Digital Commons Network^™

Respiratory Kinematics Of Adult Males During Graded Listening Tasks, Laura Lerette Gingrich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Covert speech movements have been observed to increase with linguistic complexity during listening tasks. This study investigated the presence of covert respiratory movements during listening tasks of increasing complexity to answer the following research questions: 1. Do normal adult male listeners aged fifty and above without central nervous system injury change from rest breathing patterns to speech breathing patterns while listening to passages of increasing complexity; 2. Is there a greater shift towards speech breathing while listening to passages of greater complexity? Chest wall kinematics often male participants were obtained and analyzed for significant changes from rest breathing during four …

An Examination Of Intercultural Communication Training Programs For U.S. Sojourners In Denominational And Non-Denominational Organizations, Stuart L. Holsing

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Whether for business or personal pleasure, service projects or military service, each year millions travel to destinations very different from their own culture. The preparation of the sojourner for effective interaction in their host culture will largely determine success or failure in meeting the mutual objectives all parties involved. My experiences both as a participant and leader of seven different teams of volunteers with Christian agencies led me to investigate what training is given to equip sojourners for the challenges they will face in navigating the unfamiliar territory of cultural differences in the course of performing their mission. How is …

Extending The Reach Of The State Into The Post-Sentence Period: Section 26 Of The Criminal Justice Act 2007, Mary Rogan

Articles

The Criminal Justice Act 2007 heralded a plethora of changes to Irish criminal law and procedure. The law on sentencing was also affected by its provisions. The focus of this article is on section 26 of that Act which introduces a general power on a court to make an order while passing sentence which will take effect on the expiration of a sentence of imprisonment. Under section 26 a court can impose two such orders, the “monitoring” order and the “protection of persons” order. The author assesses the background to the introduction of these dispositions and the potential application and …

Digital Radio Policy In Canada: From Analog Replacement To Multimedia Convergence, Brian O'Neill

Articles

Digital radio policy in Canada has moved from a position of seeking to migrate all radio broadcasting onto a single digital transmission system (Eureka-147) to a multi-platform, cross-media and multimedia approach. The most recent digital radio policy of 2006 suggests a range of new possibilities for radio broadcasting, including multimedia broadcasting, but as a result has compromised the early adoption of the Eureka-147 standard. This paper contrasts the different policy contexts of 1995 and 2006 and argues that the competing technological options for digital audio delivery now pose significant dilemmas for broadcasters and policy makers.

That's Life:An Examination Of The Direct Consequences Of Life-Sentence Imprisonment For Adult Males Within The Irish Prison System, Clara Geaney

Dissertations

Although Ireland compares relatively well in terms of international crime rates, there has been an increase in the number of prisoners serving life-sentences in the Republic. The current system for managing life-sentence prisoners in this jurisdiction is that they are likely to earn their temporary release after having served about fifteen years in prison. However, there is limited research in Ireland on the effects of imprisonment, and certainly for life-sentence prisoners, criminology in the Republic has failed to examine the issues faced by this group at all. Very little is understood about the coping mechanisms specific to life-sentence prisoners; the …

Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse, Links To Subsequent Sexual Exploitation And Prevention/Treatment Programmes: A Literature Review, Kevin Lalor, Rosaleen Mcelvaney

Reports

Evidence that the sexual abuse of children is universally widespread, and is most frequently perpetrated by family members, neighbours and others known to the child or adolescent is indisputable. Studies have consistently found that victims are vulnerable to subsequent sexual revictimization in adolescence and adulthood. They are also more likely than non-victims to engage in potentially harmful and damaging high-risk sexual behaviours, such as early age at first intercourse, multiple partners, low contraception use and prostitution. Ecological models, which incorporate explanations at the individual, family, community and societal level help explain this link. Interventions in the area of prevention of …

Marketing First Impressions: Academic Libraries Creating Partnerships And Connections At New Student Orientations, James G. Rhoades Jr., Arianne Hartsell

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Academic libraries look for successful marketing strategies to promote positive perceptions among students. To do this, librarians need to find venues and partnerships outside the library. Florida State University Libraries discovered that participating in new student orientation networking sessions creates opportunities to generate lasting first impressions among incoming freshmen and their families. After analyzing three years of successive student and family evaluations, which measured presentation rankings and attendance, the library was able to determine the utility and effectiveness of participating in the orientation program. Related literature and an analysis of the evaluations both indicate that universities and students benefit when …

Acting For Peace – The Effectiveness Of Drama And Theatre As A Tool For Promoting Peace-Building And Reconciliation, Mary Moynihan

Books/Book Chapters

This research booklet examines the effectiveness of drama and theatre practice as a means to promoting peace building and reconciliation within the Irish context. The research considers five drama and theatre projects in Northern Ireland and border counties, which have been designed and delivered to contribute towards peace building and reconciliation.

Child Sexual Abuse And Hiv Transmission In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kevin Lalor

Articles

The purpose of this paper is to examine the risks of HIV transmission to children through sexual abuse and exploitation in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper is based on a review of pertinent literature. Child sexual abuse in this region must be defined broadly enough to encompass widespread coercion or violence in early sexual relations in some regions, the practice of ‘transactional sex’ and constructions of masculinity, emphasising multiple sexual partners and power over women and girls. The high HIV prevalence in SSA is briefly described. Research evidence showing the link between child sexual abuse and HIV transmission is reviewed, although …

Young Irish Adults In Civil Society: Volunteering, Reflexive Identity Work And Social Capital, Geoffrey Robert Weller

Doctoral

This thesis seeks to explain how young Irish adults are capable of achieving identities as episodic volunteers. Participation in civil society in Ireland is changing, with new forms of volunteering emerging (Donoghue et al 2006). Issues of identity and identity construction appear to be symptomatic of these changes (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim 2002). This research focuses upon young Irish adults identity work as they discursively construct their episodic volunteering (Macduff 2005). The research uses a discourse analysis lens (Wetherell 1998; Wetherell and Edley 1998, 1999; Edley and Wetherell 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999; Edley 2001). It is based upon 17 intensive interviews …

A Study On The Use Of Ontologies To Represent Collective Knowledge, John Mcauley

Masters

The development of ontologies has become an area of considerable research interest over the past number of years. Domain ontologies are often developed to represent a shared understanding that in turn indicates cooperative effort by a user community. However, the structure and form that an ontology takes is predicated both on the approach of the developer and the cooperation of the user community. A shift has taken place in recent years from the use of highly specialised and expressive ontologies to simpler knowledge models, progressively developed by community contribution. It is within this context that this thesis investigates the use …

Etha Barror: Profile Of A Successful Choral Conductor, Niamh Mcdonagh

Masters

This study documents the musical career and teaching methodology of one of Ireland’s leading choral conductors, Ethna Barror (1915 - ) and explores the factors contributing to her success as a conductor, with particular reference to her choir, The Lindsay Singers. The study is informed by life history methodology, focusing on interviews with Barror which were conducted over an extended period of time. The research also includes interviews with some of Barror’s peers and choir members. This data is supported by documentary material relating to the Lindsay Singers performances, achievements and awards, and the repertoire they performed. The research is …

Violin Sound Quality Detection, Jane Charles, Derry Fitzgerald, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

Although much research has been completed on finding features for instrument recognition system, little work has focused on the violin's timbre space. Suitable features from which a computer can assess the quality of a violinist's playing have been sought and the classification of violin note sound quality is investigated in this paper. The eventual outcome of this work can be applied in various systems including the development of a violin or bowed string instrument teaching aid, in automatic music transcription and information retrieval or classification systems.

Interacting With Large Music Collections: Towards The Use Of Environmental Metadata, Gordon Reynolds, Dan Barry, Ted Burke, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

Large music collections afford the listener flexibility in the form of choice, which enables the listener to choose the appropriate piece of music to enhance or complement their listening scenario on-demand. However, bundled with such a large music collection is the demanding task of manually searching through each entry in the collection to find the appropriate song required by the listener. This paper highlights the need for contextual and environmental information, which ultimately defines the listenerpsilas listening scenario. Here, the preliminary results of an online music survey are analysed. These results indicate the possibility of how environmental features may be …

Control And The Protean Career: A Critical Perspective From The Multinational’S International Assignees, Marian Crowley-Henry, David Weir

Articles

Mainstream management literature and research regarding the international career has long focused on the traditional expatriate experience. In this discourse the tendency has been to outline the benefits and issues to be considered for organizations and individuals embarking on international assignments. In contrast this chapter focuses on a special group whose positioning in the structures of employment and organization is in some ways exemplary of developing trends in the global labor force. They are the highly educated permanent expatriates who remain in the host country indefinitely (that is without a pre-determined organizational option of repatriation to their initial home country). …

Entrepreneurs With Disabilities: Profile Of A Forgotten Minority., Thomas Cooney

Articles

The hosting of the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003 compellingly brought to the forefront of public consciousness the capacity of people with disabilities to significantly contribute economically and socially to the nation. However, a body of research now exists highlighting that people with disabilities are less likely to be gainfully employed and will have lower earnings than non-disabled people. These differentials are caused by a variety of factors, including perceived and actual discrimination. An alternative career option for people with disabilities is to become self-employed, which has the benefits of the freedom, flexibility, and independence associated with self-employment, as …

Beyond Economics: A Behavioural Approach To Energy Efficiency In Domestic Buildings, Marius Claudy, Aidan O'Driscoll

Articles

This paper argues that the moderate success of policies aiming to stimulate the uptake of Sustainable Energy Systems (SES) in the domestic sector is grounded in a poor understanding of the ‘consumer’. The predominant economic approach behind most policies assumes that improving the cost-benefit ratio of technologies via grants and subsidies and providing sufficient information will automatically incentivise householders’ to invest into SES. Yet, policymakers often neglect behavioural determinants such as attitudes, social norms or personal capabilities. Drawing on key findings from the economics, technology and behavioural literature, this paper proposes an integrated model to identify behavioural and contextual influences …

Sustainable Lunar Habitat Protection Against Damage By Meteoroid Impacts, William P. Schonberg, Robin Putzar, Frank Schaefer

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sustainability is a key consideration in the design and establishment of human habitats on the Moon (and on Mars as well). One hazard faced by such habitats is the damage that can be caused by the impact of a meteoroid on a critical habitat structure or structural component. in this paper we discuss various approaches to meteoroid shielding for lunar habitats, focusing on approaches that use resources mined or extracted from the moon. Advantages and disadvantages of these various techniques are also presented and discussed. the Moon's mineralogy is highlighted, and suggestions are presented for materials that can be used …

Pain Stages Of Change: Variations In Pain Acceptance, Catastrophizing, And Emotional Distress Across A Model Of Readiness For Behavior Change, Melinda J. Collingwood

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Pain often signals a problem that needs our attention, but after healing has occurred and pain persists, protective behaviors may become maladaptive to day-to-day functioning. Through education, therapy, and self-management, individuals can learn to function well on a daily basis even with some pain present, but not all pain patients are ready for this type of self-management. The transtheoretical model has been adapted to assess individuals with chronic pain. If individuals are not ready for behavior change, relapse chances increase; therefore it becomes beneficial to understand an individual's level of readiness to change when judging potential treatment success. The ability …

“She Called Me A Mexican!”: A Study Of Ethnic Identity, Simona Florentina Boroianu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Ethnic identity is a dynamic construct whose conceptualization has raised ongoing controversy among researchers. It has been suggested that ethnic identity includes several components that can be examined individually or in combination.

The purpose of this paper is to study ethnic identity in Mexican-origin children, as one of the multifaceted aspects of the adaptation process that immigrant children experience in their transition to becoming a part of the United States' mainstream culture.

No formal assessment of ethnic identity in Mexican-origin children in Iowa has been conducted yet, therefore this study is meant to fill a gap and bring in knowledge …

Reframed Teacher Leadership: A Narrative Inquiry, Cynthia L. Kenyon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Teacher leadership has been in schools from the time teachers rang the school bells. Three waves of teacher leadership have been examined. The first wave focused on formal managerial positions such as department chairs, the second wave focused on curriculum and staff development, and the third wave focused on daily acts of collaboration to solve problems and provide professional development activities for staffs. This study explored the third wave practice of teacher leaders in a qualitative study focusing on the narratives of 11 teacher leaders.

A narrative of lives format was used to study leadership experiences. A pilot study was …

Does Content Knowledge Matter In Scoring Teacher Work Samples?: A Study Of Rater Differences, Yana A. Cornish

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study examines the role of rater characteristics in the assessment of teacher practice as presented in Renaissance Teacher Work Samples (RTWS). The study analyzed ratings of 10 teacher work samples submitted by teacher candidates at the University of Northern Iowa between Fall 2000 and Spring 2004. These teacher work samples, created in the area of Spanish language learning at 7-11 grade levels, were analyzed to determine the impact of content expertise, amount of teaching experience, and previous RTWS rating experience on reviewer's ratings. Three study questions form the foundation for the investigation:

(1) Is there a significant difference between …

Perspectives Of Change: Municipal Park And Recreation Directors Perceptions Of The Importance Of Specified Organizational Goals 1983–2008, Daniel Archie Wheeler

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines specified goals park and recreation directors have previously determined are important for their organizations, and how those goals rank in importance in their present estimations, and how those goals rank in future importance. It compares a similar study of goals from 1983, and reports on changes in levels of importance from 1983 to 2008.

Directors' perceptions of goal importance of 2008 present levels and 2008 future levels were determined to be significantly different in 23 of 26 cases. Goals were grouped in four categories, (a) management/adaptation,/positional, having to do with management tasks, (b) groups served, those targeted …

A Journey Of Advising: Experiences Of Doctoral International Students And Faculty Advisors In The College Of Education At A Midwestern University, Madalina Florentina Tincu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the last five decades, higher education in the United States has faced a large influx of international students (Institute of International Education, 2004). However, a review of selected literature showed a paucity of research on faculty advising graduate international students. The literature pointed out that not all institutions were prepared to work with the international student population (Adrian-Taylor, Noels, & Tischler, 2007; Khabiri, 1985; Seeger, 1993) and that further investigation was needed in the area of faculty advising related to international students (Adrian-Taylor, et al.; Trice, 2003). Therefore, this study focused on the following research question: How do selected …

Now Have We Gotten It Right?: Exploring The Special Education Referral Process, Janine Sue Wahl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative inquiry explored the special education referral process as understood and implemented by two first grade teachers in a rural school. Both were interviewed and their classes observed; team meetings about their referrals were attended and recorded. The results of these observations were examined through the beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning by the two teachers.

Each teacher referred two students into the process during this study, but none of the four students was found eligible for special education services during first grade. Through a cross-case analysis of the teachers and these students, distinct differences and commonalities were …

The Impact Of A C.A.R.E. Based Martial Arts Class On Students' Academic Achievement, Peer Relationships, And Social Interactions, David Hite Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

What is the goal of education in America today? Why is education so important to our society? Why do we spend millions of dollars each year towards the success of America's educational system? What processes and procedures should be employed to insure an efficient and effective education for all individuals? These questions and more arise as we consider the current academic, social, and economic climate of America, as well as the rest of the world; and the role education has played in shaping our past, impacting our present, and directing our future as individuals of a free society. Abraham Lincoln …

Disability And Difference: Adolescents' Interpretations Based On Television Viewing, Paula Anne Schmidt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was conducted in order to decipher adolescent interpretations of disability that were portrayed on television. Employing qualitative methodology and methods, I conducted focus groups with adolescents during which they viewed television programs containing portrayals of characters with disabilities, or otherwise defining differences. The sixth grade participants freely shared their perspectives of the programs and characters in addition to their thoughts about the nature of difference in general.

Although I originally intended to interpret adolescents' reactions toward characters with disabilities, I found that it was not only characters with disabilities that they viewed in a judgmental manner. As the …

The Reflexivity Of Pain And Privilege: An Autoethnography Of (Mestizo) Identity And Other Mestizo Voices, Ellis Hurd

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Approximately 20 million Latinos living in the United States identify as Mestizos. A Mestizo is a person of mixed heritage. Almost half of these Mestizos racially or culturally identify as White, while the other half identify as Hispanic or racially mixed. These racial and cultural identifications have vast effects on educational performance: those identifying themselves as Hispanic or mixed experience lower academic achievement whereas those identifying as White do not. Many communities have experienced an influx of Mestizo-Latinos, but are ill prepared for the educational challenges due to the language and cultural differences Mestizos bring. This researcher himself has experienced …

Integrating Eastern Philosophy Into Western Psychology: A Primer For Students Of Applied Psychology, Erica Hurley, Jennifer L. Callahan

Modern Psychological Studies

A review of undergraduate texts marketed as providing an introduction to clinical psychology located no chapters devoted to the emerging practice of integrating Eastern philosophy with Western psychological practices. Thus, this paper provides students with a primer of this important emerging area by reviewing cultural differences that challenge the successful integration of Eastern philosophy with Western psychology, before focusing specifically on Taoist philosophy and its implications for Western psychotherapy. The congruence of Taoism with the "common" factors of Western psychotherapy (i.e., those mechanisms of change thought to transcend theoretical psychotherapy orientation) will be discussed, as will congruence with "specific" cognitive …

Laboratory Schools Annual Report, 2007-2008, Laboratory Schools, Illinois State University

Annual Reports – Laboratory Schools

Illinois State University Laboratory Schools annual report