Summit Institutional Repository @ PSU (Plymouth State University)
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The space between us: a case study exploring faculty and residential life professionals participating in a residential learning community in a small college
Get PDFResidential learning communities have evolved over the last thirty years as an answer to the calls for increased educational quality and student learning outcome successes. This study explored both faculty and residential life professionals' experiences in their residential learning community in a small college in the Northeast. Through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, a single-site, qualitative case study was conducted with data collected through interviews, observation, and document review from both faculty and residential life professionals. Data were analyzed to determine the reported experiences, nature of interactions, and personal and professional development. Findings highlight six elements which have also been found in previous studies: student interactions; personnel and institutional culture; sense of collegiality; clarity of role and purpose; support, and time commitments. The study included perceptions of residential life professional staff and the importance of roles, staffing, training, and space. Importantly, both groups brought up the influence of space on campus, in relation to power, protection, and personality.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Examining student conduct administrative perspectives on contemporary federal guidance for campus sexual violence
Get PDFSexual violence on college campuses is a prevalent issue that has received recent, federal guidance for how colleges should facilitate their student conduct administrative processes. The purpose of this study was to examine student conduct administrators' perspectives, by higher education institution type, on contemporary federal guidance for campus sexual violence. This study used a quantitative descriptive design to examine how the implementation of recent guidance for campus sexual violence has impacted student conduct administrators' perspectives on caseloads, facilitating procedural and safety awareness efforts, campus community safety, and the effectiveness of the Campus SaVE Act amendment to the Jeanne Clery Act. The knowledge gained in this study will aid the field of student conduct administration by identifying professional development needs.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The impact of Mount Washington on the height of the boundary layer and the vertical structure of temperature and moisture
Get PDFDiscrimination of the type of air mass along mountain slopes can be a challenge and is not commonly performed, but is critical for identifying factors responsible for influencing montane weather, climate, and air quality. A field campaign to measure air mass type and transitions on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, USA was performed on 19 August 2016. Meteorological observations were taken at the summit and at several sites along the east and west slopes. Ozone concentrations were measured at the summit and on the valley floor. Additionally, water vapor stable isotopes were measured from a truck that drove up and down the Mount Washington Auto Road concurrent with radiosonde launches that profiled the free atmosphere. This multivariate perspective revealed thermal, moisture, and air mass height differences among the free atmosphere, leeward, and windward mountain slopes. Both thermally and mechanically forced upslope flows helped shape these differences by altering the height of the boundary layer with respect to the mountain surface. Recommendations for measurement strategies hoping to develop accurate observational climatologies of air mass exposure in complex terrain are discussed and will be important for evaluating elevation-dependent warming and improving forecasting for weather and air quality.Article
The impact of grit and non-cognitive skills on high school special education student success
Get PDFThis study investigated whether a link may exist between the grit level of students who require special education services and their assignment completion rate and occurrence of in-class behaviors. The study was performed over a ten-week period between October 2017 and December 2017 in a high school in New Hampshire. The study comprised both pre and post-study grit surveys, the delivery in-class grit lessons and assignments specific to the grit lessons. The lessons specifically targeted the development of non-cognitive skills such as perseverance, resilience and motivation. The grit lessons were delivered by the principal investigator to a population of 15 participating students. The results of this quasi experimental study indicate that the grit level of the participating students increased after receiving ten-weeks of grit training. The increases in the grit level of the students did not appear to have an immediate impact on either the assignment completion rate or frequency of in-class behaviors exhibited by the students in the study population. Additional analysis of student grade point averages before and after the study period showed no statistically significant changes as a result of grit training.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The effect of the age-1 gene on lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans
Get PDFCaenorhabditis elegans has become one of the premiere model systems for aging research due to their accessible genome and their ease of cultivation. Their genome is small compared to humans yet it encodes over 22,000 proteins; about 35% of C. elegans genes are closely related to human genes. The age-1 gene codes for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, which is part of a pathway that regulates longevity. An RNAi feeding vector was created to silence the age-1 gene. My hypothesis is that the lifespan of the treated nematodes will decrease relative to the control. The effectiveness of my constructed RNAi feeding strain will be studied by performing lifespan assays.Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
Invisible ink: an exploration of students' motivation to write
Get PDFThis qualitative study investigates the motivation to write of four students in an upper middle class suburban community in the northeastern part of the United States. Utilizing a multiple case study approach, this current research focused on the interplay of the individual within the socio-cultural environment, using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems framework and Bourdieu's (1997) notion of habitus as analytical lenses. This study moved beyond a linear model of motivation to account for the complexities of interacting motivational processes and focused on student perspective, noticeably absent from the motivation research literature. Findings suggest that five factors contribute to a student's motivation to write. First, a student's habitus, and specifically its concordance or discordance within a certain context, profoundly affects his or her motivation to write. Second, motivation to write is informed by a student's identity within a certain context. Third, social and contextual supports can facilitate motivation to write, depending upon a student's identity and habitus. Fourth, a student's perception of autonomy, informed by his or her habitus and identity and promoted by a feeling of agency, could motivate a student to write. Fifth, students could be motivated to write to explore the complex emotions encountered in the social world and across various contexts. Implications suggest that taking into account in-school writing experiences of high school students can inform educators about changes necessary to the design and implementation of writing instruction and assessment practices.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Antisepsis for intravascular device insertion and care: chlorhexidine versus povidone-iodine
No full textThis cooperatively written project explored multiple peer-reviewed studies related to the antiseptic effectiveness of chlorhexidine versus povidone-iodine in the insertion of intravascular devices. Despite most research showing that chlorhexidine leads to a lower rate of infections, chlorhexidine is not always used in practice. Although most studies point toward chlorhexidine being the stronger antiseptic agent, some studies are not able to reproduce that same result. Tracking infections comes with a multitude of variables, all of which can't be excluded in a single study. Although the results are somewhat inconsistent between studies, no study shows any harm caused by Chlorhexidine. In conclusion, chlorhexidine should be implemented into practice for intravascular device insertion based on research done so far, however more research is required to further knowledge on how and when it is most effective.Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
Why do some Vermonters support or oppose school consolidation initiatives: case studies of community members in two supervisory unions
Get PDFStudent enrollment in Vermont declined over the past two decades, but the number of schools and teachers employed across the state did not decrease at a similar rate. Vermont schools are typically smaller than average schools across the United States, and state legislators passed Act 46 in 2015 to encourage the consolidation of school districts. The purpose of these two case studies is to determine what educational leaders in two supervisory unions in Vermont were doing prior to the enactment of Act 46 to provide opportunities for students in their rural schools amidst changes in enrollment, and examine the responses of community members in the White River Valley Supervisory Union and the Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union to consolidation initiatives proposed in the two years after the passage of Act 46. These two case studies also determined reasons why voters in these two supervisory unions supported or opposed consolidation. This research can provide education policy makers with insights regarding future merger initiatives.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Reducing total joint replacement surgical site infections: a comparison of two dressings
Get PDFAs total joint arthroplasties become more common, so too do the complications of the procedure, such as surgical site infections (SSI). When considering causative factors, it came to light that different dressings were being used for these surgical incisions. A literature review was conducted to determine the efficacy of standard gauze dressings compared to hydrofiber dressings to reduce the incidence of SSI. The results indicate that occlusive hydrofiber dressings independently reduce the rate of SSI. Research also shows that variables such as blistering and number of dressing changes required in a postoperative period are wound complications and risk factors for the development of SSI. Any skin breakdown surrounding a wound provides additional portals of entry for pathogens. Similarly, changing a dressing more frequently exposes the surgical site and increases the chances of contamination by bacteria. The study findings indicate that occlusive hydrofiber dressings, such as Aquacel and Mepilex Border, are superior dressings and aid in reducing dressing changes, wound blistering, and SSI in postoperative total joint arthroplasty patients. The evidence supports the recommendation of using occlusive hydrofiber dressings for total joint arthroplasty incisions.Student Showcase of Research & Engagement 201
Uncovering the past landscape of central New Hampshire: accuracy assessment for identifying stonewalls using LiDAR-derived products
Get PDFRevealing a landscape's manmade history can be difficult if only satellite or aerial imagery is available. With the advent of LiDAR, changes along the bare-earth can easily be seen and further teased apart. LiDAR-derived products can be utilized to successfully identify historical resources found along the landscape, such as stonewalls. Common approaches include creating various terrain products from LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEMs), such as hillshade and slope, that are used as visualization tools. It is important to evaluate the accuracy of digitizing historical resources through field sampling. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of the most common LiDAR-derived visualization products in accurately identifying stonewalls within a study area located in the White Mountain National Forest, NH. Line-transect sampling was used to develop a field accuracy assessment of both the presence and absence of said digitized stonewalls. This field approach will be essential for standardizing statewide and regional digitizing efforts of historical resources with the newly available New Hampshire LiDAR data.Student Showcase of Excellence 201