SHAREOK Repository
Not a member yet
49261 research outputs found
Sort by
Efficacy of the Dual-Submission Homework Method
Get PDFThe dual-submission homework method (DSHM) has become an increasingly popular form of
self-assessment in recent years due to its low-stress engagement for students and the reduction of
workload on instructors and students alike. However, to date, qualitative studies have been the
primary form of investigation to ascertain the effectiveness of the DSHM. The purpose of this
study is to investigate, with quantitative data, whether the dual-submission homework method
leads to an increase in learning comprehension and retention of the material by the participants
involved. Data collected from 59 students enrolled in a sophomore-level Digital Design course
for Electrical Engineering majors was the focal point of this study.
The single-submission homework method (SSHM) resembles the structure traditionally used in
classes. Students are assigned homework, to be submitted once, that will be graded based on
accuracy and completion. The DSHM assignment, however, features two distinct portions.
Students will complete their initial submission, which is graded based on effort and completion.
The solution key for a DSHM assignment is released by the instructor after the initial
submission. The students must then submit a corrected version of their initial assignment for the
second portion of their homework grade. This corrected submission is then graded on effort,
completion, and accuracy as well.
Subsequent exams included questions that closely resembled those from the SSHM and DSHM
assignments, respectively. Performance measures for this study included grades on homework
assignments and exams that were used to accurately measure the results of the DSHM compared
to the SSHM. Measured by performance on the aforementioned criteria, ANOVA analysis
demonstrated that student performance on DSHM exam-based questions was substantially
greater than SSHM exam-based questions. As seen in previous self-assessment studies, feedback
from participants and the course instructor indicated significant qualitative advantages to the
DSHM; desire for implementation in future courses and the reduction of workload and anxiety
about grades for instance. In essence, this study has provided the necessary quantitative and
qualitative evidence to indicate, at the very least, that the Dual-Submission Homework Method is
not a novelty concept and should be given serious consideration in implementation to the same
degree as the traditional single-submission homework method.
Keywords
Dual-submission, single-submission, homework, self-assessment, comprehensio
Looking out for the little guys: how mussels facilitate microbes and scientists facilitate students
No full textAnimals can have large impacts on how ecosystems function, from influencing population dynamics of other plant or animal species, to modifying hydrogeological flow dynamics. One ecosystem function that has received widespread attention is the biogeochemical transformation of key nutrients required for primary production. Freshwater mussels are benthic species that in dense communities, act as biogeochemical hotspots with landscape-level impacts. Mussels can cycle nutrients through their own metabolism, but the observed changes in ecosystem-scale nutrient transformations are also largely influenced by microbial metabolism. My dissertation examined the complex interactions between freshwater mussels and environmental microbial communities and how these interactions shape nutrient dynamics. Then, I investigated how scientists can effectively communicate their research in ways that promote participation in the broader scientific community.
Chapter one explored microbial communities associated with mussels in discrete, but proximate microhabitats in a southern US river. Mussel microbiomes (shell and biodeposits), were less diverse than those in surface and subsurface sediments. Mussel abundance was a significant predictor of sediment microbial community composition. Mussel species richness and distance between sample sites were not significant predictors of microbial community composition. These data suggest that mussels and local habitat conditions that change dynamically along streams, such as discharge, water turnover, and canopy cover, work in tandem to influence environmental microbial community assemblages at discreet rather than landscape scales. Further, mussel burrowing activity and mussel shells may provide interactions between microbial communities critical to nutrient cycling in these systems
Chapter two investigated how mussels can influence microbial community structure and function in the sediment under different nutrient regimes. I transplanted freshwater mussels and natural river sediment to flow-through mesocosms with different nutrient amendment treatments and monitored changes in microbial community composition over one week. I compared these microbial communities to activity measurements of ecoenzymes known to correlate to microbial function and nutrient availability. Mussels always changed sediment microbial community composition, but the final microbial community composition was also dependent on ambient nutrient concentrations. Further, mussels homogenized the stoichiometric ratios of ecoenzyme activities, indicating a consistent function of sediment microbes associated with freshwater mussels. My results suggest that mussels may promote functional redundancy in sediment microbial communities and highlight the importance of animals in controlling biogeochemical transformations under changing nutrient conditions.
Chapter three studied how STEM intervention programs can effectively improve the self-efficacy and self-concept of younger generations of scientists. I surveyed students who participated in a week-long, virtual workshop with a focus on computing in the biological sciences. The workshop had daily seminars and a career mixer to introduce students to scientists in academic, government, and commercial careers. Courses were most frequently taught by graduate students to implement a peer-to-peer mentoring strategy. The workshop was successful in improving student self-efficacy but had more modest success in improving student self-concept. Results were not different among demographic groups, indicating this STEM program did not mirror detrimental impacts on minority students seen systemically across STEM.
Taken together, this dissertation demonstrates that investigations into interactions between animal and microbial communities can improve our understanding of how ecosystems function. Further, it demonstrates that effective outreach and education of scientific knowledge is crucial to the continuity of science as a broader ecosystem
Examining the Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Using a Neurofeedback Device on Adolescent Introspection: A Quasi-Experimental Time-Series Design
Get PDFThis study explored whether adolescents’ introspection increased while engaged in a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI). Using a quasi-experimental design, the researchers identified high school students (n = 13) with elevated levels of anxiety to participate in an 11-week, multiphase MBI. Participants’ introspection ability was assessed by comparing self-reported levels and observed percentage of time calm as recorded by a neurofeedback (NFB) device three times a week during the program. Using general linear modeling, results indicated a significant interaction effect with moderate effect sizes between self-reported scores by phase on NFB scores, F(2, 407)=4.12, p = 0.017 and a significant interaction between sex and self-reported scores on NFB scores overall, F(1, 407)=5.05, p = 0.025. Female participants appeared to have increased introspection compared to males. Results support the use of MBIs to foster introspection in adolescents. The MBI with an NFB device appeared to improve introspection, a key factor in accurate self-report.YesThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Counseling Outcome and Reseach Evaluation on January 18, 2022, available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21501378.2021.2017770
Freedom and the Politics of Space: Contemporary Social Movements and Possibilities for Antiracist, Feminist Practice in U.S. Architecture
Get PDFThis paper was presented at the 2020 Schools of Thought Conference hosted by the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.Students and practitioners of architecture challenge the hegemonic Whiteness, maleness, cisheteronormativity, and capitalist control of these disciplines as a means of democratizing and decolonizing practice to create conditions for Black self-determination. This paper considers how architectural professionals have responded to contemporary movements for social justice in the United States and the ways in which some are more and some less successful at addressing the intersecting nature of identity-based oppressions. Organizations and convenings, including the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), Black in Design, the Design Futures Public Interest Design Student Leadership Forum, Equity by Design, and the Architecture Lobby are considered from 2012 to the pre-pandemic spring of 2020, with a focus on the emergence of new spaces and shifts in how existing spaces engage with activist movements as a result of changing political conditions. The paper provides historical background and constructive critique. It concludes with recommendations for creating institutions that respond proactively, rather than reactively, to racist violence, sexual harassment, assault, and exploitation, and for making lasting meaning of these injustices when they occur. The roles Black people and other people of color, particularly women, have played, and the roles White people, particularly men, and White institutions must play in creating an antiracist, feminist architecture are a focus of this paper.Ye
