Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assisted Reproduction Versus Spontaneous Conception: A Comparison Of The Developmental Outcomes In Twins, Lisa Kelly-Vance, Kristine S. Anthis, Howard Needelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

The use of assisted reproductive technology is increasing rapidly. Research, although sparse, has resulted in inconsistent findings as to the developmental prognosis for infants conceived by assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilization and the use of fertility drugs. In the present study, the authors compared twins who were spontaneously conceived with those who were conceived through assisted reproductive technology. The authors found differences in birth weight and gestational age. Infants conceived by assisted reproductive technology fared worse than did those who were spontaneously conceived. The authors found no differences between the groups in mental development at 24 months …

Recent Dissertations On Service And Service-Learning Topics: Volume Iii (2001-2003), Katrina Norvell

Bibliographies

Bibliographic information for 127 dissertations on service learning topics.

An Examination Of The Associations Between The Locations Of Probationers And Crimes: A City Block-Level Analysis, Stephanie A. Titus

Student Work

This research will use adult probation data from the Douglas County Court Probation Office for 2000 and 2001 to evaluate the relationship between the locations of probationers and their possible effects on the amount of crime on residential city blocks in Omaha, Nebraska. The analyses will relate the probation data to the dependent variables that are based on the Part I Index Crimes obtained from the Omaha Police Department. The research will attempt to evaluate the effects of probationers on the amount of crime on city blocks and compare this with the effects of block-level characteristics and crime on the …

Educating The "Good" Citizen: Political Choices And Pedagogical Goals, Joel Westheimer, Joseph Kahne

Special Topics, General

At the level of rhetoric, most educators, policymakers, and citizens agree that developing students' capacities and commitments for effective and democratic citizenship is important. When we get specific about what democracy requires and about what kind of school curricula will best promote it, however, much of that consensus falls away. For some, a commitment to democracy is a promise to protect liberal notions of freedom, while. for others democracy is primarily about equality or equality of opportunity. For some, civil society is the key, while for ()!hers, free markets are a great hope for a democratic society. For some, good …

Service-Learning Projects Enhance Student Learning In Strategic Management Courses, John Angelidis, Igor Tomic, Nabil A. Ibrahim

Service Learning, General

Academia has been criticized for Its supposed isolation from society and its lack of emphasis on practical applications and hands-on experience. Institutions of higher education are responding to this criticism by incorporating experiential service-learning in their curricula. One business course which is particularly appropriate for integrating service-learning into the curriculum is Strategic Management.

Impact Of Service Learning On Physical Therapist Students' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Older Adults And On Their Critical Thinking Ability, Janna Beling

Service Learning, General

As the number and proportion of elderly people rapidly increase in the next few decades, there will be increased demands for physical therapists to work with older clients. Although the availability of physical therapists to work with elderly people will be determined, in part, by their personal preferences,¹ most physical therapists will be routinely required to work with elderly clients and clients' aging family members.² In order to provide effective services, it is imperative that physical therapist students possess adequate knowledge about the aging process and recognize the individuality of older clients, as well as their capacity for …

Service Learning And International Business Education, Ilan Alon

Intergenerational

In recent years, business schools have come under increasing scrutiny for teaching relevant and practical skills to their students. Experiential and service learning- learning by doing- has been one area in which business schools were able to complement their traditional classes to enhance their students' learning outcomes. International business is an area in which the growth of experiential learning has been slow. This paper seeks to explain a unique model for providing international business experience to MBA students using a high-ranking small MBA program in Florida as a case study.

Middle School Service-Learning Instructional Framework, Maryland State Department Of Education

Curriculum

Students have enormous energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence that they will devote to our commlll1ities when they are asked and given the opportunity. Schools are now doing the asking and they are creating opportunities, both in courses and as part of their extracurricular activities. Students have weather stripped and rehabilitated houses and tended animals at the zoo. They have planted marsh grass to save the Chesapeake Bay and tested streams for pollutants. They have created plays about drug and alcohol abuse and put on fashion shows for senior citizens. These are not simply nice things to do. They contribute to an …

The Airline Quality Rating 2004, Brent D. Bowen, Dean Headley, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 04-1

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) was developed and first announced in early 1991 as an objective method of comparing airline quality on combined multiple performance criteria. This current report, the Airline Quality Rating 2004, reflects monthly Airline Quality Rating scores for 2003. AQR scores far the calendar year 2003 are based on 15 elements in four major areas that focus on airline performance aspects important to air travel consumers.

The Airline Quality Rating 2004 is a summary of month-by-month quality ratings for U.S. airlines that have at least 1% of domestic passenger volume during 2003. Using the …

Different Regions, Similar Views, Gregory A. Petrow

Political Science Faculty Publications

U.S. regions have had radically different political histories. The South long has been seen as the nation’s most conservative region, while New England has been perceived as the most liberal.

An examination of 40 years of survey data generated by the American National Election Study, however, suggests that differences between the South and New England on social issues tend to be small, are getting smaller, and in some instances have disappeared.

Communo Magazine, Spring 2004, School Of Communication

CommUNO Magazine

CommUNO magazine is currently produced annually by the UNO School of Communication: 6001 Dodge Street, ASH 140, Omaha, NE 68182: Phone: 402.554.2600. Fax: 402.554.3836. For more information, follow us on Twitter@ CommUNO, join the “UNO School of Communication” page on Facebook or visit communication.unomaha.edu.

Cost/Benefit Analysis Of The Douglas County Drug Court, R. K. Piper, Cassia Spohn

Past Publications

The primary purpose of this cost-benefit evaluation of the Douglas County Drug Court (DCDC) is to provide administrators and policy-makers with critical information for future policy and funding decisions. This study expands and refines previous DCDC cost-benefit analyses through an investigation of drug court program investment, outcome and societal-impact costs and savings.

This study employs a Transaction Cost model that examines complex, multi-agency events and costs for participants in drug court and non-drug court comparison groups. A “cost-to-taxpayer” approach is used that includes any criminal justice related costs (or avoided costs) generated by drug court or non-drug court comparison group …

Next Steps: A School District's Guide To The Essential Elements Of Service-Learning, Maryland Student Service Alliance, Maryland State Department Of Education

School K-12

We are pleased to share a new tool for service-learning. Next Steps: A School District's Guide to the Essential Elements of Service-Learning is an excellent guide for state level or school district administrators as they create or improve their service-learning program, regardless of their previous experience in service-learning. Students make a tremendous difference in their schools and communities when they are given the opportunity to use their enthusiasm, energy and ideas to problem solve and contribute to the common good.

Maryland was the first state to require that all students participate in service-learning to graduate from public high school. Educators …

A Social Model For Health Promotion For An Aging Population: Initial Evidence On The Experience Corps Model, Linda P. Fried, Michelle C. Carlson, Marc Freedman, Kevin D. Frick, Thomas A. Glass, Joel Hill, Sylvia Mcgill, George W. Rebok, Teresa Seeman, James Tielsch, Barbara A. Wasik, Scott Zeger

Intergenerational

This report evaluates whether a program for older volunteers, designed for both generativity and health promotion, leads to short-term improvements in multiple behavioral risk factors and positive effects on intermediary risk factors for disability and other morbidities. The Experience Corps® places older volunteers in public elementary schools in roles designed to meet schools' needs and increase the social, physical, and cognitive activity of the volunteers. This article reports on a pilot randomized trial in Baltimore, Maryland. The 128 volunteers were 60-86 years old; 95% were African American. At follow-up of 4-8 months, physical activity, strength, people one could turn to …

Strategic Information Systems Planning In U.S. County Governments: Will The Real Sisp Model Please Stand Up?, Lyn M. Holley, Donna Dufner, B. J. Reed

Gerontology Faculty Publications

This paper is the second in a series of studies examining strategic information systems planning (SISP) in U.S. governments based on information technology performance data and ratings generated for the Government Performance Project (2000 re states and 2001 re counties). The first study examined SISP at the state level (PPMR, June 2002). This study investigates SISP in county government using data from the 40 largest U.S. counties in terms of revenue within regions. Findings suggest that structural features of county government inhibit translation to counties of successful business models for strategic use of information systems, and they support the conclusion …

The Douglas County Drug Court: Characteristics Of Participants, Case Outcomes And Recidivism, Cassia Spohn

Past Publications

The purpose of this report is to describe the characteristics of all offenders (N = 255) who were bound over to Douglas County District Court in 2001 and who were subsequently diverted to the Douglas County Drug Court. We present descriptive data on the characteristics of the drug court participants, focusing on their background characteristics and prior criminal record and on their case characteristics. We also present descriptive data on recidivism for drug court participants and for traditionally adjudicated offenders and compare the recidivism rates of these two groups of offenders, controlling for other predictors of the likelihood of recidivism.

The Douglas County Drug Court: Characteristics Of Participants, Case Outcomes And Recidivism, Cassia Spohn, R. K. Piper

Past Publications

The purpose of this report is to describe the characteristics of all offenders (N = 255) who were bound over to Douglas County District Court in 2001 and who were subsequently diverted to the Douglas County Drug Court. We present descriptive data on the characteristics of the drug court participants, focusing on their background characteristics and prior criminal record and on their case characteristics. We also present descriptive data on recidivism for drug court participants and for traditionally adjudicated offenders and compare the recidivism rates of these two groups of offenders, controlling for other predictors of the likelihood of recidivism.

Felony Offenses In Douglas County District Court, 2001, Cassia Spohn, R. K. Piper

Past Publications

The purpose of this report is describe the offender and case characteristics and the outcomes of all felony cases (N = 2,663) bound over for trial in Douglas County (Nebraska) District Court in 2001.1 We present descriptive data on these cases, focusing on defendants’ background characteristics and prior criminal record, the nature and seriousness of the charges for which the defendant was bound over to District Court, the disposition of the case, and case processing time. We also examine case dispositions and sentences for 15 different types of felony offenses and present descriptive data and case outcome data for defendants …

Where Do We Go From Here? Boot Camps In The Future, Doris Layton Mackenzie, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Boot camps have developed over the past two decades into a program that incorporates a military regimen to create a structured environment. While some critics of this method of corrections suggest that the confrontational nature of the program is antithetical to treatment, authors Doris Layton MacKenzie and Gaylene Styve Armstrong present research knowledge and personal discussions with community leaders that offer insight into both the strengths and weaknesses of this controversial form of corrections.

Correctional Boot Camps: Military Basic Training or a Model for Corrections? provides the most up-to-date assessment of the major perspectives and issues related to the current …

Chicagoland Youth And Adult Training Center: Building Strong Relationships Betweel1 Faithbased Organizations, Govemn1ent And Corporations To Transform Low-Income Communities, Jose Wilson, Brian Banks

Special Topics, General

President George W. Bush's faith-based initiative has sparked increased interest in the role faith-based organizations can play in the development of low-income communities. Government is increasingly relying on religious groups to provide economic and moral development in communities, advocates argue, because faith-based organizations are well-organized, well disciplined groups that know communities. I I The following report describes Chicagoland Youth and Adult Training Center (CYATC), a three-year-old workforce development initiative created by faith-based organizations located in low-income communities, with Ford Motor Company and its' Chicago-area dealerships, and local government, and educational institutions. CYATC was started to help employers address their needs …

Leadership And Creativity: Understanding Leadership From A Creative Problem-Solving Perspective, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Jody J. Illies

Psychology Faculty Publications

Employees in many jobs encounter novel, ill-defined problems, and finding creative solutions to these problems may be the critical factor that allows their organization to maintain a competitive advantage. Solving problems creatively requires extensive and effortful cognitive processing. This requirement is magnified further by the complex, ambiguous situations in which most organizational problems occur. Employees must define and construct a problem, search and retrieve problem-relevant information, and generate and evaluate a diverse set of alternative solutions. Creativity necessitates that all these activities are completed effectively. It is unlikely, therefore, that creative outcomes will be realized without a large degree of …

The Value Of Work: A Case For Promoting Christian Service Opportunities To College Students, Glenn Bryan

Special Topics, General

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the historical evolution of attitudes toward work, the Protestant work ethic, a Biblical perspective on work, and to provide a rational for why Christian colleges should offer multiple service opportunities for students to help them integrate faith into their everyday lives.

Hper Biomechanics Laboratory 2003 Annual Report, Issue 2, Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility

Biomechanics Annual Report

This issue features Can chaos be used for stability in walking Robots?, Promising insights on the development of posture in infants, The effect of Parkinson’s disease in stair negotiation, How certain are the elderly in selecting a stable gait pattern?, Collaboration with UNMC to improve Robotic Surgical Techniques, Helping High School students and K-12 teachers appreciate math and science, Max Kurz receives three awards for 2003, New Textbook published, Collaborations in orthopedics and cerebral concussion, and 2003 Publications and Presentations.

Service Learning Through The High School Pyramid Model: A Case Study, Fawzia Al-Rashid, Kenyon Walker

School K-12

The intellectual and philosophical roots of service learning have been attributed to the conceptualizations of democratic society put forth by Alexis de Tocqueville in the 1830s and John Dewey in the early twentieth century (Kenny eta!, 2002). Dewey believed that students would learn more effectively and eventually become better citizens if they engaged in activities that linked service to the community and the curriculum. This idea of linking service to curriculum has been further embraced by advocates of service learning today.

Educator's Guide, Rahima C. Wade

Special Topics, General

In the fall of 2003, the National Council for the Social I Studies (NCSS) was awarded a teacher training grant I from the federal Corporation for National and Community Service to fund "CiviConnections: Constructing the past, creating the future." The NCSS proposal was one of just 8 chosen for funding in the new 2003 grant competition on "Linking History, Civics, and Service." From 2003 to 2007, CiviConnections will involve more than 297 teachers and 7,425 3rd - 12th grade students nationwide in linking local history inquiry with community service-learning activities. Teams of three teachers apply for $7,500 grants to cover …

Changing Landscapes: Enduring Values, Angela Bodino

Service Learning, General

The campus of Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) seems pastoral with 160 acres of woods, a pond, and gentle grassy slopes. Two miles to the west are two golf courses and farmland. Two miles east are homes built in the 17th and 18th Centuries close to the North Branch of the Raritan River, close to a colonial cemetery and the soaring spire of the Reformed Church. This setting reminds us of an early American ethic of hope and change, the promise of vast spaces, new destinies and new communities.

Research Matters, Shelley H. Billig

Service Learning, General

Many people are attracted to service-learning because they see what it does for students, schools, and communities. Students are more engaged in their studies, schools are revitalized, with a new sense of mission and focus, and community members, energized by working with students on service-learning projects, are more supportive of young people and their schools.

This rosy picture is the reality in some settings with well-implemented service-learning, but too often this is not the case. In fact, much service-learning practice is uneven in quality, and research shows that low-quality service-learning has little impact.

Three-Year Longitudinal Service-Learning Research Study: Preliminary Findings, Frank D. Aquila, L. Richard Bradley, Jennifer Dodd, Charlotte Jones-Ward

Service Learning, General

Using an experimental design, this study examines the contributions of service-learning to decreased at-risk behaviors, student cognitive, social, and personal development, and academic achievement over a three-year period. During the pilot phase and Years One and Two, teachers and students from eleven different Ohio schools have been surveyed. Preliminary findings are presented.

Highlights Of Campus Compact's Annual Membership Survey, Campus Compact

Service Learning, General

The trend toward increasing civic engagement among colleges and universities is stronger than ever. In Campus Compact's 2003 survey, member institutions reported not only record participation in community service but also an increase in structural and financial support for initiatives to improve communities and to make civic learning part of academic life.

Growing To Greatness: The State Of Service-Learning Project 2004 Executive Summary, National Youth Leadership

Project Summaries

This report is the first of a series of annual Growing to Greatness (G2G) reports by the National Youth Leadership Council. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and life, G2G documents the capacity of all youths to be great - to serve, learn, and change the world. Growing evidence, shared by several disciplines and collected across a diverse range of settings, documents young people actively learning and making real differences in communities.