Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Exploring The Nature Of The Co-Emergence Of Students' Representational Fluency And Functional Thinking, Nigar Altindis

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract In this dissertation, I explore ways to support secondary school students' meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. Specifically, I investigate how students co-developed representational fluency (RF) and functional thinking (FT), when they gained meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. I also characterize students' co-emergence of RF and FT on each representation (e.g., a graph, a symbolic equation, and a table) and across multiple representations. To accomplish these goals, I employed a design research methodology: a teaching experiment with eight Turkish-American secondary school students in an after-school context at a Turkish Community Center. I constructed the design principles and design elements for …

Examining Adolescence Science And Mathematics Teachers’ Views Of The Characteristics Of Effective Professional Development: A Q-Methodological Study, Dominick Fantacone

Dissertations - ALL

The design and implementation of secondary teacher professional development (PD) has been a focus of researchers for decades. Often viewed as the way to increase the quality of teaching and to improve student achievement, billions of dollars are invested in PD within the United Stated every year. As such, researchers continue to seek new avenues to understand and to improve the benefits of PD.An area of inquiry that has drawn specific interest amongst some investigators are the characteristics of effective PD. Numerous studies purport the need for these characteristics to be included in the design of PD. Yet, teachers’ perspectives …

Exploring The Nature Of The Co-Emergence Of Students’ Representational Fluency And Functional Thinking, Nigar Altindis

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract In this dissertation, I explore ways to support secondary school students’ meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. Specifically, I investigate how students co-developed representational fluency (RF) and functional thinking (FT), when they gained meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. I also characterize students’ co-emergence of RF and FT on each representation (e.g., a graph, a symbolic equation, and a table) and across multiple representations. To accomplish these goals, I employed a design research methodology: a teaching experiment with eight Turkish-American secondary school students in an after-school context at a Turkish Community Center. I constructed the design principles and design elements for …

Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task, Nakia Salam

Symposium of Student Scholars

Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task

By the time students graduate from high school, the knowledge of functions has shifted from a conceptual understanding to a procedural approach, where the understanding of functions is based upon memorized computational steps that can’t be modeled. A focus on the computational aspect of functions can have a long-term effect on students’ ability to understand the meaning of functional relationships, negatively affecting their overall ability to reason mathematically. Without educators making a conscious decision to recognize the value of modeling and force its’ inclusion, there are few opportunities to experience the application of functional …

Exploring Adolescents’ Critical Thinking Aptitudes When Reading About Science In The News, Marianne Bissonnette, Pierre Chastenay, Chantal Francoeur

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research studies the critical thinking skills of six teenagers in their final years of high school. It looks at the way those students use a set of cognitive skills in order to analyze scientific and pseudoscientific information available in online news articles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six students chosen according to their results in a questionnaire about interest in science topics. Results show a large gap between participants’ use of critical thinking skills. Most of these skills were mainly used for text comprehension, evoking general knowledge, numeracy, arguments assessment and production, and life skills (open-mindedness and metacognition). The …

Use Of Artificial Intelligence To Identify Predictors Of Functional Outcomes In Patients With Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, Natalie K. Katz

Research Days

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy characterized by slowly progressive muscle weakness. Symptoms initially involve the facial and shoulder girdle muscles, with later involvement of the distal lower extremities, pelvic girdle and proximal lower extremities. FSHD type 1 (FHSD1) is the most common form (~95% of individuals) and is caused by deletion of microsatellite repeats in the D4Z4 region on chromosome 4 (4q35). Normal individuals have >10 repeats whereas individuals with FSHD1 have 1-10 repeats. There is significant variability in regards to disease severity, rates of progression and functional outcomes, but …

Prevalence Of Adolescent Sexual Health Outcomes At Children’S Hospitals During Covid-19, Margarita Abella

Research Days

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mitigation strategies, including social distancing, decreased structured environments, and decreased sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care access, could negatively impact adolescent SRH behaviors and related outcomes. To date, little is known regarding changes in adolescent SRH outcomes during COVID-19.

Objectives/Goal: Our goals were to assess changes in adolescent SRH outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, and sexual assault in the hospital (emergency department [ED] and inpatient [IP]) during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19.

Methods/Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adolescent (11-18 years old) IP or ED hospital visits using the Pediatric …

Effectiveness And Safety Of Repeat Dexamethasone For Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Christian Oliveros

Research Days

Background: Although a short course of steroids maybe beneficial in infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, response to treatment is variable. In infants with persistent lung disease despite initial treatment, repeat courses of steroids have been described but not well-studied. This 10-year observational study from a single tertiary referral center evaluates the effectiveness and safety of repeat steroid treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Objectives/Goal: To describe effectiveness of repeat dexamethasone treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to evaluate potential detrimental effects on growth and neurodevelopment.

Methods/Design: This was a 10-year single-center observational study of infants <30 >weeks’ gestational age at birth …

A Study Examining The Safety And Efficacy Of Ferric Carboxymaltose In A Large Pediatric Cohort, Chandni Dargan Md, David Simon Do

Research Days

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is common in the pediatric population with varying high-risk factors. Intravenous (IV) iron supplementation has become more desirable in patients with moderate to severe anemia and in patients who are either unresponsive to or have adverse side-effects secondary to oral iron. Iron sucrose and Iron dextran have been traditionally used in pediatrics while ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has only been FDA approved in adults. One of the major advantages of FCM is the ease of dosing and efficacy. Though FCM was approved for adults in 2013 and there have been no safety concerns, it is not …

Portable Low Field Strength Mri: Preliminary Experience In Neonates And Children, Johnston Fite

Research Days

Background: High field strength MRI (HF-MRI) is a pediatric imaging staple. However, HF-MRI access is limited by strong (1.5 – 3.0 T) magnetic fields with associated safety concerns, space requirements, and cost. To address these limitations, Hyperfine (Guilford, CT) developed a low magnetic field (0.064 T) portable MRI device, named Swoop. Preliminary data in adults shows benefits despite decreased image quality. In this study, initial evaluation of Swoop’s image quality in pediatric patients was assessed.

Objectives/Goal: The objective in this study was the initial evaluation of Swoop’s image quality in pediatric patients to serve as a baseline.

Methods/Design: The study …

Variability In Blood Gas Levels During Non-Invasive Ventilatory Support Following Planned Extubation And Association To 36-Week Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia In Preterm Neonates, Michelle Klueppelberg

Research Days

Background: Despite shifts to non-invasive support, as of 2012, 87% of preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) continued to receive some form of invasive mechanical ventilation1 . As a result, research around how prolonged respiratory support may impact the development of chronic lung disease, specifically bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has flourished. To date, literature has established associations between the time on invasive mechanical ventilation and incidence BPD2,3. Resulting in the development of standardized extubation strategies and bringing with them objective measures of extubation readiness4,5. Yet, due to their volatile conditions, some neonates will inevitably need to be …

Antibiotic Durations For Skin And Soft Tissue Infections In Pediatric Urgent Care Clinics, Megan Hamner

Research Days

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are the second most common diagnosis leading to pediatric antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting after respiratory diagnoses. However, most antibiotic stewardship programs have mainly focused on the latter. Children seen in the ambulatory setting for SSTIs often receive >7 days of antibiotics, although current society guidelines recommend 5-7 days for most diagnoses.

Objectives/Goal: To determine the baseline percentage of patients receiving antibiotic prescriptions for >7 days for SSTIs in Children’s Mercy urgent care clinics (UCC)s and to evaluate factors that influence providers towards longer durations.

Methods/Design: We built a report that extracted …

Developing An Inquiry-Based Laboratory Project For Chem 142l Course At Bsu, Manuel Pina

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In addition to content knowledge, critical and independent thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem-solving skills are essential in preparing next generation of successful workforce. Since one of the biggest advantages of STEM disciplines is a “must-have” hands-on laboratory experience, it is intuitive to exploit this learning space to reinforce afore-mentioned skills. In this context, project-based (PBL) or inquiry-based (IBL) laboratory experiences are rapidly becoming mainstream pedagogical choice for many STEM instructors across United States.^[1-4] PBL, and IBL are learning experiences that offer students an opportunity to experience realistic scientific process of discovery through carefully designed inquiry-driven and/or open-ended investigative laboratory …

The Effects That A Flipped Classroom Has On Engagement And Academic Performance For High School Mathematics Students, Jordan Geraets

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Flipped classrooms continue to spark educator’s attention and curiosity as an alternative to the traditional teaching and engagement in a classroom, especially during the time of a global pandemic. New, innovative technology has allowed for educators to be able to evolve their classrooms into new learning environments. Research into how flipped classrooms can impact mathematics classrooms and how students engage and perform differently than in a traditional mathematics classroom was expanded on in this study to determine what benefits there could be for students and how effective the teaching model can be in a class where students often struggle. As …

A New Paradigm: Ecmo Therapy In Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Patients, Igor Areinamo

Research Days

Background: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for support of pediatric patients has significantly increased in the past years. Patients with known oncologic diseases, immunodeficiencies, or bone marrow transplants (BMT) have traditionally not been considered candidates for Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) due to perceived high risk for mortality. Ongoing advances have continued to push the boundaries of ECMO use and we report our recent experience with this patient population

Objectives/Goal: To evaluate survival to discharge of pediatric patients who require ECMO support and who also have an underlying hematologic or oncologic disease process. To determine specific patient characteristics that …

Low Dose Doxorubicin Inhibits Immune Checkpoint Upregulation In Acute Leukemias, Bradley C. Stockard

Research Days

Background: Evasion of drug and immune response in therapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs) is a major cause of relapse. A previous study has identified an alternative mechanism of action for low-dose doxorubicin (DXR) that inhibits upregulation of immune checkpoints (IC) in LSCs.

Objectives/Goal: The objective of this study is to establish the DXR dose range that will achieve the inhibition of immune checkpoint expression in leukemic cell lines.

Methods/Design: Cells were analyzed for expression of CTLA-4, LAG-3, PD-1, TIGIT, and TIM-3 via flow cytometry. Analysis was performed on days 3, 5, and 8 of treatment at concentrations identified as low, …

Levofloxacin Versus Ciprofloxacin Prophylaxis In Pediatric Cancer Patients At High Risk Of Infection, Chandni Dargan Md, Amy Johnson Md, Mba

Research Days

Background: Patients with cancer and those undergoing chemotherapy are at risk of developing bacterial infections due to myelosuppression. Patients undergoing the most intensive chemotherapy regimens are at a higher risk for morbidity and mortality due to profound neutropenia. Antibacterial prophylaxis is given to reduce the incidence of infection in those at highest risk. Starting March 1, 2016 our institution used ciprofloxacin for antibacterial prophylaxis however recent literature, including the COG trial ACCL0934, supports using levofloxacin in certain high risk (HR) populations due to greater efficacy in reducing neutropenic fever (NF) and bacteremia. Therefore, we switched to this April 1, 2019. …

A Pediatric Case Of Treatment-Related Myelodysplastic Syndrome While On Therapy For Pre-B All, Sara Mcelroy

Research Days

Background: Treatment-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) is a known, but rare, late effect of cancer therapy, specifically radiation, alkylating agents or topoisomerase II inhibitors. When secondary to treatment with alkylating agents, t-MDS typically occurs 4 to 7 years after therapy, and common cytogenetics include chromosomes 5 and 7 abnormalities. Treatment in children with t-MDS is typically allogeneic stem cell transplant, but the prognosis remains poor.

Objectives/Goal: To describe a rare case of a pediatric patient who developed t-MDS while receiving treatment for Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (pre-B ALL) and to outline the treatment regimen that he received.

Methods/Design: Case Report …

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange In Critically Ill Pediatric Patients With Leukemia, Sarah E. Mc Dermott, Chandni Dargan

Research Days

Background: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has well-documented applications in the adult population, outlined by the American Society of Apheresis (ASFA) 2019 guidelines. Limited data exists regarding the use of TPE in critically ill pediatric patients, however these reports rarely include patients with oncological diseases. Care for these patients poses certain clinical considerations including the safety of continuing chemotherapy, delayed clearance of chemotherapy secondary to end organ damage and mechanical clearance (i.e., continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) circuitry), and ability to tolerate chemotherapy once recovered. We aim to highlight the potential benefits of TPE in their acute management, so that it …

Outcomes Of Infants With Severe Rop At Risk Of Treatment With Avastin Compared To Laser Surgery, Stephen Doxey

Research Days

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a well-known complication occurring in the most premature infants leading to visual impairment and in the most severe cases associated with retinal detachment and childhood blindness. Factors contributing the development of ROP include chronic hypoxia and disordered vascular genesis primarily through the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway. Infants at risk of developing ROP are screened with serial eye exam and treated with either laser surgery or intraocular injects of bevacizumab (Avastin) to prevent progression of ROP and preserve vision. Bevacizumab, an inhibitor of VEGF signaling, may have positive effects on preventing ROP …

Long-Term Outcomes And Satisfaction Rates After Costal Cartilage Resection For Slipping Rib Syndrome, James Fraser

Research Days

Background/Objectives/Goal: Slipping rib syndrome (SRS) is a challenging and underdiagnosed condition that has proven to be an elusive diagnosis due to an extensive differential with presenting symptoms that mimic a myriad of alternative diagnoses of both thoracic and abdominal pathology. The diagnosis of SRS is recognized in a patient with consistent, progressive, often debilitating unilateral or bilateral chest wall and/or upper abdominal pain with intermittent clicking or rib slipping. SRS frequently does not resolve with conservative management, including physical therapy, rest, and NSAIDs, as well as intercostal injections, and even opioid medications. Workup can be extensive including multiple subspecialty referrals …

Multimodal Pain Control In Common Neonatal Surgeries: Post-Operative Pain Protocol Reduces Opiate Exposure And Side Effects, Jamesia Donato

Research Days

Background: Opioids are the primary post-operative (post-op) analgesic in neonates. Side effects include hypotension, apnea and ileus. Previous studies show IV acetaminophen decreases opiate need in specific populations including cleft palate repair, cardiac surgery. The effect of IV acetaminophen as part of a post-op pain algorithm is not known in common neonatal surgical procedures.

Objectives/Goal: To determine if (a) a post-op pain algorithm including IV acetaminophen and (b) IV acetaminophen exposure reduces cumulative opioid requirements in neonates undergoing common surgeries in the NICU.

Methods/Design: This is a retrospective cohort study comparing cumulative post-operative opiate exposure between infants with common surgeries …

Improving Thromboprophylaxis In Hospitalized Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients- A Quality Improvement Project, Amy Issa, Panam Kaur

Research Days

Background/Project Intent (Aim Statement): Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in acute flare have 1.5 to 3-fold higher risk of thromboembolism compared to the general population. Anticoagulation therapy is recommended for pediatric IBD patients who have ≥ 1 risk factors for venous thromboembolic events. At Children’s Mercy Hospital (CMH), approximately 80 patients/year are admitted for acute flare, of which, roughly 30% receive appropriate thromboprophylaxis. Lack of standardization of thromboprophylaxis and an educational gap amongst providers are significant barriers. Our goal is to standardize and improve the rates of thromboprophylaxis in IBD patients admitted at CMH from 30% to 60% by …

Umbilical Access In Laparoscopic Surgery In Infants Less Than 3 Months: Single Institution Retrospective Review, James Fraser

Research Days

Background/Objectives/Goal: Umbilical access in laparoscopic surgery has been cited as a potential factor for increased complications in low-birth-weight infants and those less than three months old. Previous series noted a self-reported complication rate of 10.6% among 329 pediatric surgeons via anonymous survey, citing carbon dioxide (CO2) embolism as the most common complication. We report four-year outcomes with blunt transumbilical laparoscopic access to examine the safety of this technique.

Methods/Design: Following IRB approval, a retrospective database of patients less than three months of age who underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy or inguinal hernia repair from 2016-2019 at a tertiary care academic center was …

Pediatric Pulmonary Artery Aneurysms Causing Pulmonary Hemorrhage: A Case Of Transcatheter Intervention While On Va Ecmo Support, Igor Areinamo

Research Days

Background: The incidence of pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) in children remains unknown. There are few reports of a transcutaneous interventional approach to address this type of pathology. Management of PAAs while on VA ECMO has not been described in pediatrics.

Objectives/Goal:

Methods/Design:

Case: 9-year-old previously healthy male presented with MRSA associated ARDS and sepsis requiring urgent VA ECMO cannulation. Chest CT done on ECMO day 22 showed development of right sided PAAs. Patient had an episode of significant pulmonary hemorrhage. Angiogram demonstrated two fusiform right PAAs, one of which had ruptured and was bleeding into the lung parenchyma. Patient had …

Not-So-Apparent Mixing Lesions: Late Presentation Of Cardioembolic Stroke, Amulya Buddhavarapu

Research Days

Background: Multiple levels of inter-atrial shunting can rarely present late in life with dyspnea and embolic stroke from effects of bidirectional shunting.

Case: A 55-year-old male with history of a patent foramen ovale, atrial fibrillation and embolic stroke presented with worsening fatigue and dyspnea at rest. Echocardiogram showed mildly reduced ventricular function with severe right heart dilation. On transesophageal echo, the coronary sinus (CS) was severely dilated with a persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC). A stress test showed no perfusion defects. CT angiography showed an absence of right SVC and a single LSVC connecting to the CS. There was …

Congenital Mitral Valve Regurgitation, The Dilemma Of Repair Vs Replacement., Bianca Cherestal

Research Days

Background: Congenital mitral regurgitation is a rare condition and can be challenging to manage when presenting in the neonatal period

Objectives/Goal: Two week old male presented with poor weight gain, murmur and cardiomegaly on chest X-ray. Echocardiogram showed moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and suprasystemic pulmonary hypertension (PHN) (fig 1 a, b). The mitral valve (MV) leaflets were thickened and tethered with failure of central coaptation. PHN was classified as WHO I and II (due to persistent PHN of newborn and MR respectively). Inhaled nitric oxide, Enalapril and Furosemide were initiated. Cardiac catheterization revealed PVRi of 8.9 WU x …

Online Echocardiography Modules For Pediatric Cardiology Fellows, Sarah Studyvin, Doaa Aly, Tyler Johnson, Laura Kuzava, Alison Samrany, Nitin Madan, Sanket Shah

Research Days

Background: Adequate echocardiographic (echo) education is integral to successful cardiology training. Online education is proven to be effective in other specialties, but pediatric echo training data are lacking.

Objectives/Goal: Our aim was to design and assess the role of a novel online module-based curriculum to enhance pediatric cardiology fellows’ echo education.

Methods/Design: Four interactive modules, focused on principles and interpretation of a normal echo, were delivered to fellows. Content included high quality 2D and 3D echo clips as well as interactive quizzes and could be accessed from a phone, tablet, or computer. All fellows completed pre- and post-tests, validated by …

Constrictive Pericarditis After Repair Of A Ruptured Sinus Of Valsalva, Sarah Studyvin, Laura Kuzava

Research Days

Background: Constrictive pericarditis is an uncommon complication of cardiac surgery. We report a patient who developed constrictive pericarditis after ruptured sinus of Valsalva (RSOV) repair.

Methods: A 23-year-old male presented with exertional dyspnea one year after RSOV repair. TTE showed a small, circumferential effusion with thickened pericardium, ventricular septal bounce, left atrial enlargement, diastolic hepatic flow reversal, and trivial mitral regurgitation without stenosis. He underwent cardiac catheterization, which revealed elevated filling pressures (RVEDP 16 mmHg, LVEDP 18 mmHg), RVEDP/RVSP ratio < 0.5, and a low cardiac index (1.65 L/min/m2). Cardiac MRI confirmed pericardial thickening with paradoxic septal motion, dilated pulmonary veins and retrograde flow in the SVC.

Results: Pericardiectomy of thickened and adherent pericardium was performed. The central venous pressure decreased from 23 to 7 mmHg and …

Creating A Democratic Mathematics Classroom: The Interplay Of The Rights And Responsibilities Of The Learner, Priya V. Prasad, Crystal Kalinec-Craig

Democracy & Education

One way in which democratic classrooms can reflect a democracy is by guaranteeing students some inalienable rights; Kalinec-Craig (2017) outlined Olga Torres’s Rights of the Learner (Torres’s RotL) in mathematics classrooms. However, democracies rely not only on citizens’ rights, but on their willingness to take up certain responsibilities as well. We extend this idea to mathematics classrooms to explore the consequences of the interplay of learners’ rights and responsibilities, in the context of the preparation of elementary mathematics teachers. In addition, we explore ways in which learners may overexercise their rights of the learner or opt out of exercising them …