Education Commons^™

Evaluation Of Factors Impacting Predictor Importance Results In Multilevel Models, Soonhwa (Suna) Paek

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Dominance Analysis (DA) was originally proposed to determine the relative importance of predictor variables in OLS regression models by comparing the change in model fit (i.e., R2) resulting from adding each predictor to each possible subset model (Azen & Budescu, 2003; Azen, 2013; Budescu, 1993). Although various educational studies show that DA can provide useful information in research, the DA procedure has not been studied extensively with Multilevel Linear Models (MLMs), which are commonly used to analyze nested data structures.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify appropriate multilevel measures of fit for the DA procedure in various MLMs, and …

Informed Intervention Design, Deployment, And Analysis For The Computer Science Classroom, Jaxton J. Winder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Improving the teaching of computer science is a challenging task. Educators and computing education researchers devote large amounts of time, energy, and resources towards doing so effectively. One of the ways this is done is through research-informed design, deployment, and analysis of targeted interventions to the classroom. This thesis will detail research conducted at Utah State University targeting classroom interventions: centered around their design, deployment, and analysis.

One of these interventions aims to tackle student procrastination through the offering of “grace points”–forgiving a small amount of mistakes on a student’s assignment–for analyzing a homework assignment early. Through studying this intervention, …

Student Perceptions: How Stem Students Value Belonging Interventions, Elizabeth Runkel Baez

University Honors Theses

With the prioritization of increasing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates in the United States, researchers have become increasingly interested in how to promote STEM students' sense of belonging. Sense of belonging is considered a marker of persistence in STEM. Facilitated 'belonging interventions' are one way to strengthen a sense of belonging amongst STEM students. How students respond to, value, and understand these belonging interventions is relatively understudied. In this study, focus groups were conducted with STEM students from a single university to investigate how they value an in-class belonging activity. Qualitative thematic coding of focus group responses revealed …

Capturing Latent Abilities And Latent Capacities Of Professional Golfers Using Nonlinear Mixed Effects Growth Modeling, Mac Wetherbee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study demonstrates an effective and innovative approach to measuring the latent athletic abilities and capacities of professional golfers. I used nonlinear mixed effects growth modeling (e.g., Dynamic Measurement Modeling) to measure professional golfers’ ability levels and capacities for improvement. I accomplished this using a two-stage modeling approach. First, a crossed linear mixed effects model estimated each player’s ability level in each year. In the second stage, I used the results from the first stage to estimate several candidate nonlinear growth trajectories for players’ abilities over time. The quadratic growth trajectory was the best-fitting of these trajectories and was used …

Comparing The Preparation Of Youth Services Librarians To Their On-The-Ground Experiences: A Grounded Theory Study Incorporating Criticism And Connoisseurship, Anne Holland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the on-the-ground preparation of youth services librarians, in contrast to their professional training in Master’s of Library Science (MLIS) programs. Classic Grounded Theory was the predominant methodology for this qualitative study, and elements of Criticism and Connoisseurship were also utilized. Document review, interviews, and journaling activities with ten participants were the primary methods of data collection. Key findings from this dissertation include a grounded theory explaining the current state of preparation for youth services librarianship, and multiple avenues for further study.

Creative Connections: Building Empathy To Foster Ecoliteracy Through Art Education, Jocelyn Salim

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the potential positive impact of fostering empathy and understanding for the natural world through art education. Through action research, this study examines various teaching approaches, such as incorporating scientific knowledge, employing literature to discuss ecological themes, and engaging in participatory storytelling activities to cultivate empathy among elementary school children. The objective of this thesis is to explore empathy as a potential pathway to encourage children to foster connections with the natural world and develop compassionate traits, attitudes, and behaviors towards nature as they grow. The findings of this study reveal that children exhibit high levels of enthusiasm …

Me And Mathematics: “Doing What You’Re Talking About”: In Dialogue With My Family, Eden Morris

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper is a philosophically oriented accompaniment to my audio project (accessible through the following link: https://cuny.manifoldapp.org/projects/me-and-mathematics). Working together, the paper and audio collages form a call to action and a resource. My primary finding is the importance of doing what you’re talking about or exploring and implementing your ideas experientially. Doing what you’re talking about is important for effective teaching/learning and feeling in line with oneself. This working concept came to my attention during my research conversation with my oldest living relative, and then, again, with my youngest (non-baby) relative. This doing what you’re talking about is a way …

The Core Of It All: From The Forest To The Concrete Jungle, Ayo Andra J. Deas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Core of It All is a component of principle within Fasaha. The mission of Fasaha is to implement programming directed toward development of one’s Core through self-actualization. Self-Actualization is defined as bringing forth the total essential qualities of one’s own consciousness, character, and identity through positive behavior. Throughout this manuscript, principle is defined as the standard of natural essential qualities determining intrinsic consciousness, character and identity. Programming is defined as providing with intrinsic instructions for the automatic performance of a task.

Fasaha is a support service that enhances the existing organization’s service. Throughout this dissertation, it will be apparent …

A Microgenetic Learning Analysis Of Contextuality In Reasoning About Exponential Modeling, Elahe Allahyari

Dissertations

This work explores the complex cognitive processes students engage in when addressing contextual tasks requiring linear and exponential models. Grounded within Piagetian constructivism and the Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) epistemological perspective (diSessa, 1993, 2018), this empirical study in a clinical setting develops a Microgenetic Learning Analysis (MLA) of the reasoning of 14 students from an Algebra II course. It reveals the critical role of cognitive disequilibrium as an essential cognitive state for conceptual development and the process of reorganizing knowledge systems. The study uncovers the fluctuations in students’ reasoning patterns and the significant impact on students’ reasoning patterns of task-specific …

Exploring Applications Of Ai In Developer-Side Web Accessibility Practices, Maria H. Cristoforo

Computer Science Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Climate Change In Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration Of Education And Activism, Kala Nance

Honors Theses

Climate Change in Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration of Education and Activism takes an investigative, journalistic approach toward climate change in Mississippi. Specifically, how education and awareness have a direct impact on Mississippi industries, people and legislation. The project explored the level of acknowledgement of climate change across the state, and how certain individuals used advocacy to encourage education about climate change to raise awareness of the severity of the situation. This project includes interviews with university professors and researchers, non-profit organizations, educational groups and working individuals in some of Mississippi’s largest areas of employment. Additionally, this project draws on research …

A Comparison Of Assessment Experiences Between Standards-Based Practices And Traditional Practices Within Secondary Mathematics Classrooms, Emily Mayes

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare assessment experiences and find ways to improve those experiences for students in two mathematics classrooms: one classroom that employs Standards-Based Grading and one classroom that uses traditional grading practices. The research examines students’ perceptions regarding their level of preparation, their anxiety levels surrounding assessment, the validity of assessments, and using assessments and grading practices to give accurate indications of student progress in their learning, given the students’ perceptions. Students in both settings voluntarily and anonymously participated in completing pre- and post-assessment free-response surveys which asked questions about students’ assessment experiences. This research …

Student Mathematical Sensemaking In The Transition From Discrete To Continuous Systems In Spins First Quantum Mechanics, Anthony R. Pina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quantum mechanics (QM) is a fundamental theory in physics that was developed based on a
series of experiments. Rather than being built up from first principles, QM is built on a series of
postulates that describe the outcomes of those experiments. The postulates establish both the
mathematical formalism and basic concepts used to model quantum systems. While different
systems require varying degrees of complex mathematics to model, the basic principles remain.
“Spins-first” QM instruction takes advantage of these varying degrees of mathematical
difficulty by first introducing students to spin-1
2 systems which can be modeled with relatively
simple mathematics. These …

Conceptual Understanding Of Linear Relationships Across Various Mathematics Courses, Melissa Manley

Theses and Dissertations

This cross-sectional study investigated the conceptual understanding of linear relationships for 195 students enrolled in a single school in a large, urban district across five mathematics courses: Grade 7 Math (n = 24), Grade 8 Math (n = 52), Geometry (n = 43), Algebra 1 (n = 31), and Algebra 2 (n = 45). The following questions guided this study: (1) What differences exist in students’ conceptual understanding of linear relationships across mathematics courses? (2) What are common strengths and weaknesses in students’ conceptual understanding of linear relationships?

An assessment was created to assess three constructs of conceptual understanding of …

Effect Of Asynchronous Virtual Interviews On Ethnic Minority Matriculation Into A Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program, Conner Clark, Nanea Lagasca, Gladys Miller, Jasmine Puspos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Methods: This study examines the impact of the use of asynchronous virtual interviews (AVIs) in the admissions process of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). This research aims to examine racial and ethnic subgroup differences in AVI scores, evaluate the influence of AVIs on applicant scores in the admissions process, and assess the AVI inter-rater reliability among faculty evaluators using data from the 2019-2022 admissions cycles.

Results: Significant differences were found in AVI scores among racial and ethnic groups, with Black applicants scoring highest and Asian applicants scoring lowest. Additionally, inclusion …

The Perspectives Of Using Desmos For Students’ Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency To Solve Linear Equations, Larmel Dimatulac Madrilejos

Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the perspectives of using the Desmos calculator of Algebra I students' conceptual understanding and procedural fluency to write, graph, and solve linear equations in Algebra I STAAR. While the students have continuously used technology for mathematics assessment, emergent bilingual students in South Texas still need help passing high-stakes testing. The framework of the study is grounded in the theory of mathematical education (knowledge of mathematics educators to teach), the theory of mathematical learning (understanding how students learn mathematics), and social constructivism. The study seeks ways to teach all students, mainly the minority, to learn …

Harnessing The Power Of Virtual Reality For Organic Chemistry Education, Jungmin Shin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Understanding organic chemistry concepts heavily relies on visualization of the geometry of molecules and spatial arrangement of molecules during mechanisms. 2D textbook depictions have their limitations in visualizing the three-dimensionality of organic chemistry. Student learning outcomes could be greatly improved from 3D visualizations of these topics. This project explores the potential of an emerging technology, Virtual Reality (VR), being incorporated as a teaching resource for organic chemistry.

This paper discusses two trials for evaluating the potential of VR as a teaching resource for organic chemistry in select topics of the Diels-Alder reaction and R/S configurations and stereoisomers. The Diels-Alder reaction …

Promoting Social Sustainability: Implementing A Dynamic Stem Driven Framework To Empower Underrepresented Communities In West Texas Schools, Raquel Haggerty

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores how environmental engineering can utilize STEM education as a strategic tool, enhancing social sustainability and thereby empowering underserved Hispanic communities in West Texas. Responding to significant educational and resource disparities, this research introduces an innovative interdisciplinary framework that combines instruction-initiated resource activation (I2RA), culturally attuned parent engagement (CAPE), and community- centered STEM education (CCSE). This approach uniquely addresses the challenges faced by these communities, integrating environmental solutions with educational advancements to forge a path toward equitable STEM access and achievement.

Additionally, the "Elevate and Empower" case study exemplifies the practical application of this comprehensive framework, demonstrating its …

Key Benefits Of Small Group Instruction For Diverse Learners, Lydia Mcevoy

Master's Theses

Utilizing a mixed method approach this research study investigated the effects of small group instruction on the learning of diverse learners. Informed by a preliminary literature review that supports the use of small-group instruction, the researcher conducted a small-scale action research project to focus on three diverse learners in a 1st-grade classroom over four weeks. One of the findings of this project shows that small group instruction helps promote social and emotional skills as students feel more comfortable interacting with peers in a small group rather than in a whole group. Another finding indicates that students feel more encouraged by …

Classifying Facial Expressions Of Students Being Tutored In A Gateway College Math Course, Kriss Gabourel

Doctoral Dissertations

When it comes to tutoring, computers have not quite been able to achieve the success that humans have in helping students improve learning outcomes. This research sought to address one aspect of what makes human tutors more effective, the ability to identify and to interpret facial expressions. When a student is feeling anxious, confused, distracted or frustrated, or when a student has an ‘aha’ moment, human tutors can identify the student’s facial expressions and adjust their tutoring approach as necessary. This study sought to determine if, in the context of a gateway college math course, these particular learning-centered affects could …

Using The History Of Statistics To Teach Introductory Statistics, Melissa Hansen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

While often taught in high school and required as part of a college degree, statistics classes are sometimes viewed by students as an obstacle rather than a support for their overall goals. One way to increase student engagement in a statistics course is to use the history of statistics. Within the literature review, the advantages to using the history of statistics are discussed as well as the more extensive research on using the history of mathematics in mathematics courses. Included are instructional strategies for using the context around the development of mathematical ideas in math classrooms which can be extended …

Tasks For Learning Trigonometry, Sydnee Andreasen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Many studies have been done using task-based learning within different mathematics courses. Within the field of trigonometry, task-based learning is lacking. The following research aimed to create engaging, mathematically rich tasks that meet the standards for the current trigonometry course at Utah State University and align with the State of Utah Core Standards for 7th through 12th grades. Four lessons were selected and developed based on the alignment of standards, the relevance to the remainder of the trigonometry course, and the relevance to courses beyond trigonometry. The four lessons that were chosen and developed were related to trigonometric ratios, graphing …

Building And Using A Hydrology Experiment For Place-Based Learning With Native American Students, Michaela Shallue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Geoscience has a known diversity problem, specifically a participation gap of ethnic minority representation, and it is especially severe regarding Native American representation. To address this participation gap, an identity gap needs to be addressed first. Native students need to visualize themselves as geoscientists before they can commit to geoscience programs and careers. This project uses a hands-on, place-based learning activity as an opportunity for Native students to better see themselves as geoscientists.

A portable rainfall simulator was constructed, calibrated, and refined for use in teaching concepts about rainfall, runoff, and erosion. It was employed in place-based learning exercises with …

Exploring The Relationship Between Anxiety And Virtual Reality Sickness, David Wesley Woolverton

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

As virtual reality (VR) becomes more commonly used in education, it is important to understand the technology’s weakness and mitigate any potential negative effects on student success. One adverse side-effect of VR use is simulation-induced motion sickness, known in the context of VR as VR sickness. Previous research by Howard and Van Zandt (2021) found that possessing a phobia had a significant positive correlation with VR sickness, but only if the phobia is triggered by the simulation, suggesting that symptoms are actually connected to the anxiety the phobia induces. This study explored the hypothesized correlation between anxiety and VR sickness, …

Care-Teach: Proposing An Open-Source Approach To Personalized Learning, Jaime Augusto Alvarez Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Care-Teach is an algorithmic educational model that provides teachers and educators with the tools to create interactive, text-based lessons that address a student’s need for continuity and reinforcement. Care-Teach is built around two core components: a Student Behavior Profile and the Skill Tree. These models work together to give each student a personalized learning experience that reinforces their pre-existing strengths and inclinations. The Student Behavior Profile model keeps track of a learner’s inclinations and mood, utilizing metrics such as average response time and accuracy to categorize opportunities for educator involvement. The Skill Tree is an organizational …

Graph-Based Learning, Jason Gronn

Honors Projects

An educational approach to teaching students based on prerequisite knowledge they may or may not have is presented. This approach represents educational content in the form of a graph, where edges link each topic to the prerequisites of that topic. A proof-of-concept website is created based on this approach, where qualitative results are observed and a number of conclusions are drawn. Some of the findings are that, while it can prevent users from being confused by lacked prior knowledge, the users may instead be confused by the presentation of the graph structure. The work finds that the approach is workable, …

Evaluating Appropriate Participant Training Period For Anuran Auditory Surveys, Evianna Goebel

Honors Projects

Auditory surveys are common in anuran research as they can tell a lot about a species without being intensely laborious or costly. There has not been much research on training periods for those taking part in the surveys. Proper training is necessary and improper training can hinder a project and lead to skewed results. In this study, we took students from several biology 2040 classes and had them study the calls of 11 frog species in NW Ohio. From the data, we can conclude that 2 weeks of roughly 100 minutes of study time is not enough for successful results …

Redefining Readiness: Higher Education's Role In An Ai World How Higher Education Can Bridge The Gap Between Human Talent And Machine Intelligence For The Workforce Of Tomorrow, Paloma Shelton

HON 499 Honors Thesis or Creative Project

As the world changes all around us in the landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI), our educational pathways need to adapt quickly. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the current and future state of higher education, its relationship with AI and technology, and the evolving requirements of the workforce. It outlines the historical progression of higher education since the Colonial Era, emphasizing the need for constant adaptation to societal and economic demands. It reflects how higher education must evolve to equip students with the necessary skills and adaptability for future careers in the digital and AI-augmented landscape. As AI advances …

An Analysis And Ontology Of Teaching Methods In Cybersecurity Education, Sarah Buckley

LSU Master's Theses

The growing cybersecurity workforce gap underscores the urgent need to address deficiencies in cybersecurity education: the current education system is not producing competent cybersecurity professionals, and current efforts are not informing the non-technical general public of basic cybersecurity practices. We argue that this gap is compounded by a fundamental disconnect between cybersecurity education literature and established education theory. Our research addresses this issue by examining the alignment of cybersecurity education literature concerning educational methods and tools with education literature.

In our research, we endeavor to bridge this gap by critically analyzing the alignment of cybersecurity education literature with education theory. …

Interfacial Magnetism And Anisotropy In Dirac And Weyl Semimetals, Noah Schulz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Semimetals have gained intense interest recently due to their exotic magnetic and electronic properties. One of the most widely studied semimetals is graphene, a Dirac semimetal. The utilization of graphene in devices and sensors requires interfacing it with other materials, which may induce potentially strong interfacial effects. Furthermore, graphene alone does not possess magnetic order. Studying the interfacial effects between graphene and magnetic materials is therefore of great importance in the application of graphene to meet modern technological needs. Furthermore, by understanding the fundamental interfacial physics between graphene and magnetic materials, new properties can be unlocked, broadening the possible applications …