Digital Commons Network^™

A Descriptive History Of The Discipline Of Athletic Training Education, Scott M. Lisher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to trace the history of athletic training education as an athletic discipline. Through careful study and research, the author presents how formal education has evolved for professionals in the field of athletic training. The roots of athletic training education can be traced to the mid-1950's. From that period, athletic training education has changed immensely and is still changing today. This research explores the relationship between the development of higher education and the way athletic training evolved as a discipline within higher education. Much of the focus is on change, not only including changes made …

Test Anxiety And Age: As We Grow Older Do We Become More Test Anxious?, Sharon Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this investigation were to (a) establish the test anxiety level of students in the second grade, fourth grade, and sixth grade (n=92); and (b) determine the difference in the levels of test anxiety between the three grade levels. Students demonstrated surprising results on the test anxiety measure (TASC). The average score for the second grade was the highest and the average score for the sixth grade was the lowest. A multiple comparisons analysis revealed a significant difference in test anxiety levels between the second and sixth grade. However, the difference was not an increase in test anxiety, …

The Awareness And Use Of Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculums In Secondary Schools Of Southern New Jersey, Nancy D. Ciandella

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and usage of specific standards-based mathematics curriculums in the southern New Jersey area.

A three-part survey was developed and sent to department chairpersons in 135 secondary schools in eight southern New Jersey counties. Part one of the survey determined the population characteristics and participant information. Part two was utilized to determine currently used mathematics curriculums. In part three, mathematical philosophy was determined from responses to Likert scale questions. An analysis of the survey included tallies of currently used curriculums, knowledge of standards-based mathematics programs, and a correlation of mathematical philosophies …

Portable High-Performance Indexing For Vector Product Format Spatial Databases, Engin Colak

Theses and Dissertations

Geo-spatial databases have an overall performance problem because of their complexity and large size. For this reason, many researchers seek new ways to improve the overall performance of geo-spatial databases. Typically, these research efforts are focused on complex indexing structures and query processing methods to capture the relationships between the individual features of fully-functional geo-spatial databases. Visualization applications, such as combat simulators and mission planning tools, suffer from the general performance problems associated with geo-spatial databases. This research focuses on building a high-performance geo-spatial database for visualization applications. The main approach is to simplify the complex data model and to …

Decision Analysis With Value-Focused Thinking As A Methodology In Structuring The Civil Engineer Operations Flight, Dee Jay Katzer

Theses and Dissertations

The civil engineer operations flight organizational structure has been in a state of change since the flight's inception and is currently prescribed only to the element level. Therefore, an operations flight commander must determine the organizational structure best suited for their unique situation without any guidance or support. To provide insight and defensible support for an operations flight commander faced with this decision, a value-focused thinking process was used to create a value model that aids in evaluating possible organizational structures. To ensure that the results of this research are applicable across the Air Force, the value model was created …

An Evaluation Of Geobest Contingency Beddown Planning Software Using The Technology Acceptance Model, Shawn J. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

GeoBEST is a software program designed to simplify the contingency beddown planning process through application of geographic information technology. The purpose of this thesis was to thoroughly evaluate GeoBEST using prospective GeoBEST users in a realistic beddown planning scenario. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was applied, which measures a prospective user's perceptions of the technology's usefulness and ease-of-use and predicts their intentions to use the software in the future. The evaluations also included a qualitative evaluation of specific software features. The test group for this thesis was seventy-one Civil Engineering students attending contingency skills training at the Silver Flag training …

Verification Of Mm5 Cloud Microphysics Schemes For East Asia, Dean J. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Using the 3-Dimensional Variational Analysis data assimilation scheme and the (MM5), input observations were denied in three different categories: total, upper air, and surface observation denial. Two control groups were run using all available data as received by AFWA. The main control group used a 6 hours old first guess as a baseline. The data denied test cases and the secondary control group used a 30-hour old first guess because it was not possible to deny data from the first guess. The secondary control group was used to estimate errors resulting from the use of different first guess forecasts between …

Analysis Of Gps Satellite Allocation For The United States Nuclear Detonation Detection System (Usnds), Aaron J. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

We present an approach for identifying salient input features in high feature to exemplar ratio conditions. Basically we modify the SNR saliency-screening algorithm to improve the solution of the optimal salient feature subset problem. We propose that applying the SNR method to randomly selected subsets (SRSS) has a superior potential to identify the salient features than the traditional SNR algorithm has. Two experimental studies are provided to demonstrate the consistency of the SRSS. In the first experiment we used a noise-corrupted version of the Fisher s Iris classification problem. The first experiment designed to prove the fidelity of the SRSS …

Modeling The Pre-Positioning Of Air Force Precision Guided Munitions, Daniel P. Johnstone

Theses and Dissertations

There exist factors that play a major role in an enlisted Airman's decision to either stay on active duty in the Air Force or separate. The current force structure of the U.S. Air Force and increased loss of enlisted personnel is a major concern as we look at maintaining manpower to meet the needs of the Air Force. The Air Force is reacting to this low retention problem by increasing the bonuses for initial enlistments and reenlistments, home basing, increasing quality of life for Air Force personnel with enlisted dormitory plus-ups, and under AEF personnel have increased predictability of deployment. …

Commercial Regional Space/Airborne Imaging, Ugur Akyazi, Ali Durmus, Birce Boga Bakirli, Arif Arin

Theses and Dissertations

In this work goal programming is used to solve a minimum cost multicommodity network flow problem with multiple goals. A single telecommunication network with multiple commodities (e.g., voice, video, data, etc.) flowing over it is analyzed. This network consists of: linear objective function, linear cost arcs, fixed capacities, specific origin-destination pairs for each commodity. A multicommodity network flow problem with goals can be successfully modeled using linear goal programming techniques. When properly modeled, network flow techniques may be employed to exploit the pure network structure of a multicommodity network flow problem with goals. Lagrangian relaxation captures the essence of the …

A Biographical Study Of Elizabeth D. Kane, Darcee D. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

This is a biographical study of Elizabeth D. Kane (1836-1909), travel writer and wife of Thomas L. Kane, non-Mormon friend of the nineteenth-century Mormons of Utah. Primary source materials are mainly Elizabeth's fourteen diaries (spanning the years 1853 to 1909), letters and narrative accounts. Elizabeth was greatly influenced by Thomas, while maintaining her independence. She was interested in religion and feminist issues, and those interests, combined with her marital relationship, shaped her life's direction. Thomas Kane's interest in the Mormons also influenced Elizabeth's religious and feminist views, and she initially struggled with accepting Thomas's work for them because of their …

A Common Characteristic Profile For Leveraging E-Rate Acquisitions In Arkansas, Drew Mashburn

Theses and Dissertations

The study investigates how four school districts in Arkansas maximized their E-rate discounts and leveraged their acquired E-rate services toward educational improvements. The purpose is to provide a common characteristic profile of school districts that leveraged their E-rate discounts toward effective technology integration. The findings contribute to an increased understanding of how schools benefit from the discounts produced by E-rate. In addition, these implications can be utilized by other school districts for an increased understanding of effective E-rate application strategies and technology integration efforts. The qualitative data provide a common characteristic profile that identifies attributes each district shared. Evidence of …

Program To Program Articulation: Progress, Perceptions, And Procedures For Articulation From Two-Year Programs To Four-Year Programs, Brenda L. Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of two-year and four-year students, faculty, and chief academic officers related to articulation practices in existence. Additionally, this study was designed to determine the desired components for a successful articulation and transfer system and identify any significant differences that exist between current and ideal articulation practices. Furthermore, this study investigated the feasibility for an articulation officer to oversee transfer procedures and a statewide course numbering system. To accomplish the goals of this study, after review of literature on articulation and transfer practices, six research questions were developed. Survey instruments, …

Imaging Spectrometry To Map Potential Wildfire Fuels At Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, Nathan F. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Spatio-Temporal Data Model For Zoning, Philip J. Uhl

Theses and Dissertations

Planning departments are besieged with temporal/historical information. While for many institutions historical information can be relegated to archives, planning departments have a constant need to access and query their historical information, particularly their historical spatial information such as zoning. This can be a cumbersome process fraught with inaccuracies due to the changing organizational methods and the extended historical legacies of most municipalities. Geographic Information Systems can be a tool to provide a solution to the difficulties in querying spatio-temporal planning data. Using a data model designed specifically to facilitate the querying of historical zoning information, queries can be performed to …

Federalism : The Future Of Local Government In The Philippines, April Gonzalez Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Responding To District Systemic Change: A Case Study Of Campus Leadership Team Member Responses Regarding School-Based Management, Mona Rae Davidson Briggs

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to explore to what extent school-based management (SBM) was being implemented in one urban middle school and to specifically analyze attitudes and perceptions of participants' beliefs and opinions around issues of power, information, knowledge, and rewards. A qualitative case study approach was used that included interviews with the Campus Leadership Team (CLT) members, observations, and review of relevant school and district documents. Study findings revealed that SBM was intended to be a strategy for ensuring that fundamental changes would take place to support improved student performance. While student academic achievement was the primary focus, …

A Study Of The Hill Cumorah: A Significant Latter-Day Saint Landmark In Western New York, Cameron J. Packer

Theses and Dissertations

Early Church member W. W. Phelps wrote, "Cumorah...is well calculated to stand in this generation, as a monument of marvelous works and wonders" (Latter-day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, November 1835, 2:221). With a stately monument of the Angel Moroni cresting its summit, and a yearly pageant commemorating salient events associated with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, it is fulfilling the exact role that Phelps envisioned. However, the general population of the Church is relatively unfamiliar with the history of this significant Latter-day Saint landmark. The following thesis is an in depth study and documentation of certain historical …

A Gis Model Estimating The Effects Of Land-Use On Fish Community Structure, Anne Marguerite Coyle

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stressors, Hope, And Health : Applying The Neuman Systems Model To Health Promotion For Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence In The Rural Northern Plains, Marlene E. Brisson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Modeling And Analysis Of Social Networks, Robert S. Renfro Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops new methods for the modeling and analysis of social networks. Social networks describe the complex relationships of individuals and groups in multiple overlapping contexts. Influence in a social network impacts behavior and decision making in every setting in which individuals participate. This study defines a methodology for modeling and analyzing this complex behavior using a Flow-Model representation. Multiple objectives in an influencing effort targeted at a social network are modeled using Goal Programming. Value Focused Thinking is applied to model influence and predict decisions based on the reaction of the psychological state of individuals to environmental stimuli. …

Development Of A Course Of Study For An Undergraduate Course In Global Communication, Kim Lynn Mullikin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the components of successful undergraduate global communication courses. The thesis examines curriculum of American and European colleges and universities' global communication courses and programs. The author analyzed syllabi and course textbooks and surveyed Rowan University College of Communication staff members to develop a course of study for an undergraduate course in global communication.

The study determined that the top 10 topics to be included in a global communication course are: culture, globalization, politics, adaptation, race, television and film, business, conflict and culture shock.

Culture and globalization were covered in more than 50% of the syllabi studied. Adaptation, …

Public Relations Efforts To Promote New Graduate Programs, Joe Chambers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to accumulate information relative to the various public relations practices, methods, and procedures utilized by Rowan University, a state institution of higher learning, and comparing and contrasting them with that of a private institution of higher learning. The differences and similarities between public and private institutions of higher learning were examined and a survey of Undergraduate Accounting students at Rowan was evaluated quantitatively.

Twenty-four questions were on the survey that covered the universe of undergraduate Accounting I and Accounting Il students at Rowan University during the fall semester 2000. Of these twenty-four questions, thirteen …

The Relationship Between Personality Type And Choice Of College Major, Melissa Pollock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality type and choice of college major. Twenty-six students in Psychology and thirty students in Engineering majors were used in this study to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in personality types with regard to major. The subjects were administered the Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II to determine their personality type and the Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that no relationship was found between personality type and major or type and sex. However, there was a significant relationship found between sex …

Characteristics Of Christian High School Libraries, Wayne Earl Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

For Christian high school libraries the study identified Christian aspects of their philosophy and goals, Internet use and selection policies, criteria for choosing librarians, and materials and services available. The sample was all the high school libraries with a librarian in a school with an enrollment of 300 or more students as of December, 1999. All the schools were members of the Association of Christian Schools International for the 1999-2000 school year. Four hundred thirty-three questionnaires were mailed to the high school librarians. One hundred sixty-eight usable questionnaires were returned. The study concluded that Christian high school librarians recognized Jesus …

United States Air Force Graduate Degrees From 1990 To 2000: A Comparison, Jonathan G. Downing

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout its history, the United States Air Force has been concerned with technical graduate education. In 1947, the Ridenour Report stated the importance and need of Air Force officers with technical graduate degrees. This emphasis has served the Air Force well, but there is concern among senior Air Force leaders that there has been an erosion of these technical skills and graduate education. This research will examine the issues surrounding technical graduate education in the Air Force and will address the possible loss of such technical education. The results of this research provide specific statistical data and analysis on the …

Evaluation Of The Air Force's Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program In Complying With Executive Order 13149, Janette D. Ketchum

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force must comply with Executive Order (E.O.) 13149, which includes cutting its vehicle fleet's petroleum fuel usage 20 percent by 2005. This thesis examines the Air Force's current alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) program, which is centered around the acquisition and use of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, to determine whether it has been effective, and how the AFV program should be tailored to contribute to the Air Force's efforts to comply with E.O. 13149. The results of the study discussed here suggest ways in which the Air Force's AFV program can be modified to increase the program's impact …

Malicious Hackers: A Framework For Analysis And Case Study, Laura J. Kleen

Theses and Dissertations

Recent years have seen an increase in the number and severity of Information Operations (IO) attacks upon DoD resources. At a higher level, the US as a whole has come under cyber attack by individuals and groups seeking thrills, monetary gain, publicity for their causes, and myriad other goals. This effort develops a first cut model of individual hacker mentality that can be utilized to improve threat assessment, mitigate Information Assurance (IA) vulnerabilities, and improve risk assessment. Further, it is a first step toward automated characterization of Information Warfare (IW) attacks based upon hacker types. All hackers are not the …

A Study Of Arkansas Public School Superintendents' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Charter Schools, William E. Broadnax

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore reasons why most public school superintendents have not applied for the creation of a charter school, and to ascertain whether or not public school superintendents in Arkansas plan to open a charter school in their school district. In essence, this study investigated current knowledge and attitudes of Arkansas public school superintendents toward charter schools and Act 890 legislation. A non-experimental research design was conducted using a modified survey instrument (Ogden, 1995), which included all 310 public school superintendents in the State of Arkansas. A nonprobability sample of 160 superintendents completed and returned …

Gas Pipeline Safety Enforcement In Four Contiguous States, Susan Wefald

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.