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Specters Of The Subaltern : A Critique Of Representations Of Rural Women In Contemporary China, Tsui Sit

Lingnan Theses

China has speeded up modernization since the reform and open-door policy was introduced in 1978. After accession to the World Trade Organization in 1999, China has been further incorporated into the global track. The national policy of economic development requires a continuing exploitation of natural resources and intensive labor from the rural sector, and over the last few decades, there has been a ceaseless wave of rural women going to the cities and working mainly as assembly-line workers, domestic helpers and sex workers.

Developing a subaltern and feminist perspective, this thesis examines representations of rural women in academic research and …

Approaching South Asians In Hong Kong, Hung Mui Sung

Lingnan Theses

"South Asians" is usually an inclusive term to refer to ethnic minorities originating from countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Despite the apparent concern with “South Asians” in Hong Kong society in recent years, such as pushing for legislation against racial discrimination and initiating social and educational programmes to help these minorities to better integrate into Hong Kong society, attention to irreducible cultural differences constituting their heterogeneity is still largely lacking.

The thesis intends to take up the question of the South Asian minorities in the context of post-1997 Hong Kong. By looking at their everyday struggles …

Erp Implementation Planning : A Critical Success Factors (Csfs) Approach, Jia Hui Kong

Lingnan Theses

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an integrated set of software modules which are linked to a common database to handle basic corporate functions such as planning, manufacturing, sales, marketing, accounting, distribution, human resource and inventory. When ERP is implemented successfully, it can reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and improve customer services. However, ERP fails to deliver the promised benefits in many companies due to the poor implementation planning. A successful ERP implementation requires a careful thinking, good planning from a strategic perspective.

It is difficult to measure the success of an extremely complex information system such as ERP as it …

The Effects Of An Academic Support Services Unit On The Grade Point Average For Students Admitted On Probation, Keith Branham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to examine the effects, if any, the programs available from an Academic Support Services unit of a small, private, liberal arts college might have on the grade point averages of students admitted on probation over two major semesters. The assumption was that the students who utilized the services of the Academic Center for Excellence would demonstrate more increases in GPA than students who did not utilize the services. The literature review of this study found that, although there were many factors and student characteristics that could predict and explain student achievement in course work, …

A Study Of Public Employee Labor Law In The United States, Oleh Bula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the legal issues of public employee labor relations in the United States. Included in this study is a review of relevant case law as it pertains to collective bargaining in the public sector. In addition to reviewing the case law, this study researched the statutory language of each state for public sector collective bargaining. The study includes a review, analysis, and summary of the state and federal laws for public sector collective bargaining. The collective bargaining process in the United States is designed to resolve disputes between two parties, the employer and the employee. The resolution of …

A Predictive Model For Benchmarking Academic Programs (Pbap) Using U.S. News Ranking Data For Engineering Colleges Offering Graduate Programs, Lisa Gay Marie Chuck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improving national ranking is an increasingly important issue for university administrators. While research has been conducted on performance measures in higher education, research designs have lacked a predictive quality. Studies on the U.S. News college rankings have provided insight into the methodology; however, none of them have provided a model to predict what change in variable values would likely cause an institution to improve its standing in the rankings. The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model for benchmarking academic programs (pBAP) for engineering colleges. The 2005 U.S. News ranking data for graduate engineering programs were used …

Models Of Infringement:The Commission Of The European Union And Its Relationship With European Union Member States, Richard Cram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is designed to explore the complex question of compliance within the European Union. The European Union relies on the voluntary submission of it members to rules that the organization sets up. Other international organizations operate through this dynamic as well. As such, it is highly important to shed light, through research, on why states comply with the rules set forth by the organizations they belong to. Why do states comply in the European Union? There are many channels of research currently looking at this question. This thesis seeks to examine the European Commission's role in ensuring compliance in …

Is Gay Really Gay?: A Heterosexual/Homosexual Quality Of Life Comparison, Kristina Dzara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines differences in quality of life measures between heterosexual and homosexual respondents using General Social Survey data from 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. Analyses of quality of life are performed in an effort to compare the heterosexual and homosexual population of the United States. The three main areas which are explored in the analysis are physical health, general happiness, and life excitement. Few differences were found in subjective life satisfaction between heterosexuals and homosexuals; however, some control variables differed. Directions for future research regarding homosexuality and quality of life are discussed.

Tunable Liquid Crystal Photonic Devices, Yun-Hsing Fan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Liquid crystal (LC)-based adaptive optics are important for information processing, optical interconnections, photonics, integrated optics, and optical communications due to their tunable optical properties. In this dissertation, we describe novel liquid crystal photonic devices and their fabrication methods. The devices presented include inhomogeneous polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), polymer network liquid crystals (PNLC) and phase-separated composite film (PSCOF). Liquid crystal/polymer composites could exist in different forms depending on the fabrication conditions. In Chap. 3, we demonstrate a novel nanoscale PDLC device that has inhomogeneous droplet size distribution. In such a PDLC, the inhomogeneous droplet size distribution is obtained by exposing the …

Spray Cooling For Land, Sea, Air And Space Based Applications, A Fluid Managment System For Multiple Nozzle Spray Cooling And A Guide To High Heat Flux Heater Design, Brian Glassman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is divided into four distinct chapters all linked by the topic of spray cooling. Chapter one gives a detailed categorization of future and current spray cooling applications, and reviews the major advantages and disadvantages that spray cooling has over other high heat flux cooling techniques. Chapter two outlines the developmental goals of spray cooling, which are to increase the output of a current system and to enable new technologies to be technically feasible. Furthermore, this chapter outlines in detail the impact that land, air, sea, and space environments have on the cooling system and what technologies could be …

A Survey Of School Principals And Teachers Regarding Teachers' Professional Development Participation, Richard Inge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was twofold: First, to gather perspectives of randomly selected administrators and teachers in two central Florida school districts concerning the participation of teachers in professional development (PD), and secondly, to determine if there was a significant differences in the amount of participation of teachers from different academic departments in these activities. Results indicated that a teacher's assignment to a particular academic department has a relationship to the amount of PD involvement. Results also suggested that building principals' perceptions concerning teacher support of and participation in these activities were moderately accurate. Data were collected using two …

Self-Assembled Supramolecular Structures Of Chiral Phospholipids: Structure, Mechanical Properties And Patterning, Nidhi Mahajan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lipid molecule is well known natural building block to form different supramolecular structures with specific shape, size and functionality. In my thesis work, I have used DC8,9PC 1,2-bis(tricosa-10,12-dinoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), a type of chiral lipid to form the vesicles, tubules and ribbons . By using Atomic Force Microscope, I have studied the morphological features of these particular structures. Also, the mechanical properties of lipid tubules have been studied using AFM. Softlithography has been used to pattern the lipid vesicles and tubules into 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional ordered arrays. The structure of self-assembled hollow spherical vesicles was studied using AFM. The applications of soft …

The Relationship Between Self-Disclosure, Self-Efficacy, And The Supervisory Working Alliance Of Counselor Education Practicum A, David March

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A primary goal of clinical supervision in counselor education programs is to develop trainees who express a level of self-awareness, competence, and self-efficacy from which to further develop as a counselor. A vital component of this process is for supervisees to disclose their thoughts and feelings about their clients, their self as a person, their work as a counselor, and experiences with their supervisor. However, current research suggests that it is common for supervisees to hold back personal and professional information from their supervisor leading to missed learning and growth opportunities. Through self-disclosure, trainees receive positive and negative supervisor feedback. …

A Content Analysis Of 2004 Presidential Election Headlines Of The Los Angeles Times And The Washington Times, Maureen Mccluskey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggested Election 2004 involved many issue regimes and wedge issues (Kaplan, 2004; Drum, 2004; Fagan & Dinan, 2004). Preceding research proposed that the American perception of presidential candidates has been somewhat based on the mass media's increasing priming and agenda setting techniques (Scheufele, 2000; Kiousis & McCombs, 2004). Hence the research addressed two questions: Is there a bias for or against either candidate in the headlines of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Times? If there is bias, which issues tended to produce the most positive, negative and neutral results? All election headlines, from February to November …

Characteristics Associated With The Effectiveness Of Resource Development Programs At Florida Community Colleges, Nancy Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As educational funding from traditional sources decreases and the cost of operating educational programs increases, community colleges are seeking ways to diversify funding streams and increase revenue. For many 2-year colleges, resource development, particularly the procurement of government grants and contracts, represents a viable source of revenue. The purpose of this research was (a) to establish a profile of grant development programs in Florida community colleges and (b) to identify factors associated with successful grant development. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect information about grant development programs at the 28 publicly-supported community colleges in the state of Florida. …

Teacher Attrition And Retention In Exceptional Student Education: An Evaluation Of The Skills, Tips, And Routines For Teacher Success (Starts) Initiative Of Volusia County, Florida Schools, Mary Speidel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition affects the quality of services for students in K-12 education and poses an ongoing challenge for educational leaders, especially in the area of special education. Special educators leave the profession at higher rates than general educators. As a growing state, Florida has identified special education as a critical teacher shortage area. This study evaluated the Skills, Tips, and Routines for Teacher Success (STARTS) initiative of Volusia County Schools, a large district in east central Florida. Implemented in 2001 for new ESE teachers, STARTS offered four days of training in policies and procedures, curriculum, and classroom management. Research questions …

Developing An Object-Oriented Approach For Operations Simulation In Speedes, Amit Wasadikar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using simulation techniques, performance of any proposed system can be tested for different scenarios with a generated model. However, it is difficult to rapidly create simulation models that will accurately represent the complexity of the system. In recent years, Object-Oriented Discrete-Event Simulation has emerged as the potential technology to implement rapid simulation schemes. A number of software based on programming languages like C++ and Java are available for carrying out Object Oriented Discrete-Event Simulation. These software packages establish a general framework for simulation in computer programs, but need to be further customized for desired end-use applications. In this thesis, a …

Interferometry-Based Free Space Communication And Information Processing, Muzamil Arshad Arain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies, analyzes, and experimentally demonstrates the innovative use of interference phenomenon in the field of opto-electronic information processing and optical communications. A number of optical systems using interferometric techniques both in the optical and the electronic domains has been demonstrated in the filed of signal transmission and processing, optical metrology, defense, and physical sensors. Specifically it has been shown that the interference of waves in the form of holography can be exploited to realize a novel optical scanner called Code Multiplexed Optical Scanner (C-MOS). The C-MOS features large aperture, wide scan angles, 3-D beam control, no moving parts, …

Becoming Transcultural: Filling The Cultural And Communication Gap Within The Black American Community, Quanda Le Boldin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to define transculturalism by exploring the Black experience through collectivism/individualism, Black identity and the ability to be transcultural. The study included 83 male and female Black American, college students, graduate students and college graduates. The participants answered a 4-part survey that measured collectivism/individualism, Black identity, the ability to be transcultural and minority hardships. Results revealed that the Pre-encounter, Immersion, Emersion and Internalization phases of Black identity are predictors of minority hardships. There were also significant results for the Internalization phase of Black identity and the ability to be transcultural. In conclusion, Black Americans that …

Evaluating Teacher Performance In Higher Education:The Value Of Student Ratings, Judith Prugh Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research were to: (a) assess community college students' perceptions of the student evaluation practice; (b) assess community college faculty members' responses to student evaluations of teachers and the extent to which instructional modifications resulted from student ratings; and (c) assess community college administrators' responses to student evaluations of teachers, the extent student ratings influenced administrators' evaluations of faculty, and how the results from student ratings were used to promote instructional effectiveness. A total of 358 students, faculty, and administrators from 5 Florida community colleges contributed their opinions on the value of the practice of student evaluation …

The Effects Of A Responsibility-Based Character Education Program On Middle School Academic Achievement And School Climate At An International School In East Africa, Terry Allen Howard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of a character education program on middle school student academic performance, effort and attitude about their school located in an international setting. Middle school students at the participating international school were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Those students in the experimental group classes received a series of 12 lessons focusing on the character trait of responsibility. Those students in the control group classes did not receive these lessons. Twelve responsibility-based lessons were presented to students in the experimental group. Student academic grades in six different academic subjects, …

Addressing The Impact That Workshop Site Coordinators And Administrators Have On The Teaching Of Science In The Classroom, Valerie Elaine Mckenna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studied the beliefs and practices of principals, workshop site coordinators, and science support personnel in two Central Florida school districts and compared those beliefs and practices to the literature on effective science in-service education. It is important to understand these beliefs and practices because they directly affect the content and pedagogical knowledge of classroom teachers, yet this aspect of instructional practices has been ignored in the science education literature. This study used a grounded theory methodology using open-ended individual interviews, participants observation, and documented analysis. Constant comparisons were built through analyzing the data. The research shows that in-service …

The Salzburgers' "City On A Hill": The Failure Of A Pietist Vision In Ebenezer, Georgia, 1734-1774, Ashley Elizabeth Moreshead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A group of Protestant refugees from Salzburg founded the town of Ebenezer, Georgia, in 1734. The Pietists at the Francke Foundation in Halle sent two pastors, Johann Martin Boltzius and Israel Christian Gronau, to lead the religious immigrants in their new settlement. As other historians have shown, the Halle sponsors wanted Ebenezer to fulfill their own purposes: establish social and religious autonomy under British colonial rule, reproduce the economic structure and institutions of social and religious reform of the Francke Foundation, and establish a successful Pietist ministry in North America. This study examines journals and correspondence from Ebenezer's pastors, British …

Reading Motivation In Upper Elementary Students: How Children Explain Reading For Pleasure, Rebecca Lynn Poppe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the phenomenon of the pleasure reading experience in fourth and fifth grade students. The purpose of the study was to create a dialogue with children regarding their leisure reading habits in an effort to inform our understanding of aliteracy, a term that refers to having the ability to read but choosing not to. Fourth grade students were surveyed to uncover their attitudes toward pleasure reading and eleven students were chosen for interviews. Comparative data was obtained from those students who conveyed either extremely negative or extremely positive attitudes toward reading. Students of both genders were selected …

Constructing Educational Criticism Of Online Courses: A Model For Implementation By Practitioners, Kelvin Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online courses are complex, human-driven contexts for formal learning. Little has been said about the environment emerging from the interaction of instructor(s), learners, and other resources in such courses. Theories that focus on instructional settings and methods that are designed to accommodate inquiry into complex phenomena are essential to the systematic study of online courses. Such a line of research is necessary as the basis for a common language with which we can begin to speak holistically about online courses. In this dissertation, I attempt to generate better questions about the nature of online instructional environments. By combining prior works …

Social Competence Of High School Students Enrolled In Online Physical Education Courses, Deborah M. Ware

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the social competence of high school students enrolled in online Physical Education courses. Additionally, the demographic information regarding students who enroll in online Physical Education courses was examined. The subjects for this study included sixty students taking one of two Physical Education courses at the Florida Virtual School during the spring 2005 term. The entire curriculum of the Florida Virtual School is presented online and students live throughout the entire state of Florida. Therefore, the entire study was administered online. The assessment instrument used was the Teenage Inventory of Social Skills created …

Network Intrusion Detection: Monitoring, Simulation And Visualization, Mian Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents our work on network intrusion detection and intrusion sim- ulation. The work in intrusion detection consists of two different network anomaly-based approaches. The work in intrusion simulation introduces a model using explicit traffic gen- eration for the packet level traffic simulation. The process of anomaly detection is to first build profiles for the normal network activity and then mark any events or activities that deviate from the normal profiles as suspicious. Based on the different schemes of creating the normal activity profiles, we introduce two approaches for intrusion detection. The first one is a frequency-based approach which …

Perceived Stress, Coping, And Adequacy Of Social Support: Implications For Subjective Well-Being In College Students, Kia Asberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a widespread concept commonly associated with psychological and medical problems that may impair an individual's functioning and incur costs on society. Alarming rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other stress-related problems have been found among college students. This study (N = 241)argues that reducing emotional and financial stress-related costs may be possible through increasing public and professional awareness of moderating variables, such as social support and coping resources. Results indicated that stress, inadequate social support, and escape-avoidance coping were related to higher levels of depression and lower life satisfaction in both males and females. Social support functioned …

Development And Validation Of The Beile Test Of Information Literacy For Education (B-Tiled), Penny Beile O'Neil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few constituencies exist where it is more important to produce information literate individuals than teacher candidates, yet rarely is it suggested that practitioners entering the field are adequately prepared to teach and model information literacy to their students. As a result, information literacy has been established as a key outcome by a number of teacher education accrediting bodies and professional associations. Corollary to this initiative is the effort to develop valid instruments that assess information literacy skills. Yet, at the time of this dissertation, no rigorously reviewed instruments were uncovered that measure the information literacy skills levels of teacher candidates. …

Evaluating Ramp Metering And Variable Speed Limits To Reduce Crash Potential On Congested Freeways Using Micro-Simulation, Albinder Dhindsa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research at UCF into defining surrogate measures for identifying crash prone conditions on freeways has led to the introduction of several statistical models which can flag such conditions with a good degree of accuracy. Outputs from these models have the potential to be used as real-time safety measures on freeways. They may also act as the basis for the evaluation of several intervention strategies that might help in the mitigation of risk of crashes. Ramp Metering and Variable Speed Limits are two approaches which have the potential of becoming effective implementation strategies for improving the safety conditions on congested …