The LAIR at East Texas A&M
Not a member yet
7179 research outputs found
Sort by
Time Series Photometry of DQ Herculis: An Updated Ephemeris
No full textCataclysmic variable Old Nova DQ Herculis (N1934) is an eclipsing binary with anorbital period of 4h39m and is a prototype for a fast spinning accreting magnetic white dwarf. The white dwarf is blocked from our line of sight due to the extreme inclination angle of the accretion disk. DQ Herculis is known for its 71 second oscillation found in the light curve. We present a new photometric study of the eclipse and 71 second oscillations of DQ Herculis. With observations provided to us by the AAVSO and CBA, along with observations done at McDonald Observatory and the SARA consortium, we calculate an updated O-C phase diagram along with updated ephemerides for the eclipse and 71 second signals. We also report new eclipse timings
Discovering Voice Through Multimodal Writing: An Anti-Racist Model for Writing Instructors
No full textThis dissertation contributes to the growing body of scholarship in rhetoric and composition responding to calls for explicitly anti-racist teaching and research practices. Titular examples of the field\u27s widespread commitment to this work include official Position Statements by our flagship professional organizations, like the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) and the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE). Much like the aforementioned position statements, the CCCC’s “Black Technical and Professional Communication Position Statement with Resource Guide” insists on inclusion for Black professionals and scholars in developing germane materials. To this end, the current study brings together seminal scholarship on student voice, by Peter Elbow and Darsie Bowden, and multimodal writing by Jody Shipka and Gunther Kress, along with the dominant narrative by Toni Morrison. The author offers a new pedagogical framework, through a carefully designed sequence of writing and classroom activities, created to take up difficult conversations about race endemic. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that multimodal writing instruction can enable students of all races to discover their own voices and, thereby, disrupt the master narratives. The author articulates a new theoretical framework for anti-racist writing instruction called pedagogy of rhetorical projection, a model for writing instructors. Pedagogy of rhetorical projection is a communicative trilateral approach to writing, interconnecting definition, identification, and application, affectionately referred to as DIA. To compose traditional and/or digital writing, students possess a cognitive definition of the conceptualization that warrants representation through identification and employs articulation through application; therefore, conscientious meanings reflect emblematic forms of communicative structures to convey cohesive content. This rhetorical framework provides students with linguistic prognosticism, which is supported by semantography, that aids in the expression of voice
Changes in Body Composition and Aerobic Fitness Levels in the First Year of College
No full textBackground: College students have been shown to increase in weight at a higher rate than young adults who do not attend college (Mihaloupolos et al., 2008). The greatest increases have been found to occur in the first semester of freshman year with the majority of increased mass believed to be fat (Hootman et al., 2017). Additionally, engagement in physical activity and thus aerobic fitness declines throughout college (De Bourdeaudhuij et al., 2002). Purpose: This study examined changes in body composition (i.e., fat and lean mass) and cardiorespiratory fitness levels in college students in their first semester of college and again during participants’ first semester of sophomore year. Methods: 28 first-semester students (20F/8M, 18±1yr) underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry for body composition measurement and an Astrand-Rhyming bicycle ergometer protocol for VO2max estimation. Questionnaires were administered to examine the role of peer stress, quality of life, and dietary efficacy. All measures were collected at the beginning of the semester and again at the end, with at least 8 weeks between data collection visits. 15 (12F/3M) participants returned for a third assessment one year after their first assessment in order to record all measures for the sophomore year. Results: BMI, total mass, fat mass, and lean mass all increased significantly according to paired t-test analysis (p\u3c0.05) during freshman semester one, but no factor changed significantly by sophomore year. VO2max declined, but not significantly in semester one and increased significantly by sophomore year when measured in absolute values (i.e., in L/min). Subjective perceptions of emotional well-being, role limitations due to emotional well-being, and energy significantly declined. Stress significantly correlated with many quality of life factors. Conclusion: Body mass significantly increased due to an increase in both fat and lean mass in semester one. Secondary factors, such as stress and diet, did not significantly correlate to any changes in body composition or cardiorespiratory factor. Utilizing these data to understand trends in body composition and aerobic fitness changes as well as any interplay from the secondary measures may assist in the creation of future intervention strategies designed to promote healthy lifestyle behavior changes in college students
Look at Me: Does a Smartphone in Line of Sight Impact Learning?
No full textSmartphones are constant companions of college students. They allow students to maintain relationships with parents and peers, instantly connect with news, learn, and play. Students are often asked to silence or turn their phone off when in class, with the assumption that this will improve learning. In other cases, instructors utilize smartphones in class for quizzing to assess current learning status. In online courses students may vary in terms of whether a smartphone is present. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of a smartphone hinders learning. The study occurred online with 194 participants aged 18 to 70 years. Participants were instructed to place their phone in another room, on the desk face up, or in the same room but out of sight. Then they studied a list of Lithuanian-English translations, and their memory of these translations was assessed along with their confidence of their responses. They also completed a smartphone dependency survey and a questionnaire with check questions. Data analysis from the manipulation check led to the addition of a fourth condition, smartphone on the desk face down. The hypothesis that when a smartphone is in the line of sight individuals will remember fewer translations and have poorer performance in monitoring the accuracy of their responses was not found. Nor did the study show support for the hypothesis that mobile phone addiction and smartphone placement would interact to impact memory performance and monitoring accuracy. The interaction of smartphones in line of sight and smartphone dependence does not appear to impact learning. The study did draw attention to participant compliance in online research and the importance of manipulation check questions. Because this study’s findings conflict with prior research further exploration is recommended via online research and the laboratory, and with expansion to classroom or workplace training environments
An Analysis of Color-Blindness in Campus Administrators and Its Impact on Discretionary Discipline
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine the significance of the correlation between the expression of the color-blind ideology of a campus administrator and the extent to which it impacts the degree to which discipline disproportionality is expressed in practice. The researcher studied three research questions to identify the statistical significance of the correlation that exists between (1) the disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline with Black students and the color-blind ideology of the campus administrators in a district; (2) the color-blind ideology of the campus administrator and the individual’s self-identified race/ethnicity; and (3) the color-blind ideology of the campus administrator and the individual’s years of experience in administration. The instruments used in this study were the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) and the QualtricsXM Statistics Software to collect survey data. The sample included 74 campus administrators from K – 12 schools in a large, suburban North Texas school district. The researcher used both a descriptive-comparative and a correlational research design. Participants responded anonymously to a 25-item online survey. Independent samples t-tests and Pearson correlations were used to test hypotheses. The IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 27 was used to calculate t-tests and Pearson correlations. The t-test analyses determined that there was no significant correlation between the degree to which discipline disproportionality was observed for Black students and the expression of the color-blind ideology of the administrator. Also, the analyses determined that there is no significant correlation was found between an administrator’s expression of color-blind ideology and the individual’s years of experience in administration. However, the correlation between the administrator\u27s ethnicity and the individual’s expression of color-blind ideology was found to be statistically significant. The findings support the works of van den Berghe (1978), Omi & Winant (2015), and Kendi (2016) relative to a common mindset of individuals of the same ethnicity/race. Implications of the study and recommendations for further research are discussed
Bilingual Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Evaluator Feedback of Spanish Content Instruction
No full textThe purpose of this study focused on bilingual elementary teachers’ perceptions of evaluator feedback concerning content instruction in Spanish during the 2019–2020 academic year. The researcher concentrated on three characteristics of feedback received from evaluators: usefulness, accuracy, and evaluator credibility. Specifically, the study examined whether differences exist among kindergarten through fifth-grade bilingual teachers’ perceptions of evaluator feedback of content instruction in Spanish as measured by a modified version of the Examining Evaluator Feedback Survey (Cherasaro, Brodersen, Yanoski, Welp, & Reale, 2015). The survey included 16 Likert type questions, eight multiple-choice questions, and two open-ended response questions.The survey indicated that 71.4% (N = 85) of participants perceived their evaluator as not fluent in Spanish while 28.6% (N = 34) perceived their evaluator to be fluent. Participants who perceived their evaluator to be fluent in Spanish showed higher scores for each feedback characteristic. Findings suggest that bilingual teachers’ perceptions of their evaluators’ feedback on content instruction in Spanish may be influenced by teachers’ perception of their evaluator’s proficiency in Spanish. The researcher found that participants’ perceptions of evaluator feedback in the areas of accuracy, usefulness, and evaluator credibility were consistent across grade levels, suggesting similar evaluator perceptions. The researcher also analyzed responses from the open-ended survey question using Glaser and Strauss’ (1976) constant comparative method. Five categories emerged during the open coding phase: (a) English-only observations, (b) evaluator’s Spanish fluency, (c) program, (d) pedagogy, and (e) English Learners (ELs). The most frequently mentioned category that emerged was evaluator’s Spanish fluency (49.5%). Based on the findings, the researcher concludes that evaluators rarely conducted classroom observations, if ever, when the language of instruction was in Spanish. Participants stressed the importance of evaluators being fluent in Spanish to provide unbiased and effective feedback. Finally, participants recommended that evaluators develop a deep understanding of bilingual education programs, second language acquisition, and best practices proven to work effectively with English learners
Faye and Tildon Heritage Garden
No full textA color photograph showing the interior of the Faye and Tildon Heritage Garden.https://lair.etamu.edu/scua-univ-photos-browse-all/1386/thumbnail.jp
Phase II Residence Hall South Exterior
No full textA color photograph showing the south face of Phase II Residence Hall. Culver Street is to the right.https://lair.etamu.edu/scua-univ-photos-browse-all/1374/thumbnail.jp
Art Building Exterior
No full textA color photograph showing sidewalks and the east face of the Art Building.https://lair.etamu.edu/scua-univ-photos-browse-all/1362/thumbnail.jp