The LAIR at East Texas A&M
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Automatic Sensing, Perception, and Prediction for Intelligent Vehicles Using Deep Learning
No full textIn this thesis, we enabled automatic sensing for intelligent vehicles that utilize their perception ability through sensors to predict correct driving behaviors for safe driving. First, we focused on developing deep learning models that learn from real world driving data collected by driving on local roads and on highways. The models are trained, tested, and applied to predict the steering angle of vehicles. Specifically, we leveraged convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to develop deep learning models that make use of real driving streaming data and respective steering angles to learn. We also studied the literature to build motion prediction and path planning modules that can be deployed to assist driving and promote safe driving. Preliminary experiments were conducted and experimental data is collected to examine the performance of the selected motion prediction and planning algorithms. We then discussed our future work at the end of this thesis
Transitioning Students with EBD to and from Self-Contained Behavioral Settings: Processes and Perceptions
No full textThe education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in less restrictive environments (LRE) continues to be a focus and challenge for administrators and educators. This population of students often exhibit maladaptive behaviors severe enough to warrant change of placement to a restrictive environment. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997 and reauthorization in 2004 provide stakeholders with policy that mandates use of a continuum of placements to educate students with disabilities, research-based programs and processes, and functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs). A review of literature indicated only four processes used with students with EBD and a more restrictive environment (MRE). Identified were level systems, although they are often implemented inconsistently and without fidelity (Cancio & Johnson, 2007); goals and objectives (Swan et al., 1987); transenvironmental programming (Anderson-Inman, 1981); and decision trees (Hunsaker, 2018). However, there is a dearth of research using these processes in a consistent manner with students with EBD, as they transition along the continuum of placements. Additionally, there is a lack of research on policy adherence of BIPs, and effectiveness of processes, related to transitions. This exploratory study describes the gaps in research and the need for research-based processes for students with EBD. Using a nationwide survey and follow-up focus groups, special education educators in self-contained classrooms and separate schools provided information on the processes used in their MRE, their perceptions of policy adherence regarding the use of FBAs and BIPs, and their perceptions on the effectiveness of their processes. The findings indicated level systems and mastery of goals and objectives were frequently used in transitioning students with EBD out of the MRE, along with many other processes. Perceptions of policy adherence remained inconclusive, although educators reported that students transitioned to the MRE with BIPs. Lastly, perceptions of effectiveness differed between survey responses and focus group results, as well as between educators in self-contained classrooms and educators in separate schools. One unintended finding of importance was the frequent use of the MRE, by students with EBD, when there was access on their home campus. Further research in these areas was recommended
Attachment Related Stress Among Foster Mothers: A Phenomenological Study
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of foster parents’ stress on attachment with their foster child. The following research question guided this phenomenological study: How do foster parents describe the experience of creating a positive attachment with their foster child? The researcher used a purposive sampling technique to select 12 foster parents. Data collection involved the use of semi-structured in-depth interviews. The researcher used Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six steps of thematic analysis to analyze data. My findings revealed eight themes relating to foster mothers experience on creating a positive attachment with their foster child: a) foster mother role; b) barriers to secure attachment; c) biological parents; d) foster children; e) foster care system; f) biological children; g) training; and h) what helps
The East Texan, 2021-04-15
No full textA color copy of The East Texan, a student newspaper published at Texas A&M University-Commerce.https://lair.etamu.edu/scua-east-texan-browse-all/1217/thumbnail.jp
Craddock Hall Exterior
No full textA color photograph showing the east face of Craddock Hall. The image also shows a sign for the Lion Food Pantry.https://lair.etamu.edu/scua-univ-photos-browse-all/1372/thumbnail.jp
The Influence of Policy Implementation in the Midwest: How a SSTEM Program Broadens Participation and Enhances Engineering Identity for Community College Students
No full textThis qualitative research study describes how a Midwest community college’s implementation of an Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (SSTEM) program influences engineering identity development for its students with financial need. Using a phenomenological approach, the study finds that the program enables community college students to have greater financial freedom and an ability to focus on engineering identity. In addition, the SSTEM program enhances student connections with STEM faculty, program staff, and peers. The study highlights the need for creating spaces for engineering identity development, developing connections between faculty, staff, and students, and enhancing transfer connections through different experiences. Future research might look to longitudinal designs and investigate additional contexts, engineering disciplines, gender differences, and programmatic structures to add nuance to these findings. The study suggests that practitioners might frame SSTEM and engineering experiences as opportunities for financial freedom and identity development and make further enhancements to transfer connections to four-year institutional partners. In terms of policy, the study suggests that policymakers consider identity development experiences an important aspect of funding SSTEM programs while enhancing programmatic support services available to students and placing greater emphasis on the collaborative actions, planned activities, and power dynamics between two- and four-year institutions funded by the SSTEM program
The Relationship Between Growth Mindset Interventions and Academic Performance in a Texas Community College Corequisite Mathematics Course
No full textMany students entering higher education are not academically prepared for college mathematics and English and must enroll in developmental education, especially community college students. Interventions are vital to help these students improve their academic performance and successfully complete credit level courses. Recently implemented corequisite model courses and growth mindset interventions can benefit student academic success. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between growth mindset interventions and academic performance of students enrolled in corequisite model developmental and credit level mathematics courses at a Texas community college. All agreeing participants in this study self-reported their grades and completed a mindset questionnaire in a pre-survey and post-survey. Students assigned to the treatment group (n = 15) completed an online mindset intervention and those assigned to the control group (n = 12) had no intervention. The results of implementing this growth mindset intervention did not show to significantly improve academic achievement with students enrolled in corequisite developmental and credit level math. Contrarily, the implemented mindset intervention did show significant changes in the view of intelligence of the target student population. Minority students reported a significantly greater increase in the growth mindset scale score than that of White students. Thus, the online growth mindset intervention effected a stronger belief in the growth of one’s intelligence, more so with minority students than that of White students enrolled in corequisite model courses
Gender Differences and Attitudes of Cyberstalking Behaviors on a College Campus
No full textTechnology is continuing to grow more prevalent in society as advances in the field expand and flourish. With the technology boom and ease of access to the internet comes also the ease of access to stalking and harassment. Stalking has evolved to mean much more than simply following someone home from work or standing outside of their home inconspicuously. The internet provides a means to find anything about anyone. Anonymity is easily acquired behind whatever screen one desires, whether that be a computer, tablet, or cell phone. This in turn gives ease of access and anonymity to those who engage in cyberstalking behaviors. Cyberstalking is directly related to a behavior known as obsessive relational intrusion (ORI), where a person knowingly and repeatedly invades another person\u27s privacy by using intrusive tactics in an attempt to get closer to that person. Obsessive relational intrusion includes behaviors such as repeated calls and texts, persistent voicemails, malicious contact, spreading rumors, cyberstalking/stalking, and even violence (kidnapping and assault). The definition of cyberstalking as used for our purposes is a perpetrator who threatens, harasses, preys upon, or causes fear in others through the use of stalking tactics by using the internet and any virtual platforms found therein (Pittaro, 2007). The information found within this study ultimately carries the potential to aid in the prevention of cyberstalking by providing a better understanding of the behaviors and traits that one might possess who engages in cyberstalking behaviors. Within this study undergraduate-level college student participants will complete a questionnaire online that assesses personality traits, behaviors, attitudes, and experiences with cyberstalking
Middle School Principal Perceptions of Readiness to Serve: A Phenomenological Self-Efficacy Study
No full textTransitioning into the role of the principal or leader of learning is typically one that is filled with tremendous excitement (Mascall & Leithwood, 2010). However, it may also be challenging and even untenable at times if the shift in roles, specific job duties, and social and emotional pressures are not areas of leadership that the new principal has borrowed experience to lean on or that they believe they can successfully fulfill (Fuller & Young, 2009). At a national level, research highlights that only one half of new principals will remain serving on the same campus as the principal between year one and five in the principalship (Fuller & Young, 2009). These statistics are not only disruptive to the teaching and learning success of a campus, teacher turnover, financial stewarding, but even more so are the detrimental effects that can be felt at the middle school level when principals do not feel ready for the role (Mascall & Leithwood, 2010). This study will use qualitative phenomenology to understand the phenomena of principal self-efficacy from the perspectives of eight to twelve active middle school principals, with one to three years of experience. The results of this study provide evidence for more robust and individualized support for new middle school principals before and after they have matriculated into the role of principal. The researcher concludes the paper with recommendations for future research to support the growth and development of self-efficacy among new middle school principals during their first one to three years in the position
Graphical Processing Unit Accelerated RNA Substructure Comparison and Search Engine
No full textExponentially increasing Ribonucleic acid (RNA) secondary structure databases have presented new challenges to researchers in the field and motivated the idea for fast preparation of collection of huge RNA structure database for subsequent analysis. Further when big data discussion happens, consideration of the processing time is a must. Use of big data analytics and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) accelerated deep learning have proven highly beneficial in computationally extensive data analysis which motivated this study to incorporate GPU to accelerate the existing as well as new comparison and search algorithms.The recently developed comparison and search algorithm yielded efficient results with the use of newly proposed relative addressing based (RAB) RNA secondary structure representation. The RAB representation embeds the 2D structure information of an RNA into a sequence. It allows to store the RNA structure database into a suffix array and further assists the development of fast substring search and comparison algorithms. The algorithms were tested on databases of around 5000 RNAs. Now as the database sizes have reached collectively to millions, while performing analysis, limitations have been observed with existing algorithms when used over huge databases. Hence, the goals of this project include automation of the steps to streamline the handling of RNA structure data curation such that the database could be refreshed as needed in accordance with its constantly changing nature. Some new search and comparison problems have been formulated for RNA substructures analysis. These problems will show meaningful impact on RNA structure analysis, done on large databases. The development of algorithms to solve these problems efficiently will be the focus of this study. The efficiency of proposed solutions would be proved by showing comparative test results. In addition, the practical use of this study in life-sciences will also be discussed. Finding similarity by comparing RNA structure sequences is substantial for structural bioinformatics researchers but upon comparison, the computational cost could outweigh the gain (Stern & Mathews, 2013). Hence, this study proposes to give improved solution for the previously developed RNA substring search and comparison problems and for new discussed problem scenarios to work efficiently on large databases with a Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA)-supported General Purpose Graphics Processing Unit (GPGPU) programming. All the application development would be done using Python language, which is popularly used nowadays for big data analytics and machine learning. The comparative test results would be generated on system with NVIDIA GPU support