Digital Commons Network^™

Electrate Language Learning: An Analysis Of Foreign Language Acquisition In Virtual Environments, Anna Wilkerson

All Theses

This thesis delves into three different virtual platforms that have potential to promote foreign language learning using a constructionist, personal approach: Second Life, a three-dimensional multi-user virtual environment (MUVE); Livemocha, a social networking site; and World of Warcraft, a multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Each platform is built on varying levels of pedagogical influence. Livemocha, for instance, is built entirely around the principle of tandem language learning whereas Second Life is not designed around such principles but has the capability of incorporating them. Lastly, World of Warcraft does not contain the ability for players to build pedagogy into the platform, …

Orientalism In American Cinema: Providing An Historical And Geographical Context For Post-Colonial Theory, Samuel Scurry

All Theses

Of the many criticisms leveled at Edward Said's seminal work, Orientalism (1978), and those of post-colonial theorists following in his wake, from an historian's perspective the most significant is that his argument is utterly lacking in historical context. In fact, post-colonial theorists do tend to mistrust the validity of history and often are suspicious of its complicity in the enterprise of western empires. Despite Said's undeniable ahistoricism, however, most historians agree that the basic tenants of his argument have merit. What is lacking, then, is an examination of orientalism not as an indictment, with all manner of evidence pulled seemingly …

Community And Place: A Study Of Four African American Benevolent Societies And Their Cemeteries, Kimberly Martin

All Theses

Located on Charleston's Neck, immediately west of Magnolia Cemetery's main entrance, are a number of small cemeteries created by a variety of ethnicities and religions. These small cemeteries all possess the same physical orientation, giving no indication that the sites were created by differing groups. Among these are Friendly Union Cemetery, Brown Fellowship Cemetery, Humane and Friendly Cemetery, and Unity and Friendship Cemetery. All four cemeteries were created just before the outbreak of the Civil War by Free People of Color who organized themselves into benevolent societies. Free People of Color were African Americans who were not enslaved but did …

Normalizing The Immediate And Early Postpartum Period: A Teaching Module For Nursing Students, Cate Edlebeck

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Great American Debate: A Constructionist Approach On The Media's Coverage Of Government Bailouts, Meghan Danielle Hvizdos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Historically, the term "bailout" has been used to define the rescuing of an organization in financial distress. A rescue implies that a bailout is voluntary. However, by all accounts, the bailouts in the past nine months have not been voluntary. Media outlets are using the words 'bailout' and 'rescue' interchangeably. Through claims-making and by using the words rescue and bailout interchangeably, the media has socially constructed the word rescue as synonymous with the word bailout and has implied that the bailouts were voluntary and necessary to avert economic disaster and have constructed a social problem. This paper will examine the …

The Once And Future Steel Town: The Narrative Identities Of A Local Community, Jason R. Rine

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the changing identity of a local community, Weirton, West Virginia, in terms of narratives shared by members of that community. Weirton was home to Weirton Steel, one of the largest steel mills in the United States. Since 1909, when Weirton Steel was founded, the mill provided residents with a narrative. However, this is starting to charge. With Weirton Steel's final closure on the horizon, Weirton will lose the main defining characteristic it has relied on throughout the years. In order for the community to maintain its unity, it must now create a new collective narrative. The research …

From Bigfoot In The Backyard To Ghosts In The Attic: Predictors Of Paranormal Belief, Jeff Tranguch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research on the social predictors of paranormal belief is contradictive and unclear. Depending on which author you read, one theory is better at explaining why individuals accept belief in paranormal phenomena. This problem most likely is the result of weak sample sizes and an inconsistency in defining and measuring the paranormal. This thesis incorporates data from the 2005 Baylor Religion Survey which is one of the largest, most recent data sets assessing paranormal belief. Three predominant theories within the literature are tested. Findings lend support to the marginalization theory claiming that individuals who are marginalized from society tend to …

Essays On The Public Economics Of Health, Rachel L. Mathers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores three important health issues, utilizing the tools provided by economics to provide new insight into areas of research typically the parlance of those in medical fields of study. The integration of economic theory into existing literature on health issues provides a more detail-rich explanation of health policy and corresponding health outcomes. This dissertation applies economic theory to the health topics of skin cancer, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and AIDS. There are five chapters included in this dissertation, beginning with an introduction in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 addresses the skin cancer paradox, specifically analyzing the relationship between National …

Differential Use Of Language By Adolescents Across Modes Of Written Communication, Kris A. Vossler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how adolescents in a small urban setting in the upper Midwest use alternative modes of written communication (i.e., text messaging, email, instant messaging, and social networking) for discourse purposes in order to identify ways in which these modes could be utilized by non speaking individuals. This study explored the factors related to choice of mode, including identity of the communication partner, number of communication partners, purpose of the communication, and personal preferences of the individual.

This qualitative study followed grounded theory methodology and used interviews as the primary means of data collection. …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Pilot Training Program In An Organizational Setting: An Intervention For Work Engagement, John Joseph Kmiec Jr.

Dissertations

This study measured the effects of a learning intervention designed to enhance the capabilities of immediate managers to increase the level of work engagement in line employees at a small manufacturing firm in south Mississippi. The study answered the call of researchers to investigate the impact of innovative management practices on work engagement (Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, & Taris, 2008). The firm’s Production business unit managers participated in a 90-day learning program based on five skills outlined by Flagello and Dugas (2009); the Maintenance business unit managers did not participate in the learning. At three intervals during the intervention, the researcher …

The Stability Of The Wala Ridge As A Landmark For Determining Dental Arch Form, Kolin E. Weaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives. To evaluate changes to the WALA Ridge when subjected to orthodontic treatment using customized WALA Ridge archwires and preformed archwires, and ascertain trends within the United States amongst practicing orthodontists regarding arch form selection. Methods. 10 control subjects, 20 customized archwire subjects, and 20 preformed archwire subjects were compared using pre and post treatment mandibular casts for the experimental groups and two timepoint mandibular casts with two years between collection for the control group. Dental and Dentoalveolar changes were then measured from T1 to T2 for each of the groups. Furthermore, an electronic survey was distributed to all active …

Comment On Degenova's "Management Of Quality": Flight Of The Unfixed, Stefano Harney

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Nick DeGenova’s study does more than expose the poverty of intersectionality—that sociological theory that posits the importance of considering race, class, and gender and sexuality together as they interact with each other as independent variables. It allows us to move from the most common and least correct criticism of intersectionality, that it is a theory that contains class within a functionalist sociological universe, to a much bolder contention. The contention is this: class contains. It is class that contains the surplus, the commons, of race, gender and sexuality. It is class that tames. This is because class is the category …

Applying Knowledge Management In University Research, Benjamin Loh, Ai-Chee Tang, Thomas Menkhoff, Hans-Dieter Evers

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In the knowledge-based economy, universities are encountering dramatic changes. Their missions and functions are ‘pragmatized’ because of emerging new players and competing markets for knowledge production, the availability of higher education to a wider range of social classes and age groups, as well as the assimilation of information technology into the university environment. The dynamics and conduct of university research, in particular, has correspondingly become more sensitive to industry collaboration opportunities, commercial exploitation, and is increasingly transdisciplinary. This paper argues that knowledge management (KM) practices and tools can support universities in addressing these demands. Institutions of higher education can benefit …

Hey That's Mine! The Nature Of Territorial Behavior In Organizations, Graham Brown, Sandra L. Robinson

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

Perception Of The Risks And Benefits Of Bt Eggplant By Indian Farmers, Mark Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Several researchers most notably Lennart Sjoberg and his colleagues have proposed that the moral aspects of risk provide a better explanation of risk perception than the psychometric paradigm or Cultural Theory, neither of which accounts for moral concerns. This study is possibly the first to assess empirically the perception of the risks and benefits of a transgenic food crop transgenic Bt ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) eggplant by farmers in a developing country such as India. It also aims to assess if the moral aspects of risk figure in Indian farmers' perception of Bt eggplant and if economic benefits outweigh perceived …

The Ground They Walk On: Photography And Narrative Inquiry, Diane Ketelle

The Qualitative Report

In this project, the author explores a novel variation on an established social science research method, photo-elicitation. The author photographed eight school principals during a two-year period and asked the principals to respond to the photographs by writing narratives below each. The author uses photography, reflections, and her own memories to construct descriptive narrative snapshots of the eight principals. Further, the author argues that this approach underscores how photographs are both technically and socially constructed and through the use of photo-elicitation new ways of understanding self and others in relation can be explored.

(W)Right With God?: A Response To N. T. Wright’S Vision Of Justification (Part 1), Mark Seifrid

Other Faculty Scholarship

Wright himself momentarily recognizes the import of these verses, but then quickly slips into his salvation-historical scheme in which the “transferred” resurrection loses its real weight: “Without downplaying the future hope of actual resurrection itself, the fact that the church lives in the interval between the Messiah’s resurrection and its own ultimate new life means that the metaphorical use of ‘resurrection’ language can be adapted to denote the concrete Christian living described in 2.10.”

Indian Head Rock Case Reaching An End, Frank Lewis

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the conclusion of the criminal case against Steve Shaffer regarding the Indian Head Rock from April 30, 2010.

April 29-30, 2010 - Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, Regular/Special Sessions, Board Of Trustees, Central Washington University

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Regular/Special Sessions of the Board of Trustees at Central Washington University, April 29-30, 2010.

Editors' Preface, Gene L. Theodori, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

introduction to Journal of Rural Social Sciences by new editorial team

Thomas' Visit Indian Head Rock, Portsmouth Daily Times

Indian Head Rock Project

A brief article published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the visit by relatives of J. W. Bannon to Indian Head Rock on April 30, 2010.

Economic Restructuring And Education In The Nonmetropolitan United States, Don E. Albrecht, Carol Mulford Albrecht

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Nonmetropolitan communities in the United States have historically depended on natural resources industries and manufacturing for their employment and sustenance. In recent decades, the number of jobs in these goods-producing industries has steadily declined, and this trend is likely to continue. The loss of goods producing jobs has been offset by increased employment in the service sector. A prominent concern resulting from this economic structure transformation is the impending mismatch in the education and skills of nonmetro workers and the education and skills needed to obtain high quality employment in the service sector. The data presented in this manuscript show …

Spring Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Spring Commencement ceremonies.

Whalesong 2010-04-30 (V.28 No.16), Randi Spray, Hollis Kitchin, Mallory Millay, Jeremy Hsieh, Kari Dammerman, Ed Flanagan, Pat Race

Whalesong

No abstract provided.

Re-Working Digital Identity/Man As A Metaphor That Escapes Itself, John Schell

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Wooster Voice (Wooster, Oh), 2010-04-30, Wooster Voice Editors

The Voice: 2001-2011

This edition of the Wooster Voice, the college's student ran newspaper, was published on April 30 of 2010, and it is eight pages long. This year's Baccalaureate speaker will be Reverend Thomas Long. A controversial immigration law was signed last week by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, this law will require immigrants to carry documents verifying their immigration status. The current art wall in Lowry was provided by the Student Advocate's for Diversity, and it addresses "Why we care." On Tuesday, comedian Christian Finnegan performed on campus to a crowd of approximately 800. The article on page six discusses the Studio …

The Performance Of Panggung Bangsawan In Riau Lingga; A Reconstruction Of A Theatrical Process, Sutamat Arybowo

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

Panggung Bangsawan is a popular folk theatre in Riau Lingga. The ups and downs in its performance are atributed to changes in social, political, and cultural conditions. This article is a reconstruction of a near extinct Panggung Bangsawan group in the Teluk village in the islands of Riau Lingga. First, I have attempted to describe the staging process; second, to endeavour to understand the phenomenon of change which occurs when a folk tale is transformed from written work into a performance; and third, to expose the transformation of a script (text) divided into scenes into a performance. This is an …

Evaluation Study Of C.A.R.E., The National Education Association's Culture, Abilities, Resilience, And Effort Professional Development Training, Noni Reis, Denise Alston, Linda Bacon, Brooke Whiting, Sheila Simmons

Faculty Publications

This was an evaluation study of C.A.R.E., National Education Association's Culture, Abilities, Resilience and Effort (C.A.R.E.): Strategies for Closing Achievement Gaps. The training is based on culturally relevant pedagogy and on the Center for Research on Educational Diversity and Excellence standards. The research questions for the study were: 1.Did the training lead to changes in instructional practices? 2.Were the tools and materials provided by the C.A.R.E. guide used? 3.Did the strategies lead to changes in student behavior and school practices Participants (n-275) completed an on-line survey and/or a telephone interview. Two-thirds (66%) of the participants noticed improvements in student achievement, …

The Myth About The Origin Of The Karo House, Juara R. Ginting

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

The Karo people in North Sumatra (Indonesia) consider areas in the Karo regency and those in other regencies as part of Taneh Karo (the Karolands), despite the fact that these areas comprise different administrative territories. This paper focuses on how the idea of Taneh Karo is articulated in a special Karo myth. Scholarly research has discovered that the notion of Taneh Karo originated in pre-colonial times, but an analysis of a local myth which established the concept of Taneh Karo remains an interesting anthropological study. This study is significant as it endeavours to comprehend the traditional ways of life of …

Mamanda Theatre, The Play Of Banjar Culture, Ninuk Kleden-Probonegoro

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This article reveals the dialectic relationship between Teater Mamanda and the living conditions of Banjarese community. When we watch Mamanda, we watch the life and culture of the Banjarese. Without any knowledge of Banjarese society and culture we cannot possibly understand the content of a Mamanda performance as a miniature version of Banjarese society and culture. Three areas where Mamanda is performed have been studied using Paul Ricoeur's textual theory. There are two kinds of texts, the Mamanda performance (considered as text, that is, social events fixated in the form of a performance), and the narration of the performance itself …