• The Development of the Cohort Block Pedagogical Design Model and Its Application in Asynchronous Online Courses

      Doney, Bruce Mitchell (2012-04-11)
      Recent literature suggests that large asynchronous online courses have relatively high rates of attrition and loss of student interest than do similar courses offered in smaller groups. The purpose of this research paper was to investigate the problem and develop an asynchronous online pedagogical model that could address issues without sacrificing social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. The resulting model is the Cohort Block Pedagogical Design (CBPD). This research paper explores the application and feasibility of the model in small, large, and very large asynchronous online classroom settings. Suggested quantitative and qualitative testing of the model is proposed through a mixed-methods study. The quantitative component of the study is a quasi-experimental nonequivalent group design used to compare and analyze student perceptions via an instrument based upon the Community of Inquiry conceptual framework. The intervention is the CBPD model. The findings of this study may determine whether or not the CBPD is a viable online pedagogical design for addressing attrition and student-interest issues with regard to asynchronous online courses.
    • Effect of Attachment on Marital Satisfaction and Parenthood

      Nodar, Martha (2012-04-11)
      The literature review presented herewith includes peer-reviewed articles integrating research from 1977 to 2009, with a two-fold purpose: To support the notion of the effect of attachment within the marital-parenting dyad, and to illustrate consistency in the body of work regarding attachment and relationships across time. Marital dissatisfaction during parenthood is an issue that continues to impact marriage and family counselors. Based on research studies, internal processes and unspoken conflicts within the couple dating back to the courtship phase seem to come to the surface during childrearing. All the samples used in the studies presented herewith were randomly stratified. Participants included in the articles reviewed for the current analysis consist of couples who had been married between six (6) months and 15 years with children ranging in age from infancy to adolescence. Limitations among the findings presented herewith include the application of self-reports, the short-term methodology, and the limited number of diverse participants in the samples.