Digital Commons Network^™

Inclusive Engineering Classrooms: Student Teaching Assistants’ Perspectives, Joelyn De Lima, Siara Isaac, Helena Kovacs

Research Papers

Inclusive teaching is the intentional practice of recognising biases, working to mitigate their impact, and ensuring that students have equitable learning opportunities. In addition to improving students' sense of belonging and self efficacy, inclusive teaching improves retention, improves academic performance, and reduces achievement gaps. In many large enrollment introductory classrooms, student teaching assistants (TAs) contribute to the classroom climate in addition to the teachers and the students. In this qualitative study, 262 TAs were asked about their teaching strengths, areas that need improvement, obstacles, and ideas about their role in reducing incidents of discrimination or harassment. We coded their open-ended …

Teachers’ Reflections On Their Experiences Teaching Interdisciplinary Project-Based Courses, Malin Kjellberg, Michael O'Connell, Becky Bergman, Christian Stöhr, Johanna Larsson

Research Papers

In project-based, interdisciplinary engineering courses, teachers face the challenge of not only imparting technical knowledge but also facilitating effective project- and teamwork. In this study we conducted a thematic qualitative analysis of 11 teachers' reflections on interdisciplinary project-based learning (PjBL). The results show that teachers appreciated PjBL as a means to motivate students and that one challenge was handling differences in terms of student disciplinary background. While most teachers did not see a need for further training, teachers who did identify such needs also seemed to already apply a wider range of PjBL teaching strategies. We discuss the implication of …

Experiences And Career Choices Of Female Engineering Undergraduates In China, Zeyi Liu, Inês Direito, Yuwei Xu

Research Papers

It is a global issue that the ‘pipeline’ leading to STEM occupations begins to ‘leak’ after graduation from STEM subjects, and the leakage tends to be much more severer for women. This study adds to current discussions on the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields, emphasizing the roles of gender and family engineering social capital in the career choices of female engineering students in China. The study follows an explanatory mixed-methods research design including a survey and interviews. The survey was completed by 508 Chinese engineering undergraduates at Chinese universities and created a quantitative descriptive landscape that situates the qualitative …

How To Develop Teachers' Well-Being?, Beatrix Séllei, Emma Lógó

Research Papers

The well-being of teachers is one key to students’ and education’s success. As an innovative solution, we hold a training program for educators using design thinking based on the “Designing Your Life” program that can be familiar with engineering educators’ mindsets. We adopted it for the Hungarian circumstances and made one pilot program and one real program with the self-applying teachers at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. We surveyed teachers’ well-being with the PERMA Profiler at the beginning of the program and one month after the program in both samples and had in total of 41 answers (n=23). …

Changes In Higher Education Communication Practices And Tools - Through The Pandemic Towards New Communication Models, Mikko Ilari Nurminen, Hannu-Matti Järvinen, Jarmo Viteli, Petri Rantanen, Mika Saari

Research Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted traditional modes of communication in higher education institutions, leading to a shift towards remote communication and digital tools. This scientific paper examines the changes in higher education communication practices and tools resulting from the pandemic. The paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities presented by this shift and the ways in which teachers have applied communication models familiar from contact teaching to distance education. A previous review of published literature on adaptations in higher education institutions identified key factors for a successful transition to novel distance education communication practices and tools. These factors included effective …

(Re)Defining Engineers’ Resilience: Part I An Exploratory Study Into How Engineering Educators Understand And Teach Resilience, Natalie Wint, Inês Direito

Research Papers

In recent years ‘resilience’ has increasingly been framed as a positive attribute that can play a role in the success of university students. The need for students to develop and demonstrate resilience seems particularly pertinent within engineering education. Firstly, engineering degrees are often associated with heavy workloads. This, alongside high rates of attrition and increases in mental health issues, suggests a need for students to demonstrate resilience. Secondly, engineering degrees prepare students for a profession, and it is likely that courses place emphasis on graduate attributes such as resilience. Finally, the rate of technological advancement and societal change places additional …

European And National Strategies Supporting The Implementation And Development Of Continuing Engineering Education At Scandinavian Universities, Ida Marie Lybecker Korning, Bente Nørgaard

Research Papers

Lifelong learning (LLL) and continuing engineering education (CEE) have been on the European Union’s agenda for almost three decades, formally initiated by the European Year of Lifelong Learning in 1996 and reinforced with several initiatives targeted at LLL since then. The current initiative, the European Year of Skills 2023, aims to promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling. Nonetheless, before 1996, some universities were already developing diverse CEE activities and collaborating with external stakeholders such as the local industry. Many of these activities, however, have been initiated by passionate university staff or based on personal relationships within the organization. CEE …

Searching For Young Talent: Understanding Industrial Recruitment Practices For Hiring Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Students, Klara Kövesi, Christiane Gillet, Nathalie Krien

Research Papers

This study aims to investigate industrial companies’ recruitment practices and standards for hiring their engineering degree apprentices. We examine (1) how they find their future engineering degree apprentices, (2) their recruitment standards and (3) to what extent organisational characteristics shape their recruitment decisions. To answer these questions we have carried out an online quantitative study, comprising exclusively closed questions, with the participation of workplace mentors of engineering apprenticeship students (n=70). Subsequently, we have conducted a descriptive statistical data analyse on SPSS. Our results indicate that industrial companies find their engineering apprentices by means of students’ speculative applications or via engineering …

Academic Procrastination In Engineering Students, Pascal Wilhelm, Jarick Nijman

Research Papers

Procrastination is a common phenomenon in students in higher education. To voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay can affect academic performance, cause study delay, but also lead to frustration and stress. This study set out to explore students’ beliefs about what causes procrastination, the extent to which online education and the use of digital devices affects their level of procrastination, and their coping mechanisms and ideas about the kind of support a study program can offer to mitigate the effects of procrastination. Focus group interviews were conducted with first-, second- …

To Withdraw, Investigate, Negotiate Or Integrate? Students' Coping Strategies With Disorienting Dilemmas In Interdisciplinary Project Courses, Xiaoqi Feng, Julia Sundman, Hanna Aarnio, Maija Taka, Marko Keskinen, Olli Varis

Research Papers

In today’s rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world, engineering educators are required to implement active pedagogical approaches to support students’ interdisciplinary problem-solving processes. However, interdisciplinary and experiential learning may evoke situations where students question their past learnings and even existing values, beliefs, or assumptions. Our study examined the emergence of “disorienting dilemmas”, a central concept to transformative learning theory, and students’ experiences in coping with them in engineering education. We interviewed ten students from two interdisciplinary project courses at School of Engineering in Aalto University, Finland, and conducted thematic analysis to identify the types of disorienting dilemmas and the coping …

Addressing Long-Term Challenges In Energy For Sustainable Futures By Applying Moonshot Thinking, Andreas Sumper, Marc Jené-Vinuesa, Carlos González-De-Miguel, Maria Marin-Macaya

Research Papers

The rapid and exponential changes in our world require the education of engineers who can develop solutions to future and long-term challenges such as climate change. Exploration and innovation methodologies such as Futures Thinking and Moonshot Thinking have the potential to equip engineering students with useful tools and skills to build sustainable futures. To this end, the InnoEnergy MSc Energy for Smart Cities programme at BarcelonaTech (UPC) has developed a challenge-based learning (CBL) course that applies moonshot thinking to tackle major energy problems. This paper presents the methodology refined over three years of implementing the CBL course with second-year Masters's …

Exploration Of Corona Charge As A Novel In Vitro Human T Cell Dna Transfection Method, Molly A. Skinner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With gene-based immunotherapies on the rise to treat a multitude of diseases, the ability to genetically modify cells in a rapid and efficient fashion is necessary to keep up with demand. Gene electrotransfer (gene transfer by electroporation) is an appealing transfection method due to its low cost, high efficiency compared to other physical forms of gene delivery, and low toxicity compared to liposomal or viral vectors.

Traditional gene delivery via electroporation is done within a cuvette where the cell suspension is placed between two plate electrodes. This method requires cells to be moved from the treatment cuvette to a growth …

Investigating The Influence Of Assessment Question Framing On Undergraduate Biology Student Preference And Affect, Jeremy L. Hsu, Noelle Clark, Kate Hill, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Nearly all undergraduate biology courses rely on quizzes and exams. Despite their prevalence, very little work has been done to explore how the framing of assessment questions may influence student performance and affect. Here, we conduct a quasi-random experimental study where students in different sections of the same course were given isomorphic questions that varied in their framing of experimental scenarios. One section was provided a description using the self-referential term “you”, placing the student in the experiment; another section received the same scenario that used classmate names; while a third section's scenario integrated counterstereotypical scientist names. Our results demonstrate …

Effect Of Library Management Software On The Growth And Development Of Library Services, Japheth Abdulazeez Yaya Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines the Effect of Library Management Software on the Growth and Development of Library Services. It focuses on the following sub-headings: The Concept of Library Management Software; Library Management Software; Brief History of Software Usage in Nigerian Libraries; Features of Good Library Management Software; Criteria for the Library Software Selection; Prospects of Library Management Software; Problems Affecting the Utilization of Library Management Software; and the way forward. It concludes that the Library Management Committee has to be careful when scouting for any suitable software package, the most credible software package that would adequately meet the information needs of …

A Portable And Reliable Tool For On-Site Physical Reaction Time (Rt) Measurement, Brent Harper, Michael Shiraishi, Rahul Soangra

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

The drop-stick test system (DTS) invention has the capability to measure reaction accurately for sideline mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) assessment. The reaction time (RT) measurements showed moderate to good inter-instrument reliability with an overall ICC of 0.82 (95 % CI 0.78–0.85). RT is a useful biomarker of mTBI or concussion, but existing technologies in controlled laboratory environments are not feasible for assessments in the field. With wearable technologies and wireless connection with smartphones, it is now easier to conduct RT assessments on the field. The purpose was to develop a portable DTS involving wearable inertial sensors translatable from the …

Dendritic Cells As Shepherds Of T Cell Immunity In Cancer, Mikael J Pittet, Mauro Di Pilato, Christopher Garris, Thorsten R Mempel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In cancer patients, dendritic cells (DCs) in tumor-draining lymph nodes can present antigens to naive T cells in ways that break immunological tolerance. The clonally expanded progeny of primed T cells are further regulated by DCs at tumor sites. Intratumoral DCs can both provide survival signals to and drive effector differentiation of incoming T cells, thereby locally enhancing antitumor immunity; however, the paucity of intratumoral DCs or their expression of immunoregulatory molecules often limits antitumor T cell responses. Here, we review the current understanding of DC-T cell interactions at both priming and effector sites of immune responses. We place emerging …

Hirschsprung Disease: A Literacy Analysis Of Patient Information, April L. Baum, Anh Nguyen, Michael J. Valentine, Larissa Vollin, Caleb Mcnab, Carol E. Kirila

Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective: Hirschsprung disease in newborns can be a potentially life-threatening condition, with risks for complications such as Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis. Accessing health information in a readable format for complex diseases demonstrates an important outlet for families to address concerns. While it is important to seek out information from trusted providers, many individuals seek out ways to educate themselves further by using common search engines and turning to the internet. This article will evaluate the readability of relevant articles on Hirschsprung disease and information accessibility to the average health literacy individual.

Methods: A readability analysis of the first 20 Google search results …

Collective Motion In Hcp-Fe At Earth's Inner Core Conditions, Youjun Zhang, Yong Wang, Yuqian Huang, Junjie Wang, Zhixin Liang, Zhipeng Gao, Qiang Wu, Hong Zhang, Yun Liu, Jian Sun, Jung-Fu Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Earth's inner core is predominantly composed of solid iron (Fe) and displays intriguing properties such as strong shear softening and an ultrahigh Poisson's ratio. Insofar, physical mechanisms to explain these features coherently remain highly debated. Here, we have studied longitudinal and shear wave velocities of hcp-Fe (hexagonal close-packed iron) at relevant pressure-temperature conditions of the inner core using in situ shock experiments and machine learning molecular dynamics (MLMD) simulations. Our results demonstrate that the shear wave velocity of hcp-Fe along the Hugoniot in the premelting condition, defined as

The Significant Impacts Of Interleukin-8 Genotypes On The Risk Of Colorectal Cancer In Taiwan, Chia-Wen Tsai, Wen-Shin Chang, Te-Cheng Yueh, Yun-Chi Wang, Yu-Ting Chin, Yi-Chih Hung, Ya-Chen Yang, Jian Gu, Da-Tian Bau

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is upregulated in CRC and plays an important role in its development and progression. Genetic variants in the IL-8 gene may impact the risk of CRC by modulating IL-8 levels. Our primary objective was to investigate the role of IL-8 genotypes in the development of CRC. To accomplish this, we employed the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method to analyze the genotypes of IL-8 rs4017, rs2227306, rs2227543, and rs1126647 in 362 CRC patients and 362 controls. Additionally, we evaluated the interactions between these genotypes and factors such as age, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, …

Machine Functionalism: Brains As Computing Machines, Yolanda Walker

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Machine functionalism, or, the computational theory of mind, states that the inner workings of the brain are akin to the information processing of a computer. There are numerous faults with this view. Not only are computers inaccurate models for brain states, but also consciousness--as understood as generating appropriate (behavior) outputs to corresponding inputs--can’t be generated through mechanical means.

Resonance In Human Walking Economy: How Natural Is It?, Elizabeth Arnall, Jessica Pyatt, Chelsie Rice, Katie L. Anderson

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Locomotion and movement economy are cornerstone topics in movement science. Modeling the leg as a hybrid mass-spring pendulum shows walking economy should be optimized when stride frequency matches the resonant frequency of the limb. Human walking is described as self-optimizing because mean preferred (PSF) and modeled resonant (RSF) stride frequencies usually are statistically equivalent, but this depiction may not be fully justified. Purpose: To more thoroughly examine the self-optimization characterization and the consequences of obligating use of the RSF. Methods: Forty-seven individuals of diverse statures completed 3 consecutive days of preferred walking trials on a treadmill where stride rate, stride …

Intrinsic Value For The Environmental Pragmatist, L. Pippa Callanan

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Motivated by the disconnect between the seeming impossibility of resolving deep metaphysical disputes, and the pressing need for environmental action, many environmental philosophers have embraced environmental pragmatism. Environmental pragmatists focus on the practical effects of philosophical arguments. With this as their agenda, environmental pragmatists have consistently endorsed anthropocentrism as the value system for discussing environmental issues, in order to achieve efficacious results. This is based on the notion that appeals to human goods are the best means for motivating humans to action. This essay will show some conceptual and empirical problems with this pretense, to argue that true environmental pragmatists …

Variation In Functional Pelvic Tilt In Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty With Acetabular Dysplasia, Myung-Jin Cha, Joel Wells, Yin Xi, Avneesh Chhabra

Research Colloquium

Purpose: It is important to clarify the link between acetabular dysplasia and pelvic tilt to optimize surgical planning and postoperative outcomes. We sought to investigate functional pelvic tilt in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty with acetabular dysplasia.

Materials & Methods: From 2014 to 2020, pre-operative AP Pelvis X-rays, CT scans, and other patient-specific data such as pelvic tilt, lumbar lordotic angle, etc were collected as part of surgical planning for total hip arthroplasty. From this database, we investigated 678 female patients under the age of 50 that had undergone preoperative standing AP pelvis X-rays. Analysis was performed by investigating how …

Cryptocurrency Concerns, Crimes, And Legal Consequences, Madeline Connolly

Akron Law Review

This note addresses the current issues with the law and digital currencies, federal agencies’ current classifications of cryptocurrencies, problems with those classifications, and solutions to better regulate, classify, and prosecute virtual-currency crimes. The history of digital currencies, the history of criminal activity involving money, and how the creation and widespread use of cryptocurrencies has allowed criminals to find new ways to hide money that make it difficult for law enforcement to catch will be discussed. The article analyzes current and past cases involving different courts’ interpretations and prosecution of cryptocurrencies and concludes by offering solutions to the potential issues of …

An Explorative Multiple Case Study Of Smart-Circular Pss – Status Quo In Industry, Thomas Kruschke, Theresa Riedelsheimer

IASDR Conference Series

The business as usual is not yet decoupled from current environmentally damaging value creation. This raises the continuous need for new solutions to allow for the operationalization of R-strategies. One specific approach is the establishment of smart-circular Product-Service-Systems considering all three sustainability strategies – efficiency, consistency and sufficiency – in the entire product lifecycle. Within this multiple case study, 30 existing use cases from different industries, which are already interconnected PSS, were analysed in detail using the following criteria: Level of sustainability reporting, B2B or B2C, product focus, sustainable PSS types, classification of smart PSS elements and the realization of …

Arousing “Arts Of Making” In Design: Cultivating Growing Material Societal Meanings For Sustainable Transitions, Ye Yang, Valentina Rognoli

IASDR Conference Series

Under the industrial mass production of the 20th century, “making” is controllable and directed by “thinking” in artifact design activities, which formalizes the dominant pattern of “reactive making”, meaning “making following thinking”. The initiative of “making” has been continually weakened and overlooked. Meanwhile, properties of the physical material are defined by the disciplines of Science and Engineering, acting as the “tags” or “surface textures” in CAD for designers to select after the conceptualizing process in design practices. We found tons of nameless and meaningless materials have been surged forth in an uncontrolled way, which has grown a cultural and societal …

Are All Pokémons Created Equal? Assessing The Value-Neutrality Of Pokémon Tcg Design Process, Minoru Matsui

IASDR Conference Series

The cultural evolution research program is useful for quantitatively explaining complex creative processes such as design. From a design studies perspective, its variation generation process is particularly intriguing. However, cultural transmission theorists have long modelled the process as a random novelty invention, far from the real-life modern design process. Here we show an instance of such a deviation, examining how the design process and its resulting frequencies of Pokémon TCG variants deviate from a neutral model in which an agent randomly selects and introduces cultural variants to the population from the design pool.

Analysis Of The Menotech And Femtech Markets For Menopausal Women In Japan, Yan Liu, Hiroki Sato

IASDR Conference Series

In recent years, Japan has faced significant challenges in declining labour force participation due to falling birth rates, an aging population, and depopulation in rural areas. It is recognized how important it is to support menopausal women in terms of the economy and the gender gap. Here, we identify the status and trends of the Japanese Femtech market to support the health and activities of menopausal women in Japan. We analyse the situation in the domestic and international Menotech markets is analysed to understand the positioning of domestic and foreign companies in the Menotech market. Moreover, through the comparison with …

Seniors With Early Ad In China: Study Of A Design For All (Dfa) Approach For A Transformed, Happier Family Life., Avril Accolla, Zhiyi Zhou

IASDR Conference Series

This study explores possible drivers for change to enhance the living experience for early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) seniors and their families in Shanghai. The DfA-driven research of the current service design solutions, and the ANAs (Abilities, Necessities, Aspirations) of the early AD seniors, their families and the relevant institutions, highlights a possible transformation from a mainly medical approach focused on safety to a holistic approach, stemming from safety to pursue autonomy and self-actualisation, thus facilitating the creation of a possible 'New Family' as a synergic nucleus in opposition to a dipole caretaker-caregiver dynamic. Hence, the authors designed a possible strategy …

Emerging Decentralized Infrastructure Networks, Mahshid Hasankhani, Jo Van Engelen, Sine Celik, Jan Carel Diehl

IASDR Conference Series

Distributed hydrogen infrastructures have emerged as a complementary element in the quest for sustainable energy solutions, with potential applications in regions featuring high industrial demands and spatially resolved negative residual loads. These infrastructures can contribute to the decarbonization of electricity, heating, and transport sectors while enhancing local renewable energy consumption and supporting energy storage and demand-side management. However, their development presents unique design challenges, calling for a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder roles and relationships in the evolving ecosystem. This study examines stakeholder network dynamics within the distributed hydrogen ecosystem, focusing on the Netherlands' built environments. Through the analysis of 16 …