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Effects of Administering Intergenerational Montessori-Aligned Instruction to Mitigate Ageist Attitudes Among Children Ages 3-5
No full textMontessori EdDThis research explores the potential of a Montessori-aligned aging pedagogy as an early
childhood intervention to address ageism. Grounded in principles of individualized learning,
empathy, and respect across the lifespan, the Montessori approach offers a distinctive framework
for fostering meaningful intergenerational interactions. By integrating evidence-based
intergenerational practices with Montessori pedagogy, this model is designed to support the
developmental needs of both preschool children and older adults through high-quality, regularly
scheduled shared activities. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test assessments is
employed, using the recently validated tool, Young Children's Views of Older People (YCVOP).
During the intervention, children interacted with older adults in weekly planned activities,
with trained observers measuring engagement between the children and the older adults. The
methodology suggested that early childhood Montessori pedagogy, which encourages autonomy
and collaborative learning, can positively influence young children's attitudes towards older adults,
fostering mutual respect and understanding. The implications for educators, aging care providers,
and policymakers underscore the importance of implementing Montessori-aligned
intergenerational programs to combat ageism from an early age, thereby promoting a more
inclusive and empathetic society
Macro Practice for Community and Organizational Change
No full textLynn's Open Educational Resource provides knowledge and skills for professionals actively engaged in change making as a necessary way to fulfill their mission. This includes, but is not limited to, social workers, educators, policy makers, health professionals, and environmental scientists. This textbook is the result of Lynn's extensive experience both working and teaching in the field of macro community and organizational change
Detecting Stuttering Types using Deep Learning
No full textColor poster with text, images, charts, and graphs.This website was developed as an educational tool to train students in accurately identifying different types of stuttering. The platform provides audio samples, allowing users to practice distinguishing between various stutter types, such as repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. As students classify these speech patterns, their responses are recorded and stored, with hopes to eventually form a structured dataset. This dataset serves a dual purpose: enhancing student learning through hands-on experience and creating a valuable resource for future AI applications in speech therapy and automated stutter detection. The project aims to bridges the gap between AI and stutter disfluency detection. The resulting dataset can support the development of AI-driven tools for diagnosing and assisting individuals with speech disorders, ultimately improving accessibility to speech therapy solutions.Karlgaard Computer Science Scholarship; University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Interrogating Power and Inequality in Developmental Education: A Critical Bourdieuian Perspective
No full textThis dissertation examines how developmental education, though
intended as academic support, can inadvertently reinforce inequality for historically
underrepresented students. Specifically, it interrogates how institutional power shapes student
experience through practices such as standardized placement testing and narrow definitions of
"college readiness." Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical tools of symbolic violence,
legitimization and social reproduction, and informed by Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, the study
critically analyzes how developmental education can marginalize students by reproducing social
hierarchies under the guise of meritocracy.
Using qualitative document analysis, this project examines institutional policies, state-level
reforms, and student support models across multiple sources, including policy reports, archival
materials, and academic literature. To humanize the data, the dissertation project presents two
composite student profiles: Jack, a first-generation Black student, and Miranda, a Latina single
mother. These profiles illustrate how institutional structures affect student agency,
self-efficacy, and academic progression.
Findings reveal that developmental education often delays degree completion, increases financial
burdens, and erodes student confidence, particularly for marginalized students. However, reforms
such as corequisite models and multiple measures placement offer promising alternatives by
challenging traditional notions of readiness and expanding access. The dissertation concludes with
policy recommendations to mitigate inequitable practices and proposes future research to reimagine
developmental education as
a bridge to success rather than a barrier to equity
Identification of Antibiotic-producing Microbes from Soil
No full textColor poster with text, charts, and photographs.The ongoing rise of antibiotic-resistant microbes is a major concern in the medical field. Many pathogenic bacteria that were once vulnerable to common antibiotics have developed resistance, posing significant challenges to medicine and public health. Infections caused by these resistant bacteria are both expensive and challenging to treat. To address this growing crisis, we aim to identify new antibiotic-producing microbes isolated from soil samples obtained from beneath a wood pile. Following the collection of the soil, testing was done to determine the presence of any substances produced that either inhibit or kill any of the tester strains used (Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis). We have identified three strains of microbes that show evidence of producing an antimicrobial substance. We are working to identify these strains and determine if the antimicrobial substance they are producing is novel.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Experiential Learning in Lean Manufacturing : Measuring Student Perceptions of Innovative Assignments
No full textColor poster with text, photographs, and graphs.The purpose of this project was to measure the student perceptions of the improvement in student learning in the Lean Manufacturing Systems and Concepts course by introducing innovative assignments and projects which connect course concepts to students' personal lives. Through a novel waste identification assignment and a 5S assignment applied to daily tasks, and a semester-long project at a local manufacturing company, students can bridge theoretical knowledge with practical applications. This study, which was conducted in a Lean Manufacturing course at a public university in the upper Midwest, uses surveys to assess the student perception of the impact of this application of using experiential learning methods. After using these experiential learning methods, students reported feeling more prepared to apply Lean concepts in real life and identified additional areas where these methodologies could be used to enhance processes in their lives. We found that these assignments led to students gaining a better understanding of the course material and how to apply their knowledge in a professional and personal capacity. Through this study, we hope to provide inspiration for future Lean Manufacturing courses in other universities, leading to a future of more knowledgeable and prepared students entering the workforce.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Opening to the Arrival of the Beautiful: Embracing Beauty and Cultivating Empathy in Modern Literature
No full textThe practice of reading fiction or observing a work of art with concerted attention
can inspire an undeniable sense of awe, pleasure, or satisfaction from the experience of
perceiving beauty. Recognizing the presence of the beautiful and its power to motivate us
is often seen as a solitary and inward experience; however, if we explore the role of
empathy in cultivating ethical reactions to the presence of beauty, a connection between
aesthetic recognition and societal responsibility emerges. When our experience of the
beautiful is cultivated at both the individual and communal level, our encounters with
beauty in art, literature, and nature can serve to lead us towards a society that prioritizes
empathy over division, imbuing us with a sense of conviction to pursue a more beautiful
tomorrow.
This thesis will analyze the empathetic attitudes that arise from attentive
encounters with beauty and the ability for beauty to foster perspectives of ethical care for
the world around us—which encompasses beings belonging to both the human and
nonhuman realms. The chapters of my project will analyze a range of fictional texts in
terms of the ways they demonstrate this critical connection between beauty and empathy.
In order, I will analyze this relationship within the following texts: Virginia Woolf’s The
Waves, D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the
Sower alongside William Morris’s News from Nowhere. Each novel uniquely depicts the
experience of beauty and its ability to instill an ethos of care in a way that must be further
explored within the current scholarly conversation. By promoting the importance of
empathy in relation to beauty—a dimension often missing from the present theoretical
debate—we can better explore the capacity for beauty to inspire a more ethical society in
the face of communal crises such as climate change and political polarization, which
confront us with the reality that responsible care for our world matters more than ever
Evaluating U.S. Municipal Policies for Decarbonization and Transitions to Sustainable Energy Systems
No full textSenior Honors Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-MadisonClimate change has driven governments to develop renewable energy and decarbonization policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Previous research has primarily focused on policies at the state and national level, with limited attention to municipal policies. My thesis evaluates municipal renewable energy policies of 39 mid-sized American cities in eight states with high renewable energy potential, according to sixteen relevant measures of municipal energy policy. Findings suggest that while many cities have adopted renewable energy and decarbonization policies, these policies vary significantly in strength and extent, even in places with similar capacity to generate renewable energy. Energy efficiency, land use, and transportation policies lead the way, with renewable energy transmission, storage, and market-based energy transition policies rarely adopted by municipalities. In addition, policies more recently adopted tend to be stronger, and those found in planning documents specific to climate change, such as climate action plans, are much more developed than policies found in a municipality’s comprehensive plan. Municipal policies tend to reflect their respective state’s policies, but in some cases, local policies are stronger. This research highlights the interaction between state and local policy in powering renewable energy and decarbonization efforts at the municipal level in a time of accelerated climate policy growth. Findings from this study can be used to inform climate planners on both energy policy coverage and strength, better enabling future transitions to renewable energy at the municipal level
Many Rivers to Cross: Oneida County Stream Crossing Project
No full textMany Rivers to Cross: Oneida County Stream Crossing Projec
Taking the Long View on Lake Recreational Conflicts
No full textTaking the Long View on Lake Recreational Conflict