Northwestern College - Iowa
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(In)Accessibility: Awareness Project at Northwestern College
Full text linkAccessibility on any campus is necessary to allow individuals with limited mobility and physical disabilities to feel welcomed and access their education. Community forums are a powerful tool to organize a community to implement change and advocate for a community’s needs. Prior to implementing the community forum, community organizers engaged in research as well as in conversations with those on campus who have direct exposure to how the lack of accessibility impacts various individuals on campus. The community organizers partnered with the NEXT program, a student, as well as several professors at Northwestern college to advocate for change and bring awareness to the areas on campus that lack accessibility like Van Peursem Hall, Rowenhorst Student Center, and the DeWitt Music Hall. The community organizers continued the awareness after the community forum and sent the materials presented at the community forum to the Presidential cabinet. The community organizers are hopeful for the changes that will be implemented soon on Northwestern College’s campus that promote and increase accessibility for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community guests
The Beacon, February 20, 2025
Full text linkNW students go local for new SSP; Sickness spreading on campus; Lumineers leave fans automatically bored; Marvel introduces a brave new captain; Senior Spotlight on Brandon Englin; The Little Prince brings childlike wonder; This week in Beacon history; Local SSP provides chances to serve; Reasoning behind dropping classes; Unfortunate illness; Dance marathon: more than a party; My greatest love story; Raider track and field success at GPAC meet; NW cheer takes top spot at Concordia; Women\u27s soccer preparing for Spain SSP; Controversy over USAID funding; ICE given deportation orders
The Bacon, April 25, 2025
Full text linkMugs filled to brim with mystery; Conhof can\u27t read this headline; Crisis of a lifetime: man or muppet?; crime runs rampant at Northwestern; Conhof inducted into Roller Derby; Still winless after 46 runner-up finishes; Poet of Polka drops third album; Local legend takes control of tiny island
The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Participation
Full text linkMany students, particularly in middle grades, demonstrate disengagement with traditional teaching methods, resulting in decreased participation and challenges in meeting learning objectives. This lack of engagement often manifests as low motivation and a disconnect from classroom activities, especially in subjects like English. Project-Based Learning (PBL) presents a potential strategy to address this issue by fostering a more dynamic, student-centered environment. This inquiry-based research aimed to determine whether implementing a PBL project could improve student engagement and participation compared to traditional methods within a 7th-grade English classroom. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study involved 30 seventh-grade students participating in a Get to Know Me PBL project. Data were collected via pre- and post-project surveys assessing student attitudes (excitement, interest, confidence) and participation, supplemented by a teacher-researcher reflective journal. Analysis revealed statistically significant increases in student-reported excitement, interest, confidence, and participation levels following the PBL intervention. Qualitative data from the reflective journal corroborated these quantitative findings, documenting high levels of genuine interest and active involvement throughout the project. The results suggest that PBL holds significant potential as an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing student engagement and participation in the middle school English classroom
Strategies for Reducing Violent Behavior in the Classroom
Full text linkViolence in classrooms remains a significant concern in schools across all grade levels globally. Existing research highlights the detrimental effects of such behavior on both students and educators, contributing to elevated teacher stress and increased attrition rates (Ferguson, 2024). Students exposed to violence may exhibit school avoidance, decreased academic performance, and psychological challenges (Ferguson, 2024). This school improvement project seeks to identify effective, evidence-based strategies teachers can use to reduce violent behaviors, thereby fostering a more positive classroom environment. Grounded in a comprehensive literature review, an in-depth study was conducted in a public kindergarten classroom in rural Iowa. Findings from the daily behavior reflections suggest that the incorporation of mindfulness practices may contribute to improved emotional regulation among students, despite the persistence of some anxiety and anger. Based on both the study\u27s results and prior research, it is recommended that schools provide structured training for teachers on implementing regular mindfulness activities. Additional research is necessary to explore other variables that may enhance the effectiveness of mindfulness in diminishing classroom violence
Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate: Barriers Facing the Elderly Population
No full textThis study examined barriers faced by older adults in Orange City, Iowa, through a mixed-methods community practice project incorporating assessment, implementation, and evaluation. During the assessment phase, researchers conducted interviews with elderly residents and professionals, gathered observational data, and facilitated community dialogue using the Nominal Group Technique. Key themes included social isolation, transportation challenges, financial strain, limited health literacy, and difficulty transitioning from independence to assisted living. A strong cultural emphasis on independence often discouraged help-seeking, while fragmented agency communication and rural limitations in specialized care further complicated service navigation. Asset mapping and power analysis highlighted community cohesion, faith-based support, and relational networks that provided a strong foundation for action. In the implementation phase, researchers developed an awareness campaign grounded in popular education methods. This included an educational video featuring testimonies from older adults and service providers, along with a brochure outlining major barriers and available resources. To ensure accessibility for those with limited technology experience or hearing impairments, the video included captions and was distributed through QR-coded flyers, churches, community partners, and local media. During the evaluation phase, researchers used reflective feedback and group dialogue to assess the campaign’s effectiveness. Initial findings indicated increased awareness of resources, strengthened collaboration among service providers, and improved community understanding of aging-related challenges. The study concluded that culturally responsive, community-based strategies could enhance accessibility, connection, and overall quality of life for older adults in Orange City
Preseason Mileage Influences the In-Season Training Effect in Female Cross Country Runners
Full text linkPurpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze how preseason mileage influences the in-season training effect on maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and lactate threshold (LT) in trained NAIA runners. Methods: Eight female distance runners (age 21.2 0.5 y) ran preseason mileage prior to the start of the cross country season. Subjects completed a graded treadmill test to determine VO2max and VO2 at OBLA (VO2 OBLA) at the beginning and end of a 9 week competitive season. Results: Postseason testing revealed VO2max significantly improved (p=0.009), while no significant improvement occurred in VO2 OBLA (p=0.145). Preseason mileage was significantly correlated with % VO2 OBLA (r = -0.711) but not with % VO2max (r = -0.440). Average 6 km performance was correlated with preseason mileage (r = -0.710), preseason VO2max (r = -0.944), preseason VO2 OBLA (r = -0.968), and % VO2 OBLA (r = 0.745). Conclusions: These results indicate how running mileage in the preseason influences the extent to which VO2max and VO2 OBLA change in-season and contributes to 6 km performance
Macroinvertebrate Colonization of Leaf Packs in the Floyd River
Full text linkWatershed characteristics impact the habitat and water quality of stream and river ecosystems. In Northwest Iowa, lotic environments are negatively impacted by agricultural practices that result in the removal of riparian vegetation, bank erosion, sedimentation, and eutrophication. Because lotic macroinvertebrates vary in their sensitivity to these types of impacts, they can be used as indicators of habitat integrity. We explored the relative importance of habitat characteristics and allochthonous inputs by examining how macroinvertebrate colonization of leaf packs varied with leaf species, water quality, and stream bank characteristics. Leaf packs were submerged in a reach of the Floyd River at four locations. After four weeks, we collected the packs for analysis. In our 2022 study, we found that richness and abundance of colonizers differed significantly with location, but not with leaf species. We hypothesized that we would see similar results in this study. However, in 2024, richness and abundance did not vary significantly with location. Drought produced low flow conditions in 2022, and historic flooding preceded our 2024 study. These environmental extremes may have eclipsed more subtle local differences due to habitat in the 2024 study. Based on the results of our 2022 study, we hypothesized that colonizer richness and abundance would not significantly vary with leaf species. However, in 2024, we improved our experimental design and included leaves of an invasive species. Despite these changes, macroinvertebrate richness and abundance did not differ with leaf species in this study.
NOTE: This poster was also presented at 45th Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium
Hypoglycemic Predictive Modeling Tool
Full text linkIntroduction: This evidence-based practice (EBP) project aims to improve patient safety and outcomes through the implementation of a predictive modeling tool (XGBoost) to predict and prevent hypoglycemic events in hospitalized adults at Sanford Health. Hypoglycemia continues to be a major safety concern, and early prediction can prevent complications
Methods: The project involved a literature review of articles to identify and recommend a hypoglycemic predictive modeling tool for Sanford Health. Included articles were published between 2019 and 2024 and selected through keywords like inpatients, hypoglycemia, glucose prediction, and predictive modeling. Searches across databases, including PubMed, JAMA, JIML, and UpToDate, initially yielded 18 articles, of which only 10 met criteria for this project’s focus on inpatient hypoglycemia.
Results
The review highlighted that inpatient hypoglycemia results from multiple complex factors. Additionally, the implementation of predictive tools can effectively analyze patient data to identify those at high risk. These models use algorithms to assess risk factors, calculate probabilities, and forecast patient outcomes. Predictive modeling tools decrease hypoglycemic events and enhance patient care. The machine learning model, XGBoost, was selected for this project due to its accuracy and adaptability into Sanford’s EHR system. The recommendation is for nurses and other clinical staff to be trained and evaluated on the usability of this model
Mobile Health Interventions in Diabetic Care in Times of Environmental Crisis
Full text linkA literature review was conducted between the months of August 2024 - November 2024 to explore the impact that the environmental effects of flooding have on those with diabetes mellitus (DM) and how the implementation of multiple forms of mobile health (mHealth) can aid in recovery and preparedness. Ten articles focusing on the various impacts that flooding and other natural disasters have on diabetic individuals, as well as the positive health outcomes tied to mobile applications and SMS messaging systems were reviewed. The purpose of this review was to examine current research regarding the treatment, education, and preparedness of diabetic patients before, during, and after natural disasters. Using this research, it is the intention of this study to propose an intervention to address the aforementioned time periods surrounding natural disasters. In the following literature review, we provide research on the impacts of flooding and natural disasters on those living with diabetes, and propose mHealth interventions that have promising potential to improve education, diabetes management, and healthcare access