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- Title
- ALLIANCE PARADOX: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF ALLIANCE PORTFOLIO EFFECTS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY IN THE U.S. AIRLINE INDUSTRY.
- Creator
-
zhang, zhe, Barringer, Bruce, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation studies the potential paradoxical effects of alliance participation. Over the past two decades, alliance participation has become a popular firm strategy to obtain benefits that are difficult for a firm to obtain on its own. Yet, as firms increasingly participate in alliances, boundedly rational managers may not effectively manage all aspects of alliances to achieve intended alliance outcomes. Paradoxically, alliance participation may cause harm to the participating firms....
Show moreThis dissertation studies the potential paradoxical effects of alliance participation. Over the past two decades, alliance participation has become a popular firm strategy to obtain benefits that are difficult for a firm to obtain on its own. Yet, as firms increasingly participate in alliances, boundedly rational managers may not effectively manage all aspects of alliances to achieve intended alliance outcomes. Paradoxically, alliance participation may cause harm to the participating firms. To unveil an alliance paradox, this dissertation first examined the relationships between alliance portfolio attributes (i.e., alliance portfolio size, multilateral alliances, alliance partner country diversity, and alliance type) and customer service quality in the U.S. airline industry. Further, I examined whether alliance experience moderates the relationships between alliance portfolio attributes and customer service quality. Altogether, five hypotheses were tested. This dissertation relied exclusively on the longitudinal quarterly data of nine U.S. major airlines over a 20-year period between 1988 and 2007 that include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest, United Airlines, and U.S. Airways. Data pertaining to alliance variables were collected from the Securities Data Company (SDC) database. Quarterly service quality data pertaining to customer complaint, mishandled baggage, on-time arrival, and involuntary denied boarding were collected from the Air Travel Consumer Report published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). To detect the temporal effects of alliance portfolio attributes on service quality, a three-month lag was created between the alliances data and the service quality data. The results show that although the relationship between alliance portfolio attributes and service quality seems to be more complex than initially proposed, the overall finding confirms the existence of an alliance paradox in that increases in alliance portfolio size, partner country diversity and channel-dominated alliances (versus backward competitor-dominated alliances) are associated with decreases in certain key dimensions of service quality. This dissertation seeks to make several important contributions. First, by exploring the alliance paradox, this dissertation attempts to demonstrate that despite the anticipated alliance benefits such as cost reduction or revenue enhancement, managers need to be aware of the cost of alliance participation with respect to customer service quality, which has paramount impact on firm performance. Second, this dissertation also contributes to services marketing literature by investigating alliance portfolio attributes as antecedents of service quality. Third, this dissertation investigates whether firm-level alliance experience moderates the relationship between alliance portfolio attributes and service quality.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002505, ucf:47686
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002505
- Title
- A Framework for Assessing the Quality and Effectiveness of A National Employment System: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia.
- Creator
-
Alsulami, Hemaid, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Rahal, Ahmad, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
National employment systems have been established in several countries to tackle the unemployment dilemma between citizens while the labor market flooded by expatriates. Lack of performance measurement indices among these systems caused failure to provide jobs to citizens and caused a state of confusion and dissatisfaction among employing entities. In Saudi Arabia, unemployment rate has increased in the last few decades and have since become a very political issue for the Saudi government....
Show moreNational employment systems have been established in several countries to tackle the unemployment dilemma between citizens while the labor market flooded by expatriates. Lack of performance measurement indices among these systems caused failure to provide jobs to citizens and caused a state of confusion and dissatisfaction among employing entities. In Saudi Arabia, unemployment rate has increased in the last few decades and have since become a very political issue for the Saudi government. Compared to other countries, the problem is different since many expatriates in Saudi Arabia are already employed in their markets while citizens are seeking jobs. In Saudi Arabia, there are 1.4 million unemployed citizens and 8 million expatriates working in the Saudi labor market. In 2011, the Saudi government established a new project for boosting citizen's employment in the private sector. This project has initiated an employment system that divides organizations into four categories (or rankings) based on their performance in employing Saudi citizens' job seekers. Organizations in the Saudi private sector are allocated services from Ministry of Labor depending on their ranking in the system. Consequently, there are mixed reactions from social and economic groups toward the system's significant impact on increasing the number of national (citizen) workers in the labor market.This study develops a framework to assess the quality and effectiveness of this government employment system and how the private sector has been affected after its implementation. The framework proposes a national employment index to help government leaders manage the labor market and reduce the unemployment rate. In addition, the framework is proposing employers satisfaction index to assist in improving the cooperation betweenivgovernment and private sector. Finally, the study demonstrates the various advantages and disadvantages of this concept and proposes solutions to improve the national employment system's quality and effectiveness.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005124, ucf:50674
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005124
- Title
- FACTORS AFFECTING THE PRACTICES OF ISO 9001:2000 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN SAUDI BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS.
- Creator
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Al-Asiri, Mohammad Mesaad, Elshennawy, Ahamd, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Since it's release in Dec 2000, there has been a slow movement towards the new version of ISO 9001:2000 by ISO 9000:1994 certified organizations. Of the 561,747 ISO 9000 certified businesses, 167,210 are certified under the new ISO 9001:2000, which is less than 30 % of the total ISO 9000 certified companies. Although many studies have been conducted to understand and assess the practices of ISO 9000:1994 standards, no research has been done to investigate the practices of ISO 9001:2000 in...
Show moreSince it's release in Dec 2000, there has been a slow movement towards the new version of ISO 9001:2000 by ISO 9000:1994 certified organizations. Of the 561,747 ISO 9000 certified businesses, 167,210 are certified under the new ISO 9001:2000, which is less than 30 % of the total ISO 9000 certified companies. Although many studies have been conducted to understand and assess the practices of ISO 9000:1994 standards, no research has been done to investigate the practices of ISO 9001:2000 in Saudi Arabia. This study is designed to investigate the implementation practices of the new ISO 9001:2000 standard in Saudi business organizations. The main objectives of this study are to identify the critical factors that lead to successful implementation of the new standard, to determine what barriers have been encountered during implementation, and to identify the most difficult parts of the standard to comply with. It investigates the perceived benefits that Saudi firms have gained from implementing the system and examines the level of knowledge about ISO 9001:2000 and the perceptions of the new standard among the management teams and staff of ISO registered firms. It determines the level of integration between ISO 9001:2000 and other implemented systems. Furthermore, this study aims to investigate the factors that may explain the Saudi organizations' decisions to implement ISO 9001:2000 in their businesses. To accomplish these research objectives, a questionnaire was developed based on an extensive review of related literature and tested for validity and reliability.The target sample for the study was made up of all ISO 9001:2000 registered sites in Saudi Arabia up to 31 Dec. 2002, which comprised 131 organizations. A total of 89 completed surveys were received, for a response rate of 72%. Descriptive statistics, measurement of variation, and association, and factor analysis were used in the interpretation of collected data.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000137, ucf:46194
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000137
- Title
- THE SYNCHRONICITY OF HOPE AND ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE IN TERMINAL CANCER.
- Creator
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Terry, Brianna M, Chase, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of death worldwide. The rate of mortality is currently approximately 171.2 out of every 100,000 individuals with a terminal cancer diagnosis annually. Individuals with terminal cancer diagnoses facing probable mortality utilize various coping mechanisms or internal resources in an attempt to maintain an internal sense of well-being, commonly referred to as quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this literature...
Show moreCancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of death worldwide. The rate of mortality is currently approximately 171.2 out of every 100,000 individuals with a terminal cancer diagnosis annually. Individuals with terminal cancer diagnoses facing probable mortality utilize various coping mechanisms or internal resources in an attempt to maintain an internal sense of well-being, commonly referred to as quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this literature review was to investigate themes prevalent in the literature pertaining to internal coping mechanisms and analyze any correlation or causation linking these resources to a change in QOL in individuals with a terminal cancer diagnosis. The secondary purpose of this review was to interpret and define the healthcare provider's role in supporting this relationship. A systematic review of the literature was conducted from multiple online databases. Multiple studies related to the overarching themes of internal resources and QOL for individuals with a terminal cancer diagnosis were selected for the review. Results revealed major themes pertaining to correlation between hope and QOL. Studies which analyzed the relationship between hope and QOL found a positive correlation. The literature suggests that healthcare providers are capable of facilitating this relationship between hope and QOL. Healthcare provider facilitation of the relationship between hope and QOL is valuable in the clinical setting, and can aid an individual in achieving a desirable QOL.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000075, ucf:45520
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000075
- Title
- Stormwater Management for Urban Areas.
- Creator
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Chancellor, Gerald L., Wanielista, Martin P., Engineering
- Abstract / Description
-
Florida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; Stormwater management in urban areas is a major concern today. The problem of disposing of this stormwater runoff in a satisfactory manner is very difficult indeed. Both the quantity and quality aspects of the runoff must be dealt with to obtain a solution of this problem. The water quality of the runoff can vary depending upon the different land uses of the drainage basin. The quantity of the stormwater runoff also depends upon...
Show moreFlorida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; Stormwater management in urban areas is a major concern today. The problem of disposing of this stormwater runoff in a satisfactory manner is very difficult indeed. Both the quantity and quality aspects of the runoff must be dealt with to obtain a solution of this problem. The water quality of the runoff can vary depending upon the different land uses of the drainage basin. The quantity of the stormwater runoff also depends upon the land uses, the rainfall intensity and duration of the storm. The traditional methods available for determining the quantity of the stormwater runoff are numerous. These traditional methods and recently developed mathematical simulation models are discussed in this paper. Prediction of the water quality of stormwater runoff is in its infancy. Several of the mathematical models have the capabilities of quality simulation, however, the simulation results are usually inconsistent with actual quality data. Of the simulation models currently in use, the EPA Storm Water Management Model is one of the most comprehensive models. Application and verification of these newly developed models is limited. The EPA Model was chosen to simulate the quantity and quality of a small urban drainage area. The study area chosen was an urban commercial section of the Lake Eola drainage basin. Physical data of the study area, such as ground slopes, storm swere sizes and locations and slopes were determined. This data was then utilized for simulations of actual rainfall events. Verification of the quantity and quality simulation results was performed with actual quantity and quality data obtained for these rainfall events. Quantity simulation was considered successful with good correlation between the simulated and actual runoff. Quality simulation was successful to a lesser degree, the conclusion being that further quality calibration of the Model was required. Correlation between actual and simulated stormwater quality was achieved to some extent. The lack of correlation was felt to be due to calibration of the Model.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1975
- Identifier
- CFR0008137, ucf:52951
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0008137
- Title
- Mixing effects on shallow water bodies.
- Creator
-
Powell, Kim Robin, Yousef, Yousef A., Engineering
- Abstract / Description
-
Florida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; This report is intended to examine the ecological changes due to mixing in shallow water bodies. Physical, chemical, and biological changes are reported in literature. A literature search revealed the range of mixing nodes or processes. Assessment of ecological changes due to mixing by boating activities had been evaluated in a research project supported by the environmental Protection Agency and conducted at Florida...
Show moreFlorida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; This report is intended to examine the ecological changes due to mixing in shallow water bodies. Physical, chemical, and biological changes are reported in literature. A literature search revealed the range of mixing nodes or processes. Assessment of ecological changes due to mixing by boating activities had been evaluated in a research project supported by the environmental Protection Agency and conducted at Florida Technological University. The examination of changes due to mechanical mixing on lake ecology simulated in fifty-five gallon drums indicated the sensitivity of such parameters as total Kjeldahl nitrogen, conductivity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Problems of reproducibility and simulation are inherent in transporting sediments and water samples from a natural environment to an isolated barrel test. Even though care was taken to insure similar initial conditions for all water quality parameters in all of the drums, differences were recognized. The useful information from a pilot study of this nature comes from the relative comparison of each drum before and after mechanical stirring.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1975
- Identifier
- CFR0003462, ucf:53036
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0003462
- Title
- THE EFFECT OF APHASIA ON QUALITY OF LIFE, COPING STYLE, AND RESILIENCE.
- Creator
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Hernandez, Nelson J, Whiteside, Janet D., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Approximately one million people in the United States suffer from aphasia. There are multiple types of aphasia, however they are usually placed into two categories: non-fluent or fluent. The psychosocial factors that are impacted due to the type of aphasia has not been systematically investigated. The purpose of this study is to examine how non-fluent and fluent Individuals With Aphasia (IWA) compare or contrast across three psychosocial factors, Quality of Life (QoL), coping style, and...
Show moreApproximately one million people in the United States suffer from aphasia. There are multiple types of aphasia, however they are usually placed into two categories: non-fluent or fluent. The psychosocial factors that are impacted due to the type of aphasia has not been systematically investigated. The purpose of this study is to examine how non-fluent and fluent Individuals With Aphasia (IWA) compare or contrast across three psychosocial factors, Quality of Life (QoL), coping style, and resilience. The World Health Quality of Life- BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Assimilative-Accommodative Coping Scale (AACS), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 item version (CD-RISC-10), were administered once to 24 subjects with a diagnosis of aphasia. Four of the subjects were excluded after administration, due to incompletion of questionnaire or not meeting inclusion criteria. A cross sectional multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) study design was utilized with a separate one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) utilized to analyze each domain and scale individually. Results from the MANOVA analysis showed no statistically significant difference between non-fluent and fluent IWA when considered jointly among the three Likert scales. However, a separate ANOVA was conducted for each scale individually and showed a statistically significant difference between fluent and non-fluent IWA in the domains of Social Relationships and Environment for the WHOQOL-BREF scale. There was no statistically significant difference discovered among the other domains and scales. In conclusion, the significant difference found between fluent and non-fluent IWA in the domains of Social Relationships and Environment, may be due to the majority of the fluent IWA being categorized as anomic, a higher functioning form of aphasia. Whereas the majority of non-fluent IWA were categorized as having Broca's aphasia, which greatly affects speech output and, in six out of nine participants, hemiplegia was noted. Future research may want to take into account the severity of aphasia when comparing and contrasting non-fluent and fluent IWA.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000147, ucf:46038
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000147
- Title
- IS GAY REALLY GAY?: A HETEROSEXUAL/HOMOSEXUAL QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARISON.
- Creator
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Dzara, Kristina, Gay, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examines differences in quality of life measures between heterosexual and homosexual respondents using General Social Survey data from 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. Analyses of quality of life are performed in an effort to compare the heterosexual and homosexual population of the United States. The three main areas which are explored in the analysis are physical health, general happiness, and life excitement. Few differences were found in subjective life satisfaction between...
Show moreThis study examines differences in quality of life measures between heterosexual and homosexual respondents using General Social Survey data from 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. Analyses of quality of life are performed in an effort to compare the heterosexual and homosexual population of the United States. The three main areas which are explored in the analysis are physical health, general happiness, and life excitement. Few differences were found in subjective life satisfaction between heterosexuals and homosexuals; however, some control variables differed. Directions for future research regarding homosexuality and quality of life are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000419, ucf:46408
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000419
- Title
- AN ANALYSIS OF ACCREDITATION PROCESSES, QUALITY CONTROL CRITERIA, HISTORICAL EVENTS, AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
- Creator
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Burris, Robert, Murray, Barbara, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student performance has been influenced by historical events, legislative mandates, and accreditation processes. This study consists of comparing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation processes with those of the Association of Christian Schools International. In completing this qualitative study, the following procedures were implemented: Related research was used to provide a background of the role that...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student performance has been influenced by historical events, legislative mandates, and accreditation processes. This study consists of comparing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation processes with those of the Association of Christian Schools International. In completing this qualitative study, the following procedures were implemented: Related research was used to provide a background of the role that historical events, legislation, and accreditation processes have on student performance; data were collected to establish time line shifts in an historical perspective. The data collected included assessment, accountability, high school drop out rates, high school graduation rates, academic readiness for higher education, standardized testing, grade inflation, acceleration of dual enrollment and advanced placement courses, and national SAT and ACT averages. Data were also collected from historical record of accreditation processes, which included standards, teacher certification requirements, committee responsibilities, visiting team responsibilities, and self-study materials. As a result of content analysis, the researcher decided to focus on three key areas that were integral to the study. The three categories identified in the review of literature were used to analyze the content of these events and processes. The categories were: (a) Student Performance, (b) Historical Events, and (c) SACS and ACSI Accreditation Processes. The following results were obtained from this research. Findings indicated that a criterion-based accreditation process potentially results in more consistent student performance outcomes than an open-ended process.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002052, ucf:47569
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002052
- Title
- QUALITY OF SERVICE MEASURES AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS.
- Creator
-
Goyal, Kamal, Radwan, Essam, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The concept of using qualitative measures to describe the quality of service at signalized intersections provided by different designs and controls has been discussed in numerous conferences. Such measures may include driver's comfort, convenience, anxiety, and preferences. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using the University of Central Florida's interactive driving simulator to execute several scenarios involving different unusual design and...
Show moreThe concept of using qualitative measures to describe the quality of service at signalized intersections provided by different designs and controls has been discussed in numerous conferences. Such measures may include driver's comfort, convenience, anxiety, and preferences. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using the University of Central Florida's interactive driving simulator to execute several scenarios involving different unusual design and operation practices to measure the quality of service at a signalized intersection. This thesis describes the scenarios, the experiments conducted, the data collected, and analysis of results. Signalized intersections with 3 types of characteristic features were identified for this study. They included 1. A lane dropping on the downstream side of the intersection 2. Misalignment of traffic lanes between the approach and downstream side 3. Shared left turn and through traffic lane or separate lanes for each approaching the intersection The experimental phase consisted of a brief orientation session to get acclimated to the driving simulator followed by two driving scenarios presented to all subjects. Each scenario consisted of a drive through an urban section of the simulator's visual data base where each subject encountered a Type 1, 2 and 3 intersections. A total of 40 subjects, 25 males and 15 females were recruited for the experiment. Data logging at 60 Hz for each scenario consisted of time-stamped values of x-position and y-position of the simulator vehicle, steering, accelerator and brake inputs by the driver, and vehicle speed. After the experiment a questionnaire soliciting opinions and reactions about each intersection was administered. Simulator experiment results showed that there was a significant difference between the merge lengths for the two cases of Type 1 intersection (lane drop on the downstream side of the intersection). For Type 2 intersection (misalignment of traffic lanes between the approach and downstream side) there was a considerable difference between the average paths followed by subjects for the two cases. For Type 3 intersection (shared left and through traffic lane approaching the intersection) the simulator experiment supported the fact that people get frustrated when trapped behind a left turning vehicle in a joint left and through lane intersection and take evasive actions to cross the intersection as soon as possible.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000786, ucf:46574
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000786
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF CEREBROVASCULAR AGING ON SLEEP QUALITY IN A SAMPLE OF AGING ADULTS.
- Creator
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Mapp, Chelsea Tia, Paulson, Daniel, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Cerebrovascular burden (CVB) is a significant factor among the aging population. Age-related cognitive decline is an important social and economic issue, and understanding the mechanisms has clinical implications, both in selecting potential therapies and in choosing specific modifiers for their evaluation. In summary, past work suggests that high CVB is one source of variance in neurovascular functioning among older adults. High CVB and associated brain-changes have been identified as causes...
Show moreCerebrovascular burden (CVB) is a significant factor among the aging population. Age-related cognitive decline is an important social and economic issue, and understanding the mechanisms has clinical implications, both in selecting potential therapies and in choosing specific modifiers for their evaluation. In summary, past work suggests that high CVB is one source of variance in neurovascular functioning among older adults. High CVB and associated brain-changes have been identified as causes of age-related changes and it may be that high CVB is a correlate of age-related changes in sleep quality. The primary hypothesis to be tested is that cerebrovascular burden measured using an index variable reflecting blood pressure, resting heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation, will predict subjective sleep quality in a sample of adults over age 70. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. A sample of 8 dementia-free, community dwelling participants over the age of 70 completed the study. Though individual cerebrovascular risk factors (blood pressure, resting heart rate) had moderate but non-significant correlations with sleep quality, only the CVB index variable significantly related (1-tailed) to sleep quality. Findings support the hypothesized relationship. Future research should seek to replicate these findings with a larger sample, and to identify mechanisms by which this relationship may function.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000065, ucf:45532
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000065
- Title
- FINDING THE DOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES IN PRIMARY INCLUSION CLASSROOMS USING THE INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM PROFILE (ICP).
- Creator
-
Romero, Marilyn, Reyes-Macpherson, Maria, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In 1997, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was amended to emphasize the need for students with disabilities to have access to the general curriculum. Along with IDEA, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), emphasized that all children must have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education (Sec. 1001, Part A, Title 1 of ESEA; 20U.S.C. 6301) increasing the need for effective inclusion classrooms in schools around the country. This study evaluated six...
Show moreIn 1997, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was amended to emphasize the need for students with disabilities to have access to the general curriculum. Along with IDEA, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), emphasized that all children must have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education (Sec. 1001, Part A, Title 1 of ESEA; 20U.S.C. 6301) increasing the need for effective inclusion classrooms in schools around the country. This study evaluated six inclusive classrooms (three partial and three full) from a large metropolitan school district in Florida. The classrooms' best practices were assessed using the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP). The ICP is a 7-point rating scale conducted through an observation procedure that is designed to assess the quality of daily classroom practices of children with disabilities (Soukakou, 2007). Teacher characteristics, student characteristics, and classroom characteristics were gathered from all classrooms and analyzed through correlation tests with the ICP scores. Although statistical results did not demonstrate statistically significant data in regards to the strength of relationships between these characteristics and ICP scores, the direction of the relationship on the following characteristics: related experience, severity of disabilities, and level of support, revealed a possible impact on ICP scores.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004181, ucf:44848
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004181
- Title
- EXPLORING TECHNIQUES FOR MEASUREMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF DATA QUALITY WITH APPLICATION TO DETERMINATION OF THE LAST KNOWN POSITION (LKP) IN SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) DATA.
- Creator
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Wakchaure, Abhijit, Hua, Kien, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
There is a tremendous volume of data being generated in today's world. As organizations around the globe realize the increased importance of their data as being a valuable asset in gaining a competitive edge in a fast-paced and a dynamic business world, more and more attention is being paid to the quality of the data. Advances in the fields of data mining, predictive modeling, text mining, web mining, business intelligence, health care analytics, etc. all depend on clean, accurate data. That...
Show moreThere is a tremendous volume of data being generated in today's world. As organizations around the globe realize the increased importance of their data as being a valuable asset in gaining a competitive edge in a fast-paced and a dynamic business world, more and more attention is being paid to the quality of the data. Advances in the fields of data mining, predictive modeling, text mining, web mining, business intelligence, health care analytics, etc. all depend on clean, accurate data. That one cannot effectively mine data, which is dirty, comes as no surprise. This research is an exploratory study of different domain data sets, addressing the data quality issues specific to each domain, identifying the challenges faced and arriving at techniques or methodologies for measuring and improving the data quality. The primary focus of the research is on the SAR or Search and Rescue dataset, identifying key issues related to data quality therein and developing an algorithm for improving the data quality. SAR missions which are routinely conducted all over the world show a trend of increasing mission costs. Retrospective studies of historic SAR data not only allow for a detailed analysis and understanding of SAR incidents and patterns, but also form the basis for generating probability maps, analytical data models, etc., which allow for an efficient use of valuable SAR resources and their distribution. One of the challenges with regards to the SAR dataset is that the collection process is not perfect. Often, the LKP or the Last Known Position is not known or cannot be arrived at. The goal is to fully or partially geocode the LKP for as many data points as possible, identify those data points where the LKP cannot be geocoded at all, and further highlight the underlying data quality issues. The SAR Algorithm has been developed, which makes use of partial or incomplete information, cleans and validates the data, and further extracts address information from relevant fields to successfully geocode the data. The algorithm improves the geocoding accuracy and has been validated by a set of approaches.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004050, ucf:49142
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004050
- Title
- PERCEPTUAL IMAGE QUALITY OF LAUNCHVEHICLE IMAGING TELESCOPES.
- Creator
-
Lentz, Joshua, Harvey, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A large fleet (in the hundreds) of high quality telescopes are used for tracking and imaging of launch vehicles during ascent from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. A maintenance tool has been development for use with these telescopes. The tool requires rankings of telescope condition in terms of the ability to generate useful imagery. It is thus a case of ranking telescope conditions on the basis of the perceptual image quality of their imagery. Perceptual image...
Show moreA large fleet (in the hundreds) of high quality telescopes are used for tracking and imaging of launch vehicles during ascent from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. A maintenance tool has been development for use with these telescopes. The tool requires rankings of telescope condition in terms of the ability to generate useful imagery. It is thus a case of ranking telescope conditions on the basis of the perceptual image quality of their imagery. Perceptual image quality metrics that are well-correlated to observer opinions of image quality have been available for several decades. However, these are quite limited in their applications, not being designed to compare various optical systems. The perceptual correlation of the metrics implies that a constant image quality curve (such as the boundary between two qualitative categories labeled as excellent and good) would have a constant value of the metric. This is not the case if the optical system parameters (such as object distance or aperture diameter) are varied. No published data on such direct variation is available and this dissertation presents an investigation made into the perceptual metric responses as system parameters are varied. This investigation leads to some non-intuitive conclusions. The perceptual metrics are reviewed as well as more common metrics and their inability to perform in the necessary manner for the research of interest. Perceptual test methods are also reviewed, as is the human visual system. Image formation theory is presented in a non-traditional form, yielding the surprising result that perceptual image quality is invariant under changes in focal length if the final displayed image remains constant. Experimental results are presented of changes in perceived image quality as aperture diameter is varied. Results are analyzed and shortcomings in the process and metrics are discussed. Using the test results, predictions are made about the form of the metric response to object distance variations, and subsequent testing was conducted to validate the predictions. The utility of the results, limitations of applicability, and the immediate ability to further generalize the results is presented.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003899, ucf:48731
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003899
- Title
- Ichetucknee Springs: Measuring the Effects of Visitors on Water Quality Parameters through Continuous Monitoring.
- Creator
-
Faraji, Sarah, Singh, Arvind, Wang, Dingbao, Mayo, Talea, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Ichetucknee Springs System is in north central Florida, under the jurisdiction of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD). The Ichetucknee River is one of the most pristine spring-fed rivers in Florida and became a state park in 1970. Over 400,000 people visited the Ichetucknee Springs State Park in 2016. From that total, over 130,000 people came during the tubing season alone (Memorial Day to Labor Day). During the tubing season, only 750 visitors per day are allowed to launch...
Show moreIchetucknee Springs System is in north central Florida, under the jurisdiction of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD). The Ichetucknee River is one of the most pristine spring-fed rivers in Florida and became a state park in 1970. Over 400,000 people visited the Ichetucknee Springs State Park in 2016. From that total, over 130,000 people came during the tubing season alone (Memorial Day to Labor Day). During the tubing season, only 750 visitors per day are allowed to launch from the North Launch, near the Ichetucknee Head Spring. The park enforces visitor usage of the river during these time frames to protect the integrity of the aquatic vegetation and aquatic organisms in the northern portion of the River. The objective of this study is to evaluate the response of water quality from the Head Spring to the seasonal changes in visitor numbers to the Park. Water quality parameters were continuously monitored and recorded by a SRWMD station using a YSI EXO2 and SUNA nitrate sensor: temperature, turbidity, pH, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen content, and nitrates (NO2+NO3). Water quality data from April 2015 to September 2017 was reviewed and processed into max daily values that were compared to daily visitor counts. Results from the statistical analysis indicate there is a significant difference in turbidity from the Head Spring during the tubing season and outside the tubing season (Kruskal-Wallis, p(<)0.001), which results from higher visitor counts during the weekends of the tubing season. However, due to inconsistency of water quality readings and equipment damage, some data were lost or outside the range of monitoring capabilities; which may have resulted in decreased correlation between water quality and daily visitor counts. Continued evaluation of water quality by continuous monitoring is warranted as it can assist the SRWMD and Ichetucknee Springs State Park Staff better monitor and evaluate the health of the Ichetucknee Springs System.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006873, ucf:51748
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006873
- Title
- A Single Case Study on the Influence of Feedback on the Instructional Quality of a Preservice Elementary Teacher in Mathematics: The Instructional Quality Assessment Toolkit as a Resource.
- Creator
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Campbell Sutherland, Makini, Dixon, Juli, Safi, Farshid, Hoffman, Elizabeth, Andreasen, Janet, Childs, Kristopher, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this single case study was to determine if a preservice elementary teacher's instruction would be influenced by feedback on mathematics lessons. The focus of the research was on the use of the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) (Boston 2012) toolkit as an integral part in the feedback process. The IQA toolkit provides number ratings as well as qualitative descriptive ratings of various aspects of the mathematics lesson, defined under two constructs, or groups, labeled...
Show moreThe purpose of this single case study was to determine if a preservice elementary teacher's instruction would be influenced by feedback on mathematics lessons. The focus of the research was on the use of the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) (Boston 2012) toolkit as an integral part in the feedback process. The IQA toolkit provides number ratings as well as qualitative descriptive ratings of various aspects of the mathematics lesson, defined under two constructs, or groups, labeled Academic Rigor and Accountable Talk. The researcher evaluated a preservice teacher's instruction on three occasions and facilitated feedback sessions following those observation sessions, integrating the number ratings of the IQA toolkit with the qualitative descriptions of expectations. It was found that there was an increase in ratings for both constructs of Academic Rigor and Accountable Talk over the period of three feedback cycles. There was a difference in how the students were facilitated in instruction over the three observations. The teacher became more aware of some of her behaviors in the classroom that contributed to the type of instruction given to students.In reviewing the literature, there was limited evidence of the use of the IQA toolkit for the iterative process of teaching, feedback, and teaching informed by feedback. This research is therefore useful in expanding the use of the IQA toolkit for feedback purposes. Preservice teachers as well as in-service teachers can benefit from feedback focused on mathematics teaching that makes them more aware of their strengths and weaknesses so they are able to adjust instruction based on the feedback received.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006983, ucf:51679
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006983
- Title
- Employing Quality Management Principles to Improve the Performance of Educational Systems: An Empirical Study of the Effect of ISO 9001 Standard on Teachers and Administrators Performance in the Indonesian Vocational Education System.
- Creator
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Kuncoro, Andreas, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Rabelo, Luis, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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ISO 9001 has been world widely implemented in both manufacturing and service organizations. A lot of studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 implementation on the performance of these organizations. Most of these studies show that ISO 9001 implementation realized positive operational improvements and financial success.Building on the merits of successful implementation of ISO 9001 quality management system in manufacturing and service, educational institutions have...
Show moreISO 9001 has been world widely implemented in both manufacturing and service organizations. A lot of studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 implementation on the performance of these organizations. Most of these studies show that ISO 9001 implementation realized positive operational improvements and financial success.Building on the merits of successful implementation of ISO 9001 quality management system in manufacturing and service, educational institutions have been attempted to adopt it in their operations. Even though there are studies relating ISO implementation to education, no research has been done to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 at the individual level.The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 quality management implementation on the performance of administrators and teachers. The Indonesian vocational education system is selected as a case example as there is a significant number of such institutions in Indonesia that attempt to achieve ISO certification and there is a national need to improve the performance of vocational education. It is a challenge to assess objectively the degree of ISO 9001 implementation in this specific educational context because of the size and diversity. This study relies on survey that measures the respondents' perception. Hence, this study applies a self-reported survey based performance measurement. The questionnaires are developed based on extensive literature review. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLSSEM) has been used to examine the relationships between the different elements of quality management systems, quality culture; administrator and teacher performances. The study is able to examine multiple interrelated dependence and subsequent relationships simultaneously among examined factors such as teacher and administrator performance, existing quality culture and ISO principles; and to incorporate variables that cannot be directly measured, such as leadership, for example. The findings of this study show that ISO 9001 implementation has positive significant effect on the performance of the vocational school administrator and teacher. The study also identifies key influencing elements of the ISO quality management system and examines their direct and indirect relationships with teacher and administrator performances. This study is expected to improve the current practices in implementing ISO and quality culture in any educational settings, specifically in the case of vocational educational system.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005019, ucf:50006
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005019
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF BAM AS AN ADSORPTIVE MEDIA ON PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL IN STORMWATER.
- Creator
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Salamah, Sultan, Randall, Andrew, Duranceau, Steven, Chopra, Manoj, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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To maintain the quality of receiving water bodies, it is desirable to remove total phosphorus (TP) in stormwater runoff. Many media filtration technologies have been developed to achieve TP and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) removal. Efficient media adsorption is essential to insure control of stormwater phosphorus inputs to the receiving water body. This project develops and analyzes a functionalized Biosorption Media (BAM) to remove phosphorus species from stormwater runoff. One goal of...
Show moreTo maintain the quality of receiving water bodies, it is desirable to remove total phosphorus (TP) in stormwater runoff. Many media filtration technologies have been developed to achieve TP and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) removal. Efficient media adsorption is essential to insure control of stormwater phosphorus inputs to the receiving water body. This project develops and analyzes a functionalized Biosorption Media (BAM) to remove phosphorus species from stormwater runoff. One goal of this project is to find the BAM values for coefficients such as maximum adsorption capacity (QM: 4.35E-05) for the media through SRP isotherm equilibrium experiments using the Langmuir and Freundlich models. In addition, an upflow column experiment was also performed to study BAM nutrient removal from stormwater runoff. Finally, the information from the isotherm and the column experiments are used to estimate the life expectancy or quantity required of the media, and to define the effectiveness of BAM in phosphorus removal. The result of this study shows that BAM is a feasible stormwater treatment that can remove 60% SRP and (>)40% TP at temperature between 21-23 (&)deg;C. The media is adequately modeled by both the Langmuir and the Freundlich models over the concentration range of interest in stormwater.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005244, ucf:50589
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005244
- Title
- SHOULD ATHLETES RECEIVE SLEEP HYGIENE EDUCATION? A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW.
- Creator
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Contreras, Ines L, Fisher, Thomas J., Valdes, Anna, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Previous studies show the need to find a solution to improve the athlete's recovery and help overcome their sleep disorders. Sleep hygiene is a list of habits and recommendation that enhance sleep quality. Sleep hygiene education has been used in some research to fill the need of the athletes. Still, a lack of information exists on the development of sleep hygiene programs and related impacts. This thesis aims to perform a systematic review of the literature of scholarly journals articles...
Show morePrevious studies show the need to find a solution to improve the athlete's recovery and help overcome their sleep disorders. Sleep hygiene is a list of habits and recommendation that enhance sleep quality. Sleep hygiene education has been used in some research to fill the need of the athletes. Still, a lack of information exists on the development of sleep hygiene programs and related impacts. This thesis aims to perform a systematic review of the literature of scholarly journals articles from 2007 to 2018, focusing on the relationship between sleep hygiene education and athletes sleep quality and quantity. The investigation concluded with 16 qualifying articles. A synthesis of recommendations from all studies offered sleep hygiene suggestions for athletes; all the results are provided in table 12. The further overall conclusion of the selected articles settled that sleep hygiene is recommended for athletes, yet the methods and strategies are vague and not precise. A strong recommendation from this systematic literature review is the creation of a standardized list of sleep hygiene habits focused on athletes to improve their sleep quality and quantity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFH2000477, ucf:45839
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000477
- Title
- SHORT TERM EXAMINATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SLEEP QUALITY WITH CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
- Creator
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Barnes, Demani Barak, Garcia, Jeanette M., Fukuda, David H., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may not be meeting the recommended amounts of physical activity (PA) or obtain a sufficient amount of sleep, however, few studies have objectively compared PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality between typically developing (TD) youth, and youth with ASD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare levels of PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality between youth with ASD and TD youth. Twenty-three children with ASD and 12 TD...
Show moreChildren diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may not be meeting the recommended amounts of physical activity (PA) or obtain a sufficient amount of sleep, however, few studies have objectively compared PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality between typically developing (TD) youth, and youth with ASD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare levels of PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality between youth with ASD and TD youth. Twenty-three children with ASD and 12 TD children wore the Actigraph GT9X accelerometer over seven days and nights to assess activity and sleep. Youth with ASD had significantly greater levels of sedentary behavior (p=.02), and had less sleep efficiency compared to TD youth (p=.0001). Additionally, TD youth were more likely to achieve the recommended levels of PA compared to youth with ASD (p=.003). Results suggest that youth with ASD have poorer health habits compared to TD youth. Interventions should be developed to target health behaviors in youth with ASD.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFH2000490, ucf:45830
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000490
