Design Data-driven Assignments for Clear, Transparent, and Efficient Teaching

Working with students in hybrid, inperson, or online courses involves many data interactions. Data-driven assignments are structured to gather and evaluate student work at both macro and micro levels needed to evaluate learning and improve course materials. This practice uses Google Forms and linked Sheets to create data-driven assignments and custom dashboards.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1065/thumbnail.jp

The Soft Power of Ephemeral Communities a Short History of Las Vegas Technology Conventions, 1959-2019

This article presents an overview of the large Las Vegas–based technology conventions: Comdex, CES (the Consumer Electronics Show), and NAB (the NationalAssociation of Broadcasters trade show)

Evocative and Provocative Image-Making in the Age of Generative AI

Editorial for inaugural AI-focused special issue of Tradition-Innovations in Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education, published under the auspices of the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru). Discusses three articles by five authors in this issue: (1) Choreographing Shadows: Interdisciplinary collaboration to orchestrate ethical image-making by Mark Burchick and Diana Pasulka; (2) Giving Up Control: Hybrid AI-augmented workflows for image-making by Joshua Vermillion; and (3) Hands are Hard: Unlearning how we talk about machine learning in the arts by Adam Hyland and Oscar Keyes. Editing this special issue explored several key questions: What does “innovation” mean when talking about generative AI-supported teaching and creating? How can we talk about “creativity” when working with AI? How can artists, designers, and media practitioners respond productively and ethically? Are they shaping—and can they shape—this rapidly evolving technology? This editorial process and these questions also contributed to the “AI Provocateurs” panel for the a2ru community in early October 2023, and informed plans for the “Generative AI and Speculative Futures for the Arts: Pushback and Possibilities” panel at the annual a2ru conference. These projects reflect a moment in our early understanding of newly accessible generative AI technologies during the turmoil of rapid technological change and frenzied popular reactions

Effectiveness of Federal Regulation of Mobile Medical Applications

Due to rapid growth and advancement of technology, uncertainty has emerged as to whether some of the medical apps on the market should be considered medical devices, which are subject to stringent regulation by the FDA.The FDA issued final guidelines regarding the regulation of medical apps in September of 2013 and updated the guidance in February 2015, but it has not issued formal regulations. Part I of this Note examines the development of mobile medical health applications and regulation in countries with comparable mobile-app use, and then explores the evolution of the FDA’s position regarding the regulation of such apps. Part II analyzes and critiques current and conceivable regulatory strategies by the federal government, as well as private regulatory organizations such as the United States Pharmacopeial Convention and the Health on the Net Foundation. Part III argues that current FDA regulations are insufficient and suggests a peer reviewer or other organization may be better suited to assess the usability of apps and offer usage guidelines for consumers. Part III also discusses three proposed models for regulation of mobile medical apps. This Note argues that a regulatory approach that includes a peer review system and a non-profit organization that specializes in mobile medical technology will be more efficient and useful to monitor mobile medical apps than the current FDA guidelines

Is Knowing Half the Battle? An Examination of the Relationship between Folic Acid Knowledge and Awareness and Daily Supplementation with Folic Acid among 18 to 24 year old Women Who are Not Contemplating Pregnancy

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects that affect 3,000 pregnancies in the United States annually. All women of childbearing age are recommended to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily for the prevention of NTDs. Women aged 18 to 24 years have multiple risk factors for having an NTD-affected pregnancy and should be targeted by efforts to promote folic acid consumption. Survey data capturing folic acid awareness, knowledge, and supplementation behavior of women aged 18 to 24 years who are not contemplating pregnancy were examined to identify the relationship of folic acid awareness and knowledge to daily supplementation with folic acid in an effort to predict the effectiveness of education-only interventions. Results of the study suggested that awareness and knowledge was not consistently related to daily supplementation. An evaluation of qualitative data using the Health Belief Model offers explanations for the findings and recommendations for targeting these at-risk women

Scaffold Large Assignments Using Forms

Title: Structuring excellence: Use Google forms to plan, manage, and improve multi-stage assignments This practice takes a technique I’ve used since 2017 (and introduced at the 2019 poster expo) and extends it by addressing the much more difficult challenge of helping students progress through a multi-part cumulative project. These projects are difficult to assign, manage, and for instructors to provide personalized support. My solution: Structure the project using detailed online forms that walk students through topic identification, useful contextual resources (in collaboration with our excellent resource librarians—Urban Studies Librarian Susie Skarl assisted me in this example), and self-assessment regarding resources, project concerns, and assistance requirements. This approach results in clearer assignments, improved collaboration with our reference specialists, and rapid identification of student trends, successes, and bottlenecks. It also generates useful data for course evaluation and revision.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1104/thumbnail.jp

Urban Transition of Races in the Denver Metro Area

The racial segregation of the primary racial groups, African-American, Asian, Latino and White, residing within the Denver metropolitan five-county area is analyzed using a Geographic Information System. The study uses census defined block groups to measure racial population within the study area as input to analysis methods that provide insight to the transition of racial groups within the Denver metropolitan area. Markov chain analysis is used to compute the probability that the ratio of a block group of a race will change. The Monte Carlo method is then applied using the probabilities to predict what the segregation in the Denver metropolitan area could be. Keywords: Markov chain, Monte Carlo, neighborhood transition, racial segregation, Denver metropolitan area, geographic information system

Guided Research-Informed Notetaking

Structured note-taking is useful for courses—particularly online courses—that expect students to closely read texts and integrate them into their research. This flexible and reconfigurable practice encourages students to take notes about texts using Google Form prompts. Faculty can efficiently review notes to assess students’ engagement with texts and adjust class meetings and assignments. This practice extends Cornell’s Notes system originally created by Walter Pauk. I use Google Forms to create structured prompts, and use Google Sheets to review, organize, and distribute student notes.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1158/thumbnail.jp

Modeling Collaborative Research Practices With Zotero

The early stages of research when students explore topics and evaluate resources are critical. Yet researchers can be overwhelmed by evaluating sources, organizing resources and notes, and working with collaborators. During these stages it is particularly important to model meaningful research relationships to support student success. I address these challenges by having students explore Zotero, a free “research assistant” application and web portal, as they work on structured research assignments. While Zotero is known as a powerful citation manager, my practice focuses on its features that are most relevant to storing, organizing, and sharing resources while working on both informal and scholarly projects. In my experience, a successful introduction of such features will encourage students to reflect on and further explore their own research workflows and collaborations.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1184/thumbnail.jp

A Stillness in the Desert? Engaging the Public through an Immersive Exploration of Southwest Soundscapes

The pandemic highlighted the anthropocentric nature of soundscapes, while the recent popularity of electric cars, quadcopters, and “noise cancellation” earbuds demonstrated how consumer products can rapidly change our awareness of sound. While light pollution is already extensively addressed in scholarly research, popular works such as The End of Night, and public engagement such as The International Dark Sky Association, the complex interplay of sound, natural resources, and public engagement is still emerging, particularly in creative fields. Two UNLV scholars and artists are collaborating on this project: Julian Kilker, who specializes in visual and emerging technology research, and Tom Bjelic, who is a highly experienced sound design and field recording expert. Over the past decade, Tom has collaborated with audio field recordists around the globe to capture and produce soundscapes for narrative film and television, while Julian has documented light pollution while capturing landscapes in the Mojave at night and collaborated on multiple environmental conservation media projects. We plan to use audio and visual field recordings to create an immersive multimedia project about soundscapes as natural resources. Our goal is to capture audio and visual assets to explore standard and extended reality media experiences. We will record soundscapes using a multi-microphone array to capture audio in a 360 degree sphere while documenting each context with wide-angle and 360 cameras and capture subsonic audio using a surface microphone. This creative and scholarly approach will be used to explore, document and engage the public on the topic of sound and light pollution.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cfa_collaborate/1004/thumbnail.jp