Digital Commons Network^™

Digging Through The Garden State's Digital Divide: A Descriptive Retrospective Study Of Differences In Educational Technology Resources In New Jersey Public Elementary Schools According To Socioeconomic Status, Percentage Of Minority Students, Abbott District Designation, And Charter School Designation, Veronica E. Geyer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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How Revenue Sources Have Adjusted To Changes In State Appropriations At The Three New Jersey Public Research Universities From 1994-2003, Tsung Y. Soo Hoo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Fatigue's Influence On Workload, Situation Awareness, And Performance In A Military Simulation Of Combat, Carlotta M. Boone

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Military operations routinely require military personnel to consistently perform their duties over several hours or days. Tasks that require prolonged work can lead to mental fatigue and decreased performance. The transactional model proposes that individuals cope with changes in the environment and maintain performance. This ability to cope is determined by factors of the environment and the individual's personality. One environmental factor that can influence coping is extended task performance. This study examined the effect of extended task performance and its interaction with task difficulty. Participants interacted with the military simulation game Command and Conquer: Generals™ for three hours. They …

Features Of Optimally Motivating College Classrooms: Perspectives Of Preservice Teachers, Donna S. Bogart

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The primary objective of this mixed methods study was to explore the parameters of college students' perspectives on classroom learning environments. Specifically, the investigation sought to identify and describe the relevant features of the college classroom context that undergraduate students distinguished as promoting and supporting academic motivation at one four-year postsecondary institution. Secondarily, the study sought to examine the extent to which there was an association between the achievement goals students endorsed and their perspectives concerning the motivating features of the classroom learning environment. The nonprobability purposeful sample of undergraduate students consisted of 122 preservice teachers who were attending a …

A Study Of The Impact Of Mayoral Control And School Reform Legislation Upon New York City Leaders And School Administrators, William C. Jusino-Gomez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The overarching goal of the study was to ascertain if the changes underway as a result of the New York City School Reform act will have meaningful impact on the quality of education offered to over 1 million schoolchildren? Additionally, will mayoral control in the New York City public school system guarantee basic human rights standards? Will consideration be given to the associated conditions of poverty and limited opportunities? Will mayoral control contribute towards fighting disparities in resources? The purpose of this research is to study the impact of school reform legislation upon New York City leaders and school administrators. …

Judicial Implementation Of The Revised Family Code In Addis Ababa, Tassew Shiferaw Gizaw

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

This study is concerned with the judicial implementation of the revised family code in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The revised family code pertains to the family courts of Addis Ababa which are situated at the lower level of government structure. These courts have a public mandate and are the legitimate public forums wherein to authorize the implementation of the provisions of the code. Open-ended interviews were conducted with judges, attorneys and people affiliated with gender advocacy institutions. The results show that the revised family code contains both strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include the observation that the application of the revised …

Brass: A Queueing Manager For Warrick, Frank Mccown, Amine Benjelloun, Michael L. Nelson

Computer Science Faculty Publications

When an individual loses their website and a backup can-not be found, they can download and run Warrick, a web-repository crawler which will recover their lost website by crawling the holdings of the Internet Archive and several search engine caches. Running Warrick locally requires some technical know-how, so we have created an on-line queueing system called Brass which simplifies the task of recovering lost websites. We discuss the technical aspects of recon-structing websites and the implementation of Brass. Our newly developed system allows anyone to recover a lost web-site with a few mouse clicks and allows us to track which …

'Negotiated' Transparency? Corporate Citizenship Engagement And Environmental Disclosure, Scott Marshall, Darrell Brown, Marlene Plumlee

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Corporate stakeholder relations are historically typified by power imbalances and mistrust, but in recent times, they are increasingly characterized by 'dialogue' based on mutual understanding and creative action. In this paper we consider corporate engagements with two external stakeholder groups, citizenship-focused non-governmental organizations (NGO) and institutional investors, and examine the potential association between these engagements and corporate disclosure of environmental information. Based on a sample of 183 firms over a three-year time period, we analyze the relationships between NGO engagement, investor activism and the quality of corporate voluntary environmental disclosure. Our findings suggest that engagement with skills-focused NGOs and the …

National Board Of Teaching Standards Portfolio Option, Karen Koenig

Graduate Research Papers

The entries that I used for this portfolio are entries one, two, and four. Entry one is Designing Science Instruction. In this entry, I demonstrate how I link instructional activities together to promote students' understanding of an important scientific concept along with the development of one or more related process goals. The students chosen represented different types of challenges for me. I included three instructional activities, related instructional materials, two student responses to each activity, and a written commentary.

Development And Implementation Of The Bring Your Own Water Treatment System In Dense, Rural, And Mountainous Rwandan Communities, Maximilian Gold, Evan A. Thomas, Richard L. Byyny, Jean Pierre Habanabakize

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over a billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water1. While numerous technological, medical, and educational solutions have been implemented for the benefit of disadvantaged communities, there is no 'magic bullet'. Instead, development agencies must partner directly with these communities to address their public health needs through appropriate technology solutions, backed up by education and assessment. The "Bring Your Own Water (BYOW) Treatment System" developed by the Engineers Without Borders-USA chapters at the University of Colorado at Boulder Chapter (EWB-CU) and the Johnson Space Center (EWB-JSC) is uniquely designed to address the water treatment requirements of two …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

At Home Among Strangers: The Acculturation Process Of Female African Refugees In The Upper Midwest, Lori J. Dewitt, Judy C. Pearson, Adam W. Tyma, Kelly E. Wolf, David H. Kahl Jr.

Iowa Journal of Communication

This report details an action research project initiated by a team of university researchers with area female African refugees. The goal was to determine the primary issues facing this population and to provide potential solutions. Through focus groups, five problems emerged. Upon identification of these problems, and in conjunction with the refugees and other citizens, the researchers proposed the formation of a community-wide coalition charged with specific objectives to meet the needs of this growing population. Subsequent to the project, an inter-agency coalition, which reports to the city's human rights commission, was established to ameliorate the problems of the refugees.

Nurturing Children's Spirituality: A Preliminary Study Of The Challenges In "Mixed-Faith" Marriages, Isolde K. Anderson

Iowa Journal of Communication

North Americans' high levels of involvement in religious activities is well-documented (Barna & Hatch, 2001; Gallup & Jones, 2000). Yet there is little empirical research on how families with one religious parent and one non-religious parent nurture their children's faith at home. Parents in this situation may have difficulty balancing the different interest levels in religion among family members, knowing when and to whom to direct religious conversation, and how to create family rituals that are inclusive and not divisive. This preliminary study maps some of the communication challenges facing such "mixed-faith" couples regarding the faith development of their children. …

21st Century Women Leaders: Uncharted Journey, S. Irene Matz

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study looked at women in three professional arenas-academe, business and government-and measured the degree of emphasis placed on six leadership styles. Results of the test indicated the six styles existed in all three arenas; however, an analysis demonstrated consensus was the most favored overall while academicians emphasized the consensual style to a greater extent than business and government professionals. Implications for women's leadership are discussed.

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 39, Number 2, Spring 2007 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Holocaust On Your Plate: The Role Of Peta Extremism In The Animal Rights Movement, Christine Miller

Iowa Journal of Communication

This essay explores the ideological motivations behind PETA's 2003 vegetarian billboard campaign "Holocaust on Your Plate." The campaign's argument is dissected into a theoretical framework built on controversy, moral shock, confrontation, and oppositional argument. The more abstract cultural choices behind PETA's Holocaust billboards are further understood through rhetorical analysis, particularly focusing on visual messages of audience segregation (choosing sides), the transfer of guilt, and equal suffering between animals and humans. This essay concludes that PETA was successful in its aim to create new dialogue on the issue of animal rights with regard to the food industry.

Feminist Film And The Dilemma Of Killing Us Softly, Joanne Morreale

Iowa Journal of Communication

This essay traces the trajectory of Killing Us Softly, the classic feminist film critique of images of women in advertising. All four versions of the film from 1979 to 2001 provide insight into the social/historical context of the women's movement and its influence on advertising while simultaneously illustrating the influence of advertising on feminist discourse. As the original 1979 film is transformed in 1987, 2000, and 2001, this article analyzes its formal and strategic shifts in order to assess how feminist pedagogical films can best serve as tools for achieving social and political change.

Learning Cycles In The Biology Classroom, Christine Winstead

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

2007 Everything You Never Expected, Northern University High School

Malcolm Price Laboratory School Yearbooks

The student yearbook of the Northern University High School, part of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School of the University of Northern Iowa.

Spelling Instruction In The Primary Grades, Kathleen Ziegler

Graduate Research Papers

This paper chronicles a multi-year effort to study best practices according to spelling research and the implementation of these practices into a primary classroom. This effort occurred in a school situated in the inner city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school consists of approximately 330 students grades one through five and serves a diverse population of students. Over the years of this work, approximately fifty percent of students at the school were African American with the remaining students primarily Caucasian. Sixty-nine percent of students are considered low SES ( socioeconomic status) as they qualified for the free and reduced meal …

Prediction Of Interference Pathloss Inside Commercial Aircraft Using Modulated Fuzzy Logic And Neural Networks, Madiha Jamil Jafri

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Although several modeling techniques have been used to model indoor radio wave propagation and coupling patterns, to date no efficient model exists that calculates indoor-outdoor radio wave propagations on commercial aircraft. Due to the complexity of an aircraft structure, with the additive introduction of creeping wave phenomenon and unknown back-door propagation values from the exterior aircraft antenna to the avionics bay, numerical modeling approaches using Method of Moments (MoM) or Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) prove too complex with limitations. This dissertation presents an expert neuro-fuzzy (NF) model for Interference pathloss (IPL) predictions inside an Airbus 320 (A320) airplane, for …

The Impact Of An Employer Sponsored Walking Program On Employees' Cardiovascular Risks, Joan Breslin Sechrist

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The problem of this study was to determine if participation in an employer sponsored walking program reduced employees' cardiovascular health risks. The independent variable was the "WalkAbout with Healthy Edge" program and the dependent variables included: body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol, amount of exercise, and tobacco use. The study population was an employer group of 1300, and 284 employees registered for the program. Due to attrition, 79 submitted the first month of step logs and participation decreased over the months respectively to 58, 40, 38, 32, and 29. Twenty-three participants submitted six months of walking logs, and pre-test …

Understanding Dispersion Models Using Computer Technology, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Objectives:

• Analyze dispersion models
• Use computer models to predict outcomes of various scenarios

9-12 NSES Standards:

• Standard A: Inquiry - Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and Understanding about scientific inquiry
• Standard E: Science and Technology - Abilities of technological design and Understanding about science and technology
• Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - Personal and community health, Population growth, Natural resources, Environmental quality, Natural and human-induced hazards, Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges

Particulate Matter Matters!, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

National Science Education Standards:

• CONTENT STANDARD D: Science as Inquiry
• CONTENT STANDARD E: Understandings about science and technology
• CONTENT STANDARD F: Personal and community health; Environmental quality

Indoor Air Pollution, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Objectives: Students will learn about indoor air pollutants the types and legal concentrations and affects on human health. The students will also determine the pathway for the formation of radon.

National Science Education Standards: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of the structure of the atoms; environmental quality; and natural and human-induced hazards.

As a result of their activity the students will have a better understanding of the atom’s parts and how the atom disintegrates and interacts with the environment. The students should have a better understanding of the …

There's A Whole Lotta Spillin' Goin' On!, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Unit Learning Objectives: The learner should be able to:

1. Compare and contrast hazardous chemical spills 2. Comprehend how hazardous chemicals affect the environment.
3. Explain the difficulty involved in cleaning up a hazardous spill.
4. Explain how the chemical travels once it is released.
5. Assess how hazardous chemicals affect the human body and animal life.
6. Analyze a chemical spill and its affects on its surroundings.
7. Create an emergency management system based on a real life situation

Evidence of Understanding: By the end of this unit, students should be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of hazardous …

Is Air Quality In The Index?, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Objectives:

• Make predictions and explanations based from evidence.
• Identify sources of air pollution that affect air quality.
• Interpret and apply the Air Quality Index.
• Have the desire to share Air Quality information with others.

5-8 NSES Standards:

• Standard A: Inquiry •Standard D: Structure of Earth Systems
•Standard E: Science and Technology
•Standard F: Personal Health, Population, Resources, Environmental and Natural Hazards, Risks and Benefits, Science and Technology in Society

9-12 NSES Standards:

• Standard A: Inquiry
• Standard D: Geochemical Cycles, Origin and Evoluti
on of the Earth System
• Standard E: Science and Technology …

Trouble Breathing?, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Objective:

Students will make connections from everyday situations to air quality. Students will know the 7 criteria pollutants established by the EPA and monitored by each state.

National Science Education Standard:

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, students w ill learn that natural environments may contain substances that are harmful to human beings. Maintaining environmental health involves establishing or monitoring quality standards related to use of soil, water, and air.

It’S Time For A Change, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Learning Objective: (adapted from the Secondary National Science Content Standards)

1 .Chemical reactions may release or consume energy. Some reactions, such as burning fossil fuels, release large amounts of energy by losing heat and emitting light.

2. Light can initiate many chemical reactions such as the evolution of urban smog.

3. The total energy of the universe is constant. Energy can be transferred by collisions in chemical reactions. However, it can never be destroyed.

4. Everything becomes less orderly over time. In energy transfer the overall effect of the energy spreads out uniformly like the warming of our surroundings as …

Factories - Friends Or Foes?, Storm Project

Open Educational Resources

Objective: Students will be able to role play various points of view considering placement of a factory and its effects on air quality.

National Science Education Standards:

Standard E - Understandings about science and technology

Standard F -

• Personal health
• Populations, resources, and environments
• Natural hazards
• Risks and benefits
• Science and technology in society

Standard G - Science as a human endeavor