Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Using Robotics To Equip K-12 Teachers: Silicon Prairie Initiative For Robotics In Information Technology (Spirit), Alisa Gilmore, Bing Chen, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The Silicon Prairie Initiative for Robotics in Information Technology (SPIRIT) is a unique collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Engineering, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Education, and the local Omaha Public Schools (OPS) system. With funding from an NSF ITEST grant, from 2006 – 2008 the initiative recruited and trained 97 math and science middle school teachers through summer workshops and follow-up sessions during the school year, with the goal of equipping teachers in hands-on engineering design principles and providing curriculum development support for STEM instruction. The centerpiece of the training was …

A New Model Of 4-H Volunteer Development In Science, Engineering, And Technology Programs, Bradley S. Barker, Neal Grandgenett, Gwen Nugent

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

New initiatives centered on science, engineering, and technology (SET) in 4-H may be moving away from the long-established adult volunteer delivery model. This shift in delivery may be due to a lack of availability of adult volunteers who possess the necessary SET competencies to effectively lead 4-H clubs. One way to offset this trend may be to blend traditional face-to-face training with continuous training efforts that include asynchronous on-line training modules, synchronous Web-based meetings, and self-directed learning. This new 4-H SET Volunteer Competencies Training Model is being tested in the Nebraska 4-H Robotics and GPS/GIS program.

Motivation In Spinoza And Rosenzweig Or Transgressing The Boundaries Of A Rationally Constructed Self, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

A Quasi-Experimental Study On Students' Perceptions And Intended Use Of Digital Recording Technology In A College Technology Classroom, Zenia Bahorski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study employed a modified Technology Acceptance Model approach in conjunction with a Perceived Classroom Interaction Model. The study investigated the impact of digital audio recording of college classroom lectures on students' perceptions of interaction levels, usefulness, and use of the digital media.

The study surveyed six introductory computer science and technology classes. Previous computer knowledge was not assumed. The results found no significant differences of students' perceptions of interaction levels in traditional classroom lectures. However, gender was found to have a significant effect on speaking in class when a recorder was present. No significant differences were found when …

Making Ethical Sense Of Useless Suffering With Levinas, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

The Ethical Phenomenon Of Gm-Corn: Anger, Anxiety, And Arrogance In Crossing American Borders, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

In terms of phenomenology, I often wonder about the relevance of what I do as a philosopher for the life of those with whom I come into contact. This ‘coming into contact’ happens for me on several levels: as one human among many, as a husband and father and son and brother, as a teacher, as a neighbor, and as country or city dweller. I remember with fondness those times in the late sultry summer months when, as a youth, I would drive with my father to this or that local farm-stand on some remote back road in the hills …

The Ethical Phenomenon Of Gm-Corn: Anger, Anxiety, And Arrogance In Crossing American Borders, Jules Simon

Departmental Papers (Philosophy)

In terms of phenomenology, I often wonder about the relevance of what I do as a philosopher for the life of those with whom I come into contact. This ‘coming into contact’ happens for me on several levels: as one human among many, as a husband and father and son and brother, as a teacher, as a neighbor, and as country or city dweller. I remember with fondness those times in the late sultry summer months when, as a youth, I would drive with my father to this or that local farm-stand on some remote back road in the hills …

Mixed Methods For Mixed Reality: Overcoming Methodological Challenges To Understand User Activities In Virtual Worlds, David F. Feldon, Yasmin B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines the use of mixed methods for analyzing users’ avatar-related activities in a virtual world. Server logs recorded keystroke-level activity for 595 participants over a six-month period in Whyville.net, an informal science website. Participants also completed surveys and participated in interviews regarding their experiences. Additionally, the study included online ethnographic observations of Whyville and offline observations of a subset of 88 users in classroom and after-school settings during their participation. A mixed-methods analysis identified a major user emphasis on avatar appearance and customization that was invariant across user typologies. Implications for the use of mixed methods in online …

Google Tools: Google's Not Just For Searching Anymore, Jennifer Kelley

Library Scholarship

Learn how to use several of Google's free online tools and applications to write papers on the go, work on group projects from a distance, collect information from the internet automatically, and much more. After creating a Google account, attendees will learn how to set up a public calendar in Google Calendar, draft a document and collaborate using Google Documents and collect content from blogs and online news services using Google Reader.

Adolescent Literature And Second Life: Teaching Young Adult Texts In The Digital World, Laura Nicosia

Department of English Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Blessed Unrest: The Power Of Unreasonable People To Change The World, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

In her keynote address at the 2008 NCSSSMST Professional Conference, Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall addresses what work can be done with the collective resources of its Consortium members which beg to be shared and connected--and also explores what the source of "...our Blessed Unrest that will give us the courage to become unreasonable advocates for our children and for STEM transformation?"

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Integration Of Technology At The School District Level In Terms Of The Technology Leadership, Management, And Policy Pyramid: A Theoretical Model Developed By Dr. John Collins, Through The Perceptions Of Technology-Using Teachers, Mark A. Connolly

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Topscholar™ Revised Brochure, Cindy Troutman, Connie Foster

TopSCHOLAR® Presentations and Reports

A revised brochure that gives basic points, contacts, and guidelines for TopSCHOLAR™, the research and creative activity database of Western Kentucky University, launched May 1, 2007.

Engaging The Spirit 2007: Topscholar™: Creating Information Possibilities, Connie Foster

TopSCHOLAR® Presentations and Reports

TopSCHOLAR™ is “The Database of Research and Creative Activity of Western Kentucky University.” It offers permanency, durability, and accessibility for discovering and storing content, such as articles, theses, conference papers, working papers, creative writing, and many other intellectual efforts of the University. TopSCHOLAR™ is indexed by Google Scholar and other metadata indexers. Each “deposit” has a permanent URL TopSCHOLAR™ supplements and complements existing information resources, and offers a publishing and archival opportunity where none existed before at one central web site.

Cognitive Load And Classroom Teaching: The Double-Edged Sword Of Automaticity, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Research in the development of teacher cognition and teaching performance in K–12 classrooms has identified consistent challenges and patterns of behavior that are congruent with the predictions of dual-process models of cognition. However, cognitive models of information processing are not often used to synthesize these results. This article reviews findings from the research on teaching and teacher education through the lens of a dual-process model and emphasizes the role that cognitive load plays in driving teaching performance. Data reflecting the salience of automaticity and its relationship with cognitive overload are highlighted, and implications for teacher preparation and inservice training strategies …

Implications Of Research On Expertise For Curriculum And Pedagogy, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Instruction on problem solving in particular domains typically relies on explanations from experts about their strategies. However, research indicates that such self-reports often are incomplete or inaccurate (e.g., Chao & Salvendy, 1994; Cooke & Breedin, 1994). This article evaluates research on experts’ cognition, the accuracy of experts’ self-reports, and the efficacy of instruction based on experts’ self-reports. Analysis of this evidence indicates that experts’ free recall of strategies introduces errors and omissions into instructional materials that hinder student success. In contrast, when experts engage in structured knowledge elicitation techniques (e.g., cognitive task analysis), the resultant instruction is more effective. Based …

Topscholar™ Brochure, Cindy Troutman, Connie Foster

TopSCHOLAR® Presentations and Reports

A brochure that gives basic points, contacts, and guidelines for TopSCHOLAR™, the research and creative activity database of Western Kentucky University, launched May 1, 2007.

Topscholar Digital Research Repository@Wku, Mike Binder

TopSCHOLAR® Presentations and Reports

This PowerPoint presentation was given at the Western Kentucky University’s Council of Academic Deans Research Retreat to familiarize the group with the concept of Institutional Repositories and to begin the first steps towards establishing one at WKU, to be called TopSCHOLAR™. Definitions, benefits, values, guarantees for success, and examples of content are included.

Engineering Mathematics Education At Wright State University: Uncorking The First Year Bottleneck, Nathan W. Klingbeil, Kuldip S. Rattan, Michael L. Raymer, David B. Reynolds, Richard Mercer

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Benjamin In Paris: Weak Messianism And Memories Of The Oppressed, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Institutional Repository Task Force Report, Connie Foster, Rose Davis, Jack Montgomery, Nelda Sims

TopSCHOLAR® Presentations and Reports

A report of the University Libraries Institutional Repository Task Force, Western Kentucky University, with considerations and recommendations to the dean of University Libraries for launching a digital research repository that captures the scholarly and creative output of the University's faculty, staff, and students, who have faculty sponsors.

Dilthey And Simmel: A Reading From/Toward Buber's Philosophy Of History, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Hegels Familienbegriff – Vermittelt Durch Rosenzweig: Darstellung Einer Eigentuemlichen Geschichte, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Work In Progress: The Wsu Model For Engineering Mathematics Education, Nathan W. Klingbeil, Richard Mercer, Kuldip S. Rattan, Michael L. Raymer, David B. Reynolds

Kno.e.sis Publications

This paper summarizes progress to date on the WSU model for engineering mathematics education, an NSF funded curriculum reform initiative at Wright State University. The WSU model seeks to increase student retention, motivation and success in engineering through application-driven, just-in-time engineering math instruction. The WSU approach involves the development of a novel freshman-level engineering mathematics course EGR 101, as well as a large-scale restructuring of the engineering curriculum. By removing traditional math prerequisites and moving core engineering courses earlier in the program, the WSU model shifts the traditional emphasis on math prerequisite requirements to an emphasis on engineering motivation for …

Mammalogy At Texas Tech University: A Historical Perspective, Lisa C. Bradley, John R. Suchecki, Brian R. Amman, Joel G. Brant, Hugh H. Genoways, L. Rex Mcaliley, Robert J. Baker, Francisca Mendez-Harclerode, Robert D. Bradley

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The mammalogy program at Texas Tech University officially was established in 1962, when Robert L. Packard joined the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences. As the institution's first mammalogist, Packard took the initiative to develop a strong program of mammalian research and education. Influenced by the successful program built by his mentor, E. Raymond Hall, at the University of Kansas, Packard modeled similar goals for Texas Tech University. Those goals included a strong emphasis on both undergraduate and graduate education and research, with several mammalogy faculty members, and the establishment and growth of a large and active mammal collection.

Integrated Technologies, Innovative Learning (Vol. Ii), Steve Rhine, Mark Bailey, Neal Grandgenett, Nebraska Department Of Education

Faculty Books and Monographs

Chapter 8: Midwestern Independence and Educational Technology Use: Evaluation Strategies of the Nebraska Catalyst Project, co-authored by Neal Grandgenett, UNO faculty member.

This chapter discusses the efforts of the Nebraska Catalyst Project and its collaborative evaluation process for monitoring progress of the integration of educational technology use into pre-service teacher education in the state. Nebraska is a very independent operational environment for educational institutions, which includes 535 K12 school districts, and 17 institutions of higher education accrediting Nebraska teachers. Such institutional independence meant that the higher education institutions and K12 school districts, although individually quite excellent, had limited experience in …

Ten Suggestions To Strengthen The Science Of Ecology, Gary E. Belovsky, Daniel B. Botkin, Todd A. Crowl, Kenneth W. Cummins, Jerry F. Franklin, Malcolm L. Hunter, Anthony Joern, David B. Lindenmayer, James A. Macmahon, Chris R. Margules, J. Michael Scott

Papers in Ecology

There are few well-documented, general ecological principles that can be applied to pressing environmental issues. When they discuss them at all, ecologists often disagree about the relative importance of different aspects of the science’s original and still important issues. It may be that the sum of ecological science is not open to universal statements because of the wide range of organizational, spatial, and temporal phenomena, as well as the sheer number of possible interactions.We believe, however, that the search for general principles has been inadequate to establish the extent to which generalities are possible.We suggest that ecologists may need to …

Rosenzweig's Messianic Aesthetics, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

The Southwestern Association Of Parasitologists: The First 35 Years: 1967–2002, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

First two paragraphs:

It is likely that the idea to organize southwestern parasitologists into a regional group originated over cocktails one night in the late 1950s during a regional or national meeting. What is clear is that two men—Drs. Robert E. Kuntz and Donald V. Moore— were instrumental in turning the idea into what has become, in reality, the Southwestern Association of Parasitologists (SWAP).

Dr. J. Teague Self (personal communication, 1981) stated, “The beginning of SWAP was an idea of Robert Kuntz who felt that something could be gained if several of us here in the southwest could get together …

Effects Of Thinking-Aloud Pair Problem Solving On The Troubleshooting Performance Of Undergraduate Students In A Power Technology Course, Michael L. Pate, George W. Wardlow, Donald M. Johnson

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A randomized post-test-only experimental design with a counter-balanced internal replication was used to determine the effects of thinking-aloud pair problem solving (TAPPS) on the troubleshooting performance of college students in a power technology course. The experimental results were stable across two troubleshooting tasks. Students who participated in the pair problem solving groups were significantly more successful (p ≤ .05) at troubleshooting engine faults than were students in the control groups. Among students who successfully completed the troubleshooting tasks across both groups, there were no significant differences in time required for completion. These findings indicate that the use of pair problem …