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Digit Ratios, Baron-Cohen's Reading The Minds In The Eyes And Dart-Throwing Task, Betul Zora

Honors Program Theses

There is evidence that high prenatal testosterone and the ratio of the index finger to the ring finger are correlated. There is also evidence that male-typical finger ratios correlate positively with male-typical tasks such as targeting and negatively correlated with female-typical tasks. This study examines the correlation between the digit ratio and the dart throwing task and also the digit ratio and Baron-Cohen’s Reading the Mind in the Eyes test. A different digit ratio, the ratio of the index finger and the ring finger to the pinky is also collected and correlated with both of the other tests. Sometime during …

Rational Decision-Making In The Face Of Uncertainty: An Experiment In Jeopardy!, Trevor Boeckmann

Honors Program Theses

This paper examines the quiz show "Jeopardy!." In the game, players accumulate points then wager them in a final round on a single question. My study finds an empirically-best wagering system for these players, then calculates the benefit of using this system through additional games that would be won with the correct bet. My regression model then finds the determinants of empirically-best (EB) betters. The results show players tend to act too aggressively. Half of non-first place players wager incorrectly and nearly 90% of those non- EB wagers are too large. The regression shows players are most likely to make …

No Child Left Behind: Advantages And Disadvantages, Kelly M. Rohlfsen

Graduate Research Papers

The No Child Left Behind Act is quickly approaching its deadline of 2014. With the expectation being 100% of students in the United States being proficient according to state guidelines, many people, including teachers, administrators and parents are questioning the reality of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and whether or not the Nation will meet the expectation set forth. This paper describes a select few advantages and disadvantages of the No Child Left Behind Act, and how those various aspects of the law impact teachers and students alike. In addition, this paper also describes the inconsistencies between states in how …

The Presence Of Gender Stereotypes In Children's Picture Book Illustrations, Jenahlee Chamberlain

Graduate Research Papers

Numerous studies have been conducted throughout the past several decades on the topic of gender stereotypes present in children's picture books. The purpose of this quantitative content analysis is to examine the portrayal of males and females and the representation of gender roles in children's picture book illustrations. This analysis of 43 children's picture books awarded the Caldecott Award or Caldecott Honor between 2001 and 2011 sought to determine whether or not 21st century award winning children's picture book illustrations portrayed gender stereotypes. Each title was analyzed using a content analysis form to test the three hypotheses for this study. …

Pce Groundwater Quality Assessment Of The University Of Northern Iowa Campus Area, Brian Gedlinske

Graduate Research Papers

Perchloroethylene (PCE), is a colorless, nonflammable, and relatively insoluble chlorinated solvent once widely used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing operations. Because of its past widespread use, poor solvent management practices, and environmental persistence, PCE is a common contaminant found in groundwater supplies. Potential health concerns include liver problems and increased cancer risk.

This research paper presents the findings of an effort to better characterize the spatial, temporal, and transport attributes of a PCE groundwater plume that exists within the Devonian aquifer underlying the University of Northern Iowa campus and the surrounding area in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Findings reveal the …

Using Novels In The Science Classroom, Hannah Llewellyn Haarhues

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Reading is a key factor in the success of students through their school years as well as their lives. With Americans reading less and falling behind in subjects as they progress through the school system, reading is the subject area that benefits all aspects of their schooling. Studies done from the 1990s on have shown successful reading programs improve standardized test scores of school age students. Trade books in place of textbooks had been explored, but only in middle school or younger. This study uses a survey to explore high school biology students' opinions on reading and science before and …

Barriers That Iowa High School Biology Teachers Face When Teaching Evolution In The Classroom, Joshua Michael Hanna

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

After decades of court cases, decided in favor of evolution being taught, legal decisions where the incorporation of teaching creationist ideas have been found unconstitutional, and recent strategies and attempts that would have teachers give "equal time" to creation-science ideas; there remains a disparity among Iowa's high school biology teachers when teaching evolutionary concepts in the classroom. Taking a look at what is being taught about evolution in Iowa classrooms, this study takes an in-depth look at what Iowa's biology teachers are teaching when educating their students about evolution, where emphasis is being placed and who is putting the most …

A Comparison Of Face-To-Face And Online Instructional Delivery Methods In Large-Group Settings In A University Undergraduate Wellness Course, Lea Ann Shaddox

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Utilization of online delivery of the lecture component in an undergraduate wellness course is unique and undocumented in research. Wellness courses are traditionally taught with face-to-face lectures plus an activity component. This discipline is distinctive in terms of its activity components that are not conducted online.

The purpose of this study was to investigate two large group face-to-face and online courses to determine if the students enrolled were demographically equivalent and if there were differences in academic achievement in terms of final course grades and between subgroups of students. For the fall 2006 and spring 2007 semesters, 1,814 students were …

The Use Of Visuals In Health Education, Ying Yan Vigenia Njoo-Lau

Graduate Research Papers

America has a very complex health care system. It is often required a welleducated individual "to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" (Nielsen-Bohlman, 2004). It is also required multiple skills, like reading, writing, listening, speaking, mathematic, and decision-making (Safeer & Keenan, 2005).

90 million American adults have limited health literacy to navigate of the health care system in the United States. People with limited health literacy have trouble communicating with their health care providers, understand and adherence of medical information, medical usage. $73 billion health care cost was estimated in 1998 …

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Growing Minds: Planting A Lasting Seed Using The Learning Cycle, Jennifer Nicole Prindle, Lori Marie Ihrig

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This article highlights modifying a common early elementary activity to move instruction beyond isolated activities into a full unit of instruction using the learning cycle. The unit is designed to tackle students' misconceptions and deepen their understanding of scientific inquiry and the growing requirements of plants. This activity promotes National Science Education Standards A and C, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Hot Conceptual Change - You’Ve Got To Have Faith, Jerrid Kruse, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In the last editorial (Kruse and Clough, 2010), we addressed some common concerns educators raise when considering inquiry-based instruction. Addressing such concerns is of utmost importance to address the plausibility, intelligibility and fruitfulness of inquiry-based teaching. Unfortunately, such issues are not all that affect willingness to enact inquiry-based teaching. More personal and contextual factors also play a part in all learning, including learning how to teach more effectively.

Learning Under Pressure: Teaching Boyle’S Law Through Inquiry, Meagan Woestman, Adam Kent

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Boyle’s law is commonly addressed in chemistry and physical science textbooks, but rarely in a manner consistent with what we know best promotes learning (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000). We present the standard syringe activity as an exploratory inquiry experience followed by a more formal development of the relationship. The activity starts and concludes by having students examine how the volume of a crushed pop bottle changes in a vacuum. Through iterative concrete experiences and guided discussions, students construct Boyle’s law to account for the class data. This article address National Science Education Standards A, B, E, G, and Iowa …

What’S My Motivation? Ideas For Rethinking Student Assessment, Jerrid Kruse

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Three of the articles in this issue of the Iowa Science Teachers Journal address assessment in the science classroom. Jesse Wilcox and Frank Noschese each discuss standards-based grading (SBG). Frank provides examples of his approach to SBG in his physics classes and makes a strong case for SBG while Jesse adds detail by sharing the frameworks he uses to inform and implement his SBG practices. Joe Bower goes a bit further by encouraging readers to consider why we assign grades at all. Each of the articles raises important, and related, points about the connection between assessment and motivation.

A Better Road: Improve Teaching And Student Morale Through Standards-Based Grading, Frank Noschese

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This article explores the benefits of using a standards-based grading system. Examples of how such a system is used in a high school physics course are also provided.

Holding Ourselves To A Higher Standard: Using Standards-Based Grading In Science As A Means To Improve Teaching And Learning, Jesse Wilcox

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Standards-based grading (SBG) has grown in popularity over the past few years. However, many teachers wonder why they should switch from a traditional grading system. This article explores how standards-based grading can more accurately reflect what students learn and encourage changes in students’ attitude toward learning in the process. This article promotes Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2010/2011, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Full-time Equivalency Enrollment
--- Degrees Granted
--- Degree Summary
--- Program Certificates
--- Pupils in Price Laboratory School
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree Objective, and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Providing Preservice Teachers With Worthwhile Field-Based Experiences In Mathematics, Glenn Nelson

Faculty Work

Providing preservice teachers with worthwhile field-based experiences is recognized as an important component in their development as good teachers. Because mathematics instruction in general has moved from a teacher-directed, procedurally-focused process to a more student-centered, conceptually-oriented approach, preservice mathematics education classes – especially methods courses - should reflect this shift as well. Field-based opportunities can be instances for preservice teachers to personally experience such a shift to real-world relevance.

Variables Affecting Crime Rate, Jaime Zeigler

Honors Program Theses

The Federal Bureau of Investigation releases data about crime statistics. They publish the raw data and provide factors that influence the crime rate. They provide the general public with a few variables that they deemed most influential, but do not provide the statistical analysis to support. After performing a statistical analysis, I support or disprove their claims. Another way to question the validity of regression is comparing the current regression to a previous regression performed two years ago by myself with the same variables from the same source. An additional aspect that this paper explores the history of factors affecting …

A Different Kind Of Garden: Seeding The Growth Of Tas2 Nanostructures With 3d Transition Metals, Kayla Rose Boyle

Honors Program Theses

An investigation into the synthesis of TaS₂ nanostructures was performed through the comparison of four growth methods. Each method utilized a 3d metal, Mn or Cr, or a comparable metal sulfide compound as a potential nucleating compound to seed the growth of these nanostructures, and all samples were produced using similar heating conditions. Sample imaging of the final products was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the chemical compositions were determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). From these analyses it was determined that the most effective growth process for these TaS2 nanostructures resulted …

Exploring Literacy Across The Curriculum: Writing In The Mathematics Classroom, Sarah E. Heddinger

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my Honors thesis is to find evidence that writing in mathematics benefits both students and teachers. To research this claim, I viewed how writing takes place in mathematics within a specific elementary classroom. I hoped to view mathematics lessons in which literacy, specifically writing, was involved as an integral part of every lesson.

Designing For The User: Exploring The Interface Design Of Web Services, Katelyn Anne Haw

Honors Program Theses

My thesis investigated the ideas of usability and the design process to create software that is considered usable. I developed a web interface for a Plan of Study Application that would help students make the educated decisions about their studies at UNI. Throughout the development of this application I addressed the following questions: "What makes an interface usable?" and "How does the design process affect a system's usability?" User interface design is an interdisciplinary process and it often involves computer programmers and graphic designers working together. Without clear communication and vision between the groups, the software being developed has little …

The Update, January/February 2011, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue:

-- Popular NPR Show, From the Top, to tape a broadcast at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
-- Department News
-- 2010-11 CHFA Major Grants Announced
-- Anderson Summer Geology Field Camp Fund
-- Marks of Process, a UNI Department of Art Alumni Exhibition
-- UNI Interpreters Theatre
-- University of Northern Iowa School of Music Concert Chorale
-- Center of Advanced Bio-Based Binders
-- Student Spotlight: Art: Alex Petersen
-- Student Spotlight: Biology: Benjamin Wohlers
-- WCF Symphony & School of Music Events
-- First Lego League
-- Sigma Gamma Epsilon
-- Forum: a Student Organization …

Human Values And The Importance Of Money, Sara Lucia Estrada Villalta

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research has shown that there is relationship between money and an orientation toward self-interest, both at the individual and country-level. However, the causal relationship between these constructs is not fully understood. Based on Schwartz's theory of human values, which distinguishes between self-oriented and socially-oriented values, this study explored whether values have a causal influence on the importance people place on money. Four different sets of values were primed using a scrambled-sentences task to test their effects on the importance participants ascribed to money. Importance of money was measured in three ways: desire for money, relative importance of financial goals, and …

An Analysis Of Managing Waste And Decreasing Lead Time In A Medium Sized Manufacturing Company, Tahir Murgic

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The importance of managing waste and reducing lead time in manufacturing cannot be denied. This study provides knowledge about both topics in a medium sized manufacturing company. The methodology that is used in this research is mixed methodology. Interviews were done with managers, and they were analyzed qualitatively. The next part is the quantitative research part that is done by asking employees via questionnaire. This study provided the close concepts of JIT (Just in Time) and waste management. Management must be committed to change, to train everyone to the new culture, to ensure that the organization's culture fosters employee participation, …

Management Of Wind Power Generation With The Attachment Of Wind Tunnel, Ulan Dakeev

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study presents a new approach in which a wind tunnel apparatus is used to identify the efficiency of power output by a wind turbine with a 400W rating. Moreover, the study addresses a significant issue concerning the turbulence formed by a natural wind which can be eliminated or reduced with the use of the proposed wind tunnel. Wind power characteristics that indicate power output versus wind velocity are obtained by performing a number of case studies. The case studies include normal operation of the experimental wind turbine at variable wind velocity values with and without proposed wind tunnel. A …

Graduate Recital In Voice, Isaac D. Droscha

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

On Tuesday, March 22, 2011, Isaac Droscha, baritone, presented a recital in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree. The recital totaled approximately fifty-five minutes in length. The first half featured Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder (1904), containing five songs to poetry of Friedrich Rückert. Following a brief intermission, the recital continued with two song sets; the first set contained five songs by Sergei Rachmaninoff from Ops. 4, 14, and 26; the second set was George Butterworth's Bredon Hill and Other Songs, containing five songs (1912). All the works were chosen to show a variety of perspectives on the theme of …

Multi-Generational Communications: A Research Study Of Communication Between Generations, Kristin Teig Torres

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the study is to conduct a comprehensive literature review examining how different generations communicate. Additionally, the study explores what types of management or leadership styles work best for the various generations. Overall, the study is intended to provide guidance for communication management and leadership strategies as they relate to the author's role as the Alumni Relations Coordinator for Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa.

The Effects Of Aerobic Physical Fitness And Daily Physical Activity On Cognitive Testing In Preadolescent Children, Bennett L. Smith

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of physical activity and physical fitness level on academic performance.

National Board Of Professional Teaching Standards Certification Portfolio Option, Tracy Lynn Bell Maxted

Graduate Research Papers

The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an independent organization that encourages teachers to voluntarily examine and reflect on their teaching. Twelve teaching standards are used for the evaluation. For Adolescence and Young Adulthood Science the standards are to show teachers:

■ Understand Students;

■ Understand Science;

■ Understand Science Teaching;

■ Engage the Science Learner;

■ Sustain a Learning Environment;

■ Promote Diversity, Equity & Fairness;

■ Foster Science Inquiry;

■ Make connections in Science;

■ Assess for Results;

■ Reflect on Teaching and Learning;

■ Develop Collegiality & Leadership; and

■ Connect with Families & Community.