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School Bond Elections In Iowa: An Analysis of Factors, Strategies, and Policies that Influence Outcomes
Get PDFiv, 227 leaves. Advisor: A.P. Johnston.The Problem: The problem of this study was to identify and analyze: (a)
selected social, political, and economic factors, (b) successful strategies used in
school bond elections, and (c) influential policies related to school bond
elections.
Procedures: Questions were developed, and interviews were conducted
with a school board member, the superintendent, and the citizens' committee
chairperson in four school districts chosen on the basis of the cost of the bond
issue per student and the percentage the bond issue represented of the
assessed valuation of the district, along with consultants from the lowa
Department of Education and the lowa Association of School Boards.
Findings: Aging buildings and the inability to present the educational
program were the major reasons for bond issues. Listening to the voters, the
campaign committee, the level of community involvement, and a unified school
board were crucial to passing the bond issue. The most successful strategy
was communicating with the public in as many ways as possible. Laws
impacting bond issues were property tax funding for bond issues, the campaign
ethics laws, and two ballot questions for exceeding a tax rate of 2.70. Additional research could be done to
study strategies in school districts of other sizes, school districts that have failed
to pass bond issues, school districts in growth patterns, school districts that
passed a bond issue on the first attempt, and states with the simple majority
vote required for passage
Qualified but not Willing: the Problem with Recruiting Superintendents in Iowa
Get PDFv, 134 leaves. Advisor: Annette M. Liggett.The problem. The problem of this study was to find out how many
people held a valid Pre K-12 superintendent endorsement in the State of
Iowa during the 1996-97 calendar year, but who were not currently
serving as a superintendent in the state, to determine whether or not
any of these people were seeking a superintendent position, and to find
out what they considered to be attractive or not attractive about
serving as a Pre K-12 school superintendent.
Procedures. Data was collected through three sources:
conversational interviews with educational leaders of the state, a
survey of the superintendent endorsed population, and focus group forums
with selected survey respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to
report findings from the survey. Qua1itative research methodology was
used in analyzing information from the three sources and for deriving
conclusions of the study.
Findings. Four research questions guided this study. The findings
addressing those questions are: (a) There were 315 people endorsed to be
a school superintendent in Iowa in 1996-97 who were not serving as a
superintendent; (b) Sixty percent of the endorsed population was not
seeking a superintendent's position at the time of this study; (c) For
those seeking or considering a position six barriers or conditions were
identified as influencing their decision to apply: satisfaction with
their current position, negative impact on their family life, too
political an arena, high stress level in the job, absence of
superintendent experience, and instability in length of job;
(d) Possible candidates believed their willingness to apply could be
positively inf 1 uenced by honest and active recruitment and training and
support from acting superintendents.
Conclusions. The majority of the superintendent-endorsed people
were not planning to become a superintendent. As a whole, the endorsed
population did not find the complexity and demands of the
superintendency to be an attractive career move. If they were to seek a
position, study participants wanted strong professional support and
encouragement throughout the process.
Recommendations.
1. Similar research should be conducted in other states to further
expand the understanding of the nation's leadership crisis--especially
as it relates to the school superintendency.
2. There are indications that a similar leadership crisis is
operating in the state of Iowa pertaining to building level leadership.
A similar study could contribute to the dialogue addressing that crisis.
3. Participants in this study most often turned to current
superintendents to receive information about the job. A study could
reveal what superintendents are saying both formally and informally
about their role
"Use of a nonprescription medicine formulary assignment to help fulfill an ability-based outcome"
Get PDFLinda L. Krypel is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University. She can be contacted at: [email protected] paper describes how the development of a formulary helped students achieve an outcome ability in a nonprescription medicines course. For the nonprescription medicines course, ability-based outcomes were determined that were integrated, developmental and transferable. One outcome was an ability to make justifiable nonprescription medicine recommendations. The formulary assignment provided two and often three opportunities to extensively practice the desired outcome with feedback on performance criteria. The results of student evaluations regarding the usefulness of such an assignment as an effective learning tool are positive
Auditory P300 In College-Aged Females At-Risk for Eating Disorders
Get PDF55, [10] leaves. Advisor: Steven Faux.Neurological impairment in eating disorders has been widely documented. The P300
component of event-related potentials has demonstrated efficacy in identifying
individuals who suffer from mental disorders and cognitive deficits. More recently, a
number of researchers have used P300 event-related potentials (ERPs) to elucidate
the effects of food intake and glucose metabolism on brain function and performance
on cognitive tasks. Minor food deprivation decreases P300 amplitude and increases
P300 latency, indicators of impaired cognitive performance. Short-term memory
disruptions correlate with such ERP decrements. The present study examined the
auditory P300 in females who are at-risk for developing an eating disorder as defined
by a score of 14 or more on the Drive for Thinness subscale of the Eating Disorder
Inventory-:! (EDI-2). Memory performance was also examined. The results failed to
support the hypothesis that at-risk females, compared to normal controls would restrict
their food intake and would therefore exhibit smaller P300 amplitudes, longer P300
latencies, and impaired short-term memory. There was also no statistically significant
difference between the at-risk and normal controls group on a self-report measure of
amount of and time since last food consumption. Interestingly, the at-risk and normal
controls groups also differed significantly on EDI-2 scores for the bulimia, interoceptive
awareness, and asceticism subscales
Does Resume Presentation Medium and Reference Group Affect Perceptions about a Job Applicant?
Get PDFiii, 54 leaves. Advisor: Maria M. Clapham.Businesses and corporations receive many resumes that are used in the
initial stages of the selection process. However, the two basic resume
forms (paper and electronic) may not be perceived similarly. The purpose
of this study was to investigate the perceptions associated with
applicants who submit either a paper resume or an electronic resume.
This study also investigated the effect that a reference group had upon the
resume reader's perceptions about the job applicant. One-hundred
undergraduates viewed either a paper resume or an electronic resume of a
journalist applying for a vacant position at a newspaper. Respondents
were then given a job description that either required internet research
experience (technical reference group) or not (non-technical reference
group). Then the respondents rated the applicant on seven attributes
(intelligence, technical skills, interpersonal skills, leadership ability,
motivation, resourcefulness, and overall qualifications). A MANOVA, with
resume medium and reference group as independent variables and the
seven attributes as the dependent variables, was conducted. The results
showed a significant effect of resume medium, E(1,96)= 9.77, g=.000.
Univariate ANOVAs revealed the paper resume applicant was perceived as
more friendly while the electronic resume applicant was viewed as more
intelligent, technologically advanced, and possessing better overall
qualifications. The results also indicated a significant effect of
reference group, E(l,96)=4 .03, g=.001. The applicant in the non-technical
reference group was perceived as more intelligent, technologically
advanced, and possessing better overall qualifications than the applicant
in the technical reference group. Implications of resume medium and
reference group as well as limitations of the study are discussed
"Adding a library instruction unit to an established course"
No full textMarcia W. Keyser wrote this article while employed as a librarian at the James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas. Keyser is currently a librarian at Cowles Library at Drake University where she teaches Information Literacy. Marcia can be contacted via email at [email protected]
Laura R. Lucio, now Laura Lucio Ramirez, wrote this article with Marcia Keyser while employed as a librarian at James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University at Kingsville. Ramirez is currently a librarian a the North Miami Beach Branch Library, Nova Southeastern University. Laura may be contacted via email at [email protected] article describes the creation of a two-day library instruction unit which became a required part of a freshman orientation seminar at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The unit began with the creation of new library assignments designed for use in the classes with or without library instruction. It expanded when the librarians offered to teach two class sessions in the library and their offer was accepted. Short lectures, tours, and assignments were used to introduce new students to the library. The needs of many of our freshmen dictated that we keep these orientation sessions basic: introducing library contents and services and teaching basic skills such as using the card catalog, reading call numbers, making use of periodical indexes, and finding periodicals. The library instruction unit was revised extensively after the first semester. Time constraints prevented the use of a formal evaluation instrument, but several problems and solutions were identified through structured brainstorming sessions with all the teaching librarians. These solutions and other lessons from teaching a required portion of a course are included
Analysis of the Metabolism of Dextran-Methylprednisolone Succinate Using
Get PDF39 leaves. Advisor: Dean Hoganson.A brief review of past and present immunosuppressive treatments, including corticosteroids,cyclosporine A, and tacrolimus as they relate to liver transplantation is presented. The most common and detrimental side effects are presented for each therapy, and a method to reduce
these adverse effects is proposed. As a method of drug delivery targeted to the liver,
methylprednisolone is joined to a 70,000 Da dextran molecule through a succinic acid linker
to form Dextran-methylprednisolone succinate @exMPS). A newly developed reversed-phase
HPLC assay is validated, and is capable of simultaneous measurement of
methylprednisolone (MP), methylprednisolone succinate (MPS), methylprednisone (MPN),
and corticosterone (CST) in addition to an internal standard (IS), triamcinolone acetonide.
Ratios between drug plasma concentration and IS peak area were determined to be linear in the range of 0.1-4 pglml for MP and M P S , and 0.1- 1.0 pg/ml for MPN and CST. Assay intra- and inter-run errors were less than 8%, demonstrating its accuracy and precision. The efficiency of the assay was determined by analysis of samples with and without the extraction steps. All components were at least 80% extracted. Application of the assay to in vitro hydrolysis experiments included DexMPS incubation in rat blood and phosphate buffer, and in rat liver lysosomes and various buffers. The half-life of DexMPS in blood was determined to be approximately 25 hours, and breakdown is most likely caused by chemical hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of MPS to MP is thought to be enzymatic, based on 1 0-fold faster breakdown in blood than in buffer. No significant hydrolysis was observed in isolated lysosomes for
DexMPS or MPS. In addition, preliminary studies regarding rat spleen lymphocyte isolation
and mitogen stimulation were performed. Optimum conditions for culture of spleen lymphocytes require RPMI-1640 to be supplemented with 2.5% rat serum. Separation of rat liver cells was accomplished by perfbsion of the liver with HEPES buffer containing collagenase, followed by centrihgation through a density gradient of Percoll to yield populations of hepatocytes (93% pure, with 80% viability) and Kupffer cells (98% pure, with 92% viability). Together, these experiments provide a framework for examining the delivery of DexMPS to the liver, and measuring the effect of the DexMPS hydrolysis in vivo
A Qualitative Case Study of Programmed Computer-Assisted Instruction in a College Course Delivered Online
No full textvi, 269 leaves. (Leaves 183-187 lacking.) Advisor: James L. Romig.The Problem: Can online (computer-assisted) college instruction, using theoretically sound instructional design, provide rich instructional interaction
without sacrificing time efficiency? What are some of the barriers and benefits
encountered with online instruction?
Procedures: A naturalistic inquiry, this case study focused on two
sections of a course titled "Principles of Communication" at a Midwestern,
private, liberal arts college. Participants were two professors and 39
undergraduate volunteers. The case study examined five weeks of online
course activity, where students engaged in 14 online exercises, weekly
assessments of activiw, two performance tests, and four group interactions
online, while reading the assigned text.
. The case study revealed that rich interaction could be achieved
online, that performance standards were satisfied, and that the course could be
time efficient (with a mean of 45 minutes less per week spent on course activity).
Barriers encountered included: equipment failure, inadequate software,
inadequate teacher preparation, inadequate resources, human error, time
inefficiencies, and a lack of spontaneous interaction. Benefits encountered
included: entertainment value, learning value, convenience, development of
computer skills, development of Internet skills, and development of student
responsibility.
Conclusions: Beyond the findings, several conclusions could be drawn
from this case study that might improve the theoretical framework used to create
this online course. Those conclusions include: 1) provide adequate
contingencies to encourage non-linear investigation where feasible;
2) distinguish relationships between interactive exercises and instructional
objectives through sound instructional design; 3) provide adequate
contingencies to require mastery of each unit before allowing a student to
proceed; 4) require effective communication in student responses where
feasible; 5) provide an adequate range of cognitive processing levels (low to
high) to establish student performance at accepted standards; 6) provide
adequate support technicians and resources (including thorough backup
systems) from host institution; 7) empirically test interactivity to establish if
practice provided will optimize time efficiency while remaining sufficient to
achieve student performance at selected standards
"Assessing Pharmacy Students' Learning Styles and Personality Types: A Ten-Year Analysis "
Get PDFCharles R. Phillips is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Administration/Department Chair of Pharmacy Practice in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University. He can be contacted at [email protected] ten-year analysis of 1,313 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is presented to address learning styles in pharnacy students. Objectives were to present a ten-year view of pharmacy student's learning styles, identify differences in pharmacy students versus the general college student population, and compare personality types of students choosing to track into the PharmD Program with those in the BS Pharmacy program. Compared to the general college poplation, the distribution of pharmacy students differed in several personality types measured by the Myerss-Briggs Type Indicator. Generally, Drake pharmacy student's modal type remained introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging, (ISTJ) to Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging (ISFJ) for the ten years of data. Female pharmacy students were 72 percent more likely to have feeling as a dominant function. Females were also more likely to have a judging preference. When compared to BS Pharmacy students, PharmD students were more than three times more likely to be Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging (ENFJ). This analysis provided learning and teaching style information for both students and faculty. It is timely as colleges attempt to change students to independent learners. The key to successfully implementing ability-based outcomes and active learning may lie with the use of a variety of strategies that help students with different preferences
Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: Comparing Adult and Children's Learning Preferences
Get PDF[iii], 58 leaves. Advisor: Thomas S. Westbrook.The Problem: Andragogy and pedagogy have been regarded as two completely separate methods of teaching for many years. After much debate, the two methods have become opposite ends of a continuum used to describe the extremes of interactions occuring between a teacher and students. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which there are differences and similarities in adults' and children's learning preferences.
Procedures: The study included both a review of the literature comparing andragogy and pedagogy, results from a questionnaire developed by the author and interviews of adults and children as to how they learn best, their learning preferences, and what they perceive to be effective learning environments and instructors.
Findings: Results of the study found that adults and children prefer to learn in the same general manner. In addition, no significant differences were found in the methods used to teach adults and children. The results indicate that individuals prefer hands-on activites combined with guided practice from the teacher, interaction with others, positive environments, and relevant materials and topics to their lives.
Conclusions: The conclusions of this research are: fundamentally, children's preferences for learning are smiliar to adults, teaching methods using andragogical and pedagogical procedures are situational and should be used based on the needs of the learner, results neither support no dismiss Knowles' notion of pedagogy and andragogy serving as two ends of a teaching methods continuum. Results from the sample group indicate children's learning preferences favor andragogical approaches rather than pedagogical approaches and children are more concerned with technology and access to it that adults.
Recommendations: It is recommended that others repeat the study with a larger group of individuals, including greater diversity among the adults' educational level, to further recognize similiarities and differences between adults and children and teach adults and children with those methods we would like them to use throughout their lives