Digital Commons Network^™

A New Vision For A 6-12 Library Science Curriculum, Jacqueline Leigh Seidl

Graduate Research Papers

The current perception of the teacher librarian's role in our Central Iowa school district is quite different than the role suggested in the professional research. Students leaving high school do not have the inquiry and evaluation skills expected at the postsecondary level (Donham, 2014). Students spend their free time using technology, but not for academic or voluntary reading (Igbokwe & Obidike, 2012). It is evident that the Common Core's focus on information inquiry and literacy, technology use, and pleasure reading are all facets of the teacher librarian's desired curriculum, but creating a curriculum where the three complement each other rather …

The Update, January-March 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside This Issue:

--CHAS Briefs
--Spotlight – Faculty Kyle Gray
--CHAS News Diversity Training
--Biology Celeste Underriner
--Featured Story: IEEE Demonstration Awards
--Spotlight – Alumni Meghan Reynolds
--Spotlight – Student Alyssa Adamac
--Theater – Rent
--Spotlight – Student Kyle Spurgeon
--ABC Competition
--UNI Construction
--Management Club

The Wright Message, 2016-2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Mathematics.

The Wright Message

Inside this issue:

-- Dear Alumni and Friends
-- A Tribute for Karen Sabey
-- The 2016 Hari Shankar Lecture
-- Faculty Spotlight
-- Around Wright Hall
-- Alumni Spotlight
-- CTLM News
-- Interview with Allysen Lovstuen
-- Students Spotlight
-- Donor Spotlight
-- Contributions to an Account - Recognition
-- Department Funds

Tessellations: An Artistic And Mathematical Look At The Work Of Maurits Cornelis Escher, Emily E. Bachmeier

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn more about the mathematics of tessellations and their artistic potential. Whenever I have seen tessellations, I always admire them. It is baffling how such complicated shapes can be repeated infinitely on the plane. This research aimed to increase the amount of tessellation information and activities available to secondary mathematics teachers by connecting the tessellations of Maurits Cornelis Escher with their underlying mathematics in order to use them for teaching secondary mathematics. The overarching premise of this study was to create something that would also be beneficial in my career as a secondary …

Some Convergence Properties Of Minkowski Functionals Given By Polytopes, Jesse Moeller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this work we investigate the behavior of the Minkowski Functionals admitted by a sequence of sets which converge to the unit ball ‘from the inside’. We begin in R 2 and use this example to build intuition as we extend to the more general R n case. We prove, in the penultimate chapter, that convergence ‘from the inside’ in this setting is equivalent to two other characterizations of the convergence: a geometric characterization which has to do with the sizes of the faces of each polytope in the sequence converging to zero, and the convergence of the Minkowski functionals …

Analysis Of The Stebi-B Instrument As It Is Used To Predict The Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Preservice Elementary Teachers, Martha Alice Stone

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Using the STEBI-B tool in a pre/post-test setting is common in educational research when measuring the influence of course work on the science teaching self-efficacy of preservice elementary teachers. This study was the first to use the STEBI-B in conjunction with a self-reflective tool to evaluate the influence of a required science content course on the science teaching self-efficacy of 54 preservice elementary teachers.

Concurrent collection of three sets of data happened at the beginning and at the end of an Inquiry into Earth & Space Science course designed for preservice elementary teachers. The self-reflective instrument measured science-teaching self-efficacy from …

The Use Of Minecraft As An Educational Tool To Improve Student Performance In The Classroom, James Roberts

Graduate Research Papers

While the author will be speaking directly of his experiences in a classroom and district setting, he argues that these same ideas can be carried out by others who would perform the same tests that he does. The idea behind exploratory class is to give students in grades 6 through 8 the opportunity to see what kinds of classes that are offered at Panorama schools as well as introduce them to possible career choices like automotive repair or construction trades that they might find interesting and wish to pursue later in life. Since there are over 60 students in each …

The Effects Of Using Digital Storytelling For Fourth Graders' Literacy Learning, Benjamin J. Feight

Graduate Research Papers

The dual purposes of this action research project were to investigate how the inclusion of digital learning techniques helped impact students' perceptions towards literacy instruction, and any impact on parents' perceptions. The action research was conducted in a fourth grade classroom of twenty-one participants in a rural school, engaging students in the whole process of creating a digital story.

The major results indicate that: a) student motivation towards writing increases when introduced to the concept of using some sort of digital device to write the story; and b) parents were enthused about the level of work their students submitted when …

The Effects Of Flipped Learning On Students In Secondary Education, Abigail M. Fish

Graduate Research Papers

As schools incorporate flipped instruction into the classroom, it is important to understand the effectiveness of flipped learning and its pedagogical shift. This literature review analyzed 24 peer-reviewed empirical studies out of 30 articles that explore the effectiveness of flipped learning versus a traditional learning style on student achievement and student engagement in general and the promotion of student-centered learning activities when using a flipped learning environment in particularly. Studies selected for the review were conducted in secondary classrooms after the year 2000 with sound research methodology.

The major findings reveal that flipped learning can lead to higher student achievement …

Frequently-Used Discipline And Management Techniques In The Cedar Valley, Gabriel Gedlinske

Honors Program Theses

The primary goal of this research is to observe frequently-used classroom management techniques in the Cedar Falls Community School District. The observed techniques and the philosophies behind them will then be compared to the methods and philosophies of educational researchers and theorists. Classroom management is an area that is often underrepresented in the plethora of courses required of college undergraduates, as can be observed at the University of Northern Iowa. Of the 120 total credit hours required of an undergraduate student for graduation, exactly three are devoted to classroom management. Furthermore, those three credit hours, or one class, may not …

Preservice And Practicing Teacher Science Inquiry Projects: An Analysis Of Their Understanding Of The Inquiry Process, Benjamin D. Olsen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Student conducted inquiry is an essential component of the Next Generation Science Standards and considered to be a core goal of teaching science methods. Teachers need to understand what student inquiry entails, to be able to successfully conduct their own inquiry investigations, and to understand this process well so as to guide original student inquiry investigations. Some suggest that, as a result of No Child Left Behind legislation, an entire generation of students have missed out on inquiry-based elementary science instruction. Research indicates that many preservice teachers find it difficult to bridge knowledge of subject matter with pedagogy – making …

The Effects Of Blended Learning On Critical Thinking In A High School Earth Science Class, Renee Nicole Borglum

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study analyzed the effects of differing levels of technology use in a high school Earth Science class on student performance on the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR). Blended learning manipulates the combination of hands-on activities, classroom discussions, online discussions, interactive simulations and a variety of assessments that engage, instruct and assess student learning. Critical thinking is the set of skills and dispositions that foster problem solving, reasoning ability and selfregulation. The increasing use of technology in the classroom and fluctuation of content standards prompted this research. The results have implications for the classroom teacher of a wide range …

Using One-To-One Computing For Differentiated Instruction In Iowa: An Investigation Of The Impact Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching And Learning, Jodi A. Bermel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The 1983 seminal work entitled A Nation at Risk recommended that all high school graduates be proficient in the Five New Basics: English, mathematics, science, social studies, and computer science. To address the No Child Left Behind mandates, educators and administrators are evaluating the theory and practice of Differentiated Instruction (DI). One-to-one computer initiatives became an element of DI strategy due to the well-documented advantages in the use of technology to address individual learning needs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions of using one-to-one computing to differentiate instruction and to identify potential …

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2015/2016, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Some Comparisons
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Degrees Granted 2015/16
--- Degree Summary 2015/16
--- Program Certificates 2015/16
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

The Utility Of Tallgrass Prairie Reconstructions As Bioenergy Feedstocks, Jessica Abernathy, Mark Sherrard

Undergraduate Student Work

Two of the more pressing, yet opposing, ecological challenges that we face at the global-scale are the loss of biodiversity and rising demand for energy. Many ecological experiments have shown the importance of biodiversity for ecosystem services and functions, but the simultaneous demand for energy has led to greater conversion of natural landscapes to low-diversity energy production crops (e.g., corn for ethanol). One potential solution to these seemingly opposing issues would be to grow diverse native vegetation for bioenergy. Native tallgrass prairie produces large amounts of aboveground biomass but also provides great habitat for wildlife and other ecosystem services. In …

Calculating Heat Of Formation Values Of Energetic Compounds: A Comparative Study, Michael S. Elioff, Jordon Hoy, John A. Bumpus

Faculty Work

Heat of formation is one of several important parameters used to assess the performance of energetic compounds. We evaluated the ability of six different methods to accurately calculate gas-phase heat of formation (Δ _𝑓𝐻^𝑜 _298,g) values for a test set of 45 nitrogencontaining energetic compounds. Density functional theory coupled with the use of isodesmic or other balanced equations yielded calculated results in which 82% (37 of 45) of the Δ _𝑓𝐻^𝑜 _298,g values were within ±2.0 kcal/mol of the most recently recommended experimental/reference values available. This was compared to a procedure using density functional theory …

What Does The Research Say About Standards-Based Grading? A Research Primer, Matt Townsley, Tom Buckmiller

Faculty Publications

Traditional grading practices have been used for over one hundred years, and to date, there have been no meaningful research reports to support it. As such, some schools are transitioning to standards-based grading, a practice based upon several evidence-based principles. The purpose of this research primer is to provide an overview of the research literature on standards-based grading.

Three Men In The Wilderness: Ideas And Concepts Of Nature During The Progressive Era With Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot And John Muir, Jeffrey A. Duke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When I began this research in the summer of 2014, I endeavored to find out how Americans comprehended nature in the Progressive Era. By the Progressive Era the historian Frederick Jackson Turner declared the frontier to be closed. This notion that no wide open spaces remained to be conquered altered the American people’s attitude towards nature. The perspectives of three men who were at the forefront of environmental policy illustrate how America’s understanding of nature had changed. These three men were twenty-sixth President Theodore Roosevelt, professional forester Gifford Pinchot and naturalist John Muir. Describing the similarities and differences in these …

2015-2016 Uni Strategic Plan Accomplishments, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

A report detailing the progress on the strategic goals within the University of Northern Iowa's strategic plan.

Compliance Calendar/Logbook For Bulk Gasoline Plants: Less That 19,999 Gallons/Day Throughput, Iowa Waste Reduction Center

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Book Gallery

EPA has requirements for Gasoline Distribution Bulk Terminals, Bulk Gasoline Plants and Pipeline Facilities under 40 CFR Part 63 Subpart BBBBBB (NESHAP 6B) to reduce air pollution. This calendar has been developed to assist Bulk Gasoline Plants in complying with NESHAP 6B. Additional Iowa specific NESHAP 6B rules are discussed later.

Environmental Recordkeeping Calendar For Drycleaning Facilities, Iowa Waste Reduction Center, Iowa. Department Of Natural Resources

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Book Gallery

The Iowa Air Emissions Assistance Program (IAEAP) at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC), supported by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is pleased to present the 2016-2017 Environmental Recordkeeping Calendar for Dry Cleaning Facilities. The use of hazardous chemicals in the dry cleaning process, including perchloroethylene (commonly known as perc), can pose safety and environmental concerns if not managed appropriately. In an effort to minimize these concerns state and federal regulations are in place that may apply to your facility. These regulations have been developed to ensure your business operations will not unexpectedly harm the environment or individuals. …

Green Supply Chain Management, Ravi Teja Marneni

Graduate Research Papers

There is a need to consolidate environmental issues and try to find solutions to the problems that are detrimental to the environment. Researches show that the idea of green supplychain is not fully developed. There is a need to understand green supply-chain management from a different perspective. Green supply chain helps in utilizing all the available productive resources effectively. By implementing green supply chain management principles in the business decision making process, organization can purchase green resources that will help in providing environmental friendly products and achieve greater desired results. The growing importance of supply chain is driven mainly by …

Fall Commencement [Program], December 19, 2015, University Of Northern Iowa.

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

Stem Stories, December 2015, #3, Daniel Vorwerk

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - UNI STEM Summer Camp

Stem Stories, December 2015, #2, Daniel Vorwerk

STEM Stories

Partner Spotlight - Iowa Academy of Science

Uni Grad Student News, V13n5, December 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- Faculty Profile: Dr. Windee Weiss
-- New Year, New MGSA!
-- Student: Mackensie Smith
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Opportunity
-- Alumni: Dr. Tom O'Shea
-- New Faculty: Rubina Chowdhury
-- New Year, New MGSA!
-- MLK, JR. Service Opportunity
-- Tips to Prepare for the 2016 Spring Semester
-- 2nd Annual Elect HER - Panther Women Win!
-- Cedar Valley Family Step Festival - Lyuda Grygorchuk
-- American Association of University Women for UNI - Rachel Gregory
-- New Graduate College Secretary - Rubina Chowdhury
-- 9th …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, December 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Happy Holidays
--- 2016-2017 Recordkeeping Compliance Calendar for Dry Cleaners
--- 2016-2017 Compliance Calendar/Logbook for Bulk Gasoline Plants
--- Food Waste Reduction Assistance Available
--- Industry News

Stem Stories, December 2015, #1, Daniel Vorwerk

STEM Stories

Department Spotlight - Department of Physics

Ion Trap Mass Analyzer Apparatus, Methods, And Systems Utilizing One Or More Multiple Potential Ion Guide (Mpig) Electrodes, Curtiss Dwight Hanson

Patents (University of Northern Iowa)

In one aspect of the invention, an ion trap mass analyzer includes a variable- or multi-potential type ion guide (MPIG) assembly which has been pre-configured to produce a parabolic-type potential field. Each MPIG electrode has a resistive coating of designed characteristics. In one example the coating varies in thickness along the length of an underlying uniform substrate. The MPIG assembly can be a single MPIG electrode or an array of a plurality of MPIG electrodes. An array can facilitate delocalization for improved performance. This chemical modification of a uniform underlying substrate promotes cheaper and flexible instruments. The modified MPIG electrodes …

University Of Northern Iowa Secondary Teacher Education Senate Meeting Minutes, November 12, 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Secondary Teacher Education Senate.

Documents - Secondary Senate

Meeting minutes from the Secondary Teacher Education Senate of the University of Northern Iowa.