Digital Commons Network^™

The Efficacy Of Writing Course Placement At An Iowa Community College, Kristine D. Owens

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of writing course placement at an Iowa community college. The following questions were addressed: What indicators, separately or in combination, resulted in an appropriate or inappropriate student writing placement? (a) To what extent did the COMPASS test result in an appropriate placement? (b) To what extent did the self-directed essay result in an appropriate placement? (c) To what extent did a student's preference result in an appropriate placement?

This study was important to understand how the “directed self-placement” model, adapted from Royer and Gilles (1998, p. 1), impacted the institution's …

Teacher Education, Critical Pedagogy, And Standards: An Exploration Of Theory And Practice, Lynne A. Bercaw, Lisa M. Stooksberry

Essays in Education

Agreeing that a major goal of teacher education is to prepare individuals for informed citizenship in a democratic society, do standards lead toward social change promoting active citizenship of both teacher and student? We approach this question from two perspectives: one is a cultural approach grounded in critical pedagogy and the other is a policy approach based on the use of standards in teaching. We focus on a critical pedagogy in teacher education because of the goal of preparing citizens for participation in a democratic society. Highlighting three tenets of critical pedagogy, (a) reflection upon the individual’s culture or lived …

Rethinking Constructivism In Multicultural Contexts: Does Constructivism In Education Take The Issue Of Diversity Into Consideration?, Gyseon Bae

Essays in Education

This paper is an attempt to understand whether and, if so, how one particular prospective learning theory in education really deals with the issue of diversity. As a prospective learning theory, epistemology, and methodology, constructivism emphasizes non-transmitted ways of classroom instruction, and its conduciveness to student learning has been well documented. However, most research concerning constructivism has been conducted in relatively stable linguistic, ethnic, and cultural contexts; relatively few studies have critically analyzed the process of teaching and learning when constructivism is applied to contexts involving linguistic, cultural, or ethnic diversity. In the paper, the author discusses the major assumptions …

The Development And Validation Of The Teacher Dispositions Index, Laura Schulte, Nancy Edick, Sarah Edwards, Debora Mackiel

Essays in Education

The purposes of this study were to develop and validate a quantitative instrument (Teacher Dispositions Index (TDI)) that measures the dispositions of effective teachers as specified by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (1991). To provide evidence of the TDI’s reliability and validity, we distributed the TDI to 105 undergraduate students enrolled in an instructional systems course in a College of Education at a Midwestern metropolitan university. The TDI could be used to assess teacher candidate dispositions over the course of pre-service preparation and to help candidates determine if teaching is an appropriate professional fit.

Leadership By The Book: Case Study Of Creating A Doctoral Program In Education, Cynthia V. L. Ward

Essays in Education

Playing against type, by initiating of a doctoral program in education leadership at a respected career university is the conundrum underlying this case study in higher education leadership. Using a historical approach, the strategies used and the techniques employed to initiate a major change in an unlikely environment are discussed and linked to what the literature has to say about implementing academic change. In this particular case, what was done not only was consistent with recommendations found in the literature, but also worked to implement and sustain the doctoral program during its formative years.

Dunks And Drunks: Depictions Of Drug And Alcohol Use Among High School Athletes In Film, Peter S. Finley, Laura L. Finley

Essays in Education

Mediated portrayals of student-athletes can provide strong role models for realworld student-athletes. This research explored the images of student-athletes in sportrelated films regarding depictions of drug and alcohol use. A content analysis of six sport-related films released between 1994 and 2000 was conducted 1) to address whether such films accurately depicted drug and alcohol use among student-athletes and 2) to consider how these presentations might impact viewers who are, themselves, high school student-athletes. Results suggested that the films reinforced the notion that student-athletes are supposed to experiment with drugs and alcohol as a part of the social role relative to …

An Analysis Of Accelerated Christian Education And College Preparedness Based On Act Scores, Lisa J.L. Kelley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current paper discusses Christian education in relation to college preparedness. The author focuses on Christian education and the use of Accelerated Christian Education, a prepackaged curriculum, specifically used in private fundamentalist Christian schools. Relevant research is reviewed regarding college preparedness and Christian education. The researcher obtained the ACT scores received by graduates of an ACE school over the past five years. These scores were analyzed using a t-test of comparative means (p<.05) to determine if there were a significant differences in ACT scores between students at the Accelerated Christian School and the students of a public high school in the same area with a graduate college application rate of 75-83%. Scores were analyzed and a significant difference was found between the public school graduatesí scores and the ACE graduatesí scores in all areas of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Composite Score), except the area of Science Reasoning. Overall, the ACT scores of the ACE graduates were consistently lower than those of the public school students.

Effective Advising In Student Organizations, James Wyman George Barnes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research study was to discover how effective student organization advisors influence student organization success on a residential midwestern campus. Although the roles, skills, and importance of advising have been noted in higher education, leadership studies and business management literature, the advisors' perspective on the importance and practical use of these attributes had not been studied. This inquiry was guided by the following research questions: What constitutes effective advising of a student organization on a four-year residential campus? To what roles, practices, and values do advisors most strongly attribute to their success? A qualitative approach was employed …

The Use Of Direct Observation In Functional Behavior Assessment, Lori O'Rourke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study is an investigation into the use of observational strategies as they apply to functional behavior assessment. In addition to highlighting the key observational methods, practical issues that affect the development of an observational instrument are discussed. Furthermore, the factors that influence the reliability and validity of an observation session are discussed. Suggestions are provided for practitioners who are observing the instructional, social, and physical factors that may influence a student's behavior within the classroom. Finally, this study will demonstrate how assessment knowledge, which is gained through direct observation, can be tied to effective classroom interventions.

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Professional Development On High School Physics Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding Of Newtonian Mechanics, Instructional Practices, And The Conceptual Growth Of Their Students, Julia K. Moeller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a physics professional development program on secondary science teachers' conceptual knowledge of Newtonian mechanics, instructional practices and the conceptual growth of their students. The University of Northern Iowa Physics Institute enabled a group of twenty-one Iowa high school and middle school science teachers to complete the physics coursework required to obtain the State of lowa 7-12 Grade Physics Teaching endorsement. The Institute provided experiences to improve physics content knowledge and proficiency of constructivist methodologies for teaching high school physics.

Twelve Institute participants completed a two-year program during the 2002 …

A Real-Time Haptic/Graphic Demonstration Of How Error Augmentation Can Enhance Learning, Yejun Wei, James L. Patton, Preeti Bajaj, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We developed a real-time controller for a 2 degree-of-freedom robotic system using xPC Target. This system was used to investigate how different methods of performance error feedback can lead to faster and more complete motor learning in individuals asked to compensate for a novel visuo-motor transformation (a 30 degree rotation). Four groups of human subjects were asked to reach with their unseen arm to visual targets surrounding a central starting location. A cursor tracking hand motion was provided during each reach. For one group of subjects, deviations from the “ideal” compensatory hand movement (i.e. trajectory errors) were amplified with a …

A Dynamic Neuro-Fuzzy Model Providing Bio-State Estimation And Prognosis Prediction For Wearable Intelligent Assistants, Yu Wang, Jack M. Winters

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Intelligent management of wearable applications in rehabilitation requires an understanding of the current context, which is constantly changing over the rehabilitation process because of changes in the person's status and environment. This paper presents a dynamic recurrent neuro-fuzzy system that implements expert-and evidence-based reasoning. It is intended to provide context-awareness for wearable intelligent agents/assistants (WIAs).

Methods

The model structure includes the following types of signals: inputs, states, outputs and outcomes. Inputs are facts or events which have effects on patients' physiological and rehabilitative states; different classes of inputs (e.g., facts, context, medication, therapy) have different nonlinear mappings to a …

The Intersection Of Evaluation Be Mediators And Informed Consent: Warning The Unwary, Lela P. Love, John W. Cooley

Articles

No abstract provided.

Review Of Babel And The Ivory Tower: The Scholar In The Age Of Science By W. David Shaw, W. Bede Mitchell

University Libraries: Faculty Publications

This review was published in College and Research Libraries.

Fabrication Of Core-Shell Nanoparticles, Zhanhu Guo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Metallic Cu and Au shells were fabricated around cobalt nanoparticles. A new technique to coat nanoparticles with carbon coatings and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was developed. The copper shell formation is a self-limiting process. A thin copper shell (0.82 nm) around the cobalt nanoparticle (1.56 nm) enhanced the magnetic property by increasing the blocking temperature from 124 K to 235 K for nanoparticles with a copper shell. The formed gold shell (0.67 nm) enhanced the cobalt nanoparticle magnetic property by increasing the blocking temperature above room temperature. The magnetic moment in the Co-Cu and Co-Au core-shell nanoparticle is much higher than …

The Role Of Teachers' Self-Efficacy In Increasing Children's Physical Activity, James Frederick Roth

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well documented that elementary school children do not participate in recommended amounts of physical activity, and that elementary physical education programs generally are unable to insure that children engage in appropriate amounts of activity. One solution to this dilemma is to increase children’s activity levels through collaborative efforts such as whole school programs involving the classroom teachers. If this approach is to be successful, it is important to investigate ways that elementary classroom teachers can be actively involved in school level programs that will ultimately increase children’s physical activity levels. Elementary classroom teachers are often responsible for at …

Risk Assessment Of The Transfer Of Imazethapyr Herbicide Resistance From Clearfield Rice To Red Rice, Weiqiang Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Potential outcrossing between Clearfield rice and red rice will have a direct impact on the management and long-term usefulness of imazethapyr technology for rice weed control. The principal objective of this research was to determine the rate and agronomic consequences for outcrossing between Clearfield rice and red rice in south Louisiana. Collection and analysis of red rice samples across two years and 24 commercial locations indicated that red rice infestation after imazethapyr application differed substantially at different Clearfield locations. Straw hull and awnless red rice was the principal biotype observed for both years. Red rice populations possessed extensive variation for …

Effectiveness Of The 4-H Advisory Committee Process As Perceived By 4-H Professionals And Advisory Committee Members, Mark Gerard Tassin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The 4-H advisory process is crucial to program development in the 4-H youth development program in Louisiana. Parish 4-H advisory committees in each of the 64 parishes are involved in the addressing the needs of the clientele. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the 4-H Advisory Process as perceived by 4-H professionals in Louisiana and primary stakeholder groups of the LSU Agricultural Center’s 4-H Program. Data for the study were obtained through surveys completed by 104 4-H youth development professionals and 142 parish 4-H advisory committee members. Additionally, six parish advisory committee members were …

The Relationship Between Participation In Community Service-Learning Projects And Personal And Leadership Life Skills Development In Louisiana High School 4-H Leadership Activities, Connie S. Phelps

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Evidence does not exist that documents the effectiveness of Louisiana 4-H community service-learning projects. The purpose of this study is to compare self-reported perceptions of personal and leadership life skills development of Louisiana high school 4-H leadership activity participants by whether they participate in the 4-H Junior Leader Club (JLC) and/or the CHARACTER COUNTS! (CC) peer teaching program. The target population for this study was all high school students who participated in either the CC peer teaching program or the 4-H JLC. Therefore, this study was limited to those parishes that have both a CC peer teaching program and a …

The Effectiveness Of Student Support Services At A Research Extensive University In The South, Eric Lyle Penalber

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of level of participation in services provided by the Student Support Services (SSS) Program on the grade point average, retention, and the six-year graduation rate of first-time entering freshmen who also entered the SSS program at a research extensive university in the South. Participants in the study were one hundred, fifty-two (152) SSS students who entered this university in the fall of 1996 and fall of 1997. Tinto’s (1987) longitudinal model of institutional departure was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Services provided by the SSS program …

The Lived Experience Of New Graduate Baccalaureate-Prepared Registered Nurses Working In An Acute Care Hospital Setting, Jeannie Ricks Harper

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of new graduate baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurses (RNs) who work in an acute care hospital setting. The study was a phenomenological qualitative research design, with researcher-developed guiding questions to help direct the interviews. Participants had passed the National Council for Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), and had been practicing from three months to one year. Eight RNs participated in the study, with seven usable interviews. Results found that new graduate RNs experience multiple stressors as they acclimate to their new roles. The primary stressors that were identified by …

Jean-Paul Sartre's Les Mots And The Nouvelles Autobiographies Of Alain Robbe-Grillet, Nathalie Sarraute, And Marguerite Duras: A Comparison, Julie Driessen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Jean-Paul Sartre's autobiography Les Mots (1964) is shown to be a departure from the Sartrean oeuvre because it represents an abandonment of littérature engagée. In Les Mots Sartre not only abandons littérature engagée, but also embraces a view of literature which he formerly opposed--l'art pour l'art. Sartre defines his views of literature--littérature engagée--in Qu'est-ce que la littérature? (1948) Robbe-Grillet defines l'art pour l'art in Pour un nouveau roman (1963). In Les Mots Sartre embraces Robbe-Grillet's l'art pour l'art and abandons his own littérature engagée. Since these two views of literature are theoretically opposed, it is interesting to find that Sartre …

Reconsidering The Nondelegation Doctrine: Universal Service, The Power To Tax, And The Ratification Doctrine, Ronald J. Krotoszynski Jr.

Articles

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Lsu Agricultural Center's Agriculture Leadership Development Program, 1988-2004, Michele Abington-Cooper

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if participants in the LSU AgCenter’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program have increased their leadership skills and become more involved in agricultural and community issues. The target population for this study was the 252 graduates of Classes I - VIII of the LSU Ag Leadership Program. This was a descriptive study using quantitative data. The questionnaire was developed from a review of the literature and instruments from related research. It was validated by a panel of experts from the LSU School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development and the LSU AgCenter. The …

I'D Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony): International Judicial Dialogue And The Muses - Reflections Of The Perils And The Promise Of International Judicial Dialogue 2006 Survey Of Books Relating To The Law - Part V: International And Comparative Law, Ronald J. Krotoszynski Jr.

Articles

No abstract provided.

Defamation In The Digital Age: Some Comparative Law Observations On The Difficulty Of Reconciling Free Speech And Reputation In The Emerging Global Village The Washington And Lee Law Alumni Association Student Notes Colloquium, Ronald J. Krotoszynski Jr.

Articles

No abstract provided.

Schoolin' Women: Hip Hop Pedagogies Of Black Women Rappers, Nichole Ann Guillory

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The curriculum studies field has much to gain from an analysis of black women rappers’ texts. The knowledge black women rappers offer through their songs is worthy of study in schooling spaces and is too valuable for educators to continue to ignore if they want to become better teachers. Through their lyrics, black women rappers situate themselves in a public context and construct texts that represent young black women’s complex identities. Black women rappers create a space in hip hop discourse from which their stories enrich and complicate the public conversation about the representation of black women’s identities. This study …

Automatic Segmentation Of Magnetic Resonance Images Of The Brain, Kirk V. N. Spence

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique used primarily in medical settings to produce high quality images of the human body’s internal anatomy. Each image is of a thin slice through the body, with the typical distance between slices being a few millimeters. Brain segmentation is the delineation of one or more anatomical structures within images of the brain. It promotes greater understanding of spatial relationships to aid in such tasks as surgical planning and clinical diagnoses, particularly when the segmented outlines from each image slice are displayed together as a surface in three-dimensions. A review of the literature indicates …

Low Dielectric Constant Fluorocarbon Films Containing Silicon By Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition, Yoonyoung Jin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Use of low relative dielectric constant (low-k) material as an interlayer dielectric is among important approaches to reduce the RC time delay in high performance ultra-large-scale integrated circuits. Copper metallization is another approach besides the use of low-k material, in reducing the RC delay time, because of its well-known characteristics of low resistivity and high electromigration resistance. Fluorocarbon films containing silicon (SiCF) have been developed in this work for low-k interlayer dielectric applications below 50 nm linewidth technology. The films were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using gas precursors of tetrafluoromethane as the source of active species …

The Effects Of Sex And Context On Student's Interpretation Of Teachers' High Immediacy Messages, Carolyn Hornsby Rester

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Teacher immediacy has been positively associated with many desirable academic outcomes, including quality student-teacher relationships, student participation in the classroom and in extra-class interaction, and increased student learning. Thus, scholars have consistently encouraged educators to increase their use of immediacy in contacts with students. However, some previous research found that high levels of teacher immediacy can be problematic in relationships and detrimental to desirable educational outcomes. Immediacy behavior tends to promote personal relationships and inclusion. However, excessive immediacy may change the meaning that students receive from the behavior. Using a message interpretation perspective, this study examined how sex of the …