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Adult Age Differences In Vocabulary Acquisition As A Function Of Individual Differences In Working Memory And Prior Knowledge, Lisa L. Laumann May 1999

Adult Age Differences In Vocabulary Acquisition As A Function Of Individual Differences In Working Memory And Prior Knowledge, Lisa L. Laumann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Older adults often complain of cognitive difficulties, such as the inability to learn new information or recall previously learned information. Previous research shows that many older adults do have difficulties with certain learning tasks. However, not all older adults experience these difficulties. Some recent research has shown that, contrary to popular belief, older adults can learn new information under certain task conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to examine how older adults, compared against younger adults, learn new vocabulary under two different learning task conditions. Each participant engaged in two vocabulary learning tasks: a paired-associate task and a contextual …

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The Evaluation Of Research For Promotion And Tenure: An Organizational Perspective, Elsa G. Nadler May 1999

The Evaluation Of Research For Promotion And Tenure: An Organizational Perspective, Elsa G. Nadler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The literature on promotion and tenure in institutions of higher education includes a substantial amount of research on various aspects of faculty productivity. Yet other research concentrates on the organizational structure of higher education. In his 1986 book, Burton Clark called for research that would examine how what he called the enterprise (the local university as opposed to the statewide system) and departments within it interact in important arenas.;This dissertation takes up Clark's challenge to examine the interaction of enterprise and department in promotion and tenure in three areas: goals, structure and operations. Content analysis of faculty handbooks from 25 …

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Modifying Risk Perceptions Of Japanese University Students Using A Culturally Compatible Mode Of Instruction, Susan F. Walsh May 1999

Modifying Risk Perceptions Of Japanese University Students Using A Culturally Compatible Mode Of Instruction, Susan F. Walsh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Japanese university students who come to the United States present a particular challenge to universities to teach them about their risks to personal property. The usual method of delivering this message, a lecture during the orientation period, may not be the most effective way of presenting the information due to their limitations in understanding English. It was hypothesized that a manga, or comic book, would be an effective and culturally compatible mode of instruction.;A manga was developed and was tested on a group of incoming Japanese freshmen. Forty students (12 females, 28 males) were divided into two groups. One group …

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An Examination Of The Perceived Leadership Styles Of Kentucky Public School Principals As Determinants Of Teacher Job Satisfaction, Karen Marie Bare-Oldham May 1999

An Examination Of The Perceived Leadership Styles Of Kentucky Public School Principals As Determinants Of Teacher Job Satisfaction, Karen Marie Bare-Oldham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to determine the leadership style of Kentucky school principals as perceived by Kentucky public school teachers. The study then measured the job satisfaction of the Kentucky public school teachers and examined the significant relationship between leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The design and the findings of the study are as follows.;From the population of 40,000 teachers as identified by the teacher certification unit of Kentucky's State Department of Education, a random sample of 500 (250 elementary and 250 secondary) was chosen. Each teacher received a packet which contained the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire ( LBDQ) …

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Econometric Analysis Of Household Expenditures, Samuel Berhanu May 1999

Econometric Analysis Of Household Expenditures, Samuel Berhanu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While the traditional methods of measuring income inequality reveals interesting and important features of labor markets, estimates of income inequality do not provide complete summary statistics of the distribution of well-being. Interpreting the Gini coefficient of family earnings as a measure of disparity in welfare implicitly assumes that households with the same level of before tax income are equally well-off. Utility is derived from the consumption of goods and services and there is ample empirical evidence which indicate that the distribution of total expenditure is likely to be different from the distribution of income. As Friedman indicated households with low …

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The Implementation Of Learning Strategies In The Design Of An On-Line Medical Course Supplement, Lee Ann Hill May 1999

The Implementation Of Learning Strategies In The Design Of An On-Line Medical Course Supplement, Lee Ann Hill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Given the charge of integrating technology in the medical school curriculum, faculty members are faced with the challenge of designing new materials for their courses. Often, these materials become on-line resources such as hypermedia and electronic communication. Strategies may assist students who are unfamiliar with on-line materials to use such materials more effectively. This study investigated the elaborative interrogation strategy used in conjunction with on-line materials to promote more efficient processing of difficult material. Twenty second-year medical students volunteered to participate in the study. The course in which they were enrolled required the use of an on-line lecture supplement. The …

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Offerings For Jahilia, Stephen Vincent Martonis May 1999

Offerings For Jahilia, Stephen Vincent Martonis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

These words represent the ideas invested in my paintings. They are progressive and fluctuating thoughts occurring at an interval in time. They are given honestly and freely, as ignorance and change are understood.

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The Relationship Of Disease Severity, Health Beliefs, And Medication Adherence Among Hiv Patients, Xin Gao May 1999

The Relationship Of Disease Severity, Health Beliefs, And Medication Adherence Among Hiv Patients, Xin Gao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose. To investigate the relationship of disease severity, health beliefs, and medication adherence among HIV/AIDS patients.;Results. Seventy-two HIV patients were enrolled. There were no significant differences in patients' perceived severity of HIV/AIDS and perceptions of benefits and barriers of the treatment across three disease stages. However, patients who had greater experience with the disease (stage C) perceived a higher risk to develop complications if they were not adherent compared to asymptomatic patients (stage A). Results also revealed that patients in stage B and C were more adherent to their medications compared to patients in stage A when regimen complexity was …

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Theory Of Mind Development And Executive Functioning In Elementary School Children, Dana Lee Futoran May 1999

Theory Of Mind Development And Executive Functioning In Elementary School Children, Dana Lee Futoran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following study explored the role of verbal ability and executive functioning in theory of mind understanding in elementary school children. Scores on measures of language comprehension, verbal ability (sentence memory, and forward digit span), matrix completion, executive functioning (backward digit span), and second-order theory of mind tasks were obtained. Partial correlations of the measures controlling for age revealed verbal ability to be significantly correlated with theory of mind comprehension. A regression analysis demonstrated that auditory language comprehension was the only variable, in addition to age, that explained unique variance in performance on a recursive thinking task. Possible explanations are …

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Preschool Teaching Experience And Special Education Support Systems: A Survey Of Western Pennsylvania., Stephanie Ann Sterling Jan 1999

Preschool Teaching Experience And Special Education Support Systems: A Survey Of Western Pennsylvania., Stephanie Ann Sterling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A regional descriptive study was conducted in Western Pennsylvania, throughout a five county area. Preschool teachers (N= 80, return rate 23.7%) of three and four year old children were surveyed to gain descriptive information about their preparation and training as a preschool teacher and their experience with preschool children with disabilities in their classrooms. Results indicate that most teachers have a Bachelors degree although many did not have this degree in early childhood education. It was found that almost every preschool has at least one child with disabilities enrolled in its program, but only half of the preschool teachers surveyed …

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Functional Analysis: An Application To Mother-Infant Interactions., Karen Lynn Weigle Jan 1999

Functional Analysis: An Application To Mother-Infant Interactions., Karen Lynn Weigle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mother-infant interactions were investigated to: (a) determine the feasibility of simultaneously conducting functional analyses on two individuals' behaviors in an unstructured setting; (b) compare functional analysis results across the Motivational Assessment Scale (MAS), Functional Assessment Interview Form (FAIF), and videotaped observational data analyzed using conditional probabilities (CP); and (c) compare parenting stress and social support, and infant developmental level with patterns of interaction. Twenty-one mother-infant dyads, nine with developmental delays (DD), having infants between 12 and 36 months of age participated. Five home visits were conducted. In the first, mothers completed a questionnaire and interview regarding their infants' challenging behavior. …

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The Relationship Of Job Congruence, Job Satisfaction, And Social Support On The Mental And Physical Health Of Sport Officials., Paul James Sundell Jan 1999

The Relationship Of Job Congruence, Job Satisfaction, And Social Support On The Mental And Physical Health Of Sport Officials., Paul James Sundell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to expand the research associated with the effects of stress on sport officials. The study examined the impact that job congruence, job satisfaction, and social support may have on health among sport officials by testing a mediational model of relationships in a system developed through theory and previous research. Data were collected from 125 sport officials sanctioned to officiate in the state of Iowa. They responded to the Vocational Preference Inventory, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, Social Support Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90R, and a demographic data sheet. Statistically significant correlations were found between job congruence and positive …

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An Examination Of Child, Family And Professional Factors That Influence The Use Of Assistive Technology In Early Intervention., Erin Denise Hider Jan 1999

An Examination Of Child, Family And Professional Factors That Influence The Use Of Assistive Technology In Early Intervention., Erin Denise Hider

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Technology is becoming more commonplace in our society. It is being used with young children in every setting to improve quality of life and increase educational opportunities. Many parents and service providers have not been adequately trained on how to use assistive technology with young children. Camp Gizmo was set up as a forum for parents, professionals, and college students to learn what assistive technology is available and how to use it to meet the needs of children. The camp gave parents an opportunity to try different technologies with their children. These children, their siblings and the children of camp …

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A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins Jan 1999

A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the performances of students referred for placement in gifted programs on the WISC-III and Binet IV. The first research question asked which subtests and index scores of the WISC-III relate most strongly to placement. All subtests except Arithmetic and Coding were significantly correlated with placement. Both the Verbal Conceptualization Index (WVCI) and the Perceptual Organization Index (WPOI) Scores were found to be significantly correlated with placement. In addition, discriminant function analyses were computed. Both WVCI and WPOI were found to be significant predictors of placement. Of the WISC-III subtests, all were significant predictors except Information (WINFO) …

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The Responsible Students Program Of The West Virginia Board Of Education: Background, Components, And Data Systems., Jill Anne Lewis Jan 1999

The Responsible Students Program Of The West Virginia Board Of Education: Background, Components, And Data Systems., Jill Anne Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

School skills training and schoolwide management programs are often applied in schools by introducing a package that has been developed in another school and worked well there. When transplanted, however, these programs often fail to achieve satisfactory results. This study focuses on the application of a transplanted, state-mandated, schoolwide program as carried out in a small rural elementary school (population 250). It compares the program with features of programs recommended in the empirical literature, in order to identify components which should be included to ensure the effectiveness of such programs. The Responsible Students Program (RSP) at Dennis Elementary was evaluated …

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Motivational Characteristics Of Poor Readers: Evidence For Positive Change., Joan Marie Henderson Jan 1999

Motivational Characteristics Of Poor Readers: Evidence For Positive Change., Joan Marie Henderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early reading experiences strongly influence a student's feelings of competence and motivation. Encounters with failure may lead to anxiety, limited effort, and negative responses that affect future performance. Therefore, instruction that fosters motivational factors and emphasizes success is critical, particularly when literacy attainment has not occurred. The interactive model of reading involves a balance between affective, cognitive, and social aspects of literacy engagement important for motivation. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of how children who had failed to read responded to an interactive model of literacy instruction. The research conducted used qualitative methods and case …

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Reactions Of Mental Health Professionals To The Death Of Clients From Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)., Joseph Robert Kachik Jan 1999

Reactions Of Mental Health Professionals To The Death Of Clients From Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)., Joseph Robert Kachik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the reactions of mental health professionals to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related bereavement. Ninety-six mental health professionals from across the United States (e.g., counselors, social workers, and psychologists) completed questionnaires concerning the loss of a client to AIDS. Measures included the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. There were no significant relations between client deaths (number and recency) and indices of grief, trauma, psychological distress, or satisfaction with life. Symptoms of distress did not increase with number of deaths or in relation to recency of a …

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Adolescents In Residential Treatment: Characteristics And Treatment Outcome., Tad Timothy Gorske Jan 1999

Adolescents In Residential Treatment: Characteristics And Treatment Outcome., Tad Timothy Gorske

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the characteristics of adolescent clients in a residential program and identified which characteristics best predict treatment outcome. Adolescent characteristics were identified by reviewing 150 randomly sampled charts. Characteristics were specified on a data sheet which included the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) to determine level of behavioral severity. Treatment outcome was based on discharge summaries contained in the charts. Results indicated that adolescents who are less likely to succeed in treatment (a) exhibit more severe antisocial behavior, (b) live with someone, or some placement, other than family, and (c) do not receive a combination of …

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The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks Jan 1999

The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment studied the effect of size and format of instructions given to college students enrolled in an introductory statistics course on the number of errors committed and the amount of time required in order to complete a problem. A 3 (size) by 2 (format) factorial design was used. The three sizes of instruction given were propositional structures, subgoals, and complete algorithm. The two formats used were word and formula. The dependent variables used to study errors were Completed Errors, Total Errors, and Accuracy. The dependent variables used to study time were Solution Time, Steps Attempted, Errors per Minute, and …

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A Study Of Teachers' Confidence Levels Toward Meeting The Computer Technology Instructional Objectives Of The West Virginia Dept. Of Education., Cathy Jo Rotunda Jan 1999

A Study Of Teachers' Confidence Levels Toward Meeting The Computer Technology Instructional Objectives Of The West Virginia Dept. Of Education., Cathy Jo Rotunda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that would have an impact on training development for an established workforce facing reform initiatives. A two-part literature section includes an examination of existing research from educational theory, memory research, adult development theory, cognitive psychology, organizational, industrial, and personnel psychology, and instructional design models. The result is a set of guidelines for the training program developer who is concerned about implementation of reform strategies and resistance-to-change issues. The target workforce for this study was the West Virginia public school teacher. The reform initiative was the introduction of computer technology into the …

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A Comparison Of Cardiovascular Reactivity To Laboratory Stressors And Day-Night Blood Pressure Differences Assessed By 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring., Scott Lee Schauss Jan 1999

A Comparison Of Cardiovascular Reactivity To Laboratory Stressors And Day-Night Blood Pressure Differences Assessed By 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring., Scott Lee Schauss

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to laboratory stressors and sleep-related blood pressure changes were compared in mild hypertensive (n = 23) and normotensive (n = 30) Caucasian men and women ranging from 30 to 67 years old. None of the participants had a history of cardiovascular disease and hypertensive patients were medication free at the time of cardiovascular reactivity assessment and 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure recording. Cardiovascular reactivity to mental arithmetic and a modified Digit Symbol task and sleep-related attenuations in blood pressure and heart rate were compared using standardized residual change scores. In general, correlations between laboratory assessed CVR and sleep-related …

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The Relationship Between Hypermedia Features And The Learning Style/Cognitive Control Of Hypermedia Developers., Jun Hu Jan 1999

The Relationship Between Hypermedia Features And The Learning Style/Cognitive Control Of Hypermedia Developers., Jun Hu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the effect of learning style and cognitive control on hypermedia developers' perceptions and implementations of hypermedia features. The study reviewed the hypermedia features articulated by the 19 hypermedia developers in two graduate courses, as well as the implementation of those features in the final projects they produced. By using two sets of databases, those hypermedia features were categorized into 16 feature domains, and were then grouped by the developers' learning styles (diverger, assimilator, converger, and accommodator) and cognitive controls (field dependent, field mixed, and field independent). Comparisons were made on the features articulated and implemented by each …

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Modification And Psychometric Examination Of A Self-Report Measure Of Fear In Older Adults., Jane Null Kogan Jan 1999

Modification And Psychometric Examination Of A Self-Report Measure Of Fear In Older Adults., Jane Null Kogan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Very few studies have examined the concept of fear in older adults. Moreover, there is no self-report measure of fear that has been shown to be psychometrically sound for use with older individuals. The primary purposes of the present study were: (a) to develop a measure of self-reported fear that includes fears relevant to older adulthood, (b) to develop a measure for assessing daily interference associated with fears, and (c) to examine the psychometric properties of this new instrument. Secondarily, preliminary findings from Kogan and Edelstein (1997) raise the question of why some older adults report interference resulting from fear …

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Mixed-Mesophytic Forest Understory Communities And Edge Effect: The Role Of Canopy Gaps In Edge Composition And Structure., Cedric Edwin Landenberger Jan 1999

Mixed-Mesophytic Forest Understory Communities And Edge Effect: The Role Of Canopy Gaps In Edge Composition And Structure., Cedric Edwin Landenberger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Temperate forest canopy gaps are generally characterized as spatially discrete patches whose biophysical properties are a function of gap size and age acting in conjunction with subcanopy composition and structure. The surrounding gap environment is rarely considered, although there are reasons to suggest that gaps may be influenced by adjacent canopy openings such as agricultural fields, roads, and timber harvests. Experimental canopy gaps (∼75 m 2) were created adjacent to silvicultural clearcuts (∼5 ha.) in second-growth mixed-mesophytic forest to better understand the effect of clearcutting on adjacent canopy gap understones. Gaps were created on west- and south-facing edges at 15 …

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Students' Perceptions Of Teachers' Communication And Its Effects On Students' Learning., Patricia Ann Burant Jan 1999

Students' Perceptions Of Teachers' Communication And Its Effects On Students' Learning., Patricia Ann Burant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This investigation examines the perceptions that students have of teachers' argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness to determine if these trait behaviors in conjunction with a student's perceptions of their teacher's socio-communicative style (being their level of assertiveness and responsiveness) have an effect on the student-teacher relationship. In addition, this investigation attempts to create a model of teachers communicative behaviors which lead to students' feelings of learner empowerment and student learning. The findings of the study indicate that teacher responsiveness has significant positive impact on students, feelings of learner empowerment, students' reports of affective learning, and students' reports of less cognitive learning …

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The Influence Of Racial Identity Development And Locus Of Control On The Career Self-Efficacy Of African-American Adolescents., Melanie Coleman Cosby Jan 1999

The Influence Of Racial Identity Development And Locus Of Control On The Career Self-Efficacy Of African-American Adolescents., Melanie Coleman Cosby

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Racial identity and locus of control are two constructs likely to have a significant impact on career self-efficacy (beliefs about one's ability to successfully perform in a given career). This study examines the influence of racial identity attitudes (as measured by the Racial Identity Attitude Scale-B) and locus of control (as measured by the Internal, Powerful Others, and Chance scales) on the career choice patterns and aspirations of African American adolescents (N = 101). It was predicted that gender differences would emerge in the expression of racial identity attitudes, locus of control, and career self-efficacy (as measured by the Career …

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An Analysis Of Science- And Technology-Related Health Assistance Provided To Lesser Developed Nations From 1985 To 1995., Robin C. Spitznogle Jan 1999

An Analysis Of Science- And Technology-Related Health Assistance Provided To Lesser Developed Nations From 1985 To 1995., Robin C. Spitznogle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The problem of this research was to analyze science- and technology-related health assistance provided to Third World nations between 1985 and 1995 by four donor agencies: Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, USAID, and World Bank. The research examined health assistance in terms of (1) the number and value of projects by region, sub-region, and country; (2) the amount of assistance provided by individual donor agencies; (3) the types of projects initiated; and (4) the impact that these projects had on 8 health-related and 1 economic-related indicator in selected countries. A total of 610 health projects, valued at $1.6 billion, were identified. …

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Computer-Based Fluency Training: A Comparison Of Prompting And Non-Prompting., Keri Bailey-Whitacre Jan 1999

Computer-Based Fluency Training: A Comparison Of Prompting And Non-Prompting., Keri Bailey-Whitacre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of prompting and non-prompting in a testing format as an instructional technique using computer-based flashcards. The instructional content was four sets of flashcards, ten questions in each set, pertaining to the software program Authorware. Eight graduate students, four females and four males, served as participants. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of four participants each with Group 1 receiving Sets 1 and 4 with the prompting option and Sets 2 and 3 without the prompting option. Group 2 received Sets 1 and 4 without the prompting option and Sets 2 and 3 with the prompting option. …

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Texpert: Expert System For Evaluating Product Design For Worker's Safety And Health., Vikram V. Venneti Jan 1999

Texpert: Expert System For Evaluating Product Design For Worker's Safety And Health., Vikram V. Venneti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Today, there is an increasing emphasis on the safety and health of a worker. Optimum resources are invested to ensure worker's safety. Most of the regulations, and other measures as suggested by NIOSH, OSHA and other leading safety organizations concentrate towards the steps that a worker needs to take to use a product safely. Instead, if the product itself is designed to be safe, and if the manufacturer of the product knows about the product's safety before usage, it would reduce a great deal of wastage of resources. This research is an attempt to implement the above ideology. The objective …

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Summer Transition Entry Program: A Program For High-Risk Freshmen In Higher Education., Jeffrey Clark Wertheimer Jan 1999

Summer Transition Entry Program: A Program For High-Risk Freshmen In Higher Education., Jeffrey Clark Wertheimer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There has been a major concern for retention in higher education, and recently the college dropout rate for students before they reach their second year has reached a record high (Geraghty, 1996). To combat this trend, a university developed a Summer Transition Entry Program (STEP) for at-risk students. The program’s mission was to help bridge the gap for students who have the academic potential but not the academic credentials to be admitted. This study investigated the utility of the STEP program in regards to retention rate and psychosocial development of first-year at-risk students. Results indicated that participation in the STEP …

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