The goal of this dissertation has been to examine changes in computing technology skills possessed by aircraft maintenance technicians. The perspective of this project has been from that of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS). Specifically, the AMTS curriculum at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida, provided participants for the study. Recommendations for integrating computing technology training into the AMTS curriculum at ERAU are being proposed for planned changes to the existing curriculum. With the increased availability of computerized documentation and reference materials for the aviation industry, many technical training institutions are becoming aware of the importance of computing technology skills to the aircraft technician. With the continuing explosion of the Internet and availability of other technology-based systems, the question of what skills are already possessed will be significant in the development of any new training. A literature review has been conducted to determine the current status of computing technology within both the aviation maintenance field and as used by aircraft technician training programs. The use of such technology is quite extensive and is rapidly gaining acceptance throughout the aviation industry. In an effort to determine the computing technology skills currently possessed by aircraft maintenance students, a study was conducted that compared computer familiarity and user accuracy. The study consisted of two separate phases conducted two years apart. Identical computer software and hardware was used for each phase of the study. Instruments used included a survey of current computer skills, exercises to determine computer use, and a Subjective evaluation of two different FAA documentation software packages. Analysis of the data determined that computing technology skills possessed by AMTS students at ERAU have not significantly changed in the two years spanning the two phases of this study. These results are being used to provide recommendations for changes to AMTS curricula concerning the level of computing technology skills to be presented. While there is presently no such training required by the FAA for approved AMTSs, results from this study point to a need for exposure to computers throughout the AMTS curriculum.

In Europe, the ISO·9000 series of standards has become the entry barrier for companies doing business with the Economic Union (EU). Given the globalization of international trade, a large percentage of American companies are incurring additional expenses in seeking ISO-9000 quality registration as both a symbol of their commitment to quality and quality products and as a method to enhance productivity. This research examined the research question" To what extent does a company becoming ISO 9000 certified improve their financial performance in the years immediately after certification?" To address this question two research hypotheses and two null hypotheses were developed. The first null hypothesis was "there is no significant difference between ISO 9000 certified companies and non-ISO 9000 certified companies, on a set of financial performance indicators considered simultaneously, over the five year period prior to certification. The first research hypothesis was "There is a significant difference between ISO 9000 certified companies and non-ISO 9000 certified companies, on a set of financial performance indicators considered simultaneously, over the five year period prior to certification. The second null hypothesis was "There is no significant difference between ISO 9000 certified companies and non-ISO 9000 certified companies, on a set of financial performance indicators considered simultaneously, during the three year period after becoming certified." The second research hypothesis was "There is a significant difference between ISO 9000 certified companies and non-ISO 9000 certified companies, on a set of financial performance indicators considered simultaneously, during the three year period after becoming certified." Results from analysis concluded that the first null hypothesis was rejected; there was a significant difference at the multivariate level across the groups in the five-year period immediately preceding ISO -- 9000 certification. More significantly, the second null hypothesis was not rejected. There was not enough evidence to conclude that a significant difference exists in the four-year financial performance indicators between the selected software companies that are ISO 9000 Certified compared with those selected software companies that are not ISO 9000 Certified.

Skin cancer is the number one form of cancer in humans today. Most moles or lesions are non-cancerous (defined as benign); however, a small percentage may actually be cancerous and can ultimately be fatal. A doctor has to draw from his or her own experience and manually inspect lesions for characteristics of skin cancer during a patient's medical exam to determine whether a lesion is cancerous or benign. Being able to make this distinction could prevent serious life-threatening conditions from going undiagnosed. A review of existing literature finds that most of the current research is now focused on using computer imagery to assist the doctor in this evaluation. The basic steps include capturing the image, defining the image (e.g., shape), performing any enhancements necessary to the image (e.g., hair removal), and finally analyzing and storing the characteristics of that image (e.g., asymmetry, border, dimensions, etc.). The image has a shape that will need to be defined and this is accomplished through a process known as edge detection. Edge detection algorithms identify and locate discontinuities in the pixel intensities of an image. The discontinuities are typically associated with abrupt changes in pixel intensity values that characterize the boundaries of the objects. Since current research depends so much on computer imagery and accurate edge detection, new research should focus on what can be done to enhance the image for edge detection analysis. This dissertation focused on analyzing images of skin lesions with filtered light to determine if there were visible or non-visible characteristics of potentially cancerous lesions that the human eye could not see. This was accomplished by measuring the affect that different wavelength filters (spectral selectivity) had on lesion parameters. While this was only a small piece of the problem, it was an important building block necessary for an automated visual inspection system. Serious life threatening conditions could be better diagnosed if there was a certified visual inspection system that could distinguish benign lesions from cancerous lesions. This dissertation along with the existing body of research established a foundation on which a future system could be designed and deployed that would aid patients as well as doctors by providing additional information that can result in an improved diagnosis.

Despite a growing awareness in the corporate environment that knowledge equals intellectual capital, corporations have struggled to find a beneficial way to effectively capture and commoditize corporate knowledge. The research addressed this problem of capturing and sharing corporate knowledge through the use of a new and little known communications tool called a Blog or Weblog. A Blog is a Web page that could be easily updated by an individual within a team. A Blog contains a chronological record of thoughts on a subject. In addressing the problem, this investigator used the case study method to examine the design, implementation, and evaluation of a corporate intranet Web site incorporating a Blog at DaimlerChrysler Component Operations for the design and manufacturing of specific steering column programs. This case study was based on the hypothesis: Small workgroups at distributed corporate locations who utilized a Blog achieved a greater level of collaborative communications and knowledge sharing activity in the completion of a task, thereby streamlining the complexities associated with KM implementation as compared to those workgroups who relied on written meeting minutes and telephone communications. The goal of this research was to provide a model for large manufacturing companies for deploying Blog technologies. Developed from the case study, the model described how Blog technology can be used to manage knowledge efficiently and provide a platform for effective collaborative communications in a manufacturing environment.

The dissertation that follows is submitted to partially fulfill the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have the potential to improve the flexibility, productivity, and work environment of employees in an enterprise. WLAN technologies offer the benefits of mobility, reduced installation time, and decreased cost. However, major issues related to security, speed, interoperability, equipment selection, ease of use, reliability, signal interference, and installation must be resolved by companies moving forward with WLAN solutions. The research addressed a problem confronting many large manufacturing companies in the present-day environment. The problem was how to effectively plan, design, and implement WLAN technologies. The goal of the research was to provide large manufacturing enterprises a model for deploying secure WLAN technologies in offices, manufacturing facilities, and employee residences. The model was developed from a case study of WLAN projects implemented at American Axle and Manufacturing (AAM). Four WLAN initiatives were the subject of the case study: Wireless Connectivity in Executive Conference Rooms, Wireless Connectivity on the Plant-Floor, AAMatHome, and Enhanced Wireless LAN Security. Throughout the investigation, an emphasis was placed on the reliability, replicability, validity, and transferability of research results.

The purpose of the meta-analysis was to provide elementary and secondary school educators with a single source that summarized the body of research, conducted from January 1995 to March 2006, on the effectiveness of using reading instruction technology with learning disabled (LD) students. Fifty-six effect sizes were synthesized from 17 studies to create 29 outcome distributions for analysis. The conclusion was that reading instruction technology had an overall positive effect on improving the reading skills of students who presented a disorder in their basic psychological process involving the understanding or use of the written language. Six research investigations guided the meta-analysis: overall effectiveness, educational level, application, sound, reading sub-skills and time-on-task. The overall mean effect size was .576, which corresponded to an increase of 22 percentile points. Experimental groups from both elementary and secondary schools outperformed the control groups, but elementary students benefited the most. The drill and practice format and the gaming format both performed well with mean effect sizes of .761 and .592 respectively. There was no significant difference between the technologies that incorporated sold versus those that did not. Additionally, there was no significant difference based on the time-on task. Whether the instructional program was short or long in duration, reading instruction technology had a positive effect. Instruction which focused on a particular reading sub-skill was more effective than instruction that divided its presentation between two or more sub-skills. The overall mean effect size for phonological awareness was .442, for fluency was .628 and for reading comprehension was .455. Although fluency instruction outperformed phonological awareness and reading comprehension instruction, it could not categorically be stated that fluency instruction was the most effective. It was the ability to combine all three subskills that created successful readers. The most important implication was that educators should implement some form of reading instruction technology to help improve the reading skills of LD students. The experimental group participants consistently outperformed their peers. Research supported technology that used the gaming or the drill and practice format to deliver instruction for one reading sub-skill was most effective.

The focus of this study was an integrated needs assessment and training plan model for Computer Services Logistics Support, a group within a computer services company which is a subsidiary of an aerospace company. The need for a training plan is based on limited training budget and limited availability of classes. In addition, a recent decrease in the number of employees has not been paralleled by a decrease in the number of applications supported by the organization. Although the present scheduling process serves many needs in the larger company organization, it does not provide for long range planning of training programs. Through the formalized processes of needs assessment and task analysis, training inadequacies were identified and addressed. After criteria were developed for each task, the tasks were grouped into general areas of training needs. Managerial data were then compiled for each analyst. The needs analysis and task analysis confirmed that Computer Services Logistics is a service organization that provides two primary functions or interfaces: the human-ta-human interface and the human- ta-machine interface. Data indicated that the group is well trained in the latter, but does more tasks that require the Fonner. Based on the findings, the development of an online expert system for planning training is recommended. This system would include a database of all available courses that can be maintained over a long period of time.

Melody and harmony are foundational elements of music. Middle school students often struggle to develop the ability to identify examples of differing tonality. Research suggests that review and practice will help master the understanding and skills necessary to overcome this. Current research also suggests that computer tutorials are at least as effective, and in some cases more effective than traditional activities in developing concepts among middle school students and in music education. This study examined the use of a tutorial to provide review and practice in developing the ability to recognize and identify examples of tonalities. This study used seventh and eighth grade students in a small parochial school to compare the effectiveness of the tutorial with traditional methodology. The research followed an experimental design. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups. A pre-test was administered. Following the pre-test, normal instruction took place with both groups together. The treatment group used the tutorial during the six week instructional unit while the control group used traditional style worksheets. Following completion of the unit, a post-test was administered. The difference between pre-test and post-test scores was analyzed. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the tutorial in each of the areas. Results demonstrated effectiveness for CAI support of some aural concepts. Results failed to support the other research hypotheses. Six conclusions came from the study. First, the use of CAI is more effective for some aural concepts. Secondly, given the time of year, the tutorial that was used, and the size of the subject population, the use of a tutorial was not more effective than traditional methods. The third conclusion was that the design of the tutorial used in this study may not have been optimal. Fourth, this study did not occur at the optimal time of year. Fifth, the size of the subject population may have been too small to provide an accurate representation of the effectiveness of CAI Finally, the use of the tutorial resulted in student learning and such usage appeared to be at least as effective as the use of traditional paper and pencil.

The implementation of enterprise resource planning packages has proven to be a difficult challenge in many environments. Institutions of higher education are new entrants in the field of ERPs. Colleges and universities are beginning to implement comprehensive student information systems that aim to support all areas of administrative computing including student records, student admission, accounts receivable, and financial aid. The early experiences of these implementers are similar to experiences of ERP implementers outside of higher education. Some of these implementations have failed , leaving institutions' records and computerized student services in disarray. ERP researchers have so far focused on surveying implementers in industry to determine common causes of failed projects and the necessary prerequisites for successful implementations. However, colleges and universities operate in an environment that is different from that of businesses. The vast majority of them are non-profit, and they operate on small budgets within strict regulatory guidelines. Research similar to that in industry is needed to determine whether the same factors are responsible for successful and failed ERP implementations. ERP research in industry has generated consistent critical success factors. There are also factors available from research on information systems implementations in higher education. The researcher included these critical success factors in a survey that was mailed to managers of successful ERP implementations in higher education. These individuals were asked to mark each factor as necessary or not necessary in their particular implementation. They were also asked to provide additional factors. A second survey was used to validate the model. ERP implementers in higher education were asked to rank the importance of each factor relative to their particular implementation. Expectations were that ERP implementations proceed differently in colleges and universities. The list of factors obtained from the second survey can serve as a model for future ERP implementations in higher education. Future implementers of ERPs in higher education should be able to devote additional resources to those factors of ERP projects that were ranked higher in the list and fewer resources to other areas.

The purpose of this research is to investigate a model for designing distributed search algorithm based on the use of a distributed system of cooperating agents who communicate only through messages. This model does not require any form of synchronization among the agents as required in most models of distributed algorithms. Each message contains both the state of the computation and eventually the solution to the problem. For a solution to be complete, all the agents within the domain must process the message. This form of processing is termed as "assembly-line processing". This model is not dependent on the ordering of messages but the arrival of each message presents a unique solution to the problem. To demonstrate the usefulness of this model, this research had selected the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). It is not the intent of this research to find a faster method for solving the TSP. By making use of various known schemes for solving the TSP to be implemented within the framework of this model demonstrates the usefulness of this computational model to build distributed search algorithms fairly easily without having to worry about synchronization issues. The known schemes for solving TSP ranges from the brute-force method to the ant colony scheme. The heuristic schemes use some evaluation functions to remove "not-so-good" solutions fairly early in the processing. This has the advantage of decreasing the number of messages being relayed. The results from these schemes demonstrate the feasibility of this model for solving problems like the TSP. This research also demonstrates that without having to worry about synchronization issues allows changes to be made to schemes more manageable. More work is required to determine the operational characteristics of this model and the type of problems it can handle.