Digital Commons Network^™

Feasibility Study On The Use Of The Internet For Traffic Of Unclassified Data, Alexandre L. Guerra, Luiz Gustavo F. P. Silva

Theses and Dissertations

This research compares two possible networking methods for connecting all Brazilian Air Force Materiel Command units responsible for support and operation of Brazilian Air Force's weapons systems. The network includes the use of dedicated X.25 links, and the use of a virtual Private Network using the Internet (TCP/IP) as the medium of transmission. The Brazilian Air Force Materiel Command, responsible to support operating units over a very large sparse territory, lacks an efficient media of computer communications, which makes it difficult to control the supply chain channels of materiel present in each unit, depots, and warehouses. We studied the network …

Media Selection In The Air Force Environment: How Communications Requirements Influence Effectiveness As An Outcome Of Media Choice, David L. Hillman

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, great interest has been given to the research of media choice within organizations. However, there is still confusion over which factors influence media choice. This study examined the effectiveness of five media under different conditions in an effort to better understand which factors impact media choice. Through the examination of several theories on communication and media choice, a theoretical model was created to determine if effectiveness is an outcome of media choice. To test the proposed model, a 54 scenario policy capturing instrument was developed and distributed. Results from the study support the theory that …

The Effects Of Three Media Presentation Systems On Maintenance Task Performance, John W. Chastain

Theses and Dissertations

Wearable computers and Portable Maintenance Aids (PMAs) may soon be the normal way of doing aircraft maintenance in the Air Force. Currently, the Air Force uses the paper form of Technical Orders (TO's) while doing aircraft maintenance. The purpose of this thesis was to compare the effects of three different media presentations of the information used during aircraft maintenance. The three different presentations compared are the current paper form, a Head Mounted Display (HMD), and an auditory mode. An experiment was conducted to determine if there was a significant difference between the systems (in terms of task completion times and …

Identity And Image: A Miss America Case Study, Melissa C. Connell

Theses and Dissertations

Through brochure copy and other communication channels, such as electronic media, organizations strive to effectively echo the company's beliefs, attitudes and values. Target audiences perceive the company in certain ways based on this media projection. Sometimes the image a company believes it has established is far different from the one the public sees.

As organizations aim to achieve this identity/image alliance, critics assert that the Miss America Organization has failed to meet the stated standards. In recent years, the Miss America Organization has received criticism from former contestants, politicians, feminist groups and some of its 80 million viewers for its …

Student Use Of Computers In The Media Center: Does It Support Educational Goals?, Janet B. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the ways students from study halls used computers in a media center at 22 student workstations. A shift toward use of computers and electronic resources for recreation and for research had been observed. A study was initiated to determine what students accomplish during these periods and if their use benefited learning.

The first research method employed was a direct observation of 1264 students visiting the media center during 64 different periods over a three-week time period. Students were observed and the kinds of applications used were counted. In a second method, ninety-seven students from across the school's …

Meaning In Family Mealtime, Ardyth Gunnell Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

This project asks families what mealtime together means to them. The topic of family mealtime appears comparatively infrequently in academic literature, and any meaning that families associate with mealtime has seldom been studied directly. This particular research investigates meanings of the understudied mealtime event by interviewing three or four generations of family members from five different families. Attention is paid to emerging standards of rigor for qualitative research, namely applicability through the selection of families who have a history of practicing a family mealtime tradition, truth value in faithfully representing the interviewees perceptions, and auditability by including detail of the …

A Study Of Multi-Sensory Instruction On Fourth Grade Students' Reading Achievement, Kristine Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Research has supported that by accommodating teaching methods to complement student learning styles, academic achievement and attitudes improve. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of multi-learning style based instruction, specifically perceptual preferences, on the reading achievement of fourth grade students. Forty-seven students in two intact classrooms from one elementary school participated in the pretest/posttest control group design. A pretest was given to both groups to ensure initial group equivalence. An experimental group then received multi-perceptual instruction for a period of two weeks while a control group was taught by traditional instruction. Following the instruction period, a …

The Effects Of A Districtwide Criterion-Referenced Testing Program On Students' Academic Achievement And Teachers' Attitudes And Instructional Behavior, John Kenneth Horton

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing perception that more accountability, in the form of systemwide testing, will somehow lead to improvements in the quality of public education. The formulation of regional and national standards and benchmarks has also led to the increased use of curriculum based testing programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a districtwide criterion-referenced testing program that has been administered annually since 1989 in a school district in Manitoba. The study specifically addressed whether the testing program had impacted on students’ academic achievement and on the attitudes and instructional behaviors of the educators involved …

Universities And Their Communities: What Fosters Positive Town-Gown Relations?, Nicole M. Spagnolia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to decipher what solutions and approaches have worked in solving conflicts between colleges and their communities and make the information available to other schools.

A review of research related to this study was conducted in conjunction with in-depth interviews with college relations personnel from various institutions. The information gathered was then used to conduct primary research in the form of a mail survey.

The mail survey was sent to 400 college relations personnel from across the country. The survey was used to discover what conflicts colleges are experiencing with their communities and how they …

A Study Of The Measurable Benefits Of "Content" Web Sites For Companies In The Sports Collectibles Industry, Brian S. Cahill

Theses and Dissertations

Many public relations professionals have used the internet to feature information on "content" web sites. These sites, which companies were spending thousands of dollars per year to create and maintain, were not used for commerce, but for marketing and public relations use.

This study examined the measurable benefits of "content" web sites of companies in one industry, the sports collectibles industry. All companies in this industry were included in this study. This study used the sports collectibles industry as a microcosm of all companies which were using "content" web sites.

Through a mail survey, data were collected to reveal the …

Motivational Functions Of Volunteerism: Similarities And Differences Between Low & High Risk Communities, Deborah L. Cole

Theses and Dissertations

A functional approach provides a framework for identifying psychological and behavioral aspects associated with decision-making, experiences, and consequences. The functional approach to volunteerism suggests that different people, or sub-populations, may actually be motivated to serve based upon individual and varying personal, social, and psychological functions. The purpose of the study was to investigate any motivational differences or similarities between adults living in high at-risk and low at-risk communities with regard to volunteerism.

High and low at-risk communities were identified by the seven community at-risk indicators suggested by the Carnegie Council on Adolescents. Those communities with three or less indicators were …

Determination Of Particle And Gas Convective Heat Transfer Components In A Circulating Fluidized Bed., William Burgess Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Low temperature (below 600 K) heat transfer between the wall and two-phase gas and solid flow in fluidized beds has been widely recognized to consist of two components. Particle convection, which is due to the convective exchange of particles of a high heat capacity at the surface and gas convection which is due to the motion and heat capacity of the gas in contact with the surface.Simultaneous heat and mass transfer experiments were conducted to determine the particle and gas convective components in a cold flow circulating fluidized bed. Heat and mass transfer at the wall was measured for silica …

Gemeindegeschichte Als Vergleichende Geschichte: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In East Germany, Bruce W. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

From 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) endured the hardships of existing as a religious organization under a Communist regime. An evaluation of the LDS Church within the category of general and minority religions, which serves as a microcosmic evaluation of religion in the GDR, constitutes one part of this study. The uniqueness of the LDS Church and its experience - especially its American ties, ironically earlier a liability and later an asset - make it a candidate for a …

County Government 2000, Kevin J. Glatt

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Educator Health, Motivation, And Satisfaction At Middle Township High School, Karen Buesing

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to increase the effectiveness of communication between administration and faculty within a secondary educational organization. Forty-three educators within a total population of 73 participated in the study and completed a survey instrument that examined teacher health, motivation, and satisfaction. The survey yielded quantitative and qualitative data within the areas of demographics, orientation to teaching, areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, commitment to life goals, and health. Quantitative data was computer-generated, and narrative responses were categorized within general areas related to the teaching profession. All data was presented and discussed within the structure of specific framing …

An Internship Study Of Character Education In A Middle School Setting, Laureen J. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

This internship experience focused on the study of the effectiveness of a formal approach to character education in a small New Jersey middle school. This effort projected student outcomes to include observable student demonstration of positive character traits. The character traits emphasized consist of respect, reliability, responsibility, and resourcefulness. Hence, the name of the project is the "Four R's."

The entire student body of 254 in grades five through eight participated in this study. The integration of one of the four R's into the current curriculum of each quarter served as the means by which the character traits were presented …

Parents As Partners In Progress: A Study Of Parent Involvement In An Urban Elementary School, Janine P. Riggins

Theses and Dissertations

The research project focused on parent involvement in the context of the urban school setting. The target population included one parent or guardian for each BSI student in grades 1-3 during the 1997-98 school year. Subjects completed a pre-survey during the first semester of the 1997-98 school year using a 6 item interest inventory. Responses to individual items were summarized using percentages. This data served as the basis for the development of the internship activities. A post-survey was administered during the second half of the 1997-98 school year using a similar inventory. Post-survey data was summarized and compared to patterns …

The Study Of Methods Used By Public Relations Firms To Assist In Attracting And Maintaining Clients, Donna M. Field

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the methods that public relations firms use to do public relations for themselves to attract new clients and to maintain existing clients. The author researched and analyzed whether public relations firms do public relations for their respective firms, the methods used, as well as the reasons why or why not.

A survey was sent to 60 public relations firms belonging to Pinnacle Worldwide, Inc., an international corporation of independent public relations firms with offices in major cities throughout the United States and the world. Forty-seven responses were received.

The results of the …

What Employees Want To Know During Times Of Organizational Change, Stacy Smith Napolitano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what issues or topics are most important to employees during times of organizational change. It is important for managers to effectively communicate these issues, especially in today's changing business world.

The author conducted this research by surveying employees at organizations going through major change. The respondents were selected randomly from employee lists at each organization. The sample size was 315. The data was collected through inter-office mail at each location and sent to the author, who tabulated it using the Microsoft Access computer program. The results were tabulated by overall results, gender, …

Establishment Of Public Relations Programs In New Jersey Public Schools, Liberty Delgado Harshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine effectiveness of public relations methods through use in a centralized, decentralized or coordinated plan. Survey research of public schools in New Jersey studied the following areas:

1. Superintendent training in public relations
2. Establishment of policies
3. Type of programs - centralized, decentralized, or coordinated - and reasons why used
4. Methods of communication used
5. Success of public relations program
6. Feedback methods used to evaluate effectiveness of programs
7. If no PR program existed, reasons why and intentions for implementation of future programs.

The survey was mailed to the superintendents of 594 operating public school districts in …

A Context Analysis Of Same-Company Advertisements In Gay And Lesbian Publications Compared With Mainstream Publications, Sharon Ann Follmer Miken

Theses and Dissertations

In a content analysis, this study reviewed and analyzed advertising placed by national corporations in lesbian and gay magazines. The presumption was that the homosexual population is a viable niche that is being targeted by corporations with a segmented marketing approach. The purpose was to determine if these companies changed the content of these ads in any way to address the needs of the gay consumer.

The two most prominent national magazines that serve the lesbian and gay population in the United States are The Advocate and Out. From these two magazines was drawn a universe of national corporations that …

A Content Analysis Of New Jersey Law Firms' World Wide Web Site Home Pages, Karen Kaufman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of New Jersey law firm home pages on their World Wide Web sites in order to compare and contrast selected variables.

Previous studies and information on legal Web site presence on the World Wide Web was researched.

Fifteen Web sites were studied to compile an initial list of variables. The variables were adjusted based on research of the law firms and browsers' opinions. Twenty-nine variables were selected.

Major Web sites researched were the National Law Journal, the Indiana University School of Law, and the American Bar Association. None led to …

A Study Of The Correlation Between Internal Communication Programs And Employee Morale, Gary L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the relationship between internal communication programs and employee morale. Fifty-three communication professionals were contacted to determine:

• whether their company had an internal communication policy
• whether supervisory staff were trained to communicate effectively
• whether supervisory staff were held accountable for communicating with their subordinates
• the perceived benefits to internal communication programs.

Telephone interviews and mailed surveys yielded the following major conclusions:

• Ninety-five percent of the respondents felt there is a direct correlation between internal communication and employee morale.
• Five percent of the respondents felt there is an indirect correlation between internal communication and employee morale.
• Seventy-seven percent of …

Prevalence And Psychological Correlates Of Eating Disorders Among College Women, Lisa M. Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disordered behaviors of fasting, binge-eating, and vomiting and purging have increased in prevalence and are approaching epidemic proportions. It is estimated that 1 in 100 females age 12 to 18 are anorexic, while as many as 1 in 4 college-age women are thought to be bulimic or engage in other forms of disturbed eating. Research indicates that those who are eating disordered are more dissatisfied with their bodies, have lower self-esteem, and have a greater tendency to endorse sociocultural mores regarding thinness and attractiveness. The present study investigated a) the prevalence of eating disorders among college women, and b) …

Social Engagement: Depressogenic Factors In The Elderly, Joell P. Worster

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether those elderly nursing home residents who maintained social engagement would be less depressed then those elderly nursing home residents who did not maintain social engagement. The study consist of 21 residents who resided in a nursing home. All subjects were given the Geriatric Depression Scale and asked to respond to the 30 question by yes or no. A Mann Whitney Test was performed on the depression scores from the results of the Geriatric Depression Scale. The results were significant with the prediction of the study. Those elderly residents in the nursing …

A Study Examining The "I Like Me" Program And Its Effects On Self Esteem, Julie Ridgway

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the "I Like Me" Program and determine if the implementation and use of the "I Like Me" Program, in addition to the standard curriculum, in a second grade classroom will significantly increase the students' levels of self esteem as compared to students who are only exposed to the standard health and social studies curricula.

Two samples of students were pretested using the Piers-Harris Children's Self- Concept Scale. The "I Like Me" Program was implemented into one of the two classrooms (Sample B) over a 20 week period of time. The program consisted …

The Role Of The School Media Specialist As Perceived By Teachers, Principals, And School Media Specialists, Veronica M. Gaskill

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the school media specialist as perceived by principals, teachers, and school media specialists. According to the current literature, the role of the school media specialists is multi-faceted. The role includes teacher, information specialist, technology person, and instructional consultant. A survey was prepared to determine if principals, teachers, and media specialists perceived the role in the same way. Two principals and thirty-five teachers were surveyed for this project. Three school media specialists were interviewed. The participants were from two districts in Atlantic County in the state of New Jersey. There …

A Cognitive Approach To Teaching Research Skills, Christine M. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop a method for teaching research skills to sixth graders that would be appropriate for their cognitive abilities and prepare them for the research skills required by the seventh grade curriculum. Three classroom teachers and fifty-seven sixth grade students participated in this project. A short research project served as a pretest and inventory for knowledge of research skills. A unit of research skills and project preparation was then taught to the students in a series of eight lessons. Each skill modeled during the lessons provided concrete student learning. Examples of content materials and …

A Multicultural Curriculum For The Third Grade In The Library Media Center At The Rieck Avenue School, Millville, N.J., Joyce A. Rankin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project developed a multicultural curriculum for the third grade classes at the Rieck Avenue School, Millville, New Jersey, which adhered to the Core Curriculum Standards. The question to be answered was "How can third graders achieve an historical understanding of the varying cultures of New Jersey, the United States, and the world through the library media center curriculum?" Because of the changing demographics of our country and the increase of minority students in our schools, it is imperative that students learn how to appreciate, understand, and interact with people who are ethnically, racially, and culturally different than themselves. …

A Survey Of The Familiarity Of Gloucester County Secondary School Librarians, Child Study Teams, And Special Education Teachers With Assistive Technology, Dianne Clement

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this survey was to assess the familiarity of Gloucester County high school librarians, child study team members, and special education teachers about different types of adaptive technologies. Two hundred twenty-one surveys were sent to the 13 school districts in Gloucester County. Eighty-four participants responded. The largest response was from librarians. Results indicated that all three groups were more unfamiliar than familiar with the technology on the survey. Librarians were the group with the most overall familiarity response, 31%. Child study teams and special education teachers were very close in familiarity responses with 26%. Taped text, large-print materials, …