Digital Commons Network^™

Otsuki Leads Research Published In Journal Of Pediatric Psychology, December 22, 2009, Melanie Marquez

USF St. Petersburg Campus News and Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Preschool Education In Australia, Andrew Dowling, Kate O’Malley

Policy Briefs

Early childhood education (ECE) in Australia will soon experience a ‘radical makeover.’ In 2008, all Australian governments made a commitment through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) that by 2013, all children in the year before formal schooling will have access to high quality early childhood education programs delivered by degreequalified early childhood teachers, for 15 hours per week, 40 weeks of the year, in public, private and community-based preschools and child care. The purpose of this policy brief is to summarise the current structure of preschool in Australia in contemplation of this major policy shift. This paper describes the …

Bringing Freud To Fraud: Understanding The State-Of-Mind Of The C-Level Suite/White Collar Offender Through “A-B-C” Analysis, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Daven Morrison, Joseph W. Koletar

Accounting Faculty Publications

In this paper we use a primarily “behavioral lens” (cf. Ramamoorti, 2008; Ramamoorti & Olsen, 2007) to try to understand the state-of-mind and motivations of the C-level suite/white collar offender before, during, and after the perpetration of management fraud. We offer a useful conceptual approach called “A-B-C Analysis” to understand the incidence of fraud from individual and group perspectives, as well as more macro-oriented, cultural/contextual levels. It is our hypothesis that fraud occurs either because of an individual criminal’s calculated/intentional betrayal of trust, a duo or team of “bad boys” who push ethical envelopes, and/or an organizational/social/national culture of passivity, …

Lgbtiq Teens - Plugged In And Unfiltered: How Internet Filtering Impairs Construction Of Online Communities, Identity Formation, And Access To Health Information, David Brian Holt

Law Librarian Scholarship

The anonymity the Internet provides represents an invaluable resource where LGBTIQ youth can freely discuss their issues, concerns and problems without fear of reprisal from a frequently homophobic community. LGBTIQ youth may find the Internet, and its online communities and social networks, to be the only conduit through which they can express themselves, reach out to others, and access health information that addresses their particular issues and needs. LGBTIQ adolescents often deal with environments that lack sufficient social networks, such as empathetic adults or friends, and they may face daily discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender expression.

The …

The Creation And Use Of Open Educational Resources In Christian Higher Education, John L. Hilton Iii, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

A significant movement in education concerns the use of open educational resources (OERs). By “open” it is generally meant that the resource is freely available to others to reuse in different contexts. These resources could include books, lesson plans, syllabi, slide shows, etc. There are several examples of individuals and institutions providing open educational resources; this openness is also specifically manifest in the field of religious education. I discuss different levels in which OERs can be “open” and the implications of these levels when creating OERs. Common motivations and obstacles to creating OERs are discussed. A particularly significant issue regarding …

Real Time Imaging Of Biomarkers In The Parkinson's Brain Using Mini-Implantable Biosensors. Ii. Pharmaceutical Therapy With Bromocriptine, Patricia A. Broderick, Edwin H. Kolodny

Publications and Research

We used Neuromolecular Imaging (NMI) and trademarked BRODERICK PROBE® mini-implantable biosensors, to selectively and separately detect neuro-transmitters in vivo, on line, within seconds in the dorsal striatal brain of the Parkinson’s Disease (PD) animal model. We directly compared our results derived from PD to the normal striatal brain of the non-Parkinson’s Disease (non-PD) animal. This advanced biotechnology enabled the imaging of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), homovanillic acid (HVA) a metabolite of DA, L-tryptophan (L-TP) a precursor to 5-HT and peptides, dynorphin A 1-17 (Dyn A) and somatostatin (somatostatin releasing inhibitory factor) (SRIF). Each neurotransmitter and neurochemical was imaged at a …

Emotion Recognition Using Glottal And Prosodic Features, Alexander Iliev Iliev

Open Access Dissertations

Emotion conveys the psychological state of a person. It is expressed by a variety of physiological changes, such as changes in blood pressure, heart beat rate, degree of sweating, and can be manifested in shaking, changes in skin coloration, facial expression, and the acoustics of speech. This research focuses on the recognition of emotion conveyed in speech. There were three main objectives of this study. One was to examine the role played by the glottal source signal in the expression of emotional speech. The second was to investigate whether it can provide improved robustness in real-world situations and in noisy …

An Analysis Of Teacher And Student Interactions In Desegregated School Environments, Veronica Diane Roberts

Student Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examined whether teacher/ student interaction is affected by the integration and the ethnicity of both teachers and students in selected schools. Ten teachers, six White and four Black, from three selected school campuses volunteered to participate in the study. Each of the selected schools enrolled between six to nine hundred students with average student populations that were comprised of 60 percent White students and 40 percent Black students. Selected classrooms had a demographic composite that was representative of the total school enrollment. Using the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, verbal interaction was classified into ten major categories. The …

The Energy-Water Nexus: Why Should We Care?, Alexey Voinov, Hal Cardwell

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Existence And Responses To Disruptive Or Violent Behavior In Arkansas Alternative School, Karen Joan Curtner

Student Theses and Dissertations

Concern about disruptive and violent behavior has become the focus of the public schools today because of the number of incidents of violence that has occurred in the past few years across the country. The Federal and State of Arkansas legislation have focused on making schools safer by creating rules and guidelines that address policies and practices for public school districts. The number of alternative schools in Arkansas has increased due to the increasing number of students who have problems that disrupt their own and others' educational opportunities and academic performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Middle Schools Principals' Attitudes About Inclusion, Gloria Denise Lindsey

Student Theses and Dissertations

Important legislation has demanded the education of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Administrators, principals and educators in the local schools are impacted tremendously by this decision. The necessity to provide an appropriate education for special needs children while successfully implementing inclusion is a priority of all stakeholders. The need to ensure compliance with federal and state laws while providing a quality education to all children with disabilities is a primary concern. This concern has given impetus for this research study. This study examined the attitudes of 189 middle school principals in the state of Tennessee toward inclusion. …

The Relationship Between Post Reach Exit Exam (E2) Failure Remediation And Nclex-Rn Success Of Graduates Of Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Patricia Gale Allen

Student Theses and Dissertations

An ex post facto study was conducted to determine whether any relationship exists between remediation post Reach Exit Exam (E2) failure and NCLEX-RN success of graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs. Data was gathered from responses to the seventh annual validity study (V7S) offered to deans and directors of nursing programs by the Director of Research for Elsevier, Incorporated. Data focused on test groups which received administration of the E2 between September 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007. Responses from 28 baccalaureate nursing programs were included in the study. After considering each program offering of either version one, version two or …

Considering "Objective" Possibilities In Autoethnography: A Critique Of Heewon Chang’S Autoethnography As Method1, Sue Butler

The Qualitative Report

Autoethnography is a qualitative research methodology that emphasizes a more personal, almost intimate level of study. It renders the researcher-participant opportunities to explore past and present experiences while gaining self-awareness of his or her interactions and their socio-cultural effects. In the book Autoethnography as Method Heewon Chang presents this research methodology in an easy to follow text and illustration, while advocating an objective approach to data collection and analysis. However, Chang’s theoretical positions seem to shift back and forth between this objective point-of-view and a subjective perspective throughout the text causing ambiguity and contradiction of ideas and approaches.

Deafdigest: Blue Edition, December 20, 2009, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Blue 2009

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of The Personal Reactions And Experiences Of Adolescent Students Who Have Been Retained, Jessica Fournier

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Grade retention is an educational practice that requires students to repeat the grade level they have just completed (Jimerson, 2001). In the United States, an estimated 15% to 19% of students are retained each year (Holmes, 2006). Previous research on grade retention is comprised of quantitative studies describing students who have been retained as having higher suspension rates, coming from a low socio-economic status, and having an increased chance of dropping out of school (Christle, Jolivette, & Nelson, 2007; Janosz, et al., 1997; Jimerson & Ferguson, 2007; Jimerson et al., 2002; Suh & Suh 2007). While these studies provide a …

The Influence Of Conflicting Role Obligations On Nontraditional Student Baccalaureate Degree Attainment, Rosaria Guastella

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the phenomenon of the conflicting roles, such as parent, spouse, employee, caregiver, and community member/volunteer, associated with the lives of nontraditional college students and to reveal how these conflicting role obligations influence these students' persistence toward the attainment of an undergraduate degree. This study provides a brief history of adult education in the United States as well as the study context, a continuing studies division of a privately endowed research institution located in the southern United States. The participants in this study were nontraditional students who were also recent graduates of …

The Perspectives Of First-Year Principals Regarding Their Experiences With Mentors And The Mentoring Process Within The Louisiana Educational Leaders Induction (Leli) Program, Sabrah Helms Kingham

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Are new school administrators prepared for the surprises, obstacles, and opportunities they are likely to encounter during the first-year in their new role? Sadly enough, too many new leaders do not feel prepared to meet the challenges of their new role as an administrator. In 2006, the National Center for Education Statistics (2006) reported that there were 95,726 administrators in the U. S. Within this pool of administrators, approximately 127 were new hires in the state of Louisiana (LDE, 2006). In an effort to find ways to support, guide, and retain new principals, the Louisiana Educational Leaders Network, under the …

The Relationship Between Supervisors' Power Bases And Supervisory Styles, Hideyuki Tanaka

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Despite its critical role in counselor training, empirical research on clinical supervision is generally limited (Bernard & Goodyear, 2003; Ellis & Ladany, 2007). This is also applied to an area of power dynamics in supervision. This study tested the relationship between the two aspects of power dynamics; namely, supervisors' power bases (i.e., sources of influencing others) and supervisory styles (i.e., typical ways of shaping supervision), based on the system's approach to supervision model (Holloway, 1995). This research was a correlational design. Students in masters' and doctoral counseling programs were asked to respond to an online questionnaire packet via Survey MonkeyTM. …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Student Government Involvement At One Public Historically Black University On The Career Choice Of African American Student Participants, Morolake Laosebikan-Buggs

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate student participation in collegiate student governance, the impact of that involvement and its influence on career choice for African-American participants, and to enlighten educators about role and value of collegiate student government participation. If participation in student government and involvement in leadership activities is important in the overall development of a student, then the benefits and characteristics of that development may appear after the student graduates and enters society and the workforce (Cress, Astin, Zimmerman- Oster, & Burkhardt, 2001). Studies conducted over the last twenty years have attempted to measure the impact …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Reading First, Raenell Houston

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand teachers' experiences related to the implementation of Reading First in the classroom and more specifically, how Reading First has impacted curriculum, instruction, assessment, student achievement, and professional development. The participants for this study were five certified, kindergarten and first grade public school teachers. In depth interviews were conducted with each participant regarding her experiences with the implementation of Reading First. Once collected, the data was then analyzed according to a method advanced by Moustakas (1994) and reported. Findings and recommendations included, but were not limited to the following: 1. There are …

Medieval Feminine Humanism And Geoffrey Chaucer's Presentation Of The Anti-Cecilia, Meghan Flewellyn

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Perhaps due to its seemingly straightforward religious nature, the Second Nun's Cecelia Legend in The Canterbury Tales is often dismissed by scholars and readers alike. However, through analyzing Chaucer's earlier analogues, it becomes apparent that Chaucer has left out key pieces of the Life of Saint Cecelia. These omissions can be explained as attempts to illustrate the humanistic beliefs of both St. Augustine and Christine de Pizan. Further, the etymology of key words which appear in the "Second Nun's Prologue and Tale" help to reinforce the satire which Chaucer creates. Chaucer has deleted the humanism from the Saint Cecelia Legend …

Understanding The Holocaust: Ernest Becker And The "Heroic Nazi", Stephen Martin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the power and limitations of historical analysis in regards to explaining the Holocaust and in particular the widespread consent to the Nazi program. One of the primary limitations that emerges is an inability of historians to fully engage other social sciences to offer a more comprehensive explanation as to why so many Germans engaged in what we would consider an “evil” enterprise. In that regard, I offer the work of Ernest Becker, a social anthropologist, whose work provides a framework for understanding history as a succession of attempts by man to create societies that generate meaning through …

Armed With A Heart, Willie Charles Horton Jr.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper thoroughly examines the production of the thesis short film, Armed With A Heart, from conception to completion. Each area of the film's production is carefully dissected, including the writing, production design, cinematography, editing, sound, technology, workflow, and direction. Each of these areas contain a myriad of decisions that were made in effort to fulfill the overall vision of the movie as being a character driven, psychological thriller produced with a high production value. The aforementioned decisions are discussed at length. Documented feedback from test audiences is also reviewed in an attempt to objectively critique the final film.

Cognitive-Affective Processes As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Responsive Parenting And Preschool Children's Externalizing Behavior, Kathleen Mcgoron

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Responsive parenting is characteristically child-centered and creates a climate where children's needs are met. While responsive parenting has been studies less than harsh parenting, initial evidence supports a negative relationship between responsive parenting and children's externalizing problems. The current study sought to identify mechanism by which responsive parenting reduces risk for externalizing problems in the preschool years. Specifically, the study sought to evaluate the extent to which children's language development and children's emotion regulation skills mediate the expected negative relationship between responsive parenting and children's externalizing problems. While responsive parenting was found to be negatively related to children's externalizing problems, …

Preparation, Practices, And Perceptions Of Licensed Professional Counselors With Respect To Counseling Children, Karen Daboval

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the preparation, practices, and perceptions of Licensed Professional Counselors with respect to counseling children. The purpose was to determine: a) their graduate coursework, continuing education, and post-degree supervision with respect to counseling children; b) their current caseload, preferred counseling method, and professional development with respect to counseling children; and c) their perceptions regarding their formal education, application of skills, efficacy, and credentialing. The participants in this study were 300 Licensed Professional Counselors. The target population consisted of all Licensed Professional Counselors within the United States. A research-developed, on-line survey, the Counselor Training and Practice Inventory, was used …

Spirituality As A Validating Factor And Intrinsic Motivator To Persistence: A Study Of Nontraditional Female Students In Community/Technical Colleges, Camille Laperouse Jarrell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

While traditional theories are useful in the study of persistence in some nontraditional students, many nontraditional female students are at high risk of not successfully persisting towards their educational goals. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of spirituality, as a validating factor and an intrinsic motivator to persist, in nontraditional female students in community and technical colleges. A hermeneutic phenomenology research design was used with the "lived experiences" of these women articulated through their own voices. Although the study did not have a rigid set of fixed procedures, van Manens (1990) suggested activities for …

Perceptions And Concerns Of Novice Secondary Teachers In Louisiana: The Relationship Of Novice Secondary Teacher Stress To Their Perception Of Principal Leadership, Victoria Sanderlin Hand

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The demand for highly qualified teachers is well documented, yet numerous stressors influence educators to leave their positions. The guiding question for this study was: Is there a relationship between perceived principal leadership behavior and the stress experienced by the novice secondary teacher? The target population was novice teachers in Louisiana. The purposive sample was delimited to novice secondary teachers having six semesters of teaching experience or less in grades 6 through 12. The ten largest parishes in Louisiana were selected to sample. Four of the ten parishes granted permission to survey novice secondary teachers. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, …

Tattoos As Personal Narrative, Michelle Alcina

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the history of tattoos in the United States along with the role and significance of tattos today. The study's primary research question seeks to discover whether tattoos anchor an individual's personal narrative and help to solidify an individual's sense of self. The study considers both modernist and postmodernist concepts of identity, but ultimately supports a perspective which argues that identity is the result of an individual's ability to keep a consistent narrative going over time. This exploratory study uses a qualitatative approach to discern the meanings behind individuals' tattoos through their own words and conceptions. Eight individuals …

Western Michigan University Commencement Exercises-3pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Fall Commencement [Program], December 19, 2009, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.