Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Good Practices In Classroom Libraries, Kindergarten Through Second Grade, Michele Boniscavage

Theses and Dissertations

A study of six classrooms was made, two kindergarten, two first grade and two second grade. The purpose of the study, conducted by a school librarian, was to identify and share good practices in classroom libraries. Teachers in an urban district and a suburban district were interviewed about their acquisition methods. Methods of acquisition included book fairs, participation in professional activities, discarded library books, donations, yard sales and school purchases. Students were interviewed about their usage habits, borrowing books, and their favorite books. A description of each library is given including arrangement, displays, furnishing and shelving. The number and type …

Workplace Violence: Exploring The Dangers For Air Force Leadership, Shawn R. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The repeated occurrences of workplace violence throughout society today require the Air Force to evaluate its own workplaces and determine if a threat exists. This research explored violence in the workplace and established the possibility that workplace violence can affect the Air Force. Additionally, Air Force Climate Assessment Surveys were evaluated to find information that could be useful in detecting early warning signs of potential workplace violence. A number of examples of violence that occurred within Air Force workplaces highlighted the threat for Air Force leadership. With over 1,680 incidents of workplace violence reported to the AFOSI in a 5-year …

The Development Of Laser Cost Estimating Relationships (Cers) From Commercial Data, Michael J. Nolette, Steven L. Seeley

Theses and Dissertations

The Post Cold War acquisition environment has been marked by significant budget reductions and the greater use of commercial practices. In this austere and rapidly changing acquisition environment, accurate cost estimates are paramount to maximize the use of the DoD's critical resources. The advancement of laser technology has spawned a large variety of military laser applications such as the Airborne Laser (ABL), Space Based Laser (SBL) and a host of other smaller programs. Furthermore, the Air Force Laboratory's Directed Energy Applications for Tactical Airborne Combat (DEATAC) Study (the sponsoring activity of this thesis research) is considering a host of airborne …

Professional Contracting Certification: An Examination And Model Development, Robert D. Lorton, Daniel I. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the elements of existing contracting certification programs to an ideal contracting certification model developed by experts. The expert panel responded to an open-ended electronic interview to convey their ideas regarding the individual elements for the model. Input received from the initial interviews was used to develop a survey for the panel members. The surveys were completed and results were recorded and conveyed back to the panel members. This process was repeated until a majority was reached on each individual element of the model, resulting in the ideal certification model. The final model contained elements of both the …

Using Technology To Create Partnerships Among School Libraries And Public Libraries, Karen M. Puckett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to show the benefits of collaboration between school libraries and public libraries with a focus upon how technology was a catalyst in creating those partnerships. Through case study methodology, two elementary schools which are recipients of a wide area network though the public library were examined. The development of the network, the public library's role, and the school staff's perceptions of the service which provides Internet and database access were examined. Advantages such as positive outreach from the public library to an underserved public and provision of otherwise cost-prohibitive databases and electronic reference sources …

School-Housed Community Libraries: A Case Study, Catherine E. Dugan

Theses and Dissertations

What factors lead to the formation of a school-housed public library? The purpose of this case study was to investigate the issues involved in combining a school library and a public library into one facility designed to serve all members of the community. Such arrangements generate questions concerning planning, governance, staffing, finances, collection development, and evaluation. A combined school-housed library in Delanco, NJ was studied. Data was collected through literature, interviews, documents, observations, and site visitations. Dr. Shirley L. Aaron's A Study of Combined School-Public Libraries was used to design interview protocols. A site visitation checklist was also developed. Historical …

The Role Of The Library Media Specialist In The Education Of Learning Disabled Students In Southern New Jersey, Janet W. Lani

Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion has become a major force in education. Special needs students are being placed into regular education because of legislation such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act '97 (IDEA'97). Unlike previous legislation the federal funding for this act may be used in part for teacher training. This inquiry questioned media specialists in elementary schools in the eight southern New Jersey counties about training they had received in educating learning disabled students and any accommodations they have made in their program to better serve these students. It also compared how library is viewed in each school. Library may be a graded …

Continuing Education And New Jersey School Library Media Specialists, Carole A. Mckiernan

Theses and Dissertations

As of January 2000, all New Jersey educators will be required to complete 100 hours of continuing education and professional development every five years of active service. The purpose of this study was to examine the kinds of continuing education activities considered to be the most valuable to school library media specialists. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to seventy-five randomly selected school library media specialists working in public high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools in the 8 southern counties in New Jersey. Data was compared with previous studies examined in the review of the literature. Librarians described professional development …

Library Curriculum Integration: Weighing The Advantages And Disadvantages, Shari L. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to discover whether or not integrating the library curriculum into the classroom curriculum should be implemented, this study was designed to identify any advantages and/or disadvantages that this procedure may have. Two schools, chosen randomly, from each county in New Jersey were asked to participate. One librarian and four teachers from each school were sent questionnaires that consisted of one double-sided page of multiple choice and open-ended questions. Nine of 42 school library media specialists and 18 of 168 teachers of fifth and sixth grade students responded to this survey. Comparisons were made between responses from librarians …

The Beta Subunit Determines The Nucleotide Specificity Of Atp-Specific And Gtp-Specific Succinyl-Coa Synthetases In Vertebrates., James Darwin Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Two isoforms of succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) have been purified from breast muscle and liver in pigeon, one highly specific for adenine nucleotides (A-SCS), the other for guanine nucleotides (G-SCS), respectively. Nucleotide specificity studies demonstrated that A-SCS could not utilize guanine nucleotides and that G-SCS could not use adenine nucleotides. Enzymatic assays of tissue extracts detected both isoforms in kidney, heart, and brain, while only A-SCS was in breast muscle, and G-SCS in liver. Highly purified A-SCS and G-SCS each possessed the α and β subunits that are common to all previously purified SCSs. Characterization studies of the two isoforms by …

Middle School Advisory Program's Influence On The Perceptions And Needs Of Early Adolescent Females., Gail Catherine Ingwalson

Theses and Dissertations

Advisory programs were designed to address the emotional and social aspect of education in an effort to enhance the cognitive development of our early adolescent students. This affective component acknowledges the importance of a developmentally responsive middle school education. Yet, this critical middle school component has been difficult to implement and even more challenging to maintain since the inception of the middle school movement. This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of six early adolescent females during their advisory time. The purpose of the study was to explore the advisory program's influence on the perceptions and psychological needs of these …

A Correlation Study Of Learning Preferences And Attitudes Towards Computers In Fourth Grade Students, Laura C. Garofalo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if specific learning style preferences were related to fourth grade elementary students' attitudes towards computers in the classroom. Subjects were twenty-six students in a fourth grade class in an affluent suburban district. Subjects were given two self-report instruments to measure their learning style preferences and attitudes towards computers. The Learning Combination Inventory (LCI), developed by Dr. Christine Johnston of Rowan University, was used to determine learning style preferences. The Technology Attitude Assessment Survey (TAAS), developed for the University of the State of New York, measured attitudes towards computer usage in the classroom. …

The Red River Flood Of 1997: The Role Of Government Agencies In The Flood Plain, Deborah Marshall Pawley

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to identify the roles of three federal agencies in the Grand Forks Flood of 1997. The three agencies were selected for the scope of their impact on the disaster as well as their impact on the community. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, and Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed either to the the attempts to prevent flooding or flood recovery or both.

It is appropriate to determine both the physical factors that cause flooding and the agency policies that govern the ways in which people cope with disaster because these two are intricately …

Use Of Humor And Relationship Intimacy, Laura Warrenchuk

Theses and Dissertations

Humor is a unique social interaction that is ubiquitous in everyday life. Humor can serve a number of functions, including ones that may either enhance or detract from social intimacy. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between different uses of humor and intimacy in relationships. It was hypothesized that positive and expressive uses of humor would lead to increases in intimacy within the relationship, whereas negative uses of humor would lead to decreased levels of intimacy.

Undergraduate college students (N = 93) completed the Functional Uses of Humor Scale and the Miller Social Intimacy Scale. Analyses focused …

Activity Levels Of Children And Youth: Monitoring Heart Rate Versus Objective Observation, Rebecca J. Swift

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate children’s physical activity levels when assessed by two methods—heart rates and direct observation. Forty-one participants wore Polar Vantage XL HR Monitors and were videotaped in various situations. Videotape analysis was done using the Children’s Activity Record System (CARS). Heart rates and CARS data were recorded concurrently every 10 seconds.

Primary research questions included: (a) is there a correlation between heart rates (HR) and observed activity level, (b) do gender differences exist, and if so, what are the differences in observed activity levels, (c) are there gender differences in Lean rates at various …

Biculturalism And Native American College Students' Performance On The Wais-Iii, Teton Ducheneaux

Theses and Dissertations

Consideration of cultural appropriateness in using Westem-European standardized intelligence measures with Native Americans for clinical and educational purposes has been neglected by professionals in the field of clinical assessment. Some studies suggest the possibility of a “Native American Pattern” on such tests, indicating a consistent, yet little-understood discrepancy. The present study investigated the impact of cultural identification of Native American college students on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III). The study assessed the relationship between cultural identification and cognitive-testing scores between two groups of Native American college students. The first group consisted of off-reservation Native American students attending the …

A Descriptive Study Of Body Dysmorphia And Body Image In Mid-Life Women, Marsha B. Mcfarland

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about how women perceive and feel about their bodies at midlife. The popular media prescribe a standard of ideal female appearance that equates beauty with youth and thinness, features that are altered by the passing years. Much of the research about body image that includes midlife women has been conducted in a framework of pathology. Because there is little research that documents women's feelings and perceptions about their bodies in adulthood, this phenomenological study describes the body image concerns of women at midlife. Instruments administered during the course of the study included the Beck Depression Inventory, the …

A Study To Determine Why Glassboro State-Rowan University Alumni Non-Donors Do Not Give To The University And What The University Can Do To Encourage Them To Become Donors, Titus Kamau Kanyi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine from Glassboro State-Rowan University alumni non-donors why they do not give to the University and what, in their view, the University can do to encourage them to give.

Using a mail questionnaire, based on a literature review, interviews with fund raising, alumni and research professionals at Rowan, the author surveyed 110 Glassboro State-Rowan University alumni non-donors. The data was hand-coded and analyzed using the Statistic Package for Social Science (SPSS).

A majority of non-donors had a fulfilling experience at Glassboro State-Rowan University, felt the University has improved since they graduated and give …

Professional Sports Teams And Fan Relations: A Public Relations Case Study Of The 1998-99 Philadelphia Eagles Football Team, Laura Elizabeth Litrenta

Theses and Dissertations

In professional sports, the field of public relations helps organizations foster positive relationships with their fans. But, when teams suffer losing seasons, recording more losses than wins, these relationships become strained.

The purpose of this study was to reveal how losing seasons affect the bond between professional sports teams and their fans. The results encourage sports relations practitioners to recognize fan needs and develop techniques that can help organizations maintain a more positive relationship with their fans during a losing season.

To examine the relationship between a professional sports team and its fans, this researcher traced the performance of the …

E-Mail Privacy In The Workplace: Is It A Public Relations Concern?, Charles H. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined that many, perhaps most, public relations executives do not consider real or potential clashes between employers and employees over the use of organization E-mail systems for personal communication to be their concern.

The drafting of organization E-mail policy and its communication to employees seem to be the primary concerns of management information systems (MIS), human resources executives and legal counsel. When such policies result in misunderstanding and discontent among employees, human resources executives are more likely than public relations executives to seek solutions. Both public relations and human resources executives addressed the thesis question through a focus …

Intranets Vs. Printed Publications As Effective Employee Communication Tools, Paula S. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Intranets, driven by time and cost-efficiencies, recently emerged as a major corporate communication tool. However, do employees want their company news delivered via an Intranet or do they prefer reading traditional printed publications?

This study's purpose is to determine employees' preferences and constraints concerning Intranet internal news delivery and content. These findings will guide communication managers in delivering effective Intranet content, design and programming.

This study surveyed 100 employees in a self-select method from the Philadelphia area who read company news on an Intranet for at least six months. The survey probed attitude and behavior toward reading an Intranet vs. …

A Student's Guide To The History Of Public Relations And An Inquiry Into The Use Of Public Relations History In The Classroom, Christine Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile a PR student-friendly history of public relations, as well as learn how several university PR programs include public relations history in their curriculum. Literary research and interviews provided the information required for this study. Most universities teach public relations history within an introductory course, providing a historical background for the methods used by practitioners today. Discussions with professors found that most would like to have the resources to go into greater detail about the roots of this relatively young profession.

Communicating Through Photographs: A Guide For Public Relations Professionals, Carol Ann Desimine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of preparing this guide was to create a resource for public relations professionals to refer to when faced with the task of placing photographs in publications. The assumption is that most public relations professionals are not trained to think visually, partly because their education is focused on writing and virtually ignores aesthetics. Since readership surveys find that people prefer photographs over the written word, and that pictures capture attention quicker than headlines, it is essential that public relations people know how to use visuals to enhance a message. The primary research methods of this study were examination of …

A Comparative Study Of Recruitment And Enrollment Practices In Colleges And Universities Using Integrated Marketing Communications, Alisa L. Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted to determine if using an integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach to college and university recruitment and enrollment helps institutions better achieve their enrollment goals.

This study involved a review of related research, in-depth interviews with education-specific marketing consulting firms, and admissions and marketing professionals at various institutions of higher learning. Primary research involved a 14-item self-administered questionnaire mailed to selected four-year colleges and universities across the country. The questionnaire asked institution executives familiarity and general institutional marketing questions, marketing activity questions, use of IMC, opinion inquiries and demographics.

Mean scores through coded responses, frequencies and percentages …

The Effective Use Of Billboards As A Communications Tool, Donna M. Lithgow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify guidelines for communicators to use as a reference when designing an outdoor campaign.

Secondary research provided information on properly designing and using billboards as a communications tool. This information included studies on billboards, research on color and design, and statistics relating to the outdoor industry.

The author compiled a list of agencies who won OBIE awards between 1994 and 1998. These awards are given to agencies annually by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America to recognize outstanding billboard campaigns. These agencies are among the best in outdoor communication throughout the United States …

The Efficacy Of Community Policing: A Community Relations Case Study Of Gloucester County, New Jersey Patrol Officers And Residents, Ian J. Finnimore

Theses and Dissertations

Community Policing has become a driving management strategy in many police departments throughout the United States. Police officers are being asked to form long-lasting relationships with community members so both publics can more easily work together to solve community and crime issues This study's purpose was to determine the efficacy of community policing as it relates to both patrol officers and residents to determine what public relations skills may assist future community policing initiatives. A patrol officer survey was designed and distributed to 24 municipal police departments. 394 surveys were delivered with 199 usable respondents. Officers were asked to give …

Analysis Of N-Tier Architecture Applied To Distributed-Database Systems, Alexandre G. Valente

Theses and Dissertations

N-tier architecture has been more commonly used as a methodology for developing large database applications. This work evaluates the use of this architecture instead of the classical Client/Server architecture in developing corporate applications based on distributed databases. The comparison between architectures is performed using applications that execute transactions similar to those defined in the Transaction Process Council Type C benchmark (TPC-C). The environment used for development and testing was the AFIT Bimodal Cluster (ABC); a heterogeneous cluster of PCs, running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 OS. The comparative experimental analysis demonstrated that the N-tier architecture allows more efficient bandwidth utilization between …

Reviving The Image: Communicating The Benefits Of Labor Unions, Kathleen Mulholland

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to show that unions need to communicate the purpose they serve in society to revive their tarnished image. The results show through quantitative and qualitative analysis that although some studies show the public approval rating of unions has increased, a negative image still exists.

To determine the type of message the mass media is sending to the public about unions, a content analysis was performed on articles written by the Washington Post about four national strikes. Twelve individual in-depth interviews were conducted using six union and six nonunion participants to gather detailed information concerning …

Public Relations Practitioners Versus The Media: The Analysis Of Standards, Stephen A. Kandik

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined how both the media and public relations practitioners perceived professional standards in the public relations field and how these perceptions could be changed. This study required the use of abstracting systems, the Internet, databases, journals and periodicals, in-depth interviews and e-mail surveys. Five in-depth interviews with journalists along with five in-depth interviews with public relations practitioners provided the information needed to create the survey instrument. Both journalists and public relations practitioners provided 99 responses to the survey. Data analysis included t-tests and a factor analysis. The study proved that the media view the professional standards within the …

Bistatic Radar Cross Section (Rcs) Characterization Of Complex Objects, Robert L. Eigel Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses some phenomenological aspects of bistatic scattering from a complex object with an emphasis on specular, shadowing, dihedral, and cavity effects. Five targets are investigated for their simplicity and ability to highlight certain scattering phenomena. Direct measurements of scattered electromagnetic energy and simulation data is gathered for a frequency bandwidth of 6-18 GHz. Both ray tracing and scattering center approaches are used to describe the bistatic mechanisms. An appraisal of the effectiveness and utility of the monostatic-to-bistatic equivalence theorems (Kell's and Crispin's) and several commercial scattering prediction codes is also accomplished. Simulation data is generated from two different …