Beta Drift: Forecasting the Manifold Relationships between Students and their Pursuit of STEM Careers

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which motivational and persistence factors predict the occupational career choices of underrepresented students in their pursuit of a STEM career. Data selected from the High School Longitudinal Study beginning with the base year through the fourth wave were employed in a large-scale multinomial regression analysis. Anticipated STEM occupation at the age of 30 was examined across six years of complex survey data using multiple taxonometric definitions. Social Cognitive Career Theory provided the theoretical framework for defining relevant factors affecting this STEM pursuit construct. The findings from the study suggest that by varying student perspectives on their expected STEM careers, the resulting pathway of pursuit is affected by a different set of predictors. Typographic models developed through fitting multinomial logistic regression models also suggest that female students are propelled into specific STEM careers through early mathematics identity, mid-study science utility, and an evolving dynamic between parent and student expectations. The results additionally highlight race and ethnicity differences which more closely, though less significantly, mirror those of female students. The overall results of these findings raise questions about the continued use of a STEM pipeline metaphor in describing student pursuit. Moreover, adjacent policies, theoretical frameworks, and research methods aligned to this construct should be reviewed on how they portray an inaccurate picture of pursuit amongst underrepresented students seeking STEM careers

All Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science is Not Created Equal: A Comparison of AP Computer Science A and Computer Science Principles

This article compares the two most prominent courses of Advanced Placement (AP) computer science study offered throughout 9-12 grades in the U.S. The structure, guidelines, components, and exam formats of the traditional AP Computer Science A course and the relatively newer AP Computer Science Principles course were compared to examine differences in content and emphases. A depth-of-learning analysis was conducted employing Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy to examine potential differences in rigor and challenge represented by the two options, particularly as it relates to acquiring computer programming proficiency. Analyses suggest structural differences in both course content and end-of-course exam components likely result in less depth and rigor in the new Computer Science Principles course as compared to the Computer Science A course. A lower minimum standard for learning programming skills in the Computer Science Principles course was observed, making it a less viable option for students looking to acquire skills transferable to future computer science study or employment. The potential implications for students choosing the new course over the traditional offering, as well as for schools opting for the new course as its sole or primary offering are discussed

Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles: Searching for Equity in a Two-Tiered Solution to Underrepresentation

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between students’ participation in the two high school AP computer science exam options and their selected fields of study once they enter post-secondary education. Two studies using national public-use datasets of participation and performance were conducted. Study 1 compared score distributions for the traditional Computer Science A exam to those of the newer Computer Science Principles exam during its first two years of implementation. In Study 1, Chi-square analyses revealed large differences in performance between the two exams, with the Computer Science Principles scores clustering more around marginal pass rates. Descriptive data indicate that African American, Latino, and female students participated in larger proportions on the new exam, whereas traditionally overrepresented groups are continuing to opt more for the traditional Computer Science A course. In Study 2, logistic regression analyses were conducted on the 2016 second follow-up data collection of the High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09). Those analyses revealed that 11th Grade enrollment in computer science courses that concentrate on computer programming significantly predicted selection of a STEM major as the first declared major after high school. Although students who enrolled in Computer Science A were five times as likely to declare a STEM major, a comparison of the curricula and assessments for the two courses suggests that the Computer Science Principles exam places far less emphasis on programming. The potential implications of the differential foci and emphases of the two courses are discussed

Streaming for the Win: The Future of Live Sports Entertainment in Direct-to-Consumer Streaming

This topical essay discusses the growing presence of live sports entertainment on direct-to-consumer streaming services, and how future research could benefit consumers and companies. A brief overview of Amazon Prime streaming NFL Thursday Night Football games is introduced, along with a background of live sports and streaming services. A call to action for future research is provided with potential areas in which investigators can focus

From Andy’s Room to Big City and Nickelodeon: Extending the Brand to New Consumers through Alternate Broadcasts of Live Sports Entertainment

The Walt Disney Company aired the Toy Story Football Funday on Sunday, October 1st, 2023. A live game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons played in London, England aired on ESPN+ while the Toy Story-themed alternate broadcast aired on Disney+. This game followed multiple alternate broadcasts of NFL games by Nickelodeon and an NHL game themed after Big City Greens on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney+. This analysis paper discusses the use of these alternate broadcasts in an attempt to attract younger viewers and expand consumers for leagues and live sports entertainment. A brief history of sports organizations participating in fan outreach programs, including contests and alternate broadcasts is provided before an analysis and discussion of how such presentations may impact viewership, competition among studios, and the future of consumer entertainment

Reflexive obstacle avoidance for kinematically-redundant manipulators

Dexterous telerobots incorporating 17 or more degrees of freedom operating under coordinated, sensor-driven computer control will play important roles in future space operations. They will also be used on Earth in assignments like fire fighting, construction and battlefield support. A real time, reflexive obstacle avoidance system, seen as a functional requirement for such massively redundant manipulators, was developed using arm-mounted proximity sensors to control manipulator pose. The project involved a review and analysis of alternative proximity sensor technologies for space applications, the development of a general-purpose algorithm for synthesizing sensor inputs, and the implementation of a prototypical system for demonstration and testing. A 7 degree of freedom Robotics Research K-2107HR manipulator was outfitted with ultrasonic proximity sensors as a testbed, and Robotics Research's standard redundant motion control algorithm was modified such that an object detected by sensor arrays located at the elbow effectively applies a force to the manipulator elbow, normal to the axis. The arm is repelled by objects detected by the sensors, causing the robot to steer around objects in the workspace automatically while continuing to move its tool along the commanded path without interruption. The mathematical approach formulated for synthesizing sensor inputs can be employed for redundant robots of any kinematic configuration

A 17 degree of freedom anthropomorphic manipulator

A 17 axis anthropomorphic manipulator, providing coordinated control of two seven degree of freedom arms mounted on a three degree of freedom torso-waist assembly, is presented. This massively redundant telerobot, designated the Robotics Research K/B-2017 Dexterous Manipulator, employs a modular mechanism design with joint-mounted actuators based on brushless motors and harmonic drive gear reducers. Direct joint torque control at the servo level causes these high-output joint drives to behave like direct-drive actuators, facilitating the implementation of an effective impedance control scheme. The redundant, but conservative motion control system models the manipulator as a spring-loaded linkage with viscous damping and rotary inertia at each joint. This approach allows for real time, sensor-driven control of manipulator pose using a hierarchy of competing rules, or objective functions, to avoid unplanned collisions with objects in the workplace, to produce energy-efficient, graceful motion, to increase leverage, to control effective impedance at the tool or to favor overloaded joints

The Curious Case of Conference Realignment: A Call to Action for Research

This topical essay addresses the need for increased research related to the 2022-2023 iteration of conference realignment in college athletics. Namely, the essay provides a brief background on the massive shifts in major conferences beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. It suggests possible areas of inquiry for interested researchers that would provide benefit to academics, practitioners, and stakeholders of college athletics

La transformation des grains

Ce livre aborde la transformation des grains et prolonge le livre sur la conservation des grains paru dans la même collection. Il complète également deux ouvrages parus sur le fonio et le sorgho. L’objet est, cette fois, de présenter les différents procédés de transformation des céréales et d’autres grains en ciblant principalement les petites et moyennes entreprises comme principaux acteurs des systèmes de transformation des produits alimentaires dans les pays du Sud

La transformation des grains

Ce livre aborde la transformation des grains et prolonge le livre sur la conservation des grains paru dans la même collection. Il complète également deux ouvrages parus sur le fonio et le sorgho. L’objet est, cette fois, de présenter les différents procédés de transformation des céréales et d’autres grains en ciblant principalement les petites et moyennes entreprises comme principaux acteurs des systèmes de transformation des produits alimentaires dans les pays du Sud