Summit Institutional Repository @ PSU (Plymouth State University)
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Parental involvement and the enhancement in students' academic performances
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to compare reading data and statistics on students in Title One as well as the general education classroom in my school. This reading data will show a comparison of students' reading abilities based upon parental involvement. Also, an event will be held, Family Reading Night, for students in grades K-4 and their parents to take part in a night of fun reading activities. The main focus of this project is to get parents involved with their child's education community. The basis of this research is to find ways that educators can create an engaging learning environment for parents to become involved with their children. Parental involvement enhances the academic performances of students with the support they are provided outside of the school community. It affects their academic performance from the start of schooling and before entering grade school, compared to not having any parental support. Also, education can differentiate ways that educators can improve parental involvement in students' lives as well as school communities (before grade school and while attending grade school).Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
Characteristics that influence valuation of ecosystem services and environmental worldview in the Great Bay watershed
Get PDFThe Great Bay watershed in coastal New Hampshire is a site of cultural significance, economic use, and various natural resources. As a result of pressure from increased population and development the watershed has been experiencing degradation in recent decades. Residents of the state and the watershed itself have expressed concern ecosystem services and are in favor of taking action to ensure their protection. Our research team was tasked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with linking the health of the Great Bay watershed to water quality indicators, ecosystem services, and human preferences as a way of investigating its value. We examined residents' value of ecosystem services provided by the watershed, as well as what demographic and geographic characteristics may have affected their valuation. We also assessed these characteristics in comparison to their environmental attitudes, beliefs, and worldview through use of the New Ecological Paradigm scale. We hypothesized that the value of different ecosystem services would differ among the residents, and that their personal characteristics would affect their valuation. We undertook this research through a combination of literature review, a survey of residents within the Great Bay watershed, spatial analyses of characteristics associated with the location of respondents, and statistical analyses of observed valuation. We found that nearly 92% of respondent encompassed a pro-environmental worldview and that they valued the drinking water and wildlife habitat ecosystem services significantly more than the flood protection and swimming ecosystem services. We also found that prior level of knowledge, childhood community type, and distance to conserved areas of land were significant influencers of certain ecosystem services or placement on the New Ecological Paradigm scale. We recommend that future work on investigate different survey methods and address respondent value of ecosystem services through the use of open-ended response questions.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Comparison of fatal tornado events in two different NWS forecast office regions
No full textTornadoes are one of the deadliest weather phenomena in the United States. They are caused by severe thunderstorms. Due to the extreme nature of these storms, meteorologists try to issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings well in advance of an event. The goal of this project was to gain a better understanding of tornado related fatalities and the lead times of watches and warnings associated with them. An analysis compared tornado-related fatalities in two National Weather Service (NWS) County Warning Areas (CWA): Norman, Oklahoma and Little Rock, Arkansas. The Norman, OK CWA has a longer median lead time for tornado warnings than the Little Rock, AR CWA. A possible explanation may be that the Norman, OK NWS office forecasts for a larger region and greater population than the Little Rock, AR NWS office. In addition, all fatalities were combined into one data set and it was found that the majority of fatalities were within houses and mobile homes. In the state of Oklahoma, a person is twice as likely to be murdered by another human being as be killed by a tornado. Further analyses are discussed in the paper and poster.Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
Using LiDAR to identify historical features in the White Mountain National Forest
No full textRemote sensing is used to assist in understanding historical land use by identifying unique physical land characteristics that are representative of historical features. Digital elevation models (DEM), representing Earth's bare surface, can be created from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. In New England, historical features, including stonewalls, can be digitized using LiDAR-derived DEM products. Common DEM-derived products, such as hillshade, slope, and aspect, are used to manually digitize the areal extent and location of archeological features. These historical features are considered significant sites that require documentation for various land management purposes; particularly within the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF). In 2016, we started a field assessment within the WMNF using line-transect sampling to assess the accuracy of digitized stonewalls. Although we found that common DEM-derived products led to successful identification of stonewalls, methods of digitizing stonewalls that parallel roads were not always accurate and consistent among digitizers. The objective of this project investigates alternative DEM-derived visual renderings by evaluating surface topography to further delineate stonewalls. We found methods of calculating topographic ruggedness more clearly distinguished stonewalls from roads than initial visual products. These results are essential for informing and standardizing digitizing practices for future statewide and regional efforts.Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
Software engineering lecture notes (student version)
Get PDFLecture notes for an upper-level undergraduate software engineering course, with a strong focus on software design. Students taking this course should have already completed a data structures course. These notes are designed to be used with Dale Skrien’s text Object Oriented Design using Java
The effects of reminders on procrastination
No full textThe purpose of this experiment is to show how procrastination behaviors may or may not be affected by daily reminders from an authoritative figure. This research may be important in understanding the factors which can alleviate procrastination. The experiment will begin with a self-report survey of the individual's perceived levels of procrastination, using the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students (PASS). After these surveys have been collected, participants will be asked to write a 300-word essay over a relatively mundane topic, in this case this will be 'fish'. Half of the students in the experiment will receive email reminders every day for exactly a week (experimental group), while the other half will not (control group). The predictions of this researcher being that students not receiving the daily reminder will be more likely to procrastinate. Preliminary results will be presented.Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
An evaluation of the 70:20:10 framework for workplace learning
Get PDFThis evaluation studied the evidence of research-based learning theories and practices in the 70:20:10 framework literature. Carefully noting that the 70:20:10 framework is a workplace performance model (that is, a model that underscores doing work tasks versus only knowing about them), this investigation finds the majority of the framework literature was well grounded in the basic elements of human learning outlined in the literature review. There was sound evidence of research-based learning theories and practices woven throughout the framework literature. Additionally, the 70:20:10 framework literature aligns with how workplace learning is developing in the twenty-first century.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
An exploration of mindfulness-based practices among New Hampshire high school teachers: creating caring classrooms in the Granite State
Get PDFThe purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the use of mindfulness-based practices by New Hampshire public high school teachers and to explore how mindfulness-based practices inform New Hampshire public high school teachers' classroom experience. A mixed methods study utilizing a survey, focus group discussions, and individual interviews were used to conduct the research. The study participants were teachers employed at public high schools throughout the state of New Hampshire. The results of the study indicated five mindfulness-based practices among New Hampshire public high school teachers. These practices included: breathing; meditation; mindful moments; mindful pauses (breaks, quiet time, and walks); and mindful spaces (lighting, music, and smells). Results of this study also indicated that mindfulness-based practices inform classroom experience in two ways: stress management and student-teacher relationships. The results of this study support existing literature on mindfulness-based practices for teachers as a form of self-care to reduce stress and to improve student-teacher relationships.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Schools as miniature communities: understanding the effect of community schools on communities
Get PDFResearch on the effectiveness of community schools has indicated positive results in increasing students' academic achievement and attendance, and in decreasing dropout rates (Blank, Jacobson, & Pearson, 2009). However, 'tvhile the literature claims that community schools affect students, families, and communities (Blank, Melaville, & Shah, 2003; Dryfoos, 2002; Minzey & Olsen, 1969; Olsen, 1945), there is no evidence indicating how those communities are affected (Heers, van Klaveren, Groot, & Brink, 2011). The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the ways community schools impact the communities they serve. The findings from the case study indicated that a) a public school can act as a community school, and b) a community school can facilitate the intellectual, social, economic, health and well-being, and environmental development of its community. Results from this study indicate that setting, trusting relationships, learning, and community engagement are the four pillars that any school can incorporate to become a community school. While a community school has the potential to facilitate sustainable community development, the researcher also found that the intentions of the people working in the school and the community in which that school is embedded are critical to materialize this vision.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Intro programming lecture notes (student version)
Get PDFLecture notes for an introductory programming course in Python (version 3.x). There are many example problems suitable for "flipped" classes. This follows the order of Allen Downey's Think Python text. Some sections are skipped, but the basics are included through inheritance and polymorphism. No prior programming experience is expected