Digital Commons Network^™

Literacy Development: Teacher/Student Interaction In A Whole Language Classroom, Nadine C. Tepper

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study on literacy development within a whole language classroom focuses on the reading and writing experiences of five second grade students. The classroom teacher was also a participant in the study and practiced various whole language teaching methods in the teaching of reading and writing. The data gathered for this study were descriptive fieldnotes developed from the observations, in-depth interviews of the participants, documents from the site, and writing samples.

The portraits of the students described specific learning behaviors and styles that came forth as they read books and wrote stories in journals. The portraits also defined the …

Four Girls Respond To Young Adult Horror Fiction, Betty Silliman

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study provides insight into the separate reading experience of four adolescent girls as each engaged in the reading and discussion of a popular, self-selected young adult horror novel. The analysis and interpretation of data focused on the appeal of texts and the sociological implications of the reading experience. While questions regarding the appeal of young adult horror fiction grew from work with adolescent female horror readers, the social dimension of the inquiry stemmed from concerns of critical literacy theorists with regard to the ideological content of texts and its potential to shape readers into accepting dominant views.

Data …

Reversing Language Shift: Can Kwak'wala Be Revived?, Stan J. Anonby

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis deals with the subject of reversing language shift, which comes under the rubric of language revival. The particular situation and problems encountered by the endangered Kwak'wala language will be described in chapter one. Each community in which the language is spoken will be examined and individual language revival efforts will be discussed. The second chapter will look at different methods and procedures used in various language projects throughout the world. In particular, it will examine some language projects which are (or were ) in a similar situation to Kwak'wala. It will also come to some conclusions regarding what …

Living A Job, Learning A Culture: A Study Of International Business Students In A Semester Abroad Program., Viann Pederson

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a description of student learning experiences in-country during a semester-long international business internship program in Mexico City. The research question for this study considers what constitutes learning from life-experience for undergraduate business majors in a foreign learning environment during a semester-long internship in a multinational corporation, a semester at a foreign university, and a home stay with a Mexican host family.The research for this study begins with a theoretical discussion of the role of experience in the curriculum, a review of national mandates for the incorporation of international education in the undergraduate curriculum, a review of current …

A Study On The Differences Of Teaching Mathematics And Science Separately And Integrated, Dori Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined if teaching science and mathematics with an integrated approach would increase students' achievement. It also determined whether males or females achieved higher in science and mathematics when taught with the integrated approach. as compared to teaching the two disciplines separately. It determined whether the attitudes of the fourth grade students improved when mathematics and science were taught with an integrated approach.

The group participating in this study consisted of one fourth grade class. The total population of the study was sixteen fourth grade, heterogeneously grouped students. The class consisted of twelve female and four male students.

For …

The Effect Of Radio Distance Education On Rowan University's Image, Gregory C. Potter Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the effects a distance education course on Rowan University's campus radio station has on the image of the institution. The study also examined how a distance education program could enable Rowan to reach the goals of its strategic plan.

Four focus groups of Rowan University students revealed their attitudes about the university's image, distance education, radio as a medium for distance education and what effects distance education has on collegiate image. The focus groups included traditional and non-traditional students, students enrolled in the radio distance education course at Rowan University and students not enrolled in the course. …

The Enhancement Of Verbalization Skills Of Teenagers With Moderate Mental Retardation Through Augmentative Communication Intervention, Marydee Gaidis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if persons with moderate mental retardation, who have poor verbal skills, can improve the length of verbalizations through the use of a simple augmentative communication device.

Through a three-part study using an experimenter made pretest and posttest, the effectiveness of treatment could be determined, The study included two fifteen-year-old males with Down's Syndrome from a private school for the handicapped. Both subjects had significant difficulty with speech production and showed great weakness in the area of independently requesting services during community-based instruction. Baseline data was collected in the classroom setting. Each subject …

Performance-Based Curriculum And Sight-Singing: The Effects On Attitudes And Singing Achievements Of Fifth- And Sixth-Grade Music Students, Pamela J. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to gather information concerning literacy training and the use of a performance-based curriculum with fifth- and sixth-grade music students. The problems of the study were to determine the effects of different combinations of sight-singing training and CME instruction on the singing achievement and attitudes of upper elementary school students.

Twelve fifth- and twelve sixth-grade classes from an intermediate school participated in the study. The classes were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions involving various combinations of sight-singing training and CME. All classes were taught by the same instructor for one 45-minute period …

Teaching Strategies And Methodologies Utilized In Inclusion Education Classrooms, Christine Gentile

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if regular education classroom teachers modify their lesson plans and/or their teaching methods to accommodate the leaning abilities of "inclusion" children within their classrooms.

Seven certified regular education classroom teachers from a single school district participated. The participants were currently practicing teachers who varied in years of teaching experience, areas of certification, and grades taught. Each teacher completed a questionnaire and a checklist which focused on present teaching strategies and methodologies for inclusion children as well as questions based on changes needed for the future of inclusion in their school district.

Data …

Children With Language Delays Enrolled In Head Start Programs, Laurel A. Hulteng

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Observation And Total Aircraft And Simulator Training Times In Aviation Instruction, Scott P. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study takes an initial examination of the paired student flight training methodology used by the Aviation Department of the University of North Dakota's Center for Aerospace Sciences from the standpoint of observational learning. An analysis was performed on the relationship between observation time and total flight and simulator time logged by students in the completion of particular flight courses. The study involved student flight records from four flight courses ranging from primary to advanced pilot training, over a time period from the Fall of 1994 to the Spring of 1996.

It was found that only one of the relationships …

Reverse Mainstreaming As An Alternative Model For Integration, Colleen E. Garland

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of A Visual-Gestural Cuing System On The Reduction Of Phonological Processes In Children With Down Syndrome And Low Speech Intelligibility, Jennifer Barthel

Theses and Dissertations

Down syndrome, or Trisomy 21, is an autosomal dominant chromosomal aberration associated with an extra twenty-first chromosome. Down syndrome causes a variety of physical and cognitive characteristics that make speech and language problems probable Phonology is one such area in which disorders commonly occur for this population As young children acquire the adult sound system, they commonly simplify their productions through the use of phonological processes. Children with Down syndrome use phonological processes for a longer period of time than the typically developing child, often rendering their speech unintelligible.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy …

A Comparison Of Scores For Adults With Aphasia On The Western Aphasia Battery And Ratings On The Functional Assessment Of Communcation Skills For Adults, Sarah Ranum-Ravnaas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine for adults with aphasia the relationship between scores on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and ratings on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Functional Assessment of Communication Skids for Adults (ASHA FACS).

Sixteen subjects who had previously incurred a left cerebral vascular accident participated in this study including seven adults with nonfluent aphasia and nine adults with fluent aphasia. Each subject was administered the WAB and rated on the ASHA FACS within a two week period in 1997. Subjects ranged in jage from 60 to 91 years with a mean age of 78.44 years. …

Annotated Bibliography Of Asian Literature, Lisa Brownback

Theses and Dissertations

Many changes have happened in the world. One change is the growing curiosity of other cultures. One way to learn about other cultures is through literature. The purpose of this thesis is to present an annotated bibliography of Asian literature for the public library. Since Asia covers a large area, this thesis will only view literature from India, China, and Japan.

Two public libraries, two college libraries, and reference books were examined to get an impression of books that should be in a public library. To be able to pick constantly the best books, a library needs a selection policy. …

A Compilation Of Modifications And Accommodations Used By Regular Education Teachers In An Inclusion Program, Susan F. Mcnally

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile a list of modifications and accommodations regular education teachers use in their classrooms to help classified students succeed in an inclusion setting. Data were collected using a questionnaire, observations, and interviews with teachers in kindergarten through grade six (with grade five omitted). Fourteen regular education teachers in two school districts, representing four elementary schools, participated in this study. Data were compiled in four areas: (1) classroom demographics; (2) teacher education; (3) specific modifications and accommodations used by teachers; and (4) specific teacher needs for future inclusion settings, Information was presented in the …

A Comparison Of Special Needs Children's Development Of Letter Naming And Letter-Phoneme Production In A Traditional And A Whole Language Classroom, June M. Mosher

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the gains made in recognition and naming of the 21 consonant letters of the alphabet as well as production of the phonemes to the letters by two special needs groups of children from the ages of five to ten. One group of seven students received instruction in a traditional class, with the teacher presenting one letter of the alphabet per week. The second group of eleven students was taught in a whole language class, with an emphasis on reading and writing without isolated instruction in individual letters. The children were pretested in October, 1996 and posttested in …

A Study To Integrate The History Of Mathematics Into The Geometry Curriculum, Karen M. Laszecki

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to integrate the history of mathematics into those topics found in a high school geometry curriculum and to determine the current extent of this integration During the last decade, the History in Mathematics in Education Conference (1990) and the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics Newsletter (1992) are examples of recent efforts to use the history of mathematics as an integral part of the curriculum.

Fifty-one teachers from forty high schools in southeastern Pennsylvania responded to the History of Mathematics in the Classroom questionnaire, which was developed from a review of literature. Geometry teachers rated …

A Study To Determine Whether Students Using The Sra Spelling Mastery Program Will Learn To Spell More Words As Compared To Students Utilizing The Graham And Freeman Strategy, Brian Shakespeare

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine if the use of the SRA Spelling Mastery Program with emotionally disturbed students would increase the amount of words they could spell as compared to similar students who utilized the Graham and Freeman five step study strategy. All the students in the study have been described as having attentional difficulties. After the completion of the placement test, intervention was begun. Intervention consisted of one hundred words selected from the SRA Spelling Mastery Program. Both the SRA and the Graham group had weekly spelling tests consisting of the same ten words. Unit tests …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Whole Language Instructional Approach In Stimulating Emergent Literacy Development Among At-Risk Kindergarten Students, Eileen C. Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a whole language instructional approach as a means of stimulating the emergent literacy development of kindergarten students determined to be "at risk." Meaningful growth on reliable observation surveys would indicate a possible correlation between the use of whole language instructional techniques and emergent literacy development.

A review of the literature indicates that young children acquire emergent literacy concepts and skills most efficaciously when they are immersed in a print-rich environment in which a variety of forms and functions are used in meaningful activities.

The study consisted of thirty students …

Robust Parameter Estimation For The Mixed Weibull (Seven Parameter) Including The Method Of Minimum Likelihood And The Method Of Minimum Distance, Donald A. Mumford

Theses and Dissertations

Robust parameter estimation is successfully applied to the Mixed Weibull (seven parameter) using the Method of Minimum Distance and the Method of Maximum Likelihood. That is, parameters can now be estimated for a mixture of two Weibull distributions where the true populations are co-located, partially co-located or highly separated. Both techniques provided very robust estimates that were far superior to current parameter estimation techniques. Sample sizes as low as ten with mixing proportions down to 0.1 were investigated. For the MLEs, innovative bounding techniques are presented to allow consistent and correct convergence using any reasonable point estimate. The likelihood function …

In Search Of The Meandering Absolute: The Prints Of Mitzi Humphrey, Mitzi Humphrey

Theses and Dissertations

Art is more than just a bridge to (or a reflection of) the natural world; it is a natural force in itself. The author is a strong advocate of "artist's prints," prints which are conceived and printed by the artist. She believes that there is a natural sequence of actions and thoughts which cannot be approximated by the substitution of an artist/printer collaboration unless the artist is truly involved with the printer or assistant in every step of the decision-making and mark-making processes.

The prints of this series are not about realistic pictorial space; they are about interior space--that of …

The Relationship Between Central Auditory Perception And Spectral Alteration On Word Memory In Traumatic Brain Injury, Craig A. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of The Book Of Mormon Diglot Reader: A Study Of The Vocabulary Acquisition, Reading Comprehension, And The Reduction Of Negative Affective Variables In Missionaries, Melinda Silver

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the following questions;
1) How does reading The Book of Mormon Diglot Reader compare with reading the Spanish translation of The Book of Mormon in terms of degree of anxiety, frustration, and discouragement experienced by the reader?
2) Will the missionaries using the Diglot Reader experience a greater increase in the amount of Book of Mormon vocabulary acquired as compared with the vocabulary increase experienced by the missionaries who only read from the standard Spanish translation of The Book of Mormon?
3) Does the use of the Diglot Reader increase the missionaries' ability to understand sentences …

Toward The Universal, Jennifer Bracy

Theses and Dissertations

This creative project is concerned with archetypal forms expressed in art, design and communication, from Neolithic rock carvings and native American Indian petroglyphs to individual graphic languages that look to the 'primitives' like those of Joan Miro and Neville Brody. It is my belief that through the study of this diverse collection of graphic signs and archetypal forms, one can develop a system of signs that cross barriers of language and culture. A morphology, a collection of possibilities, derived from such archetypal forms, could provide designers with a foundation for the development and use of symbol signs and sign systems.

Multicultural Competence Of Students In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Janine L. Ennis

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Geography Of Polynesians In Utah, Adam M. Frazier

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the unique history and geography of Polynesians within Utah. In particular, the historic and current migrations of Hawaiians, Samoans, and Tongans to Utah are examined, and the 1980 and 1990 distributions of Polynesians are mapped and analyzed at three scales: in the United States by state, in Utah by county, and in Salt Lake City by census tract.

Historically, Polynesia's relationship with Utah has been religious, specifically of conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints followed by migration to Utah. Today, however, things are changing. Nevertheless, Polynesians continue to migrate to Utah primarily for …

Race And Birthweight: The Influence Of Socio-Economic Status And Utilization Of Prenatal Care, Lena C. Frennborn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how much of the variance in birthweight can be explained by socio-economic status and utilization of prenatal care in Blacks and Whites. Rather than defining race in genetic terms, race was understood here as a social construction. The methodological approach was an analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle IV, 1988. The first, singleton, live birth for each interviewed woman was included, resulting in a sample of 911 women, of whom 313 were Black women and 598 White women.

Consistent with previous research, Black mothers were twice as likely to …

Women In New York : A Translation Of Ethel Krauze's "Mujeres En Nueva York", Martha Patricia Orozco Rangel

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Time Of Day On Auditory Perception In Morning And Evening Type Individuals, Margaret M. Rozzi

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.