Investigating the Effects of Delivering Content Based on a Waves Learning Progression on Learning Outcomes in an Online High School Physics Unit

Effective instruction starts with an understanding of the learner’s pre-existing knowledge (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000). That being said, online instruction often involves inflexible content presented the same way to each student regardless of their current level of understanding (van Rosmalen, Vogten, van Es, Passier, & Poelmans, 2006).The shortcomings of static instruction are intensified in online high school learning because online learning is often used for remediation and credit recovery for students that have not been successful in their traditional class (Queen & Lewis, 2011). Learning progressions, which are research-based, testable models of how learners develop their understanding of a concept over time (National Research Council (NRC), 2007), offer a model of student thinking that can lead to online instruction that accounts for the learner’s thinking. The purpose of this design-based research study is to use a two-phase, sequential mixed methods (Creswell, 2009) approach to investigate the use of a learning progression to inform the specific instruction delivered in an online high school physics unit on waves. No significant difference in learning outcomes were found between the students that participated in the waves LP based unit and those that participated in the comparison unit. Statistically significant differences in how the participants evaluated the units were found. In addition, the design based research processed followed resulted in a refinement of the waves learning progression and the online unit based on the progression

A multi-coil magnetostrictive actuator: design, analysis, and experiment

This dissertation investigates a new design for a magnetostrictive actuator that employs individually controlled coils distributed axially along the magnetostrictive rod. As a quantitative goal, the objective is to show that the multi-coil actuator can operate effectively at frequencies as high as 10,000 Hz with 900 N force and 50 microns of displacement. Conventional, single coil actuators with the same parameters for force and displacement develop significant attenuation in their response at frequencies above the first longitudinal vibration resonance at about 2750 Hz. The goal of the research is to investigate whether multiple coils can effectively increase the frequency range a least four times the range of conventional magnetostrictive actuators. This document derives a new mathematical model of the actuator that represents the spatial distributions of magnetic field and vibration, devises a control design that takes advantage of the multiple inputs to control the displacement of the actuator while consuming minimum electrical power, and describes a prototype multi-coil actuator and experimental system developed to test the idea. The simulations of the multi-coil actuator and control design demonstrate successful transient operation of the actuator over the targeted frequency range with feasible levels of input power and current. Experimental tests of the design, although limited by a computer sampling rate less than 10,000 Hz, are able to validate the predictions of the developed model of the actuator and reproduce the simulated control performance within the constraints of the experimental system.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Zinn, Ben T.; Committee Member: Book, Wayne; Committee Member: Glezer, Ari; Committee Member: Neumeier, Yedidia; Committee Member: Seitzman, Jerr

COBE's search for structure in the Big Bang

The launch of Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and the definition of Earth Observing System (EOS) are two of the major events at NASA-Goddard. The three experiments contained in COBE (Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR), Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS), and Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE)) are very important in measuring the big bang. DMR measures the isotropy of the cosmic background (direction of the radiation). FIRAS looks at the spectrum over the whole sky, searching for deviations, and DIRBE operates in the infrared part of the spectrum gathering evidence of the earliest galaxy formation. By special techniques, the radiation coming from the solar system will be distinguished from that of extragalactic origin. Unique graphics will be used to represent the temperature of the emitting material. A cosmic event will be modeled of such importance that it will affect cosmological theory for generations to come. EOS will monitor changes in the Earth's geophysics during a whole solar color cycle

Computational Approaches to Understanding Structure-Function Relationships at the Intersection of Cellular Organization, Mechanics, and Electrophysiology

The heart is a complex mechanical and electrical environment and small changes at the cellular and subcellular scale can have profound impacts at the tissue, organ, and organ system levels. The goal of this research is to better understand structure-function relationships at these cellular and subcellular levels of the cardiac environment. This improved understanding may prove increasingly important as medicine begins shifting toward engineered replacement tissues and organs. Specifically, we work towards this goal by presenting a framework to automatically create finite element models of cells based on optical images. This framework can be customized to model the effects of subcellular structure and organization on mechanical and electrophysiological properties at the cellular level and has the potential for extension to the tissue level and beyond. In part one of this work, we present a novel algorithm is presented that can generate physiologically relevant distributions of myofibrils within adult cardiomyocytes from confocal microscopy images. This is achieved by modelling these distributions as directed acyclic graphs, assigning a cost to each node based on observations of cardiac structure and function, and determining to minimum-cost flow through the network. This resulting flow represents the optimal distribution of myofibrils within the cell. In part two, these generated geometries are used as inputs to a finite element model (FEM) to determine the role the myofibrillar organization plays in the axal and transverse mechanics of the whole cell. The cardiomyocytes are modeled as a composite of fiber trusses within an elastic solid matrix. The behavior of the model is validated by comparison to data from combined Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Carbon Fiber manipulation. Recommendations for extending the FEM framework are also explored. A secondary goal, discussed in part three of this work, is to make computational models and simulation tools more accessible to novice learners. Doing so allows active learning of complicated course materials to take place. Working towards this goal, we present CellSpark: a simulation tool developed for teaching cellular electrophysiology and modelling to undergraduate bioengineering students. We discuss the details of its implementation and implications for improved student learning outcomes when used as part of a discovery learning assignment

Social work with airports passengers

Social work at the airport is in to offer to passengers social services. The main methodological position is that people are under stress, which characterized by a particular set of characteristics in appearance and behavior. In such circumstances passenger attracts in his actions some attention. Only person whom he trusts can help him with the documents or psychologically

1978-1979 Bulletin

Volume LXXXX Scanned from the copy held in the Registrar\u27s Office.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/bulletin_grad/1033/thumbnail.jp