28729 research outputs found
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All The Pieces
No full textWhat comes up in your mind as you look through your journey in life? Perhaps you are reminded of people who have inspired you and guided you. Perhaps you are taken back to pivotal moments in your life that made you the person you are. This piece represents the things in our life that bring our being together, all the pieces that make us who we are
Tracking of Ornate Box Turtles Using Radio Telemetry in Iroquois County
No full textThe ornate box turtle (Terrepene ornata ornate) is a terrestrial turtle that averages four to five inches in length. Distinguishing features include its brownish shell with radiating yellow lines across the carapace. Males can be differentiated from females due to their bright red eyes, which females lack. These turtles are omnivores, their diet can consist of insects and berries. Its distribution range includes several states in the Midwest from Nebraska to Illinois and south to Texas. It is commonly found in sand prairies, grasslands, and woodlands and is known to travel through agricultural fields. The abundance and size of agricultural fields have limited and reduced suitable habitats for turtles. Automobile accidents and illegal collection have also played a role in decreasing population size. Conservation plans have focused on learning their habitat requirements and organizing habitat restoration projects.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) have worked with students from Olivet Nazarene University to track ornate box turtles in Iroquois County since 2020. In the summer of 2023 ONU Zoology students Joel Witzig and Yolanda Cooremans with some assistance from Stephanie Clark and Kathryn Bell, utilized radio telemetry to track the dispersal of these turtles. Turtles were tracked twice a week and records were kept on locations and observations. Altogether a total of seven turtles were monitored. Although not all turtles were monitored throughout the tracking period, enough data was provided to determine the areas in which they found suitable resources.
This project aims to monitor ornate box turtles after they have emerged from their overwintering burrows, during late spring and summer. We are looking to understand the distribution patterns and the habitat preferences of the native turtle. This information can then aid in conservation plan
Approachable Narratives in Game Design
No full textThough video games have become mainstream in recent years, many game designers and developers continue to consider new players – unfamiliar with common game-design tropes and expectations – as an afterthought. The consequence is that people interested in trying video games may not be adequately introduced to the novel game design of a specific game, or the common gameplay elements of wider genres. Would-be players, frustrated by hastily constructed tutorials, might not complete a game and could miss out on the unique strengths of the medium.
This paper considers the goals behind a strong tutorial and reviews many tutorial strategies on how well they meet those goals. It also considers the unique techniques games can use to add narratives, both linear and nonlinear. Some of these tutorial and narrative strategies have been incorporated into an original game, and this paper explains in detail how these strategies were implemented.
Finally, a playtesting campaign was used to evaluate the game’s use of tutorial and narrative techniques through the feedback of multiple volunteers. Playtesting revealed the gaps between how players and developers perceive the game and how the game can be improved. This paper presents the techniques used in playtesting and discusses the effectiveness of the playtesting campaign in finding areas for improvement in the game’s design
Analysis of the Population Structure and MigrationHabits of the Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates Pipiens) at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Full text linkMassive amphibian declines of recent years have pushed researchers to pursue population genetics surveys and assess the status of these essential components of many ecosystems. The Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) has continuously experienced population declines across the continental United States due to a combination of habitat losses and environmental changes. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie houses a considerable portion of L. pipiens in Illinois, and the two creek watersheds studied within this location provide ideal conditions to support these animals. Because this prairie restoration project is a relatively recent development, further assessments regarding the population structure and degree of migration within these L. pipiens populations are needed. Analysis of seven microsatellite loci specific to L. pipiens revealed significant deviation in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium for most populations, supporting the large estimated migration rate of 7.197 migrants per generation. Genotype clustering analysis also implied large instances of gene flow between populations—a likely effect of many migration events. Additionally, high levels of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.792- 0.873) and total private alleles (46) were surprisingly maintained in all observed populations, suggesting large population sizes. These findings indicate the presence of an incredibly large, dynamic, and biodiverse L. pipiens population that has not previously been defined in this area. With this information, further protection of the Midewin populations can be achieved to avoid the genetic diversity and population size loss associated with L. pipiens groups located in the western United States
A Curriculum Designed to Teach Elementary-Age Children in Diverse Settings the Kingdom Concept of Loving One’s Neighbor
Full text linkUnited States Census data from 2020 show that the country is becoming increasingly diverse and urbanized. Other research shows children are aware of race from an early age and can pick up biases and stereotypes by watching the adults around them. However, there are no children’s ministry curricula that specifically address how children should navigate differences from a biblical perspective. To fill this gap, a children’s ministry curriculum was written to model how children can love their neighbors like Jesus did, especially those who look different from themselves. The curriculum is comprised of an introduction for the ministry leader, five weekly lessons, and a resource list. The weekly lessons include an introduction, a leader note and devotion, preparation instructions, opening activity ideas, the large group lesson, prayer and reflection stations, a closing, and family take-home sheets. The curriculum was reviewed by seven practitioners and professors and revised according to their comments. The goal of this curriculum is to be a valuable resource to churches, parachurch organizations, and families as they seek to point children to where God is already at work in their neighborhoods and how they can make Jesus known there
Evaluating College Students’ Health Literacyand its Effects on Their Perceptions of InformationConcerning Mask-wearing in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Full text linkBackground Mask-wearing was a controversial and polarizing phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beliefs concerning mask-wearing differed depending on sources of information concerning the pandemic, levels of health literacy, political leaning, demographics, or other factors. This project attempted to connect college students’ level of health literacy to their understanding of and adherence to mask-wearing in the COVID- 19 pandemic. There is a gap in research connecting health literacy to understanding information concerning pandemics and an even bigger lack of studies conducted that relate college students’ health literacy to their perception of illnesses or pandemics. It is important to understand the impact of public health literacy on intake of information about illnesses and pandemics for future health crises to avoid polarization and the spread of misinformation. Methods An IRB-approved qualitative survey was sent to the entire student population of Olivet Nazarene University consisting of three sections: evaluation of health literacy, knowledge and adherence to masks-wearing, and demographics and psychographics. The survey received 262 responses over three weeks. Out of the 262 responses, 234 qualified for analysis. The results were compiled into a coded spreadsheet and R-studio was used to draw correlations. Results 219 students were evaluated as having “adequate” health literacy, and among those students twenty were determined to have a “correct” level of knowledge of and attitude toward mask-wearing. Twelve students were evaluated as likely having limited health literacy and three students as most likely having limited literacy. Females were more likely to wear masks than males, and Democrats and Independents were more likely to wear masks than Republicans. Of students with adequate health literacy, most obtained information about the pandemic through the internet, news websites and apps, and social media, and students who had a likelihood of having limited health literacy obtained most of their information from social media and the internet. Conclusions Health literacy did not have a statistically significant impact on a college student’s perception of mask-wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic. Sources of information like social media were used more by students with low to limited health literacy, whereas the internet and news websites and apps were consulted more by students with a higher level of health literacy. The implications of these results show that the public’s level of health literacy may have little to no impact on polarization and controversy surrounding the pandemic
A Call for a Bold Research Agenda among CCCU Colleges and Universities to Understand and Create Solutions to the Crisis in Smaller Church Closings
No full textFor the last 50 years, considerable attention has been given to church growth. Numerous books and consulting groups have been formed to assist. New church plants, revitalization, and mergers of denominations have presented both opportunities and challenges.
However, in 2024, many churches, especially smaller ones, are in trouble due to numerous variables, including spiritual, economic, sociological, political, and demographic.
A rare large-scale 2023 empirical study “The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? provides shocking statistics. For example, a couple of decades ago, there were 4,000 starts and 3,000 closings each year. Presently those numbers have reversed to 4000 closings and 3,000 startups. Denominational schools are facing a steep decline in student numbers from their churches. A decline in the number of churches will only exacerbate that trend.
Most CCCU schools have not studied this issue in a rigorous empirical way. What research has been done has primarily come out of departments of religion or theology. The presentation makes the case for a broader scholarly research program among key institutions regarding the dynamics behind the closing of mid-size to smaller churches in their affiliated denominations. This would employ other disciplines such a psychology, sociology, communication and business that could create tools of survival and revitalization.
Ultimately, this research could help prepare future generations of pastors, members, and leaders to understand and reverse these troubling trends. Numerous exploratory hypotheses, causal mapping, and continuums will be presented and discussed
Revolutionaries and Counterrevolutionaries: An Academic Poster Session
Full text linkThis academic poster sessions contains work produced by students in the Fall 2023 course HIST 362 The Age of Revolutions to the Age of Extremes: Modern Europe. Exploring European Ideas, Culture, and Politics in the wake of the French Revolution, students were tasked with conducting original biographical research on a revolutionary individual and then, alongside their written papers, developing their research into an academic poster presentation. These academic posters convey the biography and revolutionary as well as counterrevolutionary character of pivotal European figures since 1789. As a result, they represent a concise academic presentation of key transformative individuals from Europe\u27s experience of revolutionary modernity