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You Can Be an Earth Warrior Too
No full textChildren of the current generation can no longer pass their environmental inheritance to future generations. Challenges discussed and debated for decades including: environmental degradation, climate change, the sixth extinction, oceanic acidification, and the insect apocalypse are changing the planet irreversibly now. Accordingly, it is critical to instill environmental awareness and promote sustainable practices and actions in children starting at a young age. As a collaborative project drawing on my experience as a member of the AmeriCorps Project BEAR program and scientific education, I have created a children’s storybook that aims to facilitate environmental connection, knowledge, love, and care. This book, based on a local environmental influencer, seeks to encourage children - pushing them towards stewardship of the earth and empowering them to stand up for environmental concerns. I will share the process of story creation, illustration, and publishing, during my presentation
Development and Implementation of Smart Robot Assistant Swimming Coach
No full textThis research project explores the development of a smart robot assistant for swimming coaching, aimed at providing swimmers with real-time feedback on their technique and performance. By integrating commercial mini-computers with artificial intelligent chips, we are implementing a deep learning system designed to analyze critical aspects of swimming stroke technique, including stroke rate, body alignment, and breathing patterns. The smart robot is programmed to offer actionable advice for performance enhancement. This innovative approach addresses the prevalent issue of swimmers lacking instant feedback during training sessions. The introduction of a smart robot swimming coach promises to significantly elevate training quality by enabling swimmers to instantly adjust and improve their techniques. This venture not only represents a breakthrough in sports technology but also sets a new standard for training efficiency in competitive swimming
Predicting Academic Achievement from Extracurricular Engagement and Sense of Belonging
Get PDFThis research study examined the relationships between extracurricular activity engagement, a student’s sense of belonging to school and academic achievement. Research was conducted at a suburban high school in Ohio, with data being collected from student surveys and district provided informational data. The goal was to see if there were positive connections between these items to better help the district in determining further programs to improve student achievement. Findings indicated that sense of belonging was a significant predictor of academic achievement for the sample. However, extracurricular engagement was not found to be a significant predictor of academic achievement. Further, there was no significance found in mean sense of belonging scores across extracurricular activity engagement levels. These findings lead one to believe that increasing a student’s sense of belonging to school will improve academic outcomes. The results of the study indicate finding ways to improve sense of belonging should include programs outside of extracurricular activity engagement alone
Efficacy of the WorkKeys ACT Assessments in Predicting Student Success in Postsecondary Career Technical Education and Industry Recognized Credential Attainment
Get PDFThis study examines the efficacy of the ACT WorkKeys assessments in predicting student success within postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at C-TEC Postsecondary. Using a comprehensive analysis of data from students who have either withdrawn or completed their postsecondary CTE program, the research evaluates the predictive strength of student scores on three ACT WorkKeys assessments—applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents. The findings reveal that higher scores on these assessments correlate with student success, defined as successfully completing a program and successful attainment of industry recognized credentials. This study\u27s insights suggest potential improvements in educational policy and practice, advocating for the integration of these assessments into the student admissions processes to ensure successful educational and employment outcomes. Additionally, utilizing complementary admissions criteria along with entrance exams is recommended. Furthermore, the research highlights the importance of considering additional demographic variables, such as age, race, gender, and economic disadvantage in predicting student success. Overall, this study contributes to the broader discussion on the role of entrance exams in educational achievement and workforce preparedness in the postsecondary CTE context
THE ANTECEDENTS OF CONFIDENCE IN ABSOLUTE VERSUS COMPARATIVE EVALUATION
Get PDFThis research study suggested a boundary condition for the effects of additional, irrelevant information about the attitudinal object and the cognitive elaboration of limited, relevant information on the confidence in the attitude or evaluation of the object. Prior research found that additional information and elaboration increase confidence in evaluation. While this research has considered additional, relevant information and the elaboration of the relevant information, the present study investigates these effects when the additional information is irrelevant and the elaboration does not enhance the extremity of the evaluation. Behavioral decision theory research on metacognitions suggests that such irrelevant, additional information and inconsequential elaboration enhance confidence in evaluation without increasing the accuracy of the judgments. The present research proposed that the effects of the amount of information and cognitive elaboration on the evaluative confidence reported in the literature are limited to the contexts of absolute evaluation (when the object is evaluated in isolation without any comparisons). In the context of comparative evaluation (when an object is evaluated in comparison with another object), the effects of the amount of information and cognitive evaluation on the evaluative confidence may not hold. An experimental study conducted in an Asian university with undergraduate students as the participants supported the predictions of this research. Specifically, the experimental study found that (i) the additional, irrelevant information increased the evaluative confidence under the absolute evaluation context but not the comparative evaluation context and (ii) cognitive elaboration enhanced the evaluative confidence under the absolute evaluation context but not the comparative evaluation context
Effectiveness of Corequisite Remediation: A Study on Introductory Statistics and College Algebra
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation in Introduction to Statistics and College Algebra at Shawnee State University (SSU). Focusing on students with an ACT score ranging from 15-17, this study examines the effectiveness of corequisite courses to see if these courses improve student success rates compared to prerequisite courses. The background of this study is rooted by the ongoing effort of colleges and universities to enhance student success by implementing different instructional strategies, such as corequisite remediation. Logistic regression techniques were used to analyze successful completion of gateway courses as an outcome of different predictors. This study also aims to evaluate success rates of first-generation college students. The findings suggest that corequisite implementation has potentially had a positive impact on success rates in College Algebra and Introduction to Statistics. Additionally, first-generation college students potentially face more challenges than non-first generation college students when completing gateway courses; these findings suggest that additional support may be needed for first-generation students to have equal odds of success. These findings contribute to the existing literature on remediation effectiveness, suggesting that the implementation of the corequisite model can accelerate student success while bridging knowledge gaps. The study acknowledges limitations with missing data and threats to generalizability. The results iterate the importance of evaluating remediation effectiveness to accommodate the needs within the continually changing landscape of higher education
The Influence of Wealth on Academic Performance in Secondary Schools
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine if wealth and financial investment in public education within communities plays a significant role in the academic performance of students in West Virginia secondary schools. West Virginia is an interesting example of academic success relative to the wealth of the state. The state of West Virginia has the third highest poverty rate (17.9%) and the second lowest Gross Domestic Product per capita of all fifty states and the District of Columbia (World Population Review, 2022). West Virginia ranks dead last in average SAT scores (College Board, 2022). This study seeks to determine if this relationship between wealth and achievement on the SAT holds true within the 55 specific school districts in West Virginia. It also examines the relationship between overall amounts of education funding (financial investment) and achievement on the SAT. Data was initially analyzed at the national level, and then drilled down into the fifty-five unique school districts (i.e. counties) in West Virginia. Multivariate Linear Regression models were created, with Math and ERW (English Reading and Writing) SAT Benchmark rates as the dependent variables. Models were also separated between measurements of wealth (Poverty Rate, Unemployment Rate, Average income, and GDP per captia) and measurements of financial investment (Teacher Salary / Average Income, Expenditures per Student, percent of GDP allocated to public education, and Student-Teacher Ratio) as the independent variables. The review of national data, correlation analyses, and MLR models all showed statistically significant relationships between Math and ERW (English Reading and Writing) SAT benchmark rates and measurements of wealth. The variables that had the highest significance were average income and GDP per capita The correlation analyses on WV school districts and state-level data as well as MLR models of WV school districts consistently show no statistically significant relationship between SAT iv benchmark rates and measurements of financial investment used in this study. This study indicates that teacher salaries, percent of a school district’s revenue spent on education, student-teacher ratios, and budgeted amount per student do not have a statistically significant relationship with SAT scores. To summarize, the research in this study demonstrates that socio-economic status, more specifically wealth of a school district, is a statistically significant predictor of success on the SAT. Furthermore, investing more in education through higher teacher salaries, lower student to teacher ratios, or higher overall expenditures on education is not shown in this study as a statistically significant predictor of success on the SAT
Gridiron Insights: Predicting Gameday Outcomes Through Regression Analysis in College Football
Get PDFThis research investigates the predictive power of the changes in spread, over/under betting lines, and home field advantage in determining whether the favored team in a college football betting market will cover the spread. The study examines three key factors: the change in the betting spread, the change in the over/under line, and the home-field advantage of the favored team. Using a comprehensive dataset of betting data from Draft Kings and Bovada, the study uses logistical regression techniques to analyze the relationship between these variables and the favored team’s performance against the spread. Our findings indicate that fluctuations in the betting spread and over/under lines, combined with the home field status of the favored team, do not provide a statistical significant predictive insights. The results demonstrate that these lines can are not effective when utilized to predict the likelihood of the favored team covering the spread, highlighting efficiencies in the betting market. This research contributes to the understanding of sports betting dynamics and offers practical implications for bettors seeking to improve their wagering strategies through data-driven approaches
Tools to Improve Student Engagement
No full textThis interactive session will focus on strategies used by the panelists to increase student engagement with course content and the learning process. Panelists will discuss a range of strategies designed to encourage reading, interactivity, and active learning. Darrell Rudmann will discuss the recent addition of short, in-class weekly quizzes designed to motivate students to read class texts. Jodi Dunham will discuss research-based, creative teaching strategies to facilitate active learning. Christy Zempter will discuss the use of reading journals to encourage engagement with class texts and gauge gaps in understanding
All About Relationships: The Influences that Facilitate the Development of a Sense of Calling Among Undergraduate Women Raised and Educated in Appalachia
No full textSkeptics of the current state of higher education have typically questioned its purpose by citing inflated costs, the perceived diminished value of the college degree, limited access to education and knowledge acquisition in preparation for an ever-changing world, and consumerist ideologies. Despite the ongoing litany of concerns and criticism directed toward higher education, undergraduate education has remained a vital experience for emerging adults to contemplate big questions about meaning and life purpose. However, the barriers and contexts faced by marginalized college students, including women raised and educated in Appalachia, may limit or hinder their opportunity to explore a sense of calling during college. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study focused on young women raised and educated in Appalachia to understand the influences that facilitate students’ development of a sense of calling during their undergraduate education. The researcher collected data through 13 semistructured interviews at three higher education institutions in Appalachia. Participants were undergraduate women in their junior or senior year who participated in vocation exploration experiences or programming at their institution. Emerging categories and themes reveal that influences such as faculty mentoring, familial relationships, formative experiences, life circumstances, supportive environments, and guided purpose exploration were notable for developing a sense of calling. Understanding these influences, particularly in relation to other student characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status, first-generation status, and gender), may be particularly instructive for higher education leaders and educators who understand the importance of instilling a sense of purpose and calling in the lives of women college students, and perhaps particularly for first-generation students raised in distinctive regional contexts such as Appalachia.
Keywords: calling, vocation, higher education, Appalachia, wome