To investigate how Chinese ESL learners feel about the peer review process in oral and email-based modalities and how Chinese cultural barriers such as concerns about face saving and shyness might impact their learning attitudes, I taught an ESL writing course to collect data and write this dissertation. Tools for investigation I used included two identical peer review attitude questionnaires that were conducted at two occasions (at the beginning and the end of the course), a Peer Review Guideline and Sign Test.Many published studies on peer review focus on how to implement computer technology in the classroom, but ignore cultural impacts on ESL. The results of the Sign Test revealed that a large number of the students preferred to do oral and email comments in an indirect way, because they felt that they would need group harmony.It was noted that some students would like to receive email comments from their partner, not provide the comments to him/her, because commenting on his/her essay would hurt him/her. In many participants' view, teacher's reviews are more important than their partner's, since cultural barriers such as face saving and shyness prevented them from voicing their own opinion. The results also indicated that the students reacted favorably to the e-mail modality, although some of them still thought that it was a waste of time. Therefore, this modality did serve some students to allay their concerns about face-saving. In the study, a few students favored "anonymous" peer reviews, which could be achieved through email peer review. / Department of English

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Studies

There has been a great deal of research concerning the prevalence of date rape that occurs on college campuses around the country. Researchers also have investigated whether or not prevention programs are effective in lowering the incidence of date rape on campuses. While there have been numerous investigations done on prevention programs, few have implemented follow-up measures, and none have investigated if exposing participants to more than one program is more effective than just participating in one program. The purpose of this study was to determine if a prevention program that implements a three-session program is more effective than one that implements a one-session program. In addition, changes in attitudes were measured at four weeks follow-up, to determine if changes are permanent or not.Nine undergraduate counseling psychology classes consisting of 79 males and 156 females were randomly assigned (according to class) to a three-session, onesession, or control group. Each group completed a series of attitude scales at pre-test, post-test, and at four weeks follow-up.Results indicated that males in the three-session group displayed attitude changes in the desired direction at posttest, but rebound effects occurred according to their follow-up scores. Males in the three-session group had even less desirable scores at follow-up than they did at pretest. Males in the one-session group displayed similar trends, but not as severe as their counterparts. Females did not show similar trends, as their attitudes were already more desirable then the males at pre-test. At any time, females had more desirable overall scores than did males. Students who participated in the one-session program indicated that they would be more willing to help prevent date rape (i.e., by volunteering to present prevention programs) than those in the three-session program. Openended questions that addressed what the students liked about the program were asked, as well as what suggestions they had to improve the program. Overall, students in the onesession program reported more satisfaction than those in the three-session program. Limitations as well as suggestions for further research in this area were discussed. Further investigation is needed to examine what kinds of prevention programs will be most beneficial in changing men's attitudes in the desired direction. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

There is a significant gap between the numbers of college students who experience a diagnosable psychological problem and those who seek psychological treatment for these problems. One explanation for this gap may be that many college students may be unaware of free mental health services available at the university counseling center on campus. Thus, use of these resources is not a viable option. These concerns were addressed in the current study via a posttest-only experimental design by creating a video in line with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1985; 1991) and assessing its effects on college students attitudes towards psychological help seeking (PHS), subjective norms associated with PHS, perceived behavioral control over PHS, and PHS intentions. Mixed support was found for the video’s impact on TPB variables in a PHS context. In addition, the utility of the TPB model for explaining PHS in college students was examined. Based on model fit statistics the TPB adequately explained PHS in college students, but only after modifications were made to the measurement model. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

One of the core issues in distance education has been the adequacy of assessment of student experiences and the interaction between faculty and students. This challenge has become even greater with the increase in the numbers of online courses in nursing. Distance education programs that are delivered totally online have many advantages and some disadvantages. Masters level nursing students are choosing online programs for convenience, flexibility, and quality. The purpose of this study was two-fold: to describe Masters nursing students’ perceptions of online courses between 2005 and 2009, as expressed through word data in a web evaluation survey; and to analyze the student perceptions of the online learning environment for trends and themes. The questions of this investigation were the following: 1. What perceptions do Masters nursing students have of their online courses (2005-2009) as expressed through word data in a web evaluation survey? 2. What recommendations can be made for continuous improvement and best practices in programming and evaluation methods based on student perceptions. This research utilized Constructivist Theory as a theoretical model. There were 1625 student comments and 903 suggestions that were analyzed for themes and placed in categories. A qualitative analysis approach was utilized to create categories and look for trends in the data. There were six categories gleaned from the comments and six more that were found as a result of reviewing the suggestions that were made for future course offerings. The researcher found that there was some overlap between the categories of the comments and those of the suggestions. The perception of the students regarding their online course experience in the graduate nursing program was very positive. The flexibility and independence that the online environment offered was appreciated. Blackboard was viewed very positively and students felt that it was easy to use. Students enjoyed the interaction with peers and with faculty and felt it was a valuable learning experience. Recommendations were identified, based on the findings related to the use of technology, recruitment and retention of faculty, and teaching strategies and learning styles. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Educational Studies

Graduate nursing education is a combination of didactic and clinical instruction. Clinical instruction is achieved primarily by pairing a student with either an experienced physician or certified nurse practitioner (NP) who will serve as a preceptor. The student/preceptor relationship may be initiated by nursing faculty or by the student. The quality of clinical instruction is crucial to the professional development of the NP. During this time of intense clinical instruction, students learn the process of applying the principles of diagnostic reasoning in a real world setting. Socialization into the role of the NP is an important component of the clinical education and may be impacted by the relationship established between the student and the preceptor. Multiple factors may have an impact on the resulting experience and relationship. Attitudes of both student and preceptor define and shape the relationship that develops throughout the clinical rotation. The student’s perception of the quality of the clinical experience may impact the outcome of the experience including the student’s sense of self-efficacy and confidence in practice skills and socialization into the role. This study focuses on the student’s perception of self-efficacy and confidence based on whether a mentoring relationship was established with at least one preceptor during the clinical experience. The study, a modified replication of Hayes’ 1997 study, demonstrated a strong sense of mentoring, self-efficacy and self-confidence in students enrolled in the final clinical course of a nurse practitioner program. The single most predictive factor for self-efficacy and self-confidence is length of time the student works with the preceptor as measured by months of clinical rotation. Other predictors of self-efficacy and self-confidence included the students’ perception of a mentor and how that mentorship was instrumental in the development of the skills and abilities necessary for transition into the role of the nurse practitioner. Self-efficacy was found to correlate highly with feelings of self-confidence in beginning skills such as physical assessment as well as higher level skills of diagnostic reasoning. As the students neared the end of clinical courses in the nurse practitioner program, most felt prepared to begin practice and cited traits similar to those attributed to preceptors as indicators of preparedness. / Department of Educational Studies

When service-learning began to gain prominence as a legitimate academic pedagogy in the early 1990's, it was believed that through intensive service experiences, students developed a greater understanding of themselves, felt empowered to make a difference in their community, made a connection to course material, and made a commitment to continue serving their communities post-graduation. Research conducted in the mid to late 1990's confirmed that students completing service-learning courses were responding positively in all these stated areas (Eyler, Giles, & Braxton, 1997; Osborne, Hammerich, & Hensley, 1998). However, a new generation of students began entering higher education institutions in the fall of 2000. Labeled the Millennial generation and because these students were different from any other previous generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000), it was appropriate to ask whether these students would respond to service-learning experiences in the same way. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the assumptions made about the effects of service-learning were accurate for the contemporary Millennial student, as defined by Howe and Strauss (2000), and to more accurately know whether those service-learning experiences were meeting students' expectations. This research assessed the way Millennial students at Ball State university were affected by service-learning in three primary ways: Expanding Academic Learning, Personal Growth and Development, and Civic and Social Awareness. A sample of 256 undergraduates enrolled in service-learning courses at Ball State University at the beginning of the fall 2009 semester were given a service-learning pre-assessment test that consisted of 18 questions in three different subcategories: Expanding Academic Learning, Personal Growth and Development, and Civic and Social Awareness. The pre-assessment was designed to evaluate what students expected to gain from their service-learning experience. A post-assessment was given at the end of the fall 2009 semester and asked students to report on what they actually received from the service-learning experience. Overall, Ball State Millennial students reacted in very similar ways to their service-learning experience as the generation before them. Ball State Millennial students had high expectations that, as a result of their service-learning experiences, their classroom studies would be more meaningful, their higher level thinking skills would be enhanced, and their service-learning experiences would be an important part of their education. There was not a statistically significant difference between the pre-assessment (expectations of service-learning) and the post-assessment (service-learning experiences). Students had high expectations for what they would achieve from their service-learning experience and overall their expectations were met. When looking at the individual subcategories, there were statistically significant differences between the pre- and post- assessment for Expanding Academic Learning, Personal Growth and Development, and Civic and Social Awareness, but not for Personal Growth and Development. This research also demonstrated that service-learning affects students in similar ways regardless of the age of the students, class standing, grade point average and years of previous service. There was, however, a statistically significant difference based on service-learning course taken. / Department of Educational Studies

This study investigated the attitudes of grade 11 female students towards the study of Physical Science in Mafikeng. Attitudinal measures, such as levels of student's interest and the perceived utility of science, were examined. The subjects of the study included grade 11 female students from selected high schools in the Mafikeng District. A total of 300 female students participated in the study. A survey method was used in this study. A questionnaire was administered to examine the perceptions and attitudes of female students towards the study of Physical Science. A three-point positive/neutral/negative scale was utilized in sections B. C. and Din order to encourage students to make an attitude choice. The research findings showed that the attitudes of grade 11 female students in the selected high schools were affected by parents, teachers, peers, classroom environment, personal perceptions and aspirations. / M. Ed. (Science Education) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006