptions of parabolic distribution of the axial velocity and constant contact angle. The calculation results for the capillary flow in different tubes with irregular wall show that, in comparison with existing models that have been tested, the present …

From Picture To Word To The World: A Multimodal, Cultural Studies Approach To Teaching Graphic Novels In The English Classroom, Shannon Renee Mortimore

Dissertations

Sequential narratives such as comics, graphic novels and Manga (Japanese-style comics) have long been popular in youth culture. Recent attention has shifted to the potential of utilizing these alternative texts in the secondary classroom, yet very little information for English teachers exists regarding how to engage students in close, careful, and culturally informed analysis of these works. While there is a long tradition of thoughtful analytical teaching about literary texts, when it comes to the study of various media with strong image content, language arts teachers often may not know how to proceed. Indeed, preconceptions about the legitimacy of comics …

Scarred Images: Using Appearance As A Motivator To Reduce Driving Under The Influence Of Alcohol, Mary-Theresa Mcnabb

Dissertations

In response to continued driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) amongst young adults and increased drinking and driving amongst females, the current study aimed to decrease such risky behavior using threats to appearance as a deterrent. One hundred and thirty-three undergraduates at the University of Southern Mississippi completed a threepart study after sequential assignment to one of three groups, a no-photo group, a crash scene photo group, or a personalized-photo group. Baseline measures were taken concerning participants' alcohol-related behaviors. One week later all groups were given statistical information commonly available in DUI prevention pamphlets together with strategies to avoid …

Sport As A Vehicle For Socialization And Maintenance Of Cultural Identity: International Students Attending American Universities, James Taylor Allen

Dissertations

Sport can be utilized by immigrants as a vehicle for maintaining cultural identity. Conversely, sport participation provides immigrants with opportunities for adopting an entirely new culture. Previous research also suggests that sport provides individuals with opportunities for attaining social capital. While this can be a beneficial situation for some, sport is also promoting elitism and serving as a powerful mechanism for exclusion. Globalization has led large numbers of foreign nationals to seek educational opportunities in the United States. Due to the increase in the number of international students and the lack of empirical studies, the need to study their participation …

The Use Of Performance Based Funding In A Sport Organization: A Case Study Of The United States Olympic Committee, James Thomas Binns

Dissertations

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) changed their funding strategy after the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The USOC moved to a performance based funding strategy to focus on the bottom line and medal podium performance. After eight years of claiming to be an organization focused on performance based funding principles, monetary gains have been made while continuing to focus on the development of Olympic medalists. Clearly performance based funding principles have helped the USOC accomplish its stated goals.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the USOC had embraced the fundamental principles of performance based funding …

Fantasy Sport Consumer Behavior: An Analysis Of Participant Attitudes And Behavioral Intentions, Brendan Dwyer

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Nursing Faculty Experiences And Perceptions Of The Implementation Process To A Learner-Centered Teaching Philosophy: A Case Study, Sharon L. Colley

Dissertations

This study explores nursing faculty's experiences with and perceptions of, their school of nursing's change to a learner-centered teaching philosophy. The primary research goals are to determine faculty perceptions of what learner-centered approaches they are utilizing in their classes, what change conditions they perceive as significant to the implementation process, and how they perceive the overall faculty progress and unity toward the goal of adopting a learner-centered teaching philosophy. Using the theoretical frameworks of Carl Rogers and Donald Ely, a case study approach is used to examine the faculties' use of five key concepts associated with the learner-centered philosophy, as …

Attachment Anxiety And Avoidance: Relationship To Body Image And Exercise Behavior, Kathryn Louise Brown

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the role of attachment anxiety and avoidance in predicting persons' body image, body appreciation, and obligatory exercise behavior. Two hundred and twenty eight participants (100 men and 128 women) completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ; Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ; Cash, 2000), Body Appreciation Scale (BAS; Avalos et al., 2005), and Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire (OEQ; Pasman & Thompson, 1988). Results provided at least partial support for many of the hypotheses. The current study replicated results from previous research pertaining to the relationship between attachment and body image. However, the results …

Classroom Management: Teacher Training, Attitudes And Beliefs, And Intervention Practices, Margaret Catherine Davis Ladner

Dissertations

This study examined the factors that are associated with teacher classroom management with regard to training, attitudes and beliefs, and intervention practices of general and special education teachers in dealing with classroom control. These factors were examined in general and special education classrooms. The participants for this study were teachers of kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3r grade students in three public school districts in a southeastern state. Participants were recruited through a convenience or voluntary sample selection.

The school districts chosen for this sample provide a good cross-section of schools; they were representative of buildings with different percentages …

The Effects Of Reading Apprenticeship On Junior College Students' Metacognitive Awareness And Comprehension Of Academic Texts, Patti Rasberry Smith

Dissertations

This descriptive quantitative research study explored if a focus on Reading Apprenticeship strategies and routines in a college level composition class would affect students' metacognitive awareness and comprehension of academic text. Participants included 141 students from one junior college in a southeastern state. The 141 participants were enrolled by choice in six sections of composition taught by three instructors who had all received extensive training in implementing the Reading Apprenticeship framework in their classes. The participants were administered the Revised-Curriculum Embedded Reading Assessment (CERA) twice (pre and post intervention) during the fall semester of the 2008-2009 school year. Participants read …

Integration Of The Bscs 5e Instructional Method And Technology In An Anatomy And Physiology Lab, Tamilselvi Gopal

Dissertations

This research provides an understanding of how the 5E instructional method combined with educational technology tools can be used in teaching undergraduate college level anatomy and physiology laboratory classes. The 5E instructional model is the exemplary instructional model in teaching biology for high school students. The phases in the 5E learning cycle are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In every step of the learning cycle, the researcher used appropriate technology tools to enhance the teaching and learning processes. The researcher used the Dynamic Instructional Design model to identify the appropriate technology tools for instruction. The topics selected for modification …

Sexual Selection In A Species With Exploded Leks: The White-Crowned Manakin (Pipra Pipra), Wendy P. Tori

Dissertations

Understanding what determines male reproductive success is central to sexual selection theory. The main goal of this dissertation was to examine the processes that shape female mate choice and male reproductive success in an exploded lek species: the White-crowned Manakin (Pipra pipra). The first chapter examined if females select males with certain genetic characteristics to gain indirect fitness benefits. Specifically, it tested whether females preferentially mate with unrelated males or males with high overall heterozygosity to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring. The second chapter examined if food resources within territories affect male mating success of territory …

Confidential Sources And Contempt Of Court: An Argument For Change, Angel Fahy

Dissertations

This thesis sought to examine the law on contempt of court as it pertained to journalists’ refusal to give evidence that would reveal the identity of their confidential sources of information. It argued that current law in this jurisdiction does not go far enough to protect journalists’ sources and, consequently, press freedom. It contended that despite the introduction of a statutory provision in the UK to provide qualified immunity from contempt charges for journalists who refused to reveal their sources, the law is not sufficiently clear to allow journalists to grant confidentiality without fear of prosecution. This thesis found that …

Teacher Compensation And The Academic Achievement Of Elementary Students, Doug Arnold

Dissertations

This study examined Missouri Assessment Program achievement scores and teacher salaries to determine if a correlation existed. Student achievement scores and teacher salaries were obtained from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the 2006-2007 school year. Analysis of the data indicated there was a significant correlation between student achievement as measured by the Missouri Assessment Program and teacher salaries. This study is part of a companion project. The researchers collaborated on the research portion of this study. The researchers shared common goals, defined their roles in the review of literature and coordinated efforts to produce this project. …

Knowledge Transfer Within A Software Development Team, Geraldine Conway

Dissertations

Knowledge in a software company is the blood of the company, not surviving without

the valuable knowledge running through its veins. Knowledge is no longer seen as an

object of competitive advantage but is the core of how an organisation operates.

The transfer of tacit knowledge into a format that is usable and can be transmitted to

other individuals is a challenge in any organisation due to the nature of this

knowledge. Tacit knowledge is a challenge to convert into an explicit form as it is hard

to contextualise this knowledge in order for it to be reusable for others. …

The Genesis And Emergence Of Web 3.0: A Study In The Integration Of Artificial Intelligence And The Semantic Web In Knowledge Creation, David Mulpeter

Dissertations

The web as we know it has evolved rapidly over the last decade. We have gone from a phase of rapid growth as seen with the dot.com boom where business was king to the current web 2.0 phase where social networking, Wiki’s, Blogs and other related tools flood the bandwidth of the world wide web. The empowerment of the web user with web 2.0 technologies has led to the exponential growth of data, information and knowledge on the web. With this rapid change, there is a need to logically categorise this information and knowledge so it can be fully utilised …

Effects Of Positive Behavior Support Programs On Student Behaviors, Kenneth George Weissflug

Dissertations

This study was conducted in order to examine the effects of a positive behavior intervention program in a middle-school setting. Over the course of many years, Rogers Middle School has had chronic discipline problems as evidenced by the number of behavioral referrals by teachers to the principals’ offices. As discipline problems increased, student classroom performance seemed to decrease. In the school year 2002-03, Rogers Middle School implemented a program called Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) to address the discipline problems. The program objective was to improve student achievement by improving behaviors. This study allowed the researcher to examine the effectiveness …

The Development And Application Of A Checklist For Evaluating E-Learning In Organizations, Anne-Marie Guidy-Oulai

Dissertations

In the last two decades, organizations have increasingly used computer-based instruction as a method to deliver training to employees and instruction to students. The e-learning market reached $50 billion in 2005 and is expected to double by 2010. A number of different evaluation models can and have been used to measure effectiveness and worth of programs. However, the literature indicates the evaluation of e-learning may need to develop new models for evaluation.

The purpose of this study is to develop a framework to enhance the process of elearning evaluation in organizations. The E-Learning Evaluation Checklist (ELEC)— which was developed and …

African-American Girls And Scientific Argumentation: Lived Experiences, Intersecting Identities And Their Roles In Constructing And Evaluating Claims, Phyllis Haugabook Pennock

Dissertations

Scientific argumentation can be traced back to ancient times; yet has seen a recent upswing over the last decade in the area of science education. This is due to current national education standards that ascribe this practice as a way of promoting scientific literacy for all. Current literature reflects an evolution of scientific argumentation – accommodating emerging research that uses socio-scientific issues. National standards highlight the need to teach argumentation, yet also recognize the urgent demand for educational equity of all students.

The purpose of this research was to narrow the gap dividing argumentation studies from other science discourse research. …

“The Negro Speaks Of Rivers” An African Centered Historical Study Of The Selfethnic Liberatory Education Nature And Goals Of The Poetry Of Langston Hughes: The Impact On Adult Education, Sarah E. Howard

Dissertations

The purposes of this historical study were to 1) document the Selfethnic Liberatory adult education nature and goals of the poetry of Langston Hughes (from 1921 to 1933); and 2) to document the impact this poetry had on members of the African Diaspora. In addition, the goal of this research was to expand the historical knowledge base of the adult education field, so that it is more inclusive of the contributions of African Americans.

This study addressed the problem that the historical and philosophical literature of the field does not to any significant degree include the intellectual and adult education …

On Modeling And Mitigating New Breed Of Dos Attacks, Amey Bhaskar Shevtekar

Dissertations

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks pose serious threats to the Internet, exerting in tremendous impact on our daily lives that are heavily dependent on the good health of the Internet. This dissertation aims to achieve two objectives:1) to model new possibilities of the low rate DoS attacks; 2) to develop effective mitigation mechanisms to counter the threat from low rate DoS attacks.

A new stealthy DDoS attack model referred to as the "quiet" attack is proposed in this dissertation. The attack traffic consists of TCP traffic only. Widely used botnets in today's various attacks and newly introduced network feedback control …

Sensorimotor Experience In Virtual Environments, Katherine Grace August

Dissertations

The goal of rehabilitation is to reduce impairment and provide functional improvements resulting in quality participation in activities of life, Plasticity and motor learning principles provide inspiration for therapeutic interventions including movement repetition in a virtual reality environment, The objective of this research work was to investigate functional specific measurements (kinematic, behavioral) and neural correlates of motor experience of hand gesture activities in virtual environments stimulating sensory experience (VE) using a hand agent model. The fMRI compatible Virtual Environment Sign Language Instruction (VESLI) System was designed and developed to provide a number of rehabilitation and measurement features, to identify optimal …

Leadership In Partially Distributed Teams, Linda Plotnick

Dissertations

Inter-organizational collaboration is becoming more common. When organizations collaborate they often do so in partially distributed teams (PDTs). A PDT is a hybrid team that has at least one collocated subteam and at least two subteams that are geographically distributed and communicate primarily through electronic media. While PDTs share many characteristics with both traditionally collocated and fully distributed teams, they also have unique characteristics and issues.

This dissertation reports on a field study of PDTs conducted over two semesters with student participants, This research was conducted as part of a larger series of studies investigating PDTs, In these studies, participants …