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Moving Forward With Music To Promote Student Growth: A Mixed Methods Study With 9th-Grade Algebra 1 Students, Willie Mae Dean

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate what effect music had on student achievement and student behavior during independent practice time for 9th-grade Algebra 1 students. Benchmark assessments from the participating district, a focus group of six students, and four in-person teacher interviews provided the data for this study. The beginning-of-year Galileo Algebra 1 benchmark assessment was used as a baseline for the study. Algebra 1 teachers were asked to participate in one of three ways, to play teacher-selected music, to allow students to listen to their own music, or allow no music to be played during …

Inclusivity In Introductory Stem Courses: A Guide To Improving Student (And Instructor!) Mindsets, Lou K. Charkoudian, Carla Fröhlich, Mike Hildreth

Books

Inclusivity in Introductory STEM Courses: A Guide to Improving Student (and Instructor!) Mindsets grew out of a Cottrell Scholar Collaborative project to help create more inclusive STEM learning spaces, in collaboration with FLAMENet, a national network of science faculty, psychologists, and education researchers working to develop and research interventions to promote resilience and tenacity among college-level STEM students. The book is a compilation of the specific approaches discussed in project mini-workshops, as well as a collection of contributions from individual Cottrell Scholars about various interventions they have implemented at their institutions.

Measuring Resilience To Sea-Level Rise For Critical Infrastructure Systems: Leveraging Leading Indicators, Lamis Amer, Murat Erkoc, Rusty A. Feagin, Sabarethinam Kameshwar, Katharine J. Mach, Diana Mitsova

Faculty Publications

There has been a growing interest in research on how to define and build indicators of resilience to address challenges associated with sea-level rise. Most of the proposed methods rely on lagging indicators constructed based on the historical performance of an infrastructure sub-system. These indicators are traditionally utilized to build curves that describe the past response of the sub-system to stressors; these curves are then used to predict the future resilience of the sub-system to hypothesized events. However, there is now a growing concern that this approach cannot provide the best insights for adaptive decision-making across the broader context of …

High Performance Scene Generator For Testing Of Imaging Sensors, Austin Modoff

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Since the invention of modern solid-state imaging sensors in the 1980s, considerable advancements have been made, improving aspects such as frequency response, dynamic range, resolution, and wavelength diversity, as well as inventing many different types of sensor architectures such as framing sensors and event sensors. While considerable improvements in this field are evolving every day, the methods by which to test and validate these systems remain unchanged. Many of these test platforms require specialized designs to test only one or two specific qualities. For example, a spinning disk in front of a black body source to measure the frequency response …

Intervention Playbook For Homeschool Families, Rebecca Huisman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The growing trend of homeschooling has led to the rise of independent charter schools in California by providing families with the flexibility to tailor their children's education while aligning with state standards. This school improvement plan focuses on assisting educators at Blue Ridge Academy, an indepedent charter school in Los Angleles, California, by providing a toolkit of interventions to help homeschooled students achieve grade-level proficiency in language arts and mathematics. The intervention playbook, developed by using evidence-based research and action studies, simplifies interventions in ELA and math for early and upper elementary students. The aim of the playbook is to …

Incorporating Social-Emotional Learning Into Middle School Classrooms, Jessica Wolles

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This article is how the implementation of social-emotional learning in a middle school can improve behavior, academics, mental health, and social awareness amongst adolescents. This paper examines research from twenty research articles to communicate the need for social-emotional learning to be implemented in a middle school. This article outlines the school improvement plan for implementing a social-emotional learning curriculum.

Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports And Student Behavior, Taylor Ahlers

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

In response to a growing number of behavior incidents and an overall increase in negative behavior, this school improvement plan has been developed in an effort to help support students, decrease negative student behavior, and create a positive school atmosphere. This school improvement plan has been developed based on an extensive literature review, current Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) interventions, and a district needs assessment. This school improvement plan consists of the development of a PBIS leadership team, professional development training sessions, weekly and bi-weekly meetings to assess data, and weekly school-wide assemblies to celebrate positive student behavior. This …

Improving Instruction, Social-Emotional Behavioral Health, And Attendance, Angela Keeney

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) requires all schools to ensure that all students are receiving a quality education. Multiple measures are used to evaluate the quality of instruction students receive. The Iowa Department of Education assigns a rating to a school based on students’ assessment scores, which measure students’ reading, math, science, and social studies proficiencies. Schools also receive percentages for components of a Conditions of Learning survey. Based on assessment data scores, Blue Grass Elementary score received a commendable rating. However, improvements can be made to improve instruction using differentiated instruction by implementing a multi-tiered system of support and …

Improving Math Fact Fluency In Students, Hilary Sprague

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Developing a solid math foundation is crucial for all students to ensure success. One of the foundational skills that students need to develop is the ability to find, recall and answer basic math facts accurately and effortlessly. Research has shown that students need to master their basic math facts to be successful in their math progression. Tier 2 interventions, educational math games, and computer-based math games were used to instruct, provide practice, and supplement core math instruction. The purpose of this school improvement project is to increase the proficiency scores of students with their basic math fact fluency. This school …

Multi-Tiered System Of Supports For Homeschool Families In A Home School Assistance Progra, Stacy Picard

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Systematic, explicit reading instruction including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension has been shown to be effective at teaching nearly all children to read. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework is used in schools for identifying students who need supplemental instruction and ascertaining their areas of weakness. It is also used for monitoring the progress of students and facilitating ongoing instructional decisions. Homeschool families typically do not have access to scholarly research about effective reading instruction or to tools for determining if their children are making adequate progress or if a change in instruction is needed. The Knoxville …

Effects Of Parental Involvement On Academics, Jessica Stamer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

A child needs their parents to be involved in their educational experience to support social emotional growth and academic growth during the developmental years of their life. It is no surprise that there are many issues that come from little parental involvement. In order to have the optimal parental involvement, educators must encourage involvement through a variety of ways based on the needs to the families in their classroom. Districts must have set plans, support, and encouragement for staff in place to ensure this goal is being met.

Dong Qing Fang’S Musical Depiction Of Lin Chong: An Analysis Of Chinese Traditional Music Elements In His Cello Composition Of 2009, Congcong Bi

Doctoral Projects

Dong Qing Fang (b. 1981) is a prolific composer of cello music. His contribution includes twenty compositions, many of which have been performed around the world.[1] While Fang is the most famous composer in China as well as a leading figure of recent music, his compositions have not been recognized world-wide. This project focuses on his representative cello composition Lin Chong (2009). Lin Chong is a significant character in Chinese literature, known for his role in the classic novel, Water Margin (1524). Fang's musical portrayal of Lin Chong's life incorporates elements of Chinese traditional music.

The methodology for this …

Improving Discipline Practices With Restorative Justice: A School Improvement Project, Ryan Schultz

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research indicates that punitive discipline practices, such as zero-tolerance policies and exclusionary approaches, have shown limited effectiveness and create potential harm in schools. In contrast, school discipline and culture based on restorative practices have shown great promise as an alternative. This school improvement project seeks to promote a change from a punitive, exclusionary discipline system to a research-based system rooted in restorative methods in a suburban public school district in the Midwest. The goal was to integrate restorative practices with a district's existing MTSS framework, emphasizing positive alternatives to exclusionary punishments, equity prioritization, and healthy relationships. By educating staff, students, …

Flammability Properties Of The Pyrolysis Gas Generated From Willow Wood, Maria Mitu, Domnina Razus, Dorin Boldor, Cosmin Marculescu

Faculty Publications

Willow wood presents a real interest for biomass pyrolysis due to its fast growth, renewability, and high energy density. Following the pyrolysis of willow wood in an inert atmosphere, a multi-fuel gaseous mixture was obtained, with the following composition (by volume): 38.20% CO/21.87% H2/17.44% CH4/1.15% O2/17.15% CO2/4.19% N2. The propagation of laminar premixed flames in these multifuel mixtures with air was investigated numerically for initial temperatures from 298 to 500 K, initial pressures from 1 to 20 bar, and fuel equivalence ratios between 0.60 and 2.00. The combustion of these gaseous mixtures as free laminar premixed flames was simulated by …

Legislative Brief, What Is Career And Technical Education In Tennessee?, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Office of Research and Education Accountability

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Proportional Remittances On The Macroeconomy: Analysis From An Overlapping Generations Model For The Philippines, John Paolo Rivera

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The discourse on micro-foundations linking microeconomic and macroeconomic principles to establish relationships in macroeconomic models have been increasing, one of which is through an Overlapping Generations Model. From its standard form, it has been extended to incorporate migration and remittances. We contribute to the discussion by introducing proportional remittances in the model and trace its effects on the trajectory of aggregate income, consumption, capital stock, and factor prices. Calibration results showed that increases in proportional remittances induce higher aggregate income, consumption, and capital accumulation paths, albeit varying degrees with respect to the elasticity of substitution between current and future consumption. …

Freestanding Graphene Heat Engine Analyzed Using Stochastic Thermodynamics, J. Durbin, J. M. Mangum, M. N. Gikunda, F. Harerimana, P. Kumar, L. L. Bonilla, P. M. Thibado

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present an Ito-Langevin model for freestanding graphene connected to an electrical circuit. The graphene is treated as a Brownian particle in a double-well potential and is adjacent to a fixed electrode to form a variable capacitor. The capacitor is connected in series with a battery and a load resistor. The capacitor and resistor are given separate thermal reservoirs. We have solved the coupled Ito-Langevin equations for a broad range of temperature differences between the two reservoirs. Using ensemble averages, we report the rate of change in energy, heat, and work using stochastic thermodynamics. When the resistor is held at …

The Large Deficit Of Hmxb Emission From Luminous Infrared Galaxies: The Case Of The Circumnuclear Starburst Ring In Ngc 7552, Lacey West, Kristen Garofali, Bret D. Lehmer, Andrea Prestwich, Rafael Eufrasio, Wasutep Luangtip, Timothy P. Roberts, Andreas Zezas

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), the most extreme star-forming galaxies in the nearby (D < 30 Mpc) universe, show a notable X-ray emission deficiency (up to a factor of ∼10) compared with predictions from scaling relations of galaxy-wide high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) luminosity with star formation rate. In the nearby (≈20 Mpc) LIRG NGC 7552, the majority of the IR emission originates in a circumnuclear starburst ring, which has been resolved into several discrete knots of star formation. We present results from recent Chandra observations of NGC 7552, which reveal significant deficits in the 2–7 keV X-ray luminosities from two of the most powerful star-forming knots. We hypothesize that the expected luminous HMXB populations in these knots are either (1) obscured by very large column densities or (2) suppressed due to the knots having relatively high metallicity and/or very young ages (≲5 Myr). We distinguish between these possibilities using data from recent NuSTAR observations, whose sensitivity above 10 keV is capable of uncovering heavily obscured HMXB populations, since emission at these energies is more immune to absorption effects. We find no evidence of a heavily obscured HMXB population in the central region of NGC 7552, suggesting suppressed HMXB formation. We further show that metallicity-dependent scaling relations cannot fully account for the observed deficit from the most powerful star-forming knots or the central region as a whole. Thus, we suggest that recent bursts in local star formation activity likely drive the high L_IR within these regions on timescales ≲5 Myr, shorter than the timescale required for the formation of HMXBs.

An Ml Based Digital Forensics Software For Triage Analysis Through Face Recognition, Gaurav Gogia, Parag H. Rughani

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Since the past few years, the complexity and heterogeneity of digital crimes has increased exponentially, which has made the digital evidence & digital forensics paramount for both criminal investigation and civil litigation cases. Some of the routine digital forensic analysis tasks are cumbersome and can increase the number of pending cases especially when there is a shortage of domain experts. While the work is not very complex, the sheer scale can be taxing. With the current scenarios and future predictions, crimes are only going to become more complex and the precedent of collecting and examining digital evidence is only going …

Characterization And Estimation Of Musculoskeletal Pain Using Machine Learning, Boluwatife Faremi

Master's Theses

Traditional scales utilized for recording pain are known to be highly subjective and biased due to inaccuracies in recollecting actual pain intensities. As a result, machine learning (ML) models that are trained using these scores as ground truth are reported to have low performance for objective pain classification because of the huge disparity between what was felt in moments of pain and the scores recorded afterward.

In the present study, two devices were designed for gathering real-time, continuous in-session subjective pain scores and the recording of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) altered endodermal (EDA) activity. 24 participants were recruited to …

New Methodology For Benchmarking Hydrodynamics In Bubble Columns With Intense Internals Using The Radioactive Particle Tracking (Rpt) Technique, Omar J. Farid, Alexandre França Velo, Binbin Qi, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new methodology for implementing radioactive particle tracking (RPT) in bubble columns with intense vertical rod internals was developed and implemented to investigate the effect of dense internals on hydrodynamics. The methodology utilizes a hybrid of Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulation and an automated RPT calibration device to generate a large number of calibration points for accurate reconstruction of the instantaneous positions of radioactive particles using a similarity algorithm. Measurements were conducted in a 6-inch (15.24 cm) Plexiglas column using an air–water system at a superficial gas velocity of 40 cm/s. Vertical Plexiglas rods 0.5 in (1.27 cm) in diameter …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, July 2023, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Registration Now Open for the IRA/ISOSWO Conference
--- 20 Years of STAR4D
--- Industry News

South Shore Of Long Island Reef Gis Data, Robert M. Cerrato, Matthew Sclafani

SoMAS Research Data

High-resolution backscatter and bathymetric maps created by multibeam sonar surveys were used to identify different seafloor bottom types within existing, potentially expanded, and newly proposed reef areas in New York waters. Existing sites included Smithtown in Long Island Sound (LIS), and Rockaway, Atlantic Beach, Hempstead, Yellowbar, Kismet, Fire Island, Twelve Mile along the South Shore. Potential expansions are proposed on the South Shore for McAllister, Moriches, and Shinnecock reefs in addition to a new site called Sixteen Fathom. In Long Island Sound, new sites are proposed for Huntington/Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson/Mount Sinai, and Mattituck. Grab samples were collected within these …

Advanced Prognostic Modeling For Breast Cancer Patients: Leveraging Data-Driven Approaches For Survival Analysis, Theophilus Gyedu Baidoo

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second most prevalent form of cancer in women in the United States. Each year, about 264,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and of this number, about 42,000 women lose their lives as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early detection and effective treatment are crucial for improving survival rates and reducing mortality. This study aimed to explore the influential factors that may risk the survival of women with the disease and compare their predictive abilities using several error and performance metrics. The study uses a dataset from the National Cancer …

Modeling Cyanotoxin Production, Fate, And Transport In Surface Water Bodies Using Ce-Qual-W2, Bernadel Rose Hintz Garstecki, Scott A. Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cyanobacteria are frequently associated with forming toxic blooms. The toxins produced by cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, are harmful to both humans and animals. Rising temperatures due to global climate change are expected to increase the occurrence of cyanobacteria, and it is vital that we protect our drinking water supplies and natural water resources. Modeling the production, fate, and transport of these toxins is an important step in limiting exposure to them and evaluating management strategies to mitigate their impact. The research provided here offers an overview of some of the main cyanotoxins of concern and presents preliminary models for the transport and …

How Equitable Teaching Practices Impact The Mathematical Identity Of English Language Learners From Teachers’ Perspectives, Xiaomei Segelstrom

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method research study examined the teacher’s perspectives on how equitable teaching practices impact the math identity of English language learners. A quantitative research survey instrument including five major themes that was generated from the frameworks in the literature review was used, and then followed by semi-structured interviews to address the research question. The data collected from the survey indicated that participants do believe that equitable teaching practices would impact the math identity of ELLs via: conveying high expectations, language support, modifying lessons, mathematical tasks and mathematical tools. Building on the survey results, interviewees furthermore informed that all these …

Factors Associated With Extraction Versus Non-Extraction Treatment Among Orthodontic Patients At Marquette University, Kelley Dentino

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Objective: This study aimed to use the available database (2017-2023) of the patients treated in the orthodontic graduate clinic at Marquette University School of Dentistry to survey epidemiologic characteristics and to determine the contributing diagnostic factors and their weights in decision-making for extraction vs. non-extraction treatment plans. Methods: Data were deidentified and extracted from the orthodontic module of the internal clinical records database in axiUm. We evaluated patients who presented between 2017-2023 for comprehensive treatment and collected the following parameters: age, race, gender, anteroposterior occlusal classification (Class I, II, III), skeletal vertical classification (high, normal, or low mandibular plane angle), …

Dynamic Tire Response And The Effect On Roughness-Induced Vehicle Energy Dissipation, Gabriela Ann Lukanus

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Vehicle dynamics models rely on accurate inputs to quantify dynamic loading and energy dissipation to design pavement structures and assess the environmental impacts. The tire’s response to loading is one of the inputs used in these models, and it is typically represented by a linear spring and dashpot connected in parallel. However, tires are made of rubber, a viscoelastic material, so their load response depends on the excitation frequency. Yet, existing models do not incorporate this parameter. This thesis will first examine the load response and its variation with excitation frequency of two truck tires – a dual tire assembly …

Current Vehicle Fleet Inventory And Future Implementation Of A Centralized Electric Fleet At Portland State University, Dane Kovaleski

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

As the effects of climate change continue to impact the world, many institutions have developed climate action goals to reduce their effects on the environment. Portland State University (PSU) has committed to an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. A part of this commitment must include looking at the contributions of transportation on campus to reduce carbon emissions. According to a greenhouse gas emissions report done by the Campus Planning and Sustainability Office in 2016, transportation contributed to 12% of total greenhouse gas emissions on campus.

This project aims to evaluate the management …

The Effectiveness Of Nedam's Constructive Model In Teaching Technology To Develop Productive Thinking Skills And Technological Awareness Among Middle School Students In Palestine, Mohamed S. Sharaf

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of using Needham's Constructivist Model in teaching technology to develop productive thinking skills and technological awareness among middle school students in Palestine. The study followed the semi-experimental approach. In order to achieve these goals, two study tools were prepared, which are a test of productive thinking skills, and a measure of technological awareness. The sample consisted of (90) female students, (45) students for the experimental group, and the other (45) students for the control group, from the ninth grade students at Ramez Fakhira Basic School for Girls. A teachers’ guideline was developed to …