Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of The Effect Of A 21st-Century-Designed Middle School On Student Achievement, Gary David Schwartz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Considering the billions of dollars invested in school buildings and the accountability for improving student achievement, there has been the lingering question about how the physical learning environment impacts student achievement. This study explored the impact of a new 21st-century-designed middle school facility on student academic achievement in mathematics and science. This case study used a mixed methods approach to examine the student achievement of 158 middle school students and the perceptions from 13 teachers and two administrators about the impact of the new facility on teaching and student learning. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development For The Use Of Interactive White Boards In Turkey, Erkan Taskin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate Turkish public school teachers’ and principals’ perceptions regarding professional development opportunities and practices that may be available for interactive whiteboard (IWB) use. The study aims at investigating the following questions: (1) What are Turkish teachers’ perceptions of the quantity and quality of IWB training they receive? (2) How does professional development affect teachers’ use of an IWB in a Turkish K-12 classroom? (3) What type of professional development do teachers have before and after the installation of the IWB in their classroom? (4) What differences, if any, are there among teachers …

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2012/2013, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Some Comparisons
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Full-Time Equivalency Enrollment
--- Degrees Granted 2012/13
--- Degree Summary 2012/13
--- Program Certificates 2012/13
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Simple, Complete, And Novel Quantitative Model Of Holography For Students Of Science And Science Education, Dale Olson

Faculty Work

A Moiré graphical method for predicting the directions of all permitted image waves for thin and volume holograms is described. This method has been developed in connection with a holography centred optics course for students in science, technology and science education that has evolved over several decades. A somewhat unique view of the holographic process underlies this novel method of predicting the behaviour of diffraction gratings.

Effects Of Flooding On The Flora And Fauna Of A Reconstructed Tallgrass Prairie, Andrew J. Ridgway, Mark C. Myers, Benjamin Hoksch

Undergraduate Student Work

Prairie restoration for the purpose of biofuel production has the potential to be much more beneficial than using corn-based ethanol. These benefits include less damage to soil from fertilizers or pesticides, less management and greater suitability for native fauna. The current study of this restoration consists of surveying vegetation characteristics on four different soil types seeded with four different mixes, as well as observing bird and butterfly use of the restoration. In the fourth year of management of this particular prairie restoration a great deal of flooding occurred. The frequency and intensity of the flooding had a great affect on …

Birds And Butterflies Respond To Soil-Induced Habitat Heterogeneity In Experimental Plantings Of Native Tallgrass Prairie Species In Iowa, Usa, Benjamin J. Hoksch, Mark C. Myers, James T. Mason, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer, Andrew J. Ridgway

Undergraduate Student Work

We studied interrelationships between prairie plant establishment, habitat heterogeneity, and bird and butterfly biodiversity in an experimental prairie reconstruction in Iowa, USA. We seeded 48 research plots on three soil types with one of four treatments containing one, five, 16, or 32 species. During early establishment, neither bird nor butterfly abundance, species richness, or community diversity varied among the three soil types; however, there were significant treatment × soil type interactions when comparing bird and butterfly community composition among plots. Our results demonstrate that plots established with identical seed mixes and management practices developed variable habitat characteristics due to variation …

On The Difference In Quality Between Current Heuristic And Optimal Solutions To The Protein Structure Alignment Problem, Mauricio Arriagada, Aleksandar Poleksic

Faculty Work

The importance of pairwise protein structural comparison in biomedical research is fueling the search for algorithms capable of finding more accurate structural match of two input proteins in a timely manner. In recent years, we have witnessed rapid advances in the development of methods for approximate and optimal solutions to the protein structure matching problem. Albeit slow, these methods can be extremely useful in assessing the accuracy of more efficient, heuristic algorithms. We utilize a recently developed approximation algorithm for protein structure matching to demonstrate that a deep search of the protein superposition space leads to increased alignment accuracy with …

Attainable Arts Integration In The Elementary School Classroom, Anneliese Gentzsch

Honors Program Theses

Arts Integration is an education philosophy that advocates for educating the whole child in a way that will prepare him or her for life outside the classroom. Arts Integration can effectively do this because it makes art, which is seen everywhere in the world around people, an essential part of the classroom. In an Arts Integration classroom, the arts are integrated with mathematics, science, social studies, and reading. Arts Integration teachers strive to authentically incorporate music, drama, the visual arts, dance, and literature into their classrooms on a daily basis. When teachers authentically incorporate the arts into the classroom, the …

Analysis Of Mathematical Descriptions Of Gravitational Microlensing, Sarah Michelle Pearce

Honors Program Theses

This thesis will provide an analysis of some aspects of gravitational microlensing and the quantitative descriptions used to model the astrophysical systems involved. One aspect of the mathematical description of micro lensing events that is investigated in this thesis is the evolution of micro lensing equations from the formalism of general relativity. The derivation of these equations from those governing general relativity and the bending of light rays in geometric optics is explicitly determined. The relationship between the equations used to model events and the light curves produced is investigated. The effect of degeneracies in the mathematical equations used to …

Developing Crochet Patterns For Surfaces Of Non-Constant Curvature, Katherine Lea Pearce

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this project is to develop an algorithm to create crochet patterns for a variety of surfaces. I start with surfaces of constant curvature: the Euclidean surface and the sphere. Then, I generate patterns for surfaces of revolution by calculating the change in circumference for each row of stitches. My methods suggest an approach to crochet more surfaces such as surfaces whose cross section is not a circle. This research demonstrates how crochet can act as a discrete model of differential geometry. Producing these patterns allows for further research into the surfaces themselves by providing accurate models as …

The Beliefs Of University Of Northern Iowa Preservice Teachers About Gifted And Talented Learners, Caitlyn E. Reighley

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the beliefs about Gifted and Talented (GT) learners held by preservice teachers at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). These beliefs, once identified, will be compared with those of other preservice teachers as reported in current literature.

A Bank Erosion Hazard Index (Behi) Study Of Dry Run Creek, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cara Wright

Honors Program Theses

Dry Run Creek is a watershed located in Cedar Falls; Iowa and it is on a list of the state's impaired waterways. One reason it may be impaired is that there is excessive erosion in the stream. This study assessed the Bank Erosion Hazard Index of portions of the creek to determine erosion hotspots. The majority of the banks in all the branches had a Low score, meaning that the BEHI was less than 11.9. The minimum BEHI score is O and the maximum score is 40. The lower the score, the better the condition of the bank. Portions of …

Equivalences Of Dessins D'Enfants, Rachel M. Volkert

Honors Program Theses

Dessins d'enfants are bipartite graphs with a cyclic ordering given to the set of edges that meet at each vertex. Merling and Perlis presented a method by which to construct pairs of dessins d'enfants using the permutations induced by the action of a finite group on the cosets of two locally conjugate subgroups of that group. They called these pairs of dessins Gassmann equivalent and investigated some of their properties. First, we discuss several properties of pairs of dessins that imply Gassmann equivalence. Then, using elementwise conjugate subgroups, we introduce and investigate a weaker type of equivalence of dessins, which …

From Here To There: The Music's Journey: How The Music In The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Represents The Cultures Of Tolkien's World, Jennifer Louise Titus

Honors Program Theses

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the most beloved stories of all time; it has been distributed around the world and translated into over fifty languages. The story that Tolkien created was, essentially, how a small group of people can change the course of history through bravery, loyalty, and friendship. It is a story that has touched many hearts over the years. This series of books also has one of the more developed fictional worlds in literature. There are a variety of cultures, which include elves, men, and dwarves. Tolkien not only gave each …

Leading Through Change: A Study Of The Role Of Central Office Leadership In The Process Of Secondary Change, Dirk A. Halupnik

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to more fully understand the actions of district level leaders in a major change effort and their effects on the change process. Furthermore this study aimed to provide additional information about the factors that school district central office administrators confront when making the decision to add another high school and the actions taken by these administrators to lead the district through this process so that other school districts and leaders may learn from this. The methodology for this study was a qualitative case study approach in which central office leaders in a district that …

Liquid Sorption Properties And Structural Changes Of Metal-Organic Frameworks Of Cobalt Nitrate And 4,4'-Bipyridine, Kathryn Mauger-Sonnek

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Metal-organic frameworks consist of metal ions connected by organic ligands. When the metal ions and organic ligands link together in the right geometry, polymeric and infinite 1D chains or 2D and 3D networks are formed. Porous metal-organic frameworks were synthesized from the organic ligand 4,4′-bipyridine (bpy) and cobalt(II) nitrate. The metal-organic frameworks synthesized in this study grew into both a previously known 2D bilayer structure, [Co2(bpy)3(NO3)4]n, and a new, orange 1D chain structure, [Co(bpy)NO3)2(H2O)2]n, within ethanol. It was found that the presence of water was the main factor of causing formation of the orange 1D chain crystals. Drying the orange …

Full Steam Ahead: Arts Integration And The Common Core, Amy Hunzelman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive literature review, examining the role of arts strategies and its effect on student and teacher learning in a kindergarten through twelfth grade school setting. Additionally, the review examined the relationship between arts teaching strategies and classroom curriculum, specifically mathematics. Do students who participate in regular art instruction (music lessons, dance class, etc.) perform better on tests? What are the effects of arts education on youth? How does arts participation impact student's empowerment and sense of accomplishment? Why are arts integration strategies in the classroom effective? And, how can movement enhance …

Lessons Learned From A Cognitively Guided Instruction Professional Development Project, Christina Nugent

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The professional development, which was the basis for this case study, was a 3- year Title II grant-funded project with Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) as the research-based core. Twenty-one elementary school teachers from an urban setting were studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the professional development project in order to discover the lessons learned. The professional development model used had several key elements. These elements included an evaluation plan, implementation of the learned strategies, collaboration, summer workshops and follow-up school year sessions, and lesson study. Despite the fact that participants were engaged in the same professional development …

Factors That Influence Superintendents In Iowa To Implement A One-To-One Computer Initiative, Gerald Eugene Schnabel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence superintendents in Iowa to implement a one-to-one computer initiative. An in-depth, phenomenological based interview method was used. Two interviews were conducted with each of the five superintendents in the study. The superintendent responses were then organized using the Saskatchewan Educational Indicators, which are context, process and outcome indicators. The major questions addressed in the study were: 1. What factors influenced the decision to implement a one-to-one computer initiative? 2. What are the results of implementing a one-to-one computer initiative? 3. What decision-making process do superintendents in Iowa use when …

Evaluating The Effects Of Increasing Mathematics Graduation Requirements: A Survey Of The Effects Of State Policy Change In Illinois, Corey Tafoya

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the summer of 2005, Illinois lawmakers made the decision to elevate the graduation standards for students, joining an increasing number of states who decided current requirements in their state were insufficient. This legislation affected aspects of English, science, and mathematics. The most significant change resulted in the increase of mathematics study from two years of mandatory study to three years in order to graduate. Any district that did not already require students to take three years had to decide how to react to this new requirement. This quantitative research study was designed to examine what effects this change had …

Understanding The Critical Role Of A Wetland In Maintaining The Ecosystem: A Case Study, Sushil Tuladhar

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beaver Valley Wetland in north-east Iowa was studied to determine its functionality in filtering incoming contaminants from the surrounding agricultural fields. The study was conducted from May through November of 2011. Altogether 78 water samples (from 13 sites), 84 soil samples (from 14 sites), and some sediment samples were collected for chemical analysis. Heavy metals in three different soil categories, such as surface, 6” deep, and sediments were found to be at or below the acceptable concentrations, indicating no immediate concern for metal toxicity in the wetland environment. The chemical tracers that were used to study the sub-surface flow regime …

Temporal Dynamics Of Nutrient Flux Across Hydrologic Unit Boundaries, Md. Aminul Haque

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study was done in Dry Run Creek watershed, a small sub-urban watershed in the northwestern part of Black Hawk County, Iowa. Different hydrologic units like, wetland, agricultural area, urban area, and stream channels were compared in terms of nutrient transport. Soil, surface water, and groundwater samples were collected from May, 2012 to October, 2012. Among the hydrologic units, agricultural land has the highest organic matter percentages, infiltration rate, soil nitrate, and total phosphorus. High infiltration rate and amount of nutrients in agricultural soil made those areas more vulnerable to vertical infiltration of pollutants. Agricultural and urban soils had similar …

Providing Academic Access To Individuals With Significant Disabilties [Sic], Lindsey Jill Frandsen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Academic access to the general education curriculum for individuals with significant disabilities poses many challenges for educators. With the implementation of the Essential Elements in the summer of 2013, educators will have a new instructional framework for providing access to their students. Within this thesis I have explored the challenges educators face in regards to facilitating academic access for students with significant support needs through the use of focus group interviews, and provide a literature review demonstrating where schools have been in regards to providing access, and where they are headed.

Language As A Social Reality: The Effects Of The Infantilization Of Women, Chelsae R. Huot

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The current study examined how people’s perceptions can be affected by various terms used to describe women. Participants from a Midwestern university read a script describing 26-year-old Erin either as a “woman,” a “girl,” or “person.” Participants then rated Erin on eighteen different traits (e.g., mature, forceful). They also completed an ambivalent sexism scale and answered three questions about their use and interpretations of the terms “girl” and “woman.” It was predicted that the participants in the “woman” condition would rate Erin as more mature, responsible, warm, understanding, and successful than the participants in the “girl” condition. Also, it was …

Einstein Metrics On Piecewise-Linear Three-Spheres, Kyle Pitzen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Einstein metrics on manifolds are in some ways the "best" or most symmetric metrics those manifolds will allow. There has been much work on these metrics in the realm of smooth manifolds, and many results have been published. These results are very difficult to compute directly, however, and so it is helpful to consider piecewise-linear approximations to those manifolds in order to more quickly compute and describe what these metrics actually look like. We will use discrete analogues to powerful preexisting tools to do analysis on two particular triangulations of the three dimensional sphere with the intent of finding Einstein …

An Investigation On How Operational Wind Turbines Are Used In Secondary Classrooms, James Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Through a review of literature, it was found that many schools in the United States are installing operational wind turbines, but it was unclear how teachers were using them in their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classrooms. In order to identify how these operational wind turbines were being used and to create a list of expectations for schools with operational wind turbines, this exploratory study surveyed STEM teachers from all across the United States. A stratified random sample was created using a U.S. Department of Energy database of schools with operational wind turbines. Administrators from the selected schools identified …

Comparing Sixth Grade Students' Creativity In Word Play To Spatial Construction With Integrated Academic Content Eliciting A Distal Or Proximal Perspective, Ksenia S. Zhbanova

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Pressing global problems require solutions from innovative ideas that depend upon educating a new generation to think creatively. The current study aimed at assisting 24 sixth grade students in a summer program develop their creativity skills in two different areas while integrating academic content. Student performance was examined for transfer of skills across domains and for support of Construal Level Theory, which holds that addressing topics distant in space, time, probability or experience leads to abstract thought supporting greater creativity.

The study was a counterbalanced, repeated measures, two-experimental condition study with students divided into two groups of 12 each. In …

School Wide Positive Behavioral And Intervention Supports : The Effectiveness Of Tier 1 Strategies, Gregory James Halsor

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This literature review critically examines the effectiveness of Tier 1 Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports (SWPBIS). Managing problem behavior in the school setting has been a major focus of educators, with the goal of lowering classroom disruptions and increasing the effectiveness of learning.

Over the years, school wide behavior management programs have not been consistent or widespread leading educators to identify disruptive behavior as a primary concern in their classrooms. SWPBIS emphasizes the integration of measurable outcomes, data-based decision making, and evidence based interventions. Research on the implementation of SWPBIS in schools has displayed positive effects related to decreasing the …

Fall Commencement [Program], December 15, 2012, 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.

University Of Northern Iowa Secondary Teacher Education Senate Meeting Agenda, December 13, 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Secondary Teacher Education Senate.

Documents - Secondary Senate

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