Major Paper

Honourable Mention - Langara Open Student Scholar Prize 202

Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs: Writing the Major Paper or Thesis as a Graduate Student with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Graduate students with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) are at risk for failure to complete their graduate programs. Skills used in writing a major paper or thesis requirement incorporate those that are particularly compromised by the disorder. The literature does not address the problems facing graduate students with AD/HD, and disability service programs do not appear to offer support tailored to the needs of this population. This phenomenological study probes the experience of five graduate students with AD/HD who were in the process of writing, or had completed a major paper or thesis. This paper hopes to shed light on problems that may impede their progress, as well as strategies that students may apply to overcome them. The author provides suggestions for improving graduate program support for students with AD/HD

Policy vs. Consumer Pressure: Innovation and Diffusion of Alternative Bleaching Technologies in the Pulp Industry

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, concern over dioxin in both paper products and wastewater led to the development of techniques that reduced the use of chlorine in the pulp industry. Both regulatory and consumer pressure motivated this change. We use patent data to examine the evolution of two completing bleaching technologies in five major paper-producing countries, both of which reduce the use of chlorine in the pulping process. By the end of the 1990s, nearly all pulp production in these countries used one of these technologies. Unlike other papers using patents to study environmentally-friendly innovation, we focus on a process innovation, rather than on end-of-the-pipe solutions to pollution. Moreover, while previous studies emphasize the importance of regulation for inducing innovation, here we find substantial innovation occurring before regulations were in place. Instead, pressure from consumers to reduce the chlorine content of paper drives the first round of innovation. However, while some companies choose to adopt these technologies in response to consumer pressure, not all firms will differentiate their product in this way. Thus, governments need to regulate if their goal is broad diffusion of the environmental technology.

Cosmic Reionization and the 21-cm signal: Comparison between an analytical model and a simulation

We measure several properties of the reionization process and the corresponding low-frequency 21-cm signal associated with the neutral hydrogen distribution, using a large volume, high resolution simulation of cosmic reionization. The brightness temperature of the 21-cm signal is derived by post-processing this numerical simulation with a semi-analytical prescription. Our study extends to high redshifts (z ~ 25) where, in addition to collisional coupling, our post-processed simulations take into account the inhomogeneities in the heating of the neutral gas by X-rays and the effect of an inhomogeneous Lya radiation field. Unlike the well-studied case where spin temperature is assumed to be significantly greater than the temperature of the cosmic microwave background due to uniform heating of the gas by X-rays, spatial fluctuations in both the Lya radiation field and X-ray intensity impact predictions related to the brightness temperature at z > 10, during the early stages of reionization and gas heating. The statistics of the 21-cm signal from our simulation are then compared to existing analytical models in the literature and we find that these analytical models provide a reasonably accurate description of the 21-cm power spectrum at z < 10. Such an agreement is useful since analytical models are better suited to quickly explore the full astrophysical and cosmological parameter space relevant for future 21-cm surveys. We find, nevertheless, non-negligible differences that can be attributed to differences in the inhomogeneous X-ray heating and Lya coupling at z > 10 and, with upcoming interferometric data, these differences in return can provide a way to better understand the astrophysical processes during reionization.Comment: Major paper revision to match version accepted for publication in ApJ. Simulation now fully includes fluctuations in the X-ray heating and the Lya radiation field. 18 pages, 13 figure

Planning Towards Prosperity: How Transit Affects The Educational Trajectories Of Students

This Major Paper examines the role access to affordable transportation plays in the education choices of secondary and post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The advancement of the GTHA is dependent on the evolution of technology and urban infrastructure, the expansion and improvement of transportation and transit options are crucial to the prosperity of students and educational institutions. Using a transit equity and justice perspective, the main objective of this Major Paper is to understand the systematic inequalities of the unequal distribution and operation of transit infrastructure. Research involves the assessment of Metrolinx's Regional Transportation Plan - The Big Move, data from the StudentMoveTO survey and a focus group conducted with grade 12 students to understand the barriers and challenges student commuters face

Achieving Learning Outcomes in Online Education

Online education is proliferating fast for its many advantages, cost-effectiveness being one of the prime reasons. The most recent pandemic situation around the world has made it a serious and an urgent need. While there is a general agreement that online education is as good as face-to-face or better, except for some dissenting views, there is no literature available that can inform on the minimum essentials for achieving learning outcomes in online learning modality. This Major paper presents a synthesis of the latest studies on the most studied variables having significant effect on the online learning outcomes to extract the factors as ‘necessary and sufficient’ for a successful and satisfying online learning experience. This Major paper includes the resources on the school as well as post-secondary level online learning (thought there is extremely little empirical research available at K-12 level). The paper also finds intricate nature of these variables and mediators that are mutually reinforcing and creating synergy towards improved learning outcomes

Graduate Catalog, 1982-1983

https://scholar.valpo.edu/gradcatalogs/1011/thumbnail.jp

Graduate Catalog, 1981-1982

https://scholar.valpo.edu/gradcatalogs/1010/thumbnail.jp

Social Media Platforms for Small Fashion Businesses

This major paper examined the effectiveness of social media platforms for small fashion businesses. The social media platforms investigated were Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Many factors such as target market, product mix, and budget need to considered. Once these factors are clearly defined, the information in the paper can be applied to the small fashion business

Graduate Catalog, 1983-1984 & 1984-1985

https://scholar.valpo.edu/gradcatalogs/1012/thumbnail.jp