Higher Education Commons^™

Using Student Interests To Explore Inclusion In Undergraduate Chemistry, Sonja Hoversten

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

For students who are not chemistry majors, but who are on a career track requiring four chemistry courses, taking the final reactivity chemistry course (CHEM 251) for pre-health students can be daunting. For this reason, this research is focused on the CHEM 251 course at The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSBSJU) which is one of the four required chemistry courses for pre-medicine and some pre-physician assistant students, and all chemistry and biochemistry majors. Student perception of inclusion in the course increased through the implementation of group assignments including prompts for individual application of the material. The …

Building A Strategic Framework With A Sustainability Lens At Wcu, Stefanie Schwalm

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Stefanie Schwalm, WCU Associate Provost for Accreditation, SRPS Spring '24 4/17: "Building a Strategic Framework with a Sustainability Lens at WCU."

Teaching Software Development For Real-World Problems Using A Microservice-Based Collaborative Problem-Solving Approach, Yi Meng Lau, Christian Michael Koh, Lingxiao Jiang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Experienced and skillful software developers are needed in organizations to develop software products effective for their business with shortened time-to-market. Such developers will not only need to code but also be able to work in teams and collaboratively solve real-world problems that organizations arefacing. It is challenging for educators to nurture students to become such developers with strong technical, social, and cognitive skills. Towards addressing the challenge, this study presents a Collaborative Software Development Project Framework for a course that focuses on learning microservices architectures anddeveloping a software application for a real-world business. Students get to work in teams to …

Performance Outcomes In Introductory Statistics: R Vs. Spss Usage At A Community College, Venessa Singhroy Ph.D., Bianca Sosnovski

Publications and Research

This dataset corresponds to a study investigating the performance outcomes of students enrolled in two sections of an introductory statistics course at a community college in New York. The study, titled "Examining Differences in Performance Outcomes between Statistics Classes using High-coding vs. Low-coding Statistical Software Packages," explores the impact of utilizing different statistical software packages (R and SPSS) on student performance and motivation. The dataset comprises assessments administered to participants, including the Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire, Reading Comprehension Assessment, Algebra Assessment, Statistics Assessment, and Coding Assessment. Participants were divided into two sections: one utilizing R and the other utilizing SPSS for …

Research Experiences Via Integrating Simulations And Experiments (Revise): A Model Collaborative Research Project For Undergraduate Students In Co2 Sorbent Design, Anthony Griffin, Neziah Smith, Mark Robertson, Bianca Nunez, Jacob Mccraw, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Undergraduate research experiences are an instrumental component of student development, increasing conceptual understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and guiding potential career aspirations. Moving one step further, as research continues to become more interdisciplinary, there exists potential to accelerate student growth by granting additional perspectives through collaborative research. This study demonstrates the utilization of a model collaborative research project, specifically investigating the development of sorbent technologies for efficient CO2 capture, which is an important research area for improving environmental sustainability. A model CO2 sorbent system of heteroatom-doped porous carbon is utilized to enable students to gain knowledge of adsorption processes, through combined …

Research Experiences Via Integrating Simulations And Experiments (Revise): A Model Collaborative Research Project For Undergraduate Students In Co2 Sorbent Design, Anthony Griffin, Neziah Smith, Mark Robertson, Bianca Nunez, Jacob Mccraw, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Undergraduate research experiences are an instrumental component of student development, increasing conceptual understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and guiding potential career aspirations. Moving one step further, as research continues to become more interdisciplinary, there exists potential to accelerate student growth by granting additional perspectives through collaborative research. This study demonstrates the utilization of a model collaborative research project, specifically investigating the development of sorbent technologies for efficient CO2 capture, which is an important research area for improving environmental sustainability. A model CO2 sorbent system of heteroatom-doped porous carbon is utilized to enable students to gain knowledge of adsorption processes, through combined …

Seeing Eye To Eye? Comparing Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Biomolecular Visualization Assessments, Josh T. Beckham, Daniel R. Dries, Bonnie L. Hall, Rarchel M. Mitton-Fry, Shelly Engelman, Charmita Burch, Roderico Acevedo, Pamela S. Mertz, Didem Vardar-Ulu, Swati Agrawal, Kristin M. Fox, Shane Austin, Margaret A. Franzen, Henry V. Jakubowski, Walter R. P. Novak, Rebecca Roberts, Alberto I. Roca, Kristen Procko

Chemistry Faculty Publications

While visual literacy has been identified as a foundational skill in life science education, there are many challenges in teaching and assessing biomolecular visualization skills. Among these are the lack of consensus about what constitutes competence and limited understanding of student and instructor perceptions of visual literacy tasks. In this study, we administered a set of biomolecular visualization assessments, developed as part of the BioMolViz project, to both students and instructors at multiple institutions and compared their perceptions of task difficulty. We then analyzed our findings using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis was used to answer the following research questions: …

In Pursuit Of Consumption-Based Forecasting, Charles Chase, Kenneth B. Kahn

Marketing Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Today's most mature, most sophisticated, best-in-class forecasting is what we call consumption-based forecasting (CBF). In contrast, the least sophisticated companies typically do not forecast at all, but rather set financial targets based on management expectations. Companies beginning to use statistical forecasting techniques usually take a supply-centric orientation, relying on time series techniques applied to shipment and/or order history. The next stage of progression is to incorporate promotions data, economic data, and market data alongside supply-centric data so that regression and other advanced analytics can be used. Companies pursing CBF utilize even more advanced capabilities to capture, examine, and understand …

In Situ Water Sensing Systems: Research On Advancements In Environmental Monitoring, Abigail Seibel

Honors Theses

In this work, two sensing systems were researched in order to improve in situ environmental monitoring. The first is a pH and Total Alkalinity sensor used to determine these characteristics of sea water. I explored the facets of this sensor over a 7-week internship with Dr. Ellen Briggs in her lab in summer of 2023. The second is a more holistic sensing system that reads temperature, turbidity, and pressure used for studying environmental characteristics of Alaskan bever ponds. Both systems were developed in close collaboration with scientists who are collecting data to better understand the impacts of climate change. Better …

Exploring Students' Adoption Of Chatgpt As A Mentor For Undergraduate Computing Projects: Pls-Sem Analysis, Gottipati Swapna, Kyong Jin Shim, Shankararaman, Venky

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As computing projects increasingly become a core component of undergraduate courses, effective mentorship is crucial for supporting students' learning and development. Our study examines the adoption of ChatGPT as a mentor for undergraduate computing projects. It explores the impact of ChatGPT mentorship, specifically, skills development, and mentor responsiveness, i.e., ChatGPT's responsiveness to students' needs and requests. We utilize PLS-SEM to investigate the interrelationships between different factors and develop a model that captures their contribution to the effectiveness of ChatGPT as a mentor. The findings suggest that mentor responsiveness and technical/design support are key factors for the adoption of AI tools …

Short History Of The Unl Digital Commons, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

From 2005 through 2023, the UNL Digital Commons grew to be a leading example of an institutional repository. This presentation reports on personnel, history, strategy, and outstanding examples of series or contributors.

Announcement about the session:

UNL Digital Commons began in 2005 and grew into America’s 3rd-largest and most-trafficked institutional repository. Approaching 100 million downloads and spreading UNL scholarship and branding across the globe, the UNL Digital Commons boasts works from a wide variety of affiliated faculty, researchers, and students. Their participation is opening the dissemination of scholarship in radical and fundamental ways. In this session, Paul Royster traces this …

Umaine Pfas+ Initiative — Transformative Solutions For Pfas Pollution, Vice President For Research And Dean Of The Graduate School, Office Of Research Development

General University of Maine Publications

The University of Maine PFAS+ is a multi-disciplinary initiative that focuses on the emerging PFAS pollution crisis and its cascading environmental and societal impacts. The plus sign indicates the breadth of the impacts that PFAS has on society, other emerging environmental pollutants, as well as the transformative and novel approach that UMaine realizes.

Vision

To mitigate the PFAS crisis and its consequences safely and sustainably in Maine and beyond.

Mission

To address through research and development the multifaceted challenges posed by PFAS pollution.

Purpose

Strategic planning of PFAS mitigation efforts, coordination of high quality PFAS analysis and conducting cutting edge …

Ai-Supported Academic Advising: Exploring Chatgpt’S Current State And Future Potential Toward Student Empowerment, Daisuke Akiba, Michelle C. Fraboni

Publications and Research

Artificial intelligence (AI), once a phenomenon primarily in the world of science fiction, has evolved rapidly in recent years, steadily infiltrating into our daily lives. ChatGPT, a freely accessible AI-powered large language model designed to generate human-like text responses to users, has been utilized in several areas, such as the healthcare industry, to facilitate interactive dissemination of information and decision-making. Academic advising has been essential in promoting success among university students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unfortunately, however, student advising has been marred with problems, with the availability and accessibility of adequate advising being among the hurdles. The current study …

Lagrange’S Study Of Wilson’S Theorem, Carl Lienert

Number Theory

No abstract provided.

Lagrange’S Proof Of The Converse Of Wilson’S Theorem, Carl Lienert

Number Theory

No abstract provided.

Lagrange’S Proof Of Wilson’S Theorem—And More!, Carl Lienert

Number Theory

No abstract provided.

Lagrange’S Alternate Proof Of Wilson’S Theorem, Carl Lienert

Number Theory

No abstract provided.

Proactive Conversational Agents In The Post-Chatgpt World, Lizi Liao, Grace Hui Yang, Chirag Shah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

ChatGPT and similar large language model (LLM) based conversational agents have brought shock waves to the research world. Although astonished by their human-like performance, we find they share a significant weakness with many other existing conversational agents in that they all take a passive approach in responding to user queries. This limits their capacity to understand the users and the task better and to offer recommendations based on a broader context than a given conversation. Proactiveness is still missing in these agents, including their ability to initiate a conversation, shift topics, or offer recommendations that take into account a more …

Applications Of Financial Mathematics: An Analysis Of Consumer Financial Decision Making, Alyssa Betterton

Honors Theses

Students always ask, “How can this be applied to the real world?” Mortgages, car loans, and credit card bills are things that almost everyone will have to make decisions about at some point in their lives. This research discusses the many different financial choices that consumers have to make. Consumers can use this information to understand how interest rates, the length of the loan, and the initial amount being borrowed affects the amount that is paid back to the companies. The intent of this thesis is to present the mathematical theory of interest. A web-based application has been built based …

Nature Nurturers Sustainability And Journalism Club, Bruce Baker, Shelby Rickert

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool club that teaches basic sustainability and journalism knowledge to kids in a fun, hands-on, and engaging way. Kids will learn over the course of several weeks and then make posters about their environmental interests.

Magnetic Properties Of Polycrystalline Spinel Oxides From Solid State Reaction, Camden Olds

Honors Theses

Spinel crystal materials of nickel, cobalt, and iron oxides have seen abundant research for their strong conductivity, ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties, and their catalytic uses. These can be synthesized by a number of means. This project explores the use of the solid state synthesis method, which benefits from simplicity, of this family of materials, looking for interesting phase shift lines in the triangle between of varying compositions of these three metals.

Nickel cobaltite and other related spinels were synthesized from two different solid state approaches and characterized using XRD and SQUID magnetometry. The range 0.5-0.6 of molar ratios of nickel …

Modeled Uranium Series Disequilibria In A Heterogeneous Mantle Underlying Iceland, Dana Andersen

Honors Theses

Regional lithologic heterogeneities in Earth’s mantle may significantly contribute to variations in magma productivity and crustal generation. Such heterogeneities may be a key factor in the anomalously high rates of magmatism and thickened crust of Iceland, which are not fully explained by the presence of a mantle plume. However, the exact lithologic composition of the mantle underlying Iceland is largely unknown. Recent trace element modeling has suggested a two-component melt source beneath Iceland, consisting of a typical upper mantle peridotite mixing with one of several compositions of pyroxenitic material. This study further investigates these potential melt sources by calculating U-series …

Interdisciplinary And Innovative: A Nursing And Computer Science Collaboration To Create A Barcode Medication Administration System, Jodi Lisbeth Berndt, Peter Ohmann, Imad Rahal, Lindsey Hoeschen, Andrew Rothstein

Nursing Faculty Publications

Preventing medication errors remains a priority in nursing education. The implementation of Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) systems is one strategy that has been used to reduce medication errors. Practice using BCMA in simulated settings may enhance the transfer of these skills to the clinical practice setting. However, the purchase of BCMA educational products available for nursing students can be cost prohibitive for many nursing programs. To overcome the barrier of cost, an interdisciplinary and innovative collaborative approach was used to create a fully functional low-cost BCMA system.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Chatbot Workshop As Experiential Teaching And Learning Tool To Engage Undergraduate Students, Kyong Jin Shim, Thomas Menkhoff, Ying Qian Teo, Clement Shi Qi Ong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we empirically examine and assess the effectiveness of a chatbot workshop as experiential teaching and learning tool to engage undergraduate students enrolled in an elective course “Doing Business with A.I.” in the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) at Singapore Management University. The chatbot workshop provides non-STEM students with an opportunity to acquire basic skills to build a chatbot prototype using the ‘Dialogflow’ program. The workshop and the experiential learning activity are designed to impart conversation and user-centric design know how and know why to students. A key didactical aspect which informs the design and flow …

Science Club, Danielle Gibson, Krista Andersen

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Honors After School program for elementary age children to engage with scientific principles. Students performed hands-on experiments to explore various STEM fields. Each weekly lesson consisted of a different concept to be learned or explored by early elementary aged students.

Extraction And Analytical Method For N-Nitrosoatrazine Using Liquid Chromatography Paired With Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Carolyn Billings

Honors Theses

Atrazine is an herbicide used in the United States to control weeds. When combined with nitrite, atrazine can be nitrosated to form N-nitrosoatrazine (NNAT) in vivo and in vitro under acidic conditions. Atrazine can also be metabolized to atrazine mercapturate, deethylatrazine (DEA), didealkylatrazine (DDA), and deisopropylatrazine (DIA). Atrazine is monitored in drinking water due to its possible carcinogenicity. The objective of this study was to develop extraction and analytical methods for NNAT, atrazine, and atrazine metabolites. An instrument detection limit, extraction methods comparison, and extraction method detection limit were determined. To compare methods, Fischer 344 rat tissue samples were …

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: The State Of The Field, Helen Crompton, Diane Burke

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This systematic review provides unique findings with an up-to-date examination of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education (HE) from 2016 to 2022. Using PRISMA principles and protocol, 138 articles were identified for a full examination. Using a priori, and grounded coding, the data from the 138 articles were extracted, analyzed, and coded. The findings of this study show that in 2021 and 2022, publications rose nearly two to three times the number of previous years. With this rapid rise in the number of AIEd HE publications, new trends have emerged. The findings show that research was conducted in six of …

The Concentration Of Heavy Metals In Lincoln Nebraska's Tap Water, Evan Neuhaus

Honors Theses

Heavy metals are commonplace in nature, and are typically found in scarce quantities in all drinking sources. However, in high enough concentrations, they can have a myriad of negative health effects. This study seeks to find the concentrations of such metals in the Lincoln water supply utilizing the resources of the Water Center at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. To test for discrete concentrations of trace elements, a method of using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was implemented. ICP-MS uses plasma to ionize and atomize a sample which is then filtered into a series of cones into a …

The Influence Of Complex Coastlines On The Sea Breeze And Convection Initiation In Coastal North Carolina, Logan Howard, Adam L. Houston

Honors Theses

The sea breeze is a common phenomenon in coastal regions around the world. Their development and propagation can be treated as a density current. It is well known that many factors influence density current propagation, including wind. Depending on the orientation, the wind speed and shear can enhance or inhibit the development of the sea breeze. In places like eastern North Carolina, complex coastal geography can create river and sound breezes that, upon collision, have the potential to initiate thunderstorms. Using Cloud Model 1, simulations were conducted to model the behavior of the sea breezes in eastern North Carolina and …

Using Game Theory To Model Tripolar Deterrence And Escalation Dynamics, Grace Farson

Honors Theses

The study investigated how game theory can been utilized to model multipolar escalation dynamics between Russia, China, and the United States. In addition, the study focused on analyzing various parameters that affected potential conflict outcomes to further new deterrence thought in a tripolar environment.

A preliminary game theoretic model was created to model and analyze escalation dynamics. The model was built upon framework presented by Zagare and Kilgour in their work ‘Perfect Deterrence’. The model is based on assumptions and rules set prior to game play. The model was then analyzed based upon these assumptions using a form of mathematical …