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Research, Rhetoric, and the Writing Curriculum: Consciousness Expansion Through Bi-Hemisphericity
Get PDF133 leaves. Advisor: Dr. John HagamanThis study gives implications for teaching composition based on current rhetorical and psychological theory. It examines what recent brain research has to say about left-hemispheric verbal skills and right-hemispheric imaginal
skills. A survey of literary, philosophical, and rhetorical expressions shows that man has for a long time "known" what brain research bears out: verbal and imaginal skills must work together for one to exercise a balanced mind. One objective of the paper is to identify the pathological
situations arising when a writer fails to qualify by either failing to specify or relate.
Aristotle's rhetoric is examined for the balance of right hemispheric image (example) and left hemispheric idea (enthymeme) it requires and the psychological perspective
(the value of audience participation) it lacks. The discussion then reveals how metaphor is able to function bi-hemispherically to allow us to spring from images to abstractions and back.
With the knowledge of how image and idea works, this paper offers a theoretical foundation for a practical program for teaching rhetoric in which poetic or reflexive skills (right-brain
functions) and reportorial or extensive skills (left-brain functions) can be coordinated. Since encoding (the rendering of a-sequential, a-temporal right hemispheric
functions into verbal symbols) requires active participation and is more difficult than decoding (the passive reading of verbal symbols), the writer must be sensitive to his audience--be
able to exercise the devices of inventio and dispositio--as well as be knowledgeable of style--be able to practice the techniques of elocutio. Sentence combining does double duty
for balancing mind and rhetoric: it not only gives one a form, but that form itself generates content. Included is a list of techniques or activities which strengthen right-brain functioning. Each activity is explained as to how it may be implemented in the classroom setting. In
addition, a sample curricular plan (for first semester college freshman composition) exhibits how activities for strengthening and applying both pre-verbal and verbal processes might be used for teaching the whole mind
The Regulation of Aspartokinase During Growth and Sporulation of Bacillus Cereus
Get PDF44 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Dean A. HogansonThe problem. Diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and dipicolinic acid (DPA) are thought to be important chemical constituents in the formation of heat-resistant spores in baccilli. They are formed through a multistep biosynthetic pathway in which aspartokinase is the first enzyme. The aspartokinas activity in Bacillus cereus has been shown to be repressed by lysine and yet still be able to form heat-resistant spores with near normal amounts of DPA. This study was undertaken to attempt to elucidate how the products
formed through the functioning of aspartokinase in
B. cereus could be present when the enzyme had been repressed to low levels of lysine.
Procedure. Cells of B. cereus T were grown by
batch method in lysine assay medium (LAM) with or without lysine added. The cells were harvested and broken by sonication or a French press and the cell-free extracts assayed for aspartokinase activity in various buffers at different times along the growth curve. For inhibition studies, the inhibitors were added to the assay mixture.
Findings. A high ionic strength buffer containing
4M NaCl that was tested revealed the presence of aspartokinase activity that was not repressed or inhibited by lysine but was sensitive to feedback inhibition by DAP.
Conclusions. B. Cereus is found to have two
isozymes of aspartokinase. Aspartokinase I (AI I) is repressed and inhibited by lysine. It is the predominant enzyme functioning during vegetative growth of B. cereus cells. AI II is sensitive to feedback inhibition by diaminopimelate but insensitive to repression or inhibition by lysine. AI II functions during sporulation to ensure
channeling of carbon compounds to DPA and DAP for sporogenesis. AK II is rapidly inactivated in most standard buffers; however, a 4M NaCl buffer was developed to stabilize the enzyme for assay
An Approach to Changing Teachers' Positive and Negative Verbalizations and its Effect on Student Attending Behavior
Get PDF88 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Everett E. HadleyThe problem. The purpose of this study was to analyze experimentally the effects on an elementary school principal's cueing technique on the number of positive and negative teacher verbalizations, and to measure the effect that this verbalization change had on the total number of students involved in on-task behavior in the classroom.
Procedure. This research was conducted in two adjoining second grade classrooms in a rural elementary school in mid-Iowa. The elementary
school principal served as the primary observer/experimenter, while the school psychologist functioned as an observer for reliability purposes. The two teachers who participated in this investigation had twenty-four and twenty-three students respectively in their classrooms ranging in age from seven years, six months, to eight years, eleven months. To analyze the treatment procedures a multiple-baseline design was employed for the two classrooms. This involved four sequential conditions consisting of: condition I (baseline), condition II (treatment one), condition III, (treatment two) , and condition IV (reversal). The baseline rate was taken for the number of positive, negative, and neutral teacher verbalizations, as well as the number of students involved in on-task behavior. The principal recorded the baseline for a duration of four consecutive days in Classroom A and
for nine consecutive school days in Classroom B. During treatment one, which was applied for five consecutive days in each classroom, the principal recorded and cued the teachers each time they emitted a negative verbalization. Upon being cued the teachers were instructed to find four students engaged in attending behavior and praise them individually. Treatment two immediately followed with the only difference being that it was applied twice a week for a duration of three weeks rather than five consecutive days. At the conclusion
of treatment two the principal returned to baseline and recorded only.
Findings. The results demonstrated that the systematic application of the cueing technique by the principal substantially increased the number of positive teacher verbalizations and conversely decreased the number of negative teacher verbalizations. In Classroom A there was a positive teacher verbalization increase of 129 percent and a negative teacher verbalization decrease of 88 percent. In Classroom B there was a positive teacher verbalization increase of 344 percent and a negative teacher verbalization decrease of 88 percent. The results also demonstrated that this verbalization change effected an increase in the total number of students involved in on-task behavior. In Classroom A 16 percent more students were involved in on-task behavior, while in Classroom B 7 percent more students were involved in on-task behavior in posttreatment.
Conclusions. This study yielded empirical evidence that an elementary school principal could apply a cueing technique to increase the number of
positive teacher verbaltzatlons while decreasing the number of negative teacher verbalizations. This procedure and the resulting verbalization change directly increased the number of students involved in on-task behavior in both experimental classrooms. This study provided a simple yet viable procedure for principals to use to assist teachers directly in the classroom and a technique
for teachers to use effectively with students.
Recommendations. Recommendations include: (1) replication with principals at different grade levels; (2) replication with teachers who are less
open, responsive, and cooperative (e. g. non-volunteers) than those involved in this study; (3) additional research exploring the effectiveness of these treatment conditions with minority students and urban communities
Roommate Compatibility and Group Cohesiveness as Influenced by the Amount and Types of Awarded Financial Aid
No full text137 leaves. Advisor: Howard TraxlerProblem. In what way is the compatibility between students assigned as roommates on the basis of the amount and types of awarded financial aid packages similar and dissimilar to the compatibility between students assigned as roommates through the traditional freshmen procedure utilized at Drake University? What is the extent of the difference in group cohesiveness amoung the members of the two groups of students assigned as roommates in both the experimental and control groups?
Procedure. In July 1976, through the use of a computer print-out, an experimental group of twenty-eight pairs and a control group of twenty-seven pairs of male and female freshmen students were matched as roommates for the 1976-77 academic year on the basis of awarded financial aid packages and through the roommate selection procedure utilized at Drake University. The groups were housed in a co-edcational residence hall at Drake University. Through personal interviews, chi-square (x2) tests, and tabulations of roommate changes and numbers of students returning as roommates to Drake University for the 1977-78 academic year, an attempt was made to determine whether the amount and types of awarded financial aid packages influenced roommate compatibility and group cohesiveness in a Drake University residence hall.
Findings. Chi-square (x2) test findings appeared to be significant at the .05 level for a difference between total experimental and control groups on compatibility and at the .01 level for a difference between experimental men and control men for compatibility and between experimental men and control men for cohesiveness.
Conclusions. Within severe limitations, findings appeared to show that roommate compatibility and roommate cohesiveness were greater for those students assigned together as roommates on the basis of awarded financial aid when combined with traditional roommate assignment procedures at Drake University.
Recommendations. It is recommended that, in future studies, a larger sample be studied; an "objective" opinionnaire be used instead of individual interviews; and that students in state institutions be utilized as the research population
An Inquiry into some Relationships Between Church Attendance and School Participation Beyond Regular Classroom Activity
Get PDF145 leaves. Advisor: Robert L. EvansThe problem. The purpose of this study was to
determine if certain relationships exist between students' frequency of attendance at church and grades, involvement in school sponsored activities, and certain social
characteristics in their school lives.
Procedure. The study was conducted in the ninth
grade social science classes at a junior high school in Iowa. It included all ninth grade students. This sample provided a good cross section because of a wide variation in incomes, professions of parents, fairly wide geographical
area of the city, and numerous national and religious backgrounds. The population was limited by the small number of either black or Jewish students that have been observed to attend that school. There was a large group of Latino
students. However, since the problem was to identify relationships between school participation and church attedance, it was a sample that gave a good indication of churched and non-churched students. An inventory was designed by the researcher in consultation with Drake faculty members to gather data. The instruments were screened for usefulness on each of
the questions asked. The Chi-square test of independence was applied to the data generated on each of the questions asked relating to school activities tabled against the frequency of church attendance. A significance of 0.05
was assumed.
Findings. Each of the three questions stated above
was investigated through the use of null hypotheses. In all cases except one, a significant relationsh1p was found between the frequency of church attendance and the specific item of each null hypothesis. The exception was the
frequency which students reported they felt good about themselves. The study includes results of the Chi-square tests for the entire group and also for the compar1son of those who attend church more than once per week to the balance of the sample, those who never attend church to balance of the sample, and those who attend church more than once per week to those who never attend church. Results are reported a1so for the whole group of a test instrument administer before the inventory and to a different group. The following results indicate the level of significance found for the whole group on the inventory.
Question 1. Do church goers receive higher grades?
It was found that the level of significance between the frequency of church attendance and the grade point average was positive at the 0.00l level and that a positive relationship also existed with reference to honor roll membership
at the 0.02 level.
Question 2. Are church goers more involved in
school activities? A positive relationship was found at the 0.001 level between the frequency of church attendance and frequency of attendance at extra-curricular, athletic, vocal music, instrumental music, and school service activities.
It was also found that in each of the above
activities there was a positive relationship between the frequency of church attendance and the number of groups of that activity in which students participated at the 0.001 level except that a 0.01 level was found for athletics.
Question 3. Do church goers have certain different
social characteristics in their school life? A significance level of 0.001 was found for the frequency of church attendance and fewer absences from school, more frequent enjoyment of school, the number of students planning to go on a class trip, and less frequent discipline. Church
goers received less severe discipline as indicated by a 0.05 level. The frequency of feeling good about themselves was at the 0.1 confidence level and indicated a positive relationship.
Conclusions. On the basis of this study it is
concluded that church goers do get higher grades, are more involved in school activities, and do have certain different social characteristics than non church goers. The most consistent indications of significance occur in terms of comparison of the whole sample to those who never attend
church. Any church attendance does affect the grades, participation and social characteristics of the students.
Recommendations. Further studies should be conducted to determine which churches show the greatest relationship to the school participation; what practices are seemingly most beneficial in a total church program to school participation; if other non-school institutions also have an effect on school participation; there is indeed a causal relationship between church attendance and school
participation; what input the school may have on the students' church participation; and what is the nature of the students' activities at church relative to their school participation
A Comparison of Two Testing Schedules for Purposes of Student Self-Pacing
No full text39 leaves. Advisor: Larry A. AlferinkThe Problem. The educational procedure of PSI is often accompanied by student procrastination. Previous research on this problem has relied upon instructor control of student study and test-taking behavior. The present study investigated the effects of manipulation of unit deadlines in order to decrease instructor control.
Procedures. The reduction of instructor control was accomplished by increasing the amount of time and material between deadlines. Another group was teasted under a traditional schedule in which deadlines were approximately equal days apart and covered similar amounts of materials. Comparisons between the groups' patterns of test-taking behavior were made over the last five weeks of each semester.
Findings. Both groups waited until the last thirteen days of the comparison period to take the majority of their tests. However, the reduction of instructor control group completed slightly more work earlier in the comparison period.
Conclusions. Neither the reduction of control schedule or the traditional schedule led to students progressing consistently through the comparison period. Although the reduction of instructor control group completed slightly more work earlier in the period, the data may be accounted for by other factors.
Recommendations. The present study changed deadlines regardless of students' pacing behavior. Future studies should take into account the behavior itself and attempt to decrease instructor control dependent upon current pacing behavior. Two possible techniques to utilize are shaping and self-control
A Study of Compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in Selected Iowa Public School Districts
No full text146 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Richard H. LampshireThe problem. The regulations for implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 became effective in July, 1975. Three years have elapsed since the regulations went into effect and no one had identified the degree of its
implementation in Iowa schools. The purposes of this study were: (1) to assess the extent of compliance with the administrative requirements of Title IX in Iowa public schools, K-12; (2) to assess the extent of compliance with the program requirements of Title IX in Iowa public schools,
K-12; and (3) to determine if a relationship existed between compliance with the administrative requirements and compliance with the program requirements of Title IX.
Procedure. A questionnaire was developed to survey
local Title IX coordinators about compliance with Title IX. A total of sixty questionnaires were mailed. Fifty, or 83.33 percent, returned questionnaires which provided the data for this study. Respondents represented approximately
ten percent of all Iowa public school districts.
The questionnaire data were analyzed using a SPSS
computer program which yielded percentages, frequency distributions, cross tabulations with Chi-Square, Kruskall-Wallis H tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Responses were categorized by size of school district and by position and
sex of Title IX coordinator. The conventional alpha levels of .05 and .01 were established to determine significance.
Findings. The study found the following: (1) Most
Iowa public school districts had appointed a Title IX coordinator, issued a board policy, disseminated information relative to Title IX to their clients, and conducted a self-evaluation. (2) Local Title IX coordinators were
mainly male administrators. Most of them were appointed after the required date, 54 percent were comfortable and 46 percent were uncomfortable or neutral with their assignments, and although they indicated that it was important to be active coordinators, they had not been very active.
(3) Large school districts differed from small and middle size districts in that they found fewer violations in employment through their self-evaluations, hired more women administrators, spent a smaller percentage of their athletic
budgets on girls athletics, and their ratio of women administrators to men administrators in the district was lower. (4 ) Title IX corrdinators who were central office administrators tended to disseminate more information about Title IX than coordinators in other positions. (5) Women Title
IX coordinators were found to be more comfortable with their assignments and were more active in implementing their responsibilities than were their male counterparts. (6) Most Iowa public school districts were in compliance with
the program requirements of Title IX. (7) The results obtained made it impossible to test the relationship between compliance with the administrative requirements of Title IX and compliance with its program mandates.
Conclusions. As a result of the self-report data
collected, the major conclusion of the study was the following: The majority of Iowa public school districts are in compliance with the majority of the administrative and program requirements of Title IX. A secondary conclusion reached was that the role of local Title IX coordinator is not very well-defined in public school districts.
Recommendations. (A) Research: As a result of the findings and major conclusion, the following recommendations were made for further research:
(1) Studies of Title IX compliance in Iowa that
concentrate on one aspect of Title IX requirements in order to assess quality of compliance.
(2) Studies in process regulations that test the
assumption that a built-in process for change will
lead to more effective compliance with the overall
intent of the regulation or law.
(B) Implementation: As a result of the findings and secondary conclusion, the following recommendations were made for further implementation of Title IX.
(1) Better defined role for the local Title IX
coordinator.
(2) On-going in-service on Title IX for local
coordinators, certified and non-certified staff,
students, parents and community residents.
(3) Outside monitoring of Local Educational
Agencies by the Iowa Department of Public Instruction and citizens' groups to assess the quality of local school district compliance with Title IX
Communicating Images: A Narrative Based Approach to the Process of Writing (A Curriculum Design)
Get PDF227 leaves. Advisor: Dr. John HagamanThis dissertation consists essentially of an explication of a curriculum design for an introductory composition course at the
high school or college level. The design was developed by the writer over a ten year period and has been used in its present form in college classrooms for four consecutive years.
The practical aspects of the design are supported by carefully explored theoretical underpinnings from the discipline of rhetoric and the fields of composition, curriculum, and the psychology of
learning. The design presents a synthesis of intellectual understandings and teaching experience which, while it defines no new theory, makes rational order of fragments of accepted theory and practice which were heretofore unorganized for the classroom teacher.
The writer begins by addressing the pervasive problems facing composition teachers who seek success in their work: l. Confusion resulting from misunderstanding of the relationship between the composing process and the algorithms of form imposed upon the products of that process. 2. Confusion regarding the roles of teacher and learner in the composition classroom. 3. A lost connection between the learner as thinker and the learner as writer. 4. Misunderstandings regarding the meaning and importance of sequence and cumulative build in composition curricula. 5. Confusion regarding the purposes and reasonable expectations held for introductory composition courses, particularly at the college level.
From an ordering of these confusions the writer draws three precepts which are the bases of the design presented. 1. Human beings need to find meaning in their lives and need to express the meaning that they find. These needs are the basis for the creative impulses of all humans and are the context in which the composing process is realized. 2. The composing process is the structuring reality of rhetoric. The parent discipline from which composition derives. People learn to write by interacting with the composing process; they learn to write by writing. 3. The successful application of the composing process
depends upon having something to say and knowing
how to say it. A helpful composition curriculum
must attend both to the structure of the discipline/process to be learned and the learners who attempt to master that discipline/process as a means to expression of personal meanings.
From the precepts follows an examination of the design itself, outlining the structure and sequence of the curriculum, making clear at the same time the relationships between theory available and practices described. Interwoven in the description are a rota of assignments, samples of student writing, and thorough discussion of evaluative procedures. The beginning assignments
deal with the learning of narrative techniques because the writer believes narration is the most natural form of expression and because the sensory details of narration are especially important
to personalized exposition
A Study of the Effect of Various Anions on the Exchange Reaction Between Zinc Metal and Zinc Ion
Get PDF31 leaves. Advisor: Joe D. WoodsThis study was undertaken to determine what effect
if any the concentration of various anions have on the exchange reaction between zinc metal and zinc ions. A search of the literature was done to gain information on the existence of zinc chloride complexes since the formation of these complexes was postulated to be an important factor in any effects on the exchange that might be observed.
It was found that the predominant complex appears
to be [ZnCl(4)(H20)2]2-.
The study of the effects of anions on the zinc
metal zinc ion exchange was done in two parts. In the first part the effects of 1 M solutions of ZnCl(2), NaCl, NaBr, NaClO(4), and NaNO(3) were studied using Zn(65) as a tracer in the exchange reaction. It appeared that NaCl enhanced
the rate, NaBr had little effect on the rate, and ZnCl(2), NaClO(4), and NaNO(3) retarded the rate of exchange.
In the second part the effect of various concentrations of chloride were studied again using Zn(65) as a tracer. It was found that maximum exchange occurs at a
concentration around 0.1 M NaCl
Interdisciplinary Possibilities in Undergraduate English
Get PDF150 leaves. Advisor: John HagamanIn the past two decades there has been a massive proliferation of college English courses. The addition of more three hour courses has tended to compartmentalize and isolate knowledge. There are many justifications for developing English curriculum in the context of an interdisciplinary
humanities program. Interdisciplinarity implies
a student-centered curriculum. Furthermore, it demands a broader variety of teaching techniques. Interdisciplinary experiments have generated excitement among faculty and students who have been involved in programs. The time is here when English departments can profit by developing
interdisciplinary programs.
Interdisciplinary humanities programs which have wide appeal, measured success and unique characteristics which could be replicated or could serve as model programs for English departments are discussed and analyzed. The programs
discussed in Chapter II were selected from a wide
geographic range and from widely diverse kinds of colleges and universities. In Chapter III there is a focus upon five interdisciplinary humanities programs in Iowa institutions, which the writer visited. Interviews were held with persons
knowledgeable about the programs. The results of a
survey of administrators, English chairpersons, and college English majors concerning their attitudes about college English and interdisciplinarity are included and analyzed
in Chapter III.
Interdisciplinary humanities programs lead to better, faculty-student cooperation. Teachers demonstrate enthusiasm for interdisciplinary teaching, and they have opportunities to work with colleagues from different disciplines in a productive atmosphere. Students in interdisciplinary programs are more involved and have more opportunities to develop their creative potential.
The characteristics of an exemplary program are developed and may be used to create an undergraduate English Course or to evaluate an existing course. The exemplary program stresses that curriculum should be planned from a
broad concept. Further, it should rely upon more than a single medium of expression. The choice of material should elicit self-expression. Students should help plan the program. The program stresses faculty cooperation and advocates cross-listing of courses. The techniques which are most applicable to teaching an interdisciplinary humanities course are inquiry and the application of a humanistic method. An ideal humanities course should
place priorities upon teaching values