Teaching Design in the Year 2000: A Modified Delphi Study of the Perceptions of Design Educators (open access)

Teaching Design in the Year 2000: A Modified Delphi Study of the Perceptions of Design Educators

The problem of this study is to predict how basic design will be taught in the year 2000 in the United States of America according to the perceptions of design educators who were polled using a Delphi exercise. Basic design is an introductory course in design disciplines covering fundamental principles, components, and applications of design. This study has a twofold purpose. The first is to predict how basic design will be taught in the year 2000 to allow design educators to better prepare for the future. The second is to provide a basis for further research that might address specific areas in the future of teaching design.
Date: May 1987
Creator: Watson, James Robert, 1950-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Views of Nurses in the Texas Nurses Association, District Four, Concerning Voluntary and Mandatory Continuing Education (open access)

Views of Nurses in the Texas Nurses Association, District Four, Concerning Voluntary and Mandatory Continuing Education

This study was designed to investigate the opinions of District 4 membership of the Texas Nurses Association concerning mandatory and voluntary continuing education and to see if there was a relationship between members views and specific demographic characteristics. With the enormous growth of scientific knowledge, health professionals are becoming increasingly aware of the need to require their practitioners to show proof of competence to practice and to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Many states have proposed legislation to require nurses to participate in continuing education to maintain current registration of the license to practice. Even though the majority of nurses in the United States would attest to the value of continuing education, the subject is fraught with controversy as to whether the programs should be voluntary or mandatory. The reasons most commonly indicated for support of mandatory education were these: (1) Mandatory continuing education requirements would upgrade nurses and the nursing profession; and (2) Many nurses are not self-motivated and need encouragement from the outside before they will participate in the continuing education which they need to keep current.
Date: May 1977
Creator: Saunders, Carolyn
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Profile of Job Satisfaction for Graduate Physical education Faculty Members (open access)

A Profile of Job Satisfaction for Graduate Physical education Faculty Members

The purpose of the present investigation was to develop a profile of graduate physical education faculty members in terms of job satisfaction, and to compare the top-20 ranked physical education departments against 20 other randomly selected physical education departments (Massengale & Sage, 1982). The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was used to measure the five different areas of satisfaction, while the Job Satisfaction Index was used to measure the overall job satisfaction. A questionnaire was also employed to measure selected demographic data. The number of subjects analyzed was 291.
Date: May 1986
Creator: Chan, Roy Chin Ming
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effect of Transcranial Stimulation on the Mechanical Efficiency of Persons with Cerebral Palsy (open access)

The Effect of Transcranial Stimulation on the Mechanical Efficiency of Persons with Cerebral Palsy

The problem of this study concerns the reduction of spasticity in physically handicapped persons with CP. The hypotheses tested were: that there would be no significant difference between the mechanical efficiency (ME) of persons with spastic CP following application of the TENS Unit and following application of the placebo unit; that there would be no significant difference between the ME of males with spastic CP, following application of the TENS Unit or the placebo unit, and the ME of females with spastic CP, following application of the TENS Unit or the placebo unit; and that there would be no significant interaction between the treatment factor and the gender category.
Date: May 1987
Creator: Logan, Michael P. (Michael Paul)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Educational Activities at the University of Jordan in Two Decades (1962-1982) (open access)

Educational Activities at the University of Jordan in Two Decades (1962-1982)

This study examined the educational activities at the University of Jordan, established in 1962, which is the oldest university in the country. The study traced the historical development of the university, which emphasizes highly-qualified graduates, and analyzed some of its educational practices. Research on this subject is limited. Jordanians have written little about their educational system, and there is little evidence of foreign scholars' interest in the subject. Some researchers argued that national pride was the main reason for establishing the university, since financial resources were not available to initiate and sustain serious research. The university started in the fall semester of 1962 with 167 students and one faculty, the Faculty of Arts. Two decades later, the university had ten faculties: Commerce and Administrative Sciences, Sciences, Medical Sciences (Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), Agriculture, Education, Law, Engineering, Sharia, and Physical Education. The total number of staff continued to increase from 7 in 1962 to 627 by 1982. The size of the physical structure increased from one building to 40 buildings with approximately 18,000 square meters in 1982. As of 1982, more than 15,253 students had graduated from the university with bachelor's, master's, and diplomas-in-education degrees. In 1972, the University of Jordan …
Date: May 1990
Creator: Sammour, Hael Y.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Cardiovascular Responses to Static and Dynamic Muscular Contractions in Adults with Cerebral Palsy (open access)

The Cardiovascular Responses to Static and Dynamic Muscular Contractions in Adults with Cerebral Palsy

In cerebral palsied adults, the cardiovascular responses to different types of exercise have not previously been ascertained. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the blood pressure and heart rate responses of adults with cerebral palsy to static muscular contractions and to dynamic muscular contractions. Fifteen adults with cerebral palsy and 15 able-bodied adults (average age for each group = 30 years) performed a static exercise protocol and a dynamic resistance exercise protocol using each limb (or the limbs capable of meeting the requirements of the exercise protocol). Heart rate and blood pressure were assessed before, during, and after each exercise bout with each limb. During the static exercise protocol, each subject performed static contractions at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction to fatigue. The dynamic exercise protocol for each limb consisted of three 20-second bouts of hydraulic resistance exercise each of which was followed by 20 seconds of rest. No differences were found between the two groups of subjects in heart rate and blood pressure during static exercise. In dynamic exercise, however, the trend in heart rate from bout to bout differed between the groups. In addition, the cerebral palsied group's diastolic pressure was higher than that of …
Date: May 1988
Creator: Parrish,Ginger S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs in Selected Universities in the South and Southwest (open access)

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs in Selected Universities in the South and Southwest

The problem addressed in this study is how selected universities in the South and Southwest recognize and attempt to deal with alcohol use and other drug use among students. The purpose of the study was to determine current practices and policies concerning student alcohol and drug use among the 20 selected universities. The data were obtained by means of a descriptive survey questionnaire which was mailed to 20 selected universities under the jurisdiction of the Southern Regional Accrediting Board. The instrument was designed to identify practices and programs concerning student alcohol and drug use. A copy of each institution's alcohol and drug policy was requested. The content and procedures of the programs implemented by the responding institutions were reviewed, in order to evaluate the extent and degree to which they provide for the recognition, education, intervention, and treatment for students with alcohol- or drug-use problems. Results are presented in tabular form. Of the 20 major state-supported universities which were mailed questionnaires, 75% returned usable instruments. All responding institutions felt they have an alcohol or drug problem of some magnitude, and all either have, or believe they have, some kind of policy to deal with substance use by students. All of …
Date: May 1987
Creator: Ponder, Fred T. (Fred Thomas)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Male Basketball Players' and Coaches' Perceptions of Factors Influencing Players' Choice of University (open access)

Male Basketball Players' and Coaches' Perceptions of Factors Influencing Players' Choice of University

The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to compare what coaches deem important with what players consider important in the player's selection of which university to attend; (2) to compare black athletes with white athletes and their reasons for the selection of university; (3) to determine if there are differences in the reasons athletes choose private institutions rather than state institutions; (4) to determine if Texas basketball players choose universities for different reasons than students from other states; and (5) to compare decisions made by high school recruits and junior college recruits with respect to their choice of a university to attend.
Date: May 1982
Creator: Moffitt, James I. (James Irwin)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effect of Microeconomics Instruction on Interventionist/Noninterventionist Attitudes (open access)

The Effect of Microeconomics Instruction on Interventionist/Noninterventionist Attitudes

The purpose of the study is to determine if there is an effect on intervention/nonintervention attitudes associated with an introductory microeconomics class. The population consisted of all students enrolled in eighteen sections of Economics 1100 during the Fall semester, 1984, at North Texs State University. There were seven sections of Economics 1100, ten sections of Sociology 1510, and ten sections of Political Science 2010 used as control groups. The instruments used for pretesting and posttesting were the twenty-three item Attitude Scale and Demographic Questionnaire. The Attitude Scale contained twelve intervention and eleven nonintervention questions. Intervention questions were reverse scored so that a high score is noninterventionist and a low score is interventionist. Data were analyzed using a multiple linear regression to determine how each variable affected the intervention/nonintervention student attitudes.
Date: May 1985
Creator: Witter, William D. (William David)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Marketing in Non-Profit Higher Education (open access)

Marketing in Non-Profit Higher Education

The problem of this study was to determine the status of marketing activities among four-year, publicly-controlled institutions of higher education in the United States. A survey was conducted of all 549 four-year, publicly controlled institutions listed in the 1980 Education Directory. Questionnaires were mailed to those administrators whose titles implied public relations responsibilities. This group of respondents was presumed to comprise the individuals who were most likely to be knowledgeable about marketing activities in their institutions. Responses were received from 364 (66.3 per cent) of the officers, who represented 364 institutions from 49 states.
Date: May 1982
Creator: Firoz, Mohammad Nadeem
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Association between Class Size, Achievement, and Opinions of University Students in First-Semester Calculus (open access)

The Association between Class Size, Achievement, and Opinions of University Students in First-Semester Calculus

The purposes of the study were: to determine the relationship between class size and academic achievement among university students in first-semester calculus classes, and to compare opinions about the instructor, course, and classroom learning environment of university students in small first-semester calculus classes with those in large classes. The sample consisted of 225 university students distributed among two large and two small sections of first-semester calculus classes taught at the University of Texas at Arlington during the fall of 1987. Each of two tenured faculty members taught a large and small section of approximately 85 and 27 students, respectively. During the first week of the semester, scores from the Calculus Readiness Test (CR) were obtained from the sample and used as the covariate in each analysis of covariance of four periodic tests, a comprehensive final examination, and final grade average. The CR scores were also used in a logistic regression analysis of attrition rates between each pair of large and small sections of first-semester calculus. Three semantic differentials were used to test the hypotheses relating to student opinion of the instructor, course, and classroom learning environment. It was found that for both pairs of large and small first-semester calculus classes …
Date: May 1988
Creator: Warren, Eddie N. (Eddie Nelson)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship of Depressive Attributional Style with Depression Following Failure of Natural Childbirth (open access)

The Relationship of Depressive Attributional Style with Depression Following Failure of Natural Childbirth

Using the framework of the reformulated learned helplessness (RLH) model of depression, this study examined the nonachievement of self-expectations of primigravidas desiring natural childbirth in terms of their attributional style and the possible resulting depression. The RLH model predicts that individuals who have a depressive attributional style experience a sense of helplessness when faced with situations which seem difficult or out of their control and are more apt to fail and become depressed. Natural childbirth is an experience which has the potential of appearing out of control to women involved in the birth process. Using a before and after design, the study was based on a sample of forty-one married primiparas who had an uncomplicated pregnancy, attended Lamaze childbirth classes, and anticipated an uncomplicated, unmedicated vaginal delivery. Sixteen subjects stated they did not meet their self-expectations during childbirth and twenty-five stated they did meet their self-expectations. The hypothesis were tested using two matched groups of sixteen each. Data from all subjects were used for post hoc analysis of the hospital data.
Date: May 1983
Creator: Williams, Barbara Garner
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Native and Non-Native English-Speaking Teaching Assistants (open access)

A Comparison of Native and Non-Native English-Speaking Teaching Assistants

The purposes of this study were to determine whether differences existed between the communication styles and teaching effectiveness, respectively, of native and non-native teaching fellows, as perceived by their undergraduate students. In addition, the study sought to determine whether a positive correlation existed between the final grades and the communication styles and teaching effectiveness, respectively, of native and non-native teaching fellows as perceived by their undergraduate students. In order to carry out the purposes of this study, six hypotheses were tested concerning the perception of native and non-native undergraduate students toward the communication style and teaching effectiveness of teaching fellows in North Texas State University.
Date: May 1987
Creator: Shirvani Shahenayati, Zahra
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Local Economic Impact of Alternative State Budget Reductions for Selected Texas Community Colleges (open access)

The Local Economic Impact of Alternative State Budget Reductions for Selected Texas Community Colleges

The purpose of this study was to determine the local economic impact of alternative state budget reductions for Texas community colleges by investigating the income losses to the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) if state appropriations were reduced by 10, 15, and 20 percent. The objective of this study was achieved through an economic analysis of the local economy of selected MSAs and by computing the income size which was generated by selected colleges. Eight community colleges located in eight MSAs participated by answering mailed questionnaires. The model of Direct Economic Impact was applied to describe the colleges' economic impact. The model was composed of college expenditures, employee expenditures, student expenditures, and the economic multiplier. The study revealed that the selected community colleges were responsible for creating new jobs and increasing the income of the local economies. These eight colleges were responsible for increasing the income of the local economies by $294,945,560 and for creating 5,129 jobs. Reduction in state appropriations to the selected community colleges will reduce the income they produce. A state appropriation cut of 10 percent will result in a loss to the local economy of $6,153,951. A 15 percent reduction in state appropriations will cause the local …
Date: May 1988
Creator: Saleh, Abdelrahim
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship Between Degrees of Burnout and Educational Tracks Among Registered Nurses in Texas (open access)

The Relationship Between Degrees of Burnout and Educational Tracks Among Registered Nurses in Texas

The problem of this investigation was threefold: ascertaining differences in degrees of burnout as a function of registered nurses' educational tracks in Texas, ascertaining degrees of burnout for registered nurses as a function of job tenure, and examining certain demographic variables and their relationships with registered nurses' educational tracks. Nurses were classified by educational track (diploma, associate degree, baccalaureate degree) and employment (full time, part time, not active). The instrument employed comprised the Pines and Aronson Tedium-Burnout Diagnosis, for which reliability and validity were previously established, and a demographic questionnaire.
Date: May 1984
Creator: Louis, Donald R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Assessing the Use of Microcomputers by Administrators in Higher Education in Oklahoma (open access)

Assessing the Use of Microcomputers by Administrators in Higher Education in Oklahoma

This study was conducted to examine the use of microcomputers and other computers by top administrators in the twenty—seven public colleges and universities in Oklahoma; to assess the impact that training and other factors have on the extent to which microcomputers are being used; and to identify trends in administrative computer usage. The survey technique was utilized in collecting the data for this study. The survey instrument was developed for use in this study from a review of the literature, an evaluation by a panel of judges, and a pilot study. The survey instrument was sent to the administrators for business, academic, and student affairs via the president of each university in the 1986 spring and summer semesters. Seventy-four of the eighty-one or 91.4 percent of the administrators responded. Following is a summary of the major findings of this study. 1. Fourteen of the seventy-four or 18.9 percent of the respondents personally use a microcomputer and 51.3 percent of the respondents have someone use a microcomputer on their behalf. 2. The most prevalent use of microcomputers is word processing; the most prevalent uses of mainframes are word processing and database management; and the majority of the respondents do not use …
Date: May 1987
Creator: Deel, Dickie Leon
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effect of Feedback Discrepancy upon University Faculty (open access)

Effect of Feedback Discrepancy upon University Faculty

The problem this investigation considered was the effect of student evaluation feedback upon subsequent classroom behavior and attitudes of university faculty. The results of analysis of the data revealed that neither the amount of feedback, nor the time of semester the feedback was given produced any significant change in the teachers' self-evaluation. The discrepancies between students' evaluations and teacher's self-evaluation which were present also had no effect upon the teacher attitudes or classroom behaviors. Other variables that were without effect upon the teacher attitudes were number of years of teaching experience of the teacher, elective versus required course offerings, level of course, and academic department. These results refute much of the findings in current literature concerning the effects of various external consequences upon the attitudes of both teachers and students. However, the associated procedural difficulties require further explanation of the results. A possible explanation for the lack of significant results is detailed in the conclusion section. The reasons include procedural difficulties associated with external considerations which could not be controlled through experimentation; however, these processes have a large effect upon the final results.
Date: May 1979
Creator: Green, Michael J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Orders of Presentation and Anchors on the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (open access)

The Effects of Orders of Presentation and Anchors on the Ratings of Perceived Exertion

The problem investigated was to compare the effects of orders of presentation and anchors on the ratings of perceived exertion obtained during bicycle ergometry. Based on the statistical analysis of the data, the following findings were apparent: 1. It was found that there were no significant differences in mean scores of perceived exertion obtained among the orders of presentation, ascending, descending, and random. 2. It was found that the light anchor mean score was significantly greater than those of the heavy or identical anchor. 3. It was found that there were significant differences among the ratings of perceived exertion that may be attributed to changes in work loads. 4. It was found that there were significant differences among the mean scores of ratings of perceived exertion that may be attributed to the interaction of the main effects. As a result of the findings, the following conclusions were deemed appropriate within the limitations of the study: 1. Ratings of perceived exertion in ascending and random order increased proportionately in value as the work load increases. 2. Contrast effects are present in ratings of perceived exertion obtained during bicycle ergometry. 3. The majority of previous findings agree with the present research with …
Date: May 1976
Creator: Peters, Albert L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Application of Principles of Generative Phonology to the Teaching of Reading to Students of English as a Second Language (open access)

The Application of Principles of Generative Phonology to the Teaching of Reading to Students of English as a Second Language

This dissertation reports research into the problem of how to teach mastery of the English writing system (MEWS) to students of English as a second language (ESL). The problem involves the relatedness of English orthography and phonology. The research had two purposes. First was development of classroom instructional materials for improving reading proficiency in ESL students by application of generative phonological principles. Second was use of the instructional materials in a pilot study of fifty-three ESL college freshmen. A major finding was that subjects' reading proficiency was far below that of native speakers at the college level. Another was that the subjects had more difficulty with English vowels than with consonants. The subjects' scores on nonsense-word tests correlated significantly with five other criteria, including measures of ability to use ESL. A uniform disparity between ESL-student and native-speaker scores on tests of nonsense words was identified. Native-speakers generally had perfect scores, and ESL students had low scores. A chief implication is the importance of understanding orthography in reading English. Recommendations are that ESL proficiency be determined by nonsense-word tests and that the MEWS program be used by students of English as a second dialect.
Date: May 1978
Creator: Sims, Diana Mae
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Integrated Laboratory Sequence Approach in Undergraduate Chemistry Programs (open access)

The Integrated Laboratory Sequence Approach in Undergraduate Chemistry Programs

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of a survey of the various integrated laboratory sequence programs at college and university chemistry departments. A preliminary questionnaire served to determine which chemistry departments had tried an ILS approach. Those departments which responded that they had tried an ILS approach and were willing to answer a questionnaire concerning it were sent copies of the main questionnaire. The returned copies of these two questionnaires form the source of data for the dissertation. The dissertation is organized into five chapters. The first chapter gives the background and significance, statement of the problem, the purposes and delimitations of the study, and a definition of terms. Chapter II is a review of the literature. Chapter III describes the collection of data. Construction, validation, administration, and analysis of the questionnaire are considered. The findings of the study are presented in Chapter IV. After an introduction, the occurrence of ILS programs and the reasons for trying or not trying an ILS approach are tabulated. The nature of the ILS programs which have been tried and the problems and changes that have occurred in the various programs are presented. The last part of Chapter IV is …
Date: May 1974
Creator: Luce, Larry G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Level of Education and Extent of Credit Use of Small Businessmen in the Santos Guardiola Municipality of the Bay Islands, Honduras (open access)

The Level of Education and Extent of Credit Use of Small Businessmen in the Santos Guardiola Municipality of the Bay Islands, Honduras

The small businessman in an undeveloped country often finds himself isolated from formal, institutional credit sources, either through ignorance or by his non-acceptability as a credit risk. Both his lack of credit and lack of education can limit his participation in national development, and in fact, such development might even work against him as it makes his competitors' easier access to these resources even more important. It was concluded that the educational level achieved by the small businessman in Santos Guardiola is roughly the sixth grade, that the lack of business and financial content in their formal education does not prevent their learning about business and finance, and that a large majority of them use credit in their business. It was further concluded that the loan officers with the four lending institutions have adequate education and training to administer the loans made, that business credit needs are generally satisfied without resort to an informal credit market, and that while the deposits and business loans are expanding for all four institutions the credit union has been able to expand most rapidly by attracting the small saver and the small borrower. In addition, it was concluded that development banks are primarily interested …
Date: May 1975
Creator: Spivey, Christopher B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Progressive Relaxation Instructions on College Students' Performance on a Paired-Associate Learning Task (open access)

The Effects of Progressive Relaxation Instructions on College Students' Performance on a Paired-Associate Learning Task

The problem of this study was to compare performances of college students given relaxation instructions and those not given those instructions on a paired-associate learning task. The results indicated that relaxation instructions alone produced a decrement in recall. When subjects received relaxation instructions as well as the suggestion that relaxation enhances learning, the decrement did not occur. Thus, situational demand characteristics appeared to be a significant variable in determining what effect relaxation instructions had on recall.
Date: May 1978
Creator: Davis, Franklin Dalton
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Topological Model of Thought (open access)

A Topological Model of Thought

The problem was to develop a model of thought within the basic structure provided by general or "point-set" topology. To do this, it was necessary to make four basic assumptions. It was assumed that each individual possesses more than the classical five senses and that for each of these there exists a category of sensory data. Also, it was assumed that the Cartesian product of these categories formed a set M of thought elements for each individual, and that certain subsets of M provide support for cogitation. The relation, function, continuous function, and homeomorphism, which are used to relate sets in topology, are discussed as a possible ramification of the model for communication. The global properties of the homeomorphism and continuous function present each as a viable support for strong and meaningful communication between thought spaces of individuals.
Date: May 1979
Creator: Cammack, Raymond W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Three Breaststroke Turns and Their Effects on Swimming Fifty Yards (open access)

A Comparison of Three Breaststroke Turns and Their Effects on Swimming Fifty Yards

The problem with which this study was concerned was that of comparing three methods of executing the competitive breaststroke turn and their effects on swimming fifty yards. The turns utilized were the AAU, NCAA, and somersault. A related purpose was that of analyzing the time a breaststroke competitor was to be submerged on the glide following the turn. One hundred four male, senior swimmers from teams in the Arkansas AAU were rated on five components of the breaststroke. Twenty-nine advanced and thirty novice breaststrokers were selected from this group to participate in this study. The subjects were timed for a distance of fifty yards using, in order, the AAU, NCAA, and somersault turns.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Courtway, Robert Franklin, 1927-
System: The UNT Digital Library