Digital Commons Network^™

Network Effect: How Social Networks Relate To Beliefs About Organizational Change At Private Colleges, Elizabeth J. Bushnell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the context of an increasingly competitive and complex higher Education market, postsecondary leaders are challenged to sustain the viability of their institutions. In response to these challenges, college and university leaders routinely pursue change and innovation. Yet, the process to implement change successfully is elusive. In other industries, researchers have found that social networks are influential in the success and sustainability of change. The purpose of this study was to explore if there is a relationship between social network characteristics and faculty members beliefs about organizational change at a small, private university. The results showed that the strength and …

Saudi Special Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward The Cognitive, Psychological, And Technological Criteria For Applying Ipad Application In Teaching Students With Asd, Mashael Abdulrahman Alshaer

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to present Saudi special Education teachers attitudes toward the cognitive, psychological, and technological criteria for applying iPad applications in teaching students with ASD. Saudi Arabias Ministry of Education (2016) confirmed in rule 54-75 and order 188-194 of the Special Education Law that institutions and programs of special Education at public and private schools should implement the use of technology and computer software for Educational objectives. This research discusses findings regarding using iPad software as assistive technology for students with ASD. This study further attempts to understand how the government can build on the preparedness of teachers …

Shaping The Image Builders: The Birth And Rise Of The American Association Of College News Bureaus And A New Rhetorical Arena In Higher Education, Gregory D. Cook

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drawing on a qualitative review of historical artifacts, the author explores the birth and rise of the American Association of College News Bureaus and its successive organizations. The author performs a historical study, interlacing an interpretive biographical lens and rhetorical theory. The study seeks to determine what formative events and narratives shaped the Associations progression from 1915 until 1950 and to what extent, if any, the Association and its successor organizations established a new rhetorical arena in Americas higher Education landscape. The expansive horizontal network launched by the group better served colleges and universities with more robust dialogue and public …

Student And Employer Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Electronic Portfolios In Higher Education For Career Development Purposes: A Case Study Of A Graphic Design Program, Csilla Melinda Stewart

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this exploratory case study, the ultimate goal was to examine how effective electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) are from the perspectives of former undergraduate graphic design students in terms of developing career readiness by graduation with the intent of finding employment in their studied fields. The study also aimed to explore what employers who hire graphic design graduates are looking for in electronic portfolios when hiring college graduates so that the curriculum this college offers and the competencies employers desire could be compared. The study was conducted at a selected American Midwestern university where both undergraduate and graduate graphic design programs …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of University College 100: A College Preparedness Course, Crystal Sullivan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study took place at Indiana State University, a Midwestern, mid-sized, public university. The sample for this study was made up of students enrolled in University College 100, a college preparedness course taken during the freshman year of a students academic career. With college attrition rates across the nation rising, many public universities are responding. Universities such as University of South Carolina are leading the way for college preparedness by implementing a required, credit-based, college preparedness course for first-time incoming freshmen. Indiana State University has such a course, not required for all freshmen to complete. Class observations took …

The Effects Of The Introduction Of No Child Left Behind On Selected Educational Demographics, Angela Bright

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators and the general public are often discouraged by grim reports by the media regarding our nations standing with regard to Education and the policies that attempt to improve that standing. This study examined (a) the percentage of students identified as needing special Education, (b) graduation rates, and (c) dropout rates from a sample of state reported data before and after implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) to determine if the policy had an effect in these areas. Despite media assertions, no significant differences were found in these variables when comparing data from 2003–2004 and 2007–2008. It …

The Impact Of Small School Systems On The Communities They Serve, Ralph D. Shrader

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Financial concerns and public scrutiny are causing many Educational leaders and community stakeholders to study the district configurations of school corporations, academic preparation, and ideal school size. The purpose of this qualitative case-study research design was to identify and better understand successful small school districts as defined by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) accountability model. This study also sought to uncover the relationship of successful school districts as an integral partner in the local communities they serve. The results of analyzed data from interviews, observations, and school tours led to the emergence of three themes. The three themes included: …

Attitudes Towards Dependent Personality Disorder: The Role Of Sex And Sexual Orientation, Brandon Sentell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relatively little research has focused on Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) and even less research has examined sex differences, despite evidence of sex differences in prevalence of DPD and evidence that DPD is perceived as a feminine PD. Men who demonstrate DPD symptoms might be perceived as violating the male sex role and therefore risk being seen as more dysfunctional or labeled homosexual. However, there is a dearth of research regarding attitudes towards men with DPD, and no known research investigating attitudes towards gay and lesbian individuals with DPD. Undergraduates ( n = 318) read one of four versions of a …

Comparison Of Empathy, Burnout, And Attitudes Toward Sex Offender Treatment Among Mental Health Professionals, Melanie E. Mivshek

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a recent increase in convicted sex offenders and mandated treatment for sexual offending there has been an increase in the number of mental health professionals providing this treatment. Little empirical research has been devoted to this group of mental health professionals and how they may differ from other mental health professionals. The present study explored how mental health professionals in correctional settings, community-based settings, and those providing sex offender treatment differ on levels of empathy, burnout, and attitudes toward sex offender treatment. Moreover, the study explored whether there was a relationship between empathy, burnout, and attitudes toward sex offender …

Maximising The Contributions Of Phd Graduates To National Development: The Case Of The Seychelles, Marina Fatima Confait

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is the pinnacle of educational attainment and the most respected of the doctoral programs. The degree certifies the holder as an independent researcher, an expert with extensive knowledge about the chosen field of study, and a professional with a wide range of transferable skills . As such, PhD graduates have the capability to make important contributions to knowledge and drive change in society. Furthermore, PhD graduates represent accumulated human capital, a valuable human resource with potential for making significant contributions to a country’s development. This can materialise through enhancing the knowledge of others, performing …

An Assessment Of The Chafta And Its Implications: A Work-In-Progress Type Fta With Selective Innovations, Heng Wang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This chapter explores two questions of the recent China-Australia FTA (ChAFTA): what is the approach of the ChAFTA? What are the challenges to the ChAFTA? It argues first that the ChAFTA adopts a problem-solving approach to harvest “low-hanging fruit” (e.g. tariff cuts). Containing WTO-based and WTO-friendly rules, it focuses on trade and investment facilitation through market liberalization and carefully written good governance norms. In spite of its short form investment chapter, the agreement is not as shallow as one may first think. It stimulates development concerning, among other things, regulatory issues (e.g. regulatory transparency and cooperation in financial services, regulatory …

Singapore, Country Study Prepared For Global Philanthropy Environment Index, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.

Using Agricultural Wastes To Treat Lead-Contaminated Water In Western Australia, Hanie Hashtroudi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aqueous solutions are becoming increasingly contaminated in all parts of the world (2015). Heavy metals are toxic contaminants that are mainly distributed in urban stormwater run-off and industrial wastewaters as a result of some mining operations, electronic assembly planting, battery manufacturing, and etching operations (Kadirvelu et al. 2001). Pb (II) is a heavy metal that causes significant damage in the human body. Drinking lead-contaminated water even at low concentrations may cause lifethreatening conditions such as cancer, kidney damage, brain damage, and liver problems (El-Said 2010). Therefore, it is necessary to remove lead from aqueous solutions.

Several conventional physical, chemical, and …

Exploring The Preparedness Of Novice (Student) Paramedics For The Mental Health Challenges Of The Paramedic Profession: Using The Wisdom Of The Elders, Lisa Holmes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the preparedness of novice (student) paramedics for the mental health challenges of the paramedic profession and identifies the coping strategies used by veteran paramedics to successfully meet these challenges. The lived experience of veteran paramedics is utilised to provide this important assistance.

Initially, two surveys were developed and administered to 16 course coordinators and 302 students of the 16 accredited undergraduate degree paramedicine courses across Australia and New Zealand, to identify the perceived need (for preparation) within the curriculum. In addition, the anticipations, confidence and fears of novice (student) paramedics, course coordinators and veteran paramedics were also …

The Value Of Animal Behaviour As A Bio-Indicator Of Restoration Quality, Floyd Holmes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Woodland restoration is a complex endeavour, and restoration ecology as a scientific discipline requires constant re-assessments and adjustments if it is to improve outcomes and better provide for biodiversity. The promise of effective restoration is often used to justify destructive processes that affect many of the world’s ecosystems. It is therefore imperative that those promises can be met, which comes down to restoration ecologists’ and land managers’ capacity to predict and facilitate desirable ecological changes in a timely and socio-economically responsible manner. As perspectives have changed, and knowledge has been gained over the past few decades there have been several …

Evolution Or Revolution: Where Next For Impact Assessment?, Zsuzsa Banhalmi-Zakar, Claire Gronow, Lachlan Wilkinson, Bryan Jenkins, Jenny Pope, Geraldine Squires, Kathy Witt, Galina Williams, Jon Womersley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Impact assessment (IA) has become one of the most prevalent environmental policy instruments today. Its introduction under the National Environmental Policy Act (US) in 1969 was revolutionary. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that such a widely used tool has received its share of criticism, including that it fails to meet some of its fundamental goals. Over the last fifty years, IA has broadened in scope and application and embraced new techniques. It has followed evolved, but has not changed fundamentally. We believe that IA must continue to change to meet the societal and environmental challenges of the 21st century. …

“…Like You’Re Pushing The Snowball Back Up Hill”—The Experiences Of Australian Physiotherapists Promoting Non-Treatment Physical Activity: A Qualitative Study, Breanne E. Kunstler, Paul D. O'Halloran, Jill L. Cook, Joanne L. Kemp, Caroline Finch

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Participating in physical activity is important for maintaining general health. When physiotherapists promote physical activity for the purposes of maintaining or improving a patient‟s general health, they are promoting non-treatment physical activity. Physiotherapists have a responsibility to promote non-treatment physical activity to their patients while also providing the patient with treatment for their presenting complaint. This qualitative study explored the experiences of Australian physiotherapists promoting non-treatment physical activity to patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Ten Australian physiotherapists treating patients with musculoskeletal conditions in private practice and outpatient settings were recruited using a social media campaign and snowballing. All interviewees received one …

Arts Engagement Outside Of School: Links With Year 10 To 12 Students’ Intrinsic Motivation And Self-Efficacy In Responding To Art, Julia Morris

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study draws on student engagement factors to examine the relationship between students’ non-school-based arts experiences on their intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy to participate in visual arts responding tasks. Visual arts responding in the curriculum includes learning about artists and artworks, decoding art and making critical judgements, and is important in building twenty-first century learning skills such as critical thinking and communication. A total of 266 Year 10 to 12 students from 18 schools in Western Australia (WA) participated in the quantitative research, which explored outside-school arts engagement as well as cognitive and psychological engagement factors in their current year …

Women's Rights In The Health Care System: Caesarean Delivery On Maternal Request, Ann-Claire Larsen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article explores a systems-theoretical question on the resonance capacity of medicine and law that has enabled a recent obstetric change. Insights from autopoietic theory guide my analysis of these subsystems' preconditions or self-referencing processes supporting obstetrics to take up pregnant women's requests for caesarean sections for social reasons. Previously, obstetricians performed caesarean sections on medical grounds only. That change became possible: it resonated with obstetrics, despite limitations imposed on obstetrics and law by these subsystems' unique codes and programs, and in light of law's self-determining individual. This article argues that although the change represents a victory for women's human …

Give Them A Chance: Public Attitudes To Sentencing Young Offenders In Western Australia, Suzanne Ellis, Natalie J. Gately Dr, Shane Rogers, Andree Horrigan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Public opinion is often reported as punitive towards sentencing young people. Attitudes remain important to investigate given their potential to influence policy within the criminal justice system. Therefore, it is important to understand the formation of these attitudes and their consistency with sentencing principles. Semi-structured interviews (n = 72) and surveys (n = 502) were used to gauge opinions of sentencing young people under different scenario manipulations (age, weapon, drug treatment, prior record). The findings revealed the public expected punishment, but favoured rehabilitation with an opportunity to repent, suggesting the public are open to alternatives to ‘tough on …

Homogenization And Growth Behavior Of Second-Phase Particles In A Deformed Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe-Cu-Si-O Alloy, Liang-Yu Chen, Peng Sang, Lina Zhang, Dongpo Song, Yanqiu Chu, Linjiang Chai, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Homogeneous distribution of fine second-phase particles (SPPs) fabricated by cycles of deformation and annealing in zirconium alloys is a critical consideration for the corrosion resistance of fuel claddings. Different deformation degrees of zirconium alloys would result in distinctive microstructures, leading to a distinct growth of SPPs during subsequent annealing. Unfortunately, the homogenization and growth behavior of SPPs in deformed zirconium alloys have not been well studied. In this work, a β-quenched Zr–Sn–Nb–Fe–Cu–Si–O alloy was rolled and annealed at 580◦C or 680◦C. The morphologies, distributions, and sizes of SPPs resulting from the different processing procedures were investigated. A linear distribution of …

Assessing The Interplay Between Crowdfunding And Sustainability In Social Media, Christofer Laurell, Christian Sandstrom, Yuliani Suseno

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper aims to assess the degree to which sustainability-oriented dimensions are integrated within the public discourse on crowdfunding in social media. Utilizing Social Media Analytics (SMA), we track discussions on crowdfunding in user-generated content published in social media. Based on an empirical material of 141,754 user-generated content, we identify 308 entries (0.21 percent) explicitly or implicitly relating to sustainability and 80 percent of these 308 entries came from professional actors. In this material, 37 sustainability-oriented campaigns are identified and 26 of them (70 percent) received one entry. Taken together, this paper adds to previous literature by assessing and describing …

Tales From The Exam Room: Trialing An E-Exam System For Computer Education And Design And Technology Students, Jeremy Pagram, Martin Cooper, Huifen Jin, Alistair Campbell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Centre for Schooling and Learning Technologies (CSaLT) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) was asked in 2016 to be the Western Australian arm of a national e-exam project. This project used a bespoke exam system installed on a USB-drive to deliver what would have been traditional paper-based exams in an enclosed computer-based environment that was isolated from the internet and any resources other than those provided by the lecturer. This paper looks at the two exams chosen by the Western Australian group for the trial; a programming exam for pre-service computing teachers and an occupational health and safety exam for …

Ransomware Behavioural Analysis On Windows Platforms, Nikolai Hampton, Zubair A. Baig, Sherali Zeadally

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Ransomware infections have grown exponentially during the recent past to cause major disruption in operations across a range of industries including the government. Through this research, we present an analysis of 14 strains of ransomware that infect Windows platforms, and we do a comparison of Windows Application Programming Interface (API) calls made through ransomware processes with baselines of normal operating system behaviour. The study identifies and reports salient features of ransomware as referred through the frequencies of API calls

Women’S Subjective Experiences Of Living With Vulvodynia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Ethnography, Rebekah Shallcross, Joanne M. Dickson, David Nunns, Catharine Mackenzie, Gundi Kiemle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vulvodynia, the experience of an idiopathic pain in the form of burning, soreness, or throbbing in the vulval area, affects around 4–16% of the population. The current review used systematic search strategies and meta-ethnography as a means of identifying, analyzing, and synthesizing the existing literature pertaining to women’s subjective experiences of living with vulvodynia. Four key concepts were identified: (1) Social Constructions: Sex, Women, and Femininity: Women experienced negative consequences of social narratives around womanhood, sexuality, and femininity, including the prioritization of penetrative sex, the belief that it is the role of women to provide sex for men, and media …

Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Daily Versus Depot Vitamin D3 Therapy In 0-16-Year-Old Newly Settled Refugees In Western Australia Over A Period Of 40 Weeks, Ushma D. Wadia, Wayne Soon, Paola T. Chivers, Aesen Thambiran, David P. Burgner, Sarah Cherian, Aris Siafarikas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in newly settled refugees in Western Australia (WA). If adherence to daily vitamin D therapy is problematic, depot therapy is a therapeutic alternative. The aim of this studywas to compare daily versus depot treatment and factors influencing the therapeutic outcome. Newly settled refugees (n = 151) with 25(OH)D levels less than 78 nmol/L were randomised to receive daily or depot vitamin D therapy with eight weekly interval follow up to 40 weeks. Biochemical and clinical parameters were collected at each visit. Generalized LinearMixedModels (GLMM) examined the longitudinal changes over time controlling for confounders including …

Advocacy, Support And Survivorship In Prostate Cancer, J. Dunn, C. Casey, D. Sandoe, M. K. Hyde, M. C. Cheron-Sauer, A. Lowe, J. L. Oliffe, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Across Australia, prostate cancer support groups (PCSG) have emerged to fill a gap in psychosocial care for men and their families. However, an understanding of the triggers and influencers of the PCSG movement is absent. We interviewed 21 SG leaders (19 PC survivors, two partners), of whom six also attended a focus group, about motivations, experiences, past and future challenges in founding and leading PCSGs. Thematic analysis identified four global themes: illness experience; enacting a supportive response; forming a national collective and challenges. Leaders described men's feelings of isolation and neglect by the health system as the impetus for PCSGs …

Biofilm Associated Proteins In Community Associated Mrsa Usa300 Je2: A Study Of Fnbpa And Fnbpb, Nicholas Gallina

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a notable human pathogen that is proficient in performing biofilms within the mammalian host. Biofilms are produced in order to protect the organism from extracellular threats such as the hosts immune response. Fibronectin binding protein A (FnBPA) and fibronectin binding protein B (FnBPB) are membrane bound domains noted to be key players in the formation and overall maturation of CA-MRSA biofilms. SAUSA300_2441 (mutant for FnBPA), SAUSA300_2440 (mutant for FnBPB) and USA300 (wild-type) were grown without and with human fibronectin at decreasing percentages. The same procedure was conducted for pooled normal human serum. Congo …

Separation Events In Modern Greek, Vasiliki Lydia Rounti

Master's Theses

The semantic domain of separation events has been studied for a number of languages. In this thesis, a study on how Modern Greek expresses separation events and how semantically distinct they are from other languages is presented. This is the first study on the semantic features of separation events for Modern Greek. Furthermore, it is the only study so far on separation events for which data have been gathered from a large number of native speakers. Thus, this thesis not only offers a great insight on the language’s semantic structures, but it also presents more concrete observations and conclusions compared …

The Meiosis-Specific Cdc20 Family-Member Ama1 Promotes Binding Of The Ssp2 Activator To The Smk1 Map Kinase., Gregory Omerza, Chong Wai Tio, Timothy Philips, Aviva Diamond, Aaron M. Neiman, Edward Winter

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Smk1 is a meiosis-specific MAP kinase (MAPK) in budding yeast that is required for spore formation. It is localized to prospore membranes (PSMs), the structures that engulf haploid cells during meiosis II (MII). Similar to canonically activated MAPKs, Smk1 is controlled by phosphorylation of its activation-loop threonine (T) and tyrosine (Y). However, activation loop phosphorylation occurs via a noncanonical two-step mechanism in which 1) the cyclin-dependent kinase activating kinase Cak1 phosphorylaytes T207 during MI, and 2) Smk1 autophosphorylates Y209 as MII draws to a close. Autophosphorylation of Y209 and catalytic activity for substrates require Ssp2, a meiosis-specific protein that is …