Interpretative Analysis of Adult Learners’ Lived Experiences in a Uniquely Designed Higher Education Program

The lived and collegiate experiences of adult learners, who are among the fastest growing student population in 21st century higher education, is the essence of this study. The study was conducted using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Fifteen baccalaureate level degree-seeking study participants consented to share their respective journeys. Twenty-one interviews were conducted for the study. Code-listed categories, themes and sub-themes emerged from two interview sessions, and member-checking sessions. Several themes were aligned to two research questions: In what ways, if any, are the distinctive needs and expectations of adult learners fulfilled through a baccalaureate level adult learner program; and, what does an adult learner do to address the challenges of meeting degree requirements in a timely manner? The diversity, character, and transparency of each study participant led to extensive interpretative analysis that validates how their needs and expectations were fulfilled, and the efforts made to conquer challenges that allowed them to persist in an accelerated adult learning program. This study further examines how met and unmet needs impact the desired optimum experience for adult learners. A model on The Impact of Met and Unmet Needs for Adult Learners was developed to introduce how certain influential factors can either decrease (unmet) or increase (met) confidence levels, degrees of expectation, and learning outcomes. The relationship of this study to existing adult learning theory and how the findings build upon the research on adult learners makes a significant contribution for future researchers, college leaders, organizations, and others invested in the experiences of adult learners in uniquely designed programs. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

The Constitutional Attack on Virginia\u27s Medical Malpractice Cap: Equal Protection and the Right to Jury Trial

Since its enactment, Virginia\u27s statute limiting medical malpractice awards has spawned questions concerning its constitutionality. In response to the alleged insurance crisis of the 1970\u27s, many state legislatures passed statutes designed to slow the rising costs of liability insurance. With such statutes already enacted in many jurisdictions, the insurance and health care industries claim that another malpractice insurance crisis exists today. While that may be true in some parts of the country and within some medical specialties, the problem originally was not as severe in the state of Virginia. Today, it is still not as severe in Virginia as it is in other parts of the nation

World Checklist of Tribe Calpini (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Calpinae)

A preliminary checklist of Calpini is provided, incorporating corrections and changes to publication dates and nomenclature as presented in the checklists of Poole (1989), Fibiger and Lafontaine (2005), and Holloway (2005). Culasta Moore is removed from synonymy with Calyptra Ochsenheimer. Eudocima talboti (Prout) and Graphigona antica Walker are placed in synonymy with E. cajeta (Cramer) and G. regina (Guenée), respectively. Africalpe Krüger, Ferenta Walker, Gonodonta Hübner, Graphigona Walker, Oraesia Guenée, and Tetrisia Walker, are added to the tribe based on shared characters. The genera Cecharismena Möschler, Goniapteryx Perty, Pharga Walker, Phyprosopus Grote, Psammathodoxa Dyar, and Radara Walker are removed and considered incertae sedis. Hemiceratoides and Phyllodes are not considered to be members of Calpini

Determination of Reaction Kinetics of Barium Sulfide with Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Sulfate to Reduce Deadload in the Recovery Cycle

6190 Research ProjectThe following study deals with the characteristics of the reaction to form BaSO₄ and BaCO₃ from Na₂SO₄ and Na₂CO₃, respectively, using BaS as the other reactant. These reactions would theoretically increase the efficiency of the chemical recovery process in papermaking to near 100% by completely converting Na₂SO₄ to Na₂S and Na₂CO₃ to NaOH. Kinetic data were collected, and it was determined that both reactions were overall first order with rate constants of 0.037s⁻¹ for the formation of BaSO₄ and 0.021s⁻¹ for the formation of BaCO₃. Also, it was found that both reactions go to completion in under three minutes. The heats of reaction were studied and found to be negligible. BaSO₄ particle sizes averaged approximately 4.5μm and remained steady with respect to time while BaCO₃ particle sizes were approximately 21μm initially, but decreased over the course of several days. BaCO₃ formed agglomerates which began to break down immediately, but BaSO₄ did not form agglomerates at all. No explanation for why BaCO3 formed agglomerates and BaSO₄ did not could be determined experimentally or found in the literature. Attempts to increase the particle size of BaSO₄ included seeding the initial solution with BaSO₄ crystals and increasing the concentration of reactants from 0.100M solutions each to 0.292M for BaS and 1.31M for the sodium salts. Both seeding and increased reactant concentration had no effect on particle size. The settling rates of BaSO₄ and BaCO₃ particles were also studied. BaSO₄ exhibited mainly discrete and some flocculant settling characteristics, and the suspension as a whole settled quickly with some smaller particles remaining in suspension for a lengthy period of time. Hindered and mainly compression settling occurred with BaCO₃ because of the agglomerates that formed due to strong particle-particle interactions. BaCO₃ settled slowly, but virtually no particles remained in suspension after the bulk of the particles settled.Advisor: Dr. Jeff Empie ; Committee: Dr. Preet Singh, Dr. Chris Verril

Acceptability of HIV Testing Sites Among Rural and Urban African Americans Who Use Cocaine

African Americans (AAs) who use cocaine in the Southern region of the U.S. have a relatively high risk of HIV and need for HIV testing. Among this group, those residing in rural areas may have less favorable opinions about common HIV testing sites, which could inhibit HIV testing. We examined rural/urban variations in their acceptability of multiple HIV testing sites (private physician clinic, local health department, community health center, community HIV fair, hospital emergency department, blood plasma donation center, drug abuse treatment facility, and mobile van or community outreach worker). Results from partial proportional odds and logistic regression analyses indicate that rural AA who use cocaine have lower odds of viewing local health departments (OR = 0.09, 95 % CI = 0.03–0.21), physician offices (OR = 0.19, 95 % CI = 0.09–0.42), and drug use treatment centers (OR = 0.49; 95 % CI = 0.30–0.80) as acceptable relative to their urban counterparts. The findings have implications for further targeting HIV testing toward AAs who use of cocaine, particularly those residing in the rural South

Knowledge Transfer and Teaching Public Administration: the Academy Model

Since the beginnings of Public Administration in the US and its accompanying education in other parts of the world, government and policy have become more complex. The education in Public Administration created a professional pathway to public service. The addition of education to Public Administration came out of the Progressive Movement in the United States to make knowledge in Public Administration more important in the face of corruption brought on by patronage appointments. When nonprofits became part the US public sector as elsewhere along with nonprofit healthcare, the complexity expanded enormously, requiring professionals to know more in what has become a multidisciplinary field of study. Given the diversity and complexity of the public sector and the need for Public Administration to embrace more knowledge from many disciplines, it stands to reason that an earlier start on the education portion of Public Administration or a pathway would be beneficial. A model of early Public Administration knowledge transfer is described and illustrated below. The Academy described is based on the US career pathways and high school academies as part of the school to work educational movement. The success of the combination of these two areas will also be pointed out in the academy described. Translation of lessons learned from the Acdemy to Europe and Asia are also considered

Experimental Evidence of Time Delay Induced Death in Coupled Limit Cycle Oscillators

Experimental observations of time delay induced amplitude death in a pair of coupled nonlinear electronic circuits that are individually capable of exhibiting limit cycle oscillations are described. In particular, the existence of multiply connected death islands in the parameter space of the coupling strength and the time delay parameter for coupled identical oscillators is established. The existence of such regions was predicted earlier on theoretical grounds in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 5109 (1998); Physica 129D, 15 (1999)]. The experiments also reveal the occurrence of multiple frequency states, frequency suppression of oscillations with increased time delay and the onset of both in-phase and anti-phase collective oscillations.Comment: 4 aps formatted RevTeX pages; 6 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev. Let