Digital Commons Network^™

How Has The Three Strikes And You're Out Law Affected The Elderly Inmate Population Growth In The Department Of Correction System Since Its Passage? An Examination Of Washington And California, Deborah A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This public policy thesis is grounded Washington with Initiative Measure Number 593, later called RCW.9.94A.555, followed by California with Proposition 184, later called California's Penal Code 1170.12. This public policy thesis has explored ways in which Washington and California are now faced with a new growing trend of elderly inmate population. This public policy thesis looked at the different methods of trying to solve this problem. The type of research used for this thesis has been the illustrative case study for the data collection and analysis. This type of case study uses the Qualitative Method. The Qualitative Research Method demonstrates …

Non -Major Physical Education Students' And Department Chairpersons' Perceptions Of Current Physical Education Activity Curriculum In The Nine State Supported Universities In Arkansas, Lynn Glover Leggett

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines perceptions of the department chairpersons and non-major physical education students at seven Arkansas state supported universities. The research study was based on two parts. Part I included a 16 item questionnaire survey to the physical education department chairpersons. The results of this study were analyzed using a qualitative clustering approach. The research was grounded in the department chairperson's questionnaire. Part II included a 26 item questionnaire survey to the non-major physical education students enrolled in physical education activity classes to meet the general education requirement. Twenty four questions were analyzed using a chi-square test to determine differences …

Physical And Computational Models Of Human Lung For Optimizing Respiratory Drug Delivery, Mohammed Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory drug particles aerosolized from the commercially available drug delivery devices may charge electrostatically. Investigations of the relevance of this charge on deposition in the human lung are just quite a few and they started early eighties though the aerosol science study is a decade old discipline. Additionally, the localized deposition of drug particles at desired sites such as inflamed tissue and appropriate receptors has been recognized by clinical investigators as being critical factors for the effective administration of respiratory drugs. To accomplish these tasks, it is imperative to undertake in vitro and in silico studies of medicinal drug aerosol …

Physicians' Communication With Older Patients, Particularly Older African American Women, About Sexual Health And Sexual Risk Behaviors For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)*, Regina Vaughn Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

HIV/AIDS is rising among people age 50 and older in the U.S. but primary care physicians may not be talking to their older patients about sexual health and high-risk sexual behaviors nor routinely testing them for HIV/AIDS. Do primary care physicians in Arkansas obtain sexual histories on their older patients? Are primary care physicians in Arkansas knowledgeable enough about HIV to impart risk-reduction information to their older patients? These are but two of the questions this research seeks to answer. Contrary to what the medical or general population believes, many older persons remain sexually active throughout their lifetime. The problem …

Psycho-Sexual Politics Of Life On The Streets: Narratives Of Homeless Women And Women Who Experienced Homelessness As Children, Jane Stallcup Rampona

Theses and Dissertations

Eleven homeless women and eleven providers of homeless services were administered qualitative surveys asking about the experience of homelessness for women. Both groups were asked, “Is it possible for a woman to be safe while on the streets?” Most homeless women emotionally and vehemently answered, “No!” Most providers also answered, though less passionately, that it was impossible for women to be safe on the streets. When asked, “What was the worst thing that happened to you while on the streets?” Most of the women spoke of rape and gang rape. The other eighteen per cent became suddenly uncommunicative regarding the …

The Integrated Implementation Of Surgical Simulations Through Modeling By Means Of Imaging, Comprehension, Visualization, Deformation, And Collision Detection In Virtual Environments, Sinan Kockara

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in information technology based applications in medicine and biology help to improve the conventional methods of delivering health services by enhancing and complementing traditional approaches of medical education, diagnostic techniques, intra-operative assistance, and pre/post operative services etc. Individualized medical training by virtual simulations and the use of advanced visualization techniques in cell biology will impact the way medicine is practiced and biological processes are understood. Although enhancing visualization and presenting the unreality in a form of blended virtuality is exceedingly accepted in medicine and biology, it brings many challenging but intriguing and intertwined multi disciplinary problems that are required …

The Proficiency Of English As A Second Language Students At A U.S. Metropolitan University: A Survey Of The Beliefs And Perceptions Of Core-Course Instructors, Pamela Henline Villines

Theses and Dissertations

The success of English as a Second Language (ESL) students at university level in the United States depends upon their ability to perform at a level of language proficiency deemed adequate by university core-course instructors. This writing begins with the historical derivation of “language proficiency,” and continues on to examine the curricular demands of the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). ESL students, both IELP graduates and IELP non-affiliates, may enroll in the core courses required to earn a degree from UALR. This thesis is based on the results of a survey …

Virtual Environments And Their Applications In Surgical Training, Tansel Halic

Theses and Dissertations

The advances in the application of Virtual Environments (VE) in medicine help to improve the conventional methods of delivering health services by enhancing and complementing traditional approaches of medical education, diagnostic techniques, intraoperative assistance, pre-post operative services etc. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are two forms of VEs that revolutionize medical training and fill the deficiencies in the traditional teaching/learning methods in medicine. Although presenting the unreality in a form of blended virtuality is exceedingly accepted in medicine, it brings many challenging but intriguing and intertwined multi disciplinary problems that are required to be addressed. This thesis proposal …

Enhancing Teaching And Learning: Integrating Technology And Nursing Education, Kellie Smith, Edd, Rn, Elizabeth Elkind, Rnc, Msn, Mba, Phd(C)

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Enhancing teaching and learning: Integrating technology and nursing education. Jefferson School of Nursing Faculty Development Day: Understanding scholarship: The Boyer model and career development. Philadelphia, PA (podium)

15 PowerPoint slides.

Addressing Challenges Encountered By Leadership Teams In Five Mentoring Programs, Gary M. Kilburg, Eloise Hockett

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This study is the third stage in a continuation of research by Kilburg and Hancock (2006) that investigated 149 mentoring teams in four school districts over a two year period. The current study is differentiated from the published study in that it identifies challenges encountered by mentoring program planning committees, coordinators, and administrators from five school districts over a six-year period. In the last two years of this present study, Critical Friends Group Coaches were added to one school district’s leadership team.

Fostering Resilient Characteristics In Individuals With Learning Disabilities, V. Shelly Dugle, Peggy Grigorenko

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Educational resilience is an important term for teacher candidates in Christian institutions to understand. Resilience can be nurtured and instilled in the lives of individuals with learning disabilities, and teacher candidates can play a vital role in that process. To assist in this course of action, a look at the definition and common characteristics of resilience are discussed. In addition, a closer look at four resilient individuals with learning disabilities is provided. Concrete suggestions on ways to incorporate resilient characteristics into students with learning disabilities are shared.

Labor Market Segregation And The Wage Differential Between Resident And Migrant Workers In China, Ruosi Lu

Lingnan Theses

This thesis looks at the effect of industrial and occupational segregation on the wage differential between resident and migrant workers in China. It extends the work of Meng and Zhang (2001) by considering the possible employment segregation of resident and migrant workers by both industry and occupation. I contend that industry segregation is at least as important as occupational segregation for Chinese migrant workers, as most migrant workers in China have come from the countryside to fuel the booming labor-intensive manufacturing and construction industries in the cites. Due to the hukou policy (a household registration system) in China, migrant workers …

Technological Disasters: An Investigation Of The Conservation Of Resources Theory On Depression, Brian Gentry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers studying the affects of resource loss following a technological disaster have exclusively investigated the acute period directly after the event occurred. This study applied Hobfoll's (1988, 1989) Conservation of Resources model in order to examine the long term effects of resource loss on depression in Cordova, Alaska a decade after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill. Results suggest that resource loss was a more prominent predictor for depression than demographics, involvement in the on-going litigation, or commercial fishing jobs. The research concludes that certain aspects of resource loss are critical in the development of depression after a technological disaster, and …

The Social Construction Of Claims-Making: Bahamian Anglers Vs. Non-Resident Sports-Fishermen, Sara Neuenschwander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On January 1, 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in the Department of Marine Resources of the Bahamas promulgated significant revisions to their sports-fishing regulations. While the new laws were designed to benefit the Bahamian fisheries, they caused a vociferous uproar among non-resident anglers who frequent the islands of the Bahamas to sports-fish. Of particular concern are the new regulations that limit the maximum weight and number of fish which non-resident anglers may keep on their boat. My research examines the claims-making activities made by American anglers on four different sports-fishermen/cruising forums. The analysis focuses on the motifs, …

We Are Not Responsible For Our Addictions, But We Are Responsible For Our Recovery": A Qualitative Exploratory Study Of The Li, Rachel Rayburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an exploratory, qualitative study of homeless, recovering alcoholics and the problems they encounter maintaining sobriety. Using semi-structured interviews, I analyze the experiences of ten men in their forties, who are in a recovery program designed for homeless men. I ask them how they stay sober without a place to live. Three kinds of problems are inferred from their narrative histories. First, the men have difficulty identifying as alcoholics. They have trouble fully integrating into the AA program. Second, the men struggle to form relationships with others, especially with a sponsor. Third, the process of "working the steps" is …

The Impact Of Religiosity On Sexual Victimization Experiences And Reporting Behaviors Among College Students, Nicole Bauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between religiosity of female college students and sexual victimization experiences. These experiences include the reporting behaviors that take place subsequent to an act of sexual victimization. The study utilized secondary data gathered from the forth wave of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Justice between 1990 and 1995. The study used multidimensional levels of religiosity to analyze and to assess its impact on the sexual victimization experiences. Findings ascertained that certain behavioral measures of religiosity were consistently found to be a protective factor against sexual victimization. On the other hand, subjective measures …

Brothers & Sisters: A New Impetus For Social Construction And Its Impact On Traditional Cultivation Analysis, Scott Elmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholars recognize television's ability to influence culture. According to Gerbner, television creates socially constructed realities through the cultivation of its viewers. Television is designed to satisfy the diverse needs of large audiences. The mainstream messages conveyed via television have power to alter perceptions and change culture. Gerbner's theory was constructed from the analysis of crime dramas with single plot lines. Using the ABC television program Brothers & Sisters, this thesis explores the theoretical implications dramas with multiple plot lines have on traditional notions of cultivation theory. Through a content analysis and focus groups, evidence was acquired to suggest that cultivation …

Time On Florida's Death Row: A Theory Of "Benign Neglect", Angela Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to identify and explain what influences the length of time an inmate spends on Florida's death row. A systematic random sample of 33 Florida death row inmates was drawn from the Florida Department of Corrections death row roster and the Florida Commission on Capital Cases inmate roster. Documented for each death row inmate was how long he spent on Florida's death row navigating the various stages and steps in Florida's post-conviction capital punishment process. The data show that petitions to the state trial courts and appeals to the Florida Supreme Court take the longest time in Florida's …

Leadership Behaviors Gained As A Result Of Involvement In A Community College Student Leader Program, Chanda Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether participation in a community college student leader program had an effect on the leadership behaviors of students based on five (5) practices measured by a student leadership practices inventory. By assessing these leadership behaviors, the community college was able to determine the effectiveness of the program and ways to improve the program's curriculum. This study addressed the following: 1) whether students who participated in a student leader program in a community college showed significant growth in leadership behaviors; 2) whether the growth in leadership behaviors of students who participated in a …

The Prevalence Of Bullying In Central Florida Middle Schools As Perceived By Students, Marty Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was developed to produce data about the prevalence of bullying in Central Florida middle schools. The research was intended to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on bullying and victimization. The focus for this study was provided through research questions: (a) to determine if there is a mean difference in perceived victimization among Central Florida middle school students based on grade level, gender, and ethnicity; (b) to determine if there is a mean difference in perceived bullying among Central Florida middle school students based on grade level, gender, and ethnicity; (c) to determine what support do students …

In The Critical Tradition: An Examination Of National Board Certified Teachers In A Central Florida School District, Jacquelyn Flanigan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1986, the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy published A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century in which it recommended that a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) be established to ascertain and institute criteria for teacher excellence (Steiner, 1995). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) mandated that every classroom employ a "highly qualified teacher" (No Child Left Behind, 2001a); moreover, NCLB articulated the relationship between improving student achievement and higher standards for qualifying classroom teachers (Rotberg, Futrell & Lieberman, 1998). Research conducted in Miami-Dade County supports Florida's use of National Board Certification (NBC) …

An Analysis Of Predictors Of Enrollment And Successful Achievement For Girls In High School Advanced Placement Physics, Darlene Depalma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A problem within science education in the United States persists. U.S students rank lower in science than most other students from participating countries on international tests of achievement (National Center for Education Statistics, 2003). In addition, U.S. students overall enrollment rate in high school Advanced Placement (AP) physics is still low compared to other academic domains, especially for females. This problem is the background for the purpose of this study. This investigation examined cognitive and motivational variables thought to play a part in the under-representation of females in AP physics. Cognitive variables consisted of mathematics, reading, and science knowledge, as …

The Effectiveness Of "Delivering Unfavorable News To Patients Diagnosed With Cancer" Training Program For Oncologists In Uzbekis, Gulnora Hundley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective physician-patient communication is primary to successful medical consultation and encourages a collaborative interactional process between patient and doctor. Collaborative communication, rather than one-way authoritarian, physician-led medical interview, is significant in navigating difficult circumstances such as delivering "bad news" to patients diagnosed with cancer. Additionally, the potential psychological effects of breaking bad news in an abrupt and insensitive manner can be devastating and long-lasting for both the patient and his or her family. The topic of delivering unfavorable news to patients is an issue that many medical professionals find to be challenging and is now getting the attention of medical …

The Effects Of The Attainment Of Functional Assessment Skills By Preschool Teachers And Their Assistants On Students' Classr, Karen Wagner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching functional assessment skills to three Prekindergarten teachers and their teaching assistants. The effects were measured by examining the behavior of the teachers and assistants, as well as the behaviors of the students; before, during and after the delivery of three, two-hour functional assessment classes. The teaching staff videotaped themselves and their students during a regular class time, predetermined by the researcher and each teacher prior to the onset of baseline data collection, over an approximate nine-week period. The video was taken in twelve-minute segments every day. Later, the …

The Impact Of Video Modeling And Peer Mentoring Of Social Skills For Middle School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders In In, Christine Ogilvie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the behavioral expectations of students by teachers and peers in middle school inclusive classrooms and characteristics inherent to students with ASD, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of video modeling and peer mentoring of five critical social skills for inclusion on middle school students with ASD. Specifically, the extent to which the combination of video modeling and peer mentoring of five critical social skills would increase the level of demonstration of these skills in the general education inclusion setting was investigated. Because individuals with ASD exhibit limited social communication skills, those skills necessary especially at …

Listening To Student Voices: Web-Based Mentoring For Black Male Students With Emotional Disorders, David Grant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The voices of Black male students labeled ED are seldom heard regarding their perspectives on education and their lives in general. By excluding their opinions, educators are missing an important aspect that could improve educational services for Black males with ED. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the implications of Web-based mentoring as a platform for Black male students with ED to articulate their thoughts on the factors that impact their behaviors and achievement. Mentoring as an intervention granted Black males with ED a platform to share their thoughts. Technology was used as an educational resource to academically engage …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Using Handhelds To Increasecomputational Speed By Enhancing Working Memory Forsecondary Stude, Marcey Kinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using a single subject research design, the effects of computer based brain training were examined to determine if computational fluency increased after completing the brain training activities. The study took place in a large public high school. Participants were students with learning disabilities who were also below level in mathematics. During the baseline phase, all participants completed a timed math probe daily for 1 week. Because the timed math probes were timed, the researcher was looking for an average gain for each student. During week two students completed the brain age activities daily, prior to completing the math probe. Average …

Effects Of A Computer Game On Mathematics Achievement And Class Motivation: An Experimental Study, Mansureh Kebritchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last few years educational computer games have gained attention as a tool for facilitating learning in different sectors of society including but not limited to military, health, and education. However, advances in computer game technology continue to outpace research on its effectiveness. Few empirical studies have investigated the effects of educational games in the context of formal K-12 settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a series of mathematics computer games on mathematics achievement and motivation of high school students. In addition, the role of prior mathematics knowledge, computer skill, and English language …

Perspectives Of Health Information Management Faculty Use Of An E-Learning Laboratory And Technology Acceptance, Peggy Meli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the delivery of healthcare has become more sophisticated, scientific, and complex, the need for HIM (Health Information Management) professionals at all levels has increased, and the role and status of those managing these functions has increased accordingly. (AHIMA, September 24, 2007). Studies by the Institute of Medicine and others have found suboptimal technology use throughout the healthcare industry. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) developed the e-HIM Virtual Lab (V-lab) to train students in the use of new technology applications in response to IOM findings. Faculty are the gatekeepers for use of instructional technology in educational settings. Many …

An Analysis Of Accreditation Processes, Quality Control Criteria, Historical Events, And Student Performance, Robert Burris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student performance has been influenced by historical events, legislative mandates, and accreditation processes. This study consists of comparing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation processes with those of the Association of Christian Schools International. In completing this qualitative study, the following procedures were implemented: Related research was used to provide a background of the role that historical events, legislation, and accreditation processes have on student performance; data were collected to establish time line shifts in an historical perspective. The data collected included assessment, accountability, high school drop …