University of Southern Mississippi
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Creating Chaos Online: Disinformation and Subverted Post-Publics
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Online Learning Challenges and Coping Among U.S. College Students During COVID-19 Lockdown and Two Years After
Full text linkThere is a lack of research on comparing college students’ learning experiences during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Moreover, little is known about the relationship between student coping and perceived online learning challenges in higher education. The present study aimed to fill in the gap. Online survey responses from 43 U.S. college students were used in this correlational study. Learning environment challenges were rated as the greatest challenges during the lockdown and two years after it. Students who had taken online classes before the lockdown rated higher levels of technological complexity during the lockdown than their counterparts. When comparing coping strategies, findings revealed that planning was used more frequently during the lockdown than two years after it. Based on the coping circumplex model (Stanisławski, 2019), students were divided into four groups: problem-solving coping, preoccupation with the problem coping, hedonic disengagement coping, and problem avoidance coping. Students who engaged in a problem-solving coping style rated lower levels of various online learning challenges during the lockdown than their peers who engaged in other coping styles. Based on the findings, an orientation that introduces strategies for establishing a productive online learning environment and active coping with online learning difficulties is recommended for online instructors. The findings not only shed light on online instruction but also have implications for coping research
The Effect of Immersive Virtual Reality-Enhanced Experiential Learning on Middle School students’ Knowledge Retention, Creativity, and Perceptions
Full text linkWhile immersive virtual reality (IVR) shows promise as an educational tool, its effectiveness in facilitating cognitive achievement and learning experiences among young learners remains underexplored. This study adapted Kolb’s experiential learning theory to design, develop, implement, and examine an IVR-supported experiential learning model (IVR-ELM) within middle-school Arts lessons. Using a quasi-experimental method, quantitative and qualitative data indicated IVR-supported experiential learning facilitated middle school learners’ cognitive and affective outcomes. Quantitative results revealed significantly higher knowledge retention, creative design abilities, engagement, interest, and perceived competency in the IVR group compared to a traditional classroom. Qualitative data revealed students’ overall positive learning experience with high presence, enjoyment, idea generation confidence, and appreciation for IVR’s flexible, reusable hands-on activities. The findings suggest IVR-ELM effectively leveraged IVR’s unique affordances to enhance learning and promote engaging experiences for middle school Arts students. This study contributes empirical insights into theoretically grounded IVR integration within an authentic classroom setting, addressing a crucial research gap. Implications for future IVR implementation in K-12 education are discussed
Book Reviews
Full text linkReviews of:
Watson, J. and J. Thomas, Jr., eds., Faulkner\u27s Families. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2023. 247 pp. 22 (Paperback)
Students’ Perceptions of Higher Education Assessment Practices in the Context of Artificial Intelligence in Ghana
No full textThis study aims to investigate the experiences of university students on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for assessment in higher education in Ghana. A quantitative survey approach was employed, using an online questionnaire administered to target participants across five public universities. The findings from a final sample size of 509 indicate varying levels of exposure to AI-based tools for assessment, learning, and research. It was found that the majority of the respondents have occasionally (n=218, 42.8%) been assessed using AI-based tools, while very few have very often (n=35, 6.9%) used AI-based tools for assessment as students. It was also revealed in the study that most of the respondents used ChatGPT (n=380, 74.7%) for learning, research, and assignments. Also, AI-supported feedback systems (n=173, 34%) are the most widely used AI-based assessment method by students. Regarding pragmatic approaches to assessment in the era of AI, participants expressed general agreement towards skill-based assessments, provision of continuous feedback, integration of innovative methods, and the use of presentations, practical and application questions for written examinations, although opinions on the replacement of traditional assessments with oral presentations were more divided. These findings underscore the evolving role of AI in higher education and provide insights for educators as well as policymakers seeking to optimize assessment strategies in the era of AI. Further research is recommended to delve into the AI-based assessment methods versus traditional assessment methods in higher education
Enhanced Point Cloud Generation from A Novel 360° Underwater LiDAR
No full textThis dissertation presents novel algorithms to improve the mapping capabilities of a 360-degree underwater Pulsed Laser Line Scanner LiDAR (PLLS-360°). Due to its 360° field-of-view (FOV), the PLLS-360° is a compact full-waveform omnidirectional imager suitable for seafloor mapping, underwater asset inspection, object detection, ice-sheet mapping, and construction progress monitoring. The proposed methodology includes an improved waveform fitting technique for saturated waveform recovery, detection array response correction, radiometric corrections, and fusion of LiDAR and sonar bathymetric datasets. The first part of this dissertation assesses the LiDAR’s performance and describes how the data for this unique 360° FOV architecture is processed. The processing entails correction of the LiDAR measurements for detector array characteristics, geometric spreading of returned signals, light attenuation in water, and AUV’s motion and position to improve the visualization of underwater 3D scenes. The second part presents a novel method for recovering saturated waveforms recorded by the PLLS-360°. Waveform saturation sometimes occurs from field measurements due to the receiver-target distance and wide intensity range exceeding the receiver dynamic range. This is more likely in the PLLS-360° compared to other underwater systems due to its unique architecture that allows it to record signal returns in all directions. This dissertation efficiently recovers the ideal peaks of the saturated PLLS-360° measurements through novel pre-processing steps such as saturated waveform sample removal and selection of waveform relevant part, which are further modeled using several mathematical models. The final part of the dissertation presents a suitable fusion technique for the PLLS-360° LiDAR and the sonar bathymetry, both acquired from the Iver3 AUV. The proposed weighted fusion of the bathymetric surfaces applies a slope constraint on structures in the boundary area of the LiDAR bathymetry to preserve the details of the features for a more accurate application of the fused bathymetry for navigation
Test Driving Proximity Distances for Teacher Implementation of Effective Instruction Delivery
No full textStudent noncompliance can disrupt teacher instruction and affect students’ ability to learn in the classroom. Interventions can be provided to teachers within the PBIS tiered system to address noncompliance. One intervention that addresses noncompliance, Effective Instruction Delivery (EID), has been demonstrated to increase levels of compliance above baseline levels. Despite the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions such as EID, there are significant concerns with ensuring the feasibility of evidence-based interventions to match the needs of teachers in the classroom to reduce teacher burn-out. A possible strategy to promote high levels of fidelity is to allow teachers to test drive interventions before implementing a preferred intervention. The current study evaluated three teachers’ treatment integrity of EID procedure in close (i.e., within 3 ft) and distant (i.e., 10 ft or more) proximity by using an alternating treatments design. Results suggested that test-driving increased the teacher participants’ usage of EID components from baseline to intervention and implementing the test-driving procedure increased student compliance from baseline to test-driving phase. Results were inconsistent, as a functional relation was not observed between preferred test-driving phase and increases in treatment fidelity or preferred test-driving phase and increases in student compliance for one participant. However, teacher and student data, overall, exhibited immediate increases from baseline to test-driving phase, with high levels maintaining with high observed stability during preferred intervention phase. Implications for applied practice and research are discussed and limitations of the current study are offered