Principals are increasingly held accountable for student achievement outcomes. Existing research has found principal leadership indirectly affects student achievement (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). Principals face a problem when they are accountable for achievement outcomes and are dependent upon others and other variables to achieve those outcomes. Consequently, principals will benefit from a richer understanding of how their leadership indirectly affects student achievement. Using the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) measurement of principal learning-centered leadership (Goldring, Porter, Murphy, Elliot, & Cravens, 2009) and the Omnibus T-Scale measurement of faculty trust in the principal (Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 2003), researchers sought to better understand the relationship between the perceived learning-centered leadership of principals and faculty trust in those principals. Teachers from 59 schools in a suburban district in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States were surveyed to measure their perception of the learning-centered leadership of their principal and the faculty's trust in their principal. The data from these surveys were analyzed using bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses to determine relationships between these two variables and other significant control variables. Principal learning-centered leadership was significantly and positively related to faculty trust in the principal; principals in this study with higher learning-centered leadership scores had higher faculty trust in principal scores. The R2 was .609, indicating that approximately 60% of the variance in faculty trust in the principal was attributable to the principal's learning-centered leadership, school grade, and principal gender. Additionally, for the principals in this study every unit increase in perceived learning-centered leadership scores resulted in a 1.11 increase in faculty trust in the principal scores. The significance of the relationship was even stronger in schools with a C academic achievement grade. In C graded schools, every unit increase in principal learning-centered leadership scores resulted in a 2.31 increase in faculty trust in the principal scores. Principals with higher levels of learning-centered leadership were rewarded with higher levels of faculty trust. The influence of learning-centered leadership on faculty trust in the principal was even stronger in schools labels lower in academic achievement. Principals seeking to influence the trust their faculty places should engage in those leadership practices associated with learning-centered leadership.

Retrieving information regarding ambience is difficult since it’s often perceived at a physical location and cannot be easily mediated. This study aimed to explore how ambience at a restaurant or bar can be mediated via a smartphone app. The study was based on the conversation about the relationship of space and place in HCI and CSCW. Based on the research question “What means of mediation are best suited for mediating ambience at a restaurant via a smartphone app?”, a research through design approach was adopted to develop a mockup that favored browsing. The mockup was used as a way to test how different means of mediation mediated ambience. An evaluation was held where users were asked to think aloud when given tasks to perform, then complete an experience questionnaire. Finally, a semi structured debriefing was held. Photos and text-based reviews were the best means of mediation to mediate ambience at restaurants. / Att motta information om en känsla från en fysisk plats är svårt eftersom den inte på ett enkelt sätt kan bli förmedlad från den platsen. Den här studien syftade till att undersöka hur känslan på en restaurang eller bar kan bli förmedlad via en mobilapp. Den här studien grundar sig i diskussionen om relationen mellan fysiska platser och dess betydelse samt relationen till människa-datorinteraktion och CSCW. Utifrån forskningsfrågan ”Vilka sätt att förmedla känsla på är bäst lämpade för att förmedla känsla på en restaurang via en smartphoneapplikation?” togs en forskning genom design-ansats för att utveckla en prototyp. Prototypen användes som ett testmedel för att undersöka hur olika sätt att förmedla känsla kunde användas. En utvärdering hölls där användarna fick tänka högt när de utförde en rad uppgifter, för att sedan fylla i ett formulär och delta i en semistrukturerad intervju. Foton och textbaserade recensioner förmedlade känsla från restauranger och barer bäst.

This dissertation presents a case study in user-centered design completed at the University of Central Florida. Leadership in the College of Graduate Studies at UCF realized the need for an advisement tool to assist advisors in the academic colleges to track the success of their students. After an advisement product was selected, the user-centered design approach started to be implemented. End-users were shown the basic functionality and known benefits of the product. Then they were asked how they could make it standardized across programs. The users selected the order in which information and degree requirements should display. The users asked for additional information to be shown on the new advising report called the Graduate Plan of Study (GPS). This information would assist them in advising students and certifying that the students' had met requirements to earn their degree. With the help of the end-users, a prototype was developed and delivered to computer services. End users assisted with the testing of current and additional functionality. After attending focus groups, the end-users had a better understanding of the need for testing. They assisted in providing ideas for training and a deployment plan to the university. The use of the user-centered design approach helped to keep our end-users engaged in the project. They were the central cause of the successful implementation of a new advisement module for graduate students at UCF.

With concerns for the environment becoming more prevalent in business and the government, it is increasingly important to re-evaluate and update processes to include sustainability considerations early in the design process. In response to this charge, this research effort was designed to integrate sustainability factors into the usercentered design process. The results of this research highlight the benefits of sustainability requirement planning, as well as those derived from integrating sustainability into the current user-centered design model

Most physical rehabilitation services are not person-centered. Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) are vested in person-centered approaches, thereby they are optimally positioned to take leading roles in these quality improvement (QI) activities. Yet, there is a lack of OTPs-led QI activities on person-centered rehabilitation, and seminally, a lack of a QI guide informing these activities. To shape the evidence- and theory-based QI guide, we engaged a small international sample (n= 8) of potential end-users, i.e., OTPs in practice or management roles. The process involved three rounds of mixed-methods surveys, which helped in the design, refinement, and preliminary evaluation of the QI guide. Informed by theory, evidence and participants’ feedback, the final guide followed a “why, what, and how” structure. Six out of the eight participants rated the QI guide as one they are “very likely” to use. Also, the median rated value of the guide was “9” in a “0-10” scale. The QI was also well appraised by being an all-in-one resource to enable OTPs close the gap in person-centered rehabilitation practices and its improvement. The final version of the QI guide is ready to use and freely available in the Open Science Framework platform: http://osf.io/xzgpe/.

This single case study provides a detailed description of a 7-year-old sexually abused child's sandplay, describes prominent themes in the child's sandplay, and concurrent family transitions and events. Included are reflections and meanings that the therapist attributed to the sandplay. Child-centered play therapy was the guiding theory for the therapy. Thirty-six consecutive therapy sessions are examined in this study. The therapy sessions were divided into three phases that were tied to significant life events and changes in the sandplay content and process, along with the therapist-child interactions were explored in each of the phases. There were many significant changes in the content and process of the child's play. He went from primarily using nonliving miniatures to using primarily living miniatures in his sand worlds. Specifically, the use of people and animals increased in his third phase sandplays. The categories of miniatures the child used also increased from one predominant category in the first phase to four or more miniature categories in the third phase. The child's sandplay moved from primarily static play to increasingly dynamic play. Changes in the child's play are linked to changes in his living environment. / Master of Science

Frequent and effective design evaluation is foundational to the success of any product development effort. Products used, installed, or otherwise handled by humans would benefit from an evaluation of the product while formally considering both the physical embodiment of the technology, termed technology, and the steps a user should take to use that technology, termed tactics. Formal and simultaneous evaluations of both technology and tactics are not widespread in the product design literature. Although informal evaluation methods have advantages, formal methods are also known to be effective. In this paper we propose a formal method for evaluating tactics and technology simultaneously. Unlike the published literature, this evaluation involves explicitly defined tactics in the form of a written description of the actor, environment, and series of steps. It also involves the use of stage-appropriate, explicitly defined tactics-dependent criteria, which include criteria from a broad range of impact categories, such as impacts on the user, environment, project, and technology.

Bakgrund: Ett personcentrerat arbetssätt är en grund inom arbetsterapeutiska verksamheter, där varje person har ett unikt utgångsläge inom sina sociodemografiska faktorer och personliga preferenser, vilket kan påverka personers utförande av aktiviteter och delaktighet i det vardagliga livet. Syfte: Att granska och sammanställa hur personer som har deltagit i arbetsterapeutiska interventioner samt arbetsterapeuter upplever ett personcentrerat arbetssätt, för att få förståelse för svårigheter och möjligheter med detta arbetssätt. Metod: En kvalitativ litteraturöversikt av tidigare forskning. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras under rubrikerna och underrubrikerna: Hur personer som har deltagit i arbetsterapeutiska interventioner upplever ett personcentrerat arbetssätt; Svårigheter och möjligheter i samarbetet, Arbetsterapeuters upplevelser av ett personcentrerat arbetssätt; Svårigheter och möjligheter i samarbetet samt:Organisatoriska svårigheter och möjligheter med ett personcentrerat arbetssätt. Slutsats: En ökad förståelse för begreppet personcentrering behövs genom ytterligare studier, detta skulle bidra till mer kunskap om begreppets innebörd och hur det bör implementeras i svenska arbetsterapeutiska verksamheter. / Background: A person-centered approach is a foundation in occupational therapy activities, where each person has a unique starting point within their sociodemographic factors and personal preferences, which can affect people's performance of activities and participation in everyday life. Aim: To examine and compile how people who have participated in occupational therapy interventions and occupational therapists experience a person-centered approach, to gain an understanding of difficulties and opportunities with this approach. Method: A qualitative literature review of previous research. Results: The result are presented under the headings and subheadings: How people who have participated in occupational therapy interventions experience a person-centered approach; Difficulties and opportunities in the collaboration, Occupational therapists' experiences of a person-centered approach; Difficulties and opportunities in the collaboration and: Organizational difficulties and opportunities with a person-centered approach. Conclusion: An increased understanding of the concept of a person-centered approach is needed through further studies, this would contribute to more knowledge about the meaning of the concept and how it should be implemented in Swedish occupational therapy.

<p> The purpose of the following is to construct a theological epistemology from analytic religious epistemology and Christian theology. Paul K. Moser's religious epistemology provides an evidentialist account of volitional epistemology centered in agapē. Philippians 2:5-11 and its biblical-theological context grounds the historic and eschatological life of Jesus as the basis and means to participate in agapē. Moser's epistemological framework is reconstructed with the master story to provide a setting for Kingdom practices and imaginary. I argue that knowing the Triune God through agapē centers Kingdom participation. Christians imitate the master story in Philippians 2:5-11 to cultivate agapē through Kingdom participation.</p> / Thesis / Master of Theological Studies (MTS)

Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is an empirically endorsed approach for children facing specific clinical concerns and life circumstances alike. The majority of research to date has accrued data about clients from secondary sources, such as adult report and observation. The purpose of this study was to explore children's perceptions of participating in CCPT by implementing a developmentally accessible interview medium, allowing children to share their experiences directly. Ten children between the ages of 4 and 7 who had completed at least eight sessions of CCPT were invited to create a drawing and respond to an interview protocol with their counselor. Data sources included the picture produced, a transcript of the interview between the child and counselor, and observation notes of the interview process. Using a phenomenological approach, three themes were identified to describe children's awareness and experience of the intervention: expressions of relationship, experiences in the playroom, and reluctance to engage in counselor-directed activity. The first two themes reflect children's report of the intervention and the third represents reactions to the research activity. Findings from this study support conclusions that children are aware of relationship between themselves and their counselor and recognize the uniquely unstructured features of play therapy and the playroom, which are defining components of CCPT.