Digital Commons Network^™

Shall We Play A Game?, Craig Caulfield

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In response to real and perceived short-comings in the quality and productivity of software engineering practices and projects, professionally-endorsed graduate and post-graduate curriculum guides have been developed to meet evolving technical developments and industry demands. Each of these curriculum guidelines identifies better software engineering management skills and soft, peopleware skills as critical for all graduating students, but they provide little guidance on how to achieve this. One possible way is to use a serious game — a game designed to educate players about some of the dynamic complexities of the field in a safe and inexpensive environment. This thesis presents …

Do "Clickers" Improve Student Engagement And Learning In Secondary Schools?, Andrew James Mankowski

Dissertations and Theses

There is a need in classrooms to engage students and maintain their interest in course content. A recent type of interactive technology, known as a "clicker," has shown potential to increase student engagement, performance, and participation in the classroom when used effectively. Peer instruction, a type of student to student interaction in which pairs or small groups of students discuss their answers to questions before responding, is often used in conjunction with clickers, and may account for the perceived effectiveness of these tools. The purpose of this study is to determine the clicker's effectiveness in increasing learning and increasing student …

African American Athletes And The Negotiation Of Public Spaces: An Examination Of Athletic Capital And African American Perceptions Of Success, Keona Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the culture of sport among African American male football players as well as African American perspectives on sport and success. A case study of six African American, Division 1 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) collegiate student athletes was conducted along with seventeen supplemental interviews with community members, parents, coaches and former athletes and fans. The participants answered questions that explored education, success, identity construction, ethnicity and sport. Archival data was also reviewed framing the discussion on football in Florida, links between education and sport participation and African American male academic achievement. While many perspectives varied, there were collective …

Emotional Maturity Of Adolescents And Adults In Ged Programs, Billy Joe Riffle

Dissertations

When discussing issues relating to students in General Educational Development (GED) Option and pre-GED programs with educators, the contention exists that it is possible to make reasonably accurate predictions on the success or failure of a student by observing a number of items. Looking at their cumulative records shows their academic and attendance history. Insight is gained by looking at their family dynamics and how they relate to adults. Much can be learned about them from their discipline reports and the nature of any infractions. One of the most intriguing aspects gained through experience and observation is the perception of …

Alternative Scheduling Models And Their Effect On Science Achievement At The High School Level, Jay Roland Dostal

Student Work

This study will evaluate alternative scheduling methods implemented in secondary level schools. Students were selected based on parent selection of programs. Traditional scheduling involves numerous academic subjects with small increments of time in each class and block scheduling focuses on fewer academic subjects and more instructional time. This study will compare office referral numbers, absence frequency, and Essential Learner Outcome (ELO) science strand scores in the 8th-grade (pretest) to the same students office referrals, absence frequency, and ELO science strand scores in the 11th-grade (posttest) between Seven Period Traditional Scheduling (SPTS) and Four Period Block Scheduling (FPBS) in the hopes …

String Theory And Our Relationship With Nature: The Convergence Of Science, Curriculum Theory, And The Environment, Virginia Therese Bennett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Curriculum Theory affords us the opportunity to examine education from a multitude of directions. This work takes advantage of that opportunity to explore the relationships between science, nature, and curriculum using string theory and our ideas about the environment as a backdrop. Both the energy and multiple possibilities created by strings and the rich history leading up to the theory help to illustrate the many opportunities we have to advance discussions in alternative ways of looking at science. By considering the multiple dimensions inherent in string theory as multiple pathways and interweaving metaphors from Deleuze and Guattari, Michel Serres, and …

Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of In-School Suspension, Amelia Shondra Jackson

Dissertations

Providing a safe and orderly school environment for students to learn is of paramount importance to school administrators, teachers, students, and the general public; however, the learning process should not be compromised while trying to maintain such an environment. There are many alternative approaches that can be utilized that would rectify the problem we as educators face in providing a safe and orderly environment. At-risk students are usually the ones who have the most serious infractions. These students exhibit a cyclical pattern of recalcitrant behavior. It is imperative that these at-risk students be identified as early as possible, and intervention …

Testing The Neutralizing Effects Of Nonverbal Teacher Immediacy Cues On Offensive Teacher Misbehaviors In Higher Education Classrooms, Claudia Esther Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of nonverbal teacher immediacy cues can neutralize the negative impact that offensive teacher misbehaviors have on student perceptions of teacher credibility, affective learning, and motivation. The sample included a total of 140 participants enrolled in various undergraduate communication and theater courses from a southwestern university. Three one-way ANOVA tests were conducted to test the three hypotheses which proposed that nonverbal teacher immediacy cues may neutralize the negative impact that offensive teacher misbehaviors have on students’ perception of teacher credibility, affective learning, and motivation. Ultimately, findings revealed that teacher immediacy …

The Effect Of The Involvement Within Career Academies By Elective Participation Of Eleventh And Twelfth Grade High School Students During The Implementation Year, Nancy A. Johnston

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of elective participation in one of three implementation year Career Academies, Education, Entrepreneurship, or Finance, on upper-class high school academic grades, Grade Point Average, and school academy participation measures. Significance of the junior and senior year of high school, the meaning of a high school diploma and graduation requirements, and the connection to preparation for postsecondary studies and the world of work, career readiness, have become a focus of high school improvement efforts throughout the country. The implementation of the Millard Public Schools Career Academies in August of 2009 was …

Evaluating And Improving The Quality Of Teacher’S Language Modeling In Early Childhood Classrooms, Lillian White Englund

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The relationship between pre-school teachers and the children in their classrooms directly influences the degree of success the children experience in school and in life. The emphasis on quality pre-K education in the U.S. has resulted in an increased need for highly qualified teachers who are capable of engaging in meaningful interactions with young children. An important component of high-level teacher-child interactions is the teacher's ability to model language for children as they acquire vocabulary and language context.

This mixed-methods study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a professional development intervention designed to improve the quality of language modeling …

Diabetes And Co-Morbid Depression Among Racially Diverse, Low-Income Adults, Chandra Y. Osborn, Kushal A. Patel, Jianguo Liu, Hollister W. Trott, Maciej S. Buchowski, Margaret K. Hargreaves, William J. Blot, Sarah S. Cohen, David G. Schlundt

Public Health, Health Administration, and Health Sciences Faculty Research

Background

Research suggests individuals with diabetes are twice as likely as those without diabetes to be clinically depressed. Still unknown is the relationship between diabetes and depression in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Purpose

We examined the relationship between diabetes and depressive symptoms in a large, racially diverse, low-income cohort in the southeastern USA. Methods

A total of 69,068 adults were recruited from community health centers in 12 southeastern states. A fully adjusted polytomous logistic regression model tested the relationship between demographics, lifestyle behaviors, antidepressant use, body mass index, diabetes diagnosis, diabetes duration, diabetes medication compliance, and depressive symptoms using the Centers …

Dewey's Pragmatism And The Great Community, Philip Schuyler Bishop

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In investigating Dewey’s theory of the Great community, it is important to first examine closely Dewey’s theory of scientific inquiry and show how it evades the spectator theory of knowledge common to all modern epistemologies as closed systems. Dewey maintained that through controlled experimentalism we engage, and can solve, existential issues facing us for the purpose of expanding human freedom, promoting the democratic way of life and cultivating the institutions which foster these activities. The usage of inquiry to overcome problematic situations therefore stands as one of the first conditions needed to attain the great community.

Since Dewey did not …

Interactive Stem Cells: Education Through Game Design, Sarah Hudson

Theses

In my thesis I developed an interactive website intended to educate the non-scientific or lay public about stem cells. Most people have heard about stem cells but few truly understand them. It would be beneficial to those wishing to engage in the current stem cell debate to be more thoroughly educated. Currently, the information available is all geared towards scientists or from a biased source. I used a series of Flash games to convey the important information in an engaging way. The site is intuitive enough that even users unfamiliar with the Internet and basic high-school science knowledge will be …

Migration, Education, And Health Policy: A Closer Look Into The Reasons Behind Poor Health Outcomes In Rural Ecuador, Lauren Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite an increase in the number of Ecuadorian medical professionals, health outcomes in rural areas of the country have steadily declined over the past decade. Using a political economic framework and data collected from interviews with Ecuadorian doctors, government officials, policy makers, and local rural populations, this thesis investigates how the interplay among medical migration, educational structures, and public health policy contributes to growing health disparities between urban and rural dwellers. Addressing each of these factors both individually and collectively, this thesis also outlines a series of policy recommendations that will allow the Ecuadorian healthcare system to better meet the …

A Framework Of Language Use In Reference To People With Disabilities: People-First, Disability-Implicit, And Disability-First Language In A School Setting, Lindsey Therese Back

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Scientists have often overlooked the language used to refer to people with disabilities as a method for excluding them, as language reflects attitudes and potential actions (Blaska, 1993; Froschl et al, 1984; Zola, 1993) . Recent legislation illustrates efforts to prevent use of derogatory terms in state laws and regulations (New Jersey Legislature, 2010), but little research to date has explored actual linguistic references to people with disabilities. This study uses qualitative interviews with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to explore the language used to reference students with disabilities. Results offer the first framework of language used to refer to …

Unraveled Fall 2010, Southern Adventist University

Unraveled - School of Education and Psychology Newsletter

The Fall 2010 issue of Unraveled contains articles on an assistant professor and graduate student's appearance on a caving show, spotlights on new faculty members, psycho-biology majors and research, and an alumni feature.

Fall 2010 Farquhar Forum, Farquhar College Of Arts And Sciences

The Farquhar Forum College Magazine

No abstract provided.

Agricultural Mechanics Facilities And Curriculum In Modesto City School District - Graduate Internship, Richard Wolfe

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The internship project report focuses on renovating Ag. Mechanics programs at multiple high schools in the Modesto City School District. The primary areas of focus includes organizing safe work environments, identifying specific content areas that best utilize facilities and student strengths, and develop curriculum that promotes identified areas for growth. This report also includes documents and summaries for the quality criteria areas. These artifacts are required for receiving Agriculture Incentive Grant funding for secondary-level program instruction in agriculture.

Advice From Teens To Teens About Dating: Implications For Healthy Relationships, Heidi Adams Rueda, Lela Rankin Williams

Social Work Faculty Publications

Seventy-five Mexican American and White male and female adolescents were asked in focus groups to offer advice to other adolescents pertaining to dating relationships. Across ethnicities and sexes, “Stay on your feet” was the most prominent advice given, followed by advice to “Know when it's right”. “Have good reasoning…especially about that was a prominent theme among females; Mexican American females focused more on pressure associated with sexual activity while White females embedded their advice more often within futuristic and long-term relationship goals. Females offered roughly three times more relationship advice than did males and dialogued collaboratively at greater length, enriching …

Little Rock Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 1888 To 1903, Jane Ann Wilkerson

Theses and Dissertations

In discussions about the women's rights, organizations such as the National Organization for Women or the National American Woman Suffrage Association often overshadow the contributions of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Most know of the WCTU's efforts against alcohol but little is known about the group's work toward woman's suffrage. In fact, the Little Rock organization became one of the WCTU's strongest local unions. It worked to change the lives of women and children not only in the city, but also statewide. Members' skills and unique backgrounds helped the union reach many of its goals. During these efforts it …

Ancestry Estimation In A Web-Based, Searchable Database Of Orthodontic Case Files For Patient Care, Education, And Research, Philip J. Kroth, Heather J.H. Edgar, Edward F. Harris, Summers Kalishman, Shamsi Daneshvari

Posters and Presentations

In 2005, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology accepted a donation of orthodontic patient records from an orthodontist who has been practicing in the Albuquerque area since the early 1970s. This collection represents a diversity of patients not often encountered in orthodontic training in the United States. A virtual, de-identified, web-based version of a subset of the collection is now being developed. Users can search for cases with particular characteristics of interest (e.g., patient ancestry, extraction patterns, diagnoses, and cephalometric parameters), then review sequential intra-oral and Xray images to observe treatment outcomes. An innovative feature of the database is that it …

Division Of Education Curricular Changes September 2010, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

Gender Inequality And Terrorism: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Socioeconomic Gender Inequality On Terrorism, Jennifer Dumas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Studies of terrorism have explored a number of factors thought to drive the phenomenon. Authors often tie socioeconomic development to reducing terrorism. Among structural explanations of terrorism, however, authors generally neglect the effect of gender inequality, though studies show that gender inequality increases the risk of international and civil conflict. Therefore I explore the impact of gender inequality in important socioeconomic issues on terrorism for 143 countries from 1998-2009. I argue that socioeconomic gender inequality reflects poor state capacity, resulting in grievances that contribute to domestic non-suicide and suicide terrorism. I study gender inequality in the areas of education, labor …

Pages News, Volume 18, No. 2, August 2010, Cathy Whitlock, Willy Tinner, Louise Newman

PAGES

Contents: Inside PAGES -- PAGES calendar -- Special Section: Fire in the Earth System: A Paleoperspective -- Editorial -- Fire in the Earth System -- Science Highlights -- Recent advances in the analysis and interpretation of sediment-charcoal records -- Molecular markers in ice cores provide large-scale patterns in biomass burning -- Global patterns of biomass burning during the last glacial period -- A fire paradox in ecosystems around the Mediterranean -- Tropical fire ecology across the African continent: A paleoecological perspective -- Holocene fires in eastern Canada: Towards forest management -- Fire and climate variation in western North America -- …

Visionary Of Control: The Efficiency, Expertise, And Exclusion Of Alexander James Inglis, Heidi Tilney Kramer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alexander James Inglis was the key contributor to changes enacted in education during the Progressive era. He instituted an administrative and curricular hierarchy in order to create social organization during a chaotic time in American history, thus advancing professionalism in teaching and systematizing a future workforce - teaching previously had no standards, and throngs of immigrants overwhelmed the school system. While necessary at the time, this system of centralization, homogenization, and sorting continues to result in exclusion in secondary education and middle schools. Categorization is Inglis' hallmark in his work in education, following Frederick W. Taylor's managerial practices, and he …

Analyzing The Appearance And Wording Of Assessments: Understanding Their Impact On Students’ Perception And Understanding, And Instructors’ Processes, Stacie Rohrbach

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In the context of a design studio, the study presented in this paper investigates the effects that appearance and wording of assessment forms have on design students’ perception and learning. The project is motivated by hypotheses formed by a prior study, which revealed visual and textual components of assessment forms as possible influences on students’ perception and learning. Thus, the goal of this project is to investigate their impact on students and offer the study findings to educators to help them better understand and construct effective assessment tools. This paper argues that the appearance and wording of assessments convey meaning …

A Washington State Elementary Teachers’ Guide To Bilingual Education, Maria G. Garcia-Bautista

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create an elementary teacher's manual which explained the history and laws of bilingual education, first and second language development theories and approaches, bilingual education models and what research says about the various models. Proponents of English only/ Sheltered Instruction programs argue that immigrants and their descendents should assimilate to the customs and cultural norms of the United States as expeditiously as possible. Those same proponents believe that acquiring English is a prerequisite for success in education. Without a doubt English language proficiency can lead to immeasurable success. In this manual Two-Way Dual Language …

Adolescent Geographies In The Classroom: Interactions With Place- And Community-Based Education, Anna Gahl Cole

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

The purpose of this study was to examine three phenomena, 1.) the classroom struggles and successes of students and teachers participating in a place- and community-based curriculum; 2). students personal geographies: their experiences, perspectives and interpretations of their homes, school, community and city; and 3.) interactions between community-based curriculum and students' geographies. This study goes to the intersection of place-based curriculum and students' geographies to explore the interactions that exist between these phenomena. Grounded in critical spatial, feminist standpoint, and constructivist theories, this study draws upon scholarship in Children's Geographies, place- and community-based education, and critical spatial studies. The Second …

How Do We Define A Medical School? : Reflections On The Occasion Of The Centennial Of The Flexner Report, Hans Karle

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

A century after the Flexner Report on medical education in North America, which revolutionised the training of medical doctors all over the world, it is time to revisit this famous document and analyse symptoms and signs of a return to pre-Flexnerian conditions. With the ongoing mushroom growth over the last decades of small, proprietary educational institutions of low quality and driven by for-profit purposes, medical education is in a threatened position. This trend is of general international interest because of the increasing migration of medical doctors. There is a need for discussion of what should be the rational criteria and …

Environmental Science, Its Importance And Integration, Sultan Alam

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

No abstract provided.