Citizen-led Work using Social Computing and Procedural Guidance

Online platforms enable people to interact with friends, family, and the world at large. How might people go beyond sharing stories and ideas to building and testing theories in the real world? While many are motivated to dig deeper into their lived experience, limited expertise and lack of platform support make complex activities like experimentation dauntingly hard. Novices benefit greatly from expert guidance: this thesis advocates baking the guidance into the interface itself.This dissertation introduces procedural guidance to build just-in-time expertise for difficult tasks. Procedural guidance has multiple advantages: it is minimal, leverages teachable moments, and can be ability-specific. This dissertation instantiates this insight of procedural guidance through a sequence of increasingly complex social computing systems: Gut Instinct for curating ideas, Docent for generating hypotheses, and Galileo for citizen-led experiments.Gut Instinct hosts online learning materials and enables people to collaboratively brainstorm potential influences on people’s microbiome. Docent explicitly teaches people to create hypotheses by combining personal insights and online learning with task-specific scaffolding. Finally, Galileo reifies experimentation in the software, provides multiple roles for contribution, and automatically manages interdependencies. Multiple evaluations—controlled experiments and field deployments with online communities including American Gut participants—demonstrate that procedural guidance enables people to transform intuitions to hypotheses and structurally-sound experiments. By enabling people to draw on lived experience, this dissertation harbingers a future where people can convert their intuitions to actionable plans and implement these plans with online communities. This dissertation concludes by discussing opportunities for complex work using social computing platforms

Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English

Since 2003, RTE has published the annual “Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English,” and we are proud to share these curated and annotated citations once again. The goal of the annual bibliography is to offer a synthesis of the research published in the area of English language arts within the past year that may be of interest to RTE readers. Abstracted citations and those featured in the “Other Related Research” sections were published, either in print or online, between June 2019 and June 2020. The bibliography is divided into nine subject area sections. A three-person team of scholars with diverse research interests and background experiences in preK–16 educational settings reviewed and selected the manuscripts for each section using library databases and leading empirical journals. Each team abstracted significant contributions to the body of peer-reviewed studies that addressed the current research questions and concerns in their topic area

Contract and Grant Awards Fiscal Year 2001

I invite you to read this report Contract and Grant Awards FY 2001, which lists contract and grant awards received by the University of New Mexico (UNM) during the period from July 1, 2000 - June 30, 2001. These awards represent new funds that were acquired during FY01 by the main campus, branch campuses and education centers, and the Health Sciences Center (HSC). The HSC includes the School of Medicine, College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy. The awards received for FY01 total $235.7M, of which$147.2M is attributed to the main campus and $88.5M to HSC. These awards assist in providing resources that are necessary to support and enhance the quality of research and teaching at UNM, as well as the opportunities for students to be trained in state-of-the-art laboratories in a variety of disciplines. Please join me in thanking our dedicated faculty, staff and students involved in the sponsored research, public service and instruction efforts at UNM. It is their successful endeavors that enhance the University\u27s visibility at the national and international levels, as well as contribute to the economic growth of New Mexico and the region. Thanks are also due to a number of individuals who have helped in preparing this report. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Denise Wallen, Ann Powell and Valerie Roybal of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, and Marcia Sletten and Lee Gulbransen of the Health Sciences Center. I welcome your comments and questions with respect to this report, and other issues related to research activities at the University of New Mexico. Terry L. Yates Vice Provost for Researc

Measuring Third Grade Reading Performance With and Without Using the Study Island Program

The low test scores on third graders\u27 Illinois State Assessment Test (ISAT) is a concern in the Allgood Elementary School community. Thirty percent of third graders are retained because they do not meet the standard on the ISAT. A technology-assisted reading program, Study Island, was implemented to increase reading proficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an improvement in standardized test performance after the implementation of Study Island for the academic school years 2009-2012. Dewey\u27s theory of experience provided the theoretical framework for the study because when students are engaged in hands on experience in education it reflects a meaningful learning experience. A correlational study was conducted to examine whether the computer-based program had an effect on student reading performance on the ISAT. The sample consisted of students in two third-grade classrooms (N = 305) enrolled during these years. Archived ISAT scores were used to compare student performance. A one-way ANOVA determined whether statistically significant differences existed in the mean scores of students who did and did not use the Study Island reading program. The results show, ISAT scores were significantly higher only after the second year of implementation of the program. The findings, presented in a white paper, can promote social change by helping school officials make informed decisions on implementing Study Island, ultimately to improve reading outcomes for students and help them become critical thinkers in society

Faculty Publications and Creative Works 2005

Faculty Publications & Creative Works is an annual compendium of scholarly and creative activities of University of New Mexico faculty during the noted calendar year. Published by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, it serves to illustrate the robust and active intellectual pursuits conducted by the faculty in support of teaching and research at UNM. In 2005, UNM faculty produced over 1,887 works, including 1,887 scholarly papers and articles, 57 books, 127 book chapters, 58 reviews, 68 creative works and 4 patented works. We are proud of the accomplishments of our faculty which are in part reflected in this book, which illustrates the diversity of intellectual pursuits in support of research and education at the University of New Mexico

Research and Creative Activity, July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020: Major Sponsored Programs and Faculty Accomplishments in Research and Creative Activity, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Foreword by Bob Wilhelm, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development: This booklet highlights successes in research, scholarship and creative activity by University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during the fiscal year running July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. It lists investigators, project titles and funding sources on major grants and sponsored awards received during the year; fellowships and other recognitions and honors bestowed on our faculty; books published by faculty; performances, exhibitions and other creative activity; and patents and licensing agreements issued. Based on your feedback, the Office of Research and Economic Development expanded this publication to include peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations and recognize students and faculty mentors participating in the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience Program (UCARE) and the First-Year Research Experiences program (FYRE). While metrics cannot convey the full story of our work, they are tangible measures of impact. Nebraska achieved a record $317 million in total research expenditures in FY 2019, a 26$450 million in research expenditures by 2025. Husker researchers are stimulating economic growth through university-sponsored industry activity. Nebraska Innovation Campus created 1,657 jobs statewide and had a total economic impact of $324.1 million in FY 2019. NUtech Ventures brought in$6.6 million in licensing income in FY 2020. The University of Nebraska system now ranks 65th among the top 100 academic institutions receiving U.S. patents, jumping 14 spots from 2019. I am proud of the Nebraska Research community for facing the challenges of 2020 with grit and determination. Our researchers quickly adapted to develop solutions for an evolving pandemic — all while working apart and keeping themselves and their families safe. As an institution, we made a commitment to embrace an anti-racism journey and work toward racial equity. Advancing conversations and developing lasting solutions is among the most important work we can do as scholars. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, rising racial and social tensions, and natural disasters, Nebraska researchers worked diligently to address other pressing issues, such as obesity and related diseases, nanomaterials, agricultural resilience and the state’s STEM workforce. Let’s continue looking forward to what we can accomplish together. Thank you for participating in the grand challenges process and helping identify the wicked problems that Nebraska has unique expertise to solve. Soon, ORED will unveil a Research Roadmap that outlines how our campus will develop research expertise; enrich creative activity; bolster commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; enhance economic development; and much more. Amidst the uncertainty of 2020, I remain confident in our faculty’s talent and commitment. I am pleased to present this record of accomplishments. Contents Awards of $5 Million or More Awards of$1 Million to $4,999,999 Awards of$250,000 to $999,999 Early Career Awards Arts and Humanities Awards of$250,000 or More Arts and Humanities Awards of $50,000 to$249,999 Arts and Humanities Awards of $5,000 to$49,999 Patents License Agreements Creative Activity Books Recognitions and Honors Journal Articles Conference Presentations UCARE and FYRE Projects Glossar

Research and Creative Activity, July 1, 2017–June 30, 2018: Major Sponsored Programs and Faculty Awards for Research and Creative Activity, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Foreword by Bob Wilhelm, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development: This booklet highlights successes in research, scholarship and creative activity by University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during the fiscal year July 1, 2017– June 30, 2018. It lists investigators, project titles and funding sources on major grants and sponsored program awards received during the year; fellowships and other recognitions and honors bestowed on our faculty; books published by faculty; performances, exhibitions and other creative activity by our faculty; and patents and licensing agreements issued for products of Nebraska research. Notably, the university reached a major milestone in FY2017: earning $302 million in total research expenditures, a 23 percent increase over the past decade. Our outstanding faculty made it possible to reach that longstanding goal. The list of accomplishments in this booklet is remarkable. Each line represents the “glory” side of research. What often goes unrecognized is the grit underlying this work: the intense dedication to inquiry and practice; the long hours spent writing and revising proposals; the patience given to organizing and analyzing data. The university, the state of Nebraska and the world are stronger because of our faculty’s dedication to giving their best every day. As a university, we will continue making long-term investments to grow our research enterprise and to position Nebraska as a hub for innovation. The celebration of the university’s 150th anniversary in 2019 offers a ripe opportunity for us to consider who we are now, and what we strive to become. The Nebraska Commission of 150—which includes more than 150 faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends—is working to define the university’s path to distinction and impact during the next 25 years. Research and economic development must play a crucial role in advancing the university during its next chapter, and I’m confident our talented, committed faculty will rise to the challenge. I appreciate your interest in and support for Nebraska research. In my first six months here, I have met with many of our faculty and been impressed by their talents, goals and vision for the future. I’m pleased to present this record of accomplishments. With hard work and dedication from all involved in the university’s research endeavors, I’m confident we can build on past successes and make a lasting impact. Contents Awards of$5 Million or More Awards of $1 Million to$4,999,999 Awards of $250,000 to$999,999 Early Career Awards Arts and Humanities Awards of $250,000 or More Arts and Humanities Awards of$50,000 to $249,999 Arts and Humanities Awards of$5,000 to $49,999 Patents License Agreements Creative Activity Books Recognitions and Honors Glossar

Toward Productivity Improvements in Programming Languages Through Behavioral Analytics

Computer science knowledge and skills have become foundational for success in virtually every professional field. As such, productivity in programming and computer science education is of paramount economic and strategic importance for innovation, employment and economic growth. Much of the research around productivity and computer science education has centered around improving notoriously difficult compiler error messages, with a noted surge in new studies in the last decade. In developing an original research plan for this area, this dissertation begins with an examination of the Case for New Instrumentation, draw- ing inspiration from automated data mining innovations and corporate marketing techniques in behavioral analytics as a model for understanding and prediction of human behavior. This paper then develops and explores techniques for automated measurement of programmer behavior based on token level lexical analysis of computer code. The techniques are applied in two empirical studies on parallel programming tasks with 88 and 91 student participants from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as well as 108,110 programs from a database code repository. In the first study, through a re-analysis of previously captured data, the token accuracy mapping technique provided direct insight into the root cause for observed performance differences comparing thread-based vs. process-oriented parallel programming paradigms. In the second study com- paring two approaches to GPU programming at different levels of abstraction, we found that students who completed programming tasks in the CUDA paradigm (considered a lower level abstraction) performed at least equal to or better than students using the Thrust library (a higher level of abstraction) across four different abstraction tests. The code repository of programs with compiler errors was gathered from an online programming interface on curriculum pages available in the Quorum language (quorumlanguage.com) for Code.org’s Hour of Code, Quorum’s Common Core-mapped curriculum, activities from Girls Who Code and curriculum for Skynet Junior Scholars for a National Science Foundation funded grant entitled Inno- vators Developing Accessible Tools for Astronomy (IDATA). A key contribution of this research project is the development of a novel approach to compiler error categorization and hint generation based on token patterns called the Token Signature Technique. Token Signature analysis occurs as a post-processing step after a compilation pass with an ANTLR LL* parser triggers and categorizes an error. In this project, we use this technique to i.) further categorize and measure the root causes of the most common compiler errors in the Quorum database and then ii.) serve as an analysis tool for the development of a rules engine for enhancing compiler errors and providing live hint suggestions to programmers. The observed error patterns both in the overall error code categories in the Quorum database and in the specific token signatures within each error code category show error concentration patterns similar to other compiler error studies of the Java and Python programming languages, suggesting a potentially high impact of automated error messages and hints based on this technique. The automated nature of token signature analysis also lends itself to future development with sophisticated data mining technologies in the areas of machine learning, search, artificial intelligence, databases and statistics

Benefits and pitfalls of multimedia and interactive features in technology-enhanced storybooks:A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis was conducted on the effects of technology-enhanced stories for young children’s literacy development when compared to listening to stories in more traditional settings like storybook reading. A small but significant additional benefit of technology was found for story comprehension (g+ = 0.17) and expressive vocabulary (g+ = 0.20), based on data from 2,147 children in 43 studies. When investigating the different characteristics of technology-enhanced stories, multimedia features like animated pictures, music, and sound effects were found beneficial. In contrast, interactive elements like hotspots, games, and dictionaries were found to be distracting. Especially for children disadvantaged because of less stimulating family environments, multimedia features were helpful and interactive features were detrimental. Findings are discussed from the perspective of cognitive processing theories