Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Children In Head Start Phonological Awareness Skills Of Alliteration And Rhyming, Matthew J. Sidarous

Masters Theses

Phonological awareness has received considerable recognition in the past few decades as a strong predictor of reading. Phonological awareness is the understanding that oral language can be divided into smaller components and manipulated. A wealth of studies has supported the predictive power of phonological awareness on reading achievement. However, research has been conflicted as to the best method to improve phonological awareness. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether or not two different phonological awareness techniques utilizing rhyme and alliteration were useful in the acquisition of phonological awareness in at - risk children attending a Head Start …

A Systematic Approach To Project Portfolio Selection For Economic Development In Municipalities: A Case Study In Vienna, Missouri, Amanda Danielle Alpaugh

Masters Theses

"Economic development is essential for the survival of all municipalities in the United States. Economic growth, created through project implementation, brings new capital into municipalities by increasing the tax base. Smaller municipalities often struggle to implement projects that promote economic growth. These municipalities run into problems because they lack resources to hire an economic consultant and capabilities to independently complete the strategic planning process. This thesis describes an easy-to-use and easy-to-implement systematic ten-step approach to project portfolio selection for economic growth within smaller municipalities...The ten-step approach was employed in a case study performed in Vienna, Missouri. The case study involved …

Psychosocial Adjustment Of International Students At A Midwestern Illinois University, Shilpa Maheshwari

Masters Theses

The study assessed the psychosocial adjustment of international students in higher education in the United States (U.S.) and examined their overall experiences since their arrival in the country. Pa1iicipants completed the 54-item Inventory for Student Adjustment Strain. The adjustment variables which were examined in the inventory were culture shock, language fluency, academic difficulties, social support, loneliness, and assertiveness. The hypothesis of the study was that the variables of age, gender, and length of time in the U.S. would predict the psychosocial adjustment of the sample of international students after their arrival to an unfamiliar country. A total of 167 international …

A Look At The Relationship Between Underage Student Drinking Rates And Student Involvement Rates, Kathryn A. Tomlinson

Masters Theses

Underage drinking, that is, anyone consuming alcohol under der the t age of 21, is one of the most important issues facing college campuses today. In thee United States, two out of every three full-time college students report having drunk alcohol in one capacity or another in the last 30 days (Wechsler et al., 1998). An estimated 307 college student were involved in non-traffic alcohol related deaths in 2002 (Hingson, Heeren, Zakocs, Kopstein & Wechsler, 2002). According to a 2002 NIAAA study, more sexual assaults, robberies, vandalism, and other crimes occur when students have been drinking previo to the crime …

A Qualitatively Grounded Curriculum For Western International Student Orientation To Chinese Higher Education, Lin Yi

Masters Theses

More and more U.S. students are seeking university study abroad in China. Information about how to prepare for overseas study in China, and what challenges need to be overcome, is limited. To develop the proposed orientation curriculum, Chinese professors teaching international students, international student affairs professionals serving international students, English-speaking international students studying in Chinese universities, and U.S. citizens visiting and working in China contributed their insights and experiences of culture shock, culture surprises, and cultural differences. The themes emerging from the interviews were organized into the content of the proposed orientation curriculum. When U.S. international students experience this Chinese …

Graduate Recruitment At A Midsized Midwestern University, Sharese N. Shannon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to dialogue with several graduate programs at Eastern Illinois University to better examine their admissions requirements and philosophy on recruitment. Graduate recruitment at a midsized public institution, such as Eastern lllinois University, has strengths and weakness in regards to attracting students. Location, class size, reputation and preparing students for doctoral programs were reported as factors associated with attracting perspective graduate students. Many graduate programs did not actively recruit students because of heavy reliance on representatives from the graduate school.

The researcher discovered how departments defined their responsibility towards recruitment, how they defined a recruitment …

A Study Of An Online Adaptation Of An Off Campus Adult Student Survey, Benjamin J. Stenson

Masters Theses

The School of Continuing Education (SCE) at Eastern Illinois University offers evening and weekend courses for returning adult students at a variety of off campus locations. Program assessment conducted in 1988, 1993, 1997, and 2002 used an off campus adult student survey administered by traditional means. Since these program assessment administrations, the proportion of classes offered through traditional off campus classroom instruction has lowered in relation to classes that are technology delivered.

It has become important to assess technology delivered instructional programs as well. The original adult student survey (Schrock, 1988) was adapted into an on-line version in order to …

Career Vs. Marriage: Perceptions Of Professional Black Women Employed In Higher Education, Temetria D. Hargett

Masters Theses

Age of first marriage for American women has been on the rise and Black women possessing higher education seem to top the charts of this growing trend. The review of recent literature articulates an increase in marriage ages for Black women that seem to correspond to educational attainment. Through interviewing, the researcher found that the issue of career/marriage balance for professional Black women employed in higher education was relevant; findings from the present study specified obstacles to balancing career and fostering relationships that may end in marriage. An analysis of barriers to marriage for six professional Black women employed in …

Female Freedom Fighters: The Impact Of Kate Chopin's The Awakening And Edith Wharton's The House Of Mirth On The American Suicide Discourse From 1870-1900, Jenny Cortez

Masters Theses

Chapter one traces the discussion of suicide that was taking place in America between the years 1870-1900. Some psychologists attributed suicide to insanity and imitation, while others ascribed the act of suicide to those individuals with an intelligent disposition. Other theorists, however, saw the act itself as being in direct connection with social consciousness and the plight of women. Chapter two takes up Kate Chopin's The Awakening, published in 1899, as a response to this conversation over women who take their own lives, contending that a woman commits the act of suicide not because, as American society suggested between 1870 …

Textual Selves, Tasha Dunaway

Masters Theses

Through an examination of the texts of William Byrd II and Thomas Jefferson, I consider appetite as an instrument of self-construction in relation to two poles of male identity: the patriarch and the libertine. Byrd and Jefferson's public images as patriarchs are complicated by an examination of their private texts which reveal a decidedly libertine tendency. These two men compose texts (and personae) relative to socially accepted notions of appetite.

Chapter One discusses the composition of works written for introspective purposes, arguably private works--commonplace books, scrapbooks, diaries, and letters-in an effort to distinguish the ways in which appetite operates in …

The Grim Word: 'Home' In Fiction By Graham Greene, Geoff Cowgill

Masters Theses

Graham Greene's treatment of the subject of home in his writings is remarkably negative. Focusing on nine of his major novels (England Made Me, A Gun for Sale, Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, The Comedians, Travels with My Aunt, The Honorary Consul, and The Human Factor), this study explicates the ways in which home fails his characters. In this thesis, 'home' has been split into three facets: family, domicile and homeland. Each facet seems to promise benefits for the characters that don't materialize. The way in which Greene's writing promotes a betrayal of home reflects …

A Song And A Slogan: Regional Influences On Carl Sandburg And Edgar Lee Masters, Amanda Dunlavey

Masters Theses

The works of Carl Sandburg and Edgar Lee Masters have been largely overlooked by critics in spite of their initial popular success .• However, these authors dt serve further study, especially· in light of the growing popularity of regional writing. When studied in a biographical context, the works of Sandburg and Masters illustrate that thJ. most profound influence on their lives and works was that of their early lives in entral Illinois. It was there that they found their most fertile subject matter, developed their political beliefs, and established their connection to nature. Studying the 4 in tandem can form …

Hannah Dustan: A Seventeenth-Century Text Still In Progress, Janice Derr

Masters Theses

This thesis traces the path of Hannah Dustan's story of captivity from its first appearance in the seventeenth century through today and explores the cultural history and significance behind her story. Dustan's story of her capture and bloody escape from the Abenaki tribe was first told by Puritan minister Cotton Mather, in his 1697 sermon Humiliations Follow 'd with Deliverance. Incorporating captivity narratives into sermons was not atypical, but it may surprise modem readers to find a story with a protagonist who commits murder in a sermon about humiliation. By examining primary documents and exploring the history of the captivity …

Passage Through The Ocean: The Female Heroic Journey In The Novels Of Anita Desai, Jaime Pedigo Hendrix

Masters Theses

This study examines the female heroic journey in relation to the protagonists in three of Anita Desai's novels: Maya in Cry, the Peacock, Sita in Where Shall We Go This Summer, and Bim in Clear Light of Day. The elements of the heroic journey as described by Joseph Campbell in Hero with a Thousand Faces illuminate the journeys of Desai's characters, as certain of these elements appear in all three of the characters' journeys toward adulthood. The work of C. G. Jung is also central to this study, as his theories on psychological development are utilized to show the growth, …

Neuropsychopharmacological Investigations Of Mdma/Cocaine Combinations, John J. Panos

Masters Theses

Despite the popularity of polydrug abuse among recreational MDMA users, relatively few controlled experimental studies have documented the neurobehavioral effects of MDMA in combination with other abused substances. In this study, the neurochemical and behavioral effects of MD MA/cocaine combinations were assessed using in vivo microdialysis with simultaneous measurement of locomotor activity (LMA). Rats were administered cocaine (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg, IP), MDMA (1.5 mg/kg or 3.0 mg/kg, IP) or combinations of cocaine and MDMA during microdialysis experiments. Microdialysis samples were collected every 30 min for three hours prior to drug injections. Following drug administration, six additional 30 min …

Leadership Behavior And Perceived Team Communication Effectiveness: A Study Of Division 1 College Hockey Coaches' Perceptions, William Chris Brooks

Masters Theses

The purpose of the research was to begin testing assumptions about coaches' leadership and team communication by starting with an examination of the relationship between a head coach's perception of his leadership behavior and his perception of the effectiveness of his team's communication.

The sample in the study consisted of fifty NCAA Division I Men's Head Hockey Coaches during the 2006-2007 season. Demographic data reported included the following: the participants' age, education level, nationality, number of years as a head coach, number of years as an assistant coach, 2006-2007 record, and number of years as head coach at their current …

Breaking The Be Nice Rule: Direct Action Community Organizing, Adriana Rosas

Masters Theses

Focusing on the Kalamazoo Homeless Action Network (KHAN), this thesis explores the dynamics of transformation in community organizing, and the crucial and often complicated role of anger in that process. Current Anthropological literature on the topic of resistance and poverty leaves unexamined the micropolitics of individuals' transformation as they become civically engaged as well as the laborious organizing techniques culminating in such events that lead to social change and individual empowerment. I will contribute to the literature on poverty and resistance by examining the 'behind-the-scenes' dimensions of direct action community organizing that influence individual and social transformation. Through this examination …

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of Computerized Physician Order Entry On Medical Errors, Shannon Loewy

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system on medication error. The study took place in a 343-bed hospital in the pediatrics inpatient unit. During baseline, participants placed medication orders in the same manner that they always had, handwriting them on a specific form and handing the form to the unit clerk who then faxed the order to the pharmacy. In the CPOE phase, participants used the computerized system to place orders, which were electronically sent to the pharmacy. The primary dependent variable was errors made during physician medication …

The Effects Of Feedback On The Accuracy Of Completing Flight Checklists, William G. Rantz

Masters Theses

This study examined whether pilots completed airplane checklists more accurately when they received post-flight graphic and verbal feedback. Participants were 8 college student pilots with instrument rating. The task consisted of flying flight patterns using a Personal Computer Aviation Training Device. The main dependent variable was the number of checklist items completed correctly per flight. A multiple baseline design across pairs with reversal was used. During baseline, the average number of correctly completed items per flight varied considerably across participants, ranging from 21 to 39 out of 40. It increased to near perfect levels for all participants after they were …

Music Therapy With High-Risk Youth: An Exploration Of Current Practice, Beth A. Clark

Masters Theses

This study explored the practices of music therapists in the United States and Canada who had worked with high-risk youth within the previous ten years. High-risk youth were defined as those likely to experience a decline in global level of functioning due to one or more issues related to mental health, substance misuse, or other social, economic, or cultural disadvantages, including correctional system involvement, street-involvement, or unstable home environment. An online survey of credentialed music therapists was conducted to explore the areas of demographics, clinical practice and information-seeking. Music therapists working with high-risk youth were asked to identify the most …

Effects Of Subchronic Dietary Lead Exposure On Dmtp And Dnmtp Performance In Fisher 344 Rats, Joshua D. Vardigan

Masters Theses

Recent attention has focused on the possibility that even low-level Pb exposure can produce subtle neurological impairments in the absence of overt signs of toxicity. Previous behavioral assessments of learning and memory using DMTS procedures have documented learning impairments in monkeys exposed to Pb during early postnatal development, and although a variety of operant behavioral assays have documented detrimental effects of dietary Pb treatment in rats, the DMTS procedure has not been examined in rats following short-term low levels of Pb through dietary exposure. Thus, the objective of this study was to measure the degree of cognitive impairment produced by …

Using Art In Occupational Therapy With People Who Have Cancer: A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer R. Dochod

Masters Theses

OBJECTIVE. To explore the role of art, with a small group of people who have cancer, as a means provide distraction from pain, to help express feelings, and to assist in making connections with others.

METHOD. Using a randomized sample from Gilda’s Club, a support center for those with cancer, in-house social workers recruited two participants to take part in a small group case study conducted by a master’s level occupational therapy student.

RESULTS. Two participants enrolled in the art class conducted by the researcher. Predetermined questions gathered through participant interviews and class discussions provided the data. Although the participant …

Examining The Septuagint: An Exploration Of The Greek Old Testament's Unique Heritage And Lasting Impact On The New Testament, Cara Lynne Murphy

Masters Theses

The Greek Old Testament has been a focus of speculation and study since its entrance into the religious culture of the Diasporic Jews. Legends and myths surround the creation of the Septuagint, and its use by the New Testament authors only added to the questions surrounding this ancient text. The questions this thesis will seek to address are three-fold. First, what does historical evidence prove regarding the origin of the Septuagint? The dating, the location, and the nature of the Septuagint’s creation are each open debates within biblical scholarship. While this thesis will not attempt to prove conclusively the answers …

The Role Of The Interteach In Interteaching, Thorhallur Orn Flosason

Masters Theses

Interteaching is a relatively new instructional method, based on behavioral approaches to education, that has been offered as an alternative to the traditional lecture format in the college classroom. The present study examined the role of the cooperative learning component of interteaching in an undergraduate statistics class. An alternating treatments design, with conditions counterbalanced across two sections of the course, was used to determine whether or not the effectiveness of interteaching depends on the interteach (cooperative learning) component. Weekly exams were administered to measure student learning and social validity was assessed via a questionnaire that required students to rate their …

Women And Hostile Sexism: Effect Of Identification With The Humor Target On Women's Responses To Sexist Jokes, Jessica R. Edel

Masters Theses

This study was designed to contribute to the literature on sexist humor by attempting to establish identification with the humor target as a critical variable mediating the relationship between hostile sexism and women's amusement with sexist humor. Past research has shown a positive relationship between hostile sexism - antagonism towards women (Glick and Fiske, 1996) - and amusement with sexist humor (Ford, 2000; Greenwood & Isbell, 2002). It is possible, however, that this relationship is more complicated for women, who are both the recipient and target of the sexist joke. This study attempted to provide an explanation for why this …

An Eco-Philosophical Ecofeminist Critique Of Victimology: Examining The Anthropocentric And Speciesist Borders And Boundaries Of Victimology, Angela K. Simon

Masters Theses

This work is a critique of the anthropocentric and speciesist borders and boundaries of victimology. Essentially I challenge victimology for failing to incorporate the victimizations of non-human animals and the environment, and instead focusing narrowly on only specific forms of human victimization. I do this by examining the history of victimology and exploring how its boundaries became what they are today. Focusing on the role criminology has had in the general development of victimology. I then go on to juxtapose the limited presence of animals and the environment within criminology with their relative absence in victimology. In conjunction with this …

The Effect Of Auditory-Motor Synchronization On Physiological Responses And Perceived Exertion During Treadmill Running, Tracy J. Kiel

Masters Theses

Synchronous, asynchronous, and no music were compared to determine the effect of synchronization of musical tempo and running cadence on physiological and perceptual responses to exercise. Eight subjects, three males and five females, participated in one assessment trial and three experimental trials. During the assessment trial, subjects performed a VO_2max test, and researchers then calculated running cadence at a velocity approximating 70 percent of VO_2max.

During the three experimental trials, subjects ran for 20 minutes at approximately 70 percent of VO_2max on a motorized treadmill with synchronous, asynchronous, and no music, where the order of trials …

Police Misconduct And Early Warning Systems; An Exploratory Examination Of Influential Variables, Lisa B. Andre

Masters Theses

The purpose of this exploratory research was two-fold: 1) an extensive literature review was conducted to discover what “police misconduct variables” have previously been researched and identified; 2) an existing early warning system (EWS) at Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) was examined to analyze the correlation between influential variables and case outcomes. The BCPD secondary data set examined consisted of all officers involved in use of force actions, firearm discharge towards a person, vehicle pursuits, and/or citizen complaints combined, which were reported and received between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2006 (n = 1099). The findings demonstrated statistical significance …

The Leadership Style Of An Administrator: Influence On Teachers' Willingness To Implement Selected Instructional Strategies, Brenda Lopez Martinez

Masters Theses

This project examined an elementary public school principal with regard to their leadership style and how it influences classroom culture or climate. A 45- questionnaire was administered to one principal in a public school setting and a classroom survey instrument was administered to nine teachers in his building.

Significant findings based on literature in this project indicated a transformational leader was more inclined to support teachers and utilize different instructional modalities than a principal whose leadership style is transactional. The teacher survey collected data from teachers' perception about their administrator across different instructional domains. The researcher utilized statistical means to …

"Bird In A Cage:" Exploring Transnational Immigrants' Identity Negotiations, Ewa Urban

Masters Theses

Recent research demonstrates that the experience of contemporary immigrants is largely defined by their continued efforts to maintain symbolic and/or physical connections with their homelands ( e.g., Levitt, 1998). This study explored how these transnational connections affect the negotiation of immigrants' multiple identities. To explore the fluidity and the multilayered nature of transnational identities, the communication theory of identity was utilized as a theoretical lens. This theory allowed for an understanding how immigrants enact salient aspects of their multiple identities across contexts and situations. Phenomenological methodology was used to explore immigrants' lived experiences and hear their voices both individually and …