PLANNING IN THE PERIPHERY : THE CASE OF OLONGAPO CITY IN THE PHILIPPINES

HALL, NEIL BRADLEY University of New Orleans 1993 국내박사

An investigation of the efficacy of a character education program in a rural middle school

Anthony, Mary Christine Jackson University of New Orleans 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

This study examined the effects of a character education program on sixth grade students at a small, rural, middle school. The purpose of the study was to analyze the students' valuation and understanding of identified character traits presented in the program and to measure behavioral changes, in the treatment and control groups, during the course of the program. The approach to this study was a multi-method design: a semantic differential instrument was used to survey the understanding and valuation of identified character traits. Data collected from the school discipline infraction report was used to measure changes in behavior. Data analysis using a t-test revealed no significant differences in the treatment group regarding their understanding and valuation of identified character traits. No significant differences were measured in discipline infractions or behavioral data.

Assessment of growth response and patterns of biomass allocation by Panicum hemitomon Schultes: Implications for thick-mat floating marsh creation and restoration

Mayence, C. Ellery University of New Orleans 2007 해외공개박사

I carried out several large, manipulative greenhouse and controlled-setting experiments to elucidate Panicum hemitomon growth response as influenced by environmental conditions associated with restoring thick-mat floating marsh. Initially, Panicum hemitomon growth response was assessed in conjunction with manipulated nutrient availability and hydrology. Next, I assessed Panicum hemitomon growth response in conjunction with a suite of substrate and mat or containment materials. Finally, I evaluated Panicum hemitomon growth response, as well as overall created floating marsh vegetated development, using both a multi-species planting approach and a suite of Panicum hemitomon establishment techniques. All partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass (shoot, rhizome, and root material) were enhanced under nitrogen, and to a lesser extent, phosphorous enrichment. Saturated (not inundated) hydrologic conditions were most conducive for robust growth by all partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass. Substrate and mat or containment materials had a significant effect on Panicum hemitomon vigor, with peat and peat-containing blended substrate materials being most conducive for vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. Duralast coconut fiber was the most suitable mat or containment material based not only on measures of plant vigor, but also for reasons associated with strength and stability, as well as buoyancy. The combination of Panicum hemitomon and Ludwigia peploides was superior to any other multi-species treatment tested. Ludwigia peploides was highly resilient to transplanting, grew vigorously in a lateral fashion, produced significantly more biomass than any other secondary species, and enhanced overall mat buoyancy, all key metrics regarding successful floating marsh restoration. Equally as important, the large amount of biomass attained by Ludwigia peploides was not totally at the expense of vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. With respect to establishment technique, the positive response of Panicum hemitomon rhizome growth to humic acid amendment warrants further study. This research generated data that not only advance the body of general ecological knowledge pertaining to Panicum hemitomon, the dominant macrophyte of thick-mat floating marsh, but equally as important, data that are likely to augment or enhance the creation and restoration of this important freshwater marsh type. Keywords. Panicum hemitomon, floating marsh, biomass allocation, multi-species approach.

Perceptions of the changing role of the library media specialist

Shelton, Patricia B. Washington University of New Orleans 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation investigated the perceptions of library media specialists about their changing roles as teachers of literacy, instructional partners and curriculum/program specialists, as prescribed by the American Library Association to impact change. A pilot study investigated a convenience sample of 25 secondary school library media specialists. The results of the pilot study were incorporated in the main study which utilized two instruments. The first instrument was a survey, Role Expectations of Library Media Specialists Survey, which was administered to 124 library media specialists. The subjects were invited, in the opening session of a conference, to be the convenience sample. The second research instrument was the <italic>Information Power</italic> Interview, a one-on-one interview with a designed protocol. This interview was conducted in one school district with 25 library media specialists, each independent of the others in a school environment. They were also a convenience sample. The first instrument used a Likert Scale to rate forty-six items related to library media specialists' role performance. The five items most directly related to the research questions served as the focus of analysis. The second instrument, the <italic>Information Power Interview</italic>, used 10 open-ended questions. Emphasis in both instruments was on the role perceptions of the library media specialist. This mixed design study used frequencies that produced data files yielding tabulations and percentages from the pilot study research, the research survey data and data from the interviews which contained open-ended questions. Demographic questions were also asked of each interviewee. Comments from the pilot study questionnaire, as well as the interview profiles, were used to support the data. These findings indicate that library media specialists perceive their roles as prescribed by the American Library Association as being essential to impact the Information era demands. The study showed that library media specialists not only perceive the roles set forth by the American Library Association, but are relating those perceptions to plans of performance in the changing roles. Several recommendations are offered for further research to more fully describe the current roles of library media specialists.

Nature of teacher/student interactions in public elementary schools: Does class size make a difference?

Krieger, Jean Deen University of New Orleans 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

School administrators and other individuals who make decisions that affect the education of young children are often looking for ways to provide the best opportunities for academic achievement. Primary students who attend school in classes with fewer children have been shown to have increased achievement (Word, Johnston, Bain, Fulton, Boyd-Zaharias, Lintz, Achilles, Folger, J., & Breda, 1990). More information is needed to discover what happens when fewer children are in primary classrooms (Finn, 1998). This study was designed to discover the nature of interactions between effective teachers in regular-size classes with 25 or more students and small-size classes with less than 18 students. Eleven primary classrooms were observed and the interactions between the teacher and students were studied. Verbal and nonverbal interactions were recorded and categorized using emergent and a priori categories to discover similarities and inconsistencies when comparing regular and small-size classes. French and Galloway's (1970) a priori categories of institutional, task, personal, and mixed were used to determine if the data gathered were consistent with interactions previously recorded (Evertson & Folger, 1989). As in previous studies, teachers in the small-size classes spent more time on task-related interactions than the teachers in regular-size classes. Those teachers in regular-size classes spent more time on institutional interactions (Achilles, Kiser-Kling, Owen, & Aust, 1994). The emergent categories of positive attention and examples, negative attention, acknowledgement, directives, and procedural were documented. When all of the interactions were compared, the teachers in small classes were observed during more separate directive interaction events than the teachers in regular-size classes. The small-size class teachers were devoting more time to interactions that were task-related and less time to negative behaviors than the regular-size classroom teachers. The regular-size class teachers spent more of their time on interactions that were not related to the learning objectives.

Agglomeration economies and deposit structure in commercial banking : an economic index number approach

Canter, Frank Caldwell University of New Orleans 1994 국내박사

NONLINEAR CONTROL OF PROCESSES WITH ACTUATOR SATURATIONS

VALLURI, SAIRAM UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS 1997 국내박사

Discovering new selves: Service-learning and the intellectual development of college students

Maheu, Charlotte J University of New Orleans 2009 해외공개박사

The purpose of this study was to explore college students' intellectual development through their service-learning experience. This study also took into consideration the characteristics of student groups and the way in which they transformed intellectually through their service-learning experience. To examine these questions, twelve upper-division college students who had completed a service-learning course were interviewed, in order to capture the dynamics of their service-learning experiences, their perceptions of their intellectual development, and their values and priorities as college students in detail. From the interviews, five major themes related to college students' intellectual development emerged. Three of the themes focused on the interpersonal capacities and complexities of intellectual development, and two were related to the complexity and challenges of unstructured problems related to service-learning and college students' intellectual growth. In addition, by analyzing the themes and the characteristics of student groups together, I coined new terms to capture the intellectual transformation of modern-day college students who participate in service-learning. The findings of this study will add to the understanding of college students' intellectual development through service-learning, as well as how students transformed through the experience, and provide opportunities for future research to investigate specific groups of college students in this and other collegiate settings. Keywords. College students; service-learning; intellectual development.

Natural history of the pichi (Zaedyus pichiy) in Mendoza Province, Argentina

Superina, Mariella University of New Orleans 2007 해외공개박사

The pichi Zaedyus pichiy (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) is a poorly known, diurnal armadillo inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions of Argentina and Chile that has endured substantial population declines. My objective was to elucidate different aspects of the natural history of Z. pichiy as a first step towards establishing a conservation plan. Wild and captive pichis were studied. Body temperature of wild pichis averaged 35.2+/-1.2°C and was highly variable (range 32.2--38.3°C). Temperature measurements of semi-captive males showed that pichis can survive energetically challenging periods by entering hibernation or daily torpor. Stomach contents of poached animals revealed that pichis feed predominantly on insects but also ingest plant material, vertebrates and arachnids. This opportunistic, omnivorous feeding strategy allows them to thrive where food type and availability vary seasonally. The reproductive cycle of pichis was studied by means of histological and fecal hormone analyses. Pichis are seasonal breeders that produce one yearly litter of 1 to 2 offspring, and the initiator of breeding season seems to be an increase in daylength. The absence of regular estrous cycles and corpora lutea in non-pregnant females, and immediate mating attempts after pairing, all suggest that pichis are induced ovulators. Clinical examinations and hematological, serological and coproparasitological analyses of free-ranging pichis, and necropsies and histological examinations of confiscated pichis and roadkills, indicate that the populations are currently in good health. While parasites were often found, no severe pathologies were observed. Infections with potentially zoonotic diseases were rare: only a few pichis were seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi, none had antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, and none of the histologically examined individuals presented lesions attributable to these pathogens. Elevated ambient humidity levels often caused moist dermatitis with epidermal detachment in captive pichis. Poaching is currently considered to have a much higher negative impact on the wild populations than disease epidemics. Mortality due to heavy poaching activity may be difficult, if not impossible, to compensate by the current birth rates. This preliminary database on the natural history and reproduction of pichis will assist efforts to conserve this little-known species of armadillo. Keywords. Armadillos, conservation, conservation biology, Dasypodidae, diet, diseases, health evaluation, hematology, hibernation, natural history, pathologies, poaching, reference values, reproduction, thermoregulation, torpor, wildlife health, Xenarthra, Zaedyus pichiy, zoonoses.

ARCHITECTURE AND SOCIETAL NEEDS : A STUDY OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE IN THE ARCHITECTURAL PROFESSION (BUILT ENVIRONMENT, CRIME, BEHAVIOR)

TIJERINO, ROGER J UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS 1998 국내박사