Current Search: UWF Theses and Dissertations (x)
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- Title
- AN ASSESSMENT OF WATERLOGGED WOOD CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES FOR LITTLE SALT SPRING (8SO18): AN ARCHAIC MORTUARY POND.
- Author
- Mavrick, Christine Anastasia
- Abstract/Description
-
Waterlogged wooden artifacts and ecofacts recovered at this unique Archaic site present researchers with a challenge to meet specific conservation needs. This thesis sought to address these needs through research and redundant experimentation. In over twenty experiments, commonly practiced conservation techniques were tested in an attempt to discover an easily replicable conservation method that best fit these objects. Additionally, a brand new method of waterlogged wood conservation,...
Show moreWaterlogged wooden artifacts and ecofacts recovered at this unique Archaic site present researchers with a challenge to meet specific conservation needs. This thesis sought to address these needs through research and redundant experimentation. In over twenty experiments, commonly practiced conservation techniques were tested in an attempt to discover an easily replicable conservation method that best fit these objects. Additionally, a brand new method of waterlogged wood conservation, recently developed in Japan and employing hydrolyzed feather keratin, was tested for use on artifacts from Little Salt Spring.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- WFE0000231, uwf:60939
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EGALITARIAN HONORS PROGRAM: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF RURAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS.
- Author
- McMillan, Barbara Ferguson, Rogers, Mary F., Pilcher, Janet, Nichols, Joyce, University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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This qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of students at a community college that has implemented an open-enrollment honors program. I surveyed high achievers who opted not to participate as well as a variety of students who had enrolled so that I could explore issues of self-efficacy in students' enrollment decisions. In addition, to understand the meaning of the program to its participants I conducted two in-depth interviews with program participants, facilitated a...
Show moreThis qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of students at a community college that has implemented an open-enrollment honors program. I surveyed high achievers who opted not to participate as well as a variety of students who had enrolled so that I could explore issues of self-efficacy in students' enrollment decisions. In addition, to understand the meaning of the program to its participants I conducted two in-depth interviews with program participants, facilitated a focus group with honors graduates, and recorded direct observations of the program in its first two years of operation. The narratives and other data generated during this study suggest that students enjoy the program and believe it is beneficial to them, which may increase engagement. In addition, it seems that because many students have not defined themselves as capable of success in an honors program, they may lack the self-efficacy required for voluntary enrollment. Their comments imply that individual encouragement from an instructor who provides accurate information about the "no-risk aspects of the program increases the likelihood that a student will participate.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- WFE0000125, uwf:60792
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EVALUATION OF A SCHOOL-WIDE CURRICULUM ON FLORIDA ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT TEST SCORES AND MASTERY OF INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
- Author
- Braxton, Millicent Diane
- Abstract/Description
-
In this comparative study, Unique Learning System (ULS), a school-wide curriculum, was assessed for the possible effects on Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) scores and the mastery of individual education plan (IEP) goals and objectives at a special needs center school. Analysis showed that FAA reading scores for the 56 students increased from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009-2010 school year, but there was no significant change in math scores from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009...
Show moreIn this comparative study, Unique Learning System (ULS), a school-wide curriculum, was assessed for the possible effects on Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) scores and the mastery of individual education plan (IEP) goals and objectives at a special needs center school. Analysis showed that FAA reading scores for the 56 students increased from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009-2010 school year, but there was no significant change in math scores from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009-2010 school year. The analysis also showed that the students had a significant increase in attainment of IEP goals and objectives from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009-2010 school year. The last analysis compared the FAA scores of the 56 students from the participating school to the scores of 16 students taking the FAA within the district but not attending the participating school. Analysis showed that the students from the participating school scored lower on reading and math.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- WFE0000251, uwf:60901
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EVALUATION OF TECHNIQUES TO DETERMINE HANDEDNESS DERIVED FROM A DOCUMENTED SKELETAL COLLECTION.
- Author
- Shidner, Ashley Elizabeth
- Abstract/Description
-
Forensic anthropology and forensic sciences are being held to a higher legal standard than in the past, by Daubert v. Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc in 1993 and the most recent report from the National Academy of Sciences in 2009. In response to the call for new research in the forensic sciences, this research project conducted a critical review of methods utilized in forensic anthropology to determine an individual's handedness. Analyses included the comparison of bilateral asymmetry in...
Show moreForensic anthropology and forensic sciences are being held to a higher legal standard than in the past, by Daubert v. Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc in 1993 and the most recent report from the National Academy of Sciences in 2009. In response to the call for new research in the forensic sciences, this research project conducted a critical review of methods utilized in forensic anthropology to determine an individual's handedness. Analyses included the comparison of bilateral asymmetry in long bone length, diameter and breadth of the upper and lower limb, epicondylar breadth of the humerus, asymmetry of the jugular foramen and directionality of the sagittal sulcus. A sample of 154 known individuals from the William M. Bass documented skeletal collection at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville was examined. Various metric combinations were subjected to a discriminant function analysis at an alpha level of 0.05. Non-metric pooled data were subjected to a Chi-square test of independence at an alpha level of 0.05. The results showed that none of the previously suggested indicators could accurately predict an individual's handedness. This study illustrates the importance of testing and reexamining current methods to ensure the most accurate methods are utilized in the field of forensic anthropology.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- WFE0000215, uwf:60936
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXAMINATION OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CAREER DECISION-MAKING CERTAINTY IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
- Author
- Barrow, Clark Eugene
- Abstract/Description
-
A mixed methods ex post facto study was used to examine intrinsic and extrinsic influences on the degree of certainty students felt in their career decision-making processes. The study was conducted in a high school located in the Southeastern United States wherein 242 girls and 238 boys in grades 9 through 12 participated. The theoretical framework of this study consisted of (a) a theory of vocational personalities and work environments, (b) a theory of vocational interest and vocational...
Show moreA mixed methods ex post facto study was used to examine intrinsic and extrinsic influences on the degree of certainty students felt in their career decision-making processes. The study was conducted in a high school located in the Southeastern United States wherein 242 girls and 238 boys in grades 9 through 12 participated. The theoretical framework of this study consisted of (a) a theory of vocational personalities and work environments, (b) a theory of vocational interest and vocational choice, (c), a theory of self-efficacy (d) and a theory of cognitive information processing. Two commercial instruments were used to investigate the research questions. The independent factors used to predict the dependent variable of Career Decision-Making Certainty were (a) Decision-Making Confusion, (b) Commitment Anxiety, (c) External Conflict, and (d) Career Indecision. Statistical analyses indicated Decision-Making Confusion and Career Indecision had negative influences on Career Decision-Making Certainty whereas External Conflict had a positive influence; Commitment Anxiety was not a significant predictor. An investigation of predictors by gender, grade level, and ethnicity indicated girls had higher levels of Decision-Making Confusion and Commitment Anxiety than boys. An analysis of students' Total Decision-Making Negative Career Thoughts indicated girls had higher levels of Career Decision-Making Negative Career Thoughts than boys. Content theme analysis revealed students' perceptions of positive and negative influences on their levels of certainty in their career decision-making processes. Four themes of positive influences emerged: (a) support from parents and friends (b) interest, (c) self-confidence, and (d) job experience. Four themes of negative influences emerged: (a) career indecision, (b) do not know how to get there, (c) lack of self-confidence, and (d) lack of knowledge about careers. In general, Decision-Making Confusion and Career Indecision exhibited negative influences on Career Decision-Making Certainty whereas External Conflict exhibited positive influence; Commitment Anxiety was not a significant influence. Post hoc comparisons revealed students did not vary by grade level or ethnicity on the dependent or independent variables but some variances were found by gender.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- WFE0000171, uwf:60780
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXAMINATION OF POSSIBLE MASS BURIALS IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA'S HISTORIC ST. MICHAEL'S CEMETERY.
- Author
- Marshall, Nicole Marie Rosenberg
- Abstract/Description
-
St. Michael's Cemetery is the oldest extant cemetery in Pensacola, Florida. St. Michael's Cemetery is also one of the two oldest cemeteries in Florida (the other being located in St. Augustine). Since 2000, the University of West Florida (UWF) has been engaged in ongoing research at the cemetery. Historical records indicate that a significant unmarked burial population may be present within the cemetery. In 2007 and 2008, a systematic Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey identified 3,915 sub...
Show moreSt. Michael's Cemetery is the oldest extant cemetery in Pensacola, Florida. St. Michael's Cemetery is also one of the two oldest cemeteries in Florida (the other being located in St. Augustine). Since 2000, the University of West Florida (UWF) has been engaged in ongoing research at the cemetery. Historical records indicate that a significant unmarked burial population may be present within the cemetery. In 2007 and 2008, a systematic Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey identified 3,915 sub-surface anomalies that may represent unmarked burials. Some of these anomalies are significantly larger than would be expected for single interments and potentially represent mass burials from colonial and post-colonial period epidemic events. To test this hypothesis, excavations were conducted at three of the five large anomalies during 2009, 2010, and 2011. The goals of these investigations were to determine whether the sub-surface anomalies represent mass interments and to determine the chronology and ethnicity of any individual burials encountered using grave attributes and associated artifacts. While none of the anomalies excavated were mass graves, several individual unmarked burials were exposed and documented. This thesis summarizes the methods, results, and conclusions of the research conducted in St. Michael's Cemetery while contextualizing them within previous research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- WFE0000398, uwf:61022
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXAMINATION OF WEANING AND CHILDHOOD PALAEODIET IN BOGOZ, TRANSYLVANIA, USING STABLE CARBON AND NITROGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS.
- Author
- Voas, Maddeline Rendell
- Abstract/Description
-
The Reformed Church cemetery in Bogoz, Transylvania, was in use from the 12th to 19th centuries AD. Excavations of this church cemetery took place in 2009 and 2012 as rescue work during renovations of the church and church grounds, including the historic cemetery. Stable isotope analysis was conducted using both bone collagen and dentine collagen from deciduous and permanent tooth roots. The samples came from 23 non-adult skeletons ranging in ages from 36-38 weeks to 18 years. The...
Show moreThe Reformed Church cemetery in Bogoz, Transylvania, was in use from the 12th to 19th centuries AD. Excavations of this church cemetery took place in 2009 and 2012 as rescue work during renovations of the church and church grounds, including the historic cemetery. Stable isotope analysis was conducted using both bone collagen and dentine collagen from deciduous and permanent tooth roots. The samples came from 23 non-adult skeletons ranging in ages from 36-38 weeks to 18 years. The palaeodietary analysis was conducted in an effort to learn more about the rural diet of children in Medieval Szekely culture during the periods of breastfeeding and weaning. The 15N dentine results (10.2% to 15.2%) and 13C dentine results (-19.6% to -12.6%) establish a large range in non-adult values that corresponds with age-related changes in palaeodiet as periods of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet. It appears that infants, on average, were fully weaned by age three or four and were fed primarily C3 based resources in the form of weaning gruels, such as wheat, oats, or rye. Children were most likely consuming more terrestrial animal proteins in the form of milk, but carbon values were similar to those of adults.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- WFE0000642, uwf:61315
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXCERPT FROM APOCALYTOPIA.
- Author
- Angeletti, Eric Joseph
- Abstract/Description
-
This thesis is an excerpt from a full-length frame narrative that I intend to call Apocalytopia. In this frame narrative modeled after The Canterbury Tales, a group of survivors traveling to a safe haven after a global catastrophe pass their time on the road by telling stories about their new world. The excerpt submitted here begins with a former photographer telling a story about a lone survivor's struggle to cope with solitude. The questions his tale raises about the nature of loneliness,...
Show moreThis thesis is an excerpt from a full-length frame narrative that I intend to call Apocalytopia. In this frame narrative modeled after The Canterbury Tales, a group of survivors traveling to a safe haven after a global catastrophe pass their time on the road by telling stories about their new world. The excerpt submitted here begins with a former photographer telling a story about a lone survivor's struggle to cope with solitude. The questions his tale raises about the nature of loneliness, wonder, and the definition of community initiate a conversation between some of his companions, whose subsequent banter and storytelling not only presents three starkly different depictions of human interaction, but questions the travelers' own sense of community and the nature of storytelling as well. These layers of interpretation are a hallmark of frame narratives, and the goal of this thesis is to suggest that each traveler's role as both a character and a storyteller is analogous to real authors' participation in the evolution of literature and the diversity of literary styles.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- WFE0000550, uwf:61242
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXPLANATORY MIXED METHODS STUDY OF THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT ENGAGEMENT OF ADOLESCENT LEARNERS AND THEIR SUBGROUPS.
- Author
- Thetford, Sharon Ruth
- Abstract/Description
-
The purpose of this study was to discover ways that teachers of adolescents can adjust instructional methods to better engage their students and to give adolescents a voice in the research in order to learn their perceptions of engaging teaching and learning. One component of improving student achievement in the American high school classroom is raising the level of student engagement. The connection between engagement and achievement has been established in the literature, but the connection...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to discover ways that teachers of adolescents can adjust instructional methods to better engage their students and to give adolescents a voice in the research in order to learn their perceptions of engaging teaching and learning. One component of improving student achievement in the American high school classroom is raising the level of student engagement. The connection between engagement and achievement has been established in the literature, but the connection, if any, between instructional methods and engagement, particularly for adolescents, has not been established. In this mixed methods study, the researcher attempted to identify the impact of different instructional methods on the engagement of adolescent learners and their subgroups by ethnicity, gender, and at-risk status using the Experience Sampling Method and guided interviews. Engagement was examined through political, social, and individual lenses informed by Baldridge's political model, Bandura's theory of triadic reciprocity, Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, and Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow. The results indicated that providing students with opportunities to make choices and opportunities for social interaction with peers had a positive impact on student engagement, particularly for male students. The results also suggested that there may be a disparity between the perceived competence and actual competence in school among lower achieving students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- WFE0000426, uwf:61163
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXPLORATION OF TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP RELATIVE TO COLLECTIVE EFFICACY.
- Author
- Ball, Karen Mae
- Abstract/Description
-
Rigorous school accountability efforts in education have increased interest in factors that may contribute to positive learning environments for all participants in the educational process. The primary concept of interest of this study was that of collective efficacy, a mechanism of personal agency, espoused by Albert Bandura through Social Cognitive Theory. Collective efficacy, is defined as "a group's shared belief in its conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action...
Show moreRigorous school accountability efforts in education have increased interest in factors that may contribute to positive learning environments for all participants in the educational process. The primary concept of interest of this study was that of collective efficacy, a mechanism of personal agency, espoused by Albert Bandura through Social Cognitive Theory. Collective efficacy, is defined as "a group's shared belief in its conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given levels of attainments" (Bandura, 1997, p. 477). Teacher's perceptions of school environments and school leadership were explored relative to collective efficacy. Bandura (1997) has suggested that each of these factors (school environments, school leadership, and collective efficacy) may have a positive impact upon the educational process, yet empirical relationships among the three factors are not evidenced in the literature. This study was conducted with K-12 elementary school teachers at 17 school sites, utilizing three instruments measuring each factor: collective efficacy, leadership, and school environment. Instruments were disseminated electronically. A significant relationship was found among the factors in combined analysis, although multiple regression analysis of independent influence was significant only with environment in relationship to collective efficacy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- WFE0000505, uwf:61263
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN EXPLORATION OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE CONSTRUCTS OF BANDURA?S SELF-EFFICACY THEORY IN PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS WITHIN SCIENCE CONTENT APPLICATIONS.
- Author
- Gaudette, Michelle Renee
- Abstract/Description
-
Bandura's theory of self-efficacy describes those factors which influence the way people behave in given situations. According to Bandura, self-efficacy, the beliefs people have about their abilities to successfully accomplish a given task, influences behavior more than any other factor. This ex post facto descriptive study explores the interrelationships among the constructs of Bandura's theory of self-efficacy as they relate to a sample of preservice elementary teachers in science content...
Show moreBandura's theory of self-efficacy describes those factors which influence the way people behave in given situations. According to Bandura, self-efficacy, the beliefs people have about their abilities to successfully accomplish a given task, influences behavior more than any other factor. This ex post facto descriptive study explores the interrelationships among the constructs of Bandura's theory of self-efficacy as they relate to a sample of preservice elementary teachers in science content areas. Science education has traditionally followed a philosophical perspective in which science is taught as a body of knowledge, which can be transferred from the teacher to the students through transmission-based practices and strategies. Reform efforts, however, encourage a more constructivist approach to teaching and learning science. Although reform efforts encourage teachers to change the ways with which they approach science education, research indicates that teachers tend to be resistant to pedagogical change. Lack of content knowledge, low confidence, and poor attitudes toward science contribute to a heavy reliance on textbook readings and lecture rather than the creation of student-centered learning environments. This study used an ex post facto design to explore the interrelationships among the constructs of Bandura's self-efficacy theory in relation to preservice elementary teachers in science content areas. The study was conducted at a mid-sized regional comprehensive university in the southeastern United States. The sample represented a population of approximately 850 preservice elementary teachers within the university's Elementary Education and Exceptional Student Education undergraduate teacher preparation programs. Correlational and multiple regression analysis procedures were performed and those procedures identified relationships among the variables, which represented the constructs of Bandura's self-efficacy theory. The findings of this study prompted ideas and suggestions for future research which might shed new light on the strategies and practices used to educate preservice elementary teachers in science content areas.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- WFE0000259, uwf:60909
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN INTERPRETIVE STUDY OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES OF ADOLESCENTS ATTENDING A TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.
- Author
- Kaczynski, Michelle Lynn
- Abstract/Description
-
In this qualitative study, I (a) examined students’ beliefs about attending a new technical high school, (b) looked for evidence of social cognitive career theory, and (c) evaluated students’ perceptions on the school’s career development activities. In order to generate data, a sample of 30 students participated in interviews, career-pathway classes were observed, and student documents were collected. Results indicate that students perceived the technical high school as providing...
Show moreIn this qualitative study, I (a) examined students’ beliefs about attending a new technical high school, (b) looked for evidence of social cognitive career theory, and (c) evaluated students’ perceptions on the school’s career development activities. In order to generate data, a sample of 30 students participated in interviews, career-pathway classes were observed, and student documents were collected. Results indicate that students perceived the technical high school as providing opportunities to (a) explore and pursue different career pathways, (b) prepare for a job immediately after high school, (c) increase college opportunities, and (d) avoid attending their traditional high schools. Evidence of social cognitive career theory was found, and school activities that students viewed as effective were identified.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2002
- Identifier
- WFE0000063, uwf:60722
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IDENTITY AND LOCATION OF THE 1882 YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC VICTIMS IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.
- Author
- Lipson, Nicole Marie Bonomo
- Abstract/Description
-
This research identifies the individuals who perished as a result of the 1882 yellow fever epidemic in Pensacola, Florida, locates the graves of these individuals, and determines if there were any changes in mortuary practices as a result of the epidemic. Through use of the Pensacola Semi-Weekly Commercial and a document commissioned by the Board of Health, the 197 yellow fever victims reported to the Board of Health are identified, including an additional 20 individuals who likely died...
Show moreThis research identifies the individuals who perished as a result of the 1882 yellow fever epidemic in Pensacola, Florida, locates the graves of these individuals, and determines if there were any changes in mortuary practices as a result of the epidemic. Through use of the Pensacola Semi-Weekly Commercial and a document commissioned by the Board of Health, the 197 yellow fever victims reported to the Board of Health are identified, including an additional 20 individuals who likely died outside the city limits. Cemetery records and surveys were used to locate these individuals within a cemetery. The results were analyzed using two different approaches: (1) examining the percentage of individuals found in a cemetery and (2) analyzing the elapsed time between death and burial. Based on the small percentage of victims located in a cemetery and the rapidity with which a body was buried following death, this study shows that burial practices in Pensacola were altered as a result of the epidemic.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- WFE0000351, uwf:61050
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF AUTOMATED SOFTWARE TESTING TOOLS ON REFLECTIVE THINKING AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN INTRODUCTORY COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAMMING ASSIGNMENTS.
- Author
- Fridge, Evorell Lawton
- Abstract/Description
-
This research examined the benefits of automated software testing on student performance and levels of reflection. Edwards (2004) theorized that the increased grade performance that he observed in students who used his Web Center for Automated Testing (Web-CAT) software was the result of increased levels reflective thought in students, such as the reflection-in-action described by Schon (1983). The participants in this study consisted of 144 students in introductory Java programming courses...
Show moreThis research examined the benefits of automated software testing on student performance and levels of reflection. Edwards (2004) theorized that the increased grade performance that he observed in students who used his Web Center for Automated Testing (Web-CAT) software was the result of increased levels reflective thought in students, such as the reflection-in-action described by Schon (1983). The participants in this study consisted of 144 students in introductory Java programming courses at the University of West Florida. Students were invited to use the Web-CAT software-testing tool for three software projects in the middle of a semester. Students were not required to write their own test cases. Instead, the testing tool used researcher-supplied test cases to evaluate student code and provide immediate feedback to the students. At the end of the semester, student self-reported levels of reflection were measured using Kember et al.'s (2000) reflective thinking survey. Students who used the software were grouped into three usage levels: none, low, and high. The only significant difference in the levels of reflective thought among any of the usage categories was a lower level of reported understanding for the high Web-CAT usage level. Average student project performance also increased significantly for those in the high usage level. Students, instructors, and administrators could benefit from the adoption of such automated testing software and may see improvements in student performance even without student-written test cases. More research is needed, however, to determine if student-written test cases would provide an increase in student reflective thought.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- WFE0000465, uwf:61123
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF INSTRUCTIONAL FADING USING COMPLETION PROBLEMS ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING INSTRUCTION.
- Author
- Kingry, Mary Ann
- Abstract/Description
-
The effects of instructional fading using completion problems on student performance were investigated in this study. Instructional fading is the gradual withdrawal of the amount of assistance provided to the student and was accomplished in this study using completion problems. They were used to gradually transition the student from completely worked out accounting problems which provided the entire solution to the student to conventional accounting problems which required the student to...
Show moreThe effects of instructional fading using completion problems on student performance were investigated in this study. Instructional fading is the gradual withdrawal of the amount of assistance provided to the student and was accomplished in this study using completion problems. They were used to gradually transition the student from completely worked out accounting problems which provided the entire solution to the student to conventional accounting problems which required the student to provide a complete solution. In addition to the faded instruction using completion problems, students had answer explanations which provided an explanation of the required accounting concepts and how they interrelated to answer the problem. The results of the study indicate that the treatment group had higher percent increase scores than did the control group. To further analyze the data, the researcher divided the control group and treatment group into lower and higher prior knowledge groups. Students in the lower prior knowledge treatment group outperformed students in the higher prior knowledge treatment group, students in the lower prior knowledge control group, and students in the higher prior knowledge control group. When considered together, these findings suggest that the instructional treatment had a positive effect on student performance in accounting principles instruction and students with a lower prior knowledge of accounting benefited the most from the instructional fading using completion problems instructional treatment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- WFE0000356, uwf:61061
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION OF UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE INTERACTION.
- Author
- Kim, Myong Sun
- Abstract/Description
-
In this study, undergraduate and graduate students perceptions of online interaction, and reasons students choose to take online courses were investigated. The results of this study indicated that students perceive online learning as a key element for their success and persistence in online learning. There was a significant difference between undergraduate and graduate students perceptions of content interaction. Whereas more graduate students reported that they enjoy courses that are...
Show moreIn this study, undergraduate and graduate students perceptions of online interaction, and reasons students choose to take online courses were investigated. The results of this study indicated that students perceive online learning as a key element for their success and persistence in online learning. There was a significant difference between undergraduate and graduate students perceptions of content interaction. Whereas more graduate students reported that they enjoy courses that are partially individualized with some instructor direction, undergraduate students reported that they enjoy innovative content interaction strategies. There were no significant differences among conversation and collaboration, intrapersonal/metacognitive, and support interactions. Both groups of students identified timely feedback from the instructor and monitoring of ones own progress as important factors in learning online. In addition, the majority of students reported that they take online courses for convenience and flexibility, and over 50% of students indicated that they could not attend school if courses were not online.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- WFE0000113, uwf:60841
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An analysis of pivot strategies to maintain sparsity in the LU decomposition of IPDG method applied to the Helmholtz Equation.
- Author
- Severance, Ryan Samuel
- Abstract/Description
-
In recent years, the interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin (IPDG) method has appeared in literature as an efficient and stable method for approximating the Helmholtz equation. LU decomposition has then been used to solve the linear system formed by the IPDG method. However, research has shown that the LU decomposition causes fill-in of the sparse structure of the global matrix. This talk addresses the application of several pivot strategies to the global matrix before the LU decomposition,...
Show moreIn recent years, the interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin (IPDG) method has appeared in literature as an efficient and stable method for approximating the Helmholtz equation. LU decomposition has then been used to solve the linear system formed by the IPDG method. However, research has shown that the LU decomposition causes fill-in of the sparse structure of the global matrix. This talk addresses the application of several pivot strategies to the global matrix before the LU decomposition, in order to assess if this fill-in can be reduced. Numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate that pivot strategies did reduce fill-in when applying the LU decomposition.
Show less - Identifier
- 1130059112, WFE0000674
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ANALYTIC HIERARCHY ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN EDUCATION AS RATED BY SELECTED EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, AND BUSINESS MEMBERS IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
- Author
- Gardner, Stephen Wayne
- Abstract/Description
-
The question addressed in this descriptive research was which leadership skills are of value in education among the targeted population of K-12 teachers and administrators in Okaloosa and Escambia counties in northwest Florida. A major finding indicated these 198 educators appear to believe leadership and management are separate but interrelated tasks. Other findings were (a) the top cluster of leadership skills selected by these educators is ethics-type skills (these skills were rated more...
Show moreThe question addressed in this descriptive research was which leadership skills are of value in education among the targeted population of K-12 teachers and administrators in Okaloosa and Escambia counties in northwest Florida. A major finding indicated these 198 educators appear to believe leadership and management are separate but interrelated tasks. Other findings were (a) the top cluster of leadership skills selected by these educators is ethics-type skills (these skills were rated more important than the other skill categories of relationship building and team building by a factor of 1.6 and 2.1 respectively) and (b) there is no significant difference between the educational groups considered in this survey with respect to their thoughts about leadership skills evidenced by educational leaders, F(2,780) = 0.36, p = .70.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- WFE0000047, uwf:60767
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Andragogy of workplace essential skills in a community college in south Florida.
- Author
- Smith, Nayrie Lashawn
- Abstract/Description
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Adult learners are returning to school to acquire and enhance workplace essential skills needed to meet changing job market expectations. Adequately preparing adult learners for the workforce necessitates understanding their views and experiences. The problem explored in this study was the lack of research regarding business school stakeholders' perceptions of the andragogy of workplace essential skills in a community college setting. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study...
Show moreAdult learners are returning to school to acquire and enhance workplace essential skills needed to meet changing job market expectations. Adequately preparing adult learners for the workforce necessitates understanding their views and experiences. The problem explored in this study was the lack of research regarding business school stakeholders' perceptions of the andragogy of workplace essential skills in a community college setting. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore the perceptions of business school stakeholders of the andragogy of workplace essential skills in a community college in South Florida. Participants were six adult students enrolled in business courses, three professors, and a business department chair. The five key assumptions (self-directedness, valuable past experiences, readiness and willingness to learn, problem-centered and practical interests to learning, and intrinsic motivation) and four principles (adult students' involvement in the learning process, integration of past experiences and new knowledge, relevance and impact of the adult learning experience, and incorporating problem-centered instruction) of Knowles's theory of andragogy guided the formulation of the research question. Although adult learners acquired and enhanced workplace essential skills within a positive learning environment incorporating andragogical strategies, adult learners desired enhanced workplace essential skills, such as technological, written, and oral communication, to adequately prepare for the workforce. Participants described andragogy strategies as an effective model of how they learn, supporting the key principles of Knowles's theory of andragogy. Suggestions for future research include exploring workplace essential skills related to other majors and disciplines and including a larger, diverse sample.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- Identifier
- 1293883939, WFE0000766
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Another brick in the wall: a pedagogical approach to excavations at a 19th-century brickyard.
- Author
- Dietrich, Emily Elizabeth
- Abstract/Description
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Incorporating archaeology within the high school curricula fosters an interest in archaeology and site preservation. The Milton High School Archaeology Project provides students the opportunity to experience and participate in archaeological research. At a 19th-century brickyard, students learn anthropology and their local history through hands-on excavations. Through the use of Project-Based Learning (PBL), students conducted archaeological and historical research and presented their work in...
Show moreIncorporating archaeology within the high school curricula fosters an interest in archaeology and site preservation. The Milton High School Archaeology Project provides students the opportunity to experience and participate in archaeological research. At a 19th-century brickyard, students learn anthropology and their local history through hands-on excavations. Through the use of Project-Based Learning (PBL), students conducted archaeological and historical research and presented their work in the form of a museum exhibit at the Florida Public Archaeological Network's Destination Archaeology Resources Center museum for the public and their parents. The Milton High School Archaeology Project provides an example of how archaeology can easily and effectively be integrated into high school educational standards. Quantitative and qualitative data collected throughout the 2016-2017 school year shows how archaeology education leads to increased awareness of and appreciation for heritage sites.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233055172, WFE0000744
- Format
- Document (PDF)