No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this research was to identify the design characteristics and attitudes that impact the use of snowboarding helmets and to test statistically a proposed conceptual framework for identifying perceived importance of functional, expressive, aesthetic, and regulatory (FEAR) needs of snowboarding helmets for current snowboarders. Data for this study was collected online. The final sample was composed of 391 participants, which represented a 13.67% response rate. Multiple comparisons were used to examine mean differences among the FEAR variables, as well as attitudes toward helmet use. A multiple linear regression was used to test four proposed hypotheses. The results of hypotheses revealed that there was an impact between attitudes toward helmet use and perceived importance of functional needs, but this relationship depended on the level of expressive needs, aesthetic needs, and helmet usage. The typical impact of functional needs on attitudes toward helmet use was positive (slope = .013) when all variables were at their respective means (Hypothesis 1). Hypothesis 2 tested to see if there was an impact between attitudes toward helmet use and perceived importance of expressive needs, but again, this relationship depended on the level of functional needs and helmet usage. The typical impact of expressive needs on attitudes toward helmet use was positive (slope = .014) when all variables were at their respective means. Similarly, the impact between attitudes toward helmet use and the perceived importance of aesthetic needs was dependent on the level of functional needs and helmet usage. The impact of aesthetic needs on attitudes toward helmet use was typically negative (slope = -.012) when all variables were at their respective means (Hypothesis 3). Finally, Hypothesis 4 looked at the impact between attitudes toward helmet use and the perceived importance of regulatory needs. Unlike the other three hypotheses, this relationship did not depend on any other variables. The impact of regulatory needs on attitudes toward helmet use was positive, and the strength of association was .010. Although hypothesis 1-3 were substantially supported, and hypothesis 4 was fully supported, from a statistical point of view, the interaction effects between the independent variables (i.e., FEA needs) and the covariate (i.e., helmet usage) limit the findings, so we can not really state that the hypotheses were supported. However, based on information obtained from the respondents in this study, the application of a FEAR needs assessment of snowboarding helmets could help to enhance the overall performance of snowboarders. In other words, the improvement of helmet functionality, expressive qualities, aesthetic attributes and regulatory needs would provide a more enjoyable snow activity to participants. Thus, the conceptual framework of the perceived importance of FEAR needs would be acceptable to understand the attitudes toward helmet use among snowboarders. / Ph. D.

There is a significant amount of literature on needs assessment group processes and distance learning. There is practically no literature on the affects of using distance learning technologies to facilitate needs assessment processes. This study takes a look at the participation of professionals in a needs assessment using distance learning technologies, the affect it has on their communication anxiety in small group settings using the Communication Anxiety Inventory, and their impressions of the process. Participants used a computer with internet connection and a telephone to take part in the assessment. Three small group needs assessments were conducted. Participants were administered a survey that measured their trait (typical) anxiety score, conducted through the needs assessment, and were administered a survey that measured their state (actual) anxiety score during the assessment and their impressions of the process. Those with low trait anxiety tended to experience an increase in anxiety in this environment while those with high trait anxiety had a decrease in anxiety. It was inconclusive as to whether or not anxiety was a factor in participants contributions to the group process. All participants were willing to participate in this type of needs assessment again. They found the assessment outcomes valuable and the method in which it was conducted convenient. This would seem to indicate that participants felt the impact of using 2-way audio and distance learning tools was minimal but a larger and more diverse study is necessary in order to make any generalizations. / Ph. D.

Basic information has not been available about which psychological services school psychologists view as most important for the children enrolled in North Carolina public schools. This study was conducted to a) present an accurate portrait of the services currently provided by North Carolina school psychologists, b) report what school psychologists say they should be doing, and c) develop recommendations for policy changes that will provide a basis for moving toward improved services in the field. School psychologists practicing in North Carolina were surveyed in phase I of this study to determine what services they currently provide (actual services) and what services they believe should be provided (ideal services) to benefit children. Services were ranked on level of importance. Respondents were also asked to comment on school psychological services in North Carolina as well as for suggestions to improve services. Demographic information was collected. In phase II of this study, survey findings were presented to a panel of experts in the field of school psychology who followed group process procedures to determine priorities and recommend appropriate next steps. This study found the largest gaps between actual and ideal functioning in the survey categories of Consultation and Relationships to Other Professionals. Interventions, evaluations for special education services, and consultation, were rated among the most important services. Survey respondents made suggestions for the improvement of services including reducing the testing load and increasing the number of psychologists. The expert panel placed accountability through communication as highest priority for action leading toward improved services. Recommendations to improve school psychological services in North Carolina were made for the North Carolina School Psychology Association (NCSPA), local education agencies (LEAs), and school psychologists. Recommendations for NCSPA included a.) appointing a task force too organize and lead efforts to increase policymaker and stakeholder knowledge regarding psychological services, b.) recruiting school systems for the purpose of conducting pilot studies to further investigate ways to close gaps between actual and ideal services, c.) providing guidance for increasing effective communication among North Carolina school psychologists. LEAs were encouraged to conduct needs assessments of their own, and recommendations for school psychologists included individual ways to increase consultation and intervention. Further research recommendations were also made. / Ed. D.

As the mean age of the population continues to rise, increasing attention is being given to how and where the elderly will live. Since health of this age group varies considerably, living arrangements which offer a full spectrum of services and attend to a continuum of needs have arisen over the past few decades. Called Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), these places offer three levels of living: individual apartments, assisted living and the nursing center. Residents can move freely among these three levels as the need arises. While the educational needs of the elderly have been discussed theoretically and explored in a variety of practical contexts, no research to the author's knowledge has investigated the context of CCRCs and the population within. This study filled that gap in the literature. Framed by the seminal research of McClusky which identified five categories of educational needs of the elderly (coping, expressive, contributing, influencing and transcending), the purpose of this study was to investigate the educational needs of the residents as perceived by residents and to determine if selected demographic variables differentiated among responses; a corollary aim was to learn more about the residents' learning formats used, and current satisfaction as well as future interest in educational activities. Results of a questionnaire distributed to residents of two not-for-profit CCRCs in northern Virginia served as a data base, with a response rate of 68% for residents. The questionnaire, designed by the researcher, was validated through multiple iterations by content and process experts and piloted with a CCRC not in the study. Data were appropriately coded and analyzed using SPSS. Confidentiality of the respondents was maintained at all times. The results indicated that residents were highly educated, financially secure, and in good health. Ages range from 67 to 100 years old. Both current participation as well as future interest in educational activities was high, but only a few demographic variables seemed to differentiate responses. Educational activities dealing with coping and transcending needs seemed to take priority, involvement in self-directed learning activities was high, and when involved in programmatically organized and structured activities, the format of small groups preferred. These findings could be significant for any practical intervention implication. Implication for future research include inquiry into this growing special population; for example, the why and how of their self-directed learning projects. / Ed. D.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) “Prevention through Design” (PtD) initiative encourages the exploration of different methods to foster dialogue between engineers and healthcare workers. Although engineers are encouraged to follow a user-centered design (UCD) process to identify user needs (ANSI/AAMI, 2009; IEC, 2007), NORA (2009) warns that engineers may “fail to get the full range of healthcare worker input on the usability of a device”. The primary goal of this research was to present storytelling as an elicitation method that addressed the PtD call for methods that improve usability within healthcare. This work provides three contributions to the PtD initiative. First, a conceptual model for the role of storytelling in design, which represents a synthesis of narrative and design research, is presented. The conceptual model explicitly states how the elicitation and analysis of stories results in the identification of a design opportunity that addresses user needs. Second, the Design + Storytelling framework, which guides designers’ use of storytelling, is presented. An instantiation of the framework specific to the identification of a design opportunity within an emergency room (ER) is investigated to determine the framework’s impact on design. Findings resulted in the study’s third contribution: design guidance comprised of storytelling guidelines, decision support tools for storytelling method selection, and traceability support for design evaluation. The investigation of the framework focused on two primary stages: (1) story elicitation and (2) story analysis. Storytelling sessions, which varied in context, collected 573 stories (i.e., 441 habitual, 132 hypothetical) from 28 ER nurses. Qualitative analysts used the framework’s instructions to identify and specify 383 user needs within the narratives. Empirical comparisons of the compiled needs across groups informed decision rules for elicitation method selection. The impact of the framework’s analysis instructions during design practice was investigated. Student design teams analyzed nurses’ safety stories to create a conceptual design for an identified design opportunity. Findings indicated a trend for stakeholder experts to rank conceptual designs created by teams with the instructions as more usable than teams without the framework’s instructions. The theoretical and practical exploration indicated a positive impact on design. / Ph. D.

This study examines the coping process of families with children with special needs. The purpose of the study was to develop a detailed description of the coping process of families who appear to be coping well with children who have physical disabilities. A multiple-case study qualitative research design was selected to allow for the unique stories of each family to emerge as they illustrate the complex nature of the coping process. A contextual stress and coping theoretical framework guided the study. Participants were recruited from a preschool program that mainstreams children with special needs. A pool of ten potential participants was identified by a selection team consisting of six school staff members. Five families were selected and interviewed using the theoretical sampling procedure outlined in the grounded theory approach developed by Glaser and Strauss. Data analysis followed this same procedural model. The study revealed the ongoing coping process to be an iterative cycle of events, perceptions, behavior, and personal growth. This process was found to be influenced by the core concept of shared traumas as they are evidenced in the themes of initiation to special needs, boundary defining events and everyday reminders. An additional concept of the mastery process of the interaction between perceptual and behavioral components, included cognitive coping processes, faith, boundary definition and external systems management style. Finally, the phenomenon of personal growth and change in world view was observed. / Master of Science