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Paintball: Design and Implementation of A Microcontroller-based Video Game
No full textWe design and implement a gaming system called Pinball using an Arduino microcontroller and three pushbuttons to control the movement of two servo motors and six LEDs. The game is designed to grant access with a touchless key using an RFID technique before playing. Each of the player and the computer has three lives in the beginning and the LCD displays the current number of lives of the computer and the player throughout the game. After three rounds, the final result (Win, Lose, or Tie) is displayed and the system automatically exits and prompts the player to scan an RFID key to access for a new game
Seeing the Light: Optics Research at Bethel
No full textThe department of Physics and Engineering has a strong tradition of research, projects, coursework, and labs in optics. Optical sciences is a broad and interdisciplinary field that covers imaging, fiber optic communications, lasers, and sensing, with applications in biology, chemistry, medicine, engineering, and many more. This presents some of the research that has happened over the past few years, including research presented by students at national conferences
The Importance of Executive Function Skills in Neurodivergent Students
No full textThis literature review examined three main areas: (a) the impact of executive function skills on academic achievement in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disabilities (SLD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); (b) interventions designed to enhance executive function skills in these neurodivergent students; and (c) the long-term effects of executive function skills on academic success. The articles reviewed defined executive function skills to include working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and planning. The term neurodivergent students refers to those with ASD, SLD, and ADHD. The review considered both clinical and school-based interventions. This literature review concluded that social-emotional learning, mindfulness training, and classroom-based strategies can improve executive function skills. However, achieving long-term success relies on consistent practice and application in various settings. Therefore, educators should regard the development of executive function skills as an ongoing process rather than a short-term solution
Is There a Relationship Between Social Support and Employment Quality?
No full textIn this research study, an examination is conducted on data taken from Add Health surveys to see if there is a relationship between social support and career satisfaction. Various graphs and tests were utilized to better understand how these factors might relate to one another. The goal is to see if there are any meaningful patterns that show how social life impacts people\u27s careers
The First Five Years: A Study of Novice Teacher Retention in High-Poverty Urban Public Schools
No full textUsing data from the 2020–2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), this quantitative study investigated the retention and attrition of novice teachers in high-poverty urban public schools in the United States. With large numbers of teachers leaving or planning to leave the profession and fewer qualified teachers entering the workforce, the issue of teacher retention continues to grow. Teacher turnover impacts schools financially, strains leaders who must continue to train new teachers and establish their schools’ culture, burdens other teachers who often must fill in for vacancies and support new teachers, and most importantly, negatively impacts students in a variety of ways. This research found that among novice teachers who worked at high-poverty urban public schools in the United States, there were statistically significant relationships between salary satisfaction, principals’ support of student conduct, and cooperation among peers, and teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession as long as possible. Although there was a statistically significant relationship between salary satisfaction and teachers’ intentions to leave the profession as soon as possible, the relationship was only approaching the threshold of significance for principal support of student conduct and was not statistically significant for collaboration among peers. As this study’s recommendations indicated, if schools, districts, legislators, and policy makers are committed to retaining teachers, they should work toward reinforcing the importance of ensuring that teachers are satisfied with their salaries, have the support of their principals, and have opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues, ultimately for the benefit of all students
Paper Valley
No full textTextured magazine landscape collage.https://spark.bethel.edu/raspberry-monday-art-award/1003/thumbnail.jp
Inspiring Success: Methods and Interventions for Empowering and Motivating At-Risk Students
No full textThis literature review focuses on proven techniques to motivate at-risk, reluctant learners to actively engage in their education. Specific interventions for motivating students are discussed, as well as the reasoning behind those interventions on psychological, community, and choice-driven levels. Studies demonstrated that the use of positive, trustworthy teacher-student relationships (TSRs) help create a sense of safety and security for students who have previously experienced trauma. Student choice is another intervention that creates motivation for reluctant learners, as they are able to invest in their education and can help determine their overarching academic goals. Lastly, encouraging students to build metacognitive strategies and self-actualized identities that bridge previous gaps in learning and defy stereotype threat has proven to increase achievement
Facilitators and Barriers to Reducing Maternal Mortality Rates in Non-Hispanic Black Women: An Integrative Review
No full textIntroduction - Black maternal mortality remains a crucial public health crisis in the United States despite a plethora of research on the incidence. This presents in the persistent disparities in health outcomes between Black and White mothers and newborns. While numerous studies have explored isolated factors contributing to this issue, few have synthesized the full scope of barriers and facilitators influencing Black maternal health outcomes in the United States specifically.
Research Aim - This integrative review aims to identify and organize the key facilitators and barriers to reducing Black maternal mortality in the United States using the socio-ecological model as a framework.
Methods - A formalized search of peer-reviewed literature was conducted utilizing database searching and citation searching, with articles screened according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Selected studies were then analyzed and categorized according to the five levels of the socio-ecological model: individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal. Facilitators and barriers were then attributed to each of the five categories above.
Results - This integrative review revealed that facilitators included preconception health counseling, easily digestible postpartum education, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed care, trusting relationships between patients and providers, equitable access to local maternity services, and increased representation of Black providers within maternity care. Key barriers included elevated stress from lifelong racialized experiences, implicit bias of providers, rampant structural racism, inconsistent provider education, and inequitable access to quality care and community support. Overall, the strongest voice was that of Black women who desire to be seen, heard, known, and respected by their maternal care providers.
Discussion - This review highlights the complex nature of Black maternal mortality and emphasizes the need for creative and useful interventions at every level of the socio-ecological model. While individual and interpersonal efforts are essential, sustained improvements will require systemic changes, policy reforms, and the inclusion of Black women\u27s voices in maternal healthcare design and delivery
Freestanding Birth Centers-Safety and Efficacy Related to Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes: An Integrative Review
No full textIntroduction: The goal of this literature review is to determine the safety of community birth by evaluating if low-risk pregnant women at term, who deliver in the community setting, specifically at freestanding birth centers, have comparable or lower maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality outcomes, than low-risk women who deliver at an in-hospital birthing facility.
Methods: The authors of this integrative review retrieved original research articles from computerized databases (Nursing and Allied Health, PubMed, and CINAHL), as well as online journal hand searching, followed by cited reference searching. A total of 48 articles underwent a full-text review, and a total of 21 articles met the criteria for inclusion.
Results: Overall, there was a complicated correlation between newborn mortality and the place of birth. However, when qualified midwives attended planned community deliveries, research that considered the presence of pre-existing risk factors and the qualifications of delivery attendants frequently showed a convergence towards comparable newborn outcomes. It was also frequently noted that hospital settings had greater rates of maternal morbidity, particularly in relation to postpartum hemorrhage and perineal injuries. Additionally, the concept of risk perception and informed choice surfaced as a crucial element impacting choices about where to give birth. A less intervention-driven experience, autonomy, and a holistic approach were frequently sought by women who chose to give birth outside of hospitals.
Discussion: Comprehensively, the cited research supports the use of freestanding birth centers as a safe alternative to the hospital setting for low-risk pregnant patients. Outcomes overall are at minimum comparable to the hospital setting and in some cases the risk of morbidity is reduced just by receiving prenatal care at a freestanding birth center. All low-risk pregnant patients should be presented with the option of receiving care and/or delivering at a freestanding birth center to ensure equal access to information is offered and informed choices are made
Exploring the Lived Experiences of People with Adverse Childhood Experiences who have Graduated from College and Broken the Cycle of Generational Poverty
No full textAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as defined by Drs. Felitti and Anda are prevalent in the general population of the United States. These childhood traumas have a profound and lasting impact on emotional, psychological, and social development, often disrupting academic trajectories and life outcomes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of six college graduates in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who endured high levels of ACEs yet succeeded in overcoming adversity to achieve academic and personal success. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and resilience theory (Garmezy & Streitman, 1974), semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the effects of ACEs and the protective factors that fostered resilience. Thematic analysis revealed major challenges rooted in emotional and psychological abuse, family instability, substance abuse, and intergenerational trauma. However, protective factors such as faith and spirituality, supportive relationships, educational engagement, and self-regulation strategies emerged as critical to participants’ resilience and long-term success. Findings contribute to the existing literature by emphasizing the dynamic interplay between internal strengths and external supports in resilience development. These themes suggest that protective factors at various system levels foster resilience. They also underscore the importance of trauma-informed educational practices and support systems, including mental health services, faith-based organizations, and social services, to assist students with high ACEs scores in navigating higher education successfully. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed, highlighting pathways to promote healing, empowerment, and academic achievement among individuals affected by early life adversity