Digital Commons Network^™

Improving The Writing Skills Of At-Risk Students Through The Use Of Writing Across The Curriculum And Writing Process Instruction, Theresa A. Dean-Rumsey

Masters Theses

A plan for improving the writing skills of at-risk students was developed and implemented. Subjects were fifteen seventh-grade Title I students who demonstrated weak writing skills. Evidence for the existence of the problem included MEAP test scores and teacher observations. A review of research on writing pointed to the following solutions to the problem: increasing students’ experiences with writing by implementing writing across the curriculum, improving students’ knowledge and use of the writing process, and direct instruction in writing strategies and techniques. Results of the post-test did not indicate a significant improvement in writing had occurred as a result of …

Online Networks In Institutions Of Higher Education: An Assessment Of Student Use, Norbaiduri Ruslan

Masters Theses

Online networks in university campuses are expected to enhance the learning process, an argument founded on the theories of Cognitive Apprenticeship, Situated Cognition, and Social Constructivism. However, the extent to which students use these networks should be a significant predictor of such benefits.

This study investigated the patterns of use of online networks in universities with a survey administered to 299 students enrolled in a random sample of undergraduate classes at Western Michigan University during the summer semester of 1998.

The findings show extensive use of email and the World Wide Web for activities that arguably benefit their education. Other …

Crisis Communication And Organizational Image: A Study Of The Nasa Challenger And Exxon Valdez, Amy O'Connor

Masters Theses

This study examines the communication activities of two crises: the NASA Challenger and Exxon Valdez and investigates the effect of accommodative and defensive statements attributable to each crisis on organizational image. The survey design queried respondents about organization image with questions about trustworthiness, responsibility and willingness for future involvement with the organization, based on statements provided. Results indicated that when organizations issue accommodative statements during a crisis, participants rated overall organizational image more positively than when defensive statements were given. Research findings are discussed based on the symbolic approach to crisis communication and the investor response theory. The implications for …

Application Of The Paleomagnetic Fold Test To Determine The Relative Timing Of Sill Intrusion And Deformation In The Southwest Helena Salient, Montana, Stephen Christopher Whisner

Masters Theses

The Doherty Mountain fold complex is a highly folded and faulted region along the southern boundary of the Helena Salient in southwestern Montana. This region has a complex deformation history that is a key to deformation within the Helena Salient as a whole. A structural interpretation of the deformed rocks of this area was conducted using field mapping and cross section construction at 1:24,000 scale providing insight to the internal deformation processes involved. Fourteen folds and three major faults were mapped and analyzed showing the influence of the Southwest Montana Transverse Zone and late stage detachment faulting on fold orientation. …

Synthesis, Characterization And Photophysical Behavior Of A Cr(Iii) Bimetallic System, Yan Chen

Masters Theses

Many binuclear transition metal complexes have been studied to understand the nature of interactions between the metal centers. People have found Simultaneous Pair Excitation phenomenon in some bimetallic system that can serve as a potential source of Non-Linear Optical behavior.

Thus a series of Cr₂ -([14]aneN₄)₂-X₄ⁿ⁺ complexes were synthesized and characterized. Only the cis,cis configuration was found. The results were compared with those of their monomer analogs. The electronic structures are very similar in both monomer and dimer complexes. The quantum yield, UV-Vis absorption and lifetime studies suggested a possible coupling between the …

French Influences On The Historical And Nationalist Thought Of Nicolae Balcescu: An Inquiry Into The Structure Of Romanian Nationalism, Ion Matei Costinescu

Masters Theses

In the past decade nationalism has been conceptualized as a cultural artifact, a product of invention and social engineering. Yet despite the flourishing interest in questions of national identity, we still have no theory explaining the reasons why nationalism presents itself in a manifold diversity of forms and aspirations. One way of . accounting for the malleability of modern nationalism is to approach it as a product of dialectical interactions between various national ideals. In this respect, the case of Romanian nationalism is particularly instructive. Its nineteenth-century proponents consciously borrowed and adapted French cultural mores and ideological forms since they …

The Identification Of Domains And Competencies For Community Practice Occupational Therapy, Lisa Anne Werner

Masters Theses

Literature shows evidence of a shift in occupational therapy from traditional institutional settings to community-based settings. As increasing numbers of new and expert occupational therapists enter community-based practice, the need for competency identification for practice, education, and reimbursement becomes paramount. This qualitative research study sought to identify domains and competencies of community-based occupational therapy practice by interviewing three expert occupational therapists using the critical incident method in which each therapist described one therapeutic intervention with a client. This method, as seen in nursing studies (Benner, 1982, 1984), serves to elicit competencies embedded in expert practice. Thirty-nine competencies were described in …

Adaptive Channel Equalization Techniques, Saied Razavilar

Masters Theses

Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) is a characteristic of band-limited communication channels that can severely degrade the digital communication system performance if not treated properly. Channel equalization techniques may be used to mitigate the effects of ISI in the system, thereby improving the system capacity and performance. In this thesis, the problem of Inter Symbol Interference caused by the nonlinear characteristics of band limited communication channels and adaptive equalization techniques to combat the effects of ISI are discussed. First, the analysis of ISI in a band limited communication channel using a concrete theoretical framework is presented. Next, various adaptive equalization techniques …

Perceptions Of Americanization In Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, John W. Mcconnell

Masters Theses

This thesis examines perceptions and interpretations of American cultural influences in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. It is aimed at describing typical discourse genres and evaluative patterns in which these cultural influences are interpreted by various social groups of Costa Rican society. The study is based on a series of qualitative interviews and observations conducted in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica in the summer of 1996. The findings show that there exists a largely positive reaction to these images and objects emanating from the United States, and behind this positive evaluation lie attitudes of conformity, fatalism, and reification. The study contributes to …

Visual Images Of Late Anglo-Saxon Kings And Kingship, Kevin L. Glick

Masters Theses

The role of ideology in the creation of tenth- and eleventh-century Anglo-Saxon visual representations of Anglo-Saxon kings is the focus of this study. This study assesses Anglo-Saxon images in manuscripts and on coins, seals, and textiles produced during the tenth and eleventh centuries. Each image included depicts Anglo-Saxon kings who ruled during the tenth and eleventh centuries. The thesis begins with a discussion of the term ideology and a historical introduction to the political developments in rulership and monasticism that influenced images of kings. The thesis covers each art form separately, examining what evidence exists, what problems exist in dealing …

The Origins Of Greek Cypriot National Identity, Elena Koumna

Masters Theses

Discussions of Greek Cypriot identity have conventionally been dominated by primordial arguments, contributing to the creation and maintenance of stereotypes and mythologies about the ethnic conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In order to examine the validity of the primordial thesis, modernist and constructionist approaches on nationalism and identity are considered (Gellner 1983; Hobsbawm 1990; Anderson 1991; Hroch 1985; Smith 1991). Nationalism and identity formation are analyzed in the context of"stages," where the social composition of each stage and the degree of modernization are examined. The findings of the thesis largely support the hypotheses that pinpoint the articulation of Greek …

Re-Cycling The Menstrual Cycle: A Multidisciplinary Reinterpretation Of Menstruation, Heather H. Rea

Masters Theses

This thesis offers a reinterpretation of the human female menstrual cycle that understands the process as positive, functional, and practical experience. Standard western definitions and understandings of menstruation use negative terminology and focus on menstrual blood as an indicator of failed conception. This view contributes significantly to the negative perception women have of menstruation in general, their own menstrual cycles, and ultimately of their femaleness. This fundamental, physiological process that symbolizes femaleness, the menstrual cycle, has been defined both, bio-medically and culturally, as a negative experience. I propose a reconceptualization of the menstrual cycle that is not only a tool …

The Effects Of Phonological Awareness Activities On At-Risk First Grade Readers, Kimberly L. Van Belois

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to look at a variety of phonological awareness studies and their impact on students with reading difficulties and to implement a program to develop student's reading abilities and look at its impact on student's knowledge of vowel and consonant recognition, vowel sounds, and sight words. Phonological awareness can be defined as one's sensitivity to, or explicit awareness of, the phonological structure of words in one's language. A number of researchers (eg., Libennan, Shankweiler, & Liberman, 1989) have concluded that adequate awareness of the phonological structure of words helps to make learning to read words …

Community Empowerment And Social Policy Design: A Case Study Of The Creation Of A School-Based Health Center, R. Ian Costello

Masters Theses

Studies of community empowerment have shown the benefits of involving recipient communities in the process of designing and implementing social aid programs. One of these benefits is the empowerment of previously disenfranchised individuals and communities. Through qualitative ethnographic research, this thesis shows how residents of one low-income community in South-West Michigan have become more empowered through their involvement in the design and implementation of a school-based health center.

Development Of The Curriculum For Use In A Primary Multi-Age Classroom Using A Curriculum Map, Rae Anne Besser Hansberry

Masters Theses

Curriculum maps for multi-age classes are difficult to organize. This paper explores some of the ways that curricula has been organized in the past and a method developed by Heidi Hayes Jacobs . This method differs from other mapping strategies because it starts with the state standards and benchmarks and fits the curricula into this framework. This paper also explores the concept of multi-age groupings to insure a better understanding of the history of grouping students in education, the philosophy behind multi-age, as well as some of the benefits and detractors of this concept. The process for developing a curriculum …

Delectatio Et Utilitas In Hrotsvit Of Gandersheim's Resuscitatio Drusianae Et Calimachi, Mary Maxine Browne

Masters Theses

Hrotsvit of Gandersheim (935-1002 A.D.) wrote her play, Resuscitatio Drusianae et Calimachi, as the other five plays which Hrotsvit composed, as an adaptation of a hagiography from the apocryphal Acta Johannis. Written in the spirit of the tenth-century didactic esthetic delectatio et utilitas, Hrotsvit adapted the narrative of the legend to the Terentian comedic form, that she might instruct her monastic audience according to the delectatio et utilitas esthetic.

This discussion focuses on the sources and backgrounds of Hrotsvit's play, followed by Hrotsvit' s adaptive treatment of the characters in Resuscitatio Drusianae et Calimachi with a …

The Implementation Of Group Mentoring Between At-Risk Teenage African American Males And Successful Adult African American Men, Cornell Mathis

Masters Theses

Little research has been done to examine the implementation of group mentoring. This study of group mentoring involving at-risk teenage African American males and successful adult African American men will provide insight into group mentoring as demonstrated through interpersonal communications.

An investigation of the composite reduction provides the foundation for establishing the following definition of the group mentoring experience. The mentees are drawn to the mentors by mutual respect developed through the use of a special language. Availability leads to bonding between the mentees and mentors. The relationships are fostered by the authenticity of both individuals while producing social enlightenment …

Image Processing Based On A Fuzzy Logic Edge Detection Algorithm, Jamshid Khazaai

Masters Theses

One of the major problems in image processing is that of efficient edge detection. This is because the automated determination of an edge requires a subjective interpretation of just what the image author intended to be an edge. By training an edge determination algorithm to be sensitive to edges in a consistent manner, efficiency can be improved. This is the central idea of this thesis in which I define edge occurrences for the intensity (monochrome) images using fuzzy sets.

Edge characteristic functions are proposed for detecting edge pixels within a desired block of an (intensity and binary) image based on …

The Effects Of Reminiscence Therapy On The Elderly Client's Satisfaction With Nursing Care, Nancy Strong

Masters Theses

This study tested if reminiscence therapy would improve client satisfaction with nursing care. An experimental post test only design was used on 39 clients in a moderate sized home care agency in the Midwest. Ages ranged from 65 to 98. A single, one-on-one reminiscence session was done with 22 subjects in their homes after a routine nursing visit. The control group subjects did not receive the reminiscence intervention. The groups were homogeneous except for the number of hospitalizations experienced in the past year. The control group had a significantly higher number.

The Forbes Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, modified for the home …

Simulation Of The Hybrid Fuzzy-Boolean Finite State Machine (Hfb-Fsm), Hamed Shakouri

Masters Theses

Several models of fuzzy finite-state automata have been proposed in the literature. One model which benefits from the existing algorithms for designing Boolean finite-state machines, has been proposed by J. L. Grantner [8]. This model, which is called Hybrid Fuzzy-Boolean Finite State Machine (HFB-FSM), along with its algorithmic design procedure, can be used for implementing dynamic linguistic systems [7,8,13]. In this thesis we have developed a simulation program for the HFB-FSM model using C++ programming language. In order to simulate a HFB-FSM model, the user provides the information defining the system's behavior. Based on the algorithm proposed in [8], the …

The Effect Of Familiar And Novel Testing Environments On The Gross Motor Function Measure Scores Of Developmentally Normal Children 17-37 Months Old, Tracey Blain, Jean Angel

Masters Theses

Our purpose in this research was to compare the reliability of the Gross Motor Function Measure in familiar and unfamiliar environments. Discrepancy between clinical assessment results and true motor functional ability may give false information leading to inefficient treatment sessions. Our research gives therapists information about optimal assessment site choice. Subjects included sixteen developmentally normal children between the ages of 17 and 37 months. Our study fit a repeated measure counterbalanced design, and ANOVA was used to analyze our data. We did not reject our null hypothesis that the child’s score on the GMFM in the familiar environment would equal …

The Foucault Panopticon Model In Motion: The Internet As A Candidate For Corporate Abandon, Thomas Wells Brignall

Masters Theses

The possible negative impacts the Internet could have on our society, because of its powerful observation potential is the topic of this thesis. In my work I deconstruct several historical and current texts on the Internet. I then critique modern cultural constructs of the Internet and compare and contrast using historical as well as meta-analysis to dissect the real from the simulated.

I have found that a majority of the Internet's current construction lies in the hands of private companies. In my finding, using historical analysis of previous company policies that the potential to observe, track, and keep large databases …

How Phonemic Awareness Training And Direct Phonics Instruction Effect The Decoding Ability Of Children With Reading Problems, Lynda Elaine Thatcher

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to study how phonemic awareness and direct phonics instruction can effect the decoding abilities of children with reading problems. The importance of having phonics and phonemic awareness in the initial teaching of reading to young children was discussed. A review of the literature indicated that there is causative correlation between phonemic awareness and decoding skills. The research demonstrated that phonemic awareness intervention programs were very effective in increasing reading skills. Finally, the research implied that an effective reading program for young children with reading problems should include both phonological training and phonics instruction. In …

Quality Of Life In Grandparents After A Diagnosis Of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia In Their Grandchild, Laura S. Mullins

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess grandparents' perceptions of their quality of life (QOL) after the diagnosis and treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in their grandchild. The following questions were addressed: (a) How do grandparents of children with ALL perceive their current QOL; (b) How do grandparents of children with ALL perceive their current QOL has changed since their grandchild was diagnosed; (c) What specific changes in QOL have grandparents experienced since the diagnosis of ALL in their grandchild; (d) What is the grandparents' overall attitude about life with leukemia; (e) Is there a relationship between the …

Implementation Of The Graphical User Interface Of The Parint Package In Java, Gwowen Fu

Masters Theses

The graphical user interface (GUI) of the ParInt interface package provides a convenient and efficient way for users to integrate multivariate functions on a parallel system or a network.

This thesis introduces basic structure of the GUI and gives a detailed description of each class of how the classes communicate with each other and how the connection with the parallel program is made.

Spatial And Ethnic Patterns Of Real Estate Control Affecting Upward Mobility Of Immigrants In A Nineteenth Century Industrial Community, Debra S. Alfonso

Masters Theses

The subject of immigrant success has previously been analyzed in the context of ethnic characteristics, individual heroism, worker solidarity, and advancement of industrialization. Most immigrants start at the bottom of the social-economic ladder. The mechanisms of advancement vary depending on both ethnic values and the constraints of the socioeconomic system. The key variable is normally thought to be advancing occupational status.

The problem addressed is how did recent immigrants to a 19th century steel-town obtain home ownership and advancement in spite of declining industrial wages. Using a GIS system to link and analyze geographic and historical records I was able …

The Social Diffusion Of Safe Sex Behaviors In College Women, Sherry Pagoto

Masters Theses

With the ever rising numbers of people becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 1997) the need for preventing the spread of infection is clear. One promising intervention, based on a theory called social diffusion, involves training popular opinion leaders to act as behavior change endorsers within their community (Kelly, 1991). This study found 25-30% reductions in high-risk behaviors and 16-18% increases in safe sex behaviors in a male homosexual population as a result of this type of intervention. The current study examines the effectiveness of this intervention within a …

A Generic Multi-Electrode Automated/Semi-Automated Field Resistivity System, Douglas D. Werkema

Masters Theses

Geophysical field exploration using electrical resistivity typically employs the use of four electrodes which are progressively relocated to positions that differ from a few meters to hundreds of meters. Consequently, field operations are tiresome and often lead to imprecise locations of electrodes and poor data quality. This project develops an automated field resistivity system.

This automation of resistivity measurements is accomplished by using multiple sets of field electrodes, a programmable switch box, remotely controlling the acquisition instrument and digitally storing the results. Controlling the process is the Acquisition Control^©software, for Windows 95^© .The prototype switch box has …

A Multiplicity Of Goals In A Migrant Household, Patrick James Maher

Masters Theses

This paper explores data collected on Mexican migrants who were living in southwestern Michigan during the Spring and Summer of 1994. Its purpose is to examine the role of the family among one migrant household and to determine whether the findings coincide with other studies completed on Mexican migrant families.

The data examined indicates two major problems in applying its findings to current migration literature. The first involves the concept of a 'united family unit' and the second relates to the notion of a 'common family goal.' The data suggests that the theory on which these concepts are based must …

The Effects Of Music Therapy On The Self-Esteem And Locus Of Control Of Children Survivors Of Domestic Violence, Amy A. Bogetto

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a volunteer music therapy program on the self-esteem and locus of control of children survivors of domestic violence residing in a shelter for domestic violence. An experimental group which received music therapy and a no-contact control group were used in this study. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Scale was used to measure the subjects' selfesteem while the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control scale was used to measure the subjects' locus of control in both groups. These tests were administered before and after treatment for the experimental group. The control group was …