Digital Commons Network^™

Overcoming The Digital Divide: The Story Of An Urban Middle School, Savilla Banister, John Fischer

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Access to appropriate technological resources in schools has become an issue, commonly labeled the “digital divide.” While the debate ensues in regards to an explicit definition for this phenomenon, research overwhelmingly demonstrates that students of marginalized populations remain on the lower end of access to and innovative use of current digital technologies. Accordingly, advocates of social justice point to the disparities of resources and quality learning opportunities experienced by students in poverty, including their exposure to dynamic technology integration in teaching and learning. This study narrates a five-year struggle to impact the digital divide on an urban middle school campus.

Do Applicants And Incumbents Respond To Personality Items Similarly? A Comparison Using An Ideal Point Response Model, Erin L. O'Brien

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which applicants and incumbents use different response processes when responding to personality items. It was hypothesized that applicants' responses to personality items will be more similar to a dominance response model and that incumbents' responses will be more similar to an ideal point response model. I used item response theory to estimate sample data from applicants (N = 1509) and incumbents (N = 1568) who completed the Sixteen Personality Questionnaire Select. Differential item (DIF) and test functioning (DTF) analyses were conducted using the generalized graded unfolding model (GGUM), which is based on ideal point …

Amendment (2010)

Amendment, 2004-

Amendment is a VCU student-produced progressive literature and art journal that provides a platform for students to promote equality, tolerance, and social progression through artistic expression.

2009 Anniversary_Families Facing Challenges, Center For Families

Center for Families Publications

No abstract provided.

Alternative Weekly And City Magazine Under One Roof: Contemporary Media, Inc.'S “Memphis Flyer” And “Memphis” Magazine, Cory Taylor Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the media of alternative weekly publications through a case study of the Memphis Flyer and its relationship with sister publication Memphis magazine, both under the umbrella of Contemporary Media, Inc. History of the publications, targeted demographics and business models will be taken into account to answer proposed research questions. The publications prominence in local media as well as their relationship to the traditional city paper, The Commercial Appeal, is recognized, along with the company's plans for adaptation to new trends in online journalism.

Disaster Restoration Professional Body Of Knowledge, Randy Rapp

Bowen School of Construction Faculty Publications

Companies performing building disaster restoration services wish to position themselves to continue to create substantial value for their clients. Doing so demands that restoration professionals be well educated in pertinent subject matter. Professional certification procedures commonly examine the pertinent subject matter that a professional should know. The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) created the Certified Restorer® (CR) credential to meet this need in the industry that the organization serves. To help ensure that their certification process examines the correct topics, the RIA partnered with Purdue University researchers to survey industry members for their opinions about the importance of managerial and technical …

American Studies À La Française: An Introduction To Doctoral Dissertations In American Studies 1971-2005 For American Students, Jean-Pierre Herubel, Anne L. Buchanan

Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials

As globalization continues to influence the world of information and undergraduate learning, subjects pertaining to the United States as a country and complex culture emerge as interests globally, so much so that American Studies programs in other countries offer tantalizing opportunities to gain other perspectives and knowledge about the United States as a distinctively American experience. As American students study in American Studies programs, they may require or find useful, other approaches to American subjects in their research. A particularly interesting possibility for students and scholars is to avail themselves of French research, specifically doctoral dissertations in American studies. Since …

Paris Versus Province, French Dissertation Research In Selected Humanities And Social Science Disciplines: Qualitative Observations And Significance, 1977-2006, Jean-Pierre V. M. Hérubel

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

No abstract provided.

Manufacturing Menopause: An Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Menopause And Information Content On Pharmaceutical Web Sites, Deborah H. Charbonneau

Wayne State University Dissertations

Consumer-targeted prescription drug advertising serves as an interesting lens through which we can examine the portrayal of menopause in online drug advertisements. The aim of this study was to explore the portrayal of menopause on web sites sponsored by pharmaceutical companies for hormone therapies (HT). To unravel this question, a qualitative content analysis of web sites for FDA-approved hormone therapies was employed. A total number of 608 printed pages of web site content from eight web sites (N=8) were analyzed. Key findings elucidated how menopause was portrayed on the pharmaceutical web sites. First, descriptions of menopause articulated a biomedical perspective …

Enhancing Education Through Technology: Prinicpal Leadership For Technology Integration In Schools, Lisa R. Rivard

Wayne State University Dissertations

Principals need to acquire understanding of, and proficiency in, technology skills and integration to be effective instructional leaders. As issues concerning the lack of systemic change in school reform and technology integration persist, little research has been published concerning the extent to which technology leadership behaviors identified in the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A; International Society for Technology in Education, 2002) are being implemented in schools. The purpose of this study is to analyze the extent to which Michigan elementary principals employ behaviors that support their role as effective technology leaders.

Michigan K-6 school principals (n = 280) …

Jonson And Women; Or How One Man's Insistence On His Own Artistic Theory Challenges Dramatic Practices And Views Of His Own Gender Representations On The Elizabethan Stage, Tara Jean Hayes

Wayne State University Dissertations

Literary scholars consider Jonson's treatment of women "uninspiring" and "misogynistic." Surprisingly enough, however, there are no studies of Jonson's women to verify this categorization. This dissertation addresses the oversight, analyzing the female characters in the plays Jonson wrote during the Elizabethan period and revealing what prevailing scholarship has missed in Jonson's work: his individuated and layered characterizations of women, his playful use of gender and use of playful gender, his destabilization of gender as an identity category. With each play and each female character Jonson created as guides, I dismantle the standard consensus on Jonson and women and challenge the …

Minor Courts And Communities At The Frontier: The Justice Of The Peace In Early Missouri, Bonnie Aileen Speck

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MINOR COURTS AND COMMUNITIES AT THE FRONTIER JUSTICES OF THE PEACE IN EARLY MISSOURI

by

BONNIE A. SPECK

May 2011

Advisor: Sandra VanBurkleo

Major: American Legal and Constitutional History

Degree: History

This study focused on local and county courts operated by Missouri's justices of the peace between the Louisiana Purchase and roughly 1875. Its purpose was to investigate the role of township justices’ courts and county courts of commissioners in terms of interactions with local residents; effects of rulings and other court actions on everyday affairs; and wider impacts on Missouri society. Sources included territorial and …

Black And White Women In Blue: A Case Study Of Policewomen, Danielle Marie Teunion-Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

This exploratory study examines the policing experiences of fourteen African American and White female police officers using interviews and observations. There is ample research that addresses the ability of women to perform policing duties, but most of the literature presumes that White and African American policewomen are a single aggregate. These ignored societal differences and social realities of black and white policewomen, based on distinctive assigned social positions, histories, images and location, possibly contribute to different perspectives and experiences in law enforcement. These same social realities shape occupational positions, perspectives, perceptions, and treatment within law enforcement organizations. There are broad …

An Africentric Reading Protocol: The Speculative Fiction Of Octavia Butler And Tananarive Due, Tonja Lawrence

Wayne State University Dissertations

This examination of Africentric speculative fiction (ASF) applies an Africentric reading protocol to selected works of Octavia E. Butler and Tananarive Due. Butler's Parable Series and Due's African Immortals Series are examined using seven elements of Africentric narrative specific to cultural speculative fiction. Finally, I discuss the implications of using an Africentric reading protocol as an example of cultural analysis that can be adapted to the textual analysis of culturally specific works of fiction.

Online Dispute Resolution With China: Advantageous, But At What Cost?, Jennifer Sackin

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will discuss the use of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) between businesses and consumers in the United States (U.S.) and their counterparts in the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.). ODR is a growing, highly attractive, and arguably necessary phenomenon in the e-commerce world. It is an accommodating and useful process in that it employs online technology to provide traditional alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms via the Internet.

My First Sla Annual Conference, Ye Li

Sci-Tech News

The report of the 2010 Marion E. Sparks Award winner.

Identification And Management Of Wildlife Damage, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Richard A. Dolbeer, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife management is often thought of in terms of protecting, enhancing, and nurturing wildlife populations and the habitat needed for their well-being. However, many species at one time or another require management actions to reduce conflicts with people, other wildlife species, or other resources. Examples include an airport manager modifying habitats to reduce gull (family Laridae) activity near runways, a forester poisoning pocket gophers (family Geomyidae) to increase tree seedling survival in a reforestation project, or a biologist trapping an abundant predator or competing species to enhance survival of an endangered species. These are just a few of many examples …

Corporate Power In The Public Eye: Reassessing The Implications Of Berle’S Public Consensus Theory, Marc T. Moore, Antoine Rebérioux

Seattle University Law Review

We analyze Berle’s overall corporate governance project in accordance with what we see as its four core sub-themes: (A) the limitations of external market forces as a constraint on managerial decision-making power; (B) the desirability of internal (corporate) over external (market) actors in allocating corporate capital; (C) civil society and the public consensus as a continuous informal check on managerial decision-making power; and (D) shareholder democracy (as opposed to shareholder primacy or shareholder wealth maximization) as a socially instrumental institution. We seek to debunk the popular misconception that Berle’s early work was a defense of the orthodox shareholder primacy paradigm …

Problems Of Bakhtin Scholarship : Reconstituting Bakhtin's Importance In The Human Sciences / Joseph Thompson, Joseph Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ethnographic Reflection On Group Formation In Blizzard's "World Of Warcraft", John Christopher Spottke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyberanthropology or the anthropology of cyber space/culture is an emerging subfield of cultural anthropology that deals with the varied integration of human beings and technology. This specialized area of study focuses on topics ranging from new technologies used in ethnographic research to information and communication technologies utilized by specific societal groups. Communication technology encompasses the World Wide Web, email, and online multiperson interactive spaces such as chatrooms and video games. In this work, I ethnographically investigate human social interactions in the online gaming realm of World of Warcraft. On the whole, the expanding numbers of virtual communities in existence today …

A Study Of The Associations Between Childhood Obesity And Three Forms Of Social Capital, Cynthia Bala-Brusilow

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to expand the understanding of childhood obesity in American children by examining the associations between obesity in children and measures of social capital.

Context: Persons between 2 and 20 years of age are categorized as "obese" if their BMI is in 95th percentile or above for their age and sex using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts. Obesity prevalence has more than quadrupled in the last 40 years in the United States for children. Social capital, in the study of health, can be defined as resources accrued and/or …

Alcohol Use Disorders And Labor Market Outcomes: An Analysis Using 2001-02 National Epidemiology Survey On Alcohol And Related Conditions, Shammima Jesmin

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS AND LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES: AN ANALYSIS USING 2001-02 NATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY SURVEY ON ALCOHOL AND RELATED CONDITIONS

by

SHAMMIMA JESMIN

May 2010

Advisor: Dr. Allen Goodman

Major: Economics

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

BACKGROUND

Attempt of this research to explore the impact of alcohol use disorders on labor market outcomes is justified on the following grounds. First, alcohol use disorders (alcohol abuse and dependence) became more prevalent among the working age population over the decades (NIAAA: 2004). Second, existence of a large body of research on the nature and extent of relationship between alcohol use and labor market …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Diversity Educational Program, Sonya Annette Berkley

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A DIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

by

SONYA A. BERKLEY

May 2010

Advisor: Mary Cay Sengstock

Major: Sociology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Administrators and educators have been given the responsibility of working towards improving racial and social interactions in their school settings. It is important to note that most of the literature on diversity programming suggests that the perception held by a school's administration of what constitutes an all encompassing racially and culturally diverse program plays an important role in its implementation and success.

With the continual growth of minority populations in the United States, …

A Needs Assessment Of The Knowledge, Skills And Use Of Finance Competencies By Human Performance Technology Practitioners, Ann Tai Chow

Wayne State University Dissertations

A comprehensive needs assessment method was used in this empirical and evidence base research. The design, development and implementation of this study focused on answering two overarching questions: (1) What finance knowledge do HPT practitioners possess? and (2) How do HPT practitioners use their finance knowledge and skills in their work? An online survey was administered to obtain answers directly from practicing HPT professionals. Sixty seven HPT practitioners participated in the online survey. Every question in the survey, except the demographic and the three open ended questions, sought two levels of answers: Current State (What) and Future Importance (How) of …

Thinking Globally, Writing Locally: Re-Visioning Critical And Service Learning Pedagogies With Globalization Theory, Cara Lindsey Kozma

Wayne State University Dissertations

Based on a theoretically informed qualitative study, my dissertation looks at critical and service learning pedagogies, focusing on the numerous critiques that have arisen within contemporary composition scholarship. Critical pedagogy has recently come under scrutiny on the grounds that it opposes students' pragmatic views and career concerns, effects student resistance in the classroom, devalues students' personal experiences, and stigmatizes white students (particularly white males). Within service learning, scholars point to numerous problems as well: It can create a false hierarchy between students and community partners by evoking an ideology of "service" and an us/them mentality; it may not be truly …

University Students' Attitudes Towards Body Hair And Hair Removal: An Exploration Of The Effects Of Background Characteristics, Socialization, And Societal Pressures, Bessie Rigakos

Wayne State University Dissertations

Body hair removal is a behavior that is taken for granted by many women in the United States. Existing feminist literature suggests that body hair removal is a major component of societal norms. This study aimed to contribute to the literature by exploring the social factors that influence the extent of women's depilation from public/visible body areas and private/hidden body areas, and the number of depilatory methods utilized. A total of 303 female students from Wayne State University completed questionnaires asking about their attitudes towards body hair/hair removal. It was confirmed that the vast majority (291 or 96%) remove their …

Parental Attachment And Sexual Risk Behavior Among Adolescents, Amy Ruedisueli

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study sought to uncover parental attachment variables that are associated with risky adolescent sexual behavior. The study employed secondary data analysis and used a data set compiled by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Survey of Children and Youth 1997 (NLSY 1997). Variables measuring parental monitoring and emotional closeness were used in logistic and linear regression models to predict whether a respondent reported having sex, whether multiple partners were reported and the reported number of sexual partners in the past year. The study finds that maternal and paternal variables were significant in the prediction of having …

Va Healthcare Costs Of A Collaborative Intervention For Chronic Pain In Primary Care, Kathryn C. Dickinson, Rajiv Sharma, Jonathan P. Duckart, Kathryn Corson, Martha S. Gerrity, Steven K. Dobscha

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Chronic pain is costly to individuals and the healthcare system, and is often undertreated. Collaborative care models show promise for improving treatment of patients with chronic pain. The objectives of this article are to report the incremental benefit and incremental health services costs of a collaborative intervention for chronic pain from a veterans affairs (VA) healthcare perspective.

Methods: Data on VA treatment costs incurred by participants were obtained from the VA's Decision Support System for all utilization except certain intervention activities which were tracked in a separate database. Outcome data were from a cluster-randomized trial of a …

Training Leadership Teams To Impact Performance Outcomes: An Exploratory Case Study, Foster W. Mobley

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of teamwork training provided to intact teams of organization leaders in a single healthcare services company. The subjects of the training were teams of Regional Operations Directors participating in a company-sponsored, 4-day training session focused on examining current and desired levels of collaboration among members. Primary data were collected pre- and post-session using an online Team Effectiveness Tool (TET), measuring group skills, processes, and "emergent states" of climate, affinity, and member satisfaction. Analysis of primary data revealed statistically significant improvements in 22 of the 29 TET items at a 0.01 level of confidence. Secondary data …

Social Skills Training: A Parent Education Program For Culturally Diverse Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Nicole Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Current information pertaining to families with a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders indicates a need for parent interventions that target social skills training, culturally responsive treatments for ethnic minorities, and stress and coping. In response to these needs, a culturally responsive program was designed to teach parents of children ages 6-12 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), to facilitate social skills development in their children and reduce the parental stress associated with having a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The program is intended to be a resource for clinicians that want to provide culturally responsive social skills training …