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2022 Spring Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Developing And Validating A Machine Learning-Based Student Attentiveness Tracking System, Andrew L. Sanders

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Academic instructors and institutions desire the ability to accurately and autonomously measure the attentiveness of students in the classroom. Generally, college departments use unreliable direct communication from students (i.e. emails, phone calls), distracting and Hawthorne effect-inducing observational sit-ins, and end-of-semester surveys to collect feedback regarding their courses. Each of these methods of collecting feedback is useful but does not provide automatic feedback regarding the pace and direction of lectures. Young et al. discuss that attention levels during passive classroom lectures generally drop after about ten to thirty minutes and can be restored to normal levels with regular breaks, novel activities, …

Cfd And Heat Transfer Analysis Of Rocket Cooling Techniques On An Aerospike Nozzle, Geoffrey Sullivan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In recent years the development of rocket engines has been mainly focused on improving the engine cycle and creating new fuels. Rocket nozzle design has not been changed since the late 1960s. Recent needs for reliable and reusable rockets, as well as advancements in additive manufacturing, have brought new interest into the aerospike nozzle concept. This nozzle is a type of altitude adjusting nozzle that is up to 90% more efficient than bell nozzles at low altitudes and spends up to 30% less fuel. Since the nozzle body is submerged in the hot exhaust gasses it is difficult to keep …

Characterization Of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes And Polystyrene/Cnt Composites Prepared With Microwave-Induced Polymerization, Allen Hulette

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The use of carbon nanotubes in polymer composites can increase the mechanical properties of the resulting product. Carbon nanotubes are known to have chemical interactions that make them attracted to one another and fall out of solution. To reduce this agglomeration and disperse the mechanical properties throughout the composite, functional groups are covalently added to the carbon nanotubes. Another known property of carbon nanotubes is their ability to absorb microwaves and convert it into other forms of energy. This research investigates the effects of carbon nanotube absorption of microwaves and initiation of styrene monomer polymerization. Grignard reactions are used to …

2021-2022 Georgia Southern University Women's Basketball Roster, Georgia Southern University

Women's Basketball Records

• 2021-22 Women's Basketball Roster

Advance (Spring 2022), Georgia Southern Division Of Continuing And Professional Education

Division of Continuing & Professional Education

No abstract provided.

Highway Stormwater Runoff On-Site Treatment Using Bioslope With New Media Of Biochar Amended Topsoils, Ahmed I. Yunus

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has constructed various treatment facilities on its right-of-way (ROW) to collect and treat highway stormwater runoff, emphasizing total suspended solids (TSS) removal. The permit performance goal set by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is 80% TSS removal. Current stormwater best management practice (BMP) treatment facilities include complex and permanent infrastructures such as bioslope, bioretention basins, sand filters, infiltration trenches, and grass channels. Among these BMPs, bioslope has been becoming more popular due to its applicability for roadway embankments and areas with limited ROW constraints. It removes pollutants effectively by physical filtration and chemical adsorption …

Cryptography Through The Lens Of Group Theory, Dawson M. Shores

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Cryptography has been around for many years, and mathematics has been around even longer. When the two subjects were combined, however, both the improvements and attacks on cryptography were prevalent. This paper introduces and performs a comparative analysis of two versions of the ElGamal cryptosystem, both of which use the specific field of mathematics known as group theory.

Modelling Muscle Activation Using Emg Signal, Mercy U. Okonna

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

(EMG) is a method for measuring muscle activity by an electrical signal, and is useful in studying motor control, postural control, and in physical therapy. A current research topic is creating an algorithm that can use the EMG signal to reliably classify a muscle as active or inactive. This thesis presents a classification algorithm for leg muscles with a single activation spike while walking. Time is rescaled into steps, which are identified using data from cameras measuring joint angles while walking. The algorithm is based on moving averages and a convex combination of mean signal strength in active and inactive …

Analysis Of Spatial Discrepancies Between 76-Foot Close Range Photogrammetric And Terrestrial-Lidar Models, Abdoul K. Ouangre

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study presents an analysis of the accuracy of a 3D model generated by two different methods. In the first method, the 3D model is generated via Laser Scanning. In the second method, the 3D model is generated via Close-range Photogrammetry from a drone flying at 76 feet above the ground. Photogrammetry is a photo-based technique that uses images to generate 3D models of objects where distances could be extracted from. Close-range photogrammetry is the approach of generating a 3D model from a camera placed anywhere between 1 foot and 1000 feet relative to the object. Terrestrial LiDAR is the …

Adapting Systems Of Support To Meet The Behavioral, Sel, And Mental Health Needs Of Students, Eleajah Mcelroy, Kainita Taylor, Toniece Walker

Southeast Conference on School Climate

We highlight resources to support educators & students during the pandemic & discuss how to adapt behavior support systems to meet the needs of students. We will address the critical components of leading and interconnected systems framework (leadership, family and community engagement, resources at each tier, data-based problem solving, data evaluation, building capacity for implementation). Presenters will share reflection questions (vision, need, barriers, solutions) and examples of these critical components to support implementation (PBIS framework, acknowledging staff and students, interventions, climate specialists , behavior interventionists, mental health clinicians, mental health school counselors, family education webinar series, MOU community providers, SEL …

Restorative Practices: A Continuum Of Supports, Eleajah Mcelroy, Kainita Taylor, Cassandra Crawford

Southeast Conference on School Climate

We will showcase resources to support educators in implementing restorative practices. We will examine the core features of restorative practices (the social discipline window, affective statement, affective questions, circles, impromptu conversations, and conferences). Participants will have the opportunity to experience a restorative circle. The facilitators will provide free resources and strategies to participants to begin using affective statements and questions and incorporate circles. Facilitators will share best practices from their district and show the improvements in discipline outcome data. Participants will also have the opportunity to see how restorative practices align with other initiatives already in place and can be …

Attendance Of International Students At U.S. Colleges And Universities, Nader H. Shooshtari

AMTP Proceedings 2022

U.S. colleges and universities have traditionally been lauded as a Mecca for attracting international students. Touted as offering the best higher education in the world, international students from around the world have traditionally flocked to U.S. educational institutions. This influx brought opportunities for international students while providing U.S. higher education institution additional revenue and a diverse student body. Beginning with the Trump Administration’s inward tilt, the welcome mat for international students was removed and the COVID pandemic added to the uncertainty and difficulty of accepting international students to U.S. and indeed much of the western countries that traditionally served as …

Creating A Teaching Community With Graduate Teaching Assistants: A Scholarly Personal Narrative, Joy Camarao, Cari Din

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Our purpose in writing this scholarly personal narrative is to share our perspectives and experiences as graduate student researcher and supervisor/principal investigator implementing and studying teaching and learning reform in the laboratory component of an undergraduate exercise physiology course. We reflect on our grappling with experiential learning, the need for reflection for it to happen, and what it means in the learning context. We also reflect on developing a community of practice with graduate teaching assistants, influencing teaching and learning culture through that community, and exploring the role of whole-heartedness and care in the process. We hope to support readers …

The Effect Of Flipped Instruction On Special Education Preservice Teachers' Perceptions, Cynthia C. Massey, Selcuk Dogan, Edward Anthony Muhammad, Eric Hogan, Cindy N. Head, Jackie Kim

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This study analyzes the flipped instruction model used in three special education educator preparation courses to examine which components preservice teachers perceived most contributed to their content knowledge, motivation, and engagement (n=50). Weekly pre-class asynchronous assignments included the use of educational technology tools such as an interactive e-textbook site, Perusall, and online academic activities such as Khan Academy to strengthen their content knowledge. This allowed more time for a student-centered approach during synchronous instruction to incorporate tools such as Nearpod, Pear Deck, Flipgrid and digital badges to strength-en their motivation and engagement. Data were collected through a post-course survey; results …

Amblyomma Quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) (Acari:Ixodidae): First Description Of The Nymphal Stage And Phylogenetic Assessment Of Its Taxonomic Status, Ashleigh V. Riggs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Amblyomma quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) is a parasite of snakes and is endemic to the Caribbean region. Morphological characters of this species, namely its rudimentary eye structures, have led to debate about its taxonomic status. The species was originally assigned to the genus Aponomma. However, with revisions of the genus Aponomma, and the recent creation of new genera created for some basal former-Aponomma, it has been suggested that perhaps Amblyomma quadricavum might be a close relative of Robertsicus elaphensis, the Trans-Pecos rat snake tick of the southwest United States and New Mexico, another eyeless former-Aponomma species …

Making Connections To Address Mathematics Anxiety: A Case Study Of The Instructional Triangle And Remedial College Instructors, Njeri M. Pringle, Jamie L. Workman, Meagan C. Arrastia-Chisholm

Georgia Educational Researcher

Mathematics anxiety is a reality for many students as a number of community college and four-year university students feel disconnected from math and struggle to pass mathematics courses. Using a case study and grounded theory approach, six remedial mathematics instructors were interviewed and observed to examine their instructional strategies and practices. During the interviews, participants expounded upon the changes in strategies and practices implemented when aiding students struggling with anxiety. The Instructional Triangle was applied across participants to compare and contrast their experiences. The analysis focused on environmental factors that could increase or exacerbate mathematics anxiety. In particular, a theme …

Peer-Coaching Based Professional Development: A Sample Of A School Of Foreign Languages, Sinem Arslan Dönmez, Ahmet Şahin Assoc. Prof.

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study is to investigate the views of lecturers about the effectiveness of the implementation of the peer-coaching practice conducted at the school of foreign languages of a foundation university. The lecturers who took part in the peer coaching practice in the academic year 2019-2020 acted as the participants in this case study. The qualitative data was collected via interviews and document analysis. Content analysis and descriptive analysis methods were used in the process of data analysis. The findings from the analysis showed that peer-coaching practice consisted of lesson observations, pre and post-observation meetings, and reflection stages. …

Sotl At Georgia Southern: Perceptions, Engagement And Impact, Diana Botnaru, Trent W. Maurer, Jody Langdon

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate the state of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at our institution, including SoTL perceptions, engagement and impact. A link to an online anonymous survey (31 questions) in Qualtrics was distributed to all academic units. The final sample consisted of 90 faculty and administrators from a population of 1,327, reflecting a response rate of almost 7%. Over half of the participants engaged in SoTL research. More often they presented their work at conferences than in publications. Perceptions of support at departmental and Faculty Center levels were positive, but negative at the …

Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Retrospective Analysis Of A Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Course, Nancy G. Caukin, Heather K. Dillard, Terry Goodin, Ashlee B. Hover, John L. Carter

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This SoTL study aimed to determine thirty-eight teacher candidates’ self-efficacy after experiencing semester one of a yearlong residency. Researchers used a pre/post survey, the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and a retrospective pre TSES to determine perceived levels of self-efficacy in three areas: classroom management, instructional strategies, and student engagement. Findings revealed that pre TSES (candidates scored themselves at the beginning of the semester) and retrospective pre TSES scores (candidates scored themselves at the end of the semester reflecting on where they were at the beginning of the semester) were significantly different, with the retrospective pre TSES showing lower …

The Effects Of A Syllabus On Students’ Perceptions Of The Motivational Climate In A Course, Brett D. Jones, Xiao Zhu

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

A course syllabus can affect students’ perceptions of the motivational climate within a course. Yet, few researchers have conducted experimental studies of students’ perceptions of syllabi in courses in which they were currently enrolled. The purpose of the present studies was to assess the extent to which syllabi language and organization affected students’ motivation-related perceptions in hypothetical and real courses. In Study 1, undergraduate students reported their motivation-related perceptions for hypothetical syllabi statements about the course overview, late submissions, attendance, and use of electronics. Statistically significant differences in perceptions were documented between different types of syllabi statements. Study 2 was …

Influence Of Discussion Prompts On Fostering Student Teachers’ Competence In Knowledge Of English Instruction, Chin-Wen Chien

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This study analyzed questionnaire, pre-test, post-test, and online posts to explore influence of discussion prompts on the competence in English instruction of seven student teachers of elementary school EFL (English as a Foreign Language) in a practicum in Taiwan. This study reached the following conclusions. First, student teachers had good perceptions of the discussion prompts, particularly their effects on reflection on and relevance of English instruction. Secondly, student teachers had good perceptions of discussion prompts because of their clarity; however, they were not satisfied with inactive discussions among participants. Finally, participants’ education background and teaching experience affected their perceptions and …

Mathematics Learning, Teaching, And Equity In Policy And Programs: The Case Of Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education In The United States, Eryn M. Stehr Maher, Hyunyi Jung, Jill Newton

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Professional organizations have provided recommendations for mathematics teaching and learning; however, few studies have investigated the practical integration of those recommendations into mathematics teacher education programs. In this study, we examine how the reported “big ideas” of courses in secondary mathematics teacher education programs emphasized the content and teaching practices necessary for future mathematics teachers, as recommended by policy documents. As part of a larger study, we conducted a series of interviews in secondary mathematics teacher education programs at four universities (names are descriptive pseudonyms): Great Lakes University (GLU), Midwestern Research University (MRU), Midwestern Urban University (MUU), and Southeastern Research …

A Prototype Design For A Self-Balancing Tray, Daniel Andre, Samuel Neall, Christopher Martin

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing Student Research Symposium (2022)

Self-balancing platforms are used in a variety of industries such as in construction to ensure a level place to pour concrete, in NASA’s design of the Apollo 13 rocket to ensure the Rocketship maintains a certain orientation, and in photography for camera stabilization on drones and handheld devices like the DJI Osmo. The purpose of these kinds of platforms is to ensure stability in an environment that is not typically stable so that tasks, such as construction or working in outer space, can be done easily and safely. The purpose of our Prototype is to create a smaller self-balancing platform …

The Relationship Between Principal Attrition And Academic Factors In Georgia’S High-Needs Rural Schools, Summer Pannell, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Journal

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between principal attrition and academic factors in Georgia’s high-needs rural schools. The research shows that principals have a significant impact on student outcomes, and principal attrition is a disruptive factor in schools. The findings from this study indicate a negative correlation between principal turnover and every academic component of Georgia’s College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI) at elementary, middle, and high schools in high-needs rural schools in Georgia. Implications for practice are the need to recruit and retain high-quality principals in Georgia’s high-needs rural schools and the development of purposeful, …

2021-2022 Georgia Southern University Women's Basketball Media Guide, Georgia Southern University

Women's Basketball Records

• Georgia Southern Women's Basketball 2021-2022 Media Guide

Georgia Southern Magazine, Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern Magazine

• News and Events
• True Blue Spotlight
• Eagle Legends & Lore
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• From Refugee to Expert
• The Inspirational Journey
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Reinforcement Learning: Low Discrepancy Action Selection For Continuous States And Actions, Jedidiah Lindborg

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In reinforcement learning the process of selecting an action during the exploration or exploitation stage is difficult to optimize. The purpose of this thesis is to create an action selection process for an agent by employing a low discrepancy action selection (LDAS) method. This should allow the agent to quickly determine the utility of its actions by prioritizing actions that are dissimilar to ones that it has already picked. In this way the learning process should be faster for the agent and result in more optimal policies.

The Ethicality And Political Skill Of Leaders And Subordinate Job Satisfaction: A Study Of Accounting Faculty, Donald L. Ariail

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using a sample of 539 accounting faculty teaching in the United States, this study explored perceptions of the ethicality and political skill of their direct supervisors and self-reported levels of job satisfaction. Ethicality was measured with the Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS) and the Behavioral Integrity (BI) Scale. These measures, which were highly correlated, were proxy measures for accounting faculty perceptions of the tone-at-the-top (TATT)—the ethical leadership under which faculty teach and research. The results indicated that while the majority of accounting faculty perceived their direct supervisor as being ethical, about a third (28% BI, 34.8% ELS) of them did not …

Ring Bose–Einstein Condensate Atomtronic Rotation Sensor, Oluwatobi I. Adeniji

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

We propose a design for an atomtronic rotation sensor consisting of an array of Bose– Einstein condensates (BECs) confined in a double–target–array potential. The purpose of the sensor is to measure the rotation speed, Ω_R, of the sensor’s rest frame with respect to the “fixed stars.” The atomtronic system consists of an ultracold gas of sodium atoms compressed, using laser light, into a thin horizontal sheet and subjected to a double–target– array potential within the horizontal plane. A “target” BEC consists of a disk–shaped condensate surrounded by a concentric ring–shaped condensate. A “double–target” BEC is two adjacent target …