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Honors Oracle, December 2016, Marshall University Honors College

Honors Oracle

Marshall University’s Honors College newsletter

Do I Belong? Impact Of Positive Psychology Practice Implementation On Teacher Practice And At-Risk Students' Academic Engagment, Amanda Lyn Swartzlander

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the implementation of teaching practices targeted to impact self-perceptions of competence, belonging, usefulness, potency, and optimism (CBUPO) (Sagor & Cox, 2013) in at-risk students. The literature surrounding CBUPO focuses on strategies for implementation. However, gaps in the literature exist in researching changes in student perception, teacher practice after incorporating these strategies in their classrooms, and strategy impact on academic engagement of at-risk students. The study is driven by the main research question, “in what ways are student self-perceptions of CBUPO impacted by targeted teaching practices?” In order to inform this inquiry, specific teaching strategies were implemented …

A Matter Of Time: The Relationship Of Class Length And Demographics On The South Carolina Algebra I End-Of-Course Test In South Carolina Middle Schools, Jennifer Addie Ramsey

Education Dissertations and Projects

For middle school students taking Algebra 1 as a high school credit, having sufficient instructional time to understand and explore the course content is crucial. While the focus of the literature review helps lend understanding to the study, there has been limited information concerning assessment scores in middle school math classes and the length of class time. This study investigated the differences in the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) test scores of middle school students in Algebra 1 as influenced by schedules used in South Carolina public middle schools for each individual year in a 5-year span of the 2010-2015 academic …

An Examination Of The Key Factors That Impact The Gender Gap In Reading, Phyllis Pegram

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to provide information on the factors that impact the male gender gap in reading. Disparities between the reading achievement of boys and girls have long been a concern for educators. There are many reasons boys are lagging behind in reading such as the lack of male role models, stereotyping, lack of interest in reading material, and differences in brain development in boys and girls. Peer pressure also plays a role in the reading success of boys and reading may be considered a feminine activity. Another reason boys do not perform well in reading is their great …

The Effects Of Canine Therapy On Academics, Behavior, And Motivation Of Students, Maria Rector

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether canine therapy provided by the B.A.R.K.S. program was effective in increasing reading achievement, impacting the motivation of students while participating in therapy, and decreasing off-task behaviors in the classroom. This study focused on academic or behavioral difficulties that have been exhibited in the general education classroom.

This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, with pre and postassessments for academics, behavior, and motivation. Parents were also given a questionnaire to fill out that addressed the qualitative component of the study. A combination of t tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data …

Constructive-Developmental Theory As A Framework For Understanding Coaches' Conceptualizations Of The Literacy Coach-Teacher Relationship, Nicole Fensel

Education Dissertations and Projects

Literacy coaching as a professional development model provides teachers with job-embedded support while learning about research-based instructional strategies. Teacher learning occurs in the context of this relationship. Literature revealed coaches’ difficulty navigating this aspect of their role. This study was designed to add foundational understanding of the literacy coach-teacher relationship using Kegan’s (1982, 1994) Constructive-Developmental Theory to conceptualize the teacher-coach relationship and determine how it impacted coaching activities. The theory examines how individuals’ developmental capacities influence how they make meaning of their experiences. Given the complexity of the literacy-coaching role, it is critical to have a clear picture of how …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Impact Of The North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process On Teacher Effectiveness, Professional Growth, And Attitudes Toward Teaching, Kim H. Case

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study’s purpose was to examine teacher perceptions of the impact the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process (NCTEP) has on their professional growth, effectiveness, and attitudes toward teaching. Literature review reveals a longstanding interest in teacher evaluation for ensuring teacher quality and enhancing professional growth. Controversy exists in public and educational arenas as to how both purposes can be accomplished within a single evaluation system.

North Carolina evaluation reforms have mirrored nationwide efforts to use teacher evaluation as a tool for improving teacher effectiveness. The incorporation of value-added measures (VAMs) into teachers’ summative ratings and implementation of the North Carolina …

Examining The Effects Of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Read 180 Program On Reading Achievement And Self-Efficacy In Middle Schools, Amanda Michelle Cox

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if improving reading achievement through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s (HMH) READ 180 program impacted a student’s reading self-efficacy. Of the students participating in this study, particular attention was placed on the factors of gender, ethnicity, and the length of time students were exposed to HMH’s READ 180 program.

The setting for this research was three middle schools in upstate South Carolina. The schools sampled were from a combination of urban, suburban, and rural populations. The study’s methodology was quantitative and correlational.

When reviewing the results of the study, the research indicated that there …

A Teacher's Journey: A Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experience Of Beginning Teachers, Wanda Margarette Brubaker

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study was concerned with the challenges beginning teachers face when they enter the field of education. Through the use of reflective practice, beginning teacher personal reflections of experience were recorded and analyzed to discern particular experiences that present as the most challenging to these novice educators.

Reflective practice and experiential learning theories are used in this qualitative phenomenological study. This study includes reflective practice as first introduced by master theorist John Dewey, considered by many to be the father of reflection in education, and theorist Donald Schon. Dewey (1944) recognized reflection as an active and intentional action and further …

Inpatient Diabetes Management Readiness: For The Nurse, When Does It Begin?, Lisa Haynes

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

It is the bedside nurse that spends the most time and effort managing symptoms of the diabetic patient during the course of a hospitalization. With the goal of optimal blood sugar levels of each patient to promote healing and wellbeing, this task can be quiet daunting. It is imperative for the acute care nurse to acquire a competency level of diabetes management that exhibits evidence-based practice, regardless of length of work experience, in order for patients to receive excellent care. This research studied the level of comfort, familiarity, and knowledge of new nurse graduates while answering the question, “When does …

The Effects Of Preoperative Education On Readmission Rates For Total Joint Arthroplasties, Michele Gobble

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Background: Primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are two of the most successful procedures performed in orthopedics. The demand for these procedures is estimated to grow 174% for THAs and 673% for TKAs by 2030, which will have a valued bill of almost $50 billion for Medicare. The bundled payment plan is a way to reduce costs for these procedures, where an estimated 35% of the bill is related to post-discharge care (Schaeffer et al., 2015, p. 723).

Review of the Literature: In 2015, this healthcare reform began including readmission penalties for patients readmitted within 30 …

The Relationship Between The Nurses’ Perception Of The Practice Environment And Patients’ Satisfaction, Shalonda Brown

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Nurses’ practice environments contribute to patient satisfaction. The practice environment is influenced by work design, workforce development, organizational management practices, and culture. Each of these influential factors is significant to how patients perceive how their treatment as a person and their nursing care. The purpose of this study was to examine the nurse practice environment and determine its impact on patients’ satisfaction with care during hospitalization. The objective was to analyze the collected data and use it to gain insight and heighten awareness of how various aspects of the nurse practice environment directly and indirectly impact the patient experience. A …

Population Health Management – Policy Map Project (Phm-Pmp), Anne Hewitt

Health and Medical Sciences (OER)

No abstract provided.

Lilies For Mom, Marge Dady

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Rome, Amy Peter

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

The Seasons And The Slants, Michael Lee Johnson

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Sky Full Of Time, Tricia Whitworth

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Near-Complete Humerus Reconstruction In The Pediatric Patient With Vascularized Free Fibula Transfer., John Shuck, Benjamin C Wood, Christopher Zarella, Albert K Oh, Robert M Henshaw, Gary F Rogers

Surgery Faculty Publications

Vascularized free fibula transfer remains the gold standard for reconstruction of large segmental diaphyseal defects of the upper extremity. In the pediatric patient, before skeletal maturity, free fibula transfer with the fibular head provides an active physis for growth and an articular interface for glenohumeral joint reconstruction. Clinical and cadaveric studies have demonstrated that the vascular supply to the fibular head originates, in most cases, from the anterior tibial system. However, anatomical variation exists, and we report a case in which a vascularized fibula autograft including the physis was transferred on the peroneal artery in a 5-year-old patient with Ewing's …

Case Note: Jacobs V Save Beeliar Wetlands (Inc), Phillip Paul

The University of Notre Dame Australia Law Review

No abstract provided.

"John Fisher" Visits St. John Fisher, Bosco Hogan

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"Driving from Buffalo to New York City in 1990, after appearing in "A Moon for the Misbegotten" at the former's Studio Arena Theatre, I passed through Rochester and remember thinking what a lovely city it looked like and how unlikely it was that I would ever have occasion to re-visit it. I'm very glad to say I was wrong."

La Casa Degli Angeli, Antonino Disalvo

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"On September 2013 I moved from Rochester, NY to Thailand. It had been a long process of reflection and pondering on the direction my life was going, and finally I strongly felt that I would steer my life's vessel towards the eastern part of our shrinking planet. I landed at the airport of Bangkok and moved immediately to a hotel. My first duty was to learn Thailand's language needed to obtain a working license."

Babette's Feast: The Persistence Of Love, Erin E. Wolf

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"After one's first viewing of Babette's Feast, a film by Gabriel Axel, one may easily think that the main point of the film revolves around interpretation of religion and food. Although these certainly are two major aspects, I personally found that in many ways, love and the way it persists through time is a major feature of the movie as well. Thanks to Axel, the movie can be viewed through the lends of love, and as the plot unfolds, it becomes more obvious that the persistence of love is …

A Fisher Alumna, Olga Chernavin

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"Looking back on my formal schooling years, I have realized that my life has taken a series of U-turns. I have always had a Type-A, perfectionist personality. I also though that I knew exactly where I wanted to go and I was in a huge rush to get there. By shaking up my plans and changing my perspective, God has taught me to trust in His plan for my life, to enjoy the journey and not worry about reaching the next destination because He is already there."

Family Roots, Kelsey Castro

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"I can vividly remember the day of my parents' wedding, a memory that exists only in photo albums and stories for the vast majority. When I was in fourth grade, I had the unique privilege of being my mother's maid of honor. I walked down the seemingly endless aisle of St. Mary's Church and stood beside her as she entered the sacrament of marriage with my father. The roots of our small family were planted, and to this day they hold steadfast. My mother is the strongest and most …

Full Issue, No Author

Verbum

No abstract provided.

Cluster Control Of A Multi-Robot Tracking Network And Tracking Geometry Optimization, Jasmine Cashbaugh

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

The position of a moving object can be tracked in numerous ways, the simplest of which is to use a single static sensor. However, the information from a single sensor cannot be verified and may not be reliable without performing multiple measurements of the same object. When multiple static sensors are used, each sensor need only take a single measurement which can be combined with other sensor measurements to produce a more accurate position estimate. Work has been done to develop sensors that move with the tracked object, such as relative positioning, but this research takes this concept one step …

Carbon Nanotube Interconnects For End-Of-Roadmap Semiconductor Technology Nodes, Anshul A. Vyas

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

Advances in semiconductor technology due to aggressive downward scaling of on-chip feature sizes have led to rapid rises in resistivity and current density of interconnect conductors. As a result, current interconnect materials, Cu and W, are subject to performance and reliability constraints approaching or exceeding their physical limits. Therefore, alternative materials such as nanocarbons, metal silicides, and Ag nanowires are actively considered as potential replacements to meet such constraints. Among nanocarbons, carbon nanotube (CNT) is among the leading replacement candidate for on-chip interconnect vias due to its high aspect-ratio nanostructure and superior currentcarrying capacity to those of Cu, W, and …

Actions Memo December 2016, Kutztown University Curriculum Committee

UCC Action Memos

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes December 1, 2016, Kutztown University Curriculum Committee

UCC Minutes

No abstract provided.

Thinking Through Our Processes: How The Ucsc Community Psychology Research & Action Team Strives To Embody Ethical, Critically Reflexive Anti-Racist Feminist Praxis, Regina Day Langhout, Erin R. Ellison, Danielle Kohfeldt, Angela Nguyen, Jesica S. Fernandez, Janelle M. Silva, David L. Gordon Jr., Stephanie Tam Rosas

Ethnic Studies

Co-written by eight people, this paper describes how the UCSC Community Psychology Research and Action Team (CPRAT) organizes itself in weekly group meetings and how this structure is an attempt to embody an ethical, critically reflexive anti-racist feminist praxis. First, we outline the community psychology core competency of an ethical, reflective practice (Dalton & Wolfe, 2012). We offer a friendly amendment to consider an ethical, critically reflexive anti-racist feminist praxis. Second, we discuss how we organize CPRAT meetings to uphold these ideas. We describe our current structure, which includes personal and project check-ins, rotating facilitation, and attention to broader professional …