Digital Commons Network^™

How To Overcome Challenging Learning Conditions: Lessons Learned From South Africa, Amanda Swafford 2394540

Graduate Research Symposium

In a world where one tenth of the population around you does not have a formal education (Statistics South Africa, 2006b) and the average yearly income for your family will be under $1,000 would literacy education be a part of your future? These are not the only hurdles that lie ahead of children in sub-Saharan Africa. Teachers have class sizes anywhere from 26-67 students (UNESCO 2011), children walk across desks due to overcrowding in classrooms, and 10% of the population will use a bucket for a toilet.These schools are referred to as “historically disadvantaged” (Prinsloo & Janks, 2002). How can …

The Effects Of Growth Mindset On Academic Achievement, Karen R. Mason

Graduate Research Symposium

The Effect of Growth Mindset on Academic Achievement

Author: Karen Mason

Our American education system has relied on high stakes testing since the induction of the federal program in 2001 of “No Child Left Behind” whose purpose was to ensure that 100% of all students in public schools met certain educational standards. The purpose of this quantitative study will be to research how growth mindset principles will affect students in an elementary school setting. Will students with a growth mindset learn enough effort strategies to increase their achievement? What characteristics will those who do not pass the testing method demonstrate? …

The Effect Of Regular Exercise On A Word Retrieval Memory Test In Habitual & Non-Habitual Exercisers, Jessica Davis-Lee, Meggan Williams, Tyler Harris

Graduate Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to determine if exercise influences short term working memory in male college students aged 18-25 who are habitual exercisers (exercise 3 or more times per week) moreso than non-exercisers (do not exercise at all). Experimenters administered the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT).

The Relationship Among Speaking Fundamental Frequency, Vocal Part, & Vocal Range, Allison Nutting, Jessica Lanehart, Sally Wilson, Corrie Honaker

Graduate Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship among speaking fundamental frequency (SFF), vocal range, and vocal part. Researchers wanted to see if participants’ voice parts related to their SFF. Researchers measured SFF and highest/lowest singing pitch of Longwood music students using an analysis application.

African American Male Adolescent Aliteracy, Deirdre F. Bates

Graduate Research Symposium

The Nation’s Report Card is clear. We are failing our African American Adolescent learners. This study addresses the research questions: “How can I encourage the use of raw writing to promote the creation of literate identity in African American Adolescent secondary students?” and “How will authentic writing affect my students’ identities as literate citizens?”

Effect Of Elementary School Library Checkout Policies On Student Access To Books, Megan A. Walker

Graduate Research Symposium

Many libraries institute policies barring students from checkout for weeks as a consequence for overdue books. This study proposes to investigate the checkout policies in suburban Title I elementary schools and track students who habitually have overdue books to identify how those policies impact their access to books.

Upward And Onward: The Effects Of Early Literacy Access And Instruction Via Public Health Departments, Jennifer S. Elliott

Graduate Research Symposium

Ensuring that American children develop into successful adults is a daunting goal, one more daunting for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Low SES children must have access to and interaction with print. An emergent literacy program, via health departments, will assist children in starting school with emergent literacy skills, preparing them to be literate and successful.

Ipads And Language Arts Instruction In Early Education: Is It A Good Thing?, Burch Hazelgrove Pope

Graduate Research Symposium

Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s world. It can be seen everywhere in the real world, so should it be used as a teaching tool with our young learners? When iPads are incorporated into language arts blocks in early education classrooms, students are more engaged in their learning and more motivated to succeed (Beam & Williams, 2015). Students are able to collaborate, interact and become more social in their learning with iPads (Beschorner & Hutchison, 2013). In order to make the most out of the technology as a valuable learning tool, teachers must model, scaffold, and help …

Relationship Among Speaking Fundamental Frequency, Vocal Part, And Vocal Range, Sally Wilson, Allison Nutting, Jessica Lanehart, Corrie Honaker

Graduate Research Symposium Awards

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship among speaking fundamental frequency (SFF), vocal range, and vocal part. Researchers wanted to see if participants’ voice parts related to their SFF. Researchers measured SFF and highest/lowest singing pitch of Longwood music students using an analysis application.

"Gotta Catch 'Em All": Selecting Instructional Approaches And Programs To Meet The Specific Reading Needs Of Struggling Middle Schoolers, Heather Street, Susie Hinshaw

Graduate Research Symposium Awards

No abstract provided.

Education On Campus Waste Disposal, Catherine Johnson, Christina Fox, Alyssa Schutzenhofer, Courtney Wilber

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Projects

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Social Media By Contemporary Witchcraft Communities, Michael J. Haverty

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

This event will be a summarization of the theory and findings of my research project that looks at how self-identifying witches use social media. Witchcraft users have historically adapted to the changes in society like all other peoples. Witchcraft users have also historically only had contact with others of their spiritual practices during yearly gathering events or local covens. However, social media has created platforms for people from minority subcultures to interact in ways that were formerly limited. By digitally surveying and interviewing users of the social media platform Tumblr who self-identify as witches, this project attempts to look at …

Families And Caretakers Of The Disabled, Alanna M. Morgan

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

In our society, perfection is strived for and disability is stigmatized. With this societal expectation comes many stressors and emotional factors that must be faced. Much research has been done on what disabled individuals face, however, not much has been conducted on what the individuals who take care of the disabled face. The purpose of this project is to give insight into what these caregivers face on a daily basis and to examine what kinds of stressors they encounter. This project will also focus attention on family members who have had to transition the role to caretaker. Each category of …

The Use Of Non-Verbal Communication In Music Performing Arts, Justin T. Evans

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

The purpose of this research is to study how performers use non-verbal communication to create an interpersonal connection and draw out emotion from their audience. With current nationwide concerns of arts funding and the importance of performing arts being question, this research could be very helpful to understand the importance of the performing arts and its value in human communication. I will be looking over various periodicals and academic journals in the fields of Sociology, Music, and Communication to expand the theoretical knowledge of nonverbal communication and it's use in the performing arts.

The Role Of An Auditor, Rick Rignola

Academic Festival

This presentation is about the role of an auditor in society. To the general public, the function of an auditor is unknown. I plan to educate those on what an auditor is, why we need them in society, and what happens when an auditor fails to perform its duties. Auditing is a systematic process that is very important to the sustainability of businesses and the economy. The world has seen numerous scenarios where inefficient auditing or fraud has hurt many victims financially. These scandals include Enron, WorldCom, and more. We need sufficient auditors to prevent events like those from happening …

Appalachian Dialect, Taylor B. Grimmett

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

My project is centered around Appalachian Dialect and how "outsiders" tend to judge people from the area, no matter what their degree may be in or what they have accomplished in their lives based on how they sound when they talk. Colloquialisms come into play here, along with accents, vocabulary choice, everything comes into play when considering what makes one area different than another, but why individuals feel the need to comment on it is what interests me the most. The interviews that I have performed so far have showed me that some people tend to be ruthless with their …

Is She Worse Than Him: An Attitudes And Perceptions Study, Sydney Mullins

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

There is currently an ongoing debate in regards to the level of equality amongst women and men in American society. Women often feel they are not seen as equal to men, and in most cases, this has proven to be true. However, whether or not this is true when it comes to the way people perceive deviant behavior is up for debate.

The purpose of this research is to assess the attitudes and perceptions, of the general public, surrounding the same acts being committed by males and females. The goal is to determine if a person committing criminal acts is …

Using Eye-Tracking To Measure Areas Of Interest In Digital Advertising, Jeanine Minnocci

Academic Festival

In digital advertising, companies might design their piece without thorough consideration of what areas of interest attract the consumers’ attention. This research measures the preferences of digital advertising by measuring students’ eye movements. This methodological contribution consists of recruiting students at Sacred Heart University and exposing them to pieces of digital advertising from the 2016 Webby Awards. By using eye-tracking technology, students’ areas of interest will be measured using metrics such as, point of gaze; saccade order; heat maps; opacity maps; and areas of interest (AOIs). The participants will look at each digital ad on a monitor for several seconds …

Unequal Playing Time, Rachel A. Shafer, Joe L. Gates Mr, Matthew D. Kelley

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

Unequal Playing Time

In his book The American College Town, Blake Gumprecht claims one of the defining features of college towns is that they are more progressive, liberal-minded, and socially-blended spaces. However, this is not the type of college town that appears in Marshall University’s collection of archives. Throughout the years, many groups of students were often overlooked due to minority population status. This presentation examines the lack of recognition for one such group, in particular, women’s athletics during the 1920’s. Student yearbooks published between 1920 and 1930 were analyzed for content featuring men versus women’s athletics.

At the …

Stand Up, Fight Back: Native American Struggles And Rising Up, Autumn Rikki Lee Haithcock

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

American Indian Treaties and laws are only followed when they benefit

the government, meaning they don't apply any other time. Only certain

sections are deemed valuable, and the parts that could incriminate the

government are omitted. This paper discusses the content of American

Indian Laws and treaties and the crippling effects they have had on

Indian country. Furthermore, this paper goes in depth on the cultural

advances made even with such restraints. Much work has been done

on the issues of cultural injustice, but there are very little works done on

the triumph in Indigenous culture and just what those …

A Bloody Affair: Thomas Boleyn’S Political Influence On The English Religious Reformation, Jessica Meadows

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

This research looks at the life of Thomas Boleyn, the father of Anne Boleyn the first publically executed Queen of England. In this research, I will argue that Thomas Boleyn used his political and personal influence to begin the religious reformation in England. He first attempted to sway Henry VIII with his eldest daughter, Mary, and failed. He next attempted to gain the kings attention with his younger daughter, Anne, and there he succeeded. His families political influence triggered the split between England and the Catholic Church and left the Protestant Nation surrounded by Catholic enemies. I will argue that …

Student Retention Three Ways: Numbers, People, And Stories, Mary O'Kelly, Rachael Passarelli

Presentations

Academic libraries are aligning themselves with their institutions’ strategic focus on student retention. But how do libraries get retention data? What do we do with it after we get it? And how do we tell our story? This presentation offers a successful, replicable model.

At-Risk Collection, Michael Ensign

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Thesis collection made up of people of color killed by police violence or those at an increased risk of police violence.

Pine Needle Pyrolysis: Bio-Waste Into Biofuel, Alexandra Fuentes

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

This project explores the alternate uses of biomass. In particular, it focuses on pine needles as a source for biofuels. Pine needles are of interest because in certain Mountain communities they are collected and removed from residential properties. By removing the pine needles, communities create a “defensible space” to prevent wild fires from destroying homes. These needles are often placed in regional landfills. The South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling Services alone has more than 4,340 tons of pine needles dumped at their facility annually. This large amount of biomass can be a potential energy source.

The focus of this research …

The Balloon Effect On West Virginia, Ashley N. Wilson

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

According to the CDC, West Virginia is eleven times the national average for opiate related deaths. Huntington has been hit the worst with this drug epidemic. The idea of the balloon effect on drugs, is more commonly used to describe what happens when clamping down on the production of a drug in one area will push that same drug into another area. However, I will examine how the crack down on prescription pills here in West Virginia, has led to the pop up of other illicit drug use in the state.

American Flooding And National Security, Tavish M. Riley

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

Flooding is a powerful force of nature that shows no inherent care for where it strikes. This study mapped flood locations and frequencies in the United States. The data presented is an analysis of major flood events in the lower forty-eight states between 1970-2016. The maps reflect the death tolls, locations, and overall cost of their damages, along with precipitation data and stream gauge readings. This study focuses on larger flood events, particularly those resulting in true damage to both the nation’s infrastructure and economy.

Results suggest that there are areas in the United States that have higher potential for …

Indian Gurus Uproot Yoga's Traditions, Alexandra T. Bright

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

Yoga, an Indian practice with roots over 4000 years old, is a relatively new practice in the United States. The U.S. first welcomed Indian gurus and their yogic spiritual teachings in 1893 with Swami Vivekananda at the Chicago Parliament of Religions. Yoga has been an ever-evolving practice since its start, changing with the times, though this change has been slow and contained within the subcontinent of India. When yoga was introduced to the U.S. it became an American practice with nearly all of its roots and traditions disappearing. The goal of this study is to discover if the Indian gurus …

Does The El Nino Southern Oscillation Play A Role In The Spatial Distribution Of Tornadoes In The United States?, Katarena A. Jarrell

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an event that is happening in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America. During an ENSO event, there are periods where the water off the coast is unusually warm or unusually cold. When the water temperature changes, it causes the air pressure that is above the water to change. The temperature change affects the weather pattern worldwide and along with it severe weather outbreaks. In a 2008 study by Cook and Schaefer, they mapped historical points for winter outbreaks for the three types of years associated with the ENSO event. These …

Female Spirit Possession And Sexuality In Genji Monogatari, Nolan Miller

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

In Murasaki Shikibu's Genji monogatari , the readers follow the protagonist, Hikaru Genji, on his journey of romance and political power within the Heian period's polygamist court (784-1185). Due to high ranking males in Heian court possessing sexual privilege, women are often neglected as their courtiers seek extraneous love affairs. A perplexing consequence of this permissible male lifestyle leads women to use the supernatural force of spirit possession or mono no ke. While many scholars conclude that insatiable female emotions unconsciously elicit spirit possessions, women who are involved in the act willfully push the boundaries of male sexuality through …

How Yutori Education System Affected Japanese Society, Jieying Zhou

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how yutori education system affected Japanese society in different fields. Yutori kyoiku (relaxed education), which was announced in 1998, is a change that the government decided to give younger Japanese:an education system with lower pressure. It was used in all Japanese schools for about twenty years. Through the growth of people who had yutori education, more Japanese people started to realize there are several negative effects caused by this policy in Japanese society. This paper will focus on the failure of yutori education and why it brought a different result from people’s …