This thesis focuses on how new college faculty learn to teach. It is a qualitative study involving four first year Ball State University college professors from different departments. The past research explores faculty beliefs, skills, and styles as well as graduate preparation for teaching. The literature also covers faculty development programs, university and administrator influence, and the future of college teaching. The researcher used observations and interviews in the research design and analyzed the data by coding it into themes. The findings are discussed within the following topics: teaching techniques, professor experience, faculty development, graduate preparation and teaching assistantships, formation of teaching style, and professors' personal theories. The conclusion includes a discussion of how past experiences have taught professors how to reflect on their teaching to make modifications and how there is a lack of emphasis placed on teaching in the graduate schools. The substitution of teaching techniques for a teaching style, as well as, the amount of training professors have in college student development is also explored. The discussion also includes how new professors form personal theories of teaching. There is also a section on some specific findings for Ball State University, as well as recommendations for future research. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

The purpose of this project was to compare the financial management habits of Ball State University first-year students and seniors living on campus.A stratified, systematic sample of 100 first-year students and 100 seniors were surveyed during December 2000. Data were collected on 25 variables, 4 describing personal characteristics, and 21 describing personal financial management habits.It was determined that Ball State University first-year students and seniors have similar financial management habits. Statistically significant differences between first-year students and seniors existed on the following variables: having a student loan, knowing when the loan must be repaid, having one or more credit cards, carrying a balance on one or more credit cards, having a savings account, and recording expenditures in a check register.Financial management is an area that Student Affairs practitioners may want to consider investing more time educating students. Current financial management programs may need to be evaluated for their effectiveness. Using current research, new programs may be developed and implemented. / Department of Educational Leadership

This thesis investigates the structure of the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at Ball State University, otherwise referred to as the Architecture Building (AB). The purpose of this study was to examine the use of energy within the two wings of the building. The research focussed on the history of the decision-making process of the design. It studied the geometry of the building. It researches the issue of lighting and daylighting. It examined the behavior of the HVAC systems. It studied the current and potential use of the Solar Chimney. It analyzed the existing windows as well as possible alternatives.The study results in an experimental design for an additional wing for the Architecture Building. It also recommends specific solutions for optimizing the separate parts of the existing building with respect to their use of energy as well as their exposure to daylight. This also helps to identify the limits of rebuilding an existing structure. Therefore, the appendices show new technologies that will help future designs, from the building materials used to the change of the design process itself.With its huge south-facing atrium and the closed north wall this building communicates the idea of utilizing natural energy sources (e.g., maximizing of solar gain) and minimizing the loss of energy through the building envelope.In fact, the biggest energy consuming factor is not the loss of energy during the winter time, but the excessive gain of energy during the summer which puts an extraordinary cooling load on the A/C system of the building. Apart from that, the amount of electricity for lighting due to the unavailability of daylight as well as the very inefficient lighting system and fans of the A/C system is extensive.Recent advances in the development of high efficiency windows and lights would allow for significant savings within the building. Unfortunately, a lot of the problems of the building are "cast in concrete" and therefore cannot be changed. This leads to the realization that architects need tools that allow them to better predict the future behavior of their anticipated structures. New developments in the field of Computer Aided Design (CAD) boost this simulation ability of planned buildings to a point unthought of a few years ago. / Department of Architecture

Nutrition knowledge, Locus of Control, and dietary practices were assessed and compared among male and female athletes at Ball State University with the goal of designing an appropriate nutrition education program. Members of the men's basketball (n=ll), track (n=12) and women's basketball (n=12) and track (n=14) teams were selected as participants in this study. Each participant was required to complete nutrition knowledge, Locus of Control and food frequency questionnaires in addition to completing three 24-hour food recalls on separate occasions.Comparison between gender revealed that female athletes had greater nutrition knowledge levels than male athletes. Women averaged only 90% of advisable caloric intake whereas men exceeded their advisable caloric intake.Male athletes were found not to have better dietary practices than female athletes as previous research suggest. In fact, males exceeded the percent of advisable intake of protein and fat. While, women exceeded advisable protein intake, they consumed less than the maximum advisable fat intake.Comparisons made between sport form revealed two trends: (1) track athletes had greater nutrition knowledge than basketball players and (2) track athletes tended to consume a greater percent of kcalorie intake as protein than basketball athletes.It can be concluded from this study that greater nutrition education should be given to male athletes to encourage lower fat and protein intake. Female athletes need to be educated in the areas of approximate caloric and protein intake. All the athletes need to be educated in general nutrition and nutrition as it relates to physical activity. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the effect of Locus of Control on the dietary practices of both male and female athletes. / Institute for Wellness

Communicating With Difficult Patients: Nurses' Perceptions Effective communication is paramount in any nurse-patient relationship. Nurses must develop good interpersonal skills with which to evaluate patient needs, provide therapeutic interaction and obtain mutual goals. The purpose of this study was to describe the variables present in nurses self reported communication with difficult patients.Imogene King provides the theoretical framework for this study using the concept of goal attainment as the basis. The Difficult Patient Assessment Tool (Podrasky & Sexton, 1988) was used to measure communication with difficult patients, along with the addition of an open-ended question. A convenience sample of 25 (40%) R.N.'s and L.P.N.'s from a community hospital in the Midwest was used. The procedures for the protection of human subjects were followed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.Findings of the study included that nurses perceive difficult patients as demanding, never satisfied, confused, frustrating, female, noncompliant, manipulative and uncooperative. Nurses reacted to the communication that takes place with the difficult patient, with feelings of frustration, incompetence, anger, disgust, anxiety, and at times, "O.K.". Nurses most frequently interact with difficult patients in informative, pragmatic, supportive, prescriptive and catalytic manners. The resulting transaction between the nurse and the difficult patient included feelings of frustration, fright, confusion and hurt.Conclusions were that difficult patients are perceived as making unrealistic demands on the nurses' time, and impair nursing interactions. Nurses' transactions resulted in both positive and negative reactions, depending on the situation, and the reactive patterns of the nurse. Nurses tend to take a more authoritative, rather than a facilitative role in interactions with difficult patients.Implications include the need for learned communication patterns which may or may not be effective in dealing with difficult patients. Effective communication skills involve not only acquired knowledge, but also knowledge of self and one's perceptions and values. Self knowledge of communication patterns, and how to improve on those patterns, might be helpful. / School of Nursing

An effort to understand the basic contextual foundation of environmental art design in relation to site-specific context. As a result of this understanding, environmental artwork designs will be developed based upon the context of chosen sites on the Ball State University's campus with a view toward the development of greater visual literacy. The work effort includes a preliminary exploration of the methods and approaches followed by contemporary designers (including artists, landscape architects, landscape designers, and architects) in the design and execution of environmental art works that have a contextual relationship to a site. This exploration focuses upon Post World War II outdoor installations intended for public viewing and/or interaction. Context of Project WorkThe first step consists of information gathering about professional designers, including landscape architects, artists, landscape designers, and architects, who design outdoor environmental artworks based upon the context of a site. This information will include literature search, site visits, case studies, and possible interviews with designers.This information will then be distilled into sketch designs of environmental art pieces that can be sited on the Ball State University's campus. The designs produced for the artworks will be based upon the information gathered about various designers with attention to the preservation of the stylistic influences from the artists while deleting the possibility of repetition of previous artworks.The work of research on artists and projects will result in an expanded knowledge base from which a group of three or four designers will be selected to serve as exemplars or a case study foundation for the design effort.It is expected that the entire effort will serve as a model of an apprenticeship in outdoor art and site design for a non-art major pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture degree. In addition, the work effort will serve to promote visual literacy in the Ball State University campus as well as to provide suggestions for physical designers on the placement and execution of site specific outdoor art. / Department of Landscape Architecture

A survey of the Upper White River Valley located 76 new sites additional information on 6 previously recorded sites. After a preliminary literature review, artifacts from the Ball State University Archaeology Laboratory were reanalyzed and local artifact collectors were contacted to obtain additional knowledge survey area. The fieldwork focused on the floodplain and the location of Woodland sites in regards to Ross soil. Surface manifestations of Woodland-affiliated sites indicated that 33% of the sites in the project area were located in the floodplain and all Woodland components were represented on or adjacent to Ross soil. Results from the fieldwork indicate a positive correlation between Woodland sites and Ross soil in the Upper White River Valley of east-central Indiana. / Department of Anthropology

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze what motivated students with physical disabilities to get involved in extracurricular activities on the Ball State University campus. Ten students with physical disabilities were asked a series of questions that helped to determine why these students chose to participate.The examination of these data revealed that students with physical disabilities chose to get involved in extracurricular activities in order to meet peers, develop their resume, and gain leadership skills. Recommendations made to encourage more students with physical disabilities to become involved on campus included strengthening Disabled Students In Action, educating the university community, committing to physical access, and developing a specific advertising campaign for the programs most often utilized by these students. / Department of Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to assess which particular circumstances of HIV antibody testing are most important to Ball State University students when making the decision whether or not to be tested. This study also looked at psychological variables within the individual that may influence one's decision whether or not to be tested. A descriptive correlational study design was used. Subjects were recruited from the psychological science subject pool. These students were enrolled in the Psychology 100 class at Ball State University during the Spring, 1992 Semester. Subjects were also recruited from sororities, fraternities, and business fraternities. A total of 397 subjects (210 males and 187 females) were recruited for the study.Subjects filled out four surveys: an HIV Antibody Testing Inventory, an AIDS Knowledge Survey, the MultiDimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, and the Social Desirability Scale. Results indicated students in this sample preferred going off campus for HIV testing versus on campus. They preferred a medical setting with a medical counselor doing the testing. These subjects did not want peers doing the HIV testing or counseling. The level of AIDS Knowledge subject had did not correlate with their stated likelihood of being tested for HIV. Subjects preferred anonymous testing, but appeared to recognize the benefits of recording basic demographic information. / Institute for Wellness

As new methods of communication have been created by technological advances, it has become important to examine how students use these methods to interact with other students, the campus community, and the world. This study at Ball State University helped researchers understand how students communicated online in order to create policies regarding online communication. Data were gathered using the qualitative methodology of responsive interviewing. Students and administrators were interviewed (luring May and June of 2006. The data were analyzed by identifying important themes, trends, and concepts among the data according to Rubin & Rubin's (2005) model. The study found that institutions should create educational opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to learn about online communication technologies. These educational sessions should include how to use the technologies, the potential for their misuse, and the responsibilities attached to their use. The study concluded that existing policies should be used to address online policy violations. / Department of Educational Studies