Digital Commons Network^™

Interdisciplinary Graduate Experience: Lessons Learned, Steve Eugene Watkins, V. M. Eller, Josh Corra, M. J. Molander, Bethany Konz, Richard H. Hall, K. Chandrashekhara, Abdeldjelil Belarbi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineers interact in the workplace with technical peers in other disciplines at all stages of design, development, and application. Awareness of the constraints and needs of the other disciplines can be key in many situations. Such interdisciplinary activity and the associated communication are facilitated if the all participants have a solid knowledge of discipline-specific terminology and an understanding of connecting concepts. Consequently, experience relating to interdisciplinary teamwork is a necessary component of engineering education. The Smart Engineering Group at the University of Missouri-Rolla was established to conduct interdisciplinary research and to create interdisciplinary educational resources. The topical interest area is …

A Qualitative Inquiry Into Why And How Special Educators Leave The Field, Jane E. Caraway

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this inquiry was to take an in-depth look at special educators’ decisions to leave the field of special education through their personal reflective stories. The study examined factors that influenced why these teachers made their decision to leave their chosen field. It also ventured into how those decisions were made in terms of the complex and personal events preceding their final departures. Throughout the inquiry the phenomena of special education teacher attrition was held up to a work adjustment framework. The framework explored the job satisfaction of these teachers during their experiences in special education and documented …

A Simulation Program For Electronics Skill Knowledge Instruction At A Selected Community College In Taiwan, Hung-Jen Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Since computers came into existence, simulations have been associated with it as the two inseparable media, simulations and computers, have had a mutually beneficial effect. With the advent of the flexible microcomputer, simulation has been widely used. In recent years, computer technology has infiltrated every sector in society, especially the educational system and industrial operations where simulations are essential for satisfying both instructional and industrial needs. Simulation effectiveness research has been mixed in both the educational system and industries. Therefore, it is still necessary to evaluate how effective computer simulation is as an instructional method or strategy.

This study was …

Integrating New Technologies Into The Methods Of Education (Intime): Its Impact On The Professional Practice Of Participating Teacher Educators, Marius Boboc

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine those factors that influenced the implementation of a technology-based project (Integrating New Technologies Into Methods of Education [INTIME]) as well as its overall impact on the professional practice of participating methods professors who used it in their classroom over a number o f semesters.

Recent research findings reveal the fact that teacher preparation programs lack the proper use of computer technology (CT). In this light, it would be expected that in- service teachers who have recently graduated college do not master the necessary technological skills to educate their own students for …

An Investigation Of The Types Of Support Identified As Necessary By Secondary Classroom Teachers In Iowa School Districts For The Inclusion Of Students Identified As Behaviorally Disabled, Rick Alan Ironside

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the type of supports secondary general educators in Iowa school districts identified as minimal to include children with behavioral disabilities. It also analyzed the differences in the types of support secondary general educators identified to include children with behavioral disabilities into the general education classroom.

A total of 251 teachers from 147 school districts reacted to an assigned scenario that described a student with a behavioral disability by completing a self-reporting survey on the actual supports they received and minimal support needs preferred to include the student described in the assigned scenario into their classroom. General education …

Student Perceptions Of Satisfaction With School Climate In Relationship To Their Involvement In An Extracurricular Activity Program For The Promotion Of Intercultural Harmony, Dana Charles Deines

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of conducting this study was to examine the relationship between students' involvement in extracurricular activities and their perceptions of satisfaction with the components of school climate. Central to this study was the examination of the relationship between students' involvement in an extracurricular activity program developed for the promotion of intercultural harmony and their perceptions of satisfaction with school climate.

From the approximately 1,200 students of a Midwestern high school, more than 400 students were surveyed using the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Student Satisfaction Survey to determine students' satisfaction with the components of their school climate. …

Job Satisfaction Among Nurse Educators Of Private Colleges And Universities, Jacqueline Kay Kuennen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is widely known that a nursing shortage exists in the health care field today. Less well known is the existence of a nurse educator shortage. Most research has been directed toward investigating the nursing shortage in general rather than the nurse educator shortage in particular. Research on job satisfaction among nurse educators has received recent attention and has been regarded as the most urgent and immediate step in ameliorating the nurse educator shortage.

The purpose of this study was to investigate job satisfaction among nurse educators in private colleges and universities in a midwestern state. In addition to investigating …

Migration And Cultural Identity: Performing The Afro-Caribbean Woman's Struggle, Elvinet Samantha Wilson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Current research suggests a relationship between cultural identity negotiation and the phenomenon of border crossing. While a wealth of literature exists on the topic of migration, few studies reflect a scope that includes in-depth analysis of the experiences of Afro-Caribbean women in the United States.Through ethnographic and autoethnographic methodologies, and using a feminist theoretical lens, this study explores issues relating to cultural identity negotiation in the lives of 10 Black women from Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Trinidad, who now reside in the Midwest region of the United States. Analysis based on a grounded theory approach, allowed themes to emerge from …

Development Of An Adjunct Handbook For The Graduate Teacher Education Program At Nova Southeastern University, Sandrine Lavallee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Graduate Teacher Education Program (GTEP) regularly hires new adjuncts. The problem was that new and returning adjuncts complained that they did not understand various procedures. The purpose of this study was to develop an adjunct handbook for new and returning GTEP adjuncts.

The development methodology was utilized for this study. The research questions were {a) what is the appropriate and valid content for a GTEP adjunct handbook that will inform new and returning adjuncts about procedures and processes? (b) What is the appropriate and valid content for a GTEP adjunct handbook • that will assist employees? (c) What the …

View From The Pew (Audio), Grant Teaff

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

The Female Athlete Triad, Deedra Mae Billings

Graduate Research Papers

The interrelated components of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis make up the female athlete triad. All physically active girls and women are at risk for the triad, though some athletes are more susceptible than others. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, 1997), the underlying development of the triad results from pressures that are often placed on women in order to "achieve or maintain unrealistically low body weight" (p. 1 ).

Body Perceptions Of Western Australian Female Group Fitness Instructors And The Influence Of The Workplace, Lana Leslie

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Group fitness instructors work in an environment that promotes the often unattainable pursuit of an ideal body shape. The fitness centre often displays pictures of slim body shapes on the walls and sells goods and services that relate to weight loss and the improvement of the appearance. The instructors are part of this environment that promotes ideal body shapes, and they arc often seen as role models of health, fitness and slimness. It is possible that instructors arc under pressure to attain or maintain an ideal body shape, to be consistent with what their work environment represents. The purpose of …

An Investigation Of The Perceptions Of The Policy Maker, Teachers And Students Of The Current Primary 4 Gifted Education Program In Singapore, Veeramangai Arulselvi Muthiah

Theses : Honours

As Singapore is a rapidly expanding technological society, there is a strong need for emergent thinkers or innovators due to global competition. Therefore, the identification of exceptionally able children is critical for the continued growth of Singapore. Singapore is a very small nation and relies strongly on human resources for its progress and prosperity. Hence, early identification of exceptionally able children will be an advantage to the nation. Education of gifted and talented children is just as important as the education of children with disabilities or developmental delay. In addition, there is growing concern among many Singaporeans that the current …

Validating The Use Of The Shuttle Walking Test In Healthy Adult Women, Micheal C.M. Lim

Theses : Honours

The Shuttle Walking Test (SWT), with its externally paced characteristics, is commonly used as an objective measure of functional capacity. The reliability and validity of the SWT has been previously shown but only in patient populations. No studies have been carried out to investigate the validity of the SWT in healthy adult women. Therefore, the primary aim of this test was to determine if the SWT is a valid field measure of cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adult women. A secondary aim was to identify if variables, such as age, body composition and habitual physical activity influence performance on the SWT. …

An Exploratory Study Of Constructive Differentiation By Managers Of Multi-Ethnic Workforces In Indonesia And Malaysia, M. A. Fergusson-Stewart

Theses : Honours

Indonesia and Malaysia are two of Australia's closest geographical neighbours and represent major trading partners; Malaysia, as one of the economic success stories of Southeast Asia and Indonesia, as the third most populous nation in the world are politically and economically of great significance to business in Australia. Both have experienced racial rioting, the former as recently as 1998, and the later in 1969. Much of the tension that has led to these riots centres around the relationship between the ethnic Chinese communities in these countries and the other ethnic groups, particularly the Pribumi in Indonesia and the Bumiputera in …

Is There Such A Thing As "Christian" Sex?, John M. Berecz

Faculty Publications

It is challenging for Christian pastors and counselors to discuss human sexuality in ways which do not alienate liberals on the left, conservatives on the right, or biologists in the middle. Feminists frequently see males as dominating or insensitive, and conservative Christians sometimes feed into this by emphasizing patriarchal models of marriage as if this were the biblical paradigm for all time. Evolutionary biologists view sexuality primarily as a means of propagating the species. Into this cacophony of strident voices the Christian seeks to inject a calm but clear message: Christian sexuality is primarily a search for intimacy. In a …

Loving And Dreaming, Ivan Davis

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Study Of A Permanently Implanted Prosthetic Hand, Matt Williams

Theses

The feasibility of a permanently implanted prosthetic hand was evaluated from both an internal biocompatibility and exterior mechanics point of view. A literature review of the issues involved in permanent implantation of a percutanious device was performed in the areas of bone interaction and fixation and neural interface control. A theoretical implant was designed for a 90th percentile male, using an HA-G-Ti composite material to provide a permanent base to which the hand could attach. Using a radial implant length of 1.87 inches and an ulna implant length of 1.32 inches, the simulated implant could withstand a push out force …

Differences In Coping Behavior Based On Epistemic Style, Lance Evans

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite evidence supporting epistemic style as an influential personality factor in a variety of behaviors, the relevance of epistemic style in coping behavior has yet to be explored. Using Royce's model of epistemic style (Royce & Powell, 1983) and Lazarus' relational model of coping (Lazarus, 1999), the purpose of this study was to investigate differences in coping behavior based on epistemic style. Participants were 90 first-year undergraduate students residing in three freshman residence halls of a mid-sized, state university located in the Mid-Western U.S. Coping behavior was assessed using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988) and epistemic …

Effects Of Theoretically Distinct Mathematics Interventions On Student Performance And Treatment Acceptability, Christopher Todd Arra

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student mathematics achievement and teacher and student acceptability of academic interventions are important factors in determining the usage and effectiveness of academic interventions. The present study compared the effectiveness and acceptability of theoretically distinct mathematics interventions. The study lasted eight weeks. Eighteen teacher-candidates and 54 fourth grade students were exposed to one of three mathematical interventions. Teacher-candidates and students were asked to rate the acceptability of each intervention. A pretest-posttest analysis of students' mathematics achievement was also conducted. Results showed that both teacher-candidates and students preferred all interventions equally and that mathematics achievement did not significantly increase from pre- to …

Personality Assessment Inventory Profiles Of Therapy -Seeking Women With Childhood Sexual Abuse Histories, Susan Renee Schmidt

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the usefulness of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in detecting the presence of clinical profile patterns in therapy-seeking women with histories of childhood sexual abuse. An outpatient sample of 214 female college students completed the PAI as part of a university counseling center intake procedure. Participants were evenly divided into two groups according to self-reported history of childhood sexual abuse. Results of a two-way multivariate analysis of variance for abuse history showed that the average scores across the PAI's 22 scales were higher for women with childhood sexual abuse histories than for women without such histories. A …

Social Support, Spirituality, Psychological Distress And Quality Of Life In Cancer Patients, Nicole Denise Alexander

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer involves considerable physical and psychological complications. This reality, along with longer life expectancy, promotion of patient choice regarding life-sustaining measures, and concerns regarding distribution of health care funds highlight the need to focus on quality as well as quantity of life for individuals dealing with this disease. Although a relationship between psychosocial factors and quality of life in cancer patients has been speculated, the type and degree of influence is currently unclear. Using multiple regression analysis, potential predictors of quality of life for cancer patients were examined. Among the predictors considered were social support, spirituality, and psychological distress. The …

Stages Of Change And Self -Efficacy As Factors In Physiological Outcomes In Cardiac Rehabilitation, Maureen Casandra Pierce

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sedentary lifestyle is one of the most prevalent risk factors for the development and maintenance of cardiovascular disease in the United States. Although a challenge, healthcare providers are in a unique position to promote the adoption and maintenance of regular exercise to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. For this effort to be effective, research on exercise behavior in the context of cardiac rehabilitation is needed. Utilizing Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) stages of change model and Schwarzer and Fuch's (1995) conceptualization of self-efficacy, the purpose of this study was aimed at identifying the impact of cardiac rehabilitation patients' initial exercise …

The Applicability Of Kirton Adaption -Innovation Theory To The Flight Instruction Environment Of Highereducation, Richard Kurt Barnhart

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of cognitive style preference, as defined by Dr. Michael Kirton's Adaption-Innovation (A-I) theory, on aviation flight instruction in the context of a higherEducation setting. The instrument associated with A-I theory measures an individual's cognitive style preference on a scale ranging from highly adaptive to highly innovative. The researcher surveyed 347 current students and alumni (and their respective flight instructors) of the Indiana State University Aerospace Technology department to include the instrument associated with A-I theory (The KAI). In this study it was determined that those current and future aviation professionals surveyed from Indiana State University …

On Justificiation And Method In Law Reform: The Contracts (Rights Of Third Parties) Act 1999, Andrew Phang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The present article, whilst focusing on the English Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, does not canvass the more specific details of that Act which have been dealt with quite comprehensively elsewhere. The focus of this article is broader and is dual in nature. It will examine, first, the justification for the 1999 Act and, in particular, attempts to respond to the critique that the Act is wholly anathema to the underlying justification of the doctrine of privity itself. It will also consider whether or not the 1999 Act is an effective improvement over the existing (as well as …

A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of Advanced Nurse Specialisation And Education, Miriam E. Langridge

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to present issues and the paradoxes surrounding advanced nurse specialisation (ANS) and education, This study was conducted in two parts. Part A examined the prospective experiences of 13 registered nurses (RNs) who were advancing in an area of special is III ion: they were working in a specialist area of practice and studying in II course specific 10 their specialisation. Two rounds of interviews were completed over six-month intervals. Part B examined the data gathered from a focus group interview and follow-up feedback from 10 nurse executives as stakeholders. The intersubjective data from this …

A Study Of The Cultural Appropriateness Of Service Delivery Models In The Australian Mental Health System, Mong L. Connell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study is an attempt to examine the cultural appropriateness of the mental health system in relation to the Vietnamese refugee community in Australia. Culture and mental health, as widely acknowledged in the field of transcultural psychiatry, are closely linked. No aspect of the diagnosis or treatment methods can be justified without reference to the cultural traditions of the mental health system and the client. In a country like Australia, where multiculturalism is a dominant feature of the society, the need is even greater in incorporating culture into every aspect of the mental health system, if it desires to provide …

Designing A Framework For The Alignment Of E-Business Strategy And Consultant Engagement Processes For Australian Smes : A Cross-Case Analysis, Shirley A. Bode

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The majority of SMEs have neither the internal expertise nor financial resources to enable in-house development of electronic commerce and therefore turn to the services of website design consultants to assist them. Unfortunately, they often engage consultants without any clear idea of their intended e-business strategy and without due care as to effective engagement processes. This frequently leads to ineffective e-business development and a highly disaffected group of small entrepreneurs. The study suggests that there is a significant gap between the intended strategies of SMEs and the actual e-business strategy implemented. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between Australian …

Factors Affecting The Bit Error Rate Performance Of The Indoor Radio Propagation Channel For 2.3-2.5 Ghz Frequency Band, Edward A. Walker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The use of wireless in buildings based on microwave radio technology has recently become a viable alternative to the traditional wired transmission media. Because of the portable nature of radio transceivers, the need for extensive cabling of buildings with either twisted pair, coaxial, or optical fibre cable is eliminated. This is particularly desirable where high user mobility occurs and existing wiring is not in place, or buildings are heritage in nature and extensive cabling is seen as intrusive. Economic analysis bas also shown that significant labour cost savings can result by using a radio system or a hybrid mix of …

Familiarity With Task And Its Effect On The Way Children Negotiate For Meaning, And Provide And Use Implicit Negative Feedback, Alec P. Kanganas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research involves an examination of the effects that familiarity with a task may have on the way young ESL children negotiate for meaning, and provide and use implicit negative feedback to each other. The focus of this research is the interactions that occur between pairs of young primary school children between the ages of 7.0 to 8.6 years. Two studies were carried out. The first study investigated the effect of familiarity with a type of task, whilst the second examined the effects of familiarity with the content (or subject domain). A stratified random sampling procedure was used to select …