Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of The Appropriateness Of The 1998 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Education Criteria For Assessing Virginia Community Colleges, Dixon B. Joyce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (a) To determine whether full-time teaching faculty and full-time administrators perceive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) 1998 Education Criteria for Performance Excellence (ECPE) to be appropriate for assessing Virginia community colleges, and (b) To determine if differences in perceptions exist regarding demographic variables among full-time teaching faculty and among full-time administrators in the use of these criteria to assess Virginia community colleges. Data were collected from a random sample of 129 full-time teaching faculty and 57 full-time administrators using the seven categories and 18 items of the 1998 ECPE. Demographic factors included …

The Nature, Scope, And Consequences Of Drug And Alcohol Use Of Students Enrolled At Three Southern Appalachian Community Colleges, Jewel D. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the nature, scope, and consequences of drug and alcohol use by students enrolled at three southern Appalachian community colleges: Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in Virginia, Northeast State Technical Community College (NSTCC) in Tennessee, and Southwestern Community College (SCC) in North Carolina. An additional purpose was to use this information to formulate recommendations for new and improved preventive substance-abuse programs. The design for this study was descriptive research. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CORE) was selected as the appropriate instrument for use in this study. The 23-item questionnaire was designed …

A Qualitative Study Of Four University Teaching And Learning Centers: Activities, Funding, And Evaluation Of Professional Development For Faculty, Melba L. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the activities, funding, accountability, and evaluation of selected teaching and learning centers relative to the professional development of faculty in four-year public institutions of higher education. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with directors of four teaching and learning centers. In accordance with the concept of purposeful sampling, the centers chosen for study were located in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The following research questions were investigated: (1) What is the primary mission or purpose of teaching and learning centers relative to faculty development? (2) What types of activities …

Online Networks In Institutions Of Higher Education: An Assessment Of Student Use, Norbaiduri Ruslan

Masters Theses

Online networks in university campuses are expected to enhance the learning process, an argument founded on the theories of Cognitive Apprenticeship, Situated Cognition, and Social Constructivism. However, the extent to which students use these networks should be a significant predictor of such benefits.

This study investigated the patterns of use of online networks in universities with a survey administered to 299 students enrolled in a random sample of undergraduate classes at Western Michigan University during the summer semester of 1998.

The findings show extensive use of email and the World Wide Web for activities that arguably benefit their education. Other …

Fractal Analysis Of Topography And Structure Across The Appalachian Foreland Of West Virginia, Ashley Shannon Burns Douds

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fractal analysis was conducted on topographic relief and seismic reflection travel time data in the state of West Virginia to determine the potential influence of subsurface structure on surface topography. Seismic travel-times digitized from two east-west seismic profiles and topographic relief extracted in north-south and west-east directions from a 1:250,000 Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the entire state were used in the analysis. A limited local study was also conducted of hand-drawn topographic profiles extracted from U.S.G.S. 1:24,000 topographic quadrangles over the Cottageville gas field in western West Virginia. This study also incorporated extraction of profiles in the same location …

Scale And Texture In Digital Image Classification, Christopher John Sebastian Ferro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is a theoretical and empirical study on textural properties of digital images. Spatial information exists at a hierarchy of scales and texture is a consequence of the objects in that hierarchy. Within-class texture results from the spatial arrangement of objects at the next finer level in the hierarchy than the informational class. Between-class texture results from spectral differences between adjacent classes and is most obvious near class edges, especially for smooth classes. In rough classes between-class variance may not differ much from within-class variance. Errors in classifications using texture, therefore, are most likely associated with, class edges; however, …

Perturbation Studies Of Excitable Media, Lisa Elizabeth Seagraves

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) based systems are probably the most often studied polymer gels due to their dramatic change in volume, swelling and deswelling. Since this system has the best response to pH between 4 and 7, the ferrocyanide-iodate-sulfite (FIS) reaction, which exhibits pH oscillations between 4 and 7.5 in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), is a good candidate for studies of oscillatory gel systems.;This work also focused on two dynamical phenomena in the ruthenium catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. One is self-organized criticality and the other is periodic forcing and how they can be studied with the BZ reaction. Self-organized criticality …

Crisis Communication And Organizational Image: A Study Of The Nasa Challenger And Exxon Valdez, Amy O'Connor

Masters Theses

This study examines the communication activities of two crises: the NASA Challenger and Exxon Valdez and investigates the effect of accommodative and defensive statements attributable to each crisis on organizational image. The survey design queried respondents about organization image with questions about trustworthiness, responsibility and willingness for future involvement with the organization, based on statements provided. Results indicated that when organizations issue accommodative statements during a crisis, participants rated overall organizational image more positively than when defensive statements were given. Research findings are discussed based on the symbolic approach to crisis communication and the investor response theory. The implications for …

Spatial And Temporal Variations Of Cloud-To-Ground Lightning In Southern Michigan, Michael A. Crimmins

Masters Theses

Lightning has a profound impact on many aspects of modern day society. Understanding its temporal and spatial distributions is fundamental in learning to coexist with its destructive power. This study surveyed the spatial and temporal distribution of cloud-to-ground lightning over southern Michigan using data provided by the Detroit Edison Company. Flash density and 'lightning day' maps were produced for every year of the 1985 to 1995 study period and then averaged to determine long term trends. A temporal analysis determined the distribution of lightning from the inter-annual down to the diurnal scale.

The spatial analysis indicates both deficiencies in the …

Application Of The Paleomagnetic Fold Test To Determine The Relative Timing Of Sill Intrusion And Deformation In The Southwest Helena Salient, Montana, Stephen Christopher Whisner

Masters Theses

The Doherty Mountain fold complex is a highly folded and faulted region along the southern boundary of the Helena Salient in southwestern Montana. This region has a complex deformation history that is a key to deformation within the Helena Salient as a whole. A structural interpretation of the deformed rocks of this area was conducted using field mapping and cross section construction at 1:24,000 scale providing insight to the internal deformation processes involved. Fourteen folds and three major faults were mapped and analyzed showing the influence of the Southwest Montana Transverse Zone and late stage detachment faulting on fold orientation. …

Separation And Determination Of Monochlorophenols By Capillary Zones Electrophoresis, Zarina Yasmin Banu

Masters Theses

Chlorine has been widely used in industry. One of the most common uses of chlorine is in municipal water treatment plants. Chlorine reacts with a variety of organic compounds, among these are phenol and its derivatives which are commonly found in natural waters. When these compounds react with chlorine, a variety of chlorine substituted and oxidized products result depending on concentrations, pH, and temperature. In order to study these reactions it is necessary to separate and determine the various products produced.

Earlier studies have shown 3-chloro and 4-chlorophenol cannot be separated by commercial GLC columns. GC/MS (electron impact) measurements cannot …

Synthesis, Characterization And Photophysical Behavior Of A Cr(Iii) Bimetallic System, Yan Chen

Masters Theses

Many binuclear transition metal complexes have been studied to understand the nature of interactions between the metal centers. People have found Simultaneous Pair Excitation phenomenon in some bimetallic system that can serve as a potential source of Non-Linear Optical behavior.

Thus a series of Cr₂ -([14]aneN₄)₂-X₄ⁿ⁺ complexes were synthesized and characterized. Only the cis,cis configuration was found. The results were compared with those of their monomer analogs. The electronic structures are very similar in both monomer and dimer complexes. The quantum yield, UV-Vis absorption and lifetime studies suggested a possible coupling between the …

Implementing Constructivism In The Middle School Classroom, Christina Paparozzi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study defines the components of a middle school history curriculum based on a theory of learning consistent with the use of cognitive tools and the tenets of constructivism. Utilizing a comparative analysis of learning theories encompassing developmental and constructivist beliefs and their influence on appropriate instructional design, the research addresses the necessary pairing of instructional planning and learning theory. Additionally, an examination of linguistic tools and their relationship to cultural development and distinctive kinds of comprehension, as well as specifics of the various learning stages, preferences, and skills are used to provide a rationale. This analysis is employed in …

Do Christian Schools Implement Long -Range Plans?, Steven L. Degeorge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine long-range plans of schools accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to determine whether evidence of implementation is present in administrators' job descriptions and evaluation documents.;Data were gathered through the use of a survey and by the collection and comparison of long-range plans, administrators! job descriptions, and evaluation documents. A second survey of board chairs was taken to determine the acceptance of the rational planning model presented and their attitudes toward implementation.;Thirty-two schools participated in the study, in which major points of the long-range plans were fisted on a chart. …

Characterization Of Diversity Of Fungi Forming Arbuscular Endomycorrhizae In Selected Plant Communities, Sidney Luiz Sturmer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Knowledge of taxonomic and functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomales, Zygomycetes) is important in understanding the biology and ecology of such a widespread mycorrhizal symbiosis. More definitive criteria for grouping and ranking taxa were established by reinterpreting morphological characters in selected species of Glomus (Glomaceae) and Acaulospora and Entrophospora (Acaulosporaceae) based on spore ontogenesis. Members of both families shared some patterns, such as discrete stages of spore growth and differentiation in three phases, resulting in the formation of three possible character complexes: a spore wall, flexible inner walls, and a pregermination structure. Families differed in presence or absence of …

Of Solemn Oaths And Obligations: The Environmental Impact Of The Icj’S Decision In The Case Of The Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project, Stephen Stec, Gabriel Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

Chapter Extract:

The law of treaties often conjures up images of states as rotund gentlemen with whiskers, vests, and watch-chains proclaiming solemn and chivalric oaths upon their honour. Treaties are sacred in the same way that a man's word is his bond. This type of relationship among states is largely unquestioned since much of the way we live in the world depends upon the assumption of the inviolability of sovereign states and their treaties. Any challenge to these assumptions would surely evoke horror at the unmentionable void that would result-except in lawyers who make their livings shaving nuances. However, in …

Immediate Feedback Using The "Bug-In-The-Ear" In Counselor Training: Implications For Counseling Self-Efficacy, Trainee Anxiety And Skill Development, Shan A. Jumper

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation examines the delivery of immediate, in-session feedback using the “bug-in-the-ear” (BITE) as an instructional technique in conjunction with live supervision during the counseling practicum. The study was conducted to explore an effective means of supervisor intervention which did not disrupt the counseling session. Few empirical investigations have been conducted in this area, and previous studies on this instructional aid used in models of live supervision were largely narrative in design.

Counseling self-efficacy, trainee anxiety, and counseling performance were examined for twenty graduate student counselor trainees enrolled in the department of counseling at a northern plains university. Ten participants …

Blowing Hot And Cold On The Frozen Tundra: A Review Of Alaska’S Quasi-Estoppel Doctrine, Michael D. Moberly, Laura L. Farley

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ravin Revisited: Do Alaskans Still Have A Constitutional Right To Possess Marijuana In The Privacy Of Their Homes?, Andrew S. Winters

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Report, Mary Liz Keevers

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

This report discusses an internship at WDSU-TV New Orleans. The objective of the internship was to experience the production of a live segment in a daily television news show, and the challenges that go along with it.

The Identification Of Domains And Competencies For Community Practice Occupational Therapy, Lisa Anne Werner

Masters Theses

Literature shows evidence of a shift in occupational therapy from traditional institutional settings to community-based settings. As increasing numbers of new and expert occupational therapists enter community-based practice, the need for competency identification for practice, education, and reimbursement becomes paramount. This qualitative research study sought to identify domains and competencies of community-based occupational therapy practice by interviewing three expert occupational therapists using the critical incident method in which each therapist described one therapeutic intervention with a client. This method, as seen in nursing studies (Benner, 1982, 1984), serves to elicit competencies embedded in expert practice. Thirty-nine competencies were described in …

An Analysis Of Texture Resulting From Thermomechanical Processing Of Ti-6al-V, David J. Brock

Masters Theses

An investigation of texture and microstructure formation in Ti-6Al-4V after thermomechanical processing and heat treating was performed. X-ray diffraction was used to measure prismatic and pyramidal pole figures. These pole figures were used to calculate basal pole figures, which showed significant changes in texture from heavy rolling and near or above β-transus heat treatments. Primary texture components were found to be strengthened by near β-transus heat treatments. For heavily rolled material, above β-transus heat treatments were found to reverse the primary texture components order of dominants. Heavy rolling was found to reduce the RD component and strengthen the TD.

Mathematical Model Of Paper Discoloration By Ink Particles, Zbigniew W. Slotwinski

Masters Theses

The goal of this experiment is to investigate how changes in the size and number of ink particles will affect the final brightness of the filter pad.

It was assumed that any differences in brightness of the used Millipore filters were due to change in the average particle size, given the same mass of ink solids on each filter. However, such simplified interpretation of image analysis proved to be inadequate to solve this complex problem.

The correlation between the particle area, number of particles, and brightness drop was established using an algorithm based on the particle area and the square …

Are Tax "Benefits" Constitutionally Equivalent To Direct Expenditures?, Edward A. Zelinsky

Articles

In this Article, Professor Zelinsky discusses whether tax "benefits" are constitutionally equivalent to direct expenditures. He argues that, in constitutional contexts, the generic categories "tax" and "direct expenditure" are unhelpful and often misleading, in light of the diverse and overlapping nature of different tax laws and direct spending programs, the disparate perspectives from which equivalence can be assessed, and the variety of constitutional contexts in which the equivalence issue must be addressed. Professor Zelinsky thus calls for case-by-case determinations of equivalence considering particular constitutional contexts, the appropriate perspective in each of those contexts, and the specific tax and direct spending …

The End Of The Market: A Psychoanalysis Of Law And Economics, Jeanne L. Schroeder

Articles

The perfect market is the end of all actual markets - it is their ideal form. In normative economics, actual markets are the means of achieving the end or ideal of the perfect market. But this means that to achieve a perfect market would result in the end of all actual markets. Despite the centrality of the ideal of the perfect market in the subset of law and economics scholarship based on classical price theory, there is surprisingly little literature on its parameters. In this Commentary, Professor Schroeder examines this literature in order to explicate the nature of this ideal. …

Pastoral Resources And Their Management In The Sandstone-Yalgoo-Paynes Find Area, Western Australia, A M E Van Vreeswyk, P. T. Godden

Agriculture reports

This report covers about 94,700 square kilometres of rangelands in the Sandstone-Yalgoo-Paynes Find area of Western Australia. The area lies within 27°S and 30°S latitudes, and 115°30'E and 120°E longitudes and includes the towns of Sandstone, Yalgoo and Paynes Find. The northern, southern, and eastern limits of the survey area are largely defined by the boundaries of the 1:250,000 scale series map sheets.The western limit is the boundary between the pastoral and agricultural area.

Family Story Functions And Roles: A Comparsion Of Three Families Of Different Ethnicities, Carma L. Bylund

Student Work

Family storytelling has been a topic given increased attention recently, although research comparing family stories among different ethnicities is limited. This study investigated the differences in the family story experience among three families of different ethnicities: Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic The research focused primarily on family members’ perceptions of family story functions and roles and how these families differed in those perceptions. The findings are discussed, and the families’ experiences are examined in terms of ethnicity.

A Comparative Look At Marital Happiness And Conflict In American Cross-National And Same-Nation Marriages, Sandra Meinecke

Student Work

This thesis explores the similarities and dissimilarities of perceived levels of marital conflict and happiness in cross-national and same-nation marriages and some related issues. Globally, economic and social ties between nations have increased dramatically since World War II. As a result, more and more individuals are working, studying and traveling abroad. This marked increase in international mobility has also given rise to an increase in the number of international marriages (Cottrell 1990; Imamura 1986). For example, the number of foreign spouses entering the United States annually has increased from 27,761 in 1960 to 145,247 in 1994 (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization …

Senior Outlook On Death And Dying: A Comparative Study Of Older Volunteers Serving Older Clients Versus Older Volunteers Serving Younger Clients, Charles O. Udstuen

Student Work

This thesis examines the attitudes toward death and dying held by volunteers in the Senior Companion Program as compared with those in the Foster Grandparent Program. These programs represent two distinct environments, since volunteers in the former program interact only with other senior citizens while those in the latter program interact with children. In recent years volunteerism has been studied extensively relative to the positive effects that volunteer activities have on those performing them. However, there is a lack of research on the effects of the particular surroundings in which the volunteers operate. The comparison of two groups of volunteers …

The Parthenon, December 1, 1998, Marshall University

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.