Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Mathematical Modeling For Interdisciplinary Stem Problem-Solving, Dayat Hidayat, Signe Kastberg

Indiana STEM Education Conference

STEM education supports students’ real-world problem solving by utilizing connections between STEM disciplines. Yet teachers have questions about how to provide such support. Mathematical modeling involves the use of mathematics content and processes to solve problems in integrated STEM contexts. In this research brief we illustrate how mathematical modeling can support students’ integrated STEM problem solving.

Ripples Of Change: Middle School Students Navigating The Future Of Our Watershed Through Eco-Stem, Elizabeth Andrew Thiel

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Ripples of Change is an eco-STEM unit designed to address Indiana’s environmental education goals by fostering environmental literacy and informed decision-making among middle school students. By engaging students in community-based learning activities that empower students to address watershed issues, this eco-STEM unit promotes culturally sustaining integrated STEM education. Preliminary findings indicate increased student awareness and responsibility for their impact on local ecosystems using evidence-based reasoning, highlighting the potential for Ripples of Change to inspire global citizenship in students and scalable eco-STEM approaches.

Leveraging Algebraic Thinking In Stem Education To Equip The Next Generation Of Problem Solvers, Asenath Odondi, Comfort Temitope Aje

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Algebraic thinking is a critical skill in mathematics education, involving pattern recognition, generalization, symbolic manipulation, and problem-solving. It is essential for success in STEM fields and should be developed throughout education, starting in early grades. This literature review synthesizes research on algebraic thinking, focusing on problem-based learning. The review indicates that incorporating algebraic thinking into problem-based learning with non-routine activities enhances students' understanding and real-world problem-solving in STEM.

Impacts Of Informal Stem Summer Camps On Middle School Student Stem Identity, Austin R. Jenkins, Joshua Faith, Steve Heinold

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Informal or out of school STEM spaces have been documented as sites of positive STEM identity development for youth historically marginalized in formal STEM spaces (Çolakoğlu et al., 2023). To increase the number of students who develop positive STEM identities during the critical juncture of middle school, Indiana GEAR UP offered summer camps to rising 7th and 8th grade students at selected middle schools across the state. Longitudinal interviews with students indicate the importance of informal STEM spaces, like summer camps, in fostering positive STEM identity development.

Innovative Stem Learning Through Solar Oven Design: Promoting Creativity And Teamwork In Stem Education, Humphrey Chinenye Ochulor, Abigail Erskine, Comfort Temitope Aje

Indiana STEM Education Conference

STEM education benefits significantly from integrating design-based learning (DBL) which fosters student creativity and teamwork. This research brief examines how solar oven design projects for K-12 students that involve DBL promote students' creative skills and teamwork. A literature review was done to investigate how solar oven design activities impacted student learning. Research has shown that students improve creativity and teamwork when these activities are carried out using DBL strategies.

“Regression To The Mean”: The Confluence Of Eugenics And Statistics In The 19th And 20th Centuries, Emrys G. King

Pomona Senior Theses

The work of this thesis is twofold — first, qualitatively characterizing the confluence between the British eugenics and statistics movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and second, quantitatively analyzing the effect of this foundation on pedagogical materials in the growing field of statistics between 1880 and 1970. Towards the first goal, the history of the method of least squares, state statistics, and positive and negative eugenics are outlined, followed by a close reading of the foundational texts authored by Francis Galton and Karl Pearson that introduced linear regression. Towards the latter goal, English-language statistics textbooks published between …

Predicting Crises On The African Frontier Stock Markets With Investor Sentiment Indicators: A Machine Learning Approach, David Korsah, Lord Mensah

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examined the predictive ability of machine learning algorithms in identifying crises within African stock markets. The study employed seven distinct machine-learning models, analyzing historical stock prices from eight stock markets, three major sentiment indicators, and the exchange rates of local currencies against the US dollar, with each data spanning from May 1, 2007, to April 1, 2023. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) emerged as the most effective algorithm for predicting crises. Historical stock prices and exchange rates were identified as the most critical features for prediction. On the sentiment side, investors’ perceptions of potential volatility on the S&P 500, …

Preventive Health Care Information Seeking Behaviors Among Baby Boomers In Taiwan, Alexander N. Chen, Michael J. Rubach, Tracy Suter, Hsin Ke Lu, Mark E. Mcmurtrey

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Preventive health care is widely acknowledged as one of the most effective ways to reduce medical costs and enhance people's health. Preventive health care information (PHCI) is a crucial component. This study examines the PHCI-seeking behaviors of Taiwanese baby boomers. The study found some support for the idea that the preferred media used influenced the likelihood of Information seeking behavior. People with good health conditions were found to be more likely to seek PHCI, while people with greater health care needs sought out PHCI less frequently. The study examined social influences, which were found to be important. Three different types …

Pedagogy In The Age Of Ai: Exploring Generative Ai For Higher Education, Alison Munsch Phd

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents transformative opportunities for higher education, enabling personalized learning, enhanced student engagement, and efficient pedagogical practices. This tutorial-style article guides educators in integrating generative AI into their classrooms through hands-on activities, practical strategies, and reflective exercises. It explores the capabilities of AI tools such as ChatGPT, their applications across disciplines, and the ethical considerations for their use. By cultivating critical thinking and fostering student readiness for AI-driven futures, this article underscores the transformative potential of generative AI in higher education with an emphasis on the academic areas of business analytics, information systems, and computer science.

Surviving And Thriving In The Hybrid Cloud: A Review Of The Current Cloud Computing Landscape, Peter Munsch, Alison Munsch

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Background and Purpose

Both academic and industry institutions have increasingly migrated essential services to public cloud providers (e.g., Microsoft, AWS, Google) with mixed outcomes. Some industry leaders attempted to fully replace their on-premises data centers with public cloud services, a move not advised without thorough performance and cost analyses (Potel, 2023). Despite some organizations pulling back from the “Cloud First” strategy, the public cloud services market continued to grow, with revenue increasing by approximately 20% year-over-year since 2020 and surpassing half a trillion dollars in 2022 (IDC Worldwide Semiannual Public Cloud Services Tracker, 2H 2022). Cloud technologists suggested that hybrid …

Predicting Global Healthcare Supply Chain Delays: A Machine Learning Approach Leveraging Country-Level Logistics Metrics, Jeevan Sai Gali, Nima Molavi, Sepideh Alavi

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

In global healthcare logistics, ensuring the timely delivery of medical commodities is critical, particularly in low- and middle-income countries characterized by infrastructural limitations and operational uncertainties. This research introduces an advanced, data-driven predictive framework designed to forecast delivery delays by synthesizing granular, internal shipment-level data from the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program (GHSC-PSM) with external country-level logistics capabilities indicators derived from the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI). Rather than relying on retrospective trend analyses, this study employs machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest, XGBoost, Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) to detect …

The Impact Of Ceo Changes On The Recovery Of It Firms That Have Experienced Substantial Reductions In Value (2010-2024), Amanda Dee

CMC Senior Theses

The informational technology (IT) industry is one of the most dynamic industries, and the CEO plays a crucial role in steering innovation. The dependence on innovation is associated with dynamics that bring heightened volatility and force firms and their CEOs to confront significant challenges, particularly when navigating periods of substantial reductions in value. I define distress as three-year cumulative returns that are negative and underperform the market by more than 30%. Firms that meet this criteria during 2010-2017 are analyzed using regression models to assess how CEO change influences the likelihood of their recovery, defined as achieving nine-year cumulative returns—including …

Understanding How County Governments Strategically Plan And Strategize Technology: A Multiple Case Study In New York State, Battulga Buyannemekh

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Embedded in the communities they serve, local governments increasingly leverage technology to modernize processes and operations to digitally transform public services and interactions with stakeholders to create and add value. Concomitantly, they must ensure that the use of technology does not threaten the rights and safety of individuals and organizations. Digital transformation requires alignment of technology with institutional, organizational, and environmental factors in addition to persistent innovations in technology, policy, and management. This balancing act hinges on governments’ capacity for strategic technology decision-making. As technology’s value propositions expand and local governments become more reliant on it, there is a growing …

Isegoria In Crisis: Hong Kong's Innovation System And Articulating The Right To Be Heard Using Deliberative Democratic Theory, Bhanu Cheepurupalli

CMC Senior Theses

I argue that Hong Kong maintains democratic deliberation through its innovation policy apparatus despite lacking traditional democratic processes. Using deliberative democratic theory and the concept of isegoria (speech of equals before equals), I demonstrate how Hong Kong's innovation governance sustains meaningful consensus outside conventional democratic frameworks.

My analysis shows that while Hong Kong lacks free elections, democratic deliberation persists through alternative channels within science and technology governance. Innovation policy functions as a vehicle for justice-advancing deliberation despite institutional constraints, as deliberative bodies operate within limited time, authority, and resources.

I trace how Hong Kong's innovation policy apparatus developed through the …

Vaccines And Publics: A Variety Of Engagement Experiences, David H. Lee

Publications and Research

This chapter is about some of the sites and scenes where members of the public are exposed to (and engage in) vaccination discourse. To preview, after a brief introduction, we begin with messaging models of communication, followed by the move from messaging to engagement. Next, case examples of public engagement with vaccines are introduced, from pandemic influenza preparedness in the U.S., to polio eradication initiatives in India, and then to COVID-19 public engagement events in England. Settings of public engagement are noted, including online, in churches and museums. Then, there’s a section about communication and public participation, seen as either …

Customizable Vr Driving Experiences: Balancing User Comfort And Interactivity, Kaihao Tian

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Driving games and vehicle simulations have been a prominent genre in the gaming world, thriving on traditional platforms like consoles and PCs. Despite the advances in virtual reality (VR) technology, the genre has seen limited success in VR, largely due to challenges in balancing user comfort, immersion, and the physical constraints of VR hardware. The primary issue arises from the conflicting goals of interactivity and comfort. While VR offers an immersive, high-speed experience with dynamic steering and rapid movements, these same elements often cause discomfort and cybersickness, undermining the very immersion that VR promises.

This research aims to address these …

Digital Playgrounds: Irish Tweens' Media Literacies In The Context Of Social Media Content Creators, Fardus Sultan

Doctoral

Children under 12 are avid social media users. Of these, tweens, children aged 9 to 12, are currently the age group most likely to engage in independent social media content consumption. One of their favourite online activities is watching content produced by social media influencers and content creators, collectively referred to here as social media creators. The popularity of social media creators has grown exponentially in recent times. Considered trusted, relatable and authentic, they produce content that resonates with audiences. Consequently, their messages often possess greater persuasive power, making them a popular choice for advertisers. Creators seamlessly blend commercial messaging …

Energy Transitions In Underserved Communities: Meaningful Engagement To Address Energy Burdens And Air Pollution, Nyasha Milanzi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report presents two connected studies focused on environmental justice and community engagement in energy transitions. The first study examines engagement practices in EPA-funded projects using interviews and public abstracts. Applying the EngageINFEWS framework, it analyses stakeholder dynamics and offers recommendations for working with underserved communities. Key insights include addressing power imbalances, securing funding, building capacity, and fostering communication. The second study centres on the REJuST project, which supports energy justice in a rural northern community impacted by public health concerns linked to a bioenergy facility burning wood, paper, plastics, and tire-derived fuels. I use survey data to explore resident …

Energy Equity In India’S Renewable Energy Transition: A Policy Design Agenda, Aritra Chakrabarty

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

India’s transition to renewable energy has prioritized large-scale, grid-based electrification, often overlooking energy equity, particularly in rural communities. Many households would benefit more from decentralized solutions than from grid extension, yet current policies neither guarantee equitable access nor address pre-existing social and economic inequalities in energy distribution. This dissertation examines the sensitivity of India’s renewable energy policies to energy equity, with a specific focus on gender equity in rural last-mile connectivity. The study is guided by the fundamental question: How can implementation of solar energy program alleviate the lives of rural communities? Using a mixed-method approach that combines policy …

Game-Based Learning With Augmented Reality, Kantida Nanon

Dissertations

Augmented Reality (AR) technology provides an effective and controllable learning environment, especially for complicated, potentially dangerous, or critical content. Effective implementation of interaction and platforms for educational tools can maximize learner engagement and optimize the learning experience. This dissertation explores the potential of AR technology to enhance learning experiences across multiple platforms and subject areas, particularly within chemistry and mathematics. The dissertation is grounded in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and explores the potential of AR to increase learner engagement, improve learning outcomes, and transform traditional pedagogical practices.

The dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part examines …