Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of A Reading Comprehension Model Designed To Increase Reading Comprehension Of Fifth-Grade Students, Marcia Lim-Tom

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the effectiveness of a computer-based reading program and reciprocal teaching strategies on reading comprehension skills of a group of 5th-grade students. Some 5th-grade students at the research site were deficient in their reading comprehension performance. Results from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Academy of Reading assessments demonstrated their comprehension deficits. This research was guided by 3 research questions:

1. Will participation in a computer-assisted instruction reading program and reciprocal teaching strategies increase the reading comprehension scores of a group of 5th-grade students by at least 10% as measured by the Standardized …

Examining The Effects Of Extracurricular Activities On Grade Point Averages And Discipline Referrals, Jessica Keaton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information for school administrators, school board members, instructional staff, parents, and students. Expectations for student achievement continue to increase due to many federal, state, and local initiatives. Many schools are analyzing current programs to determine what programs have the most effect on students‘ achievement. Additionally, schools are faced with reduced budgets, so it is imperative that the most effective programs are maintained while less effective programs are discontinued in order to spend funding in the areas that most directly impacts student achievement.

This causal comparative study compared Grade Point Averages (GPA) and discipline …

A Preliminary Examination Of A Program That Provides Free Blood Glucose Testing Meters, And Subsidies On Test-Strips To Adult Diabetics, Cecil White

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to conduct a preliminary examination of the effects of the provision of free glucose testing meters, and test-strips subsidies on blood glucose control among diabetics. The study examined whether there was any impact on the frequency of testing, and whether there was a correlation between the frequency of testing and blood sugar control, as measured by HbA1c tests.

The researcher conducted a study of the program using a quasi-experimental design, and used the Glucose Monitoring Patient Questionnaire to compare the results between a test group and a control group of participants. Independent t tests were …

Daily Flash Card Drills And Systems Thinking To Master Math Addition Facts, Jerome Ravenna

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to information for the students and staff in an elementary school regarding acquisition and retention of basic addition math facts. Teaching techniques and strategies were explored that would enable elementary students to master essential skills in mathematics.

By the end of the first semester in Grade 1, learners must demonstrate knowledge of basic mathematic facts, especially in addition. Learners are subjected to diversified instruction where schools strive to teach a wide variety of subject materials rather than focus on basic skills and mastery. The result is broader student awareness of many …

Exploring Technology Accessibility For Visually Impaired Postsecondary Students In Ohio, William Christopher Byrd

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to research the current state of and to make recommendations for accessibility to technology for visually impaired postsecondary students in Ohio. Although the literature cites numerous advances in technology that have positively influenced the access and success of visually impaired students, gaining access to this technology has been uneven.

The problem that visually impaired students are not getting sufficient access to assistive technology to complete an academic program were addressed by surveying the disability support-services staff members about technology available to visually impaired students. Additionally, training was provided for both staff and faculty …

An Evaluation Of Teaching Strategies Using Computer Technology, Anthony Griffin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The push to integrate technology into teachers’ daily practices has met with many forms of resistance. A common approach to increasing technology integration has been to provide teachers with professional development. This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the impact of a peer-led professional development program on teachers’ ability and confidence to integrate computer technology in daily classroom practices.

The writer prepared and facilitated a peer-led professional development program on the use of computer technology for volunteer English and social studies teachers. The program was presented as a 6-hour training. At the conclusion of the training, the participants evaluated the …

Training And Evaluating Teachers To Implement Best Practices In Community-Based Instruction, Faustina A. Quist

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation study was designed to train and evaluate teachers to implement best practices of community-based instruction (CBI) in a special-education school. The researcher employed quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the extent to which the participants implemented the knowledge and skills acquired during the training.

The researcher implemented training on best practices for CBI, based on andragogical learning theory. Phase 1 involved 10 weekly sessions with 3 different teams from middle school, high school, and upper school. Phase 2 focused on the application and demonstration and involved 2 classroom and community observations and feedback for each teacher.

The …

The Effect Of A School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Intervention On Student Behavior, Tobin R. Walcott

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Many school districts nationwide have implemented a school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) intervention to provide an environment for students to be productive, engaged, and empowered to make positive choices. The problem addressed in this study was that student behavior in the classroom was unacceptable as defined by the school’s student code of conduct, resulting in a high number of behavioral referrals and a decrease in instructional time for those students who committed infractions warranting an office discipline referral (ODR). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an SWPBS intervention on student behavior by comparing ODRs for …

Impact Of A Rural Elementary School Closing On Parents’ Satisfaction Level, Crycynthia F. Gardner

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation study sought to determine what impact the closing of a small elementary school whose students were predominately Black had on parents’ levels of satisfaction with their children’s education now that they attended an integrated school and what cultural differences, if any, existed among and between different ethnic groups of parents. The Parent Opinion Inventory and an open-ended, structured interview were used to gather data in this mixed-method study.

A random select technique was used to generate a pool of 226 participants from 1 rural elementary school in the southern part of the United States. Eighty of these …

An Evaluation Of A High School General Educational Development Program: Work Plus Academics, Andrea Tillery Wilkins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Students deal with conflicts every day. In their quest to survive peer pressure and other conflicts in their lives, they often find themselves at a crossroads where they have to solve dilemmas. Some of those dilemmas cause students to contemplate dropping out of school. Some schools have accepted the challenge of helping those students by creating alternative programs that give nontraditional students a way to complete their education. In one school district, a General Educational Development (GED) program named Work Plus Academics was created to assist at-risk high school students in completing their education. Even though the program has been …

A Study Of The Leadership Dimensions Of National Distinguished Principals, Judith Mccollum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The identification and recruitment of effective school principals who can transform schools in the midst of today’s chaotic economic, social, and global environments require a thorough understanding of the research on effective leadership. Current research indicates that principals who exhibit transformational leadership and, most recently, instructional leadership, are the most successful by all measures, including school climate, teacher empowerment, community support, and high student performance results.

This study focused on a sample of principals from a population who recently received the distinction of a National Distinguished Principal (NDP) to determine if a correlation existed between their leadership dimensions and that …

Impact Of A Supplemental Instruction Model On The Mathematics Skills Of College Students, Cara S. Harrell

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation was designed to determine if a supplemental tool would improve the achievement of students enrolled in an introductory college mathematics course. The study was conducted to determine if students who were exposed to a mathematical model would learn information at a more significant level than those students who did not use the mathematical model.

Four research questions were investigated. During this study, 53 students were members of the experimental group and control groups. Eight individuals were part of the evaluation committee. The experimental group consisted of 26 participants who were exposed to the mathematical model, and the …

An Investigation On Self-Esteem And Battered Women In A Shelter In Belize: A Guide To Treatment Intervention, Dorla E. Rosado

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem investigated involved the increasing numbers of reported cases of domestic violence in Belize between 2000 and 2009. As a result of this situation, the purpose of this applied research was to investigate the self-esteem of battered women who access the services of a shelter in Belize. This first of its kind study in Belize provided baseline data on the self-esteem of battered women to guide the development and implementation of treatment intervention for the women. Key to developing any treatment intervention is that the format is based on data-driven evidence that indicates how battered women in the shelter …

An Assessment Of Administrator Perceptions Regarding Undergraduate Accelerated Degree Programs For Adults, Honour H. Moore

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to identify perceptions of undergraduate accelerated degree programs for working adults held by chief academic officers and accelerated program deans or directors and to determine if a national accreditation process would enhance those perceptions. Available research on time shortened learning formats was reviewed and analyzed as it pertained to the history and perceptions of such programs. Five areas were identified to measure attitudes toward accelerated programs: instructional hours as a measure of academic quality, faculty quality and teaching skill, assessment of student learning and program effectiveness, relationship of program to parent institution, and …

Optomechanics Of Cavity Driven Nanoparticles, Joel T. Rubin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The subject of this thesis is the opto-mechanical interaction of a spherical high-Q microresonator and a subwavelength particle, which, at optical wavelengths, corresponds to a size on the order of nanometers. After a review of the basic theory of spherical resonators and multi-sphere scattering, the full self-consistent electromagnetic field of the coupled resonator-particle system is derived. The particle-induced frequency shift and broadening is calculated by examining the poles of the scattering coefficients of the resonator. The force exerted on the particle by the field is determined via the Maxwell stress tensor, and is found to be in general non-conservative. From …

Aperture Array Photonic Metamaterials: Theoretical Approaches, Numerical Techniques And A Novel Application, Eli Lansey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Optical or photonic metamaterials that operate in the infrared and visible frequency regimes show tremendous promise for solving problems in renewable energy, infrared imaging, and telecommunications. However, many of the theoretical and simulation techniques used at lower frequencies are not applicable to this higher-frequency regime. Furthermore, technological and financial limitations of photonic metamaterial fabrication increases the importance of reliable theoretical models and computational techniques for predicting the optical response of photonic metamaterials.

This thesis focuses on aperture array metamaterials. That is, a rectangular, circular, or other shaped cavity or hole embedded in, or penetrating through a metal film. The research …

Demons Of Change: Transformational Role Of The Antagonist In The Apocalypse Of Abraham, Andrei Orlov

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sacerdotal Traditions Of 2 Enoch And The Date Of The Text, Andrei Orlov

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Theology, Culture And Sustainable Development In Africa, Joseph Ogbonnaya

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

En face des dangers de la globalisation qui menacent les cultures et les peuples et en raison de son accent sur la dignité humaine, cet article présente la Théologie comme un outil véritable pour la préservation de l'identité culturelle. En utilisant des termes de développement, ce travail critique la toile de fond anthropologique et philosophique du développement comme une simple croissance économique. Il suggère en outre une structure de développement intégral qui s'intéresse à l'échelle de valeur afin de fournir des plans répétitifs pour le bien du développement de la personne humaine. Il examine aussi son implication pour le développement …

John Collier, Thomas Edison And The Educational Promotion Of Moving Pictures, Amanda R. Keeler

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Teaching For Social Justice In The Engaged Classroom: The Intersection Of Jesuit And Feminist Moral Philosophies, Karen L. Slattery, Ana C. Garner, Joyce M. Wolburg, Lynn H. Turner

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Vapor-Liquid Phase Equilibria Using Monte Carlo Wang-Landau Simulations, Tsvetan Aleksandrov

Theses and Dissertations

The experimental determination of the critical point of metals is inherently connected with difficulties of measuring large temperatures and pressures. On the other hand, that of straight alkane chains larger than ten carbon atoms and branched chains larger than eight atoms is burdensome due to decomposition of the molecules while in the vapor phase. Therefore molecular simulations stand as an appropriate alternative for determining the critical point and phase coexistence properties of these fluids. Most simulation methods that are apt for this task rely on particles insertion and deletion moves that can significantly complicate the simulation, since high density in …

Assessing The Biophysical Naturalness Of Grassland In Eastern North Dakota With Hyperspectral Imagery, Qiang Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, non-native species within grassland communities have quickly developed due to human migration and commerce. Invasive species like Smooth Brome grass (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky Blue Grass (Poa pratensis), seriously threaten conservation of native grasslands. This study aims to discriminate between native grasslands and planted hayfields and conservation areas dominated by introduced grasses using hyperspectral imagery.

Hyperspectral imageries from the Hyperion sensor on EO-1 were acquired in late spring and late summer on 2009 and 2010. Field spectra for widely distributed species as well as smooth brome grass and Kentucky blue grass were collected from the …

No Halos For Sex Offenders: An Examination Of The Effects Of Appearance And Gender On The Perception Of Sex Offenders, Adam Charles Austin

Theses and Dissertations

For the last couple of decades, sex offenders have been stereotyped into being strangers to the victim and "dirty old men." However, recent research has shown that the public is no longer endorsing those stereotypes (Fuselier, Durham, & Wurtele, 2002; Levenson, Brannon, Fortney, & Baker, 2007). Instead the public is realizing that there is no stereotypical sex offender and most victims of sex offenses know their assailant to some degree. The purpose of the current study is to look at the judgments made about a teacher being accused of criminal sexual contact with a student, where gender and attractiveness of …

Differences In Romantic Relationship Satisfaction And Health As A Function Of Pet Preference, Jenna Rae Trisko

Theses and Dissertations

Despite some evidence of personality differences between self-identified "cat people" and "dog people," there is a lack of research on how these groups differ in terms of the quality of their human relationships or whether people who own dogs or cats (or both) differ in the health benefits associated with pet ownership. This study was used to examine the relationship between pet preferences, level of satisfaction and type of attachment participants had in their current romantic relationships. This study was also used to explore whether overall health, depression, perceived stress, and physical activity levels differed as a function of pet …

Second Grade Students' Cognitive Understanding Of Heart Rate Monitors And Pedometers, Carolyn Lee Tozer

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity has become a significant health problem in the United States (Dietz, 1998, Blair et al., 2007, Robinson, Wadsworth, 2010). In children, obesity is defined as being at or above the 95th percentile for BMI according to age growth charts (Carroll, 2006). There are several approaches to combating the epidemic of obesity. In physical education classes, teachers are using are heart rate monitors and pedometers to assess the students' levels of physical activity (Blair et al., 2007). However, it is uncertain if elementary students better understand the results from the pedometer, or the heart rate monitor. A study of …

Juror Personality And Legal Blame, Eugenia Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

The following study looked at the relationship between self-monitoring and jurors' view of liability in a civil accident case. Some studies looking at belief systems and selected personality traits and have found conflicting results on whether or not you can determine which way the juror will vote on a case. Even fewer studies have looked at the Big Five Personality traits and self-monitoring. Research shows that individuals who are more extraverted are more likely to vote for the defense. This study had participants (N=147) take the Big Five Personality Inventory and the Self-Monitoring Scale, then read an accident scenario and …

Corrosion And Wear Resistance Of Titanium- And Aluminum- Based Metal Matrix Composites Fabricated By Direct Metal Laser Deposition, Ben L. Waldera

Theses and Dissertations

Titanium- and Aluminum-based metal matrix composites (MMC) have shown favorable properties for aerospace applications such as airframes, reinforcement materials and joining elements. In this research, such coatings were developed by direct metal laser deposition with a powder-fed fiber coupled diode laser. The MMC formulations consisted of pure titanium and aluminum matrices with reinforcing powder blends of chromium carbide and tungsten carbide nickel alloy. Two powder formulations were investigated for each matrix material (Ti1, Ti2, Al1 and Al2). Titanium based composites were deposited onto a Ti6Al4V plate while aluminum composites were deposited onto AA 7075 and AA 5083 for Al1 and …

Adult Enrichment Learners In St. Cloud, Minnesota: Motivational Reasons For Participation, Scott Wallner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify reasons and motivation of adult stakeholders that influence participation in adult community education enrichment classes in the St. Cloud Public School District, St. Cloud, Minnesota. The study also examined the perceptions about adult learners held by leaders, planners, and facilitators of these programs, and identified similarities and differences between perceptions by district staff and program participants.

Participants were 289 adult learners who had taken at least one adult enrichment course during the 2009 or 2010 calendar year. 284 participants completed the online Education Participation Scale-Form A, a 42-item survey developed by Boshier …

A Geophysical Investigation Of The Northeastern Rim Of The St. Martin Impact Structure, Manitoba, Canada., Vladimir B. Zivkovic

Theses and Dissertations

The St. Martin impact structure is a 40 Km diameter structure located in Manitoba, Canada lies in featureless, glaciated terrain lacking any surface expression of an impact structure. The age of the structure has been re-determined to range between 224.3 Ma to 241.4 Ma which nullified a previous hypothesis suggesting this impact was part of a multiple impact event. Within the proposed structural boundary two outcrops of Archean granite are present. The first outcrop is located in what has been identified as the central peak of the impact structure. The second outcrop lies along the northeastern boundary and is known …