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Access to IDEA Data by People with Disabilities, For People with Disabilities
Get PDFThe Rhonda Weiss Center for Accessible IDEA Data’s (Weiss Center) mission is to improve state capacity to collect, report, analyze, and use IDEA data in accessible formats for individuals with disabilities. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. One of the ways we at the Weiss Center aim to achieve this is through the development and adoption of our Accessible Data Analysis and Publishing Tool (ADAPT). States are responsible for numerous federal reporting requirements on performance indicators related to infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities. States often have limited capacity and resources to ensure this data is fully accessible. As a modern, web-based solution, ADAPT addresses this challenge by allowing states to author and publish IDEA-related reports that are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. To create ADAPT, the Weiss Center conducted information-gathering sessions with various stakeholders across the country from over 80 individuals. This real-life testing further informed usability and accessibility of ADAPT, allowing the Weiss Center to continue to enhance its design and development. These efforts also helped to further inform the existing needs and challenges related to accessing IDEA data. ADAPT consists of an Admin component leveraged by state users to create and manage accessible data reports, and a Public Viewer component for the public to access published reports. The ADAPT tool meets and exceeds accessibility requirements of Section 508, and the recently updated ADA Title II ruling. A key feature of ADAPT is its Accessibility Settings component. This allows individuals to tailor their experience by customizing text size, color schemes, and content density. We continue to encourage input and remain open to further enhancements by leveraging emerging technologies. The students with disabilities of today will grow into adults with disabilities of tomorrow. Everyone deserves the right to IDEA data that is accessible and user-friendly
The Role and Influence of Faculty as Predictors for Retention and Satisfaction Among Generation Z
Get PDFAccess the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.
While previous research has established that faculty and their interactions with students have had the greatest impact on student retention and satisfaction for centuries, limited studies have been done to understand how faculty are influencing Generation Z, our newest generation of students in higher education. This study examined how the quantity of faculty interactions is impacting student retention and satisfaction among 342 Generation Z first-year college students at a public land-grant institution in the Midwest using the National Survey of Student Engagement instrument. In a Mann-Whitney U test, significant difference was found between students’ overall satisfaction and student retention during their first year. Results of a multiple linear regression found that student-faculty interactions significantly predicted students’ overall satisfaction. Recommendations for fostering evolving student-faculty relationships are discussed
The Role of Answer Justification in Multiple-Choice Testing: Effects on Performance and Metacognitive Accuracy
Get PDFMultiple-choice (MC) tests are widely used in educational settings but have been criticized for promoting passive recognition rather than active retrieval. Our research explores how adding a simple component to MC tests—answer justification—influences test performance and metacognitive accuracy. Across two experiments, university students studied a textbook chapter and completed either a standard MC test (MC-only group) or an MC test requiring them to justify their answers (answer justification group). Participants also provided predictive and postdictive metacognitive judgments. The results showed that the answer justification group significantly outperformed the MC-only group on an immediate test (Experiments 1 and 2) and scored numerically higher on a delayed test two days later (Experiment 2). Further, some initial evidence suggested that metacognitive accuracy was influenced by test type, but future research is needed. These findings support a retrieval-based explanation: generating answer justifications increases test performance by strengthening memory through elaborative retrieval. This study demonstrates that incorporating answer justification into MC tests may improve learning and metacognitive accuracy. We also offer practical suggestions for classroom implementation, considering that answer justification boosts test performance but also imposes a time cost compared to standard MC tests
This is Who I am. If I Could Change it, I Would, But I Can\u27t. : The Illusion of Choice in Disclosing Past Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence to a Current Romantic Partner
No full textMany people around the world experience abuse in their romantic relationships, and this can have long-lasting effects on their well-being. Talking about these past experiences with a new partner can sometimes be an important step in healing. This study explored how and why people choose to share their history of intimate partner violence with a current partner. Fourteen people who had experienced such abuse took part in interviews about their decision to tell their romantic partner. This study found that experiencing abuse in the past can change peoples\u27 identities in both positive and negative ways. The research found that these past experiences deeply affected how people saw themselves and how they handled the idea of telling someone new because of the stigma they experienced. However, some people may have decided to tell their romantic partner because they felt like they had to before their romantic partner found out in some other way. This research found that it didn’t matter why the person decided to tell their romantic partner, telling their partner about their experiences helped them to make sense of their experience in ways they were not previously able to and helped them heal from those experiences, especially when they felt support from their partners after they told them about their abuse experiences
Multiple Wavepacket Decomposition of F404 Engine Military Jet Noise
No full textJet noise sources are challenging to measure directly due to the extreme environment. Inverse methods, such as acoustic beamforming, using data collected near these sources can be used to construct equivalent source models that accurately describe the acoustic radiation. However, generating these models for a complex source can require thousands of parameters for a complete description. To address this challenge, a multiple wavepacket decomposition is introduced, reducing the source model into a set of analytic wavepackets, which recreate the full-rank model. This paper provides an overview of the decomposition procedure and applies it to acoustic data collected near a T-7A-installed GE F404 engine. Wavepacket properties are explored, and implications are discussed
Working on an Incubator to Image Cancer Cells: Development of a Custom 3D-Printed Imaging Incubator for Refractive Index-Based Cell Classification
No full textThis project aims to develop a compact, 3D-printed incubation chamber for live-cell imaging using Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI), a technique that can distinguish cancerous cells from healthy ones based on refractive index. The chamber was designed in OnShape and built using FDM 3D printing, offering rapid prototyping, customizability, and cost efficiency.
While print failures and material limitations present challenges, the current design provides a stable, optically clear environment compatible with digital holography. The system is intended for 24–48 hour imaging experiments, with future work focusing on capturing differences in refractive index between healthy and cancerous cells.
This approach could support low-resource diagnostics and space-based biomedical research, where compact, label-free systems are ideal. Though results are forthcoming, early tests show promise for continued development and eventual clinical or aerospace application
Machine Vision in C. elegans Locomotion Analysis
No full textExisting tracking systems for C. elegans motion research can be redesigned to create low-cost microscopes for motion data collection from multiple model species
Cracking the Code for PCB Cleanup: PCR Optimization Meets Synthetic Biology
No full textThis study focuses on the construction of a plasmid harboring biphenyl (BPH) genes, with the aim of enabling potential degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Optimization experiments were conducted to enhance PCR amplification and assembly efficiency. PCR conditions were refined using a primer concentration gradient and by varying magnesium chloride levels through adjustments in reaction buffer volume, resulting in improved specificity and yield. Six BPH gene fragments were successfully litigated into the pSHDY vector using Gibson Assembly, alongside a GA+ positive control. The resulting construct represents a foundational step toward engineering organisms capable of PCB biodegradation
Community-Engaged Learning for Online Courses
Get PDFThis article explores how to ensure the quality of community-engaged learning (CEL) course outcomes for online courses. We share insights and knowledge of three instructors who have successfully integrated CEL into their online courses. Based on these instructors\u27 experiences, this article discusses four key topics related to online CEL courses: finding mutually beneficial partnerships, managing expectations, managing student-partner interactions, and following up with students. While we have found that the benefits of CEL outweigh the drawbacks, adding CEL to the dynamics of an online course can prove complicated for instructors, who must consider the time commitment, communication challenges, and course outcomes as they plan CEL projects