Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Oral Exams On Entry-Level Stem Mathematics Students, Krysten A. Pampel

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

This study investigates the efficacy of oral examinations as an alternative assessment method in college algebra courses, focusing on their impact on student retention of mathematical concepts. Through a comparative analysis of two groups, one undergoing traditional assessment and the other receiving oral examinations, this research explores both quantitative assessment scores and qualitative feedback. While quantitative analysis reveals no significant difference in summative assessment performance between the two groups, qualitative data highlights the benefits of oral examinations, including immediate feedback, enhanced critical thinking, and holistic evaluation of student capabilities. Despite limitations in sample size, the study suggests that oral examinations …

Design Concept For Low-Cost Management Of Early Medial Or Lateral Osteoarthritis, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

Background: Asymmetrical joint space narrowing occurs in many cases of knee osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of the present study is to elucidate the biomechanics of lateral wedges in shoes used to widen the medial joint space in predominantly medial OA, and the biomechanics of medial wedges in shoes used to widen the lateral joint space in predominantly lateral OA. Methods: Medial or lateral shift of the center of weight bearing of the foot is largely offset by movement of the flexible hip joint, which changes the tilt angle of the femoral head in the frontal plane. The altered tilt can …

Doctoral Students’ Perceived Academic Research Reading Ability: A Mixed-Methods Study, Ryan Glaman

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Empirical research is useful for informing educational policy and practice. However, doctoral students often struggle with reading and evaluating empirical research papers. The present study examined doctoral students’ perceptions of their ability to read and evaluate empirical research articles, both before and after an educational research methods course, as well as which course components students perceived as most impacting their ability to read and evaluate research articles. The study used a convergent mixed methods design, involving pre- and post-course survey data. Results indicated students felt they improved in their experience levels, comfort levels, interpretation ability, and evaluation ability regarding reading …

Factors Impacting Elementary School Students’ Engineering Design And Optimization Decisions, Elaine Silva Mangiante, Ilana Haliwa

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This mixed methods study explored possible factors that could impact elementary school students’ engineering design and optimization decisions. Data were collected from six teachers and 117 students in six fourth grade classrooms that implemented the Engineering is Elementary geotechnical engineering unit, A Stick in the Mud: Evaluating a Landscape. Students were to recommend to villagers their site decision of where to build a TarPul bridge based on four properties: soil type, villager preference, amount of compaction needed, and location less prone to erosion. Data sources included a pre-and post-assessment question, students’ documentation of property choices for their first and optimized …

Fish In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with information on fish in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

General And Special Relativity May Explain The Hubble Tension And Galactic Rotation, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

Using two equations from general and special relativity, one can explore the hypothesis that gravitational time dilation and the relativistic Doppler effect cause the Hubble tension. Predicted results show good agreement between theory and observation, as long as mass is restricted to ordinary baryonic matter. This unexpected finding suggested a surprising continuation, namely that observed galactic rotation also be explained by special relativity. This idea survived initial tests using both Vera Rubin’s original data and more recent observations.

A Treasure Hunt: The Interdisciplinary Challenge Of A Digital Humanities Hackathon, Marie Barras, Adélaïde Quenson, Adrien Jeanrenaud, Angela Allemand, Marina Berazategui, Levyn Bürki, Michel Capot, Simon Gabay, Vestin Hategekimana, Pauline Jacsont, Bokar Lamine N'Diaye, Elina Leblanc, Clara May, Anne-Laure Oberson, Margherita Parigini, Lara Pitteloud, Fassaleh Taal, Cédric Viaccoz

Artl@s Bulletin

Abstract: This article tells the story of an interdisciplinary hackathon emphasizing exploration, collaboration, and creative engagement with globalization-related cultural datasets. Participants worked in teams to produce research posters, which were then presented at the opening of the international conference Image Deluge & Globalization in Geneva. The article discusses three projects: one on 19th-century Spanish chapbooks using topic modeling and network analysis; another on leopard motifs in print imagery; and a third on olfactory heritage. The hackathon highlighted both the potential and the limitations of working with digital cultural data, offering insights into interdisciplinary methods.

Résumé: Cet article raconte un hackathon …

First Opinion: El Doctorcito / The Little Doctor, Andrew Jamison

First Opinions, Second Reactions

No abstract provided.

Ms-Ls2-1: Resource Availability, Maddie Epler, Eden Jasicki

5th Grade

No abstract provided.

Ms-Ess1-1: Moon Phases, Kaela Cortese, Olivia Johnson, Piper Ellis

5th Grade

No abstract provided.

4-Ps3-1, Elise Louk, Carlie Cox, Avery Kelker

4th Grade

No abstract provided.

Physics-Based Modelling Of Concrete Degradation Phenomena: Impact Of Construction Defects On Long Term Cost And Material Properties, Manuel Salmeron, Oscar D. Forero, Talha Faiz Mohammed, Kabir Shrivastava, Shirley J. Dyke, Julio A. Ramirez

JTRP Technical Reports

The quality of workmanship and adherence to specifications during the bridge construction phase of concrete decks, slabs, and continuous T-beams, are key factors on which future structural performance and durability hinge. If construction practices do not meet the required standards of quality, they may trigger early onset of deterioration processes that shorten the service life leading to unplanned interventions or unscheduled repairs, thus intensifying the need for maintenance actions and increasing costs during the service life of the bridge. Despite the consensus view that substandard construction practices reduce the performance of concrete structures, quantifying the impact is challenging. This difficulty …

Assessment Of Temperature Correction Factors For Falling Weight Deflectometer Deflections, Pablo Orosa Iglesias, Jin Li, Bongsuk Park, Seonghwan Cho, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

This study presents the development of an improved temperature correction methodology for falling weight deflectometer (FWD) deflections in full-depth asphalt pavements. The objective was to address the limitations of existing correction methods by integrating viscoelastic pavement behavior, structural properties, and realistic thermal gradients. Field temperature data from instrumented sites in Indiana were used to train a machine learning model capable of predicting pavement temperature profiles in flexible pavements. These predictions informed a series of finite element simulations that captured pavement responses to FWD loading under a range of thermal and structural conditions. Temperature correction factors were then derived and modeled …

Research Support To Indot On Systemwide Asset Condition Assessment Using Connected Vehicle Data, Andrew Thompson, Jairaj Desai, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Crowdsourced pavement roughness data using connected vehicles now provides cost-effective, high-resolution condition monitoring in near real-time. This study evaluates how connected vehicle data can support effective investment prioritization across Indiana’s road network and improve upon traditional data sources using surveys that are often done annually or biennially. A key challenge is handling terabyte-scale geospatial roughness datasets and integrating them meaningfully into asset management workflows. A scalable data processing methodology is outlined to address this issue and is used for the subsequent analysis.

This report’s analysis uses more than 3 billion daily CV-estimated roughness measurements (IRICVe) from 2022–2025, in addition to …

Pedestrian And Bicyclist Trespassing Impacts On Rail Grade Crossings Safety And Mobility, Shanyue Guan, Siqi Chen, Shufan Liu, Samy Noureldin, Bridgette Hail, Brandon Burgoa, Elizabeth Mouser, Alison Shaner, Paige Story, Karen Stippich

JTRP Technical Reports

Highway roads intersect with a railroad track, forming a multimodal transportation system. The intersection is called a highway railroad grade crossing (HRGC). Because of the multiple transportation operations, induced conflict at the grade crossing, crashes may happen between road users (e.g., automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) and trains in operations at highway railroad grade crossings. This is a global challenge for many countries around the world. According to the 2022–2026 Indiana Strategic Highway Safety Plan and 2022 Indiana Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan, one of the biggest challenges facing Indiana is the higher numbers of pedestrians in and around crossing …

Utilizing Emergency Management Audio Messages For Traffic Incident Management Performance Measures, Christopher Gartner, Vihaan Vajpayee, Jairaj Desai, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Timely and accurate information regarding roadway incidents is critical for Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) to maintain safety and mobility. While Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) cameras and crowdsourced data provide significant visibility, rural interstate corridors often suffer from coverage gaps, or "blind spots," where incidents go undetected until significant queuing occurs. Public safety radio communications serve as the primary coordination method for first responders, creating a "verbal infrastructure" that contains vital information regarding incident location and severity. This study evaluates the feasibility of using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to bridge these gaps by monitoring and analyzing radio traffic. The project developed …

Rampcast Phase Ii: Connected Vehicles Traffic Management Application On Indiana Highways, Abin Mathew, Agnideven Palanisamy Sundar, Juntong Peng, Jue Zhou, Yaobin Chen, Feng Li

JTRP Technical Reports

This project advances connected vehicle applications by developing and testing an enhanced RampCast system, a comprehensive traffic management system using C-V2X technology for Indiana highways. The system features a dual-mode architecture integrating both short-range (PC5) and long-range cellular (Uu) C-V2X communication pathways, utilizing commercial-grade Cohda MK6 hardware and adhering to SAE J2735 standards to ensure interoperability. A key innovation is the integration of an AI-based prioritization framework, which leverages a large language model to enhance the contextual relevance of traffic messages. This AI system introduces two intelligent agents: one to dynamically estimate the appropriate display distance for an event based …

Integration Of Bim For Bridge Modeling, Jiansong Zhang, Hang Li, Temitope Akanbi, Hosam Hegazy, Fan Yang, Meta Soy, Yunfeng Chen, Hazar Nicholas Dib

JTRP Technical Reports

Existing INDOT bridge projects mainly use PDF plans for the official deliverables and records to be communicated, transferred, and stored among different stakeholders. With the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) BIM standard (ISO 16739) adopted by AASHTO as the national standard for modeling bridge projects, there comes a great opportunity to upgrade the documentation of INDOT bridge projects to 3D BIM in compliance with this national standard, while at the same time addressing the need to manage and retrieve project information in a more convenient and efficient way. In addition, INDOT needs to achieve the goal of meeting new Specifications for …

Influence Of Nanomaterials-Based Admixtures And Polymeric Microspheres On Entrained Air Void System And Freeze-Thaw (F/T) Resistance Of Concrete, Alberto Castillo, Jan Olek, Mirian Velay-Lizancos,

JTRP Technical Reports

This study investigated the feasibility of using colloidal nanosilica (nS) as microstructure modifier and polymeric microspheres (MS) as alternative air-entrainment systems for Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) bridge deck concrete. These admixtures have gained interest due to their potential to modify the air-void system, enhance freeze–thaw (F/T) resistance, reduce permeability, and improve early-age performance. However, their field applicability depends on understanding their sensitivity to mixture composition, type of batching process, consolidation practices, and water-to-cement (w/c) ratio. The objectives of this research were to: (1) conduct field trials incorporating nS and MS and evaluate both fresh and hardened properties, (2) compare …

The Business Case For Sustainable Road Infrastructure Development, David Holguin Mejia, Deepak Benny, Dong Yoon Song, Konstantina Gkritza, Kumares Sinha, Samuel Labi

JTRP Technical Reports

This study developed a business-case framework for embedding sustainability into the Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT) practices. The study first identified the role of sustainability in road infrastructure development, and then discussed strategic plans, sustainability programs, and institutional challenges that shape how sustainability actions are conceived and executed. The study reviewed existing sustainability rating systems, established exposure metrics, and subsequently developed a business-case framework called the Road Infrastructure Sustainability Evaluation (RISE) to guide INDOT in embedding sustainability across the full infrastructure lifecycle, from planning through end-of-life. RISE follows a multicriteria analysis approach, incorporating indicator selection, criteria evaluation, weighting, normalization, and …

Receiver, Vehicle, And Roadway Systems For A Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Roadway Testbed, Oscar Andrés Moncada, Isaac Abram, Nicholas Frooninckx, Vatan Mehar, Chiara Cervini, O'Brien Ben, Bruno Cesar Krause Moras, Steve Pekarek, John E. Haddock, Dionysios Aliprantis, Aaron Brovont, Konstantina Gkritza, Rob Swanson

JTRP Technical Reports

A dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) system using a novel three-phase transmitter/receiver design was embedded 2.4 in beneath the surface of an existing rigid pavement on US 52/US 231 in West Lafayette, Indiana, with 85 coils installed and paired with a retrofitted Class-8 Cummins electrified truck. The system successfully delivered 50–190 kW at speeds up to 65 mph with efficiencies approaching 85%, and all coils met electromagnetic balance targets; similar results were validated on a 3-coil testbed at Utah State University, with magnetic flux densities well below human exposure limits. Testing also demonstrated strong misalignment tolerance and reliable high-power delivery …

Agricultural Evidence Synthesis At A Critical Juncture: Quality Gaps And Implications For Evidence-Based Agriculture, Chao Cai, Jane Yatcilla, Justyna Czader, Sylvie Brouder, Jeffrey Volenec

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become essential tools for synthesizing evidence to guide agricultural policy and practice, yet whether these syntheses are themselves conducted with sufficient rigor has rarely been systematically assessed. This study provides a field-wide assessment of reporting quality in agricultural evidence synthesis, examining whether existing reviews are conducted with sufficient transparency and rigor to support the policy and practice decisions they are meant to inform. We drew a random sample of 244 systematic reviews and meta-analyses from a bibliometric dataset of 1,709 articles published between 1997 and 2023, evaluating reporting quality using a 12-indicator rubric across four …

Shifting Attitudes Toward Healthy Food Choices In Schoolchildren, Krishna Nemali

Purdue Extension Numbered Publications

Nearly a third of Indiana children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese. Healthier food choices could make a difference. This publication details what happened when a Purdue professor coupled experiential learning (gardening) with a plant sciences curriculum in a rural Indiana intermediate school.

Simplified Traffic Studies For Local Agencies, Laura Slusher

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

Traffic studies are critical in the decision-making process for many transportation-related projects, funding requests, paving and plowing priorities, and in reporting to elected officials and the public. It is often difficult for local jurisdictions with limited equipment, staff, and time to perform these studies or have the funds available to hire them out. This handbook describes simplified procedures that are easy to apply and are written for all potential users.

Cav Pilot Development And Deployment In Midwest Winter, Yupeng Zhou, Can Cui, Zichong Yang, Juntong Peng, Ziran Wang

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation

This project addresses the critical challenges of deploying Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) in adverse Midwest winter conditions by developing a novel hierarchical framework that integrates Large Vision-Language Models for robust, context-aware decision-making. Real-world pilot experiments demonstrate that this architecture significantly enhances vehicle safety and personalization, effectively translating abstract human commands into precise control adjustments on low-friction, snow-covered surfaces. Furthermore, a specialized high-fidelity dataset capturing unique environmental edge cases was established to bridge the domain gap in existing resources and support the future development of resilient all-weather autonomous technologies.

Powered By People: Staffing And Capacity In Library Publishing Programs, Michelle Brailey, Melissa Chim, Lauren Collister, Heather Hankins, Alyssa Huffman, Bailey Lake, Barbara Loomis, Miranda Phair, Anita Walz

LPC Publications

This report is comprised of the results of the LPC’s Staffing Survey where respondents answered questions related to staffing and capacity within their library publishing programs.

Portable Driving Simulation Platform For Innovative Intersections, Luyang Jiang, Zihao Li, David Chen, Blake Edwards, Angel Rivera Cardenas, George Takahashi, Brandon Pitts, Ziran Wang

JTRP Technical Reports

This report presents a portable driving simulation platform developed to improve public understanding and evaluation of innovative intersection designs. Built in Unity, the system integrates real-world roadway data with modular traffic and vehicle simulation to create realistic, interactive driving scenarios. Results show the platform effectively supports driver learning and stakeholder engagement, demonstrating its feasibility as a tool for education, safety analysis, and deployment support of innovative intersections.

3-Ls4-3: Habitats’ Effects On Animal Survival, Elementary Science Teacher Resource Database

3rd Grade

No abstract provided.

3-Ls4-4: How Do Animals Survive Environmental Change?, Abby Richardson

3rd Grade

No abstract provided.

3-Ess3-1: Water, Water Everywhere!, Emma Cox

3rd Grade

No abstract provided.