Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Environmental And Anthropogenic Controls On Indoor Radon Distribution In Grand Forks, North Dakota, Karen E. Butler

Theses and Dissertations

Indoor radon may be a potential health threat in a significant number of homes in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Ninety-three percent of the homes tested in 1988 to 1993 contained indoor radon levels greater than the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended action level of 4 picoCuries per liter. In addition, the average reading of indoor radon concentrations was 18.9 picoCuries per liter, well above the action level guidelines.

Several variables were examined through the use of regression analysis and a Geographic Information System in an attempt to characterize the controls on indoor radon levels in Grand Forks. The results of the …

Statistical Comparison And Evaluation Of Analytical Techniques For Measurement Of Trace Elements In Coal, Catherine A. O'Keefe

Theses and Dissertations

Rapid technological advances in industry, transportation, energy production, and agriculture have resulted in increased environmental pollution of toxic materials. Following the passage of federal pollution regulations beginning with the first Clean Air Act Amendments in 1977, industry has become more aware of the environmental consequences of these technological advances. In recent years, there has been an increased effort to improve the quality of life by minimizing pollution on a global scale.

The utilization of fossil fuels is one source of toxic materials in the environment. A necessary step to understanding the emissions of toxic metals from combustion and gasification of …

Percieved Leadership Styles Of American Indian And Non-Indian Administrators In Reservation Schools, Wayne Joseph Trottier

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceived leadership styles of American Indian and non-Indian school administrators in reservation-based schools. The Leader Effectiveness & Adaptability Description-Self {LEAD-Self) was used to obtain the self-perceived leadership styles, ranges, and adaptabilities of 40 American Indian and 92 non-Indian school administrators in the Northern Plains states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. Additionally, each administrator was requested to respond to four demographic questions. These data were used to help develop a typical leadership profile of these administrators.

The results of the study suggest that a majority of both the American Indian administrators (53%) and the …

Perceptionsof School Personnel Regarding A Site-Based Decision-Making Model In Four Elementary Schools In Northwestern Minnesota, Judith Lynn Lindquist

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Faculty Perceptions Of Constructivist Change In Teaching Of Introductory College Chemistry Courses, Mark A. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

There has been much questioning in the chemistry education literature of the effectiveness of introductory chemistry courses, particularly pointing to the high dropout and failure rate. Studies question the effectiveness of lecturing, the most common methodology for teaching introductory chemistry. Currently there is much discussion as to use of alternative, constructivist teaching and learning models which are more consistent with scientific inquiry.

This study is a qualitative, naturalistic investigation of the perceptions of seven college chemistry professors who hold doctorates in chemistry, teach introductory chemistry, and express interest in improving teaching and learning. In-depth open-ended interviews were used to gain …

The Faculty Writing Seminars As A Means Of Faculty Development: Enhancing Faculty Writing, Improving Instructions, And Fostering Collegiality, Joyce A. White

Theses and Dissertations

University faculty are charged with three major responsibilities: research, teaching, and service. While universities have developed various strategies to assist faculty in balancing these professional demands, minimal institutional effort has been devoted to nurturing faculty writing, despite the fact that scholarly research productivity is in reality the primary criterion for decisions regarding promotion and tenure. In the last ten years, however, several faculty writing support groups have been instituted to address this aspect of faculty development.

This study examined the University of North Dakota Faculty Writing Seminar to determine the effectiveness of the Seminar as a means of increasing scholarly …

Parents Perceptions: When An Adolescent Has Been Given A Dual Diagnosis Of Chemical Dependency Coupled With Mental Illness, Lisa R. Warner

Theses and Dissertations

An overview of existing research shows that dually diagnosed individuals present a unique and complex challenge for family members and the professionals who work with them.

This exploratory study examined the impact on and family perceptions of the dual disorders as well as their treatment experience. Face to face interviews were conducted with ten parents who were selected from a treatment facility on the basis of specific criteria mainly, parents of a dually diagnosed adolescent recently having been or currently in treatment. Selections were also based on availability and willingness to participate.

Grounded theory techniques were used to analyze the …

The Effects Of Positive Action And The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program On Sexually Abused Students' Behavior, Social Skills, And Self-Esteem, Paul W. Houser

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the effects of the Positive Action Program and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program on sexually abused students' behavior, social skills, and self-esteem. Four classrooms of multiple handicapped elementary aged students in Burlington County Special Services District were selected, giving a sample of forty-four. Each week pupils received four lessons, for twenty minutes each, of instruction in the two programs. Prior to program implementation in the Fall and again in the Spring students rated their social skills development, behavior problems, and self-esteem.

Results indicated that the programs in the course of only a six month …

A Longitudinal Assessment Of The Educational Status Of Children Enrolled In A Title I Preschool Program, Mary L. Corriveau

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to determine if children who have been through the Title I Preschool program require less special services than the rest of the district in subsequent years. The sample consisted of children who had been through the Title I Preschool program during the 1991-1992 school year through the 1997-1998 school year and are still currently enrolled in the Gloucester Township School District. Computer records were used to check the number of children who had received the benefit of the Title I Preschool program and were receiving services as of Oct. 15, 1998. The percentage of Title I students …

A Comparative Study Of The Effectiveness Of Two Approaches To Reading Instruction, Whole Language And Direct Instruction With Perceptually Impaired Students, Malika A. Byrd

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the reading achievement of two groups of special education students classified as perceptually impaired. The two groups of children were provided with two different types of reading instruction in two different settings. One group received whole language reading instruction in the regular classroom as mainstreamed students. The other group received direct reading instruction in a self contained classroom.

At the conclusion of the study, it was found that both groups of students made some progress. All students improved their scores of reading achievement as measured by the CAT V inventory test. Pre-test results showed …

The Construction Of Effective Cooperative Learning Groups For Successful High School Biology Instruction, Diana I. Probasco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine the effect of balancing learning styles in the construction of cooperative learning groups. The investigation attempted to determine if science instruction and subsequent achievement can be enhanced by establishing effective cooperative learning groups. The Learning Style Inventory was used to determine learning styles. Then groups were formed based on either construction of balanced or unbalanced cooperative learning groups. Students then completed group activities as contained in the Celebrate Immunity Team Pack. Pretests and posttests were administered in order to measure cognitive gains. A statistical analysis of the results of the groups showed …

Development Of A Decision Support System For The Department Of Energy's Selection Of Waste Site Remediation Technologies, Brian E. Ralston

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Energy is faced with the complex decision of selecting technologies for waste site remediation. This research focused on developing a decision support system to aid the decision maker in selecting the best strategy of remediation technologies. A decision analysis model was developed which incorporates life cycle cost data, risk information, and user input, to analyze the technology choices. The research outlined the use of multiple attribute utility theory using exponential attribute utility functions with a simple additive objective function. The best available data was used to demonstrate the capabilities of the model. The model provides the decision …

Statistical Process Control In Medical Surveillance. An Application Using Spirometry, Paul W. Mcaree

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort concentrated on applying statistical process control techniques to the results of seven years worth of spirometry exams of workers at Wright-Patterson AFB in helping the occupational health squadron identify potential work hazard areas. Each spirometry exam was classified as abnormal or normal based on a comparison with established normals or a significant loss of function from the previous year's exam for the individual. Each test was classified into the work area of the individual and the number of abnormalities per population of the work area was examined.

A Study Of The Integration Of Language Arts In An Elementary Music Curriculum, Kimberly Ann Kell

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to determine the effects of the integration of the language arts in a first grade music curriculum.

Two first grade classes from the Marie D. Durand Elementary School, in Vineland NJ, participated in the study. The groups received 12 weeks of an integrated language arts music curriculum based on materials from Harcourt, Brace, and Jovanovich (HBJ) reading series and Carson-Dellosa "Phonics Fun K-1." The two control groups, which also consisted of first grades, received traditional music instruction, with no specific emphasis on the language arts.

For problem one, a survey was administered to all …

A Public Relations Plan For The New Jersey Association Of Family And Consumer Sciences Regarding The Association Name Change And Its Impact On The Profession, Linda A. Strieter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to create a public relations plan to help promote wide acceptance of the name change, Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and a better understanding of the profession's future in New Jersey among its members. For non-Association members, awareness of the name change and its ramifications are the goals.

A scientific random survey of approximately 10 percent of Association members in November 1995 revealed an almost equal split in opinion about the name change among those questioned.

When most of the membership understands the benefits of the name change, the feeling will become more …

An Exploration Of Teasing: A Case Study Of Three Elementary School Students., Sharon Lynn Branvold

Theses and Dissertations

While teasing is one of the perpetual problems of the classroom and the schoolyard, there is little understanding of the dynamics of this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to better understand the dynamics of teasing within the school environment.This study was qualitative in nature. The study explored the teasing experiences of three elementary school children by addressing issues such as what was the meaning that children assigned to the interactions labeled teasing? How they understood what was happening to them?Three students were identified as victims of teasing and were observed on the playground and in the classroom. They …

An Examination Of Symptoms And Coping Behaviors Of Patients With Post-Traumatic Headache And Primary Headache., Nasrin Erfanian

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated possible differences between chronic post-traumatic headache sufferers and primary headache sufferers on the following Variables: headache symptoms, coping behaviors, and family environment. The subjects were recruited from a neuropsychology clinic in Fargo, ND and a headache clinic in Jackson, MS. Upon their agreement and after having met the inclusion criteria for this study, subjects completed an interview with their clinician to assess their headache symptoms. Subjects also completed the following questionnaires: Headache-specific Locus of Control, Coping Strategies Inventory, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, and the Family Environment Scale. Discriminant analyses were used to determine whether group membership could be …

Coping Strategies And Emotional And Physical Status Of Family Members Of Mental Health Consumers., Meryl Grant Willert Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether use of particular coping strategies (e.g., problem solving, cognitive restructuring, express emotions, social support, problem avoidance, wishful thinking, self-criticism, social withdrawal) predicted self-reported depression, anxiety, anger, and physical symptoms of family members of mental health consumers. A mail survey was conducted involving a non-random sample of 83 family members who were affiliated with the North Dakota Alliance for the Mentally Ill (ND-AMI). The survey consisted of a General Information questionnaire (e.g., demographics, variables representing antecedents to potential burden, and satisfaction factors), an abbreviated version of the Coping Strategies Inventory, …

Lds Counselor Ratings Of Problems Occurring Among Lds Premarital And Remarital Couples, Travis R. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental purpose of this study was to provide marriage preparation providers with counselors perceptions of potential marital problem areas. A structured questionnaire was sent to LDS counselors, defined as members of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists (AMCAP). These LDS counselors rated 29 problem areas that LDS couples, (members members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), might encounter in a first marriage or remarriage. Results (N=231) were analyzed in an attempt to determine the most frequent, most damaging and most difficult problems to deal with in LDS first marriages and remarriages.

Findings suggest that "communication", …

The Relationship Between Competitive Anxiety And Self-Presentational Concern, Philip M. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hydrogeological Characterization Of The Akzo Salt Company, Williston Facility, Williston, North Dakota, Jane K. Geiger

Theses and Dissertations

Operations at the Akzo Salt Company near Williston, ND, have resulted in saline contamination of the surface and subsurface in the general vicinity of the company property and possibly the surrounding area. The company site lies on the floodplain of Stony Creek and waste salt is buried just north of the plant. The salt dump poses surface and groundwater hazards. A recent flood on the plant site in August of 1993 resulted in groundwater corning into contact with buried salt. Groundwater quality and water level elevation data collected by the North Dakota Health Department, the North Dakota Geological Survey and …

Hydrogeology And Recharge Of The Split Rock Creek Aquifer, Southeastern South Dakota, Stan F. Pence

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid growth of the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has created a great demand for additional sources of ground water. Due to limited information on the buried, confined Split Rock Creek aquifer near Sioux Falls, a detailed hydrogeologic assessment of the aquifer was conducted to determine the mechanism of recharge to the aquifer.

A four-fold plan was earned out to gather the necessary data. . This plan involved determining the general hydrostratigraphy of the study area by reviewing available data and by drilling test holes where data were limited, collecting water-level data over an extended period, collecting water …

The Effect Of Fiction On Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Woman Abuse, M Tracy Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Viewing Safer-Sex Videos On Attitudes And Sexual Arousal Toward Condoms, Richard R. Rosenkranz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Probing Injury-Illness Information Of The Concordia Language Villages, 1991-1995, Linda E. Erceg

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Regional Framework For The Determination Of Economic Development Districts In The State Of Wyoming, Kent P. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Instruction Delivered By Two-Way Interactive Compressed Video And Traditional Conference: Attitudes And Achievement Of Residents In Family Medicine, Yvonne Larocca Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the attitudes and/or achievement of family practice residents differed as they received instruction by two-way interactive compressed video or by the traditional conference method. The attitude survey, completed before and after the presentations were delivered, provided feedback from the residents in the experimental group on how they felt about the sessions. Pre- and post-test scores provided information about the achievement of residents and the possible difference between scores of those who received the presentations by two-way interactive compressed video as opposed to those taught by the traditional conference method. Results from …

Learning Styles And Perceptions Of Effective Teacher Characteristics Among Adult And Traditional Learners In Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Irene Taylor Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to investigate the relationship of learning styles and perceptions of effective teacher characteristics among adult and traditional aged learners in baccalaureate programs of nursing. Previous research did not clearly identify the relationship of the variables of learning styles and student perceptions of effective teacher characteristics. Also, research was not clear as to the import added maturity had on student perceptions. This study utilized a sample of 281 baccalaureate nursing students which comprised 122 (43.4%) adult learners aged 25 and older and 159 (56.5%) traditional learners aged 24 and younger. Three data gathering instruments were …

Youth, Basketball, And Responsibility : A Fairy Tale Ending?, Krista Herbel

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Intention To Support Breastfeeding Among North Dakota Maternity Nurses, Marie K. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.