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Negative attitudes of college students toward older adults can be a barrier for universities that are attempting to prepare students for future career trends to meet the needs of an aging society. A growing number of college graduates will be needed to provide health and educational services for this population. Providing intergenerational opportunities through a variety of face-to-face interactions has demonstrated some success at improving attitudes of college students toward older adults. It is believed that improving the attitudes of college students through intergenerational experiences will expand their consideration of careers that provide support to this growing population. This study explored an intergenerational project that paired undergraduate college students with older adults through a series of e-mail communications rather than face-to-face interactions. With the increase in the use of e-mail by persons of all ages, this virtual meeting place provides a convenient communication tool for exploring ways to build relationships online.It was hypothesized that an intergenerational experience between undergraduate college students (18-28 years of age) and older adults (65 years old or older) through e-mail communication would have a positive effect on student attitudes toward older adults as measured by Polizzi's revised version of the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) survey. Two classes of the same undergraduate course at a midwestern university participated in the project. Both groups were pre-tested using the ASD and then one group was randomly chosen to be the intervention group. Each student in the intervention group was paired with an older adult pen pal to complete six weeks of assigned e-mail exchanges designed to increase in depth of topic. Both groups were then post-tested using the ASD.Results: Although not significantly different at pretest, the attitude of the students in the intervention group was significantly more positive at posttest than the control group. There was a significant difference in the attitudes of the intervention group compared to the control group when post-tested. The students who participated in the intergenerational e-mail pen pal project had a more positive attitude toward older adults following the six-weeks of sharing stories and thoughts with the older generation. / Department of Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the PALS instructional approach on the decoding, fluency, and comprehension performance levels of elementary students with different disability labels (e.g. learning disability, other health impairment, and mental impairment) receiving services in a fifth grade self-contained cross-categorical classroom. An additional purpose of the current study was to examine student acceptability and satisfaction with the PALS intervention. Participants of the present study included 12 fifth grade students placed in a self-contained cross-categorical classroom who were three to four years below grade level in terms of reading performance. PALS was conducted in the experimental classroom three times per week for over 20 weeks. Reading decoding, fluency, and comprehension were measured before and after treatment utilizing assessments including the Dolch Sight Word List, DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (DORF), and the Reading subtest of the K-TEA, Brief Form. Decoding and fluency DIBELS NWF and ORF probes were utilized weekly for progress monitoring purposes in order to create graphs to compare student progress during baseline and intervention phases. In addition, a student satisfaction survey was administered as a posttest to determine student acceptability. Results indicate moderate gains on decoding, fluency, and comprehension measures for most students; however, the gains were not sufficient to bring students to grade level in terms of reading performance. Data obtained from the student satisfaction survey indicated that students enjoyed PALS overall and perceived a certain level of benefit from the intervention. Implications for future research and possible manipulations of PALS in special education settings are discussed.

The work presented involved simulation and experimental studies aimed at improving the methodology of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), and applied PALS to gain a better understanding of doping mechanisms in ABO3 perovskite oxide materials. Reliable decomposition of PALS spectra requires an accurate description of the instrument resolution function (IRF) and the extrinsic, source component, annihilation events. The source terms include annihilations with the crystallites of the radionuclide and in the thin foil normally used to support the source. In principle both the IRF and the source correction terms can accurately be determined if samples exhibiting a true single lifetime component are measured. A series of annealing studies was performed on commercially available high purity polycrystalline metal samples to reduce the defect concentration below the approximate 0.1 ppm detection limit of PALS. The study showed that despite the numerous reports in literature it was not possible to reproduce the results with similar annealing conditions or sample purity. The possibility of utilising two-lifetime materials to enable the extraction of source correction terms is analysed using simulations, and by experiments on commercially available pure polycrystalline metals. The positron source is commonly deposited on, and supported by, a thin Kapton foil. As part of this work variable energy PALS (VE-PALS) performed at the Munich Research Reactor FRMII on Kapton foils were analysed. This enabled one of the source correction terms to be unambiguously determined. In consequence, the source correction terms for a Kapton supported positron source were extracted from measurements using annealed nickel exhibiting two positron lifetime components. PALS was applied to a study on donor doping of PbTiO3 ceramics using a series of lanthanide-ions. It has been proposed that the smaller Ln-ions may act as amphoteric dopants substituting either on the A-site as a donor, or on the Bsite as an acceptor. In this study Ln-ions in size from La down to Er were studied. A systematic variation in the average positron lifetime was observed where the value was constant from La to Gd and then reduced for the smaller ions. The decrease in average lifetime provides evidence for a reduction in the fraction of trapping to A-site related vacancy defects. The onset of a reduction in the average lifetime between Gd and Dy provides evidence for a change in the doping mechanism resulting in a relative reduction in the fraction of A-site vacancy positron trapping. In contrast to PbTiO3, donor doping of SrTiO3 normally results in electron charge compensation. Recently this has been very clearly demonstrated for La3+ doped SrTiO3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) which exhibit exceptional electron mobilities. A series of MBE films grown at University of California Santa Barbara were measured by VE-PALS at FRMII and have been analysed here. Strontium vacancies were identified, and a reduced bulk lifetime component was also observed. This enabled bulk lifetime values to be obtained from two of the films which were in good agreement with the previously obtained values from single crystal samples. A PALS study was also performed on a series of B-site donor, Nb, doped SrTiO3 crystals. High intensity reduced bulk components were observed and enabled measurements of the bulk lifetime. The highest Nb doping level samples showed the most intense reduced bulk lifetime but also clearly demonstrated the presence of Sr vacancies. The observation of A-site vacancy defects for both Nb-doped and La-doped SrTiO3 suggest that formation of these defects is preferred and are independent of the site of incorporation of the donor ion. Studies were also performed on acceptor doped SrTiO3. PALS measurements were made on a series of Fe-doped SrTiO3 ceramic samples, and VE-PALS measurements on pulsed laser deposition of Fe-doped SrTiO3 thin film samples were analysed. The positron lifetime measurements on the ceramic samples showed a dominant 166(3) ps component, a value less than the Ti-vacancy lifetime. It is proposed that the component contains a contribution from positrons trapping at oxygen vacancy substitutional Fe impurity complexes with a local charge that is neutral or negative. The measurements on the series of Fe-doped PLD SrTiO3 films suggest a complex relation between the vacancy defect content of a film and both the Fe-doping and PLD growth conditions. Films grown with higher laser fluence values contained Sr vacancy defects, in contrast to previous studies of acceptor doped perovskites. Films grown with low laser fluence or with high Fe-content showed dominant trapping to Ti-vacancy related defects.

The purpose of this article is make connections between two content areas, reading and writing, which have traditionally been separated and consider the relationship between their theoretical underpinnings. Based on their reciprocal nature, the authors posit that students could greatly benefit by reading and writing being taught simultaneously. Relying on this premise, this article provides the reader with three practical strategies that could be applied in the literacy classroom to intertwine reading and writing. These practical strategies include: classroom blogs, graphic depictions, and pen pal responses to literature.

AN ABSTRACT FOR THE DISSERTATION OF STEPHEN JACK MCCASKEY, for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in EDUCATION, presented on June, 2009, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: TEACHING STYLES AND LEARING STRATEGIES OF ILLINOIS SECONDARY CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCAITON TEACHERS MAJOR PROFESSORS: Dr. Marcia Anderson Dr. John Washburn The purpose of this study was to identify the teaching styles and learning strategy preferences of secondary CTE teachers in the state of Illinois. This study explored variables related to the teaching-learner transaction for teachers with varied educational backgrounds. Further, this study examined the relationship between teaching styles and several demographic variables and the relationship between learning strategies and several demographic variables for teachers in the CTE field. Participants involved in this study were members of the Illinois Association of Career and Technical Education (IACTE) at the time of the study. Demographic data revealed most respondents were female and age varied between 20 to 73 years with the highest percentage of responses being between the ages of 51-55. The majority of respondent ethnicity was White. The number of years teaching among respondents varied from 0 to 41 with the highest percentage having less than six years. The highest percentage of respondents held a Master's degree and the highest percentage in which the respondents most frequently teach is Technology Education/Industrial Education. The certificate type that most respondents hold is a Type 09 Standard. This study employed two standardized instruments and a questionnaire assessment to address four research questions. The Principles of Adult Learning Scales (PALS) was the first instrument used in this study and is designed to assist individuals in identifying their teaching style. Assessing the Learning Strategies of Adults (ATLAS) was the second instrument used in this study and is designed to quickly identify learning strategies. The online questionnaire was administered by placing the instruments on the Department of Workforce Education and Development's server at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The majority of respondents in this study identified Problem Solvers as their preferred learning strategy followed by Navigators and Engagers. The respondents of this study represented an overwhelming commitment to the teacher-centered style. Based on the results of this study, the analyses of data were used to create a profile of the three preferences of the learning strategies for CTE secondary teachers. Additionally, the analyses of data from this study were used to create a profile of the two types of the teaching styles for CTE secondary teachers - Teacher-centered and Student-centered.

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This master's these is considering the relationship between achievement goals and parenting styles. In the theoretic part of the thesis there are described current findings in the area of development individual achievement goals until adolescence from the viewpoint of social cognitive theory and the role of parents in this process. Research is aimed at establishing working model of the PALS questionnaire in Czech Republic and relationship of achievement goals and family parenting styles in students of 7th , 8th and 9th grade of mainly Prague elementary schools. Results show the need to modify PALS questionnaire in the manner that would better reflect the difference between performance- approach and performance-avoidance goals. The statistically significant relationship between achievement goals and parenting styles was not found. KEYWORDS achievement motivation, goal theory, competence, parenting style, PALS questionnaire

The thesis is focused on summarizing the current issue of work with experimental lasers in the research center of Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS), which falls under the Institute of Physics and Institute of Plasma Physics. Experimental lasers used for experimental research in the field of powerful laser physics and laser-produced plasma. The main experimental facility PALS is a powerful pulsed laser system Asterix IV., The research center was purchased from the German Max Planck Institute for quadratic Optics in Garching near Munich for a symbolic 1 mark. Asterix is one of the three largest iodine lasers in Europe. Between the research programs being carried out on the experimental development of lasers include applications of plasma point sources of soft non-coherent radiation, development and application of laser plasma X-ray etc. Other facilities located in the research center include PALS laser system Ti - Sapphire power of 25 terawatts. In this system, a similar experiment was performed measuring photon film dosimeters. The experimental laser Asterix IV in the research center PALS have been no experiment with film or electronic dosimeters. This work deals with the possibility of using electronic personal dosimeters when working with lasers and detection sensitivity of the dosimeters, unlike other types of personal dosimeters. This was achieved by measuring the two independent measurements ongoing at the Asterix IV laser system. Possibilities of using electronic personal dosimeters for measuring the pulse field, even though they are designed to measure benefits only in the continuous field is particularly important for workers newly built ELI center in Prague. Center ELI will be the most modern laser equipment in the world. In it will be carried out the research and application projects involving the interaction of light with matter in intensity, which is about 10 times larger than the currently achievable. ELI will deliver ultrashort laser pulses lasting typically a few femtoseconds (10-15 fs) and produce power up to 10 PW. The ELI Center will be unlike PALS controlled area in which it is important to monitor external radiation workers. Therefore, the thesis is aimed at providing support for PALS measurement using electronic personal dosimeters Center ELI. We also compare the sensitivity of the most common types of personal dosimeters such as film and thermoluminescent dosimeters. In the theoretical part of the description and principle of laser Asterix IV. Furthermore, the definition of ionizing radiation and its species with a particular focus on gamma and X-rays. In this thesis remains missing definitions such as dosimetry, types of dosimeters, monitoring, radiation protection and value to it. In the methodology are then analyzed measurements that were carried out in two experiments using electronic personal dosimeters, film dosimeters and thermoluminescent dosimeters. Furthermore, also the deployment of the laser system, focusing mainly on the description of the interaction of the hall and the interaction chamber, where were measured. The methodology is also a series of photos of photos taken at the workplace PALS for easier orientation. In the results, the values of individual measurements recorded for better clarity in the tables and charts described. The discussion is focused on the confirmation of hypotheses. Are compared to results from electronic and film dosimeters and electronic dosimeters and termoluminescent. Results are based on one shot and statistically processed. In the event of a general summary of the work, it is recommended the use of electronic personal dosimeters to work with experimental lasers and supported the intention of the use of electronic personal dosimeters in the newly built Center ELI in Prague, mainly because of higher sensitivity than that with film and TLD and also for easier, faster, and economical evaluation of the benefits.