Digital Commons Network^™

Participant Characteristics And Child Welfare Outcomes: Factors Of Influence For Success In The Vip-Ri Program, Alisha Kutzler

Open Access Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics associated with success, defined by a closed case with Child Welfare Services and reunification with biological child, in the Vulnerable Infants Program of Rhode Island (VIP-RI). Data utilized for this study came from participants from the first four years of the VIP-RI program including 206 mothers involved in the Rhode Island Family Treatment Drug Court. These mothers met criteria for this program if they used drugs during pregnancy and voluntarily opted to be part of the VIP-RI program. Demographic, service history and psycho-behavioral variables were examined and, of the hypothesized variables …

Latino Students’ Perceptions Of The Academic Library, Dallas Long

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Library use is strongly linked with student persistence in higher education, and Latino students have lower rates of academic library use and proficiency than other racial/ethnic groups of students. This study explores Latino undergraduate students’ perceptions of the academic library and library staff and identifies the conditions which impede or facilitate the students’ use of the library. Using a multiple case study design, this study describes the experiences and perceptions of undergraduate students who identify as Latino and attend a four-year public research-intensive university in the Midwest. The findings suggest that Latino students use the library through the influence of …

Creating Documentary Shorts In A Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course, Jennifer Sharkey

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Provides an overview of a credit-bearing information literacy course that utilizes documentary filmmaking as the vehicle to teach concepts like social constructs of information, how technology impacts the dissemination, creation, retrieval, and storage of information, utilization of technology for finding, managing, synthesizing, evaluating, and sharing information. The overview includes the following sections: Circumstances of the Instruction; Objectives of the Instruction; Components of the Instruction (Preparation, Presentation, Evaluation); Supplementary Materials (Syllabus sample, Homework assignment sample, Grading rubric sample); and Recommended Resources.

2011 Library Technology Conference [Review], Anne Shelley

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This review evaluates the 2011 Library Technology Conference.

Weighing Status: Obesity, Class, And Health Reform, Janet L. Dolgin, Katherine R. Dieterich

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

The article explores the intersection between the nation’s presumptive “epidemic” of obesity and efforts to reform the health care system. It notes parallels between attitudes toward obesity and attitudes toward poverty and suggests that a set of social and legal responses about those deemed overweight or obese echoes a wider set of beliefs and values that lies beneath the national debate about health care reform. It suggests that these beliefs and values limited the reach of health reform in 2010 and continue to do so.

More specifically, the article examines America’s recent public focus on what has been labeled an …

Dimension I: Habeas Corpus As A Common Law Writ, Eric M. Freedman

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

This is the first of three planned articles in a project whose overall title is “Habeas Corpus in Three Dimensions.” This piece considers the significance of the fact that, until the first decades of the nineteenth century, American habeas corpus was embedded in a system of common law writs. The second article will discuss habeas corpus as part of the overall structure of constraints on government power being constructed in this country until approximately 1830. The third installment will trace the role of habeas corpus in the system of separation of powers that subsequently developed.

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Department Chair, James Simeone

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Author's Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Redistricting Effect In A Non-Partisan World: Toward A Theory Of Reapportionment At The County Board Level Of Government, Amy Uden

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Electoral redistricting shapes political scientists' perceptions of partisan polarization and incumbency. This paper examines the redistricting process at the county level of government, using the cases of McLean and Champaign Counties, Illinois. This research analyzes the McLean County board's voting cleavages in order to highlight considerations of nonpartisan electoral bodies. With Champaign County as a comparison, it also uses a series of linear regression models to analyze redistricting's effects on county incumbency and board composition. Redistricting impact proved insignificant, but the study demonstrates correlations between county electoral composition and state-level electoral trends, and also confirms the important influence of partisanship …

European Integration: A Plan To Make The Grade, Megan Weinstein

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Since World War II, millions of immigrants have settled into European societies. While many of these ethnic minorities are entering their second and third generation within their host countries there is still a deep sense of disunity and alienation. Some researchers suggest that the best way to acculturate these migrants into society is through structural integration where migrants are exposed to and involved in institutions such as the educational system. To examine the importance of education's impact on socio-cultural integration, this article examines the effect of educational structures on the socio-cultural integration of Europe's ethnic minority populations, including foreign-born migrants. …

Perceptions Of A Deity And Corresponding Religious Group As Affected By Descriptions Of Gender And Personal Characteristics, Hannah R. Jones

Honors Projects

Both personal and social identities are important to the self-concept, but the values of such identities can come into question when they conflict with one another. The religious group, one such identification, can exert a great deal of influence over one’s thoughts and beliefs. However, religion is often critiqued for being a reflection of the patriarchal context from which a religion often emerges, which potentially elicits and reinforces gender stereotypes and sexism within the religious group. This can be seen in the Abrahamic religions; they maintain that their God does not claim biological sex nor gender, but their texts include …

Capacity Rationalisation And Exit Barriers In The Irish Printing Industry, Kathleen Hughes

Conference papers

Decisions regarding capacity and capital investment are among the most critical for firms, as reflected in the extensive literature devoted to this subject. However, substantially less work has been carried out on the decision to disinvest. This is unfortunate as in some situations, such as recessionary times, the main competitive moves pertain to disinvestment, rather than investment. This study aims to contribute to this subject, in particular it aims to identify why industries with a concentrated structure can when proactively rationalise when required, while fragmented ones cannot. Research methodology a case study approach, comprising in-depth interviews with six industry experts …

Dublin Institute Of Technology's Programme For Students Learning With Communities: A Critical Account Of Practice, Catherine Bates, Elena Gamble

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Purpose – This paper aims to focus on the process of critically evaluating Technological University City's Programme for Students Learning With Communities after its first year of operation. The programme supports and promotes community-based learning/service-learning across DIT.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper is presented in the form of a case study, wherein the context for the work is outlined, addressing both strengths and weaknesses of the practice to date, and comment briefly on wider implications.

Findings – After nine months an evaluation of the programme was carried out. It identified four main areas where it was felt there was potential for …

Alternatives To Industrial Work Placement At Technological University City, Catherine Bates, Elena Gamble

Staff Articles and Research Papers

In the current economic crisis, higher education graduates need transferable professional skills more than ever. They need resourcefulness, an ability to work reflectively, a sense of civic awareness and an impressive curriculum vitae. This case study analyses how Technological University City’s Programme for Students Learning With Communities provides cost-effective, sustainable solutions to these needs, offering an alternative to industrial work placement. Community-based learning and research involve collaboration between staff and/or students and community partners to design real-life, course-based projects which meet the learning needs of the students and those of the community. The programme not only enriches the curriculum; it …

Successful Engineering And Technology Student Mobility: Key Student Perspectives And Quality Determinants Before, During And After Student Exchange Under The Atlantis Programme, Mike Murphy, Donal Mchale, Michael Dyrenfurth, James Barnes

Articles

The EU-US Agreement through the Atlantis Programmes supports consortia of higher education and training institutions working together at undergraduate or graduate level to improve their educational services, to compare and modernise curricula and to develop joint study programmes with full recognition of credits and qualifications. The EU-US Atlantis Programme funds innovative projects across three strands: mobility projects, double or joint “transatlantic degrees” for students in the EU and US and policy-oriented measures. The main focus of activities must be on transatlantic rather than intra-European or intra-American interactions. Funded activities, such as the development of curricula, joint study programmes, exchanges and …

Engineering Graduates: Preparation And Progression: Institutes Of Technology Honours Bachelor Degree Engineering Graduate Study, June, 2011, James Shivnan, Austin Hanley, Mike Murphy

Reports

The national strategy for higher level education underlines the importance of innovation and enterprise; and well qualified engineers are central to furthering that strategy. This honours bachelor degree engineering graduate study represents an intense dialogue between engineering faculties across the Institutes of Technology to gain insight into the quality of our engineering education. The study provides a fresh insight into how NFQ Level 81honours bachelor degree engineering graduates from the Institutes are perceived by employers, how well the graduates themselves feel they are prepared to perform as engineers, and how both employers and graduates judge the strengths and weaknesses of …

Riordan Arrays Associated With Laurent Series And Generalized Sheffer-Type Groups, Tian-Xiao He

Scholarship

A relationship between a pair of Laurent series and Riordan arrays is formulated. In addition, a type of generalized Sheffer groups is defined using Riordan arrays with respect to power series with non-zero coefficients. The isomorphism between a generalized Sheffer group and the group of the Riordan arrays associated with Laurent series is established. Furthermore, Appell, associated, Bell, and hitting-time subgroups of the groups are defined and discussed. A relationship between the generalized Sheffer groups with respect to different power series is presented. The equivalence of the defined Riordan array pairs and generalized Stirling number pairs is given. A type …

On The Applications Of Deterministic Chaos For Encrypting Data On The Cloud, Jonathan Blackledge, Nikolai Ptitsyn

Conference papers

Cloud computing is expected to grow considerably in the future because it has so many advantages with regard to sale and cost, change management, next generation architectures, choice and agility. However, one of the principal concerns for users of the Cloud is lack of control and above all, data security. This paper considers an approach to encrypting information before it is ‘placed’ on the Cloud where each user has access to their own encryption algorithm, an algorithm that is based on a set of iterated function systems that outputs a chaotic number stream, designed to produce a cryptographically secure cipher. …

Single Mode Optical Fiber Based Refractive Index Sensor Using Etched Cladding, Ajay Kumar, Geeta Gupta, Arun Mallik, Anuj Bhatnagar

Articles

The use of optical fiber for sensor applications is a topic of current interest. We report the fabrication of etched single mode optical fiber based refractive index sensor. Experiments are performed to determine the etch rate of fiber in buffered hydrofluoric acid, which can be high or low depending upon the temperature at which etching is carried out. Controlled wet etching of fiber cladding is performed using these measurements and etched fiber region is tested for refractive index sensing application. We report significant optical power change in fiber sensor at 1550 nm wavelength, in the presence of IPAsolution and also …

Use Of Collaborative Learning Technology To Support Cross-Faculty Group Learning, Colm O'Kane, Jennifer Mcdonnell

Conference Papers

The scope of applications of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) has grown exponentially in recent years. This group of techniques has been found to be extremely effective as a collaborative tool to inspire scaffolding between students. It is also useful when several academic supervisors wish to view the same project work.

This paper describes the process and the motivation behind the first implementation of a campus pack-based project in Year 3 of Technological University Dublin's (DIT) BSc. in Product Design programme. Issues have been encountered in previous years with this cross-faculty managed project, but this work shows the potential that …

Rankings And The Reshaping Of Higher Education:The Battle For World Wide Excellence, Ellen Hazelkorn

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Three Key Challenges Facing Higher Education And Policymakers, Ellen Hazelkorn

Reports

No abstract provided.

Organizational Centralization As Figurational Dynamics: Movements And Counter-Movements In The Gaelic Athletic Association, John Connolly, Paddy Dolan

Articles

In this paper we develop aspects of Elias’s figurational approach within organisational studies by using some of the core theoretical constructs as a model to explain organi­sational change through an empirical investigation of the dynamics of centralisation–decentralisation processes in an Irish sports organisation. Based on historical analysis, the paper documents the expanding interdependencies, figurational dynamics and shifting power balances which led to a gradual, non-linear movement towards greater integration and centralisation within the organisation.

An Integrated Framework To Assess ‘Leanness’ Performance In Distribution Centres, Amr Mahfouz

Doctoral

The theory behind lean philosophy is to create more value with less. Effective lean management enables organisations to exceed customer expectations while reducing costs. Despite the fact that numerous practices and approaches are used in the process of implementing lean philosophy and reducing waste within supply chain systems, little effort has been directed into assessing the leanness level of distribution and its impact on overall performance. Given the vital role of distribution units within supply chains, this research aims to develop a comprehensive lean assessment framework that integrates a selected set of statistical, analytical, and mathematical techniques in order to …

The Role Of Intuition In Strategic Decision Making: How Managers' Rationalize Intuition, Philomena Hanlon

Conference papers

This paper looks at the role of intuition in strategic decision making. While there is a considerable body of work on intuition generally empirical research on it and its use by managers is limited. Little research on managers in the ‘field’ has been carried out, with the work by Agor (1989) probably the best known. Due to the nature of intuition (an activity which takes place in the minds of individuals and which researchers can not access directly) this paper looks instead at the discursive patterns of mangers in relation to intuition in strategic decision making.

Primary data collection consisted …

Emerging Threats For Mnc Subsidiaries And The Cycle Of Decline, Pamela Sharkey Scott, P. T. Gibbons Prof

Articles

Purpose – Subsidiary units have traditionally feared relocation of their activities to lower-cost locations. The authors identify other emerging threats which are changing how multinational corporations (MNCs) manage their subsidiary units, and develop a cycle of subsidiary decline demonstrating how these threats can undermine a subsidiary's position within the MNC.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the results of a survey targeted at over 1,100 subsidiary CEOs of MNCs located in Ireland, a program of in-depth interviews of 24 subsidiary CEOs/directors, and a review of the literature relating to MNC and subsidiary management, are combined to identify emerging threats to subsidiary …

Technology Enhanced Learning: Students' Views, Eileen O'Donnell, Mary Sharp

Conference Papers

User feedback is very important in all areas of computer science especially in the development of computer applications. Hence, student feedback on the use of technology enhanced learning in higher education in Ireland is relevant to the quality of the learning resources to be created by learning designers and academics in the future. The book “Student Reactions to Learning with Technologies: Perceptions and Outcomes” (Moyle & Wijngaards, 2012) was published by IGI Global in October 2011. This book includes contributions from various authors who are interested in students’ feedback regarding how technology has impacted on their educational experience. This book …

Integrating Current State And Future State Value Stream Mapping With Discrete Event Simulation: A Lean Distribution Case Study, Amr Mahfouz, John Crowe, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

In response to global recession and increased competition, organizations have tried to become more efficient by decreasing costs and streamlining operations. To achieve this, the philosophy of lean management has gained in popularity. The main obstacle organizations face when implementing lean is deciding which activities to implement lean principals on. A well known lean practice, value stream mapping, is a very effective tool in mapping the current and future state of an organizations lean activities. Limitations in calculating variability information that describe system variations and uncertainty means more powerful analytical tools are needed. Simulation offers a more thorough analysis of …

Reflections On Contemporary Currents In Writing Center Work, Andrea A. Lunsford, Lisa Ede

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.