Digital Commons Network^™

Best Practice Resource Manual For New Social Workers At District 77, Shelby Lenzen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

When starting a new job many places of employment have new employee orientation. During this process many employers educate the new employee on the background of the company or organization, policies and procedures, what their job entails and the employers expectations of the new social work employee. However, currently in the Mankato School District 77 there is no orientation specific for incoming school social workers or interns to help guide them in their job. This would also benefit MSW practicum students as they enter the school district. Also, when the social worker or intern starts with District 77 they do …

Evidence-Based Protocols For Assessment And Treatment Of Adolescent Suicide Risk In An Emergency Department, Rebecca Bentele

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Suicide and suicide attempts are a frequently encountered clinical crisis and the assessment, management and treatment of suicidal patients is one of the most stressful tasks for clinicians (Fowler, 2012). The purpose of this project was to examine whether current assessment and treatment protocols followed in the ED, Mankato, adhere to best-­‐practices as identified through research, as well as to make recommendations to MCHS-­‐Mankato for future considerations and potential modifications to existing protocols.

The Impact Of Technology On Management Control: Degradation, Empowerment, Or Technology Dominance?, Joseph Canada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The evolution of technology brings with it the evolution of business processes. Without a doubt, technology changes how work is performed. At first glance, workplace technology appears to be a great boon to society. However, research presents opposing views on how workplace technologies impact the individual. One perspective argues that organizations utilize technology to redesign work processes, such that the worker requires less skill, autonomy, and compensation. The opposing perspective argues that organizations utilize technology to empower employees to improve efficiency and profits. This dissertation consists of three interrelated studies examining workplace technology’s impact on decision makers. The first study …

Regulation And The Auditing Profession, Alexey Lyubimov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation consists of three studies examining three different regulatory issues that affect the auditing profession. The first study has two main foci. First, the study investigates the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) on the Big 4 fee premium. Second, the study investigates the relationship between the size of an audit client and annual fee change. The results show that in the post-SOX environment, clients of non-Big 4 firms have experienced greater increases in audit fees than the clients of the Big 4 firms, resulting in a diminishing Big 4 premium. This is consistent with the notion that non-Big 4 …

The Diffusion Of Digital Dashboards: An Examination Of Dashboard Utilization And The Managerial Decision Environment, Jeffrey Reinking

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three related studies examining the diffusion of digital dashboard technology throughout today’s organizations. Dashboards, once reserved for the executive level, are now available to managers at the lower levels of the organization. For these managers, dashboards have become an integral part of their work life to support their decision environment, to provide consistency in measures, to monitor performance, and to communicate information throughout the organization. Prior research in the practice literature has shown that dashboards improve managerial performance and organizational performance as well as communicate organizational goals and objectives; however, empirical research has not been conducted …

Cat's Cradle, Julie Chen, Special Collections, Fleet Library

Artists' Books

1 volume, forms a star-shaped structure when opened. Limited edition of 50 copies ; each numbered and signed by Julie Chen. Digitally printed on Mohawk Superfine and includes laser cut elements. Carousel structure: 5 spreads, each with 3 layers of overlapping concertina folds with sections cut out to create a 3-dimensional scene. When opened and covers are placed against each other, it forms a star-shaped structure, 11" in diameter. Tie closures. "Cat's Cradle translates thoughts about the nature of existence from idea to form by employing the book structure itself as a visual/physical model of concepts portrayed in the text. …

Technology Corner: Calculating The Number Of Android Lock Patterns: An Unfinished Study In Number Theory, Gary C. Kessler

Security Studies & International Affairs - Daytona Beach

"Although one is unlikely to ever want to brute-force an Android lock pattern, many do wonder about the relative strength of the lock pattern versus a multi-digit personal identification number (PIN). It becomes obvious pretty quickly that there are many more lock patterns than the 10,000 possible four-digit PINs."--from the introduction.

Lithic Technology And Risk: Winter Houses At Bridge River Villages, Kelly French

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The 2012 excavation of a single housepit (Housepit 54) at the Bridge River Village site (EeR14) offers the unique opportunity to look at lithic organization and techinological strategies during the Fur Trade era in the Middle Fraser Canyon. The main goal of this research is to understand how the winter occupation of Housepit 54 may have affected the lithic technological strategies carried out at Bride River Village. As a winter pithouse, lithic raw material sources would be inaccessible during the three months of occupation. The hypothesis of this thesis is structured with a theory of risk framework in order to …

Exotic Invasive Plants Drive Different Ecosystem Processes Than Natives In Montana Grasslands, Morgan Marie Luce

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Invasion is associated with unexpected increases in aboveground net primary productivity and altered ecosystem function, including increased nitrogen availability and cycling. These shifts are well documented, however many previous studies have been observational, focused on a single plant species, or have not examined belowground microbial communities. I combined field and experimental techniques to examine changes in productivity and ecosystem function, and the abundance of ammonia- oxidizing bacteria (AOB) for the exotic invaders Bromus tectorum, Centaurea stoebe, Euphorbia esula, and Potentilla recta. To quantify effects of these invasive species on N cycling and AOB abundance we compared soil from invaded and …

2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2013-2014 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Aadej Comm 44 1&2 2013

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official journal of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ). It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association's website, AADEJ.org. Each issue includes regular updates from the editorial team and AADEJ board, as well as feature articles on current issues in the field.

This is a combined issue for 2013, issue 1 and 2.

Aadej Comm 44 3&4 2013

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official journal of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ). It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association's website, AADEJ.org. Each issue includes regular updates from the editorial team and AADEJ board, as well as feature articles on current issues in the field.

This is a combined issue for 2013, issue 3 and 4.

The Effects Of The Norm Of International Election Monitoring On Voters' Confidence Levels In Francophone West Africa's Presidential Elections 1990-2011, Lauren E. Gilliss

Senior Independent Study Theses

International election monitoring is a phenomenon that began to spread rapidly in the 1990s and has since become an essential element of elections in the developing world. This study assesses the relationship between the presence of international election monitors during presidential elections and levels of voters' confidence in the electoral process. Several questions guide the study: How did the norm of international election monitoring develop and how widely do governments adhere to this norm? Are citizens more confident in the efficacy and transparency of presidential elections when international monitors are present? I hypothesize that when governments adhere to the norm …

The Educational Training Of Storm Chasers And Storm Spotters In Relation To Geographical Dispersion Across The United States, Paul R. Zunkel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

When severe weather strikes, storm chasers and storm spotters confirm that what forecasters and meteorologists are seeing on a radar screen is actually occurring in the field. While some documenters are classically trained (i.e. they have a background in atmospheric science and or meteorology attained from a 4 year university) many others are not. There are currently two organizations available for the weather enthusiast to be a part of, SKYWARN and SpotterNetwork. These organizations give weather enthusiasts a background knowledge into severe weather; however, many weather enthusiasts are not classically trained and most have not taken any formal education in …

Creating A User Satisfaction Index From A Parsimonious Survey Instrument, Brian Barthel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In this paper we present a comprehensive method for creating a user satisfaction index using a survey instrument. First we construct a parsimonious survey instrument, using the PageRank Centrality, to measure attributes of user satisfaction. Then confirmatory factor analysis is applied to extract ``weights'' on the questions that are used in a linear model of computing the user satisfaction index. Throughout the paper an analysis of an existing data set is implemented to illustrate the proposed method. In addition the validity of the confirmatory factor model is tested using bootstrap sampling.

An Actor On The Line: Becoming Judy Turner In A Chorus Line, Morgan Mallory

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

It is a detailed account of author Morgan Mallory's artistic process in creating the role of Judy Turner in the Minnesota State University, Mankato's production of A Chorus Line in the Fall of 2012. The thesis follows the actor's process beginning with the early production analysis in the first chapter. The actor then discusses the work in its historical context followed by a detailed journal of the acting process in chapters two and three. Chapter four is the post-production analysis and the fifth chapter gives an overview of Mallory's growth and process through her time at Minnesota State Mankato. Appendices …

Scene Design Of A Chorus Line, Naoko Ishizuka Skala

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a detailed account of Naoko Skala's design process for A Chorus Line by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. It is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Minnesota State University, Mankato. These documents trace the design process from the designer's preproduction analysis, historical and critical analysis and post production analysis of the effort. Included also is the designer's journal which documents the process chronologically from its inception through its realization. Finally, the designer has provided an analysis of her overall artistic development as it has been …

The Process Of Directing Edward Albee's The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia, Shelley Whitehead

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This paper will follow director Shelley Whitehead's process of bringing The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? by Edward Albee to production at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Within the paper the director discusses her initial concepts and ideas; a historical look at the playwright and play; journals regarding the rehearsal and performance process; a dissection of that process to ascertain success or failure of the ideas set forth in the first chapter; and a final look at how her years at Minnesota State Mankato shaped her as a director. Included in the paper is an Appendix to supplement the paper's findings. …

How To Improve Theatre Arts Education In Chinese Higher Educational Institutes, Ji Ding

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts degree in theatre. Theatre Arts in China is in a state of decline. There are several possible ways to change this situation. This thesis will, through the comparison of Theatre Arts in higher education between China and the US, discuss what good lessons China may draw from the US in order to improve. The improved education of Theatre Arts in Chinese higher educational institutes may then be able to help the decline of Theatre Arts in China.

Play Selection Process Of Minnesota Catholic High Schools, Amanda Pyfferoen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts degree in theatre. It details the parameters and results of a survey distributed to Catholic high school theatre directors in Minnesota. The survey inquired about the process for selecting plays, what themes or lessons the directors refrain from presenting and if there is a need for a list of guidelines that could assist directors in selecting Catholic appropriate theatre pieces to present. There is further development of a proposed guideline and potential rating system that could be implemented into Catholic high school theatre programs.

Everyday Arrangements, Rachel Janette Compart

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

These set of works are an arrangement of forms. I am interested in making a simplified version of my subject by limiting the amount of information that is present while still suggesting a space. My subject matter began as a pile of dirty clothes that were lying on my bathroom floor. I first noticed the contrast between the organic clumps of fabric against the vertical lines of the white panel wall. I then realized that this subject matter was much deeper and said a lot about my domestic life as a mother, a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend and a …

Ruminate, Violet L. Goode

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Work and research conducted by Violet Love Goode between 2011-2013 as part of the Master of Arts curriculum for the Department of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Precious Commodities, Colin John Klimesh

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

My process mimics the production of goods and commodities in the industrial and commercial sector. It begins with the conception of a design, which I translate to the fabrication of a matrix, a means for replication and reproduction. I find the aesthetics of systematic production visually appealing. Store shelves speak of repetition and duplication, a society of productivity, efficiency and economy, industrialization and commercialism. Though I despise the underlying values that consumerism promotes, I love the clean, geometric, organized and modular aesthetic that it conveys. I often work between ceramics and print media, letting one process inform the other. Ceramic …

Can't Get A Date, Date A Dog, Dana Marie Sikkila

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

My work is about redefining a space, taking away the idea of the white cube that is known as the gallery. I want to take my viewer to another space without having them leave the room. My work overtakes the gallery and gives it a new meaning. The use of wallpaper and house hold appliances transforms the viewer to an era that no longer exists. The use of repetition and female imagery overwhelms the viewer. Over thousands of individually silkscreened and hand cut prints are combined with household appliances to create a three-dimensional sculpture. It takes a two dimensional thing …

Mythology Of Control, Allison Ann Roberts

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Mythology of Control is a personal, visual account of reacting to the turmoil of life and relationships, recognizing the inherent fragility often disguised by a façade of strength. Layering and obscuring imagery creates a metaphor for coping- constantly redefining perceptions, plans, and expectations. The printed imagery evokes a vague recognition or familiarity, alluding to unassembled schematics that are fictional but suggest credibility, rather than specific, identifiable forms. Cloth, in the form of blankets or quilts handed down within families, absorbs history and memory, becoming a material archive. My link between personal history and impermanent states is supported by senses of …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Formative Self-Assessment On College Student Mastery Orientation In College Courses, Jamie Lynn Mahlberg

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the hypothesis that mastery orientation would increase for college students enrolled in courses that incorporated self-assessment. Early in the spring 2013 semester, 216 community college students enrolled in 16 different general education and developmental courses volunteered to participate and completed a demographic/goal orientation questionnaire. During the semester, 10 of the courses implemented self-assessment and 6 did not. At the conclusion of the semester, 143 of the original sample completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) which provided post-test goal orientation scores along with measures of additional motivational and self-regulatory variables. Results indicated a trend in the …

The Ambiguity Of Panem: Capitalism, Nationalism, And Sexuality In Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Series, Megan Ann Peters

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The publication of and the critical and public success of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy marks a significant departure from the norms of traditionally-popular young adult literature, particularly in its portrayal of a fiercely active female protagonist. This thesis argues that despite the noticeable progress these novels make in representing a strong female character, The Hunger Games series fails to adequately challenge other important aspects of oppression. I conduct a feminist literary analysis of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, focusing specifically on representations of capitalism and commodification, national and district pride, and sexual objectification and sexual harassment …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between School Failure And At-Risk Students' General Self-Efficacy, Academic Self-Efficacy, And Motivation, Marguerite Josephine Wentzel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative study explored the roles of general self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and motivation and its effect on at-risk students' course failures. Deci and Ryan's (1996) Self-Determination Theory and Bandura's (1977) Self-Efficacy Theory were explored as well as the risk factors of at-risk students. A multiple regression analysis determined that there was not a significant relationship between the number of courses failed and the independent variables: general self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and motivation. The moderator variable of working at-risk students was found to negatively impact the number of courses failed. While there are some limitations, this study contributes to the growing body …

Trait Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Discrimination, And Academic Achievement Among African American And Latina/O High School Students: A Study Of Academic Resilience, Nicholas Russell Abel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The goal of academic resilience research is to identify factors and processes which lead to academic success among groups of students generally found to be at-risk, including those of African American and Latina/o descent. The present study investigated a possible risk factor (perceptions of discrimination), a possible protective factor (emotional intelligence), and the role of gender in predicting academic achievement (as measured by high school GPA) in a sample (N = 79) of African American and Latina/o high school students attending one high school in Minnesota. Through the use of multiple regression, neither emotional intelligence nor perceptions of discrimination was …

Building Self-Directed Teachers: A Case Study Of Teachers' Perspectives Of The Effects Of Cognitive Coaching On Professional Practices, Kevin S. Bjerken

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This case study of a single school district aims to identify teachers' perceptions of how their professional practices have been affected after four years of receiving Cognitive Coaching. Cognitive Coaching was used in participants' professional development as a part of an Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System and included three observational cycles per year for four consecutive years with a certified Cognitive Coach. Through focus group interviews and surveys, Cognitive Coaching was found to have multiple positive effects on professional development, according to the perspectives of the sample group. Themes of an increase in reflective practice, increased awareness level, and greater …