Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

The Good Teacher: A Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions Of Asian American Parents, Mariam Zia Qureshi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research study examined the general question "What do Asian American parents believe to be important characteristics of an effective elementary teacher?" In order to investigate this question, the researcher used a qualitative research design employing a semi-structured interview which probed into the personal perceptions voiced by a sample of twelve Asian American parents on the characteristics of good teachers. The twelve Asian American parents who participated in this study were from nine different Asian countries covering the three main regions defined as Asian according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Far East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian sub-continent. Also, …

Undergraduate Sport Management Students' Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors Through Service Learning: A Quantitative, Quasi-Experimental Study, Bryan Romsa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative, quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a service learning activity on the perceived leadership behaviors of sport management undergraduate students at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university. The participants in the study were 74 undergraduate students who were enrolled in four undergraduate sport management courses. The first research question analyzed how a service learning experience affects the self-reported perceptions of leadership behavior in sport management undergraduate students. The findings indicated that the students who participated in a service learning activity (experiential group) self-reported a decrease in all five leadership practices. The second research question asked how not having a …

Safe To Be Open: Study On The Protection Of Research Data And Recommendations For Access And Usage, Lucie Guibault, Andreas Wiebe

Books

Openness has become a common concept in a growing number of scientific and academic fields. Expressions such as Open Access (OA) or Open Content (OC) are often employed for publications of papers and research results, or are contained as conditions in tenders issued by a number of funding agencies. More recently the concept of Open Data (OD) is of growing interest in some fields, particularly those that produce large amounts of data – which are not usually protected by standard legal tools such as copyright. However, a thorough understanding of the meaning of Openness – especially its legal implications – …

Family Counts: Education For Family Systems Impacted By Addiction, Tanya Friese

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Educating and empowering families through education. By educating the families of Project Turnabout patients and families will be more able to take care of themselves. When a family members needs are met they will in turn be more able to support their loved ones recovery. The goal of the Capstone is to have 3 to 4 modules of education to share with families over the course of their participation in the Project Turnabout family program.

Identifying Cultural Framework For Assessing Cultural Components In Client Systems And Recommendations For Agency And Practitioner Level Culturally Responsive Practice, Imad Mohamed

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A lack of cultural appropriate practice introduces barriers to case assessment, diagnostics assessment, intervention, and evaluation (Kirmayer, Groleau, Guzder, Blake, & Jarvis, 2003; Tyson & Flaskerud, 2009; Zayas, Torres, & Cabassa, 2009). Addressing these barriers starts with identifying a framework that provides holistic approach in promoting culturally responsive practice.

Development Of A Social Understanding Group Resource Manual, Tristann Carter

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Social Understanding Group Resource Manual was developed to address the expressed need for a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum resource manual which would provide facilitators with easy reference to access categorized materials, activities, worksheets, and resources for Wayzata West Middle School’s Social Understanding Groups.

Evidence Based Practices In Providing Treatment Foster Care To Delinquent Youth, Jay S. Kimball

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Family Connect/PATH is a Treatment Foster Care agency that provides services in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Idaho. Treatment Foster Care is a unique model of care that provides the best components of traditional foster care and residential care (Foster Family-­‐Based Treatment Association, 2004). There is an increase interest in exploring the provision of Treatment Foster Care for adjudicated youth. The purpose of this Capstone project is to determine the evidence-­‐based components or models for working with adjudicated delinquent youth in foster care and make recommendations to Family Connect/PATH.

Factors Affecting Timeliness Of Permanency For Children In Out-Of-Home Placement, Michelle C. Holt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Achieving timely legal permanency for children placed in out-of-home care due to abuse or neglect is one of the primary goals set forth by the state of Minnesota and the Department of Human Services. In recent years some counties have failed to achieve the percentage of finalized permanency cases at the targeted time intervals required by the state. A comprehensive review of one county was conducted of the 49 cases reaching permanency during 2011 and 2012 to determine if there is a correlation between certain demographic factors and/or key court dates on the length of time to achieve permanency.

Recruitment Of American Indian Foster Parents, Donna Vig

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

• Help Family Connect meet the needs of Native American Foster Children.
• Increase the number of American Indian families who provide foster care for enrolled (or eligible for enrollment) tribal children.
• Educate all foster families by providing a cultural resource guide.

Paraphilias: Relevant Factors For Treatment Providers Of Sexual Offenders, Darren Tungsvik

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

• To educate clinical staff at MSOP of Paraphilic disorders and their factors related to the treatment of sexual offenders.
• Contribute to MSOP’s mission of promoting public safety through providing comprehensive treatment and reintegration opportunities for civilly committed sexual offenders.
• Need exists at MSOP with a lack of educational training materials for clinical staff of Paraphilic disorders and their treatment.

An Analysis Of The Re-Education Philosophy And The Applicability To Individual And Group Therapy, Psychoeducation And Skills, Sarah Manthei

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

An evaluation was conducted of the Re-Education philosophy, current practices of individual and group therapy, skills training, and psychoeducation for Level IV special education students diagnosed with an emotional behavioral disorder and/or mental health diagnosis. An assessment of current evidenced based practices for school-based mental health services was integrated. This provided the foundation for recommendations that are congruent with the Re-Education philosophy and for an evaluation tool to measure student success in learning and comprehending the skills curriculums.

Evaluation Of Family Skills Group At Fernbrook Family Center, Jessica Robertson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project evaluated the Parenting Piece by Piece curriculum. This project sought to gain feedback on the ways the agency can improve family skills groups to better meet the needs of the client population Fernbrook Family Center serves. Parenting Piece by Piece is an eight-week program teaching parents new parenting skills.

A Community Based System Of Integrated Clinical Care: Primary Care, Mental Health And Substance Use Treatment, Terri Reuvers

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Our segregated medical and mental health care system misses opportunities for early detection of physical disease. Missed opportunities lead to increased costs. Colorado’s Medicaid health plan estimates that an integrated health program will reduce costs for patients with psychiatric disorders by 10%. The cost of doing nothing may exceed $300 billion per year in the United States (NCCBH, 2010). The purpose of this Capstone project is to critically examine existing models of Integrated Primary and Mental Health care. These models will then be evaluated to identify those most compatible with rural communities in Southern Minnesota.