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Authenticity For Assurance And Accountability: Reconnecting Standards And Qualities For Pla Competence And Course-Based Frameworks, Gretchen Wilbur, Catherine Marienau, Morry Fiddler

SCPS Competency-based Education Publications and Presentations

An authentic PLA approach for quality assurance and accountability integrates the historical contributions of both course-based and competence-based frameworks and intersects assessment qualities with standards. The authors report on a CAEL inquiry project in which LearningCounts.org assessors used multiple frameworks to assess PLA portfolios. An overarching theme of the qualitative assessment data was that specific, flexible, and transparent criteria are required for valid prior learning assessment and these characteristics transcend frameworks. Themes from the analysis were located on a matrix intersecting assessment qualities--clarity, integrity, empathy, and flexibility—with standards for quality assurance in assessing learning. The findings suggest that such assessment …

The Effect Of Extended Durations Of Walking In Different Footwear On Measures Of Muscle Activity, Kacie Brooke Childers

Honors Theses

In 2010, nearly 3.1 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported among private industry employers resulting in an incidence rate of 3.5 cases per 100 full time workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the fatal occupational injuries in 2010, 14% were attributed to falls. Forty-five percent of falls have been attributed to inappropriate footwear, and occupationally induced muscle fatigue has been identified as a contributing factor to falls. Different footwear types have been shown to effect muscle fatigue levels during walking and standing. In an occupational setting, workers generally endure relatively small workloads for extended durations. …

The Role Of Cortisol In Modern Society: Linking Psychosocial Stress And Health, Logan Dwayne Fair

Honors Theses

Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones, which can act on almost all cells in vertebrate tissue through binding to glucocorticoid receptor. Cortisol, which falls into this class, is released in response to stress and provides our bodies with the necessary energy to cope with a wide variety of stressors. This function of cortisol is brought about through its action on numerous metabolic and immunological pathways. However, when cortisol levels remain elevated for extended periods of time, many of these acute effects of cortisol can bring about long-term health problems, including many associated with metabolic S5mdrome, such as obesity and …

The Effect Of Extended Durations Of Walking In Different Footwear On Measures Of Balance, Rebecca Lane Macneill

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extended walking durations on a hard firm surface in different types of industrial footwear on balance and postural control. Postural sway variables (RMS sway and sway velocity in the medio lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions) were measured, based on center of pressure (COP) movement, with the NeuroCom Equitest Balance Master-Posture Platform Sensory Organization Test (SOT). Fourteen healthy adult males participated, and measures were taken at 30 minute time intervals over 4 hours of standing/walking. The eyes open (EO) condition of the SOT was utilized for this study. Each …

S㭠Se Puede... ¿Leer?: Assessing The Success Of The Cuban And Nicaraguan Literacy Initiatives, Camille Lyn Lesseig

Honors Theses

This research examines the literacy programs conducted in 1961 Cuba and 1980 Nicaragua. Given the similarities in the structure and implementation of the plan as well as the congruencies in rhetoric promoting the plans, this thesis explores the various internal and external variables that affected each country’s program to better understand the widely different results. To research these countries’ programs, I examined both primary and secondary source material related to each country, their educational programs specifically, as well as information about US foreign policy relationships with the countries during this time. Although both programs were initially successful in reducing illiteracy …

Healthcare Reform In Context Of The Unique Case Of Mississippi's Diabetic Population, Alley Estelle Ronaldi

Honors Theses

Healthcare reform in the United States is a highly complex issue that is influenced by a number of economic, social, and political factors. These factors have converged in Mississippi to exacerbate reliance on acute care and the high costs associated with tertiary-level diabetes treatment. It has been thoroughly researched that continuous primary care is most the cost effective and convenient treatment for diabetes, yet such treatment centers are scarce in Mississippi due to healthcare payment structures. It is for these reasons that Mississippi is used as an excellent test case for reform proposals. Two of the most polar and popular …

Conditioned Place Preference As A Means To Measure Analgesic Drug Effects On Cancer Pain In Murine Models, Hannah Elizabeth Burson

Honors Theses

Pain associated with cancer is unpredictable and may reflect an inability to quantify it in animals. We hypothesize that Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) testing is sensitive to pain relieving drugs in animal models of cancer pain and that CPP scores will reflect varying degrees of pain relief To test this, mice were assigned to one of four groups: tumor or non-tumor groups conditioned to saline or morphine during preference testing. After baseline preference testing in the CPP apparatus, animals received either saline or morphine in the S+ chamber (initially non-preferred chamber). All animals received saline in the S- chamber (initially …

‘The Triple Bottom Line’: Examining Eu Support For Organic Agriculture With Examples From Italian Wine Producers, Kimberly M. Biagini

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Performance Management And Performance: The Mediating Role Of Engagement, Mina Luong

Master's Theses

Organizations have been using performance management (PM) systems to improve performance and productivity. However, given the ineffectiveness of the PM systems currently in use, it has been suggested that PM systems be redesigned to make employee engagement a key determinant of performance. By adapting Gruman and Saks' (2011) engagement management model, this study examined the relationships among the factors that drive engagement, engagement, and performance. Specifically, engagement was examined as a hypothesized mediator of the relationship between the drivers of engagement (goal setting, job resources, and recognition, feedback, and fairness) and performance among employees in the healthcare industry. Results showed …

Did The Cdc Guidelines For Suicide Reports Affect The New York Times?, Joni Kathryn Marshburn

Master's Theses

The CDC informed the American media of the best way to avoid contributing to imitative suicides by releasing guidelines for suicide reports in 2001. In this study, suicide reports in the New York Times were examined to establish if these guidelines affected the reporting. To determine if there was any change, all suicide reports from five years before, the year of guideline release, and five years after were extracted from the Times database. To determine compliance, articles were coded using a coding sheet that operationalized the guidelines into 12 yes–or–no questions.

The New York Times observed nearly one and a …

Program Directors' Perceptions Of Quality In Nata-Accredited Post-Professional Athletic Training Education Programs, Joshua Pendleton

Master's Theses

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) is a member organization that oversees the health care profession of certified athletic trainers. A large body of research focused on the structure and content of curriculum for undergraduate programs has played a prominent role in the increase in their quantity and quality. Although attention has been called to graduate-level athletic-training education programs, there is currently a lack of research focused on NATA-accredited post-professional athletic training education programs (PPATEPs).

Using qualitative analysis, program directors' perceptions of quality in these NATA-accredited PPATEPs was assessed. In-depth phone interviews were conducted regarding topics such at the accreditation …

Effects Of Tissue Nitrogen And Media Nitrate On Trace Metal Uptake And Trophic Transfer By Ulva Spp., Sonya Meenakshi Sankaran

Master's Theses

A general survey of trace metal content in Ulva spp. (Linnaeus) around Moss Landing, California was carried out. The next objective was to evaluate whether tissue nitrogen or media nitrate affects metal uptake (As, Pb, Mn, Zn) by Ulva spp. under eutrophic conditions. Additionally, the role of metal burden in the invertebrate Idotea resecata as a function of metal content in its diet was examined. Mean trace metal concentrations in Ulva differed significantly among sites in Moss Landing, California. Laboratory measurements using samples from 15 sites along the central California coast revealed a significant positive correlation between Ulva spp. tissue …

The Use Of Web 2.0 Technologies In Archives: Developing Exemplary Practice For Use By Archival Practitioners, Collin Thorman

Master's Theses

Web 2.0 technologies have fundamentally changed the way in which people interact and find information online. Archives are attempting to utilize Web 2.0 technologies to reach new users and promote their collections, but many have implemented these technologies without a full understanding of how to use them appropriately. Research has been conducted concerning libraries implementing Web 2.0 technologies, but much of the research involving archives has consisted of anecdotal evidence and is limited in scope. This research fills that gap by gathering data on the use of many different technologies by different kinds of archives around the globe.

Using surveys …

Motivating Employees Through Thick And Thin: The Relationship Between Hospital Employee Aspirations And Body Mass Index, Amanda Kay Wentz

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in the existing literature regarding the relationship between motivation and aspirations of obese and overweight employees. Based on data collected from 103 hospital employees, obese and overweight employees placed significantly lower importance on intrinsic aspirations than did their healthier counterparts. In addition, healthy, overweight, and obese employees all placed equal importance on extrinsic aspirations. The results of the study indicate that using intrinsic aspirations and rewards to motivate overweight and obese employees in a disease prevention program may be less effective than using an extrinsic reward system.

The Gold Mountain Theater Riots: A Social History Of Chinese Theater Riots In San Francisco During The 1870s And 1880s, Morgan Gerard Boyd

Master's Theses

During the 1870s and 1880s, San Francisco's Chinese theaters were scenes of tumultuous riots, which this thesis has designated as The Gold Mountain Theater Riots. City petitions and ordinances restricting the performances of Chinese theaters, police raids on Chinese theaters when they did not comply with these ordinances, stampedes caused by panics, and tong and Chinese theater rivalries were all catalysts for violence in America's first Chinese theaters. The Gold Mountain Theater Riots attempts to gain further knowledge of why these extra-theatrical events occurred, through the examination of Chinese audiences and the police involved in these theater riots as reported …

Producing Short And Long Run Projections For The Ecological Footprint, David Gordon Moore

Master's Theses

The Ecological Footprint is a useful tool for public awareness of ecological pressures and for policymakers who aim to reduce them. In order to determine the potential effects of future actions and policies, it is necessary to construct scenarios of future global conditions, both in the short-term and long-term. This study develops two alternative methods for creating Ecological Footprint scenarios: first using asymmetric changes in simple economic output (GDP) to look at short-term projections; then using widely accepted scenarios from international agencies to develop long-term projections.

Changes in GDP were found to be causal in determining changes in the Ecological …

Growing Greens And Soiled Soil: Trends In Heavy Metal Contamination In Vegetable Gardens Of San Francisco, Jennifer Gorospe

Master's Theses

As urban dwellers prioritize eating locally grown foods to reduce environmental impacts, benefit the local economy, and bring fresh produce to the table, urban gardening has emerged as a popular approach to improving food security. Researchers have shown previously that urban landscapes can accumulate environmental toxins at levels that may be unsafe for human health, with socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often shouldering an unequal burden of exposure. In order to identify and predict likely risk to gardeners, in this study, soil samples from 91 vegetable gardens in the city of San Francisco were analyzed for 16 heavy metals. A majority of …

More Myself, Karin Louise Mckie

Master's Theses

More Myself by Karin McKie is about living in the margins of the social network. As an ad hoc anthropologist, I survey my journeys, both internal and external, with a wry eye. I have lived alone since 1993, work mostly from home, no texting on my phone, and no kids ... that I know about. Throughout these essays, I chronicle the differences, as well as the intersections, between loneliness and being alone.

What is the nature of solitude? Am I worth knowing; am I worth loving? How did I get where I've got? From Virginia to Chicago and San José, …

Documenting The Delta: Lessons Learned From Film, Charies Lee Parker

Master's Theses

California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, "the Delta," is one of the state's most important natural resources. Beginning in the mid 1800s and continuing to the present day, anthropogenic activities radically altered, and continue to affect, this ecosystem. Wetland reclamation and water projects transformed the Delta landscape from a tidal wetland into an artificially homogenous freshwater system. As a result, the health of the Delta ecosystem is in jeopardy. Experts agree that current management practices of the Delta are unsustainable; however, experts cannot agree on a viable solution.

An educational documentary film, "California Kings: Sold Down the River," was used as the …

Health Implications Of Mercury, Selenium, And A Red Pelage In Pacific Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina Richardii) Off Central California, Elizabeth Alexis Mchuron

Master's Theses

San Francisco Bay (SFB) is the largest estuary on the west coast of the United States. It provides habitat for many species, although is heavily urbanized with a history of selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) contamination. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are good indicators of the health of SFB because they are long–lived, upper–level trophic consumers, and present in the estuary year–round. The objective of this study was to examine the role of Se and Hg contamination on the health of harbor seals in this region, and the role of Se in the development of a red pelage. Between 2009 and …

The Role Of Language In Shaping The International Cultural Tourism Experience Of Student-Travelers, Avina Ramnani

Master's Theses

This qualitative, exploratory study sought insight into how language affects the cultural tourism experience in the international tourism context. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews of 13 student-travelers, who traveled with the San Jose State University's study-abroad programs. The analysis of the data was carried out within a socio-linguistic context using grounded theory methods. Findings indicated that travel motivations and the perception of significance of the language spoken at a destination were intimately connected. Further, the desire on the part of the student-travelers to experience the local culture affected the desire for interaction with the host population, which was in …

Differential And Temporal Immunomodulation Of Alpha4 Integrins On Cd4+ Memory Cells By Bordetella Pertussis And Bordetella Parapertussis, Dipti Ravindra

Master's Theses

Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis), is reemerging worldwide due to vaccine inefficacy. The hallmarks of infection are extreme lymphocytosis and delayed recovery, which are partially associated with pertussis toxin. Lymphocytes migrate to infected tissues using trafficking receptors. Specific combinations of these lymphocyte trafficking receptors are identified for skin and gut but are not well established for lung.

This study focused on the effect of pertussis toxin on lung-associated trafficking receptors and tested the hypothesis that pertussis toxin alters dendritic cell imprinting of lung trafficking receptors on T cells, thus delaying resolution of the infection. B. pertussis-infected mice were …

Low-Tech, Eye-Movement-Accessible Aac And Typical Adults, Sarah Marie Swift

Master's Theses

Low-tech, eye-gaze-accessible augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options are important for individuals with motor impairments which result in limited voluntary movement, including many diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Available devices include EyeLink, partner-assisted scanning (PAS), and E-tran. The purpose of this study was to examine the rates of use for these devices, the user preferences related to them, and changes in rates and preferences over time. In another ongoing study component, Roman, Quach, Coggiola, and Moore (2010) investigated these devices with pairs of participants that included persons with ALS (PALS) and their communication partners. In this component, seven pairs …

Plasmablast Frequency And Trafficking Receptor Expression Are Altered In Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis, Nicole Jeanne Tarlton

Master's Theses

Background: The incidence of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic autoinflammatory disease of the colon, is on the rise. Although an increased infiltration of B cells from the peripheral blood into the colon occurs in UC, B cell trafficking is understudied. We hypothesized that the frequency of circulating plasmablasts (PBs) and their trafficking receptor (TR) expression may be indicative of the location and degree of pathology in pediatric UC. Methods: We conducted multicolor flow cytometry analyses of circulating IgA+/- PBs and IgA+ memory B cells (MBCs) in pediatric UC patients with remission, mild, moderate, and severe disease (n=12) and healthy …

Binge Drinking And Drug Use Among College Students: A Test Of Hirschi's Social Control Theory, Katelyn Riley-Cook

Master's Theses

This thesis tests Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory using a sample of college students. The purpose of the study was to examine whether social bonds (attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief) impact binge drinking and drug use among college students. In addition, this study assessed the need for drug and alcohol intervention and prevention measures.

Random classes were selected from a college catalogue, and a total of five classes were surveyed. The total sample size was 193 students from a Bay Area university.

The research revealed little support for Hirschi's theory. Contrary to the theory, the research showed that attachment to …

Advisor Induced Demand And Moral Hazard In The Third-Party Payor System, David Chandler Thomas

Master's Theses

Health-care consumption in the United States has risen from 5.2% in 1960 to 17.8% of 2009 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) creating a burden that will soon be too heavy for the economy to bear. This paper proposes that the primary accelerants of health-care expenditures result from the third-party payer system that emerged in the 1950s. These corporate benefits and government subsidies, when overlaid on the traditional health-care model, have led to sustained increases in the production, recommendation, and consumption of health care while magnifying the moral hazard problem inherent in health insurance.

Effectiveness Of A San Francisco Bay Area Community Education Program On Reducing Home Energy Use, Ellen M. Wilkinson

Master's Theses

In order to promote the adoption of home energy reduction practices and mitigate the climate impact of the collective greenhouse gas emissions generated by consumers, it is critical to identify an effective educational approach. A community-based educational intervention model that employs norms, information, commitment, feedback, and face-to-face communication strategies was examined for its ability to motivate changes in everyday energy-use behavior in two communities compared to a control group. A follow up study was also conducted to evaluate whether behaviors adopted as a result of the intervention were long lasting, and whether the community-focused features of the intervention were motivating …

Feral Cat Management: Perceptions And Preferences (A Case Study), Rachel Lm Wilken

Master's Theses

Feral cat management is a highly debated topic. Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) programs have become increasingly popular as an alternative to eradication. Public preference about how to manage feral cats has been explored by previous authors, but no consensus has been reached. Public policy and best management practices depend in part upon public opinion on this topic. Wording of a feral cat management preference in surveys can play a role in respondent opinion. For this thesis, the researcher examined public opinion about feral cat control by surveying 298 Stanford University faculty and staff members using two different communication approaches. …

Differences And Similarities Between Female Managers And Female Entrepreneurs, Maria Cespedes

Master's Theses

Although the number of female entrepreneurs has recently increased, there is little research that has compared female managers and female entrepreneurs in their work experiences and conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the potential differences and similarities between women in management versus women in entrepreneurship regarding challenges, motivators for entry, adaptations, gender roles, and self-monitoring. Data collected from 87 women in management and entrepreneurship showed that female managers faced gender biases more than did entrepreneurs and had to choose between their professional and their personal goals when deciding to have children. Motivators for entry into entrepreneurship …

A Strategy Toward Healing And Reconciliation Through Forgiveness Training For The Members Of The Maranatha Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Fredericksburg, Virginia, Glenford Baxter

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

A focus group at the Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church, prior to the onset of this research, identified three key areas of conflict that must be addressed in order to improve its spiritual life and experience growth. One of the identified areas of conflict was the lack of forgiveness and a need for reconciliation among members. Unwillingness on the part of some members to both give and receive forgiveness has led to significant declines in attendance and loss of members over the past ten years.

Method

The project undertakes the development of a four-part biblical sermon series over two month …