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2017

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Exploring The Transition Experiences Of First Generation Adult Learners To Undergraduate Education : A Qualitative Case Study, Russell D. Wartalski Jan 2017

Exploring The Transition Experiences Of First Generation Adult Learners To Undergraduate Education : A Qualitative Case Study, Russell D. Wartalski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Adult learners and first-generation learners, as separate groups, have been matriculating in increasing numbers at colleges and universities over the last few decades. Research indicates that enrollment trends for these two groups are likely to continue to increase in the near future, with a growing number of students being dually classified as first-generation and adult. Separate literature bases exist that capture the learning styles and collegiate experiences of first-generation learners and adult learners, yet limited research exists that addresses the transition experiences of first-generation adult learners. This qualitative case study focused on exploring and describing the transition experiences of 10 …

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Enhancing College Students' Job Search Skills And Motivation : A Test Of A Technology-Mediated Job Search Intervention, Christopher Joseph Budnick Jan 2017

Enhancing College Students' Job Search Skills And Motivation : A Test Of A Technology-Mediated Job Search Intervention, Christopher Joseph Budnick

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

College students are often unprepared for the job market after graduation resulting in employment lapses or underemployment in terms of minimum wage jobs. Yet limited research exists on how to provide effective job search interventions for this unique population of new job entrants balancing academic and job search activities. Therefore, I examined the efficacy of a technology-mediated job search intervention for undergraduate students (N = 112). Drawing on motivation, job search processes, and past intervention theory and research, I tested if an online job search intervention improved: 1) job search self-efficacy, 2) career adapt-ability resources, and 3) job search behavior …

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College Students And The Stigma Of Developmental Reading : Examining Students' Experiences, Perceptions And Academic Performance, J. Schwartz Jan 2017

College Students And The Stigma Of Developmental Reading : Examining Students' Experiences, Perceptions And Academic Performance, J. Schwartz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has suggested examining the mindsets, learning beliefs, and academic identity of students enrolled in developmental education could contribute to identifying and describing factors that have a positive impact on students' academic performance and completion of their developmental education courses. Two new, adapted measures were developed, a Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire for Developmental Reading (SCQ-DR) and a Student Mindset Survey for Developmental Reading (SMS-DR), to investigate how community college students experience stigma associated with being enrolled in a developmental reading course, and the relationships between stigma and students' theory of intelligence, learning goals, effort beliefs, and academic performance in a …

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Connections Between Principal Leadership Orientations And The Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities, William J. Ady Jan 2017

Connections Between Principal Leadership Orientations And The Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities, William J. Ady

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to survey certified teachers in large urban secondary schools in Northern Illinois to examine the relationship between different leadership frame orientations and their impact on successful PLC implementation. The study participants were chosen because all teach in secondary schools that have a high at-risk population defined as any secondary school that receives Title 1 funding. Participants completed a survey that asked about their perception of their principal's leadership frame orientation (leadership style) and also their perception of how successful their PLCs were functioning to see if there was a relationship between different leadership …

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Constraints Of Human Nature In The Political Philosophy Of Rousseau, Timothy Joseph Clishem Jan 2017

Constraints Of Human Nature In The Political Philosophy Of Rousseau, Timothy Joseph Clishem

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In his Second Discourse and elsewhere, Jean-Jacques Rousseau famously argues for the perfectibility and malleability of man. That is, for Rousseau, man is the "historical" being whose moral character, dispositions, and inclinations are variable and to a large extent under-determined by his nature. This thesis argues, however, that Rousseau also believes man's moral character to be in various ways constrained by his nature. These "constraints of human nature" flow from the basic nature of the human person as asocial and activated solely by self-love. They characterize all human conditions and human types and permanently limit man in terms of his …

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Contextual Stress And Infant Emotion Regulation : The Buffering Effect Of Positive Parenting, Meghan Justina Kanya Jan 2017

Contextual Stress And Infant Emotion Regulation : The Buffering Effect Of Positive Parenting, Meghan Justina Kanya

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has shown that emotion regulation abilities play an integral role in psychological and social functioning, particularly in early childhood. Given its importance to development, researchers have investigated various factors that influence, both positively and negatively, the development of emotion regulation abilities themselves. Contextual stressors have been shown to independently negatively impact the development of many aspects of psychological functioning, including emotion regulation; however, little research thus far has investigated the cumulative contribution of multiple stressors occurring simultaneously. Positive parenting behaviors have been identified as potential moderators on the development of socioemotional and self-regulatory abilities, as low levels of …

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An Examination Of Parental Perceptions Of Standards-Based Report Cards, Erik Christian Youngman Jan 2017

An Examination Of Parental Perceptions Of Standards-Based Report Cards, Erik Christian Youngman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Report cards and standards-based assessing, grading and reporting continue to be relevant topics of focus for educators. This qualitative study is based on a problem of practice in a school district in northern Illinois that recently implemented standards-based report cards (SBRCs). This study developed while I was a principal of an elementary school during initial implementation of SBRCs. This dissertation expanded from the initial focus on understanding parental perspectives of SBRCs to better understanding the communicative value of SBRCs and professional development that could help parents and teachers. The research question that informed this qualitative study is: How do parents …

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The Effect Of Reading To Find A Solution On Learning From Multiple Documents In Science, Dylan Blaum Jan 2017

The Effect Of Reading To Find A Solution On Learning From Multiple Documents In Science, Dylan Blaum

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Reading for understanding in science is a complex process that requires the integration of information across many sources. This can be a very challenging task as many readers may not be familiar with how to read scientific texts or may simply not be interested in doing so. The present study aims to determine whether or not giving readers prompts asking them to find a solution to the problem of global climate change will help them better comprehend the causal information in a document set. Additionally, if solution reading prompts do have an effect on comprehension, the present study aims to …

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The Effect Of Whole-Language Icall Programs On Student Achievement Scores, Jeffrey Ware Jan 2017

The Effect Of Whole-Language Icall Programs On Student Achievement Scores, Jeffrey Ware

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning (ICALL) uses advanced technology to provide customized learning and individualized feedback to foreign language students (Heift & Schulze, 2007). Some comprehensive ICALL programs claim the ability to take learners from no knowledge of a language to levels of advanced knowledge and comprehension. The websites of two such programs, Rosetta Stone and Tell Me More, state that their software is used in tens of thousands of schools worldwide. However, little if any research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of these programs on student achievement when they supplement existing curricula. This study investigated the effect …

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The Epic Of 1804 : Based Upon And Incorporating An English Translation Of Maurice A. Sixto's J'Ai Venge La Race, Myriam Souffrant Jan 2017

The Epic Of 1804 : Based Upon And Incorporating An English Translation Of Maurice A. Sixto's J'Ai Venge La Race, Myriam Souffrant

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is a play written in English based upon the French audio recording entitled J'ai venge la race by Maurice A. Sixto, famed Haitian story teller, comedian, diplomat and language professor (1919-1984). Mr. Sixto is regarded in Haitian literature as an oratory genius for his uncanny ability to analyze every segment of Haitian society using a rich and prolific narrative. With humor, wisdom, and a deft understanding of Haitian societal norms, he used his iconic voice to create authentic characters that have become part of the Haitian cultural fabric. His stories exposed the ills plaguing 20th century Haitian society; …

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The Impact Of Commitment On Risk Recognition In Sexually Violent Dating Relationships, Jennifer Milliken Jan 2017

The Impact Of Commitment On Risk Recognition In Sexually Violent Dating Relationships, Jennifer Milliken

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of personal- and relationship-level variables on women's ability to recognize risk of sexual assault. Using the investment model as theoretical grounding, the study sought to advance the literature by investigating how relationship commitment might affect women's responses to the risk of sexual assault perpetrated by an intimate partner. The study began by measuring women's length of time spent in their current dating relationship and degree of commitment to their dating partner. Participants were asked to take the perspective of the female in the Marx and Gross (1995) audio task, and respond as if the situation …

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The Impact Of Mindfulness Meditation On Fear Load And Fear Inhibition : Examining Parasympathetic Activation As An Underlying Mechanism, Antonia Victoria Seligowski Jan 2017

The Impact Of Mindfulness Meditation On Fear Load And Fear Inhibition : Examining Parasympathetic Activation As An Underlying Mechanism, Antonia Victoria Seligowski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As demonstrated via fear-potentiated startle (FPS) paradigms, individuals with fear-based disorders exhibit greater startle responses and a lowered ability to distinguish between fear-related stimuli and safe stimuli (i.e., poor fear inhibition). Physiological indicators of self-regulation, such as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), appear to be related to the startle response. Therefore, increasing self-regulation may reduce fear load and improve fear inhibition. One method for doing so may be through mindfulness meditation. Using a FPS paradigm, the current study explored the use of mindfulness meditation (as compared to relaxation) as a method of decreasing fear load and enhancing fear inhibition by improving …

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The Art Of Transformational Leadership : A Study Of Sun Tzu's Strategic Philosophy Applied To Managing Civil Service Employees, Jesus N. Perez Jan 2017

The Art Of Transformational Leadership : A Study Of Sun Tzu's Strategic Philosophy Applied To Managing Civil Service Employees, Jesus N. Perez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The bureaucratic red tape governing civil service employment in public higher educational institutions in Illinois can prolong the process to issue corrective action. As swift action to address conduct is stifled by the layers of procedure, a manager may become discouraged from responding to problems in the workplace. When the discouragement becomes the status quo of inaction in the workplace, the misconception that a civil service employee cannot be terminated is further underscored. The acceptance of a laissez-faire management style develops into a steep problem in public higher education, in which a manager who is unprepared for conflict becomes the …

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The Development Of A New Comprehensive Measure Of School Climate And Associations With School Leadership, Christopher J. Maier Jan 2017

The Development Of A New Comprehensive Measure Of School Climate And Associations With School Leadership, Christopher J. Maier

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A positive school climate has been related to increase in student achievement, teacher satisfaction, and teacher retention. One of the most influential aspects of developing a positive school climate hinges on principal leadership style. The Development of a New Comprehensive Measure of School Climate assesses six key areas related to school climate and how principal leadership impacts teacher satisfaction.

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The Effect Of Disgust Exposure On Specific Phobia Symptoms, Kathleen S. Mccraw Jan 2017

The Effect Of Disgust Exposure On Specific Phobia Symptoms, Kathleen S. Mccraw

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Specific phobia is a common psychological disorder. Despite the established efficacy of fear-based exposure therapy in the treatment of this disorder, a large number of patients do not seek or complete this treatment. Disgust is an emotional response that has been linked to multiple different phobias, but the use of disgust exposures in specific phobia has not been rigorously studied. The goal of the current study was to examine the presence of disgust in spider- and height-fearful individuals, as well as to investigate the possible utility of a brief disgust exposure in these fears. The results of the study indicated …

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Interparental Conflict And Adolescence : The Cognitive-Contextual Framework, Christine Rachelle Keeports Jan 2017

Interparental Conflict And Adolescence : The Cognitive-Contextual Framework, Christine Rachelle Keeports

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

According to the cognitive-contextual framework, exposure to interparental conflict (IPC) is associated with the formation of threat/self-blame appraisals, coping behaviors, and internalizing symptoms among adolescents. Past research also suggests that family cohesion and gender may influence adolescents' response to IPC. The full cognitive-contextual framework was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Mplus programing among 207 high school students in a public, midwestern high school. Results show questionable fit for the full model. Additionally, indirect pathways were found between IPC and internalizing symptoms through appraisals of threat and self-blame. An indirect pathway was also found through threat appraisals and primary …

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Investigating The Associations Among Perceived Social Support, Neuroticism, Extraversion, And Depressive Symptoms In Early Adolescence, Raymond L. Geosling Jan 2017

Investigating The Associations Among Perceived Social Support, Neuroticism, Extraversion, And Depressive Symptoms In Early Adolescence, Raymond L. Geosling

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Depression is a disorder that affects many adolescents. It can affect individuals from many different walks of life and can be devastating. While there are many factors that put an individual at risk, there are also factors that may serve to protect individuals. Two important factors that are related to depression are personality and perceived social support. It has been hypothesized that high levels of neuroticism and low levels of positive emotionality (a facet of extraversion) are underlying factors in depression. Furthermore, high levels of perceived social support from parents and classmates have been shown to decrease the risk of …

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School Counselor Clinical Supervision : An Exploration Of Relationships Between Supervision Training, Professional Experience, Professional Identity, And Site Supervisor Self-Efficacy, Tracy Peed Jan 2017

School Counselor Clinical Supervision : An Exploration Of Relationships Between Supervision Training, Professional Experience, Professional Identity, And Site Supervisor Self-Efficacy, Tracy Peed

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Due to the challenging nature of the school counseling profession, it is vitally important for school counselors to have clinical supervision, from a school counselor who is trained in clinical supervision throughout their internship and as a practicing professional. The purpose of this quantitative study (N = 220) was to explore how clinical supervision training and professional years of experience in the field are related to site supervisor self-efficacy and professional identity. The aim was to better understand how all these factors, seemingly important in some capacity to engagement in clinical supervision training and serving as a site supervisor conducting …

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Severity Of Illness, Parenting, And Child Psychological Adjustment : Exploring The Associations Among Mothers With Multiple Sclerosis, Emily Elizabeth Padgett Jan 2017

Severity Of Illness, Parenting, And Child Psychological Adjustment : Exploring The Associations Among Mothers With Multiple Sclerosis, Emily Elizabeth Padgett

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a pervasive chronic illness, and approximately 2.3 million individuals worldwide are diagnosed with MS. Those with MS are often women of childbearing age and, thus, understanding how the disorder impacts these mothers and their families is important. The current study examined potential mechanisms through which maternal MS symptom severity influences child psychological functioning (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms). Complete data were collected from 75 mothers diagnosed with MS via online data collection methods. Results indicated some support for previous research in that MS symptom severity was associated with poorer psychological functioning in children. Furthermore, there was …

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Student Engagement : An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Max A. Seisser V Jan 2017

Student Engagement : An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Max A. Seisser V

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The theory of planned behavior was used to investigate recruitment messages for student engagement opportunities. Participants (N = 194) completed a survey of their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions to become more engaged in the campus community. Additionally, participants were asked to create a recruitment message for a fraternity or sorority, intramural athletic, or employment opportunity. The results of the study indicated support for the theory in the context of student engagement; both attitudes and subject norms predicted behavioral intentions. In addition, the coding of the recruiting messages indicated that different types of messages were crafted …

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Teaching A Transformative Story : Crafting Critical Feminist Narrative Pedagogies Through Women's And Queer Life Writing, Rhiannon Catherwood Jan 2017

Teaching A Transformative Story : Crafting Critical Feminist Narrative Pedagogies Through Women's And Queer Life Writing, Rhiannon Catherwood

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation bridges narrative psychology, pedagogical theory, and the study of marginalized life writing. Narrative psychologists argue that human beings instinctively process their experiences in terms of story, including educational experiences. Literary critics focusing on life writing argue that authors of differing backgrounds produce distinctly different genres of life narrative, evidencing different patterns of thought and reasoning. The principal concern of teaching professionals should be to create an inclusive atmosphere which maximizes the learning potential of a diverse body of students. This means developing educational practices which reflect the diverse ways in which students perceive and relate to the world …

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Reactions To Age Metastereotypes In The Workplace : Challenge, Threat, And Boost, Elora C. Voyles Jan 2017

Reactions To Age Metastereotypes In The Workplace : Challenge, Threat, And Boost, Elora C. Voyles

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As workplaces become more age-diverse, it becomes increasingly important to better understand how metastereotypes influence cross-generational interactions. In the context of ageism, metastereotypes occur when a person of one age group perceives what they believe other age groups think about members of their age group. These perceptions have been found to influence interpersonal interactions, career planning, as well as retirement. Between the activation and the ultimate outcomes of age metastereotypes, there are likely affective reactions that occur before the measured outcomes. Based on a model of age metastereotypes, some of the reactions to age metastereotypes that may occur are challenge, …

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Reader Identity Development : A Multiple Case Study Of Adolescent Reluctant Readers Participating In A Ninth-Grade, Free-Choice Reading Intervention Class, Michael P. Henry Jan 2017

Reader Identity Development : A Multiple Case Study Of Adolescent Reluctant Readers Participating In A Ninth-Grade, Free-Choice Reading Intervention Class, Michael P. Henry

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, American high schools have begun to provide more reading interventions for their students. Relying heavily on skills-based instruction and whole-class, teacher-selected reading, few high school reading programs address the negative reader identities held by many students. The purpose of this study was to examine how the reader identities of adolescent reluctant readers develop when participating in a ninth-grade, free-choice reading intervention class. Multiple case study was the methodology chosen for this study because it allowed for the examination of multiple perspectives and provided the multiple forms of data necessary to investigate the complex problem of reading disengagement …

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Examining Community College Faculty Attitudes Toward Open Educational Resources : A Mixed Methods Study, Denise Cote Jan 2017

Examining Community College Faculty Attitudes Toward Open Educational Resources : A Mixed Methods Study, Denise Cote

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study situated at a large community college in the midwestern United States was to examine faculty attitudes, knowledge, and use of open educational resources (OER) and to identify institutional initiatives that would support OER adoption. The goal of the first, quantitative phase of this study was to replicate a national survey of higher education faculty on the subject of OER. Local faculty responses to the survey were compared to those of their national peers. The second, qualitative phase of the study was the development and analysis of a single case study that …

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Examining Gender Differences Toward The Adoption Of Online Learning And Predicting The Readiness Of Faculty Members In A Middle-Eastern Recently Established Public University, Mohammed Mansour Abahussain Jan 2017

Examining Gender Differences Toward The Adoption Of Online Learning And Predicting The Readiness Of Faculty Members In A Middle-Eastern Recently Established Public University, Mohammed Mansour Abahussain

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the gender-based difference toward the adoption of online learning based on constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It is also aimed to predict the Behavioral Intention of the adoption of online learning based on the predicting variables of the TPB, Attitude, Subjective Norm, and Perceived Behavioral Control toward the adoption of online learning. The gender was used to examine the moderating effect on the relationship between the three predictors (Attitude, Subjective Norm, and Perceived Behavioral Control) and outcome (Behavioral Intention). The study included 162 participants, including both males and females. All participants were faculty …

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Examining The Association Of Hypermasculinity And Bullying : What Is The Role Of Homophobia?, Caicina Jones Jan 2017

Examining The Association Of Hypermasculinity And Bullying : What Is The Role Of Homophobia?, Caicina Jones

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As the research on homophobia and bullying continues to grow it is important to ensure that homophobic bullying as a construct is fully explored. In particular, the presence of homophobia in adolescents who in engage in gay-themed or related aggressive behavior has not been investigated. The current study examined the associations of homophobia, exaggerated traditional male role norms (i.e., hypermasculinity), and three bullying behaviors (homophobic epithets use, bullying of homosexuals, and bullying of peers). The overall goal was to identify factors that contribute to bullying behavior. The sample consisted of 199 undergraduate males. Results revealed significant associations among homophobia, hypermasculinity, …

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Race, Gender, And The Stigma Of Homelessness, Jeff Syverson Jan 2017

Race, Gender, And The Stigma Of Homelessness, Jeff Syverson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how Americans view the homeless, and how their perceptions are influenced by the race and gender of homeless individuals. It seeks to replicate and extend the research of Phelan, Link, Moore, and Stueve, and uses their findings as a point of departure. Phelan et al. established twenty years ago that the homeless label imposes a stigma, which induces the public to distance themselves from those to whom it is applied. However, Phelan and colleagues did not examine the effects of the race or gender of homeless persons on social distance. Drawing upon attribution theory and using data …

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Rapport-Development Practices Of Outstanding College Faculty, Robert A. Remedi Jan 2017

Rapport-Development Practices Of Outstanding College Faculty, Robert A. Remedi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In an environment in which performance funding for higher education is increasingly common, mechanisms for improving student success will be important for ensuring a consistent revenue stream for higher education institutions. One important factor found to improve student success is when students perceive rapport with faculty. However, there is a significant gap in the qualitative literature demonstrating how faculty develop and improve rapport with students. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to interview award-winning faculty to investigate how they develop rapport with their students. As a result, a qualitative study of 15 award-winning faculty from throughout the eastern and …

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True Crime Does Pay : Narratives Of Wrongdoing In Film And Literature, Andrew T. Burt Jan 2017

True Crime Does Pay : Narratives Of Wrongdoing In Film And Literature, Andrew T. Burt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines true crime's ubiquitous influence on literature, film, and culture. It dissects how true-crime narratives affect crime fiction and film, questioning how America's continual obsession with crime underscores the interplay between true crime narratives and their fictional equivalents. Throughout the 20th century, these stories represent key political and social undercurrents such as movements in religious conservatism, issues of ethnic and racial identity, and developing discourses of psychology. While generally underexplored in discussions of true crime and crime fiction, these currents show consistent shifts from liberal rehabilitative to a conservative punitive form of crime prevention and provide a new …

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The Impact Of The Microsoft Office Powerpoint Program On Students With Medical Conditions In A Home And Hospital Program, Vicky Mcclure Jan 2017

The Impact Of The Microsoft Office Powerpoint Program On Students With Medical Conditions In A Home And Hospital Program, Vicky Mcclure

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

While medical progress has brought great change in the epidemiology of child health in the United States, chronic illness and traumatic injuries now account for a growing number of pediatric hospitalizations, posing a major challenge to educators in regards to the availability and provision of academic services. Home-hospital instructional services have been in place for many decades. However, school districts across the nation have home-hospital policies that vary from district to district. Children diagnosed with a chronic illness or injury are absent from school more frequently for extended periods of time, and therefore may require educational adaptations. Home-hospital instructional goals …

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