The purpose of this experiment was to compare the effectiveness of two alternative instructional strategies for teaching basic construction surveying concepts. The basic concepts of construction surveying, office, field, angles, distance and elevation must be thoroughly understood before complex construction surveying applications can be performed. Instruction in applied science courses such as construction surveying is constantly being impacted by advances in technology. Technological developments require an evolving pedagogy incorporating change while maintaining the integral basics. The dynamics of change require an instructor to maintain basic construction surveying concepts consideration while developing authentic experiences which can be incorporated into the new technologies. This experiment was performed using two different instructional formats, integrated and separated, for instructing study participants in basic construction surveying. The integrated format presented the related collaborative instructional components, theoretical and practical, during the same class while the separated format presented the related instruction, theoretical and practical, in a traditional manner with separated lecture and lab. Pre and post achievement tests were given to all four intact classes used in this experiment for measuring the study participants pre-instruction and post-instruction knowledge. The experimental results indicated that the designed curriculum was effective in teaching the basic construction surveying concepts. The two alternative instructional treatments, integrated and separated were both found to be statistically similar. Additionally, class time and class size were determined to have no measurable effect on achievement. This research provides applied science instructors the flexibility to design courses which can be used for a variety of different situations. Based on the results of this experiment, traditionally large classes can utilize the separated lecture-lab format with the expectation that student achievement will be the same for the small classes which can be instructed using the integrated format. These findings can also be used as the basis for a distance education class which can present the lecture portion in a self directed web-based format while keeping the lab portion in a context which utilizes the typical instructor student lab.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of military deployment or activation of reserve and National Guard soldiers on civilian employers. Understanding how activation affects the operations of civilian employers will increase awareness of the effects of labor stability on organizations. The study utilizes survey methodology to measure changes in organizational output, customer satisfaction, and employee behavior. In addition, number of employees supervised, strategies employed to adapt to the effects of activation on operations, organizational types, and the amount of time required for the organization to return to pre-activation levels of performance were measured. The sample was randomly selected from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) database in Louisiana. The conclusion of this study is that the majority of organizations were not affected by activation. The distribution of strategies to adapt to the absence of the reserve employee was not independent from the organization type transportation and material moving. The strategy most used by respondents in the transportation and material moving sector to cope with the loss of the reserve employee was overtime, the second most used strategy was increasing employee workload without adding additional hours worked. The strategy least used by respondents in the transportation and material moving industry sector was reducing the organizations output. Finally, the strategy using contract labor was found not to be independent of the number of months required to return to a normal level of performance. Government agencies may use the information from this research to formulate policies to counter the effects of activation on the minority of organizations affected by activation. In addition, the results from this study may enable human resource practitioners to create overtime and work load polices to counter the effects that employee absences have on organizations. The results from this study ran counter to past research on employee turnover and organizational performance, as well as recent research performed on troop activation and organizational performance. Finally, the study highlights the need for further research in the area of troop activation by exploring divergent and often conflicting views in the current literature.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is essential in providing eligible households with the right tools to adopt healthy eating and active lifestyle practices which are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid. Education in the OFS, where SNAP eligibility is assessed, is one means to preventing adversities which those in poverty often face. Out of concern for the lack of nutrition education being conducted in the OFS, along with the many distractions limiting clients ability to absorb and retain educational messages, the Food Stamp Office Resource Kit (FSORK) was developed. The FSORK includes a 20 minute video covering a vast range of nutrition topics, along with an informational kiosk including bilingual recipe cards and brochures. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if visitors to the OFS would be influenced by educational videos and printed materials to select, purchase, prepare and consume healthier foods. A total of 32 clients interactions with the materials were observed in two OFS locations. Additionally, a total of 30 patrons were interviewed upon exiting the office. The FSORK is a potentially effective tool for SNAP-Ed. The environment of the OFS plays a significant roll in the successful delivery of the education. Extremely large offices may not find this tool as useful, but the kit could still be utilized by implementing multiple videos or by expecting weaker results. Future changes to OFS assessments such as moving towards interviewing applicants over the phone warrant exploration of innovative nutrition education delivery methods.

Individuals, institutions, and society are affected by whether or not students persist in college; therefore, persistence and retention on college campuses is an important topic for higher education systems. However, little research has been done on program retention. Since engineering as a profession is expected to increase, it is imperative to have students persist in the major. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the influence of selected demographic and academic characteristics in the decision of first time in college (FTIC) traditional-age undergraduates who declare engineering as their major at admission to persist in the curriculum from second to third year at a small private university in the southeastern portion of the United States. The target population for this study was defined as the first time in college (FTIC) traditional-age undergraduate students who declared engineering as their major when they were admitted in the fall 2005 and 2006 semesters. For the research instrument, 20 independent variables were collected from Admissions, Student Financial Services, the Registrars, and Academic Services databases and transferred to a computerized recording form. Using stepwise multiple discriminant analysis, the researcher identified a significant model that increased the researchers ability to accurately explain the persistence of FTIC traditional-age undergraduate students who declared engineering as their major when they were admitted. The model correctly classified 79.1% of the cases, which was a 58.2% improvement over chance. The researcher recommended further studies to increase the percentage of correctly classified cases by integrating these variables with others to further explain persistence/non-persistence. Variables she suggested were the amount of the students financial aid portfolio, as well as high school math courses taken by the student and the grades he/she earned. The researcher found that many of the non-persisting students had pre-college academic success, and so the researcher recommends that the institution conduct exit interviews to find out why these students chose to not persist in Engineering. She also recommends the implementation of a learning community, a living and learning environment that combines social and academic integration for the students.

The purpose of this study was to describe what a sample of registered nurses in the state of Louisiana, who are members of the Louisiana State Nurses' Association (LSNA), identify as deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs. Two hundred and eighty one RNs participated in the study. The 54 item four point Likert - type interval scale Deterrents to Participation in Web-Based Graduate Nursing Programs Survey Instrument was utilized to measure what LSNA member RNs identified as deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs. Eighteen items assessed demographic information about the respondents. A factor analysis revealed a three factor solution that explained 55.436 % of the total variance in deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs. The factors were labeled concerns about quality, cost, and time, concerns about access to resources: technological and personal, and concerns about electronic mediated communication. There were four significant findings when comparisons were made with the overall scale mean of the deterrents survey tool. A significant difference was found between computer literacy, current educational status, employment status, and annual household income and the overall scale mean. No significant differences were found between respondents age, ethnicity, gender, years of being a registered nurse, marital status, number of children, or parents educational status when compared to the overall scale mean of the deterrents survey tool. Multiple regression analysis revealed an overall model of three predictors of deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs: no computer literacy, annual household income between 20,000 and 50,000 dollars, and having the current educational status of graduating from a diploma RN program. This model accounted for 21% of the variance in the deterrents to participation scores.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between self-esteem and academic achievement among students at the freshman level in the College of Agriculture at a Research-Extensive University in the Southern Region of the United States. The sample of the study was all students at one selected Research-Extensive University enrolled in the Introduction to Agriculture course which was a requirement for agriculture students at the freshman level. Three instruments were used for data collection. The Adult Form of the Coopersmith Inventory was administered at two data collection points at the beginning and end of the first semester of college enrollment. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect demographic information. A third instrument was a recording form on which data from the Office of the University Registrar were downloaded and stored. No significant relationship was found between self-esteem at the beginning of the first semester of college and the first semester grade point average of students at the freshman level. Using multiple regression analysis, a significant model was identified which explained 9.9% of the variance in academic achievement. The variable that had the greatest impact on academic achievement was membership in a departmental student organization. The variables whether or not the father completed a graduate degree, membership in service organizations, and partici-pation in sports also entered the model. Multiple regression analysis was also used to identify a significant model that explained 17.3% of the variance in self-esteem at the end of the first semester of college enrollment. The variable with the greatest impact on self-esteem was age. Other variables which contributed significantly were membership in social sororities/fraternities, membership in religious organizations, Hispanic Race, African American Race, and Caucasian Race. The researcher concluded that there was no relationship between academic achievement and self-esteem. The researcher recommended the development of an instrument to measure self-attitudes regarding constructs specific to the college student. This instrument would serve the function of measuring self-esteem for this intermittent stage in the lives of many young people.

Entry level into the practice of registered nursing has been a controversial topic in the profession of nursing since the American Nurses Association (ANA) Position Statement in 1965, which stated that entry level into practice should be at the baccalaureate degree level. The oldest and most traditional type of nursing program is the diploma nursing program. Diploma nursing programs have proven to score at or above the national mean on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) required by all nursing graduates to pass to obtain licensure for the practice of nursing, regardless of educational preparation. The purpose of this study was to explore and determine what factors make diploma nursing programs successful in the U.S. Based on a review of the literature, extensive information exists on predicting student success on the NCLEX-RN, but very little information exists on program success. Faculties of nursing programs are intricately involved with students and with the program and are uniquely qualified to determine these factors. The Diploma Nursing Program Success Survey, a 42-item questionnaire based on a four-point Likert-type scale, was developed and administered online to 446 faculty members of National League for Nursing Accreditation Committee (NLNAC) accredited diploma nursing programs in the U. S. One hundred ninety diploma nursing faculty participated in the study. Factor analysis identified five factors that determined success among diploma nursing programs labeled as: 1) clinical and faculty experiences, 2) instructors years of experience, 3) critical thinking skills, 4) small classes and low faculty-student ratio, and 5) admission criteria. Multiple regression analysis revealed average number of graduates per year and average number of clinical hours in acute care setting per course as strong predictors of diploma program success predicting 15% of the variance. In addition, seven emerging themes were identified from the question, What do you think contributes to diploma nursing program success? These themes were: 1) faculty-student relationship/individualized attention/close relationships/mentoring, 2) increased clinical time, 3) small class size/low faculty-to-student ratio, 4) faculty commitment/dedicated instructors, 5) application of theory into practice, 6) enhancing critical thinking, and 7) same instruction in classroom and clinical.

Registered nurses (RNs)working in acute care hospitals that provide services 24 hours a day 7 days a week with a variety of schedules are a challenge for Nurse Managers to communicate rapidly changing, important educational messages in a timely and efficient manner. These RNs can be considered dispersed, or distanced, employees from their Nurse Managers. Moores (1972) Theory of Transactional Distance was the theoretical framework to explore the effects of disseminating educational messages via email from Nurse Managers to frontline RNs working in an acute care hospital that provides services 24 hours a day 7 days a week. A researcher-developed instrument, the Multivariable Transactional Distance Survey, was used to measure transactional distance, transactional distance constructs of learner autonomy, dialogue and structure, learner experience with technology, overall RN satisfaction with the program and selected professional and personal demographics. Findings indicate that frontline RNs are ready to use email to receive educational messages. They reported confidence in using email and accessibility to a computer. They were overall satisfied with the educational messages delivered electronically. There were no significant differences found in age, gender or type of unit in which the RN worked. Results confirmed that frontline RNs are dispersed employees, working full time but only three days a week 12 hours a day. Nurses that only work two days a week had a statistically lower transactional distance scale score compared to nurses that work five days a week. There was also a statistically lower transactional distance scale score in the nurses that rotated shifts compared to those that worked the day shift. Internal consistency of the total transactional distance scale was analyzed at a Cronbachs Alpha of .929. Factor analysis of the data resulted in a four-factor model that explained 55.13% of the variance. Ten variables with loadings ranging from .920 to .423 loaded on factor one, dialogue. Ten variables loaded on factor two, structure, with loadings ranging from .745 to .428. Factor three, learner autonomy, contained six variables with loadings ranging from .938 to .654. The fourth factor was learner experience and consisted of six variables with loadings that ranged from .782 to .457. This supports Moores Transactional Distance Theory.

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of selected personal and professional demographic characteristics on the critical thinking abilities of teachers in a parish in Southwest Louisiana. The study is a correlational design using a descriptive survey technique with questions for the data collection. The examiner looked at attribute independent variables characteristics that a subject has before a study begins such as gender, age, race, highest level of education completed, and years of teaching experience. Three hundred and twenty-four teachers in twelve public schools (three high schools, four middle schools, and five elementary schools) participated in the research. The examiner hypothesized that critical thinking is a by-product of higher-level post-graduate degrees. However, this theory was not proven in the study. There were few findings that showed relationships to the independent variables. One finding was that Caucasians had higher critical thinking scores than other races. Another finding was that social studies teachers at the middle school level had higher scores on the Watson Glazer Critical Thinking Appraisal Short Form Test sub-scale of Interpretation than did middle school teachers in other content areas. The researcher found that 51 males (15.8%) and 272 (84.2%) females participated in the study, showing a gender disparity among teachers who participated in the study. The researcher concluded that high school mathematics teachers had higher critical thinking skills in three sub-scales than other high school teachers in other areas. This conclusion was based on the finding showing that high school mathematics teachers had higher scores on the WGCTA sub-scales of Deduction, Interpretation, and Overall Scales than high school teachers who did not identify mathematics as a primary content area of teaching. The researcher recommends that additional research should be done to confirm or disprove the finding that math content influences critical thinking. The researcher also recommends that additional research studies should concentrate on public school teachers of algebra versus teachers of geometry versus teachers of calculus.

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) realized many years ago that it would take skilled, qualified leaders in oncology nursing to sustain the specialty of oncology care for years to come. With the nursing shortage and shortage in leadership, it is imperative to examine the impact of attending a leadership program on the future of oncology nursing. The control group and study group of identified oncology nurses were sent the Oncology Nurses Sustainable Leadership Survey Instrument via email from the Oncology Nursing Society. The control group of oncology registered nurses had not yet started the ONS Leadership Development Institute fellowship program. The study group of oncology registered nurses were those participants who had completed the ONS Leadership Development Institute fellowship program within the past 10 years. Results of the survey found that the study group was slightly older with a mean age of 50.29 years. The majority of respondents were female, Caucasian, married, held a masters degree in nursing, and are employed full time. Both groups indicated that they mentor licensed and non licensed personnel. Both groups consistently practice the ANA Standards of Professional Performance, Standard 15 on Leadership on an occasional to regular basis. A T-test indicated their was no statistically significant differences between the control and study group on ANA Standards of Professional Performance, Standard 15, Leadership. Both groups participate in health care programs, early detection programs, and patient education programs thereby implementing strategies to increase cancer awareness and reduce the cancer burden. This participation increased after attending LDI. Honesty was viewed as the most positive trait for leadership with support of Authentic Leadership styles. Communication was viewed by both groups as the most important leadership skill. Succession planning was advocated by both the control and study group. A leadership role greatly contributed to the personal nursing satisfaction of the oncology registered nurses from both groups. Once leadership training is initiated, oncology registered nurses will continue to obtain additional leadership education in a variety of formats and presentations. Additionally they will obtain additional leadership positions or more responsibilities.