Idea Density Correlates with Prior Knowledge

It is widely accepted in educational research that student’s prior knowledge influences new learning. It is easier to comprehend text and content on that particular subject because of the students prior knowledge. If the person does not have any knowledge on the subject, how can a person process the information given? The concept of idea density deals with the measurement of texts, and is a subset of conceptual density. The formal definition states “the number of propositions divided by the number of words” (Covington, 2008). The idea density of a text determines the amount of work a reader must do in order to understand it. Readers who are already familiar with a subject can comfortably process text with high idea density than a person who is new to the field. The purpose of this research is to determine whether and to what degree is idea density an indirect measure of the amount of presupposed knowledge. The authors will conduct a series of experiments and collect data. The goal is to analyze the data and determine if conceptual density has any affect on learning. Mentor: Jomo Mutegi, IU School of Education, IUPU

The forgotten ones: a qualitative study to understand the phenomena of medically disqualified student-athletes.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of medically disqualified student-athletes (MDSA) at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions. This study is significant because few studies have examined MDSAs, yet they present concerns around career-ending injuries. Drawing on the Kübler-Ross Model of Death and Dying (1969) framework, this study examined if MDSAs have faced experiences in stage-like forms such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This study called the attention of athletic administrators to examine and develop support resources for this often-overlooked student-athlete group. Over five chapters, this dissertation presents summarized literature, discussed assumptions, answered four research sub questions and a central research question, providing results through interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), and recommended best practices. Chapter 1 presents a brief overview of the study, the NCAA, medically disqualified student-athletes, and Kübler-Ross Model of Death and Dying. The history and context of student-athletes, injuries and social support are summarized in Chapter 2, along with a case for qualitative methodologies. IPA and study methodologies are discussed in detail in Chapter 3. Results are presented in Chapter 4 and explore the depth of each research sub question. Chapter 4 presents an understanding of athletic identity, need for social support, psychological reaction, and compare these reactions to Kübler- Ross Model of Death and Dying. Chapter 5 examines the central research question and how the sub questions play major roles in understanding MDSAs experience after sports. Using the themes, best practices are presented for administration to better support medically disqualified student-athletes

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Capstone Design Project Experience: Lunar Ice Extraction Design

A group of senior undergraduate students came together as part of a non-traditional capstone design project. The assignment was to take part in the NASA RASC-AL competition and required adjustment to the class curriculum. Two examples are that a direct point of contact from the customer would not be possible as there is no specific person at NASA meant to act as the customer and the submission deadline was after the semester concluded. The students were all from the mechanical engineering department and had a fascination with space technology but came from vastly different demographic backgrounds representing multiple spheres of diversity. This diversity brought unique and unexpected approaches to the project. The project required close interaction of the group throughout and after the semester to accomplish a very difficult goal: the design of a full scale lunar ice extraction facility capable of running autonomously and producing at least 100 metric tonnes of ice per year. The operational plan is to be accompanied by a detailed budget and launch plans to begin taking effect in 2025. Having no experience working with one another prior to this project, the group was required to quickly develop a productive team ethos to address such a large challenge. The aim of this study is to assess the outcomes and reactions during a project from a diverse group of students attempting to complete an unusual capstone design. Accompanying this are pre-, intra-, and post-project surveys to assess effectiveness of the group on key project issues. The primary research questions to answer are: does the perception of the group regarding effectiveness positively correlate with the feelings of ownership of the project and feelings that the individual students’ passions are being considered. Further, because the competition is staged and set to go on the full academic year, the students are interviewed regarding plans on continuing the project beyond the current semester when the majority of the team will have graduated

Modeling Nanomaterials in Lithium Ion Battery with Experimental Validation

poster abstractA lithium-ion battery (Li-ion battery or LIB) is a rechargeable battery type in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging. Lithium systems are of considerable interest due to their high energy density and low toxicity compared to other rechargeable lithium battery chemistries. Conventional Lithium-ion battery materials typically start as 10-50 micron sized particles. In many of these new chemistries, having the materials in nanoparticle form or as a nanostructured particle or film is critical to achieving the desired performance. The goal of this study is to understand the mechanisms that govern the size-dependence of electrochemical properties and mechanical properties of nanomaterials in Lithium ion batteries using first principles method. We have been developing computational models of LiCoO2 crystals. The specific objectives of the MURI project are to: (1) conduct first principles study of the electrochemical properties and mechanical properties of nanosize LiCoO2; (2) investigate Li ion diffusion phenomena in the nanomaterial; and (3) experimentally validate the computational results

Du choix du précurseur pour la synthèse de poudres d’oxydes La1-xSrxMnO3

Différentes poudres précurseurs (carbonates, oxalates, citrates) de manganites de lanthane dopés au strontium ont été préparées par chimie douce. Après calcination, ces précurseurs conduisent aux oxydes mixtes à structure perovskite LaxSr1–xMnO3, dont la morphologie et la taille des particules dépendent à la fois de celles du précurseur et des conditions du traitement thermique. Des analyses thermiques de la décomposition des précurseurs montrent que seuls les citrates sont des précurseurs mixtes, ce qui permet d’obtenir les oxydes à structure perovskite dès 600 °C, au lieu de 850 °C pour les oxalates et 900 °C pour les carbonates. De plus, seule la méthode des citrates conduit à des poudres d’oxydes dont la morphologie, la surface spécifique, la non-stœchiométrie peuvent être modulée dans une large gamme

Community as an Institutional Learning Goal at the Unversity of Dayton

This working paper summarizes the work of the Habits of Inquiry and Reflection Community Fellows. It considers the meaning of community both in UD’s historic mission and in the ways it is practiced at UD now; identifies obstacles and failures; and offers recommendations for advancing community as a learning goal at UD

Biosignals reflect pair-dynamics in collaborative work : EDA and ECG study of pair-programming in a classroom environment

Collaboration is a complex phenomenon, where intersubjective dynamics can greatly affect the productive outcome. Evaluation of collaboration is thus of great interest, and can potentially help achieve better outcomes and performance. However, quantitative measurement of collaboration is difficult, because much of the interaction occurs in the intersubjective space between collaborators. Manual observation and/or self-reports are subjective, laborious, and have a poor temporal resolution. The problem is compounded in natural settings where task-activity and response-compliance cannot be controlled. Physiological signals provide an objective mean to quantify intersubjective rapport (as synchrony), but require novel methods to support broad deployment outside the lab. We studied 28 student dyads during a self-directed classroom pair-programming exercise. Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activation was measured during task performance using electrodermal activity and electrocardiography. Results suggest that (a) we can isolate cognitive processes (mental workload) from confounding environmental effects, and (b) electrodermal signals show role-specific but correlated affective response profiles. We demonstrate the potential for social physiological compliance to quantify pair-work in natural settings, with no experimental manipulation of participants required. Our objective approach has a high temporal resolution, is scalable, non-intrusive, and robust.Peer reviewe

Towards estimating computer users' mood from interaction behaviour with keyboard and mouse

The purpose of this exploratory research was to study the relationship between the mood of computer users and their use of keyboard and mouse to examine the possibility of creating a generic or individualized mood measure. To examine this, a field study (n = 26) and a controlled study (n = 16) were conducted. In the field study, interaction data and self-reported mood measurements were collected during normal PC use over several days. In the controlled study, participants worked on a programming task while listening to high or low arousing background music. Besides subjective mood measurement, galvanic skin response (GSR) data was also collected. Results found no generic relationship between the interaction data and the mood data. However, the results of the studies found significant average correlations between mood measurement and personalized regression models based on keyboard and mouse interaction data. Together the results suggest that individualized mood prediction is possible from interaction behaviour with keyboard and mouse