Digital Commons Network^™

Meeting The Distance Education Challenge: A Guide For Designing Online Classrooms, Patrick Allen Bungard

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The emphasis on education fluctuates with the economy. When education is encouraged, many individuals flock to colleges and universities to increase earning potential or achieve goals. Thanks to advancements in technology, distance education in the 21^st century can be similar to face-to-face education. Students spend many hours sitting in front of a computer completing course work. Although still in infancy stages, online education has vastly improved. Perspectives like teaching adults (andragogy), transformative learning, and teacher immediacy all address teaching individuals from afar. In consultation with these three perspectives, several qualitative measures have been developed aid with online course design. …

Head Start Teacher Professional Development On Language Modeling And Children's Language Development: A Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Latrenda Terrell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Poverty is known to affect many areas of life for poor children, particularly young children’s language development. To address language development issues as well as other educational needs, the Head Start Program was created. The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to describe the professional development experiences of Head Start teachers on language modeling. In addition, this study sought to explore teachers’ views on language modeling and the activities they find most effective to support student learning.

Analysis of the data revealed that teachers wanted more training and workshops, to be paired with a mentor/coach, pay raises for achieving …

Understanding The Purpose Of Restorative Practices For Schools: A New Zealand Perspective, Dorry Lillard

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Alternative disciplinary strategies for K-12 educational institutions have been gaining popularity around the globe for challenging the epidemic of suspensions and expulsions that foster unsafe school climates and position youth on the pipeline-to-prison. This study used a qualitative approach to investigate Restorative Practices (RP) an innovative, alternative approach to discipline that appears to make a difference in New Zealand schools. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to gain qualitative insight from twelve experienced professionals in RP in New Zealand into an approach that appears to transform school cultures and helps students remain in school and continue learning. The …

Mastering The Task And Tending To The Self: A Guide For The Graduate Teaching Associate, Angelina Nicole Burkhart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Graduate teaching associates (GTAs) maintain a prominent presence in higher education institutions nationwide, warranting our attention to both their instructional effectiveness and well-being. Though they remain an integral part of higher education, the training practices implemented for GTAs often fall short in addressing all of the needs posed by the role GTAs fulfill. The shortcomings in training often stem from an overemphasis of basic teacher preparation skills (such as syllabus creation, lesson planning, and grading) and university/departmental policies, as well as a lack of attention to teaching effectiveness and skills on managing uncertainties and identity concerns in their unique role. …

Effects Of Nicotine Exposure On Methamphetamine Oral Self-Administration, Extinction, And Reinstatement In Adolescent Rats, Zachary Robert Harmony

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental period in regards to drug initiation and use. The gateway hypothesis suggests that adolescent cigarette smoking may result in a heightened risk for methamphetamine use. However, little is understood about the role of nicotine on adolescent methamphetamine addiction. The aim of the present study was to determine whether early, late, or continuous adolescent nicotine exposure would alter oral methamphetamine self-administration, extinction, or reinstatement. A total of 164 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with saline or nicotine (0.16, or 0.64 mg/kg, sc) beginning on postnatal day (PD) 25 for 10 consecutive days. On PD …

Tragic Mulatta 2.0: A Postcolonial Approximation And Critique Of The Representations Of Bi-Ethnic Women In U.S. Film And Tv, Hadia Nouria Bendelhoum

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study analyzes the representations of five bi-ethnic women characters in U.S. mass media both before and after U.S. “post-racial” era, to find and expose evidence of the continuity and perpetuation of racist stereotypes against biracial/bi-ethnic women. I utilize a thematic textual analysis, supported by the theories, ideas, and critical views of postcolonial theorists Frantz Fanon, Gayatri Spivak, and Edward Said, and composed of three prominent themes which expose the nature of the representations of lead bi-ethnic characters in current mass media entertainment (TV programs and films). The themes further explored through this project are: bi-ethnicity (one Black parent and …

The Role Of Health Belief Model Constructs In Condom Use Among Early Young Adults, Christina Rose Vieux

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are ailments that have a social and political impact in the U.S. Since their discovery more than three decades ago, there has been an intense focus on eradicating these deadly diseases. Although there has been a lot of progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, there are communities still disproportionately affected by it. Based on data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one such community is young adults age 20 to 24 (CDC, 2016a). These young adults are at the focal center of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for …

Perspectives On Video Games As Art, Jeroen Bourgonjon, Geert Vandermeersche, Kris Rutten, Niels Quinten

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their article "Perspectives on Video Games as Art" Jeroen Bourgonjon, Geert Vndermeer­sche, Kris Rutten and Niels Quinten engage in discussing whether or not video games can be considered a form of art. Although this question has already been discussed elaborately, the debate is guided by many differ­ent and often conflicting positions. The aim of this article is to revisit this debate by mapping out a range of perspectives on video games as art. The authors explore the relation between games and differ­ent definitions and functions of art, different motives of artists, and the potential impact of the arts. The …

Alternative Biographies: (Re)Telling Feminine (Hi)Stories In Selected 20th-Century Texts By Québécois Women Writers, Jessica Mcbride

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to examine the tendency on the part of several québécois women authors from the 20^th century to create alternative feminine biographies for forgotten, undervalued, or misrepresented women from the past. Given the complex relationship the Québécois have with their provincial history, and the central role chauvinistic representations of women and the “Québec national text” play in safeguarding the québécois cultural identity, contemporary women writers from Québec are singularly poised to resurrect, recreate, revive, and rewrite the feminine historical experience into the traditional discourse of History. From Québec’s most famous woman writer, Anne Hébert, …

Smu School Of Social Sciences Celebrates 10 Years Of Holistic Education And Excellence, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Originally established in July 2002 as the School of Economics and Social Sciences, SMU School of Social Sciences (SoSS) expanded to be a separate entity on its own in 2007 and is the first school in Singapore to offer multi-disciplinary education. Beginning with a pioneer batch of 76 Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc) students in 2004, SoSS is now home to more than 972 BSocSc students in 2017. With just two faculty members in 2003, the School now boasts a diverse group of 40 full-time faculty members across the fields of Social Sciences – Psychology Political Science and Sociology, and …

Riddarasögur: Changing Medieval Norway With French Romance Literature, Elizabeth Tuggle

Honors Theses

In the realm of Arthuriana, numerous versions exist of the adventures of King Arthur and his knights. The genre of the riddarasögur – “the sagas of knights” – contains Norwegian versions of these tales along with Norwegian versions of other French literature such as Marie de France’s lais and fabliaux. In the 13th century, King Hákon Hákonarson commissioned the translation of the French tales into Norwegian for the purpose of civilizing Norwegian society in general and the royal court in particular. Given the fair treatment of women and of love in the riddarasögur, King Hákon’s project to civilize his court …

Assessing The Cultural Effects Of Neoliberalism On Empathy, Melissa May Racho

Dissertations

The current study examined the effect of neoliberalism on the expression of empathy among 40 undergraduate college students. Participants were divided across three groups: two treatment groups who were exposed to either a neoliberal or critical primer and a control group with no exposure to a primer. Individuals were randomly assigned to each condition prior to completing three empathy measures: The Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Mean scores were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and revealed no significant differences between groups, indicating the …

Factors Associated To Teacher Longevity In A Title I Elementary School: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Study, Richard Devney

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The potential of our nation is hinged upon the strength of our educational system across all 50 states. Public education is the backbone of our country and continues to be a spotlight of focus for many. In 1983, President Ronald Regan shared the “Nation at Risk” report, based on the findings from the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The report claimed a level of mediocrity permeated the public education system and children were lagging behind compared to children in other first world countries. This landmark report put a level of accountability on school officials to create higher performing students …

Analysis Of Food Security, Snap Benefit Duration, Income Level And The Relationship With Depression In Households With Children In Omaha., Tatiana Tchouankam

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of access to “sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets individuals’ dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.” From 2015 to 2016, the number of people undernourished increased from 777 million to 815 million worldwide. Food insecurity affected 12.3 % of Nebraskans and 13.8% of the residents in Douglas County during the same year. There is evidence of associations between food insecurity, income level, and several adverse health outcomes, specifically with regards to mental health. The objective of this study was to examine food security, SNAP benefit duration (i.e., how …

Primary Care Provider’S Perspectives Of Integrating Public Health Into The Prevention And Management Of Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus In Rural Nebraska, Emma Frost-Briley

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Through the 2011 Community Health Needs Assessment, the Four Corners Health Department has identified type II diabetes mellitus as one of the communities top concerns within their communities. The goals of this project were: to develop a survey to assess the state of current practices of primary care providers on type II diabetes mellitus in the health department district, to identify primary care providers views on prevention, treatment, and management of type II diabetes mellitus in the health department district, and to examine primary care providers and local health department’s views on how primary care and public health can be …

The Exploration Of Historical, Cultural, And Healthcare Utilization Factors When Clinically Treating Refugee Patients: Healthcare Providers’ View, Kandy Do

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The objective of this project is to explore historical, cultural, and healthcare utilization factors that are significant to healthcare providers in their practice to clinically treat refugee patients holistically and equitably. Semi-structured interviews supported by a pre-interview questionnaire were conducted with 14 healthcare providers, who have experience in working with refugee patients. Purposive and snowball sampling method was used to recruit 14 healthcare providers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Descriptive analysis was performed on the pre-interview questionnaire results. To our knowledge, there is limited research exploring historical, cultural, and healthcare utilization factors that are relevant for providing …

The Development Of A School Lunch Observation Measure To Assess School District Lunch Menu Implementation, Mariam Taiwo

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: The most recent estimate of the prevalence of child and adolescent obesity in the United States is 17% (Ogden, Carroll, Lawman, & et, 2016). Based on evidence that the availability of healthy food at schools can significantly impact the nutrition behaviors of children, the Healthy and Hunger Free-Kids Act sets policy for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which includes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) (USDA, 2017a). School food authorities (SFAs) are responsible for administering school feeding programs (Byker, Pinard, Yaroch, & Serrano, 2013). In other words, local school authorities (school …

The Postmodern Novel In Saudi Arabia And America, Mohammed Lafi Alshammari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the early twenty-first century, Saudi Arabia is a global economic power that stands as an equal among the other members of the most powerful economic organizations, including as the Group of Twenty and The World Trade Organization. As a result of this economic status and of Saudi Arabia never having been colonized, recent Saudi novels (especially those published after 2001) can usefully be read postmodern, rather than as postcolonial—the usual paradigm in readings of contemporary Arab novels. To establish a reference point, a comparative approach that engages Saudi and American postmodern novels is applied in this dissertation through the …

The Franco-American Love Affair: Transnational Courtship And Marriage Patterns During The Nineteenth And Twentieth Centuries, Nicole Leopoldie

History Dissertations - Archive

This work deals with courtships and marriages that transcend national, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. It deals with the formation of transnational families and transnational spaces. And finally, because the historical concept of transnational marriage provides a unique prism through which to view the interconnectedness of societies at their most intimate cultural intersections, it deals with the longstanding, complex cultural relations between France and the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In an effort to address not only why Franco-American marriages occurred but how and why the dynamics that produced them changed over time, this work examines and compares …

December 2017, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

CETL, SWOSU, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Exploring Students’ Use Of Learning Contracts In Preparing For The National Athletic Training Board Certification Examination, William Dill

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the application of learning contracts in the process of preparing to take the AT BOC exam. The goal of this study was to investigate best practices to assist students in being successful when taking the BOC certification examination. Self-directed learning in medicine was an important skill in the ever-changing healthcare landscape. One self-directed learning tool, learning contracts, had been studied in other healthcare fields. However, little research had been conducted utilizing learning contracts in athletic training. In addition, providing students with a research based instrument that could be used to improve success …

168th Commencement, Fall

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Use Of Concrete Objects In Lower Primary Mathematics: A Case Study Of One Public Primary School In Uganda, Idraku Felix Abraham

Master of Education

An approach to learning which involves play-based activities of manipulating concrete objects can provide concrete operational and sensory learning experiences for the needs of the individual learners. To make learning of mathematics interesting and effective, teachers have to engage learners in using learning aids. This qualitative case study, therefore, explored the use of concrete objects in lower primary mathematics a case study of one public primary school in Uganda. The participants of the study were three lower primary mathematics teachers and the head teacher of the school. Data was collected using interview, class observation and document analysis. Descriptive and verbatim …

Parental Workshops And Student Academic Success, Dwain C. Thompson Jr.

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative participatory action research study analyzed the perceptions and experiences of parents regarding the effectiveness of their involvement in parental workshops along with their perceptions of their engagement in parent involvement activities and their impact on student behavior and academic achievement. The study took place in a local church. The targeted population was low socioeconomic status (SES) and African American parents. Twenty parents with children attending grades K-12 participated in the study. The results of the study paralleled with the review of literature, in researchers suggested that there is a lack of opportunities for parent involvement among low SES …

The Experiences Of Saudi Third Culture Kids Following Repatriation: A Phenomenological Approach, Todd M. Curro

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This study investigated the collective experience of repatriation, as reported by preadolescent, Saudi Arabian boys between the ages of nine and 13, who had lived for a minimum of one year in a country outside of the Arab world, and had subsequently returned to Saudi Arabia. While the study was open to students between the ages of nine and 13, the actual sample consisted of boys who were between the ages of 10 and 12. Eleven Saudi Arabian boys were interviewed to gather their accounts of their lives before, during, and after their time abroad. They discussed their experiences surrounding …

Mexican-American Female Leaders In Public Education: A Regional Study Of The Effect Of Parenting Behaviors On Motivation And Leadership Style, Yvette Silva Ramos

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Women in positions of leadership in education are still underrepresented. Although the majority of classroom teachers continue to be women, in leadership, that is not the case. Specifically, the number of Mexican-American women in educational leadership positions lags behind the number of male counterparts. A qualitative case study was carried out to find how parenting style affected Mexican-American women’s leadership style, how Mexican-American heritage affected Mexican-American women’s self-perceived leadership style, and how parental influence affected Mexican-American women’s desire to lead. The study used a demographic data form, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and a one-on-one interview with Mexican-American women in middle …

First Year Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Preparation For Teaching English Language Learners, Veronica Aguiñaga

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in public schools is increasing rapidly throughout the United States. All teachers are expected to meet the individual needs of these culturally and linguistically diverse students in their classrooms. However, little training and guidance in preservice teacher education programs is being provided to prepare future teachers. This study investigated how first year teachers viewed their preparation of working with English language learners in their preservice teacher education program. From a transformative learning lens, it is recommended that preservice teacher education programs consider effective ways to provide a variety of field experiences and classroom …

Recent Federal Case Spotlights School’S Concussion Protocol, Charles J. Russo, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

High school football players are nearly twice as likely to sustain a concussion as college players, according to a recent study by the Institute of Medicine and funded by the NFL. As such, it’s important for schools to have concussion protocols for student-athletes injured during play. A recent case, Mann v. Palmerton Area School District, 117 LRP 40825 (3d Cir. 09/21/17), highlights the importance of having school concussion management and prevention policies in place for student-athletes. After a football player in Pennsylvania demonstrated concussion-like symptoms following a hard hit during practice in November 2011, his coach took him out of …

Developing A Digital Contents Valuing Model: How Users Appreciate Their Values, Changsu Kim, Jongheon Kim

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The principal objective of this paper was to propose and verify a digital content valuing model, which is expected to perform a significant role in future research, and provide novel and practical implications. For the efficacy of a model for the evaluation of digital content value, this study reviewed digital content value and categorized it into intrinsic, interaction, and business value. Based on the research model, we attempted to identify and assess the effects of intrinsic digital content value on digital content interaction value, and to characterize the relationship between digital content interaction value and digital content business value. Consequently, …

Eeg Characterization During Motor Tasks That Are Difficult For Movement Disorder Patients, Adam Joshua Aslam

Master's Theses

Movement disorders are a group of syndromes that often arise due to neurological abnormalities. Approximately 40 million Americans are affected by some form of movement disorder, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life and their ability to live independently. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is one treatment that has shown promising results in the past couple decades, however, the currently used open-loop system has several drawbacks. By implementing a closed-loop or adaptive DBS (aDBS) system, the need for expensive parameter reprogramming sessions would be reduced, side-effects may be relieved, and habituation could be avoided. Several biomarkers, for example signals or activity derived …