California State University (CSU): Open Journal Systems
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Hex Mosaic Diagrams are More Tile Efficient Than Square Mosaic Diagrams
Full text linkThere are many types of tiles that can be used to represent projections of knots onto small grids, namely square tiles and hexagonal tiles. In this paper we show that given any knot on a square grid, we can project it onto a hexagon grid using fewer tiles. Efficiency can sometimes be improved using simple shifts of crossings
AI-First Critique Learning (AFCL): A Framework for Restoring Assessment Integrity in the Age of Generative AI
Full text linkThe pervasive adoption of generative artificial intelligence by students has precipitated a widespread challenge to traditional assessment validity in higher education. This article introduces the AI-First Critique Learning (AFCL) framework as a conceptual framework with practical implementation guidance and a proposed research agenda. AFCL is a pedagogical innovation that transforms AI from an assessment threat into a catalyst for developing critical thinking, metacognition, and ethical judgment. Grounded in distributed cognition and supported by meta-analytic evidence showing AI\u27s positive impact on higher-order thinking, AFCL operates through three interconnected elements: Classroom-Locked Prompts that ensure contextual specificity, Thinking Lenses that scaffold analytical rigor, and Standardized AI Interaction Environments that generate verifiable reasoning traces. By shifting assessment from products to documented critique processes, AFCL aims to restore evaluative validity while cultivating "critique literacy" as an essential digital-age competency. The framework includes a rapid four-month implementation pathway, enabling institutions to respond effectively to contemporary assessment challenges while preparing learners for AI-augmented professional futures. This work contributes a theoretically grounded framework and actionable guidance to the domains of AI pedagogy and assessment innovation, concluding with a defined agenda for necessary empirical research
On the Matching Density of Icosahedral and Tetrahedral Representations
No full textThe matching density of two Galois Representations ρ and η is the Dirichlet density of the set of finite places where ρ and η are unramified and the traces of Frobenius of ρ and η are equal. Using matching density, we can quantify the similarity of two Galois representations. In this paper, we find sharp upper bounds for the matching density of certain pairs of tetrahedral and icosahedral representations
Strengthening Faculty Retention and Belonging: Applying and Expanding Job Embeddedness Theory through an Onboarding Initiative in Higher Education
Full text linkThis study explores the impact of a supplemental onboarding program on new faculty integration within a university’s education department, applying Job Embeddedness Theory as a guiding framework. Seven newly hired instructors participated in a year-long, intentionally designed onboarding experience aimed at fostering professional development and a sense of belonging. Using qualitative methods—including open-ended surveys and group discussions—the study examined participants’ perceptions across five emergent themes: positive overall experience, valuable presentations, skill and knowledge growth, academic community integration, and suggestions for improvement. The program’s structure supported the development of meaningful links, alignment with departmental culture (fit), and investment in experiences that increased the perceived sacrifice of leaving. Findings informed the creation of the LEF Embeddedness Model (Learning–Experiences–Feelings), which maps onboarding influences to embeddedness dimensions. Results suggest that well-designed onboarding programs can enhance faculty retention by strengthening social and professional ties, promoting cultural alignment, and deepening emotional investment. This research offers actionable insights for institutions seeking to build onboarding programs that cultivate embeddedness and reduce attrition
Augmented Self-Representation: How Artificial Intelligence Structured Evidence, Framed Summary Judgment, and Informed Settlement Strategy in a Multi-Unit Property Dispute
Full text linkThis article examines how artificial intelligence functioned as a structural cognition tool in a live multi-unit property dispute through the summary judgment stage. Acting pro se, the defendant used AI not to generate arguments in the abstract, but to organize evidentiary materials into legally dispositive categories: standing, unit-specific causation, admissible damages, and loss of use. By distinguishing narrative allegations from proof requirements under California summary judgment standards, AI-assisted drafting clarified burden allocation and exposed evidentiary gaps, including the absence of assignment documentation, expert source determination, and repair-payment records. The system also supported procedural compliance by structuring a rule-conforming separate statement of undisputed material facts and aligning exhibits with doctrinal elements. Beyond document preparation, AI contributed to strategic positioning for potential settlement or trial by reframing emotional accusations into evidentiary analysis. The case illustrates AI as cognitive augmentation in self-representation—enhancing analytical rigor while preserving human judgment and responsibility
Building a Confocal Microscope: Principles and Design
Full text linkThe confocal microscope has become a powerful tool in biological research, able to image thick (typically 50 um) tissues and living cells in 3D. In light microscopy, thick samples pose a major challenge as light out of the focal plane blurs the image. The confocal microscope gets around this problem by focusing the illumination light into a small, diffraction limited spot (typically diameter around 400 nm) on the sample and then using a pinhole to block unfocused light before it hits the detector. In this report, we will discuss how to build a simple confocal microscope in order to image stamen and compare it to a brightfield microscope. With the confocal, we were able to produce a one dimensional image of the sample at 3X magnification with a higher signal to noise ratio than brightfield
Aloha ʻĀina and Place-based Education as Transformative Practice with Students from Los Angeles Urban Schools
Full text linkPlace-based education (PBE) has been envisioned across liberal, critical, and Indigenous perspectives. Within this piece, we unravel our reflections, planning and teaching a pre-college seminar grounded in critical and Indigenous perspectives of PBE for secondary students from Los Angeles urban schools. Grounding the course within the Hawaiian principles of pilina, kuleana, and aloha (relationships, responsibility, and care), we gave time and space for students to develop their identities by studying the complex interactions of a community rooted in a place of their choice. Drawing upon the methods of duoethnography, we share how centering identity development through the study of place shifted dominant power structures within K-12 education and how the focus on relationships across generations makes the process the product of students’ learning. As teachers and teacher educators, our reflections share our transformation and the potential transformation for students to develop aloha ʻāina, a reciprocal relationship with place
Comadrismo: Tejidos Fostering Endurance Amidst Sociopolitical Turmoil in School Communities
No full textWithout a community of care, we cannot care for our communities. Webs of care have long shepherded our building of solidarity with one another to foster endurance during our most difficult times. This solidarity building and flow of reciprocity in webs of care as defined by the concept of comadrismo is what strengthens us to endure and fight back. Barragan Santoyo & Perez (2023), explain that comadrismo describes the relationship between “...women who share common goals, values, and seek to utilize their bond to advance the betterment of their surrounding community.” (p. 44) and that women use their lived experiences to build community and trust while taking care of each other. We extend this spirit of comadrismo to describe the webs of care we develop to resist current attacks on our communities.
It is through the webs of solidarity which we form with colleagues, families, and community members, that we can find the strength to resist, fight back, and ultimately change the trajectory of our generation. This journal has created its own web of care as it brings intodialogue/diálogo the perspectives and leaders who shape our educational settings: students, teachers, counselors, researchers, practitioners, and community members. In this issue, juntos, we want to extend the ideology of comadrerismo, to harness its spirit and attempt to describe our newly created realities by webs of care, endurance, and solidarity which folks are creating to resist the ongoing assaults on our communities. In the following pages, we highlight experiences, contributions, and tejidos across K-16 that serve as testament to the endurance of our collective communities.
Breaking Out of the Classroom: Integrating Educational Escape Rooms in Undergraduate Nursing Education
No full textAs the complexity of healthcare environments continues to grow, undergraduate nursing education must evolve to prepare students with the critical competencies required for modern practice. One innovative instructional strategy gaining momentum is the use of educational escape rooms. An immersive, gamified learning experience promotes student engagement, clinical reasoning, and knowledge retention. Grounded in experiential learning theory and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, educational escape rooms connect theory and practice by promoting collaboration, problem-solving, and clinical reasoning and judgment in realistic, low-stakes scenarios. This article explores the theoretical foundations, challenges to student engagement, benefits of interactive learning, design methods, and practical implementation strategies for integrating educational escape rooms into undergraduate nursing education. Key considerations include aligning puzzles with learning objectives, ensuring inclusive design, facilitating effective debriefing, and evaluating outcomes through formative and reflective assessments. Educational escape rooms enhance motivation and teamwork, supporting the development of essential clinical skills in a dynamic and meaningful context
Inclusive Sport: Extending Experiential Learning Impact with Photos
No full textThrough a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and Special Olympics International, a two-way international exchange brought together 24 U.S. and Peruvian athletes with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), coaches, and emerging sport leaders to promote inclusive sport. Using participatory photo elicitation, participants captured and meaningfully discussed their travel experiences and perceptions of inclusive sport. This community-engaged research method allowed athletes with IDD to visually and verbally express their feelings of belonging, empowerment, and connection. Thematic findings included Creating Belonging and Cultural Awareness, Family and Togetherness, and Inclusive Sport and Recreation Experiences. This study highlights the value of participatory methods and photos to enhance learning for the participants while simultaneously promoting the importance of inclusion and international collaborations to a broader audience