The Formation of a Distance Learning Institute: Transforming People, Process, and Product

The Distance Learning Institute (DLI) was formed in response to decreasing enrollment and increasing attrition rates ( White Paper: Research in Online Learning , n.d.), to provide another educational option for students, and to compete with other online educational institutions (“The Attack of the MOOCs,” July 2013). This consultancy project documents the initiation of a DLI from proposal to implementation, to offer complete online degrees and certificates. The DLI was planned in four phases with milestones and projected completion dates as follows: Phase 1: Established the Oversight Committee, researched best practices, determined the need for the DLI, anticipated and actual completion date August 2014. Phase 2: Appointed Dean, formed subcommittees, began student readiness assessments, course standardization, faculty training, and determined student services needs, anticipated completion date June 2015, actual completion date July 2016. Phase 3: Implemented online student services and administrative roles, and began implementing marketing strategies, anticipated completion date December 2015, actual completion date August 2017. Phase 4: Offered its first online degree and certification programs, anticipated completion date December 2015, actual completion date August 2017 (Hedges et al., 2013). Results of the overall project were the development of a course standardization template, best practices recommendations for instructors, providing another choice for students to earn their degrees or certificates, and the ability to compete with online colleges. It is anticipated that as the degrees and certificates offered by the DLI continue to increase, so will enrollment numbers, which may offset the declining enrollment numbers documented by the traditional college

Exploring the Effects of Response Type in a Visual Working Memory Task: An fNIRS Study

Visual working memory (VWM) allows us to hold visual information in mind to be manipulated for a task. Previous research shows that performance varies based on factors such as stimulus modality and number of distractors. This study aimed to explore the effect of response type on VWM performance in 4.5- and 5.5-year-olds. A single-item probe color change detection task and a cued recall with labeling task were administered. The tasks were identical in structure until the response phase of the trial. Neural data were collected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Both tasks used set-sizes 1-3 and six canonical colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). All children were given the change detection task first. Behavioral analyses show a main effect of set size for both the change detection task, F(2, 618) = 85.37, p \u3c .001, and the cued recall task, F(2, 711) = 131.19, p \u3c .001, with a significant decrease in performance as set size increased. Moreover, VWM capacity was estimated to be higher in the change detection task (k4=2.12, k5=2.36) compared to the cued recall task (k4=1.18, k5=1.84) (p \u3c .001). When we look at the neural data, both tasks activated bilateral temporal and parietal cortices. Comparing same and different response in the change detection task, we saw a distinct network of activation for both in the 5-year-old group but not the 4-year-old group, suggesting a developmental shift in neural activity. The cued recall task elicited decreased activation patterns in the 5-year-old group in frontal and temporal regions which suggest a need for a greater amount of neural resources due to greater difficulty in the younger age group

The Use of the Vertical Plane to Indicate Holiness in C.S. Lewis\u27s Space Trilogy

Examines the contrasting symbolism and imagery of perpendicular structures (mountains, trees, built structures, and so on) and waves in the Space Trilogy as a whole. Eddings finds more than simple gendered symbolism in these clusters of images; verticality indicates reaching for the heavens and waves show submission to the will of Maleldil. These symbols are reconciled in the arches of the temple Tor plans to honor Maleldil in Perelandra

The Utility of Environmental DNA and Species Distribution Models in Assessing the Habitat Requirements of Twelve Fish Species in Alaskan North Slope Rivers

Subsistence fishing is a vital component of Alaska’s North Slope borough economy and culture that is being threatened by human disturbance. These threats mean the fish must be protected, but the size of the region makes conservation planning difficult. Fortunately, advances in species distribution models (SDMs), environmental DNA (eDNA), and remote sensing technologies provide potential to better understand species’ needs and guide management. The objectives of my study were to: (1) map the current habitat suitability for twelve fish species, occurring in Alaska’s North Slope,(2) determine if SDMs based on eDNA data performed similarly to, or improved, models based on traditional sampling data, and (3) predict how species distributions will shift in the future in response to climate change. I was able to produce robust models for 8 of 12 species that relate environmental characteristics to a species’ presence or absence and identify stream reaches where species are likely to occur. Unfortunately, the use of eDNA data did not produce useful models in Northern Alaskan rivers. However, I was able to generate predictions of species distributions into the future that should help inform management for years to come