2023 Program

We will investigate how removing content tyranny from a foundational microbiology course can increase student success and retention, and allow instructors more time to incorporate active learning strategies. Student presentations and assigned readings via Perusall will be included in the active learning strategies. Five instructors will design their Foundations of Microbiology (BIOL2260) courses to examine the impact changing the number of chapters, the approach to covering the content, and assessments will have on student success despite variations in course timeframes.

The herbicide Atrazine, which is commonly used in our agriculture, is an endocrine disruptor. It has been observed to cause male frogs to produce viable eggs and mate with each other. Evidence has also shown that Atrazine is linked to cancer in humans. I will explain the implications as well as steps we can take to help make a change, as this can directly impact our health.

I am replacing a multiple-choice Final Exam in GEOL 1121k with a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students have self-reported that the CURE I will be using (adapted from Kortz and Kraft 2016) increased their knowledge related to the course and improved their soft skills, confidence, science skills, and understanding of and appreciation for science and scientists, and that they carried ideas from the CURE beyond the classroom.

I am researching the dynamics of human communication and how it changes and shifts through the stages of dating, into long-term relationships, and further into marriage. I will be evaluating the Knapp Relational Development Model and sourcing information we discuss in class, researching published works of those who have made lifelong careers about human dynamics and communication, as well as interviewing psychological experts not only on basic human relationships but prolonged and various intimate relationships, about the varying degrees of communication, what they indicate about a relationship, and the relevance of good communication for a successful relationship or marriage.".

Imperial pet resort is a Parisian style dog boarding and grooming place that is here to make the lives of being a pet owner easier and to make both you and your dog feel loved. Along with grooming and boarding, we offer services including doggy day care, pet portraits and dog training. We also will be selling products such as dog supplements, clothing, & accessories.

The topic of the Information Processing theory dictates how the theory was created, who created it, what it means, and how it is applied through the lens of educators such as myself. The Information Processing Theory is important in the fact that knowledge is learned primarily through visual aid, such as textbooks and written text. The learner reads, processes, and learns through the act of receiving information. Learning about the information processing theory provides those with a necessary introduction to how students learn in an educational environment.

We assessed the biological diversity and ecological functions of macroinvertebrates as part of a larger survey of habitat quality and food web integrity within Drum Creek in the Pettit Environmental Preserve. We gathered data on the diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates in the stream and assessed their functional feeding groups and the overall water quality of the stream using the Pollution Tolerance Index for present invertebrate groups and the EPT Richness Index. Our profile of macroinvertebrate diversity and food web integrity can be used as a measure of the overall health of the stream and inform future management practices.

Social media has a potentially dangerous impact on the promotion of news distortion. Its butterfly effect controls how users consume and promote content designed to create distrust and a political divide. Many sources used in this paper were written before the 2020s, highlighting early predictions and warnings of what social media could do. If we are to get ahead of this issue, we must understand how social media works in the first place.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that distance education courses have regular substantive interaction between faculty and students. Over the years, various authors have suggested that regular assessment of students, along with sufficient, constructive feedback, is a valuable part of the learning process. While the Pearson MyLab homework system, used in Precalculus, MATH1113, provides a mechanism for students to learn through trial and guidance, it alone may not contribute to the success of all students. This presentation will outline an upcoming project to increase student success in online MATH1113 through the use of regular low stakes assessment activities to which guided feedback will be provided.