An Examination of the Effectiveness of Differing Types of Feedback Across Controlled Written Assignment Scenarios

The development of effective writing skills is widely acknowledged as a primary goal in higher education. For this reason, instructors have devised several ways to help students develop and improve their writing proficiency. Within this repertoire of strategies, the most common and often most practical method is providing feedback, particularly written feedback, on student’s writing assignments. Because feedback is commonly recognized as advantageous in this respect, and because there continues to be a keen “interest in how to provide more effective, relevant feedback to students” (Wiltse, 2002, p. 127), various aspects of the feedback communication and related processes have been examined. While this body of research has uncovered a wide range of potentially relevant variables which likely influence the efficacy of feedback communications, there remains little agreement as to a common set of dynamics that can facilitate the extent of improvement that most instructors hope to achieve. This presents several challenges for those charged with achieving the collective goal of improving student writing, as it leaves little to go on but individual experiences. The present research was therefore conducted in an effort to explore variables suggested across the literature as pertinent and likely to contribute to this efficacy. By collectively examining these variables, the research was able to build on the existing literature by providing empirically grounded support to reinforce the value of written feedback and a replicable method for exploring the multitude of variables that contribute to its effectiveness

One Book, Never Just One Story

Undergraduate winner: 2nd place, 2023, 36th Annual Carl Neureuther Student Book Collection Competitio

Muscular atrophy of the lower leg in unilateral post traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle joint

Purpose: Muscle atrophy is a commonly encountered problem in osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to estimate the amount of muscle atrophy and fatty degeneration of the lower leg muscles related to ankle OA by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Twenty-one patients with unilateral ankle OA were included in this cohort study. Calf circumference of the affected and healthy lower leg was documented. The degree of OA was classified in conventional radiographs. The cross-sectional areas and fatty degeneration of the muscles of the lower leg were measured in bilateral MRI. Results: We found a significantly reduced calf circumference of the affected vs. healthy leg (p = 0.016). MRI showed a significantly lower cross-sectional area of the entire lower leg musculature in OA (p = 0.013). Sub-analysis of muscle groups revealed that only the M. soleus had a significant cross-sectional area decrease (p < 0.01). All muscles showed a significant fatty degeneration (p < 0.01). Conclusions: We conclude that unilateral ankle joint osteoarthritis leads to an overall lower leg muscle atrophy, but significant atrophy of the M. soleus. All muscles of the affected leg undergo a fatty degeneratio

Prevalence of Behavior Modification Curricular Requirements in CAAHEP/COAES Accredited Exercise Science Programs

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The importance of iterative design in collaborative efforts for educational resources: a case study of the Plant Information Center (PIC) Website

This case study of the Plant Information Center (PIC) Website examines the effect of usability testing and iterative design on the methods of communication and collaboration when designing educational systems for children. Interviews were conducted with PIC members responsible for the design and development of the website as well as the usability test preformed in order to gain insight regarding the impact of iterative design on the development process. Data analysis suggests that the usability test was beneficial to the redesign process and also had positive impacts; increasing the group members' awareness of the potential benefits from collaboration and increasing the amount of subsequent collaborative activities among group members

Upgrade of the BOC for the ATLAS Pixel Insertable B-Layer

The phase 1 upgrade of the ATLAS [1] pixel detector will be done by inserting a fourth pixel layer together with a new beampipe into the recent three layer detector. This new detector, the Insertable B-Layer (IBL) should be integrated into the recent pixel system with as few changes in services as possible, but deliver some advantages over the recent system. One of those advantages will be a new data transmission link from the detector modules to the off-detector electronics, requiring a re-design of the electro-optical converters on the off-detector side. First ideas of how to implement those, together with some ideas to reduce cost by increasing the systems throughput are discussed