An Improved Tight-Binding Model for Phosphorene

The intent of this thesis is to improve upon previously proposed tight-binding models for one dimensional black phosphorus, or phosphorene. Previous models offer only a qualitative analysis of the band structure of phosphorene, and fail to fully realize critical elements in the electronic band structure necessary for transport calculations. In this work we propose an improved tight-binding model for phosphorene by including up to eight nearest-neighbor interactions. The efficacy of the model is verified by comparison with DFT-HSE06 calculations, and the anisotropy of the effective masses in the armchair and zigzag directions is considered

Digital Storytelling Apertures: Mobile Green Screens and Beyond

Have you ever wished you could create something highly engaging for your students? Do you want to use storytelling tools to encourage students to communicate and collaborate with one another? Bring your iPad to this session to learn how to use two inexpensive apps to easily create and edit green screen videos on your own mobile device! In addition, participants will learn how to use a Padcaster system to create interesting stories that can be shared with students and others all over the world. You will learn to transform your iPad into a mobile production studio to create content that inspires. No more boring lectures

TouchCast Studio Presentation

Workshop Presented by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learnin

“I Found Myself Retweeting”: Using Twitter Chats to Build Professional Learning Networks

This chapter describes a mixed-method, multiple case study that examined ways in which synchronous educational Twitter chats were used, first, to enhance graduate and undergraduate university student learning, second, to build professional networks, and third, to provide a loosely regulated means to achieving self-determined professional development goals. Findings suggest that while difficult at the onset, participation in Twitter educational chats was an enhancement to students’ overall course learning experience. Specifically, university students’ use of chats for educators helped them achieve social presence in this virtual environment, as well as to better understand the connections between positive student-teacher relationships and K12 student learning. Included are recommendations for use of Twitter synchronous educational chats in the college classroom as well as future directions in research

Giving Back: Exploring Service-Learning in an Online Learning Environment

Service-Learning (SL) as an instructional method is growing in popularity for giving back to the community while connecting the experience to course content. However, little has been published on using SL for online business students. This study highlights an exploratory mixed-methods, multiple case study of an online business leadership and ethics course utilizing SL as a pedagogical teaching tool with 81 students. Results from the study noted that hours completed exceeded those assigned and students identified outcomes for themselves, their university, and nonprofit organizations where they served. The outcomes of this study mirrored those identified by students in traditional face-to-face courses underscoring the value of SL projects in online courses in higher education

Faculty Attitudes Towards Integrating Technology and Innovation

Technological innovation is an important aspect of teaching and learning in the 21st century. This article examines faculty attitudes toward technology use in the classroom at one regional public university in the United States. Building on a faculty-led initiative to develop a Community of Practice for improving education, this study used a mixed-method approach of a faculty-developed, electronic survey to assess this topic. Findings from 72 faculty members revealed an overall positive stance toward technology in the classroom and the average faculty member utilized about six technology tools in their courses. The opportunities, barriers and future uses for technologies in the higher education classroom emerged from the open-ended questions on the survey. One finding of particular concern is that faculty are fearful that technology causes a loss of the humanistic perspective in education. The university is redesigning ten of its most popular courses to increase flexibility, accessibility and student success

The Development of a Virtual Science Museum for the Public Understanding of Science in Eastern China and in the United States

In 1999, the Chinese Academy of Sciences realized that there was a need for a better public understanding of science. For the public to have better accessibility and comprehension of China's significance to the world, the Computer Network Information Center (CNIC), under the direction of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, combined resources from thousands of experts across the world to develop online science exhibits housed within the Virtual Science Museum of China. Through an analysis of historical documents, this descriptive dissertation presents a research project that explores a dimension of the development of the Giant Panda Exhibit. This study takes the reader on a journey, first to China and then to a classroom within the United States, in order to answer the following questions: (1) What is the process of the development of a virtual science exhibit; and, (2) What role do public audiences play in the design and implementation of virtual science museums? The creation of a virtual science museum exhibition is a process that is not completed with just the building and design, but must incorporate feedback from public audiences who utilize the exhibit. To meet the needs of the museum visitors, the designers at CNIC took a user-centered approach and solicited feedback from six survey groups. To design a museum that would facilitate a cultural exchange of scientific information, the CNIC looked at the following categories: visitor insights, the usability of the technology, the educational effectiveness of the museum exhibit, and the cultural nuances that existed between students in China and in the United States. The findings of this study illustrate that the objectives of museum designers may not necessarily reflect the needs of the visitors and confirm previous research studies which indicate that museum exhibits need a more constructivist approach that fully engages the visitor in an interactive, media-rich environment. Even though the world has moved forwards with digital technology, classroom instruction in both China and in the United States continues to reflect traditional teaching methods. Students were shown to have a lack of experience with the Internet in classrooms and difficulty in scientific comprehension when using the virtual science museum--showing a separation between classroom technology and learning. Students showed a greater interest level in learning science with technology through online gaming and rich multimedia suggesting that virtual science museums can be educationally valuable and support an alternative to traditional teaching methods if designed with the end user in mind