Preparing Teachers for Their Prophetic Role to Serve with Heart, Head, and Hands

As teacher preparation programs seek to diversify their pre-service teachers’ exposure to teaching situations, Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Education Department has discovered how to maximize its freshman’s educational technology field experiences through meaningful cross-cultural community service. A plan has been implemented since the spring of 2004 where candidates taking educational technology classes are required to give 8 hours of technology tutoring as a community service to populations in cross-cultural situations. Based on the Spring 2004 successes, the cross-cultural tutoring opportunities have been expanded, leading to renewed vision in candidates’ perspectives on education and job placements. At a freshman level, this challenge sets the tone for further diverse field exposure. This study will look at the multiple positive outcomes that result from a model that uses technology tutoring as the pre-service candidates’ first exposure to a cross-cultural instructional environment and thus enhances the prophetic call that rests on teachers

Does team-level conscientiousness predict team performance? The role of task context and group process [abstract]

Abstract only availableFaculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Robert, Management and Psychological SciencesPrevious studies linking conscientiousness to job performance have focused primarily on individual performance, neglecting organizations' burgeoning use of teams. While previous literature links high conscientiousness with greater productivity, many group tasks are unstructured and creative in nature. These circumstances may not be optimal for highly conscientious people who excel when given explicit rules, and when performance is closely tied to effort. In this experiment we explore the relationship between team conscientiousness, task context, and task instructions. Questionnaires assessing conscientiousness were distributed to all introductory psychology students. High and low conscientiousness groups were composed of individuals who scored 1 standard deviation or more above or below the mean. The "mundane" word-find task and "creative" marketing task comprised the second independent variable. The order of presentation of these tasks is counterbalanced. The third independent variable is manipulated by giving either linear task instructions (e.g., had to find words or design marketing plans in order, could not go backwards) or flexible instructions (e.g., any order, can go backwards). We have collected data for 58 groups. Group performance for the mundane task will be quantified by the number of words the groups are able to locate; while independent raters will evaluate the marketing task performance. We will use ANOVA to analyze the results. We predict that high conscientiousness groups will outperform low conscientiousness groups on the mundane task, but not the creative task. In addition, we expect that this pattern of results will be moderated by task instructions, such that high conscientiousness groups will do particularly well given linear task instructions, while low conscientiousness groups will do well with flexible instructions. These results would help organizations understand the scope and boundaries of the positive conscientiousness-performance relationship, particularly with regard to the creative and unstructured tasks often assigned to groups in organizational contexts.Arts & Science Undergraduate Research Mentorship Progra

Women of the West: Voices from the Home Front of the Crusades

This thesis explores the experiences of women in Western Europe, especially France, during the Crusades of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Through an analysis of primary sources including crusade literature, letters, sculpture, and romantic chansons, this work seeks to illuminate the various ways that women utilized their voices in a period that held strong emphasis on the virtues of masculinity. In this thesis I argue that the campaigns of the Crusades created specific circumstances in Western Europe that allowed women to stretch the boundaries of medieval society’s gender constructs while remaining somewhat within their confines. Additionally, I argue that though women were barred from official participation in the Crusades, they found their own ways of contributing to the crusading effort from home

The Relationship Between Core-Plus Mathematics Project And Student Achievement

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) study revealed that test scores from high school students were below average in mathematics and science. Studies show that part of it stem from the traditional methods of teaching rather than the standards-based teaching. According to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, students should receive a rigorous and relevant curriculum. The High School Content Expectations (HSCE) is a set of objectives that meet this criteria but the current curriculum still uses traditionally-based curriculum. More than 80% of textbooks located in schools today are traditionally-based. Moreover, teachers who are teaching have been educated by traditional instructors. Therefore, they teach students the way they have been taught. To change mathematics education, educators should consider looking at the way mathematics is taught and look at activities students are involved in during instruction. This study focused on the effective use of the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) that resulted in an increase in academic achievement. Students\u27 perceptions on the use of the CPMP were a focus of the study. Finally, differences in procedural and conceptual knowledge between genders in both groups were examined. The control group received the traditional textbook and the treatment group received the traditional textbook along with the CPMP. The results of the study found no significant difference procedurally between the two groups. However, the treatment group did significantly better using the CPMP curriculum than the control group. The study also showed that although the treatment group had negative perceptions about using the CPMP curriculum, they did better than the control group. Results of the study showed that although the females did better procedurally and conceptually than males, the differences were not statistically significant. A relationship was found between the use of the CPMP curriculum and students\u27 mathematics achievement. CPMP provided students with a rigorous, conceptually-rich instruction that was based on the benchmarks required from the HSCE objectives that was derived from the national standards

Development of a University/College Pathway for Academic Success Remediation

Some students have difficulty in achieving success in the first year of study. Programs are intensive and do not include capabilities to recover from deficiencies affecting academic performance. A mechanism is needed for students to break off from their program, and address their specific deficiencies, before returning. The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Durham College have developed a pathway for enhanced academic success to support students requiring remediation. The proposed pathway is done in such a way that successful students will be eligible to earn a General Arts and Science certificate concurrently with the continuation of their University degree. In the academic success pathway, students that have been suspended from UOIT will be given the opportunity to enter a Durham College program that will address academic success related deficiencies. The students will undergo an assessment process to identify their specific needs and will have access to academic advisors at both institutions for guidance. Upon successfully completing the program, the student returns to University with a position reserved in their program of study allowing for a semester reduction in the time lost due to suspension. This program allows for the student to focus on other academic deficiencies upon their return to UOIT. The program also allows students to recognize that they are not in the right program or at the right academic level and choose to transfer to the College or apply to switch University programs during the remedial semester. Regardless of the pathway taken, the student is provided the opportunity to be successful in obtaining the academic education that they are suited for

A systematic evaluation of miRNA:mRNA interactions involved in the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells

In this study we performed a systematic evaluation of functional miRNA-mRNA interactions associated with the invasiveness of breast cancer cells using a combination of integrated miRNA and mRNA expression profiling, bioinformatics prediction, and functional assays. Analysis of the miRNA expression identified 11 miRNAs that were differentially expressed, including 7 down-regulated (miR-200c, miR-205, miR-203, miR-141, miR-34a, miR-183, and miR-375) and 4 up-regulated miRNAs (miR-146a, miR-138, miR-125b1 and miR-100), in invasive cell lines when compared to normal and less invasive cell lines. Transfection of miR-200c, miR-205, and miR-375 mimics into MDA-MB-231 cells led to the inhibition of in vitro cell migration and invasion. The integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression identified 35 known and novel target genes of miR-200c, miR-205, and mir-375, including CFL2, LAMC1, TIMP2, ZEB1, CDH11, PRKCA, PTPRJ, PTPRM, LDHB, and SEC23A. Surprisingly, the majority of these genes (27 genes) were target genes of miR-200c, suggesting that miR-200c plays a pivotal role in regulating the invasiveness of breast cancer cells. We characterized one of the target genes of miR-200c, CFL2, and demonstrated that CFL2 is overexpressed in aggressive breast cancer cell lines and can be significantly down-regulated by exogenous miR-200c. Tissue microarray analysis further revealed that CFL2 expression in primary breast cancer tissue correlated with tumor grade. The results obtained from this study may improve our understanding of the role of these candidate miRNAs and their target genes in relation to breast cancer invasiveness and ultimately lead to the identification of novel biomarkers associated with prognosis

Ultraviolet Spectrum of the Crab Nebula

Data from 65 hours of observation of the Crab Nebula with the International Ultraviolet Explorer are reported, together with new ground-based spectrophotometry. We have measured the important C IV λ1549, He II λ1640, and C III] λ1908 emission line intensities and placed upper limits on other ultraviolet features for the brightest filamentary region in the nebula. We have also measured some ultraviolet continuum surface brightnesses at two places in the Crab. The emission lines imply an average ionic abundance ratio n(C^+2)/n(O^+2 ) in the range from 0.4 to 1.5 in the observed gaseous condensations. The elemental abundance ratio of carbon to oxygen is probably in the same range. This range may be narrowed through the use of ionization calculations, but even our simple analysis shows that there is no perceptible excess of carbon, due to presupernova nucleosynthesis, in the observed region. The large helium abundance, small carbon and oxygen abundances, and presence of a neutron star in the Crab Nebula suggest that the presupernova star had a mass close to 8 M0 when it was on the main sequence

FACULTY TRAINING IN DEVELOPING AN E-PORTFOLIO SYSTEM

In fall semester, 2007 research was performed at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) to determine which means of training for the Chalk and Wire e-Portfolio system was most satisfying to faculty and cooperating teachers. A fifteen question survey was given to 171 assessors. Fourteen questions gathered quantitative data, one qualitative. Four cross tabulations completed with a chi square test for independence showed that faculty and cooperating teachers ratings of their success using Chalk and Wire was independent of: (a) comfort level with computers, (b) age of assessor, (c) assessors’ satisfaction with student assistant, and (d) assessors\u27 rating of administrators\u27 helpfulness. Cramer’s V indicated small effect sizes. Qualitative data from the faculty survey question, from the student assistant team survey, and from six interviews revealed the following emerging themes: (a) e-Portfolio implementation is a formative process, (b) all constituents desire clear, easily accessible instructions, conveyed in a simple, user-friendly design, with mapped directions in syllabi for artifact location, available in hardcopy as well as on-line instructions in a variety of multi-media formats, (c) time is a valuable commodity, (d) users appreciate the benefits of e-Portfolios such as portability, ease of use, formative and summative reflection, and experience with cutting edge technology, (e) advice for improvement included the desire for verification when work has been completed, continuation of educational credit when applicable, and the desire for intermittent use in every class, (f) problems surfaced included an unawareness of available help and a consensus that the software changeover was stressful, and (g) trainees desired trainers to be confident, knowledgeable, relaxed, willing to give one-on-one help, available when needed, kind, patient, encouraging, persistent, and flexible. Recommendations for future research include investigations in best practices regarding length of training times, increasing awareness of available help, and training cooperating teachers. Advisors: James King and Allen Steckelber

Using Student-Generated Notes as an Interface to a Digital Repository

A recent survey of studies related to digital libraries concluded that students use and like electronic resources. However, the results of access studies show that actual use of online content is relatively low, with only 10-20% of students making regular use of the content. This is because navigation to the online content in these collections is not convenient, requires multiple steps in order to reach relevant content, and is not integrated into a students natural workflow. In our research, we have designed, deployed, and evaluated a method for making content available to students that targets the content to their current need and is designed as an alternative yet cooperative method of access to a well-structured set of course content. Since notes are both integral to lecture classes and generally ubiquitous, it is a natural target for connecting the student with available content. Pen technologies and mobile devices make it possible for us to capture student notes and enhance them with embedded access links to relevant content. In our initial interface, NoteNexus, instead of delivering content as the result of a student search query or browsing activity, we embedded links to the content into the students notes. NoteNexus did not produce a change in the student use of online content. C-Nexus was designed and developed from the results of the NoteNexus study. C-Nexus was successful in increasing the student use of online content.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Gregory Abowd; Committee Co-Chair: Ling Liu; Committee Member: Jim Foley; Committee Member: Mark Guzdial; Committee Member: Wendy Newstette