Education Commons^™

Reality Capture Course Content: Exposing The Next Generation Of Builders To Technology Moving The Industry Forward, Maxwell S. Eisner

Construction Management

This paper discusses the development and execution of lecture and laboratory educational content regarding reality capture technology and workflows. These educational modules were created to cover different use cases for reality capture technology that are currently being used in the construction industry. They also show how reality capture plays a role in the larger virtual design in construction (BIM) process. Importantly, these labs were designed to be completed with the LiDAR scanner on a typical iPhone, which has lowered the barrier to entry for reality capture education and use in industry. While the initial teaching of these courses was done …

The "Find Your Why" Program For Seniors In High School, Deanna E. Vanklaveren

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The Find Your WHY program is focused on giving seniors in high school tools that will help them outside of their formal education. The hope is that the Program will continue to spread so that more students can gain these tools. The other hope is that having people gain personal introspection through their MBTI will allow them to grow with thoughtfulness and understanding as leadership opportunities arise and life situations come before them. This Program has many opportunities to grow and expand, hopefully the support and guidance of those committed will help it to do so.

Introducing Students To Computer Science: Using Python To Build A Basic Quiz Game, Alex Diosdado

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This outreach program activity was designed to increase interest in the field of Computer Science within students in middle and high school. It focuses on some of the basic concepts of programming, like Strings, Integers and printing to the screen as it was designed to be an introduction for those students who had little to no previous programming history. This activity was tested with a smaller group of high school Algebra 1 students, most of whom did not have any prior programming knowledge. It ultimately fulfilled its goal as a survey that was conducted at the end of the activity …

Aged 539 Internship Report - Lahainaluna High School,, Caitlyn R. Madrid

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for Lahainaluna High School agriculture programs. The supporting material includes information to begin a floral subscription program as well as explore the cultural diversity and inclusion of Hawaiian cultures and Hawaiian agriculture.

Physics In The Garden, Dae Jin Park, Jiyoun Jung, Tanner Haun Bush

Mechanical Engineering

The Final Design Review (FDR) report explains the initial research, design process, finalized design, manufacturing and assembly methods, and testing done by the senior project group in Mechanical Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. For this project, the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden would like to develop an educational and interactive exhibit that conveys a lesson in physics. The Botanical Garden envisions an exciting feature to educate children on physical science and broaden the appeal of the garden. This document captures the problem’s scope, requirements, initial concept, design research, target demographic, ideation, evaluation processes, and project …

A Battle Over 20th Century Textbooks: How The Civil War Is Still Fought In American Classrooms, Katie Court

History

This paper analyzed the emergence of Lost Cause history textbooks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the Civil War, Confederate societies such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy and United Confederate Veterans had a vested interest in positively portraying the South. From 1890-1930, Confederate societies attempted to expel textbooks that spoke unfavorably of the Confederacy, and instead encouraged states all around the country to follow stringent rules of how to discuss historical events. This research was led by material written by these societies and the textbooks they endorsed or expelled, in order to analyze the origins …

Reintroduction Of Skilled Trade Programs For High School Students, Cristian Ayala-Quirino

Construction Management

The curriculum that incorporated skilled trades has vanished from many high schools, and more students are encouraged to attend college instead of pursuing trades. People view construction labor positions as jobs instead of careers. The construction industry is facing a substantial labor shortage amongst skilled laborers throughout the whole industry. Not enough people know how beneficial a career in the construction labor force can be. If more people knew about these career opportunities, they might have a greater interest in pursuing a career as a skilled tradesperson. To comprehend students’ understanding of the construction industry and examine where we can …

Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School Scitechatorium Shake Table, Joshua Clemens, Kellen Fujishin, Alysson Loo, Samara Van Blaricom

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this report is to document the Senior Project that has been laid out by Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School, assigned to Team W45, or “Experiment 626.” The school’s SciTechatorium is a classroom of displays relating to STEM subjects and the challenge presented to the Cal Poly team of mechanical engineers was to design and build a new, exciting exhibit that would be added to the SciTechatorium. The display should be engaging to children, educational in demonstrating a STEM concept, and be durable enough to withstand excessive use by children. The Scope of Work summarized in Sections 1-3 presents …

Journeyman International: Peace Academy Of The Sciences And The Arts, Alyssa L. Mathias

Construction Management

For years, K-12 education has been taught through separate, individual subjects such as Math, English, Art, and Science. Primary education has remained stagnant while our society is constantly evolving with technological advances and innovation. The Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts in San Luis Obispo, California are a group of visionaries and educators challenging traditional learning styles. They are striving to offer an education that focuses on holistic learning and integrating all subjects into big ideas to create competent, compassionate leaders for the future. My senior project is a collaboration between Journeyman International, the Peace Academy, a student in …

Graduate Internship Report - John H. Pitman High School, Nicolette Schiber

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at John H. Pitman High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Pitman High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Forumsphere.Com, Nicholas Scott Gatehouse, Sam Robert Rastovich

Computer Science and Software Engineering

We live in the Age of Information & Technology where social media has become an integral part of our society. Social media platforms such as Facebook help bring people and ideas together in one place. However, currently there is no centralized hub on the internet that is geared towards individual college campuses. Our goal is to create an environment that promotes structured and productive discussion between students, alumni, and staff. A platform like ours is needed to bring a campus closer if the community is willing and able to help one another.

There are other platforms that focus on social …

Hosting The Third Annual Young Women In Agriculture Career And Leadership Seminar, Emma E. Morris, Madyline J. Braught

Agricultural Education and Communication

Agriculture has traditionally been a male-dominated industry; however, recent years have shown a significant growth in female presence. Women are beginning to take leadership roles both on the farm and within advocacy, lobbying, and business entities in the industry. According to the latest agricultural census data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2012, women farmers controlled seven percent of the nation’s farmland (Census, 2014). Additionally, women held leadership roles in 14 percent of the nation’s two million farms (Census, 2014). This data is several years old, and likely the numbers have grown since the last census was …

Polycommit: Building Better Habits Through Gamification, Elliot Fiske

Master's Theses

Computer-assisted learning is older than Turing machines, and constantly evolves as technology improves. While some teachers are resistant to using technology in the classroom, “e-learning” techniques are becoming more common in almost every school, from K-12 to universities. As technology becomes more widespread, it becomes crucial to examine the various methodologies of computer-assisted learning and find the techniques that are most effective.

This paper explores the effectiveness of one such methodology, spaced repetition. This technique applies to homework assignments available to students online. We include an exploration of several existing apps that use this technique, and introduce our own novel …

Visuals And Pathways In The Agricultural Industry, Stephanie Contreras, Chris Curiel

Agricultural Education and Communication

Agriculture is the largest industry in California worth nearly $37.5 billion. The agricultural industry generates $100 billion in related economy (NASDA, 2017). It is imperative all students learn the importance of agriculture in their lives. For students who have a Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter at their school, the program enables students to be exposed and embrace the value agriculture. However, there is a lack of value given to agriculture by students who do not have either an FFA chapter or agriculture related courses taught at their school.

The purpose of this project is to interact with and educate …

Program Plan Highland High School Agriculture Department, Michael Lee Leishman

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This is a complete accounting of the efforts that are put forth into educating America's youth in the eastern part of Bakersfield California. This outlines the leadership training, community involvement, personal growth, premier leadership and the career success that follows such an AWESOME high school program. Here you will see the efforts of the students and community combine, under the guidance and direction of 3 excellent advisors, to create a program that creates productive well informed citizens that are ready to take the mantle of servant leadership and make their world the best it can be.

Music Times: A Music Learning Game, Emily Woo

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Music Times is a two dimensional educational video game with the purpose of gamifying learning of musical concepts. It has elements of adventure and visual novel games, and incentivizes the player to learn music to explore new levels. It is developed in the Unity game engine, scripted in C#, and targeted for mobile devices. It has six working levels: three lesson levels and three corresponding challenge levels. Each level contains slight differences in visual and aural feel.

Elementary Education Goat Video: "I Goat This!", Laurie M. Sisler

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create an interactive educational video to expand the agricultural knowledge of children in third through fifth grade. The video features goats in effort to improve the next generation’s enthusiasm about agriculture. Consumer agricultural literacy has declined due to most people living at a distance from the farm. Specific objectives were to include interesting information about the terminology used and the tendencies of goats.

The process involved researching this information, contacting the actor, professors, and goat herder, filming the goats multiple times for different animal tendencies, and editing the final video. The video turned …

Talking Back, With Reawakened Voices: Analyzing The Potential For Indigenous California Languages Coursework At California Polytechnic State University, Logan Cooper

Ethnic Studies

The legacy of colonialism in the United States, including genocidal practices and cultural assimilation, has left Indigenous languages endangered. Native peoples, scholars, and activists have been working to revive and heal the languages of America’s first peoples, and the cultures those languages speak to, yet more work remains in the field of language revitalization. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo currently does not offer any course specifically teaching or discussing Indigenous languages, even those of the Chumash people who know the San Luis Obispo area as their ancestral homelands.

By synthesizing revitalization and Indigenous activist literature with the narratives …

Teacher Internship Report - Arroyo Grande High School, Amie N. Mertz/Wadsworth

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship/project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Arroyo Grande High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the development of a comprehensive program plan for Arroyo Grande High School. The plan includes information to receive state/local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Arroyo Grande High School, the agriculture program and community.

A Website Of Agriculturally Related Activities For Elementary Grade Levels, Bailey M. Kirby

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project is to develop a website containing agriculturally-related activities designed for the elementary classroom, including kindergarten to fifth grade. This website was created in order to bring agriculture into the elementary classroom and introduce the topic to students at an earlier age because the subject is currently only taught at the high school level. Two activities were created for each grade level and fit into the current curriculums for those grade levels. The website was designed in a way that teachers will be able to continually submit activities to be added to the website at any …

The Miscommunication Of Standardized Education, Eliott James Walker

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

A Sociological Perspective Of The American Education System, Duskin Hobbs

Social Sciences

The intension of this research project is to provide a critical analysis of the modern American school system, the policies that created and maintain it, the extensive effects of its practices, and the future of education under such a system. I will begin by tracing the evolution of the current order and discuss the impacts of government educational initiatives such as No Child Left Behind (George W. Bush) and A Race to the Top (Barack Obama) among others. To support these examples I will use secondary statistical research data, scholarly journals, government sources, and other forms of evidence. In this …

A Look At Intercultural Communication In The Adult Esl Classroom: Using English To Empower Not Overpower, Ashley Elizabeth Nelson

Communication Studies

An ethnographic telling of time spent in an ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom and the intercultural forms of communication that took place.

Media Portrayal Of Individuals In The Lower Class And Its Effects On Attributions Of Educational Hardships, Krista A. Burke

Communication Studies

This study investigated how media portrayals of individuals in the lower class affect people’s beliefs about educational hardships in lower socioeconomic areas. Specifically, this study looked at the attributions of these hardships to determine if media consumption had an effect on the internality of attributions. It was hypothesized that increased media consumption would be related to an increased tendency toward internal attributions. It was hypothesized that increased media consumption would lead to lower support for policy changes regarding education. A survey was distributed to assess media consumption habits and attitudes toward educational hardships in the lower class. Correlation results yielded …

Benefits Of Pre-Lecture Assignments And Inquisition Based Learning In Comparison To Traditional Lecture Modes In Science Education, Lance Toppen

Biological Sciences

Experiment was an assessment of the efficacy of two different teaching styles: traditional lecturing and a question based approach. In a traditional lecture class students frequently come to class with little or no previous exposure to the lecture topic. This may limit comprehension, retention, and the development of critical thinking skills. The questioning approach we used involved flipping the classroom where students were expected learn the lecture material at home by answering a comprehensive list of questions from textbook chapters. They were expected to come to each class period prepared to engage in a discussion of the subject matter, prompted …

Cataloging Lesson Plans Developed By Pre-Service Science Teachers During A Summer Research Experience, Robert Tollman Mclaren

Physics

This study is modeled after the senior project “Teachers Who Conduct Research and their Ability to Apply their Experience to Lesson Plans” by Cal Poly student Megan Ziegler and includes an independent analysis of the 2011 and 2012 lesson plans that participants in the STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Program developed as part of their summer research experience. At the end of the STAR summer research program, STAR Fellows are required to submit lesson plans. During Spring Quarter of 2012, I had the opportunity to catalog lesson developed during Summer 2011. Later in Fall Quarter of 2012, Cal Poly undergraduates …

Choosing A Textbook 101: A Review Of Music Fundamentals Resources, Matlyn Peracca

Music

No abstract provided.

Mac's Fiesta: A Foreign Language Game For The Sifteo Platform, Karina Cordon

Computer Engineering

Mac’s Fiesta is a Spanish learning game designed on the Sifteo gaming platform for children ages four and up. The Sifteo gaming platform provides a new way of interacting with computers by giving users a set of tangible and interactive cubes. Each Sifteo cube has a clickable colored screen and can sense motion and adjacent blocks. Games on this platform are designed to encourage the development of core thinking skills. This project aims to explore how Sifteo cubes can be used for language learning as well as observe how effective they are as educational tools.

Teaching Introductory Programming Concepts: A Comparison Of Scratch And Arduino, Anne Beug

Master's Theses

Computing has become an integral part of modern America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2008 and 2018, the United States will have 1.4 million job openings in computing fields [1]. Since the early 2000's (just after the "dot com bust"), the number of students enrolled in computing majors (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, etc.) dropped precipitously by over 50%, only starting to rise again in 2009 [2]. One way to rectify to this gap between demand and supply is to start training students in computational thinking during high school. While the Computer Science Advanced Placement AB test has …

Using The R Library Rpanel For Gui-Based Simulations In Introductory Statistics Courses, Ryan M. Allison

Statistics

As a student, I noticed that the statistical package R (http://www.r-project.org) would have several benefits of its usage in the classroom. One benefit to the package is its free and open-source nature. This would be a great benefit for instructors and students alike since it would be of no cost to use, unlike other statistical packages. Due to this, students could continue using the program after their statistical courses and into their professional careers. It would be good to expose students while they are in school to a tool that professionals use in industry. R also has powerful …