Digital Commons Network^™

How Do You Like It? Student Perspectives On Remote E-Learning, Jeremy Pagram, Elaine Rabbitt

EDU-COM International Conference

Edith Cowan University (ECU) is embracing e-learning as its preferred mode of distance education. E-learning has changed the mode, pedagogy and style of learning for distance education students. The convenience of studying online has provided numerous opportunities for remote learners but what is the reality of their educational experience via e-learning? This paper reports on a smallscale research project that examined e-learning from the student‘s perspective. The views of ECU distance education students in Singapore, Thailand, and remote parts of Australia were analysed in order to learn how to better support their needs.

Spanish In Brazil: Language Policy, Business, And Cultural Propaganda, José Del Valle

Publications and Research

The purpose of this article is to describe and analyze the language policies designed and implemented since the early nineties by Spanish government agencies in order to promote Spanish as a valuable international language. In particular, we focus on its promotion in Brazil and on the strategies used to legitimize not only the presence of the language in various domains (e.g. the educational system) but also the active participation of Spanish institutions in its spread. Through a detailed analysis of a corpus of relevant texts, (a) we critically examine the cultural, economic, and political roots of these policies, as well …

Normalizing The Abnormal: Disability In Music And Music Theory, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

The emerging interdisciplinary field of disability studies takes as its subject matter the historical, social, and cultural construction of disability. After a brief introduction to disability studies, this article explores the interconnected histories of disability and music as they are manifested in three theoretical approaches to late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Western art music (the musical Formenlehre and the tonal theories of Schoenberg and Schenker) and in three works by Beethoven and Schubert. Around the turn of the nineteenth century in Western Europe, disability began to be understood not as something natural and permanent but rather as a deviation from …

Feminists, Angels, Poets, And Revolutionaries: What I'Ve Learned From Ruthann Robson And Nicole Brossard On What It Means To Be A Law Teacher, Kim Brooks

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This short piece was written as a tribute to the contributions Ruthann Robson has made to legal pedagogy, and was presented at a Symposium in her honor held at CUNY.

What's Wrong And Who Cares? Reader Reaction To Error, Susan Rashid Horn

Open Access Dissertations

As much as readers profess to be bothered by its presence, little is known about error except that it is irksome. This study demonstrates that error has practical consequences. While error may not significantly affect reading comprehension, it does affect reading time and reading patterns, and its presence correlates with a negative construction of the writer. Prior studies about error have been conducted in formats where errors are highlighted and readers are queried about the degree of "bothersomeness." But Williams has demonstrated there is a difference between reading for error and reading for content. So in this study, errors were …

Equal Protection Unmodified: Justice John Paul Stevens And The Case For Unmediated Constitutional Interpretation, Andrew M. Siegel

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

Defining (Multiple) Selves: Reflections On Fieldwork In Jakarta, Chang Yau Hoon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The 'Self' in late-modernity is never singular but multiplies across different discourses, practices and positions. It is constructed through difference. It is only through a relation to the 'Other' that the 'Self' can be defined. This paper endeavours to map the endless negotiations of my 'Self' as male Australian academic of Chinese descent, a Malaysian citizen, a Bruneian resident, and an Indonesian specialist, over a period of fieldwork in Jakarta in 2004. It discusses how I defined my multiple 'Selves' to different individuals and communities, how they in turn defined me, and how these constructions were always shifting. Depending on …

Constructing Accurate And Parsimonious Fuzzy Models With Distinguishable Fuzzy Sets Based On An Entropy Measure, Shang Ming Zhou, John Q. Gan

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Role Identity Formation Of Occupational Therapy Students, Denise A. Rotert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the professional socialization process of occupational therapy students from a role identity theoretical perspective. First-year students, second-year students, fieldwork students, and faculty at an occupational therapy educational program at a Midwestern institution volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected through focus group interviews and surveys. The focus of the study was to determine factors associated with occupational therapy students’ identity salience, commitment, and role-person merger. Interviews and surveys were used to determine what factors, over and above didactic education, influence the socialization of students into the profession of occupational therapy and what …

Law's Quandary: An Echo Of The Infinite, A Glimpse Of The Unfathomable , William Joseph Wagner

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Law, Natural Law, And Human Intelligence: Living The Correlation, Patrick Mckinley Brennan

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Faith And Faithfulness In Corporate Theory, Lyman P.Q. Johnson

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Immigration And Ethnic Diversity In Nevada, Thomas C. Wright

Social Health of Nevada Reports

In a few decades, non-Hispanic whites will constitute a bare majority in the United States. If current demographic trends continue,

• By 2050, the Hispanic population will more than double, the Asian population will double, and the African-American population will grow at a faster pace than non-Hispanic whites.

These developments promise to bring profound changes in the country’s ethnic and racial landscape. Many of these demographic trends are on display in the Silver State.

Book Reviews

New Mexico Historical Review

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of The Gaelic Mythos Through Twentieth-Century Drama, Kristina Ann Mcgraw

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis I will explore the Gaelic mythos as it evolved in Irish drama throughout the twentieth century. I will begin by surveying postcolonial theories of imperialism's effect on culture, drawing comparisons to Ireland's reaction to colonialism. I will then discuss the Celtic Revival movement, as propagated by W. B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory and John Millington Synge at the turn of the twentieth century. I will discuss this movement's use of Gaelic folklore and mythology through its drama; Next, I will consider this mythology's reception by later dramatists, represented by Sean O'Casey and Brian Friel. I will examine …

Lakesha And Kushawn: A Cultural Linguistic Approach To Afro-American Onomastics, Clara J Senif

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is a cultural linguistic study of Afro-American naming patterns from the 1960's through the present. I show that personal name choices are reflective of the cultural-historical influences present at the time that any given name choice is made. In the Afro-American community this influence is reflected in the manifestation of an entirely new pattern of names which are herein labeled as 'constructive'. Constructive names are formed by the use of one or more 'freefixes' and will be shown to be illustrative of the Afro-American desire for ethnic identity collectively and individually.

Loose Slots: Imaginations Of The American Demos, Jessica Frances Thomas

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Millions of Americans are subject to television programs about Las Vegas through shows such as CSI and Las Vegas, but there is little fictionalized writing done about this city, and only a small percentage of that takes place off the Strip. Since the publication of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , there has yet to another pop literary examination of Las Vegas as a cultural contributor to the American experience. Partially because of the fluid nature of the city, its ability to shape-shift within a decade, and partially because it is so difficult to avoid the …

The Development Of Children's Orthographic Knowledge: A Microgenetic Perspective, Ann C Sharp

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Literacy scholars traditionally described spelling development as a stage-like progression of increasing orthographic understanding measured by orthographic feature errors children used but confused (Henderson, 1980; Ehri, 1992). Overlapping Wave theorists defined spelling development as a series of adaptive choices between sophisticated and unsophisticated spelling strategies measured by the type and amount of strategies children used (Siegler, 1996). To disentangle discrepancies found between the alternative viewpoints, the current study: replicated and extended a previous investigation that described spelling development as overlapping waves (Riffle-Johnson & Sieger, 1999); investigated differential feedback conditions as a source of spelling growth; and examined correlates between orthographic …

An Exploration Of The Alienation Experienced By African American Parents From Their Child's Educational Environment, Regina R Brandon

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Current research suggests that parents are one of the key components to the school success of their children. The literature indicates that parent interest and involvement impacts education in the areas of: (a) quality of instruction received, (b) student respect for learning, and (c) student excellence in school. Involved parents simply make the educational system better. However, in today's world, parents often work long hours, have more than one job, and participate in multiple responsibilities that may limit their participation. Because of the variety of factors that impinge on parents, educators often criticize them for their non-participation or limited participation …

The Principal's Role In Promoting Standards-Based Professional Development, Barbara Jill Presler

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe principals' and teachers' knowledge of recommended professional development practice as defined by The National Staff Development Council (2001). In addition, the study described teachers' and principals' perceptions of professional development practices in their schools; This study was guided by three research questions: (1) how do principals perceive their own behaviors and activities relative to professional development; (2) how do teachers perceive administrator's behavior and actions relative to professional development; and (3) to what extent did principals base the professional development activities and practices within their schools on the National Staff Development Standards?;This …

Optimization For Finite Element Modeling Of Electronic Components Under Dynamic Loading, Srujanbabu Sridharala

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Usage of electronic components in the U.S. ARMY applications is becoming more challenging due to their usage in harsh environments. Experimental verification of these components is expensive and it can yield information about specific locations only. This research outlines the finite element modeling methodology for these electronic components that are subjected to high acceleration loads that occur over extremely short time such as impact, gun firing and blast events. Due to their miniature size these finite element models are computationally expensive. An optimization engine was presented to have an efficient analysis procedure that provides a combination of accuracy, computational speed …

Democratic Writing Pedagogy And The Southern Nevada Writing Project, Thomas B Smith

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how practicing teachers acted to incorporate a more democratic writing pedagogy in their classrooms after participation in the Southern Nevada Writing Project's Summer Institute. Democracy in this study refers to a critical view of democracy. This research is a multiple case study of five teachers' practice during the first half of the school year following their participation in the Institute. The participants teach in schools of varying grade levels, SES, and achievement. Data sources included classroom observations with follow-up interviews, a final group interview, and artifacts from the Institute. These data were …

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Language Learning On English Language Learners With And Without Disabilities In An Elementary School Setting, Christine Kay Beaird

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the English Language Learners Instructional System (ELLIS) on oral language, written language, and reading achievement among students who are English language learners with and without disabilities. Additionally, levels of teacher satisfaction with computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and the use of ELLIS were assessed. Participants were 78 third, fourth, and fifth grade students with and without disabilities enrolled in a public elementary school. All participants were of Hispanic descent and were identified as being Non- or Limited-English Proficient based on the Language Assessment Scales (LAS) (CTB Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 1994). Twelve of …

The Development Of Domain-Specific And Domain-General Metacognitive Monitoring, Brett Douglas Campbell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Metacognitive monitoring may be a critical element in self-regulated learning. Two types of metacognitive monitoring have been identified: domain-specific and domain-general. Domain-specific metacognitive monitoring occurs when an individual is monitoring content-specific knowledge. Domain-general metacognitive monitoring occurs in situations when content-specific knowledge is not available. Currently no research is available that examines the developmental differences between domain-specific and domain-general metacognitive monitoring in children. This study attempted to address this issue by asking children in first, fourth, and seventh grade to make item-by-item confidence judgments while providing answers in two domain-specific tasks and two domain-general tasks. Two working memory spans tasks were …

The Impact Of Computer-Based Interventions With And Without Primary Language Support On Reading Skills Of English Language Learners, Catherine M Draper Rodriguez

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Reading is the most important skill that English Language (EL) learners acquire in school (Slavin & Cheung, 2005). Success in reading has been shown to impact many areas of student social and economic opportunities (Peregoy & Boyle, 2005). Students who come to school with limited English proficiency have greater difficulty learning to read in English (Freeman & Freeman, 2004). With the rise in the number of EL learning students in schools, school districts are compelled to find ways to teach English literacy skills to students with primary languages other than English; This study had two purposes. The first purpose was …

"It's Little Things Here And There": An Exploration Of Preservice Teachers' Experiences Of Becoming Multicultural Educators, Carli Rhonda Kyles

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Participants in this study included seven preservice teachers (4 females, 3 males) enrolled in an undergraduate teacher preparation program at a major urban university in the U.S. Southwest completed a series of multiple in-depth interviews. The purpose of this study was to understand and explore the lived experiences and meaning preservice teachers made of their experiences in becoming multicultural people and teachers since taking introductory multicultural education coursework. Approaches and dimensions of multicultural education, theories of becoming multicultural, and research on teacher beliefs while learning to teach were used in conjunction with narrative inquiry to uncover and interpret participants' lived …

A Philosophical Inquiry Into The Development Of The Notion Of Kalos Kagathos From Homer To Aristotle, Geoffrey Coad

Theses

In this thesis, I shall attempt to show that the Greeks believed in the ideal of a marriage between the beautiful and the good. This important philosophical ideal rests upon the premise that beauty depends upon function, behaviour and the intention of the agent. It is the anti-modernist position. This notion known to the ancient Greeks as kalos kagathos, which dates back to the times of Homer, seems to have been forgotten in our times. This study will trace the development of this ideal from Homer to Aristotle. This world view differs from the one we have come to understand …

The Effectiveness Of A Literature-Driven English Programme In Improving The English Language Skills Of Secondary One Students In Singapore, Mary Delfin Pereira

Theses

The aim of the research was to discover whether an integrated Literature and English curriculum would be effective in enhancing the English language skills of students in schools. The curriculum initiative project was conducted as multiple site case studies in four secondary schools in Singapore over a span of five to six weeks during 2004. These schools included a girls’ only school, a boys’ only school and two co-educational schools. These schools were also of different types: independent, government-aided and government schools. The sample within and across the schools provided: different levels of performance in a graded situation; multiple teachers …

The Relationship Between Attitudes And Achievements In English Integrated Business Courses, Lidia Pin Chou

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Calling Genocide By Its Rightful Name: Lemkin's Word, Darfur, And The Un Report, David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

When the United Nations commission investigating Darfur issued its report in January 2005, it concluded that the Darfur atrocities represented war crimes and crimes against humanity, but not genocide. This had the harmful effect of deflating efforts to mobilize political support to halt the Darfur atrocities. But the Commission's conclusion was based entirely on technicalities in the legal definitions of the international crimes, not on denial that extermination is going on in Darfur. In this paper, the author argues that the legal and popular meanings of genocide have diverged in harmful ways: where laymen understand that mass killings and rapes …