Digital Commons Network^™

Systemic Inequalities In The Brazilian Education System: By Chance Or By Choice?, Erin Marmen

Honors Theses

Systemic inequalities in the Brazil date back to the Colonial Era (1500 to 1822). One of the primary institutions which reflects these inequalities in Brazil is the education system. It is the objective of this thesis to analyze factors that impact educational attainment throughout Brazil with a focus on class, ethnicity, gender, and geographic location. First I provide in depth descriptions of the education system in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Amazonas, and Bahia, and discuss the problems they face. These five states all have distinct populations, and as a result distinct education systems and sets …

The Fear Of Reptiles And How To Change It, Maxwell Lyman

Honors Projects

Reptile fear is prominent across many cultures. Anti-reptilian attitudes can lead to anti-conservation attitudes towards reptiles. Person-animal interaction has been shown to decrease fear desensitization and increase positive attitudes towards "unpopular" animals. My project demonstrates the effectiveness of live animal presentation in dispelling negative attitudes of reptiles. However, due to the sample size of the project, further research is highly suggested.

High School Students’ Views Of Social Studies, Mckenzie Weaver

Honors Projects

This paper reviews a short case study on High School Students’ opinions of social studies education. This was conducted in response to a 1984 study, “Why Kids Don’t Like Social Studies” by Schug, Todd, and Beery. This study took place at a suburban high school within senior level social studies classes. The students were given an anonymous survey in accordance with IRB standards which asked them there opinions about the social studies classes they had taken. It also asked them about their favorite subject and why it is their favorite subject. This is important because as a future educator, the …

A Comparison Of Traditional Education And Project-Based Education In Construction Management, Trey Miller

Honors College Theses

Construction is a rapidly moving and constantly changing industry. The skills needed to manage the complex task of running a job site safely, on schedule, and within budget, are unique to the field. Construction Management as an academic field is relatively new discipline. Therefore the field is still rapidly evolving. In many cases, classes are taught by engineering professors, which leads to an engineering-focused education as opposed to a Project Management focused education. Therefore Construction Management students are not receiving the “hands-on” experience early enough in their studies. By structuring classes around an applied project, students will attain a more …

Girls Only Science: Motivating Adolescent Females To Pursue Stem Careers, Madeline Cuckow

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Over the last five years, much attention has been drawn to the large deficit of females in STEM careers and fields. Most attribute this failure to colleges not turning out enough female STEM majors. Contrary to this belief, research suggests a young woman's aptitude for STEM related fields begins much earlier, and declines without intervention.

This project details the research of why there is a gender gap in STEM, what is being done educationally, my unique case study to test the research conducted, and the implications of that research.

Computer-Technology Helper, Pauline H. Lake

Senior Theses and Projects

The Computer-Technology Helper is a digital repository that allows educators to view, edit, create, upload, and comment on teaching materials related to Computer Science and Technology. More importantly, it provides a social space in which educators can collaborate and share teaching ideas. The application also includes membership management that allows for differentiation in user roles and user access. Since there is a lack of Computer Science and Technology in K-12 schools, having a website like the Computer-Technology Helper is a great way to provide educators with access to Computer Science and Technology teaching resources and provide a support system for …

The Impact Of Facebook Access In Creating A Sense Of Community In Tourism And Recreation Classes, Lorie A. Tuma

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Previous research has indicated that college students use social networking sites such as Facebook to establish friendships, maintain communication, and foster a sense of community; research also has indicated that many college instructors do not. Many college faculty acknowledge the importance of a sense of community in the classroom but are reluctant to try social media as a way to enhance student motivation, affective learning, and classroom climate. The purpose of this ex post facto, causal comparative study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in tourism and recreation students' self-reported sense of community when an instructor's …

Nurse Anesthetists' Perception Of Their Rigorous Training Program A Grounded Theory Study, Joy Kieffer Phillips

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

There is no empirical understanding of the stressors that nurse anesthesia students encounter from their perspective as they negotiate a nurse anesthesia program. The initial research questions for this study examined what stressors these recent graduates encountered during their program and how they successfully negotiated those stressors. This study employed grounded theory methodology and the theory of symbolic interactionism. The data were collected from individual, semistructured, indepth interviews with 12 recent nurse anesthesia graduates who have been out of school for less than 2 years. The interview transcripts were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. The stressors discovered were …