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The purpose of this research was to investigate career development of gifted and regular elementary school students. Students in grades four through six from a university laboratory school were examined by ability, grade level, and gender in several areas of interests, using the Holland (1985a) Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments.The Self-Directed Search - Form E (SDS-E; Holland, 1985b) and The Occupational Alternatives Questions (OAQ; Slaney, 1980) were administered to 148 students, 34 of which had been identified as gifted. Holland (1985b) SDS codes were assigned to the SDS obtained scores and the stated occupational choices. Prestige of occupational choices were also assigned, using the socioeconomic index of Stevens and Cho (1985).Demographic variables and hypotheses were tested by MANOVA and ANOVA statistical procedures to determine the nature of relationships between variables.Results indicated overall significant main effects in the MANOVA of obtained SDS codes for the independent variables of grade, sex, and ability. Males scored higher than females on the Realistic code. Females scored higher on the Artistic and Social codes. Gifted students scored higher on the Investigative code. On the ANOVA of the differential variable, there were significant differences by grade and sex, with fifth grade students and females more highly differentiated. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

During the summer of 1968, the Vice President for Student Affairs at Ball State University, established the Office of Special Programs. Personnel of the Office were charged with the responsibility for developing and providing special services for students with low academic records so that collegiate success and persistence might be enhanced. The Director of Special Programs was directly charged with the responsibility for providing academic counseling, advice relative to course selections, and for marshalling existing university academic and ancillary support systems as necessary to improve college persistence behaviors among students classified for "Admission with Warning."Personnel of the Office of Special Programs developed and implemented a program designed to provide special academic and supportive services to "Admission with Warning" students. The Directed Admission Student Experimental Program was implemented in the fall of 1968. The program included a remedial reading course, a remedial writing course designed specifically for students identified for the DASEP experience. Personal counseling and special Curricular Advising services were provided to all DASEP students. Over the period from 1968-1972 a total of 274 students were selected to be participants in the DASEP group, and a total of 273 students were identified for inclusion in a control group.The purpose of this study was to determine whether students admitted to the Ball State University Directed Admission Student Experimental Program (DASEP) during the period from 1968 to 1972, persisted to program completion more frequently than did similar students in an identical non-DASEP control group. If the null hypothesis relating to the major purpose was not accepted, differences among DASEP persisters and non-persisters would be investigated.A second purpose of the study was to collect and analyze evaluative perceptions from participants of the Directed Admission Student. Experimental Program relative to the special services provided.The research was planned to test the null hypothesis relating to persistence in the DASEP program and to secure evaluative perceptions about the services from 274 DASEP students.The investigator collected data on persistence in the DASEP program from 265 DASEP and 255 control group students. Data were statistically treated by means of the chi square statistic. The .05 level was used for hypothesis acceptance or non-acceptance. In order to secure evaluative perceptions about services provided participants in the DASEP program, a Likert type instrument was developed and sent to 250 participants in the DASEP program. Review of the data led to the following conclusions:There was no statistically significant difference found between the DASEP group and control group students in persistence to the completion of their individual educational program.Less than one-half of the DASEP students perceived the services provided by the Reading Clinic to be helpful.Slightly more than one-half perceived the services of the Writing Clinic to be helpful.Depending upon the service, about one-half of the students perceived the special Curricular Advising services to be helpful.About one-third perceived the subjects taught in the seminar class to be helpful.Slightly less than one-half of the DASEP students perceived counseling, provided by the staff of Special Programs to be helpful.In a summary question, 94 percent of the DASEP students perceived the DASEP program had been beneficial to them.

This creative project develops a conceptual plan for a "green", Ball State University Field Study Environmental Education Center, LandLab and Dormitory. The proposed design is ecologically responsible in construction and operation, relying upon natural qualities and resources of the site, as sources of renewable energy.In addition to enabling formal environmental education, the proposed facility is intended to foster within its students and guests, a love of life and nature, and an environmental ethic. Strategic and environmentally responsible use and placement of facility systems, variously composed of infrastructure, building, winter garden, and landscape components, results not only in interdisciplinary, experiential learning opportunities, and in replications of natural biomes; but, inherently provides healthy living conditions, in an interior environment ideally suited for human occupancy, with lush vegetation, gushing, gurgling, and splashing water, naturalistic scenery, fresh air, abundant sunlight, and warm temperatures. / Department of Landscape Architecture

The purpose of this project was to identify the content of a series of electricity and electronics courses which would meet the training needs of the Muncie community and the enrollment of the Muncie Community School's program for adults. To achieve this, it was necessary to determine who the program serves and to determine their training needs. Representative advisory committees were therefore, used to evaluate and recommend course content. Since the study was concerned with the training needs of the whole community, a survey of three different types of electrical and electronic employers was conducted. Thissurvey was conducted by means of a mailed questionnaire.

This thesis investigates student-identified benefits of residential learning communities. It is a qualitative study involving matriculates living on campus who participate in Freshman Connections at Ball State University. Past assessment of the program includes faculty, residence hall director, and student surveys investigating their experiences and feedback. The literature reflects creation and implementation of living and learning communities, benefits for students, faculty and universities, and retention outcomes. The researcher used focus groups in the research design and analyzed the data by extracting relevant themes. The findings are discussed within the following themes: student knowledge of the Freshman Connections program; adjustment to Ball State University, and college, academic and interpersonal benefits of learning communities; and relationships among students and faculty. The conclusion includes discussion of how student adjustment to Ball State University and college was affected by assignment of students to the same courses and residence hall. Academic relationships among faculty and students are also explored along with discussion concerning students' overall experience in the Freshman Connections program. Finally, suggestions for further research are presented. / Department of Educational Leadership