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Since 1988 when George Vaughan became the first director of the Doctor of Arts in Community College Education Program, over 160 graduates have contributed to community college literature through dissertations related to teaching and learning in their disciplines as well as to administrative and academic leadership research. The DACCE program expanded in 2004, and it is now the Higher Education Program. The D.A., M.A.I.S. in Community College Teaching, M.A.I.S. in Higher Education or Student Services, and Certificate in College Teaching are offered through our program. The doctoral requirements remain committed to the degree’s original purpose: Students complete advanced coursework in their knowledge areas as well as in the higher education core; they fully participate in the scholarship of teaching and learning by discussing pedagogical issues as well as disciplinary theory. Most of the studies use qualitative methodologies; a few follow quantitative research methods. Each dissertation is original, creative scholarship that can serve as a solid base for future research in the field. Many graduates have received awards or have been published. Individual dissertations are available through the Dissertation Abstracts Database or Mason’s Fenwick Library. Fairfax, VA 22030. Vol. VI, No. 1 Spring 2008 Dissertation Title: School Violence Revisited: A Look at Rural Schools Author's Name: Kathleen Gentry Dissertation Director: Dr. Victoria Salmon Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation examines the actual degree of violence within two rural and two urban public high schools in central Virginia. It also examines the perceptions of violence by rural and urban teachers within these four schools. Respondents were surveyed regarding both the level of violence and perceptions of violence within their respective schools. It was found that although both rural and urban teachers felt that urban schools experienced more violence, neither the level of violence nor the types of violence differed among rural and urban schools. In addition, school personnel at rural and urban schools had varying definitions of school violence, illustrating that a universal definition is necessary in order to explore this problem further. Because local community colleges could be invaluable in providing their communities with school violence workshops to discuss both issues of actual violent incidents and perceptions of violence as determined by high school personnel, a sample workshop is described herein.
Dissertation Title: The Fragments of Frustration in Building Academic Literacy for College Bound African-American Students: Implications for the Use of Outdoor Education Author's Name: G. Hope Asterilla Dissertation Director: Dr. Nicola Williams Dissertation Abstract: This study describes the academic and social challenges African American students face in transitioning from high school to college. In addition to academic challenges, first time college students must simultaneously handle new social challenges including self-advocacy skills with faculty and interpersonal peer relations within the university community. Consequently, many first time college students lacking these skills become disillusioned and do not re-enroll after that first year. This qualitative study describes the responses of a small group of African-American college students relative to their high school preparation and first year college experiences to provide a snapshot as to reasons why this transition may be difficult for some students. Based on a short questionnaire and a focus group interview, this research offers candid insight relevant to current instructional practices on both the high school and college level. The study found amongst other things, African-American students experience some social isolation on the college campus. These findings suggests that the instructional rigor of high school be strengthened; that culturally responsive instruction in the classrooms be implemented in high school and college; and, that alternative instructional learning environments be included in the curriculum--the blend of which would help African-American students develop the academic and social skills required for success in college. This research has value for both high school and college administrators as a foundation for developing new perspectives on instructional frameworks for African American students. It also speaks to the need for additional research studies supportive of academic literacy skills for African American students.
Dissertation Title: Transforming the Anne Arundel Community College Sophomore Literature Course Lecture Using Multimedia: A Qualitative Study Author's Name: Verna Robinson Dissertation Director: Dr. Victoria Salmon Dissertation Abstract: This qualitative study is an initial investigation to determine the effect or impact of video and CD-ROM/DVD lectures on student engagement in English 222 (The American Novel) for three groups of sophomore literature students at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Eleven male and female students of diverse ethnic backgrounds and disciplines ages twenty and up from three academic semesters (Fall 2004, Fall 2005, and Spring 2007) were given video and CD-ROM/DVD lectures on the historical, social, cultural, intellectual, and sociological context of six 19th and 20th century novels (The Scarlet Letter, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, The House of Mirth, As I Lay Dying, y no se lo trago la tierra/And the Earth Did Not Devour Him, and Beloved). Faculty from across the disciplines (American Studies, Women’s Studies, history, English, sociology and political science) provided the context-setting lectures. The study addressed the pedagogical reliance on traditional lecture and investigated the multimedia lecture as an effective method of instruction to engage community college students in a sophomore literature class. Qualitative data was collected using an audiotaped interview, a Multimedia Attitude Survey, a Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, an End Course Survey, and a Student Reflection Journal. Qualitative data indicate students in English 222 found using multimedia lectures a beneficial and a valuable experience, but the data also suggest students experienced varying degrees of engagement and satisfaction with the lecture alternative. However, students reported the multimedia lectures and the lecturers helped them understand the novels’ contexts, clarified important aspects of each novel’s historical background, motivated and prepared them for class discussions, and prompted critical thinking and appreciation of the literary works. Themes that emerged from the qualitative data analysis as benefits students reported include motivation to come to class, taking initiative for learning, having control of learning, confidence to participate in class discussion, convenience, self-paced learning, valuable use of time, promoting learning of course subject matter and novel context, and note-taking behaviors. This investigation yields valuable information on effective and appropriate instructional pedagogies for community college students in a sophomore literature class, the value of faculty collaboration across the disciplines, and the significance of classroom research and teacher reflection on classroom practice as examples of the scholarship of teaching at the community college.
Dissertation Title: Assisting College Students with Learning Disabilities by Evaluating Community College Student Development Courses Author's Name: Salome Turnberger Dissertation Director: Dr. Victoria Salmon Dissertation Abstract: This study examined syllabi for student development courses offered at the 23 main community colleges with 40 branch campuses of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to determine content and structure relevant to the needs of students with learning disabilities. This dissertation was qualitative with its case study methodology while quantitative in its content analysis. The researcher’s content analysis of the student development 100, 101, and, 108 course syllabi used a 22-point matrix, and concluded with recommendations for community colleges, instructors and student development course syllabi to best serve the academic needs of students with learning disabilities. This project indicated the importance of the student orientation course to students with learning disabilities, and concurs with scholars that both topics – orientation courses and meeting the needs of college students with learning disabilities – require further attention and research in order to gather information pertinent to developing the college curriculum while assisting special needs students achieve academic success at community colleges Dissertation Title: Stone Carving: A Case Study on The Revitalization of a Critical Art Medium at Northern Virginia Community College Author's Name: Barbara Lash Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: This research examines the 1997 - 2002 Stone Carving Program located on the Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. Research surveys and interviews were developed to obtain pertinent information from two distinct groups. Part I consisted of administration, faculty, and students from the program which allows a thorough overview of the program. Part II included professional stone carvers, other stone carving programs from the United States and Europe, and prospective students wishing to enroll in a dedicated stone carving program. Part II participants brought added dimension to this study demonstrating how stone carvers learn the traditional art/craft techniques of carving in stone. Dedicated stone carving programs in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany provided insight to well established and successful courses of study. Vol. V, No. 3 Fall 2007 Dissertation Title: Barrier to Teaching Computing Courses From a Distance at Community Colleges Author's Name: Homayoun Sharafi Dissertation Director: Dr. Edward Wegman Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation describes faculty-perceived barriers associated with offering computing courses from a distance using Internet and Web-based technologies at community colleges. To have a better understanding of these barriers, computing faculty at three community colleges were asked to provide feedback on barriers to distance education. Results of this study resulted in a set of recommendations aimed at (1) increasing the number of computing courses delivered from a distance in community colleges and (2) encouraging computing instructors at these colleges to use Internet and Web-based technologies to enhance their teaching. Dissertation Title: Effective Mathematics Placement Testing Strategies: A Study of Mathematics Placement Test Retake Policies at a Two-Year Community College in Florida Author's Name: Sanford Geraci Dissertation Director: Dr. Stephen Saperstone Dissertation Abstract: Placement testing in college is important partly because initial placement recommendations may be followed by further placement recommendations based on retakes of the placement test. This study examines a particular mathematics retake policy at a community college in Florida which allows students to retest on the mathematics placement test every 90 days. As a result, students may be placed into a particular course and then retake the placement test before the semester ends. It is an increasingly known practice among students that if their retake placement scores place them in a higher course, students sometimes withdraw from their current course and take the higher level course the following semester – without finishing the course into which they were originally placed. Analysis of the data collected reveals that students who retake the placement exam and test into a subsequent developmental course do worse in the subsequent course than those students who initially placed into that higher level course. Although a relatively small number of students retake the placement test, the study further shows that most of those students do not perform better as a result of the placement retake, and the number that performs better is insignificant. These findings are based on analysis of the sample proportions. Recommendations include changing the college’s retake policies. The most significant recommendation permits retakes only before initial enrollment, suggests placing students based on the average of their pre-enrollment placement and retake(s) scores, and defines a stricter time limit on how long placement scores are accepted. The recommendations can serve as an example for other colleges nationwide. Dissertation Title: The Characteristics of the Successful Online Student Author's Name: Linda Atwell Dissertation Director: Dr. Don Boileau Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation describes the challenges facing students in distance education online courses, and the identified student, instructor and program traits that lead to student online success. The traits can be used by instructors to guide students toward success in their courses. A distance education public speaking course was designed that adapted the identified success traits using instructional design. The author conducted an in depth review of the literature which identified and listed the traits that researchers, instructors and students reported contribute to student online success. The traits are tried and proven according to researchers. Additionally, a survey was designed for distance education community college students to obtain their perceptions of those factors involved in student success. Both the review of the literature and the survey provided the basis for this study. The outcome of the study determined that many traits can be (1) integrated in the course requirements, such as using online discussions to promote critical thinking, providing learning questions and activities, or using questionnaires to collect valuable information about students to design the course around. Moreover, (2) the instructor can utilize the traits in their teaching styles such as, using a student-centered approach, accommodates all student learning styles, and offering positive feedback and reinforcement to students, being easily assessable to students, and setting up a solid communication framework for students. Also, success traits can be (3) adopted by the instructor that are beneficial to students through their attitudes and interpersonal behavior with students, such as encouraging students, being friendly and approachable. (4) Instructors can teach success traits to students such as, technology orientations to help students learn new technologies and time management, good note taking and study skills. Finally, some success traits are (5) internal in students and can be encouraged and developed by the instructor such as, independence, self-directing and good cognitive skills. This dissertation is slated to be a reference and resource for distance education online courses. Dissertation Title: Poetry Month: A Model for Integrating a Learning-Centered Cocurricular Project into American Literature and Creative Course Curricula Author's Name: Laura Casal Dissertation Director: Dr. Christopher Thaiss Dissertation Abstract: This course design dissertation models the integration of activities traditionally deemed cocurricular into two academic courses offered at the Northern Virginia Community College, Manassas campus: American literature and creative writing. The cocurricular activities were addressed as assignments within both syllabi, had clear academic objectives, were assessed and assigned a grade, and created a bridge between in-classroom and out-of--classroom learning by culminating most of the activities into poetry month, which was a month long celebration of poetry on the Manassas campus. The two courses were the foundation and base for the activities to be designed and validated as legitimate learning experiences, as well as delivered in a format appropriate to poetry month activities. This dissertation offers the rationale of taking traditional student affairs activities into the academic classroom, as well as designing activities that contain elements of both academic assignments and cocurricular activities. Part of the dissertation offers course materials such as syllabi and objectives for each assignment. This study will be helpful to anyone interested in deep learning that offers a seamless integration of in-classroom and out-of-classroom learning. In addition, this dissertation is an effective model for those interested in creating a learning community within the classroom that extends into the campus community. Although the courses were designed for the community college, this model can easily be adapted for universities interested in expanding learning beyond the classroom, while enhancing learning within the classroom. Vol. V, No. 2 Summer 2007 Dissertation Title: The Science Writing Tool Author's Name: Arthur Schuhart Dissertation Director: Dr. Christopher Thaiss Dissertation Abstract: This is a two-part dissertation. One part is the text of a science-based composition rhetoric and reader called The Science Writing Tool. This textbook has seven chapters dealing with topics in Science Rhetoric. Each chapter includes a variety of examples of science writing, discussion questions, writing assignments, and instructional resources. The purpose of this text is to introduce lower-division college science majors to the role that rhetoric and communication plays in the conduct of Science, and how writing and communication skills contribute to a successful career in Science. The text is designed as a “tool kit,” for use by an instructor constructing a science-based composition course or a writing-intensive Science course. The second part of this dissertation reports on student responses to draft portions of The Science Writing Tool text. In this report, students of English Composition II at Northern Virginia Community College-Annandale were surveyed about their attitudes toward course materials and topics. The findings were used to revise and expand The Science Writing Tool. Dissertation Title: Art Making and Metacognition: How Visual Artists Approach Problem Finding and Problem Solving Author's Name: Susan Weissman Dissertation Director: Dr. Victoria Salmon Dissertation Abstract: This study investigated metacognition in 2-dimensional visual artists. Thirty-four participants responded to a set of ten questions designed to explore problem finding and problem solving among representationally trained painters who had been involved in art making for two decades. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, studio notes, and group discussion sessions. The intention was to explore art making and the thought processes that go into the conception and creation of a work of visual, 2-dimensional art. Individuals provided information as to background in art making, periods of heightened creativity, and awareness of the cognitive process. Ten case studies present examples of problem finding and problem solving.
Dissertation Title: A Handbook for Teaching Shifting to the Intermediate-Level Violin Student Author's Name: Rami Walid Kanaan Dissertation Director: Dr. James Gardner Dissertation Abstract: This study focuses on the development of an effective and efficient pedagogical approach to teach the technique of shifting to the intermediate-level violin student. The review of the literature surveys several issues related to violin shifting: the history of shifting, the different types of shifts, the mechanics of shifting, pedagogical approaches to shifting, and teaching material. The literature review is used to deduce general principles and guidelines for violin shifting and to develop an original shifting handbook created by the author of this study. The handbook contains pedagogically sequenced musical exercises and repertoire, which are geared towards the development of the shifting technique of the intermediate-level violin student. Dissertation Title: Latino Generation 1.5 Student Success in Community College Literature-Based Writing Courses, A Meta-Analysis Author's Name: Dana Burnside Dissertation Director: Debra Shutika Dissertation Abstract: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to explore the problems Latino Generation 1.5 students encounter in literature-based writing courses at Lehigh Carbon Community College, PA, by illuminating the issues facing students who share their characteristics, and to provide viable approaches for addressing their educational needs. The meta-analysis focuses on how research that has already been conducted regarding other populations, combined with the instructor's classroom observations, can be applied to Generation 1.5 students. This study qualitatively explores these issues and addresses the following broad research questions: 1) Are findings relevant to Latino college students helpful to Latino Generation 1.5 students? 2) Can research on first generation college students be applied to Generation 1.5 students? 3) How does ESL research address Generation 1.5 students? 4) Do theories regarding inclusive learning, inclusive literature, and learning communities address the problems exhibited by Generation 1.5 students? 5) How did the instructor's experiences working with Generation 1.5 students in a literature-based writing class confirm or deny findings in these areas? This research shows that an inclusive environment and the use of inclusive literature can help Latino Generation 1.5 students succeed in literature-based writing courses. Dissertation Title: POST 9-11 FOREIGN STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND THE STUDENT EXCHANGE AND VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM (SEVIS): A CASE STUDY OF THREE COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA Author's Name: Henry J. Coffman Dissertation Director: Dr. Victoria Salmon Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation examines the effects of the implementation of the Student Exchange and Visa Information System (SEVIS) at three community colleges in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the U.S. Congress mandated that all academic institutions which accept non-resident foreign students must provide information to SEVIS, a U.S. managed information system, on the enrollment status of the foreign student. The deadline for implementation was August, 2003. In the process of researching and writing this dissertation, the author conducted a literature search and reviewed public accessible student enrollment data reports from the following sources: Prince George?s Community College MD, Northern Virginia Community College VA, Montgomery College MD, Virginia Community College System hosted Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the Institute of International Education (IIE), an independent nonprofit organization. The research included a review of the history and development of SEVIS, the study of government reports (e.g., U.S. Government Accounting Office, Code of Federal Regulations), the analysis of past student enrollments, and the application of the Holt Forecasting Model for predicting future foreign student enrollments. Dissertation Title: Is Current Economic Thought Reflected in the Best-Selling Principles Textbook? Author's Name: Jonathan Sleeper Dissertation Director: Dr. Peter Boettke Dissertation Abstract: This study tracks changes in the textbook Keynesian model in the best-selling principles- of-economics textbook in the United States, McConnell & Brue, and compares it with the profession's textbook of record, Samuelson & Nordhaus. One major and two minor themes present themselves from the analysis: (a) Despite the forces of inertia and other factors that affect textbook composition, the principles textbook is a surprisingly accurate reflection of current events and the evolution of ideas in the economics profession, with a lag of 5 to 10 years. Ideas that appeared rapidly were usually the result of widespread public concern and current events. Concepts that took longer to appear tended to be those that did not meet the research and other needs of the mainstream; delays in acceptance also appear due to conflict with the Keynesian paradigm under which the author(s) and reviewers were trained. (b) The widespread adoption of aggregate demand-aggregate supply (AD-AS) analysis has loosened Samuelson's influence on the principles text because it permits direct classroom exposition of the fundamental question in economics: the length of time it takes the economy to self-adjust. (c) The best-selling principles textbook taught our students a 1960s Keynesian approach to deficits and debt. An analysis in the appendix found that the Nobel Prize is a lagging indicator and the Bates Clark award is a leading indicator of the productivity of prominent economists. Dissertation Title: Examining Student And Teacher Perceptions Of The Usefulness Of Microworlds In Supporting The Learning And Assessment Of Computer Networking Problem Solving Skills: An Exploratory Case Study Author's Name: Mark C. Beattie Dissertation Director: Dr. Nada Dabbagh Dissertation Abstract: This exploratory case study addressed the problems associated with the cost and storage requirements of large amounts of computer network hardware needed to teach real world computer networking problem solving skills in the classroom by examining the use of computer Microworlds to teach and assess computer network problem solving skills. The study included the development of computer Microworld software to both foster and assess the development of computer networking problem solving skills in community college students. Subsequently teachers and students in seven classes of advanced computer networking students at Northern Virginia Community college were exposed to this Microworld software to help them to learn computer networking problem solving skills. Two of the classes involved also made use of the Microworld technology to assess the attending students' problem solving abilities. Teachers and students who were exposed to the Microworld software were later surveyed to evaluate their perceptions about the Microworld software in terms of its effectiveness for teaching and assessing computer networking problem solving skills. The results of these surveys were then compared to similar surveys completed by teachers and students in two additional advanced networking classes that had not been exposed to any Microworld technology. The results showed that both students and teachers who used the Microworld learning environment had a stronger belief in the usefulness of this technology for developing and assessing computer networking problem solving skills than those who had only been exposed to traditional teaching environments. This difference was calculated to be significant at the 95% confidence level. Similarly, the subjects who had used the Microworld technology for classroom assessment also expressed a stronger belief that they had been fairly assessed by this technology than the students who had been assessed by more traditional means felt about their methods of assessment. This difference was also calculated as being significant at the 95% confidence level. Dissertation Title: The Community College and Collaborative Partnerships: Addressing Community Needs Author's Name: Michael Tucker Dissertation Director: Dr. Carol Kaffenberger Dissertation Abstract: Complex social issues are the source of divisiveness within American communities. Despite decades of federal legislation and social programs; issues of racial/ethnic tensions, poverty, crime, and fragmentation of the family unit continues to threaten the nation (Edwards & Foley, 1997; Etzioni, 1993). Current higher education literature portrays the community college as an institutional citizen that is leading the collaborative efforts to resolve critical community issues as the catalyst of community problem solving. Despite this depiction, the image of these two-year educational institutions remains ambiguous. The researcher embarked upon this study with the objective of discovering empirical evidence which is absence in the discussion of the community college as the catalyst of community problem solving within higher education literature. This study utilized a case study design employing qualitative research methodology. Data collection protocol included the analysis of questionnaires administered to institutional personnel, service area constituencies, participants' interviews and the analysis of institutional and service area documentation. The findings emanating from this research study reveals an institution that is actively engaged with its service area, yet, an institution whose engagement is focused upon the workforce and economic development needs of the established segments of its community. Despite the lack of engagement by the institution in issues which by their very nature are divisive, the institution is regarded throughout its service area as a steward of the regions prosperity. This research produced several findings of importance to community colleges as they strive to assist their service areas with new and emerging issues of the 21st century. Establishing congruency between institutional actions and mission statement, effectively communicating the institutional role in the resolution of service area issues to institutional personnel and service are residents will strengthen the institution as an institutional citizen and its ability to address the traditional issues of workforce and economic development as well as those societal issues that are divisive by their very nature. Ultimately, this research lead to a clearer image and understanding of the depiction of the community college as the catalyst of community problem solving and intricacies faced by these institutional citizens as they strive to facilitate the resolution of service area issues. Dissertation Title: A Case Study of American Association of Community College Leadership Characteristics as Translated into Executive Leadership Knowledge Areas, Skills, and Abilities: Ranked Perceptions of Importance by Frederick Community College Trustees, Administrative Staff, General Faculty, Public Administration Faculty, and Graduates of the School's Executive Leadership Classes Author's Name: William Haydn Roberts Dissertation Director: Dr. Harold Gortner Dissertation Abstract: A review of the literature on executive leadership leads to the conclusion that there is much confusion about the definition and discussion of that role. Among the various ways of discussing leadership are descriptions of "traits," "characteristics," "competencies" and "knowledge areas, skills and abilities (KSAs)." This lack of definition and imprecise usage of terms/models is also present in the community college literature on executive leadership. This study attempts to remove some of the imprecision in terminology by examining the perceptions of members of the Frederick Community College (FCC) administration, faculty and staff by asking them to discuss the current leadership environment at FCC and to rank their perceptions of importance of the various characteristics as related to successful leadership in the College. The study was primarily based upon, or built around, the list of "executive leadership characteristics" developed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Medical Executive Skills (JMES) competency list was also used for specific knowledge areas of the methodology. The study concludes that similar findings, in either a community college competency-based (or other term) position description environment will be achieved by using the knowledge area, skill and ability translation methodology?even though the AACC list is based on "characteristics" rather than the KSA methodology. Secondary research questions examined similarities and differences in perception rankings between trustees, faculty, administrators and graduates of the FCC executive leadership class. The secondary research question findings for each employee subset generally supported the high rankings of the AACC list, with the executive leadership class graduates showing the highest percentage rankings. However, the study findings were inconclusive as to similarities and differences on the sub-set of public administration faculty. It is concluded that the choice of executive leadership terms used in position descriptions does not matter as long as term usage is consistent and fully explained to employees. This is due to the legal status of position descriptions and their impact on institutional recruiting and their subsequent affect on individual employee evaluation, professional development, retention, and promotion decisions. Dissertation Title: Responding to the Barriers to Academic Success for Local International Students Author's Name: Marlene C. Cohen Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: This case study describes the self-identified barriers to academic success for local international students (LIS) at a metropolitan area community college and makes recommendations for institutional, classroom and co-curricular responses. For this research "local international students" are defined as non-visa students who may be refugees, immigrants or other permanent residents, and possibly citizens, but who identify with another country, were raised in the traditions of another country, and were schooled for many years in another country. Though they fit many different immigrant status categories, what they have in common is that they are not familiar with U.S. American culture or specifically U.S. American higher education culture. Focus group research of students and knowledgeable faculty, staff and administrators assessed the perceived barriers to learning for these students in their new culture and possible remedies. One hundred forty-four students and thirty-nine faculty, administrators and staff identified twenty-six distinct challenges, with the most frequently-mentioned barriers being the following: stress of working long hours to fulfill multiple family, financial and academic needs in a new cultural environment; time and effort required to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in U.S. American English; difficulties due to their English language usage and their accents being misunderstood by U.S. Americans; perception of disrespect from faculty and staff; perception of disrespect from U.S. American students; need for one-on-one help from faculty, tutors, or mentors; and lack of information on their community college's services and procedures. Experienced students agreed with new students' concerns except for one issue; time and experience had led them to value having studied reading, writing, speaking and listening in U.S. American English. Solutions to the barriers fell into the following categories: multiple strategies for increased institutional support that would be personal, immediate and address a broad range of student needs, including a centralized international student center; faculty approaches in classrooms to help LIS students to feel recognized and culturally understood; orientation for international students; and institution-wide training to help faculty and staff understand the needs of LIS students. The results of the research can inform community colleges of the needs to address to support LIS students' academic success, of student services and academic strategies to respond to those needs, and of ways to involve LIS students on campus to strengthen international education for all students.
Dissertation Title: The Effectiveness of Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext in Promoting Active Learning Pedagogy: A Multiple-Case Study Author's Name: Katherine P. Simpson Dissertation Director: Dr. Nada Dabbagh Dissertation Abstract: Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) and the pedagogical model of Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext (CFH) were used for professional development in higher education. Novice and experienced instructors gained familiarity with active learning strategies as they participated in the training; they found the experience affirming. Adjunct instructors typically bring content expertise but little experience with classroom pedagogy. They are less familiar with educational research suggesting that active and learner-centered instructional environments are more conducive to learning than passive, lecture-driven instruction. Prior research indicated that CFH might be appropriate for professional development in higher education because it offers a flexible approach to complex content. Distinctive characteristics of CFH include cases and themes, nonlinear content organization, and multiple perspectives. Eighteen participants used Coach, the CFH that I designed to acquaint them with active learning pedagogy. Data revealed the extent Coach components supported participants’ meaningful knowledge acquisition. Participants explored, embraced, and moved beyond active learning pedagogy in Coach to construct action plans to use with their students. Results showed that educators found this CFH highly effective, especially when combined with collaborative discussion in workshops. Future research will explore use of Coach beyond the discipline of English so that instructors in all areas of higher education have the opportunity to become familiar with active learning strategies for use in their traditional and nontraditional learning environments. Dissertation Title: A Study of Dual Enrollment Policies and Procedures in Virginia's Local School Divisions Author's Name: Anita W. Wallace Dissertation Director: Dr. Penelope Earley Dissertation Abstract: This study examines Virginia’s local school divisions’ dual enrollment policies and procedures for recruitment, advising and promotion of students. This research focused on academic dual enrollment programs that allow high school students to take college-level courses while simultaneously earning high school and college credits. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses were not included in this study. The primary research was conducted through an online survey that requested specific information to determine if the local school divisions’ policies provide guidance for local school divisions where students are identified and recruited into dual enrollment programs. Secondary data sources included enrollment totals from the Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Department of Education. In addition, the Virginia Plan for Dual Enrollment (1988 and 2005) was examined to determine if local school divisions’ policies and procedures align with the expectations of this articulation agreement between Virginia’s local school divisions and community colleges. That agreement provides broad guidelines for school divisions, and this study sought to determine if school divisions were utilizing those broad guidelines in implementing their policies. This study compared student enrollment data from the survey, the Virginia Community College System, and the Virginia Department of Education to determine if there are participation gaps for minority (African-American and Hispanic), low-income and low-middle achieving students. Findings revealed that there are dual enrollment participation gaps for minority (African-American and Hispanic) and low-income students. There are also gaps in implementation from one school division to another. Dissertation Title: INTRODUCING RUSSIAN NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE LEARNING AND COPING SKILLS FOR HIGH-RISK STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES: AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION Author's Name: Richard L. Esterbrook Dissertation Director: Dr. John Wasserman Dissertation Abstract: Community colleges have traditionally maintained an open-door admissions policy regardless of student academic preparedness. Three quarters of all college students who require remediation due to poor or limited educational preparation or experiences are enrolled in the community colleges. These under-prepared students are at high risk of academic failure. This research represents is an initial investigation to determine the effectiveness of Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques as an intervention to help under-prepared and underachieving community college students alter undesirable or negative preconceptions and behavioral patterns that would impede or prevent the successful completion of a planned degree or certification program in a community college. Sergei V. Kovalev (2001) has introduced a set of structured NLP interventions that were translated from his book Return from the Edge of the Abyss: Seven Steps to Recovery, NLP - Therapy for Drug or Alcohol Addiction. These NLP interventions are reflected in a three step pilot model that can be applied to help under-achieving community college students use coping resources and successful life experiences in approaching their academic work. The intervention techniques were developed involving applications of cognitive-behavioral exercises (e.g. use of imagery). A sample of 17 community college students underwent the NLP imagery intervention exercises and techniques and was compared to a control group of 17 students who did not receive the intervention. All participants completed pre and post-intervention assessment with a test battery of behavioral adjustment, self-concept, and social skills. Results indicated that the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant and positive change in the areas of self-reported anxiety/depression and social assertion. The limitations of this investigation are discussed. The pilot model is meant to be a supplement to the normal standard community college interventions and assistance programs but it is not designed to supplant or substitute them. The results from this investigative study showed positive change in student preconceptions and behavior from a NLP intervention in community college students. Dissertation Title: Memorializing Community Grief: Bedford, Virginia, and the National D-Day Memorial Author's Name: Roger H. Hill Dissertation Director: Dr. Robert Hawkes Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation describes the development of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, as a result of the unique characteristics of the Bedford community and the evolving American concepts of community memorialization, especially memorialization of its war dead. It reviews the scholarly assessment of both traditional western and uniquely American experiences with memorialization, describes the history of the community of Bedford, Virginia, especially the impact of the deaths of many Bedford soldiers during the World War II D-Day invasion. It traces the evolution of the National D-Day Memorial in response to that loss and in the context of community and regional values and traditions, and analyzes those factors that most significantly affected the process. It concludes with observations about the role the study of community memorialization can play in the teaching of American history at the college or university level and identifies resources useful for developing such a course. Dissertation Title: Exploring the Risks That Affect Decision Makers Today (2001-2010) Author's Name: Margaret W. Wood Dissertation Director: Dr. David Rine Dissertation Abstract: For the leader, decision making is a charge that cannot be escaped. For those who would prefer to avoid this responsibility, the startling truth is even not making a decision is a decision. An executive has the critical accountability to build a support network that has easy access to pertinent information and carries out decisions in the manner they are intended. The impending risks associated with decision making—particularly in this age of “I need it yesterday”—are strained by the likelihood of misunderstanding and miscommunication. The man-hours (gathering, analysis and prioritization) behind a good decision can be thwarted when there is no strategy on how to make a decision with the information that has been received. This dissertation explores the under-researched question about why organizations—whether big or small, or one that impacts millions or fewer than a hundred—falter as a result of decision making. To change this cycle, this long-neglected dynamic is in obvious need of having light shed upon it. The risks of poor infrastructure lead to damaging results that are obvious yet all-too-often repeated. Those consequences include, but are not limited to: a negative opinion by the very people they are designed to serve and who depend on the responses from decision making; and no trail of important information and processes. Federal agencies, community colleges, and small businesses have resembling concerns when it comes to decision making. It is for that reason that this dissertation addresses the complexities involved with making effective decisions within the community college. Dissertation Title: Technology and Second Language Writing: A Study in Discussion Author's Name: Aimee Ledewitz Weinstein Dissertation Director: Dr. Christopher Thaiss Dissertation Abstract: In the increasingly global world of the early twenty-first century, young men and women across Asia are realizing the value of learning the international language of business: English. This creates a unique opportunity for American universities in that branch campuses of their U.S. main campus placed in Asian cities will have significant increases in population. However, there are some impediments to student success in the American university abroad, the largest of which is a cultural reticence to critical thinking and elaborating on individual opinions. In addition, though Asian students have English instruction from an early age, the language is taught via grammar and reading lessons and with a lecture-style method, not conversationally, so that the typical Asian student finds the American system of recitation and student-centered classrooms quite difficult. Temple University of Philadelphia, which holds the distinction of being the only degree-granting American university in Japan, and also the one with the largest branch campus of an American university in Tokyo, has been working on this problem for over twenty years. It is in this singular situation that I taught and studied upper-level writing. In my teaching there, I studied the challenges faced by the students and the faculty, and created a constructivist-based pedagogy that incorporated elements of technology to increase the success of second language learners in a composition class. What I found is that using computers in a hybrid environment, specifically discussion-based technology within a classroom management tool, increased students’ fluency in read, written and spoken English and additionally led them to overcome their culturally native reluctance in order to form an interactive community of learners. The research presented here outlines the cultural confines within which I worked as well as the specific pedagogy I implemented and then shows the success of the students. The study, conducted with only nine students, can serve as a start for more research into the effects of technologically-based pedagogical methods with Asian students, as well as the effects of hybrid classrooms on writing classes. Dissertation Title: Faculty Knowledge About Disability Laws and Their Attitudes Toward Students with Disabilities at Northern Virginia Community College Author's Name: Charlie Dy Dissertation Director: Dr. Michael Behrmann Dissertation Abstract: This study investigated faculty knowledge of disability laws and their attitudes toward students with disabilities. Findings showed that full-time faculty members in Northern Virginia Community College were not as knowledgeable of the disability laws as one might expect. A total of 86% of full-time faculty members scored below the 80% correct responses. The mean score for part one of the survey knowledge of was 57% correct answers. No significant relationship could be established between teaching experience and knowledge of disability laws, between number of students taught and knowledge of disability laws, and between genders.
Dissertation Title: Knowledge Construction in a Geographically Disparate, Cross-Indigenous, Computer Supported, Collaborative Context
Author's Name: Richard Baker Hall Dissertation Director: Dr. Robert Smith Dissertation Abstract: There is a lack of knowledge (prescriptions, guidelines, specifications) relative to geographically disparate, computer-supported, collaborative, intercultural teams who must effectively learn and work together on tasks of common purpose at the interface of cultures. Prescriptive models are needed that will successfully facilitate and sustain cross-indigenous, computer-supported collaboration (CSC). The present study approaches the problem from a cross-indigenous perspective rooted in psychology with a Chinese xīnlǐxué
Dissertation Title: DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: SPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS TO RE-TEACH HIGH SCHOOL BASIC SKILLS Author's Name: Elvear B. Johnson, Doctor of Arts Dissertation Director: Dr. Toni Michelle Travis Dissertation
Abstract: The purpose of this doctoral study is to collect and evaluate
information on the outcomes of developmental education. This dissertation
treats the significance of developmental education as a critical mission
of an open door admission system held by community colleges. Education
assessments and demographic projections support the view that 35-40% of
first-year community college students need one or more remedial courses
and that three-quarters of all remedial courses are found at the community
college. These statistics raise concerns for critics who are alarmed by
the costs required to teach growing numbers of postsecondary students
basic skills that they believe should have been learned in high school. Dissertation Title: FOR-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES: OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Author's Name: Antione D. Johnson, Doctor of Arts Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the contemporary concerns over the competitive threat from for-profit educational institutions to regional community colleges. The study contrasts national data on for-profits and regional data on public post-secondary institutions. It also examined data of a for-profit chain located near two regional community colleges. The data analysis suggests that the for-profits have only a small share of enrollments in two- or four-year institutions and their share of two-year enrollment did not appreciably increase during the late 1990s. For-profit institutions are likely to have a limited range of course offerings in continuing education and workforce development for students seeking to enhance skills or re-career. As a group, the for-profits are concentrated in a limited number of business and technical fields. Although they may compete with the community colleges in those specific areas, current economic conditions and the small size of the for-profit sector will limit their overall competitive effect. While some of the four-year for-profit institutions target upper division students and aggressively recruit community college graduates, the collective effect of the for-profits is complementary rather than competitive to community colleges. Continuing education and workforce development administrators and staffs do not perceive the for-profit institutions as a competitive threat. Community colleges characterize their mission as providing the educational infrastructure through the delivery of education rather than just training, theory beyond merely skills, and analysis in addition to practice. Community colleges recognize the challenges they face, as a public institution, if forced through competition to provide higher cost, lower demand programs for the working adult learner. Dissertation Title: Information Technology as a Democratizing Agent: A Case Study on the 1999 Elections in Malaysia Author's Name: Sonja L. Taylor Dissertation Director: Dr. Edgar Sibley Dissertation Abstract: My dissertation explored the impact of information technology (IT) on Malaysia's November 1999 federal parliamentary elections. The work involved the examination of a topic that has remained largely under-studied, namely, whether IT fosters a consolidation toward democracy in semi-democracies or authoritarian regimes. Many scholars have assumed that, as access to IT becomes more widely available, citizens in semi-democracies will use it successfully to press for democratization. However, prior research and current conditions in many of these nations has not fully supported this assumption. Accordingly, my thesis is that although information technology is assumed to be a powerful democratizing agent, it is not strong enough, in itself, to bring about significant political change. The research uses content analysis to assess the impact of the Internet campaign on the elections in question by comparing the 1999 election results and Malaysian's data on IT users to determine if there areas with high Internet penetration supported opposition candidates. At first glance, my results appear to support the hypothesis. However, upon a closer examination of the Malaysian elections, it turned out that the elections were affected, to some extent, by the use of the Internet by dissatisfied voters. The margin of votes revealed that many of the parliamentary seats were more closely contested than in the times when Internet use was not as widely prevalent, especially in states with the highest level of Internet penetration. My primary conclusion is, therefore, that while information technology did not appear to bring complete democracy to the country, it did contribute significantly to the opposition movement and it provided a platform for the first alternative media in Malaysia. Nevertheless, IT was not a strong enough factor to counter all the powerful tools that the ruling party held in this semi-democracy, at least not in the short term. My findings offer a theoretical foundation of how the Internet and other IT may, or may not, influence the democratization process. This should help citizens and organizations promoting democracy determine how best to use the power of this technology to bring about change in a semi-democratic regime, especially during election cycles. Dissertation Title: The Thom Family of Culpeper County: The Rise, Fall, and Restoration of a Virginia Planter Family, 1746-1935 Author's Name: David Pembroke Neff Dissertation Director: Dr. Jane Censer Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation is the chronological examination of a Virginia planter family during the nineteenth century. Using a qualitative historical approach that utilizes a large amount of primary source material, this study traces the rise, fall, and eventual restoration of the Thom family. This dissertation investigates how various members of the Thom family were affected by and reacted to, the larger social, political, racial, military, religious, and economic events of the century. Because of its broad and comprehensive nature, this examination contains elements of Southern, Virginia, women's, African-American, military, and family histories. Nineteenth century events covered in this work include, but are not limited to, the War of 1812, slavery, the Mexican War, the American Civil War, and the Post-war era. This dissertation includes an appendix which is designed to encourage and facilitate constructivist-learning theory in a higher education history course centered on the document's topic. Dissertation
Title: A Best Practices Examination of Instructor Effectiveness Models
in Selected Higher Education Institutions for Possible Inclusion in Author's Name: Robert J. Bohls, Sr. Dissertation Director: Dr. Dennis Dunklee Dissertation Abstract: Corporate America must ensure that its employees possess critical technical and business skills to compete in the global economy. Unfortunately, corporate America has become dissatisfied with the public educational system, and turned to other training institutions. This competition is forcing America's postsecondary educational institutions to improve the services they provide, or they will fade from the scene. Responding to competition means re-engineering, revamping, or transforming, the universities and colleges in America. The president of a postsecondary educational institution, with the mission to improve the learning of students and increase educational effectiveness of its instructors, needs to harness the energy of every employee. Each employee must understand the mission, goals, and strategies of the institution. Only then can the employee align personal goals to help contribute to the success of the institution. This mission drives the need to acquire key processes, such as strategic planning, operational planning, and employee evaluation, which will successfully point the direction, and evaluate progress against the goals to transform the educational institution. Similar to any civilian college and university, the president of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) announced the need to transform the university to meet the transformational goals of the Secretary of Defense. The end of the cold war and the emergence of a worldwide terrorist threat completely changed how the Department of Defense (DoD) will defend America. Federal budget constraints, and the shrinking and aging defense acquisition workforce, have changed the training requirements for the workforce to meet the future acquisition environment. The literature review provided the basis for a conceptually sound faculty evaluation system. Key development and implementation steps were identified. Sufficient rationale has been provided to assist management in understanding the necessity to proceed carefully, and to involve the entire faculty in the process of developing an educational effectiveness evaluation system. The researcher contacted officials from various public, and private, colleges and universities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, and DoD universities and colleges throughout the United States. The request was for the documentation of their planning and evaluation systems. Most of the information was obtained from the Internet web site of the colleges and universities. Information not resident on the web site was mailed by the officials contacted. Dissertation Title: Planning for High Quality E-Learning in Institutions of Higher Education: An Analytical Case Study of a Two-Year Public Community College in Virginia Author's Name: Abed-Elslame Almala Dissertation Director: Dr. Nada Dabbagh Dissertation
Abstract: Quality e-learning is based on principles such as institutional
support, course development, teaching/learning, course Dissertation Title: DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES, EXPERIENCES, AND SUCCESS BETWEEN DELIVERING AND RECEIVING SITE STUDENTS IN INTERACTIVE TELEVISION FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES Author's Name: Elizabeth A. Smith, D.A. Biography: George Mason University, 2003 Dissertation
Abstract: This study investigated community college foreign language
courses delivered by videoconferencing over the course of two semesters,
spring 1995 and spring 2002, to better understand the teaching and learning
environment of the interactive television classroom. I surveyed, questioned,
observed, and interviewed community college students and faculty of varied
age, sex, and ethnic background who voluntarily and anonymously participated
in this study. My research revealed that the primary strength of this
environment is providing learner access to language courses. Another strength
is that students at all locations generally felt very positive about their
instructor’s performance and accessibility. The most surprising
result was that the students at the receiving sites were equally or more
academically successful than those at the delivering site. However, my
research also revealed inconsistencies and deficiencies with regard to
the availability of student support services, such as facilitators present
in the classroom, tutors, and language laboratories for additional practice.
The research also indicated that audio and video transmission is often
faulty, which can be problematic in language acquisition. Based on this
research, it is my hope that educational institutions involved with interactive
television-based language courses will implement improved student support
services and upgrade or replace the existing delivery technologies, so
that students will have a more equitable and quality experience, regardless
of geographical location. Dissertation Title: MUSICAL THEATER IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Author's Name: Donna Timmons,D.A. Biography: George Mason University, 2003 Dissertation
Abstract: The value of musical theater as an integral part of community
college education is presented through the perspective of music as a form
of communication. A discussion includes a review of research and writings
by scholars in the fields of music, community college education, and communication.
Included in this document is an original musical, complete with script
and musical orchestrations, which serves as a demonstration model of musical
sound as a form of communication. The documented review of scholarly authors, analysis of communication as applied to the musical theater presentation, along with the planning and implementation procedures guide, results in a positive evaluation which adds to the reinforcement of musical theater as a valuable part of the community college curriculum and experience. Dissertation Title: THE NEED FOR AND MEANS OF DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM FOR THE PHILIPPINES Author's Name: John J. Lane, Doctor of Arts Biography: George Mason University, 2004 Dissertation Title: PRESERVATION OF THE NÔM HERITAGE: KEYBOARD INPUT METHODS FOR PRESENTING THE VIETNAMESE QU?C NG? AND CH? NÔM ON MULTILINGUAL WEB PAGES Author's Name: Bot L. LeDynh (Lê Ðình B?t), Doctor of Arts Biography: George Mason University, 2004 Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation employed the case study methodology, and served as a report on (1) the current status of Vietnamese web pages, and (2) keyboard input methods for presenting both Vietnamese Qu?c Ng? and Ch? Nôm on multilingual web pages so that the Vietnamese Nôm heritage could be globally and digitally preserved and disseminated. The findings revealed that, on Vietnamese web pages, fonts of popular Vietnamese character sets were the most frequently used (43.84%); Unicode standard fonts were in second (27.56%); and fonts of Nôm character sets were not used at all. The findings indicated that web pages written in Qu?c Ng? and English were 68%; those written in Qu?c Ng? only were 28.6%; and web pages containing the Nôm script were less than 0.5%. Among the fonts of popular Vietnamese character sets, VNI fonts were the most frequently used (57.3%); VPS fonts, 19.1%; TCVN fonts, 16.9%; and VISCII fonts, the least used (6%). The findings provided a model for typing both Qu?c Ng? and Ch? Nôm in a Word document ready for being uploaded on the web, which model included the steps of (1) preparing the Microsoft AutoCorrect program for being used as a keyboard input method editor, (2) using the editor to type Qu?c Ng? and Ch? Nôm in the Word document; and (3) saving the Word document as a web page. The findings revealed that (1) Nôm fonts could be created by MS Paint program, MS Private Character Editor, and MS Character Map; and (2) Nôm characters could be typed with sound-based or structure-based input methods. The findings disclosed that the keyboard editor was portable, i.e., it could be imported from one computer to another. The findings also provided a feasible keyboard input method editor for typing most, if not all, of the scripts of the languages in the world, simple or sophisticated, old or new, dead or living.
Dissertation Title: A Model Program to Address the Needs of Gays and Lesbians in Community Colleges Author's Name: Graham E. Barton, Jr. Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: This study reviewed current programs within the Virginia Community College System that addressed gay and lesbian policies and any form of recognition in training programs. Sixteen institutions were compared to determine similarities or differences among these policies and programs based upon each institution's size. Information was solicited from college administrators as to what they believed to be critical success factors in developing a model that could be utilized by all Virginia community colleges to address gays' and lesbians' needs. These critical factors are: gender studies, guest speakers to discuss sexual orientation, relaying information including hate crime statistics and other factual data, and discussing the institution's policy and/or support of sexual orientation nondiscrimination. Recommendations were developed in the form of a model with the goal of working toward a comprehensive program that involves active participation of the administration, students, and external groups across the state to establish policies to protect gays and lesbians, as well as to perform outreach in order to not only focus on gays' and lesbians' needs, but to overcome heterosexism on campus. The model includes: a) establish an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy within each campus that incorporates sexual orientation, b) faculty participation by serving as student mentors, c) train faculty and staff on diversity, including sexual orientation, d) establish diversity training, incorporating sexual orientation for all students, e) establish alliances with external groups and invite guest speakers from other institutions, f) celebrate all forms of diversity through a campus-wide event, and g) measure and evaluate training/programs for continuous improvement. Dissertation Title: Hermeneutics to Homiletics: Teaching Preachers to Preach Author's Name: Wollom A. Jensen Dissertation Director: Dr. Warren Decker Dissertation Abstract: This qualitative study was undertaken to determine human communication and rhetoric components present in homiletics courses offered by the eight Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) seminaries in order to define the need to include an overt human communication studies component in their curricula. This component would improve the effectiveness of ELCA pastors' preaching through increasing their understanding of human communication theories and the complexities of effective communication. In addition to reviewing online catalogs containing homiletics course descriptions, a confidential survey was provided to each ELCA seminary professor teaching homiletics to request comments on their courses' human communications components. Based upon the research, homiletics courses in general make up less than 1% of the eight seminaries' total Master of Divinity course requirements; furthermore, human communications and rhetoric components were overall insignificant parts of these homiletics courses. In short, both preachers and congregations are being denied the benefits of more complex communication skills-including information sharing, reflective listening, and effective public speaking in the form of sermons preached. This research's findings indicate that although the current method of teaching homiletics is popular, the preparation is insufficient to help preachers analyze their audiences, construct and deliver effective sermons, and draw upon the competence required of ministers in contemporary organizational and institutional settings. Due to the Master of Divinity degree requirements imposed upon the seminaries by the ELCA, the seminary boards, and the Association of Theological Schools (the accrediting body), the researcher determined it was not feasible to add more content to the eight ELCA seminaries' current curricula. In addition, in response to action taken at the 1995 Churchwide Assembly requiring active ELCA clergy to take 50 CEUs each year, the ELCA's Division for Ministry published "Life-Long Learning and Development for Faithful Leaders" in 1996, which articulates a systematic approach to this life-long learning. Therefore, the researcher proposes drawing upon community colleges' resources-primarily their Continuing Education/Workforce Development programs-to provide an economically, geographically, and time efficient venue for practicing clergy to enhance their preaching skills through formally studying human communications. Dissertation Title: Ten Years of Progress: Responding to Special Education Legislation and Students with Disabilities in the Virginia Community College System Author's Name: Joseph Robert DiFulgo Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the progress and response of the twenty-three colleges within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to Special Education Legislation in the areas of accommodating and servicing students with disabilities in the last decade. By exploring this field, the researcher investigated how counselors and faculty are servicing these students and how possible new strategies and solutions can be consolidated and developed in the future. The method used in the research was that of a case study. Four questions were posed regarding the knowledge of laws and the needs of students with disabilities, availabilities of programs / services, and identification of strategies to better serve the needs of students with disabilities in a learning environment and through the students' support services. The database for the analysis derived from an in-depth review of the available literature related to each question and from responses from a program questionnaire sent to the presidents of all twenty-three colleges in the VCCS in March 2004. On the basis of the data analysis and the literature review, a number of conclusions were reached. First, there has been a significantly increased interest in addressing the needs of college students with disabilities in the past decade. Second, programs and services for college students with disabilities have significantly increased in the past decade. Third, colleges are making greater efforts to ensure that all educational programs and services offered to non-disabled students are also offered to students with disabilities affording them equal opportunity to attain the same levels of achievement in the most integrated situation. Fourth, there is an ongoing need for further qualitative and quantitative research, and for demographic studies concerning students with disabilities attending VCCS. Finally, there is an exigency for more research on accommodations, services, and the level of support given to students with disabilities relative to the disability they possess, and to distinguish between learning disabilities and other physical and mental disabilities Dissertation Title: So you Want to Launch a Satellite: A Practical Guide to the Development of a Community College Off-Campus Location Author's Name: Dennis E. Huffman Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: This dissertation documents the opening and first three years of operation of Prince George's Community College at University Town Center, an off-campus center located in Hyattsville, Maryland. Five broad areas, corresponding with selected functional areas of the College's five vice presidents, are covered: facilities, instruction, student services, technology, and continuing education. Within each of these areas, the author explores operational issues encountered during the first three years of the Center's existence. The facilities chapter addresses such issues as parking, security, custodial services, and procurement. The challenges faced at the Center are outlined, as are the strategies adopted for addressing them. Instruction is presented in four parts-scheduling classes, staffing instruction, sustaining instructors, and supporting learning. The scheduling section provides insight into the development of the Center's first schedule and factors affecting subsequent schedules, particularly with regard to maximizing enrollment and space usage. The discussion includes issues related to full- and part-time faculty and examines reasons for the heavy reliance of off-campus centers on adjunct faculty. Implications, both from a policy perspective and from an instructional perspective, are presented, including strategies for faculty orientation and the dynamic of how the functions of the respective academic departments are represented and carried out by off-campus staff. This section concludes with an examination of tutoring, off-campus library services, and other systems for supporting learning. The Student Services sections focuses on ways in which a broad range of functions can be represented off-campus by a very small staff. Recruitment, admissions, testing, orientation, advising, cashier functions, and financial aid are each discussed. In addition, strategies for managing the front counter, as well as providing for college life services, are presented. Instructional and administrative technology and issues are presented as well. Connectivity and hardware concerns, software issues (particularly with regard to licenses), and facility design and staffing are discussed. The section concluded with a discussion of the Workforce Development and Continuing Education division. Scheduling, staffing, and student services issues comprise the bulk of the discussion regarding noncredit courses. The final chapter poses sets of key questions for various administrators at a community college to consider as plans are being developed for the opening of an off-campus center. The dissertation concludes with numerous appendices presenting key documents developed over the course of the Center's first three years. These range from a parking permit and the sign-in sheet for student services to a faculty newsletter and the cooperative agreement with the local public library. Dissertation Title: A Qualitative and Comparative Study of the Course: History of Western Civilization Author's Name: Chretien F. Guidry Dissertation Director: Dr. Gail Kettlewell Dissertation Abstract: The course History of Western Civilization has undergone many criticisms and changes over the past twenty years. Most arguments tend to center on the value of the course. In addition, there is considerable debate about the validity of continuing to use History of Western Civilization as part of a history curriculum. While the debate centers on universities, there is also a need to consider what impact the course, History of Western Civilization, has on community colleges. Because of this debate, the opportunity and timing is excellent for further research into this course. The challenges faced by this course in community colleges are numerous, when one considers the diversity of the student body, the accessibility of new technology, the discovery of different student's learning styles, and the issue of transferability as some community colleges must change their course criteria to match new university requirements. The question is how can History of Western Civilization contribute in developing knowledgeable, thinking students, as both a course for community colleges and universities? Finding a solution to this challenge requires an examination of the purpose History of Western Civilization serves to both the academic field and community colleges. This is necessary in order to determine whether this purpose is still valid and whether it needs redevelopment to maintain its value. Also, an examination of both teaching methodologies and evaluation techniques such as exams, papers, and participation should reveal whether this purpose is addressed or not, and if so, how it is addressed. In order to contribute to the development of knowledgeable, thinking students, the purpose of this dissertation is to focus on a more thorough examination of the course content and the distinction between the teaching of Western Civilization at universities and at community colleges. To accomplish this, this study examines four college institutions and their syllabi on the course, History of Western Civilization. In addition, the purpose of the research is to examine critical research questions, which are broken into three prime components including: purpose, value and effectiveness of this course. Dissertation Title: Third Level Evaluations of New Graduate Nurses' Performance Post Internship Programs Author's Name: Audrey E. Sandhusen Dissertation Director: Dr. Victoria Salmon Dissertation Abstract: Failure of the new graduate nurse to transition to competent staff nurse can result in job dissatisfaction and high turnover rate within the first year. Internship programs are one of the most critical and costly processes necessary to ensure a competent and satisfied employee; however, as healthcare organizations experience fiscal constraints, it becomes essential to monitor programs concerning their effectiveness in meeting strategic organizational outcomes (Bethel, 1992). The author uses an extensive literature review to describe the events in nursing history leading to the current nursing shortage, as well as, research related to new graduate nurse preparation and performance, and return on investment for internship programs. This study describes an employer's evaluation of new graduate nurses' performance post internship programs. Donald Kirkpatrick's (1984) model of evaluation of training served as a guide for a third level evaluation using four evaluation tools: two new graduate nurse self-evaluations pre-and post-internship program, a supervisor's, and a preceptor's evaluation of the new graduate nurse's performance post-internship program. The data was controlled for the variables of age, educational preparation, which included ASN, BSN, and BA-ASN comparisons, and previous healthcare experience. Results of the data analysis show a significant difference in new graduate nurse performance evaluation scores pre- and post-internship program. The variables of education preparation, age, or previous healthcare experience did not significantly affect performance evaluation scores. As a result of the research it was determined that new graduate nurses were able to meet the employer's performance expectations following an internship program. Findings from this study can be used as a guide to plan and design education programs for new graduate nurses as they transition to professional staff nurses. Dissertation Title: Computer Assisted Instruction in the General Chemistry Laboratory Author's Name: Jerry Clark Pate Dissertation Director: Dr. Wayne Stalick Dissertation Abstract: The subject of this dissertation is the examination of current applications concerning the use of computer technology to enhance instruction in the general chemistry laboratory. The work describes a prototype compact disc (CD) used to 1) introduce the general chemistry laboratory, 2) familiarize students with the use of chemistry laboratory equipment, 3) introduce laboratory safety practices, and 4) provide approved techniques for maintaining a laboratory notebook. Upon completion of the CD portion of the pre-lab, students are linked to individual self-help (Web CT) quizzes over the information provided on the CD. The CD is designed to improve student understanding of basic concepts, techniques, and procedures used in the general chemistry laboratory. A critique of widely used educational software and examples of multimedia presentations, used in beginning chemistry laboratory courses at undergraduate and community colleges, is also a topic in this dissertation. Dissertation Title: Astrobiology as an Alternative Integrated Science Curriculum for Higher Education Author's Name: Harold A. Geller Dissertation Director: Dr. Maria Dworzecka Dissertation Abstract: Many higher education institutions now offer an integrated science course to give students a flavor of all of the science disciplines. These courses are typically types of survey courses that do not demonstrate the interdependencies among the sciences. Students are exposed to each of the science disciplines individually. Astrobiology, as a multidisciplinary science requiring the skills of a physicist, chemist, geologist and biologist can be offered as a new paradigm in the teaching of science for non-science majors. A curriculum for a full-year course in astrobiology based upon sound content and pedagogy is outlined. Dissertation Title: Education and the Female Inmate: A Study of Whether Educational Programs Offered at the Prince William Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center Have Any Effect on Female Inmate Post-Release Recidivism Author's Name: Carrie E. Tuning Dissertation Director: Dr. Catherine Gallagher Dissertation Abstract: For many years, countless studies have been conducted on male inmates; however, there have been limited studies on female inmates. There is, however, a noticeable increase regarding the number of women in jails and prisons over the last decade: More women have been sent to jail and prisons than ever before. This, in turn, has caused female inmates to be regarded as high risks for criminal recidivism. Recognizing that there is a dire need for a study on female inmate recidivism, this quantitative study reveals that education- particularly at the college level- while incarcerated reduces female inmate post-release recidivism. The researcher reviewed existing literature on both male and female inmate recidivism, and education, and extensively examined a sample of 100 female inmates' records regarding their marital status, number of children, education level prior to incarceration, participation in educational program(s) during incarceration, criminal charge(s), sentence, employment prior to incarceration, and arrest records. As a result of in-depth analysis, the researcher offers specific recommendations for the women's penal education system regarding restructuring some educational programs, extending programs' length, better notifying inmates of program availability, updating and enhancing implementation procedures (i.e. enrollment, curriculum, pretesting and posttesting, and evaluation procedures), and automating record keeping- to name just a few of this study's findings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
orientation embedded within a socio-constructivist pedagogy via a computer-supported collaborative medium. Using a between-subjects design, twelve post-baccalaureate participants from U.S. and Chinese Heritage Cultures (CHC) were assigned to computer-supported collaborative teams consisting of one of three possible levels of cultural configuration (CHC/CHC, CHC/US, and US/US). Teams independently worked and learned together within web-enabled collaboratories using a synchronous/asynchronous tool suite. Each team was asked to determine whether analogous elements exist within CHC that could augment or supersede the utility of the existing American model for successful CSC.
Six models exhibiting various degrees of hybridity emerged from the intercultural and culturally homogenous CHC teams as expected. These models are treated both quantitatively (in terms of IM transcript dialog data, along with supporting model comparisons and post-test questionnaire responses), and qualitatively through interviews. The findings have implications for computer-supported collaborative work and learning, instructional designers, trainers in globally distributed companies, distance learning programs, and the increasingly diverse American classroom and workplace.