Education Commons^™

Working Towards A Racially Inclusive Studio, Dee Payton, Justine Dombrowski, Tian Qing Yen

Undergraduate Studio Assistant Research

Writing Centers and Studios have the potential to be more than just an inclusive space—they can be spaces that actively foster advocacy and racial justice. This module examines how racial inequality manifests on a systemic and interpersonal level within learning spaces. Interactive scenarios examine and challenge what race, racism, and microaggressions mean in the context of learning spaces, and promote reflection on inclusive practices in peer tutoring.

Why English? A Defense Of The Humanities In The Midst Of Stem Promotion, Madison Elmenhurst

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This is a research and text analysis paper exploring the promotion of STEM fields in America and why we still need the humanities.

Operation Innovators: A Systematic Review Of Experiential Learning Opportunities Within The Western Washington University Honors Program, Elise Aylward

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

"Operation Innovators" is a systematic review of experiential learning opportunities within the Western Washington University Honors Program. Service based opportunities are just one example of a method that provides experiential learning within a real world setting that is difficult to replicate within a traditional classroom. The aim of this project is to provide recommendations for the immediate addition of opportunities for this type of learning within the WWU Honors Program as well as to gather research for possible long term changes in Honors curricula in order to strengthen the overall educational experience of the Honors Program.

Honors Senior Project: Painted Portraits, Justice Fox-Hille

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A depiction of the paintings and artist statement for the Honors Senior Project requirement of Justice Fox-Hille.

Artist Statement: Integrating elements of the Art Nouveau immortalized by Alphonse Mucha, these works present representations of the nine Greek muses of classical mythology. Each young woman which modeled is a person in my life who, in a more modern sense, acts as a muse in my life. The people around me inspire me just as the Greeks were inspired by these artistic personifications. Young women don’t always recognize their own value and beauty, so raising their forms up to a level of …

Hnrs 400: Implementing A Capstone Research Course For The Western Washington University Honors Program, Courtney Telloian

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This paper provides an outline for how a prerequisite course to HNRS 490, Senior Project, would function. The paper provides descriptions of similar courses that other universities have implemented and suggests revisions to the curriculum in the Honors Program at Western Washington University accordingly. The paper discusses the use of Canvas, collaboration with the on-campus Research-Writing Studio, proposal writing, and striking a balance between field-specific and interdisciplinary research and learning environments.

Reworking The Structure Of Sexual Education Sessions At Western Washington University, Isabella Ramos Miller

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The aim of this paper is to identify characteristics of the Western Washington Peer Sexual Health Educator program that bar students from receiving health care. We hope to accumulate available data on program use, assess barriers to care, suggest collection of additional data, and finally, make suggestions for program improvement.

"I Hate Group Projects", Hillary Thalmann, Hannah Davis, Austin Vaughan

Undergraduate Studio Assistant Research

Most college students will be assigned a group writing project during their academic career. However, traditional writing center pedagogies are not optimized for group work. What types of concerns are common in group writing and how do they differ from those of individual writers? What strategies can writing tutors use to best address these group writing concerns? In this module, participants will explore the concerns unique to group writing and discuss strategies for effectively facilitating group writing.

Increasing The Use Of Student-Centered Pedagogies From Moderate To High Improves Student Learning And Attitudes About Biology, Georgianne L. Connell, Deborah A. Donovan, Timothy G. Chambers

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Student-centered strategies are being incorporated into undergraduate classrooms in response to a call for reform. We tested whether teaching in an extensively student-centered manner (many active-learning pedagogies, consistent formative assessment, cooperative groups; the Extensive section) was more effective than teaching in a moderately student-centered manner (fewer active-learning pedagogies, less formative assessment, without groups; the Moderate section) in a large-enrollment course. One instructor taught both sections of Biology 101 during the same quarter, covering the same material. Students in the Extensive section had significantly higher mean scores on course exams. They also scored significantly higher on a content postassessment when accounting …

Malignant Gliomas: A Case Study, Bonnie R. Sullivan

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Malignant gliomas, of grade III and grade IV malignancy, are incurable neoplasms that arise from cells with several well-characterized genetic profile abnormalities that cause uncontrollable growth and infiltration in the brain. Presenting symptoms of both generalized and focal neurological abnormalities are induced by increased intracranial pressure and focal neuronal dysfunction, respectively. On average, patients experience 3 months or less of clinical history before receiving diagnosis based on multifactorial comparison of clinical and pathological presentation of the tumor. Following diagnosis, maximal safe resection and adjuvant radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy typically ensues with subsequent management chemotherapy regimens. Despite aggressive treatment approaches, progression …

Effects Of Microfinance Penetration Rates On Education Participation, Samuel W. Martinez

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Microfinance, or the extension of financial services to low-income individuals unserved or underserved by traditional financial institutions, has been championed as a method of reducing poverty and creating social change, especially in developing countries. However, empirical studies examining the effects of microcredit programs have found mixed results as to the success of these loans. This study attempts to determine the impact that the presence of microfinance institutions in a country has on education participation rates, specifically examining country- level World Bank data over a 10-year period. Regression results for this data suggest positive effects of microfinance penetration on secondary education …

Spanish News Framing Of The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Ariana Hoyer

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

During 2015 and 2016, Europe dealt with the largest migratory crisis since WWII due to the escalation of the Syrian civil war and ongoing conflict and violence. When an issue as significant as the Syrian refugee crisis occurs, it is crucial to carefully examine the news framing of the issue due to its strong power to influence public discourse. This influence can originate from many different aspects of framing, but one of the most influential is word choice. The word choices used to refer to groups of people can change the feelings of identification or “otherness” among readers. This paper …

Sehome Hill Arboretum Trail Decommissioning Follow Up, Calvin Heslop

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Maintaining accessible trail networks for recreation and travel is an important part of management in the Sehome Hill Arboretum in Bellingham Washington. Trails aid in bringing people into the arboretum so they can appreciate and enjoy what it has to offer. Additionally trails serve the purpose of limiting human impact to known and maintained areas. Unofficial “social” trails can be detrimental to both the accessibility and ecological function of the Arboretum. By adding to the existing trail network, these social trails can confuse park visitors as well as decrease the aesthetic value of the arboretum. Additionally, repeated traffic by hikers …

The Economic Impacts Of Cross-Border Retailing, Daniel Edgel

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

An economic impact estimation of cross-border shopping from British Columbia to Whatcom County and forecast of the impact of future changes in retail shopping trends.

Soil Conditions And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Spore Abundance And Distribution In Dewatered Reservoir Sediments After Dam Removal, Kari Clausen

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Many dams in the U.S. are reaching the ends of their lifespans and dam removal as a form of river ecosystem restoration is becoming more prevalent. Revegetation of newly exposed sediments is an important aspect of ecosystem recovery after dam removal. Understanding the soil environment left behind after dam removal is important for understanding revegetation and ecosystem recovery trends. Physical soil properties and soil biota communities help to determine the success of plants colonizing exposed sediments after reservoirs are drained. I investigated soil properties and biota after dam removal by looking at the Elwha Dam Removal in Olympic National Park, …

Nickel Phosphide On Boron-Doped Alumina: New Catalysts For Heteroatom Removal Reactions, Catherine E. Miles

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The effects of boron addition to an alumina (Al₂O₃) support on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) properties of nickel phosphide (Ni₂P) catalysts have been investigated. The B-Al₂O₃ supports were prepared by a wetness impregnation method using boric acid (H₃BO₃) to dope the alumina support with 0-7.2 wt% B, yielding a boron oxide (B₂O₃) layer of monolayer thickness on the surface of the Al₂O₃ support. Ni₂P precursors were prepared on the B-Al₂O₃ supports in two ways: 1) impregnation …

Summer Climate And Western Spruce Budworm Outbreaks In The Pacific Northwest, Melinda Vickers

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Western spruce budworm outbreaks occur yearly with devastating effects for forests across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. However, as of yet, the relationship between these outbreaks and summer climate is poorly understood. In this study, I compared western spruce budworm outbreak records from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia with June-August temperature and precipitation records between 1975 and 1995. This research reveals interesting patterns in the correlation between drought conditions and western spruce budworm outbreaks. My results necessitate further study examining the potentially significant relationship between summer drought conditions and western spruce budworm outbreaks.

Curriculum Development, Courtney Knox

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project examined the process of developing curriculum and analyzed its efficacy. Initially there were two sets of curriculum involved, but only one is included here because I was unable to gain the permission to publicly publish the other. The curriculum that is included is the curriculum I developed the Math Club at Fairhaven Middle School in Bellingham, WA. This curriculum was developed and implemented independently of any official curriculum regulations. Thus, I was free to personalize and change the curriculum based on what I saw was most needed in the classroom setting. However, there were still challenges that needed …

Fish Abundance And Habitat Recommendations Of The Lake Whatcom Tributaries, Ariel Edwards

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The tributaries of Lake Whatcom, Austin/Beaver, Anderson, Olsen, and Smith Creeks, provide essential habitat for many fish species native to the Pacific Northwest. However, development in the watershed has contributed to habitat alterations and even degradation of habitat quality. In this report, fish abundance and diversity, and habitat quality is compared both temporally, and among different streams. Anderson Creek was found to have the greatest species diversity. Cutthroat trout was the most abundant fish at each stream throughout the study period and was observed at every study site. Restoration recommendations for each stream were aimed at supporting existing native fish …

Cultural Sensitivity Education Offered By Western Washington University For Global Southern Study Abroad Programs, Danielle Crow

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

In March of 2015, Western Washington University published an Action Plan for Global Education at Western. The document provides four main reasons for becoming more globally engaged, including: 1) remaining relevant in an interconnected world, 2) providing students “the knowledge, attitudes, and skills” needed to thrive in this interconnected world, 3) solving problems around the globe, and finally 4) providing funds to the university and “enhance[ing] the university’s visibility and its rating”. As a call to action, the statement is made that “making the case for the internationalization of the university is simple.” But is it really that simple? Through …

Assessment Of Engineering Writing At Western Washington University, Sura Al-Qudah, Nathan Romond

Writing Research Fellows

Effective writing skills are crucial to the transfer of knowledge and information in all fields. In Engineering, writing skills are the key to communicating the results and findings of engineering analysis, since this analysis is not only represented by graphs, plots, equations, etc. but is also presented in technical reports, lab reports, proposals, and articles. Engineering programs emphasize the importance of teaching students effective writing skills by implementing some writing proficiency courses in their curriculum. However, these programs are usually concerned with how to prepare and assess their students to have effective writing skills to help them in their professional …

The Mena Youth Bulge: Let’S Help Them Save The World, Sandra Ratcliff Daffron

Woodring College of Education Faculty Publications

They are called the “Youth Bulge,” the millions of young adults under 24 years old that make up an average of 50% of the population of the 25 countries and territories of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). They live in massive poverty and inequality that Mandela calls “terrible scourges of our times.” [1] These MENA youth are literate, watch other youth of the world on their cell phones and want what other young people have, a job, a family of their own, a safe place to live and status. The chances of achieving the life they want seem …

Study Of The Effect Of Hip Flexibility On Maximal Oxygen Consumption And Stride Lenghth During An Incremental Treadmill Test In College-Aged Individuals, Kailey Barnette

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Ten male and ten female college-aged participants ran an incremental treadmill test on a pressure sensor treadmill. the participants' hip flexor flexibility was measured with the Modified Thomas Test and compared to their estimated maximal oxygen consumption.

Altruism And You: Demographic Predictors And Practical Application, Margaret E. Herbert

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Through volunteering at Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) and by analyzing a 2013 report by Kristin Anderson, I found that parking is an issue for clients accessing services at DVSAS. In an attempt to mitigate the situation, I fundraised to create a fund for clients to use to pay for their parking meters while at the downtown office. Donation boxes were out for a month at about ten different businesses. The total amount of money raised was $241.55. This is equivalent to more than 322 hours or 19,324 minutes of parking in the downtown area. After changing the …