Digital Commons Network^™

Gem: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

GEM houses the results of research conducted by the Global Entrepreneurship Research Association (GERA) on the level of entrepreneurship around the world. This research, which involves annual surveys and interviews, was initiated in 1999 by Babson College and the London Business School. Data are collected and harmonized by GERA staff. The project started with 10 participating countries and has expanded to include more than 69 countries.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was launched in 2011 by Congress through the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The CFPB site, available in English and Spanish, is updated daily and provides information about a wide range of financial products and services, including paying for college, foreclosure prevention, loan discrimination, credit reporting and scores, credit card agreements, and mortgage disclosures.

Comparison Of Classification Rates Among Logistic Regression, Neural Network And Support Vector Machines In The Presence Of Missing Data, Sudhi Upadhyaya

Statistics

Statistical models such as Logistic Regression (LR), Neural Network (NN) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) often use datasets with missing values while making inferences regarding the population. When inferences are made based on the data set used, the presence of missing data can severely skew the results and distort the efficiency of the model. Our objective was to identify a robust model among LR, NN, SVM in the presence of missing data. The study was conducted by simulating observations based on Monte Carlo methods and missing data was introduced randomly at 10% level. Single mode imputation was used to impute …

T-Optimal Designs For Model Discrimination In Probit Models, Yue Ming

Statistics

When dose-response functions have a downturn, one interesting feature to study is the significance of the downturn. The interesting feature can be studied using model discrimination between two rival models (model describing dose-response functions with a downturn versus model describing only increasing part of the response functions). In this article, we study T-optimal designs that can best discriminate between these two rival models. Three different sets of model parameter values are considered to demonstrate various shapes of dose-response functions. Under the different sets of the parameter values, the T-optimal designs are obtained, and their performances are compared to two other …

Rearing Children In Love And Righteousness: Latitude, Limits, And Love, Craig H. Hart

Faculty Publications

The First Presidency (1999) counsels parents to “devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church,” and further states that “no other instrumentality can take [the home’s] place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.” The proclamation on the family supports parents in magnifying their divinely designed responsibilities in the Father’s great plan of happiness (see Alma 42:8) by specifically identifying the principles that ultimately will make the most difference in their efforts.

Heavy Vehicle Impact On Rural Two Lane Highway Segments Operating Under Various Levels Of Service Conditions, Zijian Zheng

Transportation Logistics and Finance

Oil boom in Western North Dakota State brings increasing number of oil trucks. The distinct characteristics of heavy vehicles such as oil trucks: low speed, large size, and slow accelerate and decelerate results in inaccuracy in traffic capacity forecasting and safety analysis. In this research, to calculate passenger car equivalent (PCE) factor of heavy vehicles, such as oil trucks, on two-lane rural highway, an improved analytical method based on headway and delay is introduced. It considers several elements that have effect on PCE factor: vehicle speed, safety passing time, headway distribution, level of service (LOS), and delay to downstream traffic. …

Blended Learning In Higher Education: Institutional Adoption And Implementation, Wendy W. Porter, Charles R. Graham, Kristian A. Spring, Kyle R. Welch

Faculty Publications

Relatively little of the current research on blended learning (BL) addresses institutional adoption issues. Additional research is needed to guide institutions of higher education in strategically adopting and implementing blended learning on campus. The authors conducted a prior study in which they proposed a framework for institutional BL adoption (Graham, Woodfield, & Harrison, 2012), identifying three stages: (1) awareness/exploration, (2) adoption/early implementation, and (3) mature implementation/ growth. The framework also identified key strategy, structure, and support issues universities may address at each stage. The current study applies this adoption framework to 11 U. S. institutions participating in a Next Generation …

The Nature Of Teacher Engagement At An Online High School, Jered Borup, Charles R. Graham, Jeffrey S. Drysdale

Faculty Publications

Little research has examined the critical components of successful K-12 online schools, due in part to the theoretical focus of current frameworks on higher education rather than characteristics of K-12 online learners and environments. Using K-12 online research, this paper examined teaching presence as explained by the Community of Inquiry framework and identified additional teacher roles that needed stronger emphasis. We termed the new construct teacher engagement. Teacher engagement was shown to be helpful in describing and identifying effective teacher practices at the Open High School of Utah (OHSU), a successful online charter school. Through a series of 22 interviews …

An Online High School “Shepherding” Program: Teacher Roles And Experiences Mentoring Online Students, Jeffrey S. Drysdale, Charles R. Graham, Jered Borup

Faculty Publications

Several online programs use on-site facilitators to create a stronger sense of community and reduce student dropout. However, little research addresses how programs that are fully online can provide their students with comparable support. This case study analyzed a “shepherding program” at Mountain Heights Academy, a fully online high school. We found that the shepherding program enabled fully online teachers to provide their students with many of the services typical of on-site facilitators. The roles of the shepherding program included building caring relationships, facilitating content interaction, and providing students with the communication links they needed to be successful. In addition, …

Pick Up Sticks Art Teacher - Interconnectedness And Fragility: Pedagogy As An Artistic Encounter, Mark Graham

Faculty Publications

I am interested in the dilemma thatK–12 art teachers often bring up when we talk about art and teaching; the struggle to maintain their artistic identity. School is seen as a sometimes rewarding but generally time-consuming detour from the art studio.They try to keep the artist alive by making art “on the side” or in the margins of their teaching responsibilities. The conflict between teacher and artist is also apparent in the education of college art students, where the ultimate “prize” is to get the MFA and then eventually to be anointed a college teacher. The aspiration to become a …

Teaching With Art21 And Contemporary Artists: Mark Bradford And The Use Of Improvisation, Layering, And Text, Mark Graham, Jessica Hamlin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Critical Examination Of Couple Leisure And The Application Of The Core And Balance Model, Peter J. Ward, Keith W. Barney, Neil R. Lundberg, Ramon Zabriskie

Faculty Publications

This study further clarified the relationship between couple leisure involvement, couple leisure satisfaction, and marital satisfaction through examining the core and balance framework as it has been applied to the relationship between couple leisure and marital satisfaction. The sample consisted of 1,187 couples across the United States (N = 2,374). SEM analyses supported previous findings, indicating satisfaction with couple leisure involvement was far more important when predicting marital satisfaction than the amount of leisure involvement. Furthermore, while core marital leisure satisfaction was the driving force in the explanation of variance in marital satisfaction, findings suggested before that can happen there …

Housing Regulation, Externalities And Residential Property Prices, Henry J. Munneke, C. F. Sirmans, Barrett A. Slade, Geoffrey K. Turnbull

Faculty Publications

This article examines the effects of quantity restrictions on residential property prices in the presence of neighborhood externalities. A Brigham Young University policy limiting students’ location choices provides a natural experiment for studying the externality and quantity restriction effects on property values. A flexible hedonic model is used to control for nonstudent population spatial sorting by type. The estimates show significant positive quantity restriction and student agglomeration effects on student housing prices. There are also significant differences in the negative student externality across nonstudent neighborhoods, with the quantity restriction reinforcing (offsetting) the student price premium (discount) at the boundary.

Exploring Configurations Of Affordances: The Case Of Software Development, Aron Lindberg, James Gaskin, Nicholas Berente, Kalle Lyytinen

Faculty Publications

Affordances have been increasingly used in the information systems literature to account for the usage and effects of information technology. However, a review of the literature shows that the construct has remained nebulously defined, rarely used in anything but singular forms and with little consideration of context. This has resulted in a lack of cumulative research on affordances. We propose that affordances need to be considered not only individually, but also as configurations of multiple affordances. Through a sociomaterial sequence analysis of two software development teams – one waterfall and one agile - we build a framework for the study …

The Look Of Classic Young Adult Literature, Alan Brown, Joan Mitchell, Chris Crowe

Faculty Publications

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of ALAN, it seems only appropriate to celebrate the significant contributions of authors who have blazed a trail for the field of young adult literature (YAL) with poignant, raw depictions of the world of adolescents. This trail has evolved over the past 40 years into a multi-lane interstate, crossing borders into current social issues, accelerating to adapt to new technologies, and merging with other genres. While the future of YAL appears limitless, a tribute to these great authors speaks to the unique and powerful attributes that have propelled this field into scholarly debates concerning its …

A Silence That Wants To Be Heard: Suburban Korean American Students In Dialogue With Invisibility, Dawan Coombs, Hye-Young Park, Bob Fecho

Faculty Publications

Korean American students experience invisibility and silence as their culture and presence remain outwardly invisible in the mainstream culture of US high schools. This is further exacerbated by the silent response of the dominant population of the school towards these issues. Yet, to an extent, Korean American students find a sense of comfort within that invisibility; less visibility allows more silence and thus more privacy. This qualitative in-depth interview study focuses on developing understandings of Korean American students’ perceptions and negotiations of education in suburban American schools, specifically through the perceptions of two Korean American female students. When viewed through …

Development Of An Algorithm For Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, Nichole Roller

Nursing

Childhood obesity has become a national epidemic and children are diagnosed with co-morbidities once only associated with adults. Despite current interventions, children continue to exude poor diet and physical activity outcomes. The final project is an adolescent weight management algorithm to include bariatric surgery for select adolescents who meet the criteria. The algorithm developed was in congruence with a regional healthcare facility mission and goals. A literature review was conducted by searching databases EBSCO, CINAHL, Bing, Google Scholar and Academic Search Premier. The algorithm was developed by reviewing current literature and evidence on adolescent bariatric surgery. Experts in the field …

Maternal Breastfeeding Satisfaction: Attendance Or Non-Attendance At A Nurse-Led Breastfeeding Support Group, Collette Christoffers

Nursing

The benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and infants are well documented in the literature. This study compared maternal breastfeeding satisfaction between mothers who attended a nurse-led breastfeeding support group (n=27) and mothers who did not attend the group (n=26). No statistical difference in maternal satisfaction was identified between the groups of mothers. While the sample size was small, qualitative data collection indicated mothers who attended the group may not have had as high of breastfeeding satisfaction scores if the support group was not available for them to attend. Breastfeeding mothers indicated their husband/significant other was their primary source of support …

Development Of Interprofessional Education Modules For Implementation Into The Doctor Of Nursing Practice Curriculum, Ashley Grace Huot

Nursing

In today’s health care system, professionals must work together to achieve a common goal of improving patient care. Studies have shown that patients and families report lack of care coordination that result in repeat tests and procedures, unnecessary hospitalizations and difficult transitions from hospitals to home (Reinhard & Hassmiller, 2010). Interprofessional education (IPE) is an important approach for preparing health professional students to provide care that is patient centered and based in a collaborative team environment. Interprofessional education “occurs when two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes” (World …

3rd Place Research Paper: The Descent Unseen: Greece’S Unappreciated Place In British Political History, Kenneth Schneider

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

For hundreds of years, Great Britain possessed an empire and military that gave it an almost unrivaled power in international politics. However, as World War II drew to a close, it became increasingly evident that Great Britain no longer possessed the power it once had. In Greece, communist protest, and eventually insurrection, began as a result of disagreements in regards to the place of King George II of Greece and the future of free elections in the country after the departure of the German forces. “The Descent Unseen: Greece’s Unappreciated Place in British Political History” examines the time from outbreak …

2nd Place Research Paper: Effects Of Cognitive Interventions On The Cognition Of Patients Diagnosed With Dementia, Kiersten Kelly

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

The aim of this literature review was to test the hypothesis: If a patient diagnosed with dementia participates in a cognitive intervention, then they will develop fewer cognitive deficits than a patient diagnosed with dementia who does not participate in a cognitive intervention.

Recent literature was systematically searched using several databases. A total of 20 empirical articles were included in this review. Inclusion criteria consisted of a diagnosis of dementia for each participating patient. Each study includes an experimental group of patients who participated in a cognitive intervention and a control group of patients who did not participate in a …

Linguistic Behavior And Religious Activity, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, David Bowie

Faculty Publications

Studies have found that Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah exhibit significant linguistic differences. We break this down further by investigating whether there are also differences between Mormons who actively participate in the religion and those who do not, and find significant differences with a medium or larger effect size between the groups for multiple variables. We conclude that when investigating the linguistic correlates of religious affiliation in a community, it is vital to elicit not just respondents’ religious affiliations, but also their level of participation within that religion.

Sensitivity Analysis Of Wind Plant Performance To Key Turbine Design Parameters: A Systems Engineering Approach, Katherine Dykes, Andrew Ning, Ryan King, Peter Graf, George Scott, Paul Veers

Faculty Publications

This paper introduces the development of a new software framework for research, design, and development of wind energy systems which is meant to 1) represent a full wind plant including all physical and nonphysical assets and associated costs up to the point of grid interconnection, 2) allow use of interchangeable models of varying fidelity for different aspects of the system, and 3) support system level multidisciplinary analyses and optimizations. This paper describes the design of the overall software capability and applies it to a global sensitivity analysis of wind turbine and plant performance and cost. The analysis was performed using …

Selling The System, Andrew Herzog

Landscape Architecture Theses

No abstract provided.

Healing Heights, Bailey Krause

Landscape Architecture Theses

This thesis examines reasons why the Children’s Hospital Minneapolis campus is a location that benefits from a therapeutic green roof. Healing Heights will bring meaning and life to an otherwise conventional roof that is advantageous for people and the environment. Researching critical factors that influence green infrastructure help determine elements that are included in the design to improve the users’ mental and physical health, as well as the building’s environmental impacts. Looking at urban healing gardens, there is a list of criteria that need to be met to design a properly constructed vegetated roof.

A Study Of The Effect The Flipped Classroom Model On Student Self-Efficacy, Donald Christian Kenna

Education

The learning model known as the flipped classroom is one of the developing ideas of educating students. Bergmann and Sams (2012) using a flipped classroom in 2007 when they recorded lecture for students to view at home and allowing students to work on “homework” in the classroom. This research was conducted to identify the effect of the flipped classroom on student self-efficacy and the difference in self-efficacy between genders using this model. This study was conducted with 22 physics students in two classes, a traditional and a flipped classroom. The student’s self-efficacy was scored with the Self-Efficacy Survey. The results …

Examination Of The Psychometric Properties Of An Instrument Measuring Treatment Fidelity Of Offenders Participating In Moral Reconation Therapy, Irene Frances Harper

Education

The availability of quality treatment assessments for offender correctional programs in the United States is limited (Polaschek & Ross, 2010; Singh, Grann & Fazel, 2011). Therefore, a greater focus on the evaluation of assessment is needed to meet the criminogenic needs of offenders completing probation (Bourgon, Bonta, Rugge, Scott, & Yessine, 2010; Cullen & Gilbert, 2013). The researcher’s objective in this quantitative study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Moral Reconation Therapy Group Member Evaluation (MRT GME), an instrument designed to measure the fidelity of Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) treatment for offenders on probation. The validity, evidence, and …

Looking Forward Through The Past. Identification Of Fifty Priority Research Questions In Palaeoecology., A Seddon, A Mackay, A Baker, Et Al

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed …

The Flipped Classroom: Shakespeare In The English Classroom, Anna Lynn Gross

Education

Bergmann and Sams’ twenty-first century flipped classroom method was reviewed in depth to determine its effectiveness in improving student achievement and enjoyment of studying Hamlet by William Shakespeare, a text that is difficult to both read and comprehend. The flipped method was implemented into one of two 12th grade general English classes in rural Minnesota. The first section of 12th grade general English read the play aloud using the traditional read-aloud method and completed an in-depth passage analysis chart for homework. The second section, the intervention group, used the flipped method and read the play on their own with accompanying …

Perceived Stress, Coping And Eating Behaviours In Maltese Adolescents: Developing An Effective Online Intervention, Daniela Cassola

School of Health Professions Theses

Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in Maltese adolescents are amongst the highest in the world. Stress-induced eating and dysfunctional coping skills have been linked to overeating and obesity. This study was undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 examined the relationship between perceived stress, coping and eating behaviours in Maltese adolescents and devised a model to guide the development of an effective Internet-based intervention. Based on the findings, Phase 2 developed ACES – a novel online intervention for the reduction of perceived stress and emotional eating in Maltese adolescents – and assessed its feasibility. In Phase 1, cross-sectional data were …