Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

Comparing Cognitive Theories Of Learning Transfer To Advance Cybersecurity Instruction, Assessment, And Testing, Daniel T. Hickey Ph.D., Ronald J. Kantor

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The cybersecurity threat landscape evolves quickly, continually, and consequentially. This means that the transfer of cybersecurity learning is crucial. We compared how different recognized “cognitive” transfer theories might help explain and synergize three aspects of cybersecurity education. These include teaching and training in diverse settings, assessing learning formatively & summatively, and testing & measuring achievement, proficiency, & readiness. We excluded newer sociocultural theories and their implications for inclusion as we explore those theories elsewhere. We first summarized the history of cybersecurity education and proficiency standards considering transfer theories. We then explored each theory and reviewed the most relevant cybersecurity education …

Design And Development Of Industrial Practice Monitoring And Assessment Systems Using Tsukamoto Fuzzy Logic, Tri Yuli Pahtoni, Fatchul Arifin

Elinvo (Electronics, Informatics, and Vocational Education)

Vocational high schools are given flexibility for their students to carry out direct learning in the industry as part of the practical education activities of implementing student skills. The implementation of industrial practice requires a special way to find out and monitor each student's activities so that the achievements of the implementation of industrial practice can be carried out properly. The implementation of industrial work practice assessment has several assessment criteria. These criteria include attendance, neatness, attitude, skills, and knowledge. The problems found in the assessment system are still done manually so that the effectiveness is minimal. This study aims …

Teaching Reproducibility To First Year College Students: Reflections From An Introductory Data Science Course, Brennan L. Bean

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Modern technology threatens traditional modes of classroom assessment by providing students with automated ways to write essays and take exams. At the same time, modern technology continues to expand the accessibility of computational tools that promise to increase the potential scope and quality of class projects. This paper presents a case study where students are asked to complete a “reproducible” final project in an introductory data science course using the R programming language. A reproducible project is one where an instructor can easily regenerate the results and conclusions from the submitted …

Using Assessments To Promote Growth Mindset In College Algebra, Hannah M. Lewis, Kady Schneiter, David Lane Tait

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

Scientific evidence highlights the positive impact of a growth mindset on student achievement. Students with a growth mindset view errors and obstacles as opportunities for growth and welcome challenges and the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. Much has been written about promoting growth mindset through lectures and attitudes, however, assessments can also be an important avenue for encouraging a growth mindset in students. In this paper, we describe how we used assessments to promote growth mindset in a college algebra class. In the sections that follow, we discuss the need for these assessments and the principles that underly their …

Implementation And Assessment Of A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure) In General Chemistry, Alissa Potts

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are growing in popularity in the chemistry community to replace traditional laboratory courses. This approach creates a research experience for a larger number of students than traditional research mentorship experiences offered at universities. CUREs can help students take ownership of projects, learn to design and troubleshoot experimental setups, problem-solve experiments that don’t have a “known answer”, and gain confidence in the laboratory. To assess the effectiveness of a general chemistry laboratory-based CURE course with DePaul students, the Experimental Design Ability Test (EDAT) and the Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) survey were given to …

Establishing The Validity And Reliability Of The Locus Assessments, Tim Jacobbe, Bob Delmas, Brad Hartlaub, Jeff Haberstroh, Catherine Case, Steven Foti, Douglas Whitaker

Numeracy

The development of assessments as part of the funded LOCUS project is described. The assessments measure students’ conceptual understanding of statistics as outlined in the GAISE PreK–12 Framework. Results are reported from a large-scale administration to 3,430 students in grades 6 through 12 in the United States. Items were designed to assess levels of understanding as well as components of the statistical problem solving process as articulated in the GAISE framework. We discuss details of how the model used to develop the LOCUS assessments guided the gathering of evidence for validity and reliability arguments. Three types of validity evidence are …

Using Seasonal Climate Scenarios In The Forageahead Annual Forage Production Model For Early Drought Impact Assessment, M. Podebradska, B. K. Wylie, M. J. Hayes, D. J. Bathke, Y. A. Bayissa, S. P. Boyte, J. F. Brown, B. D. Wardlow

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Health Risks Associated With Contaminants In Groundwater In The Catchment Area Of Selected Dumpsites In Abuja North Central Nigeria, A. Omali, J. T. Arogundade, Daniel D. Snow

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Student Self-Grading Form, Brett Whysel

Open Educational Resources

This is a word document that students use at the beginning, midpoint, and end of a semester to set relevant goals, measure progress towards goals, and self-grade. It is intended to build motivation, metacognition, and accountability. Instructors may use it on its own or to supplement other assessment tools, and improve the accuracy, validity, and fairness of final grades.

Evaluation Of Sustainability Determinants To Develop A Sustainability Rating System For California Infrastructure Construction Projects, Joseph Kim, Patricia Mccarthy

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study evaluates the important sustainability determinants that affect factors’ success in meeting their sustainability goals when conducting infrastructure construction projects in California. The study implemented the online survey method to evaluate the sustainability characteristics that infrastructure industry professionals currently are aware of under the current situation in California. A data set of 25 validated survey responses is used for statistical data analysis using analysis of variables, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and two sample t-tests. The analysis results showed that the median response values for the six major sustainability categories do not show any significant difference. The results also showed that no …

The Influence Of A Course On Assessment For Inservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Natalie M. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many mathematics teachers are not prepared to design valid and usable measurements of their students’ mathematical achievements. There are relatively few opportunities for mathematics teachers to improve their assessment literacy. The purpose of this study is to (1) design a course on assessment for inservice mathematics teachers and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the course. This paper recounts the development of the course and its influence on 16 teachers. Teachers who completed the course submitted a unit outline with learning objectives, a test blueprint, and a unit test. These artifacts influenced my evaluation on the effectiveness of the course. All …

Meas: Exploring Links Between Implementation And Standards Mastery, Noah Silver

Honors Projects

In order to effectively enhance a student’s mathematical understanding and development in the field of mathematics, students need to engage in problem solving. Model eliciting activities, or MEAs, provide students with tasks that promote higher level thinking and the ability to utilize mathematics outside of the classroom; they also align and promote the utilization of the Common Core State Standards and Standards for Mathematical Practice. Research suggests that the language and motivation promoted by MEAs enriches engagement and increases student ability and performance of traditional and real-world mathematics. Use of technology further supports these goals. Through the analysis of checkpoint …

Designing A Digital Interactive Emotion Measure (Diem) For Digital Media: Theoretical Foundations And Validation Protocols, Celeste Sangiorgio, Cassandra Berbary, Cory Crane, Caroline Easton

Frameless

Awareness of emotions is often a treatment target in psychotherapy, but it is difficult to assess emotions due to ambiguity in measurement or scale design. Lack of clarity in scale design may increase risk that participant interpretations of scale items may not align with emotion constructs those scales were designed to capture. Furthermore, emphasis on verbal or written cues leads to low scientific representation of patients who cannot read emotion scales (e.g., low literacy). Touch-screen applications provide a unique opportunity to create a visual emotion measure which has low barriers but can be used to assess a high level of …

Development And Validation Of An Astronomy Self-Efficacy Instrument For Understanding And Doing, Rachel Freed, David Mckinnon, Michael Fitzgerald, Christina M. Norris

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents a new astronomy self-efficacy instrument, composed of two factors; one relating to learning astronomy content, which we call astronomy personal self-efficacy, and the other relating to the use of astronomical instrumentation, specifically the use of remote robotic telescopes for data collection. The latter is referred to as the astronomy instrumental self-efficacy factor. The instrument has been tested for reliability and construct validity. Reliability testing showed that factor 1 had a Cronbach's α of 0.901 and factor 2 had a Cronbach's α of 0.937. Construct validity was established by computing one-way analyses of variances, with the p value …

Cross-Disciplinary Learning Index: A Quantitative Measure Of Cross-Disciplinary Learning About Energy, Todd Haskell, Emily Borda, Andrew Boudreaux

Physics & Astronomy

The structure of many science programs at the college level assumes that students are able to draw on and integrate ideas from multiple disciplinary contexts. However, most assessment tools focus on learning in the context of a single discipline. We describe the development and validation of an instrument to measure how well students are able to combine energy ideas from different disciplines into a coherent understanding of a phenomenon. The final version of the instrument consists of a pair of multiple-choice online assessments, along with a metric calculated from the assessment scores: the cross disciplinary learning index (CDLI). The items …

Impact Of Grazing Management On The Productivity Of Cold Temperate Grasslands Of Southern Patagonia - A Critical Assessment, A. F. Cibils, M. B. Coughenour

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The contention that productivity of cold temperate grasslands of southern Patagonia have been greatly affected by domestic herbivore grazing in the past is fairly widespread. The consequences of spatiotemporal interactions between grazing and abiotic factors on the overall productivity of such systems, however, are still poorly understood. Predictions of both short- and long-term impacts of grazing management strategies on grassland productivity require a better understanding of these interactions. In this paper we make a critical assessment of the impact of grazing management on long-term sustainability of the grass steppes of southern Patagonia (Argentina). We discuss this issue in the context …

An Inventory And Assessment Of Sample Sources For Survey Research With Agricultural Producers In The Us, J. Ulrich-Schad, S. Li, J. Arbuckle, E. Avemegah, K. Brasier, M. Burnham, A. K. Chaudhary, W. Eaton, W. Gu, T. Haigh, D. Jackson-Smith

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Skill Assessment Of A High Resolution (1/72 Degree) Black Sea Ocean Model, Bi̇lge Tutak

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The skill of a high-resolution Black Sea circulation model (ROMS) is assessed using the available satellite and field data for Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHA), Sea Surface Temperature, and CTD profiles. The model is configured to simulate the 9-year period between 2012 and 2021. The model's skill is assessed using standard analytical methods for error calculation such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and correlation. Additionally, the model results are assessed using several more recent methods such as the relative operating characteristic (ROC). The results show that the model is capable of simulating daily mean SSHA with an RMSE value …

A Pivotal New Approach To Groundwater Quality Assessment, M. L. Cherry, T. Gilmore, T. Messer, Y. Li, J. Westrop

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Impacts Of Different Initiatives On The Rehabilitation Of Pastoral And Silvopastoral Ecosystems: Big Data Oriented Approach, Said Moukrim, Said Lahssini, Mustapha Naggar, K. Menzou, H. Mharzi-Alaoui, A. Labbaci, L. Rhazi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Moroccan forests, through the provision of goods and ecosystem services, underpins benefits to local communities and play a crucial role for rural area development. The legal framework recognizes to people, living near public forests, the right to graze their domestic livestock. Over the years, the grazing pressure is at levels far beyond the forestland’s carrying capacity throughout the country. Such pressure has been demonstrated as the main cause of forest cover loss and land degradation in Morocco and still threatening the sustainability of forests. To reduce the heavy grazing pressure on forest ecosystems and ensure their regeneration, several initiatives have …

Use Of Remote Sensing To Guide The Assessment Of Temperate Grassland Degradation In The Territory, M. Martinez

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The methodology Participatory Rangeland and Grassland Assessment (PRAGA), in its baseline phase, more specifically in stage 4, suggests remote sensing to assess at landscape scale. In order to determine the sites to be evaluated, grassland pixels of the Modis sensor were taken into account. Within it, three types of soils were differentiated: superficial, medium and deep, according to the previous existing cartography (2).

Within each soil type, pixels with significant trends (ἀ < 0.05), positive and negative (bright and hot), for the period 2000 -2017, were searched for both, IPSE and RESTREND. Therefore, 6 pixels of the Modis sensor were selected for each landscape.

From the field evaluation it appears that the greatest difference between the bright and hot trends was the height of the forage, and that both are pasture conditions …

Physics Inventory Of Quantitative Literacy: A Tool For Assessing Mathematical Reasoning In Introductory Physics, Suzanne W. Brahmia, Alexis Olsho, Trevor I. Smith, Andrew Boudreaux, Philip Eaton, Charlotte Zimmerman

Physics & Astronomy

One desired outcome of introductory physics instruction is that students will develop facility with reasoning quantitatively about physical phenomena. Little research has been done regarding how students develop the algebraic concepts and skills involved in reasoning productively about physics quantities, which is different from either understanding of physics concepts or problem-solving abilities. We introduce the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL) as a tool for measuring Quantitative Literacy, a foundation of mathematical reasoning, in the context of introductory physics. We present the development of the PIQL and evidence of its validity for use in calculus-based introductory physics courses. Unlike …

Assessment, Evaluation, And Grading: A Reflection On My Radicalization, Priscilla Bremser

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The COVID-19 pandemic forced instructors to adapt their assessment practices. For this author, that adaptation led to a reconsideration of evaluation systems, given the ways in which such systems can interfere with learning and perpetuate inequities. The author describes resulting changes in her grading of student work and evaluation of faculty colleagues.

Moving From Final To Useful Stage In Energy-Economy Analysis A Critical Assessment, Matthew K. Heun

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Given the climate change emergency, reducing energy consumption, which is responsible for most greenhouse gases emissions worldwide, is a priority. However, the strong historical link between energy consumption and economic growth questions whether continued economic growth is compatible with energy conservation targets. Conventional final energy analysis (common analysis methods applied at the final energy stage) has provided limited insights to this nexus. In response, this paper explores the extent to which useful stage analysis provides additional insights using three common methods: aggregate energy-economy analysis (growth rates, energy intensities, and Index Decomposition Analysis), energy-GDP causality testing, and Aggregate Production Function modelling, …

Evaluating The Trustworthiness Of Online Sources: Assessment For Students Of Universitas Indonesia, Yasmine Anabel Pandjaitan

International Review of Humanities Studies

In 2019’s presidential election in Indonesia, the Internet was flooded by unverified and contradicting claims, which only blurred the lines between fact, opinion, and straight-out hoax. This research investigates how an educated group (college students) evaluates online sources in the context of Indonesia’s political campaigns. An assessment was designed for the students to judge the credibility of five political news articles appearing online in April 2019, the election month. The framework used was inspired by similar assessments conducted by the Stanford History Education Group, researchers who study digital literacy among American students. For this research, fifty students from five faculties …

Improving Evidence-Based Grouping Of Transitional Care Strategies In Hospital Implementation Using Statistical Tools And Expert Review, Jing Li, Gaixin Du, Jessica Miller Clouser, Arnold J. Stromberg, Glen Mays, Joann Sorra, Jane Brock, Terry Davis, Suzanne Mitchell, Huong Q. Nguyen, Mark V. Williams

Center for Health Services Research Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: As health systems transition to value-based care, improving transitional care (TC) remains a priority. Hospitals implementing evidence-based TC models often adapt them to local contexts. However, limited research has evaluated which groups of TC strategies, or transitional care activities, commonly implemented by hospitals correspond with improved patient outcomes. In order to identify TC strategy groups for evaluation, we applied a data-driven approach informed by literature review and expert opinion.

METHODS: Based on a review of evidence-based TC models and the literature, focus groups with patients and family caregivers identifying what matters most to them during care transitions, and expert …

A Satellite-Based Assessment Of The Relative Contribution Of Hydroclimatic Variables On Vegetation Growth In Global Agricultural And Non-Agricultural Regions, Akarsh Asoka, Brian Wardlow, Tsegaye Tadesse, Matthew Huber, Vimal Mishra

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Vegetation growth plays a crucial role in the carbon cycle and climate change mitigation. However, the relative contribution of hydroclimatic variables (relative humidity, terrestrial water storage, day and night-time land surface temperatures) on vegetation growth of agricultural and nonagricultural areas at the global scale remains unexplored. Using satellite-based datasets, we examined the changes in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the four hydroclimatic variables during 2003–2014. Also, the relative contribution of the four hydroclimatic variables on vegetation growth in agricultural and nonagricultural areas was estimated. A significant (p-value < 0.05) greening has occurred in the agricultural regions of India and Brazil during 2003–2014. Whereas in nonagriculture areas, a considerable greening occurred only in India and China during the 2003–2014 period. Among the four hydroclimatic variables, both day-time and night-time land surface temperature are the significant contributors of vegetation growth in the two-thirds of the global landmass. Terrestrial water storage is a substantial contributor to the vegetation growth in the tropics and subtropics. Night-time land surface temperature is strongly associated with the vegetation growth in the colder regions. The hydroclimatic variables do not explain the considerable amount of the total variance of vegetation growth over the agricultural areas in China, which is due to human agricultural management practices. Generally, the response of hydroclimate variables on vegetation growth in the agricultural and nonagricultural areas has significant implications in many areas, including food security, carbon sequestration, water resource management, and climate change.

Assessment Of Dimension-Reduction And Grouping Methods For Catchment Response Time Estimation In Hungary, E. Nagy, J. Szilagyi, P. Torma

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Intelligent Controller For Robot-Aided Assessment Andtreatment Guidance In Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation, Mehmet Emi̇n Aktan, Erhan Akdoğan

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this study, an intelligent controller was developed for a rehabilitation robot called DIAGNOBOT, which can be used for assessment and treatment in the rehabilitation of wrist and forearm. The controller has a decision support system structure strengthened with conventional statistical methods and databases. The controller uses the patient's biomechanical parameters to make an assessment and proposes a treatment in line with this. In accordance with the recommended treatment, it produces the control parameters, torque, and position information for the control of the rehabilitation robot. The system's ability of assessment and treatment was tested with voluntary patients. Through these test …