Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of The Use Of Digital Historical Resources For The Teaching Of The Civil War In South Central Pennsylvania Public Schools, James R. Beeghley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the practices of social studies teachers in south central Pennsylvania regarding their use of digital historical resources for the teaching of the American Civil War. Teachers completed an electronic survey that examined rates of digital historical resource use for the teaching of the Civil War. After data collection, responses were examined to answer the established research questions.

Based on the findings, areas for improvement were identified and conclusions were reached that pinpoint these areas. Suggestions for effective professional development programs are also presented. After completing the study, it is clear that there is room for additional development …

The Tonality, Timbre, Affect, And Mood Of Postmodern Drama, Or, Blues Music In Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire, Matthew L. Wohlgemuth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Classroom Organizational Structures As Related To Student Achievement In Upper Elementary Grades In Northeast Tennessee Public Schools., Darrell Wayne Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Multimodal And Print Composition : An Examination Of Instructors And Students Transferring Rhetorical Knowledge In First-Year Composition., Sonya Compton Borton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case-study of three instructors and five of their students in first-year composition who were making the transition from print to multimodal composition. This study examines the similarities and differences in the ways instructors and students talk about print and multimodal compositions and if the vocabulary they use to talk about each transfers or if they need a new vocabulary to discuss the multimodal compositions. The results of this study seem to indicate that language common to both print and multimodal composition, such as having a clear assertion, was transferrable both between the print and multimodal projects …

Breaking Into The Tutor's Toolbox : An Investigation Into Strategies Used In Writing Center Tutorials., Kate Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I present the results of research conducted in the University Writing Center at the University of Louisville during the fall of 2006 and serves as an example of an empirical study blending qualitative and quantitative methods. It highlights and critiques the strategies tutors use to address students' concerns about their writing during writing tutorials by addressing two research questions: (1) What strategies do tutors employ during tutorials to address higher-order concerns? And, what strategies do tutors employ during tutorials to address later-order concerns? (2) How are these strategies perceived by participants in tutorials? The data revealed that …

Acculturation And School Adapation Of Somali Bantu Refugee Children., Manbeena Sekhon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of refugees being uprooted from their homes to seek refuge and resettlement in countries like the United States continues to grow, with large numbers being children. While each refugee group has its own set of challenges when adjusting to a new country, a better understanding of their needs may help facilitate their transition more quickly with lesser challenges. This study investigated the adjustment of one such group--Somali Bantus in a Midwestern U.S. city. Specifically, acculturation and school adaptation of Somali Bantu refugee children was explored using the Differentiated Multidimensional Model of Acculturation. Somali Bantu refugee children in 5 …

The Association Between Socioeconomic Status And High School Mathematics Scores And Enrollment Rates In Virginia Public Schools., Kathy A. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if socioeconomic status for the ethnic groups of white, black, Hispanic, and Asian is a significant indicator of mathematical performance and student participation in higher level courses. The SOL test scores of all high school mathematics students in Virginia for the 2005-2006 school year, their ethnic group membership, and their economically disadvantaged classification were as used to determine if such an association exists. Data provided by the Virginia Department of Education consisted of 113,786 Algebra I scores, 95,898 Geometry scores, and 68,944 Algebra II scores. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and a Two-way …

Promoting Speech And Vocabulary Development Through Specialized Storybooks In Children With And Without Cleft Palate., Joellyn Ruth Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated changes in vocabulary and speech production in response to storybooks embedded with specialized language prompts and speech recasts. Six children received intervention, 3 with cleft palate (CLP), displaying speech-language delays, and 3 with nonclefts, each 12-24 months of age. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was implemented by a clinician. Results indicated all children increased use of target vocabulary and production of stop consonants, while reducing compensatory articulation errors. Generalization of targets to a picture-naming task, a free-play task, and to the home was observed. Effect sizes were moderate-to-high. Children with CLP required more sessions to achieve …

A Study Of The Programs And Services For Intellectually Gifted Students In Northeast Tennessee Public School Systems., Teddi Adler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather data from a variety of sources including teachers, special education directors, and the state director of gifted education to determine what gifted programs and or strategies are currently being offered in the selected schools and to explore emerging strategies in the education of intellectually gifted students in the Bristol Tennessee School System, Johnson City School System, Kingsport City School System, Sullivan County School System, and Washington County School System.

The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. The findings were presented relative to the research questions. While the education provided to …

Are U.S. And French Cultural Differences Reflected In Advertising Appeals?, Ciprian S. Begu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using 2 of Hofstede's cultural dimensions (power distance and uncertainty avoidance) associated by the research of Albers-Millers and Gelb with some of Pollay's value appeals used in advertising, this study successfully replicated 3 of 8 dependant relationships when analyzing the content of print magazines in U.S. and France. Going beyond the scope of a highly educated audience in which Hofstede's cultural dimensions were developed and retested, we indirectly found that these 2 dimensions of culture are partially salient in non-business, less elitist environments in the form of value appeals such as "dear", "untamed", "magic", and "youth" reinforcing the idea that …

Leadership In The Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria: A Study Of The Perceptions Of Its Impact On The Acquired Leadership Skills Of Expatriate Nigerian Postgraduates., Gerald Anietie Ignatius Akata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary trouble befalling Nigeria and its Niger Delta has been described as a failure of leadership. At various periods during the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries, Nigeria endured a bloody civil war and years of repressive military rule. Violence in the Niger Delta region, widespread brain drain, and frequent strikes that disrupted academic calendars at universities had serious ramifications for the region's educational system.

This study explores former students' perceptions of perceived leadership qualities seen in educational leaders at universities in the Niger Delta and how those qualities impact the acquired leadership skills of expatriate Nigerian …

Gifted Education In Northeast Tennessee Public Schools: A Descriptive Study., Kathryn Ann Ross-Sisco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine gifted education programs in public schools in Northeast Tennessee. There is a wide disparity among established gifted programs regarding the identification of the students, the eligibility of the students, and the services they receive. This disparity has led to varying levels of support and service for gifted children in Northeast Tennessee. A survey was developed and distributed to individuals who oversee the gifted department in their school system. Data were collected regarding gifted student identification processes, individual program requirements, funding of gifted programs, professional development, and advanced teacher training.

National research has …

Celtic Subtleties : Brian Friel's Appropriation Of The O'Donnell Clan., Leslie Anne Singel 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a literary examination of three plays from Irish playwright Brian Friel, Translations, Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Aristocrats , all of which feature a family of the O'Donnell name and all set in the fictional Donegal village of Ballybeg. Written during the late twentieth century but set over the course of 150 years in rural Ireland, these plays have yet to be--and need to be--studied as a cycle series rather than strictly individual works. In examining the three plays as a testament to a single ancient Irish family name, one may see how Friel comments upon the …

Matching Records In Multiple Databases Using A Hybridization Of Several Technologies., Xiaoyi Wang 1962-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major problem with integrating information from multiple databases is that the same data objects can exist in inconsistent data formats across databases and a variety of attribute variations, making it difficult to identify matching objects using exact string matching. In this research, a variety of models and methods have been developed and tested to alleviate this problem. A major motivation for this research is that the lack of efficient tools for patient record matching still exists for health care providers. This research is focused on the approximate matching of patient records with third party payer databases. This is a …

Having Made Cents Of Sense Of Place : Literature, Tourism, And The Commodified Myth Of New Orleans, Hicks Wogan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hemingway And Bullshit, Nathan R. L. Eilers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper uses Harry Frankfurt's definition of bullshit as a lens to re-examine Ernest Hemingway's aesthetic of factual details and omission. Frankfurt argues that bullshit consists of speech made with indifference to its veracity, and one who makes a habit of bullshitting may lose touch with reality. By studying three works across the author's career, "Big Two-Hearted River," "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," and The Old Man and the Sea, one sees that Hemingway's prose style evolves and eventually contradicts his artistic statements. Given the fact that he promotes his aesthetic while discarding it, his theory becomes bullshit. …

Use Of Cooperative Learning And Computer Assisted Instruction To Investigate Mathematics Achievement Scores, Student's Attitude Toward Cooperative Learning And Confidence In Subject Matter, Kathy R. Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated mathematics achievement scores between students working in cooperative learning groups using computer assisted instruction (CAI), and students working alone using CAI in a post-secondary developmental mathematics class. Fifty-one students enrolled in a basic mathematics course participated in the study. Two classes were assigned to work alone using CAI, and two classes were assigned to work in cooperative pairs using CAI. This study was a pre-post-test design, and was administered to all participants to determine their mathematics achievement scores.

A survey using a 5 point Likert Scale further examined if using cooperative learning and CAI would change students' …

The Creation Of Tools And Models To Characterize And Quantify User-Centered Design Considerations In Product And System Developm, Katherine Meza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ease of use differentiates products in a highly competitive market place. It also brings an added value that culminates in a higher degree of customer satisfaction, repeated business, increased sales, and higher revenue. User-centered design is a strategic asset that companies can use to improve their customer relationships by learning more about their customers, and increase their sales. In today's economy, the measurement of intangible assets such as user experience has become a major need for industries because of the relationship between user-centered design and organizational benefits such as customer loyalty. As companies realize that the inclusion of user-centered design …

Outside The Frame: Towards A Phenomenology Of Texts And Technology, Anthony Crisafi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The subject of my dissertation is how phenomenology can be used as a tool for understanding the intersection between texts and technology. What I am suggesting here is that, specifically in connection with the focus of our program in Texts and Technology, there are very significant questions concerning how digital communications technology extends our humanity, and more importantly what kind of epistemological and ontological questions are raised because of this. There needs to be a coherent theory for Texts and Technology that will help us to understand this shift, and I feel that this should be the main focus for …

Improving Business Performance Through The Integration Of Human Factors Engineering Into Organizations Using A Systems Engineeri, Monica Philippart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most organizations today understand the valuable contribution employees as people (rather than simply bodies) provide to their overall performance. Although efforts are made to make the most of the human in organizations, there is still much room for improvement. Focus in the reduction of employee injuries such as cumulative trauma disorders rose in the 80 s. Attempts at increasing performance by addressing employee satisfaction through various methods have also been ongoing for several years now. Knowledge Management is one of the most recent attempts at controlling and making the best use of employees knowledge. All of these efforts and more …

Barriers To Parental Involvement In The Seneca Valley School District, Jeffrey Fuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The involvement of parents in the educational programs of their children has been shown to have a significant impact on both student achievement and the family. While both educators and parents are accountable for the development of the partnership between the home and the school, teachers and school administrators have the greatest responsibility for opening the lines of communication and making schools and classrooms welcoming. By identifying and overcoming those factors that parents perceive to be barriers to their involvement in their child's educational program, educators will have a significant positive impact on the future success of the children in …

A Story Only We Can Tell: The Lived Experience Of Black Women Teachers In White Rural Schools, Maria Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Story Only We Can Tell: The Lived Experience of Black Women Teachers in White Rural Schools captures the stories of five women including the researcher, who teach in rural White school districts. The researcher employed a rigorous, consistent heuristic method for gathering the data. The process began with the researchers' initial engagement with the research topic. The initial engagement was documented through autobiographical writing and self-dialogue. From the self-dialogue emerged the individual depiction of the researchers' story.

The four women (co-researchers) revealed their stories through autobiographies and participating in interviews with the researcher. Once all of the stories were …

A Reinforcement Learning Technique For Enhancing Human Behavior Models In A Context-Based Architecture, David Aihe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A reinforcement-learning technique for enhancing human behavior models in a context-based learning architecture is presented. Prior to the introduction of this technique, human models built and developed in a Context-Based reasoning framework lacked learning capabilities. As such, their performance and quality of behavior was always limited by what the subject matter expert whose knowledge is modeled was able to articulate or demonstrate. Results from experiments performed show that subject matter experts are prone to making errors and at times they lack information on situations that are inherently necessary for the human models to behave appropriately and optimally in those situations. …

Let Her Be Taken: Sexual Violence In Medieval England, Lindsey Mcnellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rape and its impact on medieval women, as conceived by society and the law, have yet to receive extensive treatment. By analyzing not only rape cases, but evolving laws and the impact of the Church on views of sexuality and marriage and thus its influence on attitudes towards rape, this study shows that women were much more than victims and society, or the courts, reacted accordingly. Covering the years 1200 to 1250, this thesis examines secular court cases taken from the general eyre records of Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire. Cases taken from the King's Bench …

A Critical Analysis Of German Translations Of Beowulf, 1904-2005 / By Christopher Blake Shedd, Christopher Blake Shedd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Gay Darl : A New Reading Of Erotics In As I Lay Dying, Phillip Andrew Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

La Obra De Leonora Curtin : Una Investigaci├│N Sobre El Multiculturalismo De Las Pr├Ícticas M├⌐Dicas En El Suroeste De Los Estados Unidos, John P. Campiglio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Renegade Speakers : Jaques In As You Like It And King Lear, Amanda Etheridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurial Organizational Characteristics In Hawaiian Elementary Schools: Its Relationship To School Characteristics And Student Achievement, J. Patrick Byrne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To determine the level of entrepreneurial organizational characteristics in Hawaiian public elementary schools, 3,816 teachers in 111 schools were surveyed using the Public School Entrepreneurial Inventory (PSEI). This survey was developed and used previously in Israel. This was the first application of the PSEI in the United States. Two domains of entrepreneurial organizational characteristics were measured: principal proactiveness and school innovativeness. Based on the levels of entrepreneurial characteristics, schools were grouped into four entrepreneurial profiles. A chi square goodness of fit was used to determine the variation in entrepreneurial profiles between the regions of Israel and Hawaii. Based on the …

A Poetics Of The Soul: Devotional Poetry In Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Alfred, Lord Tennyson; And Christina Rossetti, Heather Cianciola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores devotional poetry of the nineteenth century as a poetic discourse in which tropes of the human soul connect spiritual reflection with lived experience in order to engage literary, religious, and social issues in Victorian England. Like G. B. Tennyson's Victorian Devotional Poetry: The Tractarian Mode (1989), this project situates individual poets in their cultural and religious contexts, and it encourages an understanding of devotional verse as an important feature of Victorian poetry. In addition to these aims, this dissertation surveys both popular and lesser-known devotional verse by poets not formally part of the Oxford Movement in order …