Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Children With Autism Who Have Difficulty Mastering Auditory Discriminations, Sarah Lichtenberger

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Simple and conditional visual and auditory discrimination repertoires are critical components of many skills necessary for daily functioning, including communication, academic, and daily-living skills (Green, 2001). When auditory discrimination is not under instructional stimulus control, it can result in delayed acquisition of new skills and limit academic progress. The purpose of this study was to teach auditory discrimination to children with autism who had little to no progress on classroom procedures that required auditory discrimination, such as selecting an object from an array when given the name of the object as the direction. Auditory discrimination was taught starting with teaching …

A Pnn-Jensen-Bregman Divergence For A Wlan Indoor Positioning System, Osamah Ali Abdullah

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

For decades, humans have been keen on creating smart spaces where advanced technology is utilized to provide enhanced services Indoor positioning systems (IPS) can be used to provide a wide range of user navigation and directions services, particularly in abnormal conditions such as needing emergency healthcare services. IPS also can be a friendly tool for people with vision impairment to allow for better livable communities for them. Other applications for IPS fall under tracking applications which may include activity recognition for security purposes and observation for the elderly or infirmed individuals. An indoor positioning system can be a hybrid system …

Online Cte In The Community College, Brian T. Dietz, Rachal Etshim

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Community colleges serve the most diverse student population with regard to age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. These characteristics mirror those of students who enroll in career and technical education (Bragg, 2001, 2014) and online courses (Aslanian & Clinefelter, 2013). Yet only a handful of studies have been conducted about online technical education in community colleges. Given the continued growth in online education (Allen & Seaman, 2015; Lokken & Mullins, 2015), increasing use of technology in the classroom, and the emphasis on career and technical education (CTE) as a means of increasing degree production, more information is needed about …

The Impact Of A Story-Based Lesson On Student Learning And Attitudes, Janice Marie Fulford

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Recent work by Stephen Klassen draws attention to specific structural elements that are thought to give stories their explanatory power in the context of physics. In this poster we report results of a study based on Klassen’s pioneering work but in the context of evolution. A mixed-method research study was conducted over two semesters at a Midwest university to determine if a story developed from the history of research on industrial melanism over the course of a three day lesson would result in improved student understanding of the concept of natural selection.

The study involved a direct comparison of two …

A Numerical Approach To Investigate The Influence Of Deformable Blockages On Blood Flow In An Elastic Vessel, Tai-Hsien Wu

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

In this work, we presented a new numerical approach to study the deformation of blockages and fluid properties in an elastic blood vessel. In computational hemodynamics, only few of the current numerical models considered the elasticity of vessels, and those models were difficult to extend to other topics like the deformation of blockages in elastic blood vessels. In addition, the approach that we employed is especially effective on visualization. A validation for the present method is carried out by comparing the simulation results with a theoretical prediction of the deformation of the pulmonary blood vessel in a steady flow. Subsequently, …

Implementation Of Software Community Radio Using Low Cost Resources, Amean Shareaf Ghazi Al-Safi

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Community radio is the third third model model of radio broadcasting besides besides the commercial and public systems systems. It aims to provide individuals with local news and information that are important to a small community. This poster presented a new method of implementing community community radio using low cost hardware and free software.The transmitter system consists of PC, USRP, and antenna while the receiver side consists of Raspberry Pi, RTL –SDR, and antenna .The main goal is to define and demonstrate a low, cost, flexible transmitter consisting of the USRP N210 and and commodity PC and a receiver consisting …

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project: 2015 Field Season, John Cardinal, Erika Loveland

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Our current research design is oriented toward identifying evidence of eighteenth-century activities in the vicinity of Fort St. Joseph and collecting architectural data to understand the building styles and construction techniques at the site. Excavations have identified eighteenth-century artifacts throughout the Niles vicinity, although most of the archaeological materials contemporaneous with the fort have been found adjacent to a series of fireplaces uncovered since 2002.

Six 1 x 2 meter units were opened this field season in locations where we expected to intercept walls in order to ascertain the size, orientation, construction methods, and contents of the buildings associated with …

Can You Help Me Now? The Effects Of Cell Phone Use On Social Capital Formation, Simon Purdy

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Cell phones are the most widely spread communication technology in the modern day. Previous research into the effects of cell phone use has primarily focused on the individual-level, such as texting while driving, leaving a gap in our understanding of the technology’s effects on larger social processes. One such process that cell phones may affect is social capital, or the networks of assistance which exist in our lives, along with the associated norms of trust and reciprocity therein (Putnam, 2000). Recent trends in both social capital and the development and use of cell phones suggests that there may be negative …

The Importance Of Geologic Study For The Application Of Carbon Capture And Storage (Ccs) In Otsego County, Michigan, Matthew Rine

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

The most recent Paris climate talks emphasized the importance of reducing carbon dioxide pollution associated with burning fossil fuels. In an attempt to mitigate CO₂ emissions, carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is a process by which CO₂ is pulled from a smokestack before it is released into our atmosphere and buried deep underground, is currently underway in Otsego County, Michigan. In order to safely and effectively store CO₂ into deep geologic formations, it is critical to gain a better understanding for the geologic “storage tank” in which these fluids will be stored. As part of this …

Preparing Preservice Teachers To Build On Student Thinking, Mary Ochieng, Elizabeth Fraser

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This study focuses on understanding the practice of building on student thinking and supporting teachers to enact this practice through activities we created and implemented in a secondary mathematics methods course. The activities are related to identifying the mathematical point an instance of student thinking can be used to build towards. During this poster session we will define mathematical point, describe the activities, and share some of the observations from the implementation and discuss our next steps towards supporting pre-service teachers to develop an ability to build on student thinking.

Community Engagement At Work: A Service-Learning Project With Kalamazoo Loaves And Fishes, Katrina Goodall, Pamela Jenkins, Cherlynn King, Jacob Lisak, Jennifer Malone, Becky Mullins, Douglas Schroeder, Christina Smith

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This Service-Learning project combined experiential learning with the Evaluation component of Participatory Action Research. A comprehensive review of national data and definitions of food insecurity was bench marked against KLF's program definition. A "Radar Chart" (gap analysis) of staff and Board perceptions on the effectiveness of services was developed, and Logic Models created to reflect service delivery. Students also worked a shift at a local food pantry where observational data was analyzed. Study results will be presented to Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes staff and Board leadership for the purposes of further program evaluation and development.

Fault Zone Hydrogeology In Crystalline And Sedimentary Aquifers In Arid Regions: Remote Sensing, Hydrological And Geoloectrical Methods, Lamees M. Mohamed

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

An integrated study was conducted using remote sensing, hydrological and geophysical methods to investigate the role of structural elements in controlling the groundwater accumulation and flow in fractured basement complex. This research shows that the structural elements as fault and shear zones could act as a conduit or a barrier for the groundwater depending on the direction of these elements with the groundwater flow. Similar findings are observed in Central Sinai as it was found in Southern Sinai. These findings will help in more understanding of the fractured basement aquifers.

Ranked Based Procedures For Ordered Alternative Models, Yuanyuan Shao

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

The ordered alternatives in a one-way layout with k ordered treatment levels are appropriate for many applications, especially in psychology and medicine. There is an extensive literature in this area, and many parametric and nonparametric approaches have been introduced. This study uses rank based estimators to robustify the Abelson-Tukey method. The approach extends to the two-way layout with b blocks and k treatments. One of the two statistics having maximum asymptotic local power and the greatest efficiency when the alternative hypothesis consists of a specific pattern, and extended research has been completed on detecting ordered alternatives with unknown peaks.

Protecting User's Privacy In Electronic Prescribing Systems With Apb, Raed M. Salih

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Electronic prescribing (or e-prescribing) systems are used to record and transmit millions of electronic prescriptions between prescribers and pharmacies. During a dissemination of e-prescriptions, a patient's sensitive data might leak or be disclosed to unauthorized parties. Examples of sensitive data included in prescriptions are patient's name, home address, and names of mental illness medications. We propose the use of Active Privacay Bundles (APB) for protecting privacy of e-prescribing users (patients, prescibers, or pharmacy benefit managers). APB protects prescriptions that are being disseminated among different authorized parties within an electronic prescribing system.

"I'Ve Been There Too": Peers In Co-Occuring Services And Fidelity Over Time, Jennifer E. Harrison

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) is an evidence-based pracitice (EBP) for adults with co-occuring mental illness and substance use disorders, a group with poor outcomes. In Michigan, IDDT has been altered by adding peer specialists to treatment teams in some of 68 teams and 122 fidelity reviews. Results included that fidelity significantly improved over time (F(2, 120) = 1.87, p

Simulation Of Deformation Of Red Blood Cells, Tai-Hsien Wu

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Using simulation to discuss the deformation of cells is not only efficient, but also inexpensive. In this study, a red blood cell (RBC) model is introduced which is simple but rigorous. This RBC model has been stretched to examine its properties and its results agree well with an experiment which was conducted in 2003. Therefore, the model allows researchers to conduct studies related to deformation of RBCs or investigate properties of RBCs. Based on this RBC model, we can couple it with the computational fluid dynamics to investigate the interaction between cells and flows, as well as mimic other cells …

Parental Mediation On Children's Television Viewing In Malaysia, Diyana Kamarudin

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

The purpose of his study is to examine how Malaysian parents mediate their children's television viewing habits. This study looks at four types of mediation which are instructive, restrictive, social co-viewing and unstructured mediation. Data collection includes participants completing a daily diary over a one week period on how they mediate their children's television viewing and a one-on-one semi-structured interviews with each of the participant through web cam. In descending order the themes that were found to be the most important are religion, television is educational, parents advise children through television and television is used for families to get together.

Climate Change Education: The Perspective From Middle School Teachers, Peggy M. Mcneal

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Climate change education is complicated by the complexity of Earth systems an\d misconceptions. This study reflects the motivations and practices of teachers who are teaching climate change prior to the implementation of Next Generation Science Standards. Data were collected during an online focus group with teachers from across the country,. The focus group revealed dispositions and brought teachers into the conversation. The themes that emerged provide an enhanced understanding of teacher attitudes, behavior, opinions and perceptions.

Controversy Over Near-Death Experience In American Christianity, Joel Sanford

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Testimonies of life beyond the grave provided by those believed to have died or come very close to death have captivated audiences for much of human history. In recent decades, accounts of Near-Death Experiences have received widespread attention in religious, scientific, and medical communities alike. In all of these circles, accounts of NDE's are met with a diverse set of reactions ranging from extreme skepticism to enthusiastic celebration. My research investigates the various attitudes held toward NDE's within the religious discourse of Christian communities, given particular attention to how these attitudes influence and are influenced buy diverse theological ideas.

Residential Property Values And Historic Districts: A Kalamazoo Case Study, Curtis John Aardema

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Often cited by proponents as a productive tool for preserving the cultural and physical elements of the American built environment, historic districts are alternatively branded as burdensome and regressive to future development by critics. In order to provide a quantitative assessment of the economic impact of historic districts, this project compares property values from 1990, 2000 and 2010 in both a historically designated and a non- designated neighborhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through tedious sampling techniques and statistical analysis, the results of the project indicated a link between historic districts and higher property values.

A Comparative Study Of International Mathematics Curriculum Materials And Standards: Indonesia, Singapore, And The Us Common Core State Standards, Erlina Mariana Rosada Sari Siregar

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This study compared 2013 Indonesian Curriculum, the 2013 Singapore Syllabus and the 2010 US Common Core State Standard for Mathematics. This study examined benefits and limitations of these documents in organizing the content and expectations for what 9-12 students should be learning and the guidance they give teachers for teaching and learning of probability and statistics. Findings show that all three documents have the same vision but differ in supporting students' level of understanding of statistics and probability content. It is hope the results will inform revision of mathematics standards for teaching of stochastic in Indonesian mathematics education.

Protection Of Sensitive Data In Clouds Using Active Privacy Bundles And Agent-Based Multi-Party Computation, Akram Sarhan

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

The lack of the protection tools and the fast pace of technological advancement make people unable to control privacy of their data in clouds and other distribution environments. We propose an approach called Active Privacy Bundles with Multi-Party Computation (APB-MPC), that protects senesitive data and identities of their owners/guardians during the entire data lifecycle in clouds or other distribution systems. Our research has three goals: (i) proctecting sensitive data without centralized trusted third parties (TTPs); (ii) using APB and MPC for identity management without centralized TTPs; and (iii) exploiting parallelism for efficient data dissemination.

Inositol Transport And Catabolism In Sinorhizobium Meliloti, Ee Leng Choong, Mary Thwaites, Silvia Rossbach

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Atmospheric nitrogen is in a form that is unavailable to plants. Nevertheless, there are nitrogen fixing bacteria that can be found either free-living or in association with plants. Sinorhizobium meliloti is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium that infects legume plants such as alfalfa and induces specialized organs known as root nodules. In the nodule, the bacteria will fix the atmospheric nitrogen for use by the host plant, and in return, the plants supply the bacteria with carbon sources. Specialized carbon sources such as inositols may play a role in determining bacterial composition of the rhizosphere. The focus of this study is …

Increasing Sustainability By Going Paperless: A Wmu Case Study, James Amos, James Kison

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This is a study analyzing the use of digital signatures to reduce paper consumption at WMU. The poster demonstrates ways in which technology promotes sustainability by saving time, fuel and paper.

Probing Stability And Unfolding Of The N-Terminal Domains 5-6 Of Wilson Protein, Ibtesam Y. Alja'afreh, Ramakrishna Guda, David L. Huffman

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

The Wilson protein (ATP7B) is a copper transporting P1b type ATPase found in the liver, brain, and other organs. The N-terminal end consists of six copper binding domains which have a ferrodoxin βαββαβ fold with a CxxC motif. Despite similarities in copper binding affinities they interact differently with the HAH1 metallochaperone. Studying the stability of these domains will help understanding the differences in their functions. The stability of WLN5-6 was probed using several different methods: Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Circular dichroism (CD) and Fluorescence spectroscopy methods.

Previous studies show that WLN5-6 has a spherical shape and CD chemical unfolding studies …

Is There An Association Between Data-Informed District-Level Improvement Efforts And Data-Informed Instruction At The Classroom Level? An Empirical Examination Using National Schools And Staffing Survey (Sass) 2003-2004 Data, Xingyuan Gao, Jiangang Xia, Jianping Shen

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

What influences teacher’s instructional decision in the classroom? Our study uses nationally representative data to test whether there is an association between data-informed district/school-level improvement efforts and data-informed instruction at the classroom level.

Veneer Defect Data Collection & Analysis, Marylin Glass-Angeles, Josef Imesh, Nathan Christensen, Nathan Bowen, Zachary Miller

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Objectives: This project is Phase I of a two part study with the purpose of aiding Steelcase in reducing defects occurring in the sanding step of the wood manufacturing process. During Phase I, the team collected data and used the results to identify the greatest material and profit losses. The continuing goal of the study will be to address these issues to the greatest extent possible.

Evaluating Pre-Service Teacher’S Knowledge On Teacher Codes Of Ethics: Challenge Faced By Malaysia’S Teacher Education Institute, Moi Mooi Lew, Brooks Applegate, Zek Chew Lim, Wellington Edna

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

Teachers have great responsibilities both inside and beyond the classroom. To exercise those responsibilities, they need mastery of ethical knowledge and decision-making skills (Fenstermacher, 1990). Ethical knowledge, or knowledge that enables someone to examine the foundations of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, is not culturally bound and refers to the principles applicable to diverse perspectives and interests (Ragbir Kaur, 2012). In Malaysia, the Teacher Codes of Ethics (TCEs) comprise statements articulating teacher accountability to four types of stakeholders, ie., students, parents, self, colleagues and the teaching profession. It is an ethical declaration to regulate and monitor teacher’s specific obligation to stakeholders …

Exploring Workplace Friendship Through Social Exchange Theory To Reduce Job Stress, Jennifer Ptacek

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Stress experienced at work over time can lead to a number of negative outcomes for employees and organizations, including decreased work performance and morale, absenteeism, burnout, and turnover (Jones & Elliott, 2004; Pines, 2002). Positive, socially supportive workplace communication has been found to enhance quality of work life and aid in coping with stress (Sias, 2009). Social exchange theory (SET) offers helpful insight into explaining how work friendships provide social support in ways that mitigate stress and enhance coping ability (Buunk & Hoorens, 1992). However, many gaps exist in the research literature regarding social support among work peer friends and …

Design Of Hardware Accelerator For Fuzzy Automaton Using Dynamic Reconfiguration, Chinh K. Nguyen

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

Nowadays, computational intelligence has been applied to transform human behavior and experience into mathematical representations that can be interpreted by computer programs. The development of intelligent control systems and intelligent decision support systems (IDSS) (Fig. 1) are part of this trend. Moreover, Partial reconfiguration allows some regions of the FPGA to be dynamically reconfigured while other tasks are still running in the remainder of the device. A hardware accelerator was developed for a fuzzy automaton-based decision support system in the context of testing eye-hand coordination skills for handicapped children. A Zynq-7000 FPGA platform (Fig. 3) was used for this …