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Title: Urban and cluster agglomeration economies's effects on rural households in Asia
Creator: Hu, Chaoran
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Agglomeration effects play important roles for rural households in participating in farm and nonfarm activities. With the rapid growth of cities of different sizes and the development of food value chain, how these agglomerations of urban effects, networks, and food value chain clusters will affect rural households' participation in nonfarm employment and farm behavior (technology adoption) are not yet well known. The dissertation consists of three chapters that aim to assess the impacts of...
Show more"Agglomeration effects play important roles for rural households in participating in farm and nonfarm activities. With the rapid growth of cities of different sizes and the development of food value chain, how these agglomerations of urban effects, networks, and food value chain clusters will affect rural households' participation in nonfarm employment and farm behavior (technology adoption) are not yet well known. The dissertation consists of three chapters that aim to assess the impacts of these urban and cluster agglomeration economies' on rural households in Asia."--Excerpted from abstract.
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Title: Unexpected journeys : at the crossroads of collaborative filmmaking and feminist scholarship
Creator: Von Petersdorff-Campen, Anne Christin
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This hybrid dissertation combines collaborative, creative filmmaking and feminist scholarship grounded in German studies. The written dissertation addresses fundamental issues in feminist filmmaking--body, voice, and collaboration--and is in part conceived as a complement to the travel documentary Wanderlust, cuerpos en tránsito(2017), a bi-autobiographical account of a journey from Egypt to Germany that was co-directed and produced by the author of this dissertation and Maria Pérez-Escalá.

Title: Understanding work with data in summer STEM programs through an experience sampling method approach
Creator: Rosenberg, Joshua M.
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Data-rich activities provide an opportunity to develop core competencies in both science and mathematics identified in curricular standards. Perhaps even more importantly work with data puts learners in the position to use data to ask and answer questions, a potentially empowering capability. Research on work with data has focused on cognitive outcomes and the development of specific practices at the student and classroom levels, and yet, little research has considered learners’ engagement....
Show moreData-rich activities provide an opportunity to develop core competencies in both science and mathematics identified in curricular standards. Perhaps even more importantly work with data puts learners in the position to use data to ask and answer questions, a potentially empowering capability. Research on work with data has focused on cognitive outcomes and the development of specific practices at the student and classroom levels, and yet, little research has considered learners’ engagement. The present study explores learners engagement in work with data in the context of summer STEM programs. The aspects of work with data that are the focus of this study are: asking questions, observing phenomena, constructing measures and generating data, data modeling, and interpreting findings. Data from measures of learners' engagement was collected through the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) that involves asking learners at random intervals to answer short questions about their engagement to discover profiles of learners' engagement.Data was collected from nine summer STEM programs over four weeks in the Northeastern United States. 203 learners reported 2,970 responses via short ESM surveys of how engaged they were (cognitively, behaviorally, and affectively, assessed through separate items) and of their perceptions of themselves (their competence) and the activity (its challenge). These data were used to examine five specific research questions: 1) What is the frequency and nature of opportunities for youth to engage in each of the five aspects of work with data in summer STEM programs? 2) What profiles of engagement emerge from data collected via ESM in the programs? 3) What are sources of variability for the profiles of engagement? 4) How do the five aspects of work with data relate to profiles of engagement? 5) How do youth characteristics relate to profiles of engagement?Findings show that aspects of work with data were fairly common overall, but that work with data was enacted out in varying ways, including some that were possibly highly engaging. Six profiles of youth engagement were identified, representing distinct configurations of the five indicators of engagement. Substantial variability in the profiles was present at the youth level, with less explained by the program youth were in or the nature of the particular instructional episode present at the times when youth were signaled. Relations between the profiles of engagement and each of the aspects of work with data were somewhat small: Notable exceptions were the generating data and data modeling were significantly associated with full engagement. Youth with higher pre-program interest in STEM were more likely to be engaged and competent but not challenged, though other youth characteristics were not highly related to the profiles.I discuss key findings as regards work with data in summer STEM programs and other informal learning environments, the nature of youths' engagement, and what factors can predict engagement. The design and goals of summer STEM programs, which are not (necessarily) focused on activities related to work with data, as well as other limitations including the measures for work with data used and the analytic approach, are identified and described. The role of generating data and modeling data as well as attention to the specifics of how work with data are enacted are presented as implications for practice. I highlight aspects of the findings and the implications for practice with respect to work with data in general and to engagement in informal learning environments, such as summer STEM programs, in both cases with an emphasis on how work with data can serve as a promising context for learning in STEM subject areas.
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Title: Understanding the relationship between work-life flexstyle, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among new professionals in student affairs
Creator: Artale, Paolo
Date: 2020
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Attrition amongst new professionals in student affairs has been cited as high as sixty-percent Holmes, Verrier, & Chisholm 1983; Ward, 1995). High rates of employee turnover are problematic for institutions and result in work inefficiencies, costly rehiring processes, and overburdening current employees with increased load (Kantor, 2016). Studies of attrition within student affairs have found several factors that contribute to these high rates of departure including but not limited to heavy...
Show moreAttrition amongst new professionals in student affairs has been cited as high as sixty-percent Holmes, Verrier, & Chisholm 1983; Ward, 1995). High rates of employee turnover are problematic for institutions and result in work inefficiencies, costly rehiring processes, and overburdening current employees with increased load (Kantor, 2016). Studies of attrition within student affairs have found several factors that contribute to these high rates of departure including but not limited to heavy workloads, working long and unusual hours, lack of opportunities for advancement, low levels of pay compared to the private sector, difficulty keeping tasks and emotions that originated at work with those at home (and vice versa), and emotional stress due to being personally invested in the lives of students (Evans, 1988; Lorden, 1998; Marshall, Gardner, Hughes, & Lowery, 2016; Ward, 1995). Within the discussion of meeting combating turnover, the topic of workplace flexibility has emerged. Employees are requiring more latitude to deal with issues such as childcare, elder care, as well as other day-to-day needs. While studies have often referred to policies and formal mechanisms regarding workplace flexibility and the impact it has on retention, there has been a lack of discussion around the role flexstyle plays in employee performance and satisfaction. Flexstyle refers to a way of thinking about the relationships between work and personal life (Kossek & Lautsch, 2008). The purpose of this study was to understand the potential relationship between work-life flexstyle amongst new student affairs professionals and the variables of job satisfaction and turnover intention. To examine the relationship between flexstyle, job satisfaction, and turnover intention, an electronic survey utilizing Kossek, Ruderman, Braddy, and Hannum's (2012) work-nonwork boundary management assessment, Judge, Locke, Durham, and Kluger's (1998) shortened version of Brayfield and Rothe's (1951) Job Satisfaction Schedule, and Bothma and Roodt's (2013) Turnover Intention Scale - 6 (TIS-6) was administered to those who identified as new professionals to members of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Knowledge Community for Graduate Students and New Professionals, the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), and the Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA). A total of 287 members provided usable data for use in analysis. Results from the data that utilized ANCOVA showed that significant differences in means existed for behavior factor groups in relation to both job satisfaction and turnover intention. Results from the data that utilized multiple regression showed that significant positive relationships existed between the flexstyle factors of boundary control and work identity with job satisfaction. In addition, data that utilized multiple regression showed that a significant negative relationship existed between the flexstyle factor of boundary control and turnover intention. Implications for student affairs practitioners and researchers and recommendations for future research are also discussed.
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Title: Understanding the intersection of loneliness and recovery setting in older cardiac patients
Creator: Macomber, Catherine A.
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Loneliness has significant negative impact on health. Loneliness is the difference between the amount of social support you expect to receive and the amount you perceive you are getting. Age is one risk factor of loneliness, and life events such as a move to a nursing home or the need for professional care to provide assistance with Activities of Daily Living also increase the risk of loneliness. There is little evidence comparing the experience of loneliness between settings of nursing...
Show more"Loneliness has significant negative impact on health. Loneliness is the difference between the amount of social support you expect to receive and the amount you perceive you are getting. Age is one risk factor of loneliness, and life events such as a move to a nursing home or the need for professional care to provide assistance with Activities of Daily Living also increase the risk of loneliness. There is little evidence comparing the experience of loneliness between settings of nursing homes and at home with home care, and yet much current policy sees aging-in-place, staying in your own home, as the most appropriate setting for growing older. This mixed methods study compares the experience of loneliness in two settings, nursing home and at home, and the influence demographics and social support have on this relationship. The theoretical framework used is the Health Belief Model." -- Abstract.
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Title: Understanding free-carrier accumulation in semiconductor nanomaterials : plasmonic behavior, charge storage energetics, and quantum confinement resilience of colloidal indium nitride nanocrystals
Creator: Liu, Zhihui
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Heavily doped semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) are promising materials that can reversibly and substantially store electrical charges. Indium nitride (InN) is a particularly interesting semiconductor material for studying charge storage processes. Colloidal InN NCs are spontaneously degenerately doped with carrier densities large enough to lead to strong localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) in the infrared (IR) part of the spectrum. Unfortunately, many fundamental quantities that...
Show moreHeavily doped semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) are promising materials that can reversibly and substantially store electrical charges. Indium nitride (InN) is a particularly interesting semiconductor material for studying charge storage processes. Colloidal InN NCs are spontaneously degenerately doped with carrier densities large enough to lead to strong localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) in the infrared (IR) part of the spectrum. Unfortunately, many fundamental quantities that ultimately control the behavior of colloidal InN NCs are currently unknown. In this thesis, we focused on advancing our current understanding of the properties of colloidal InN NCs, with special emphasis on the quantification of free electron density, the LSPR behavior, the charge storage ability, the screening effect on phonon behaviors and few other important fundamental quantities such as the electron effective mass, Fermi level, conduction band (CB) edge potential and IR transition oscillator strength.To understand the LSPR behavior of InN NCs, we first evaluated the free carrier density with a direct, model-independent quantification. We found that the number of free electrons per as-prepared InN NC is directly proportional to the NC volume, such that the free electron density is a size-independent quantity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that free electrons in InN NCs can be reversibly extracted with redox species, which leads to a direct way to manipulate the LSPR. Importantly, the LSPR energy in InN NCs barely shifts with free electron density, a behavior strikingly at odds with what is typically observed in other semiconductor plasmonic systems. These unusual plasmonic signatures are shown to arise from the nonparabolicity of the CB dispersion, which leads to a change in the electron effective mass with the number of free electrons per NC, thus mitigating the shift of LSPR in InN NCs.Consequently, we estimated the charge storage capability of InN NCs by pinning the chemical potential of InN NCs to redox-active molecular species. These studies directly yielded precise information on the Fermi level and on the chemical capacitance of InN NCs, which allowed the CB edge potential of InN NCs to be quantitatively determined for the first time. Surprisingly, the CB edge in InN NCs hardly showed any sign of quantum confinement effects, even for NCs sizes that were clearly smaller than the excitonic Bohr radius of InN. This "resilience to quantum confinement" effect was shown to also arise from the same nonparabolic dispersion effects described above.In addition, the light harvesting ability of free electrons in InN NCs was evaluated by calculating the molar absorptivity per free electron. This value directly yielded the optical oscillator strength of LSPR. We found that optical oscillator strength (per free electron) is independent of NC.Finally, the effects of free electrons on lattice vibrations were also explored. We demonstrated that free electrons weakened the A1(LO) phonon mode by screening the Coulombic restoring force induced by the lattice distortion. The A1(LO) mode frequency red-shifted linearly with the increasing free electron density. This relationship provided a fast way to estimate free electron density of InN NCs by measuring Raman spectroscopy.
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Title: Understanding adhesion to monitor and control environmental processes : From virus detection to membrane fouling mitigation
Creator: Wang, Xunhao
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Adhesion is a physicochemical process of great importance for various environmental engineering technologies including those that are employed in water treatment facilities Understanding adhesion is the key to elucidating separation mechanisms in unit processes and operations such as flocculation, granular media filtration, membrane separation. The likelihood of adhesion can be quantified in terms of the interfacial energy of interaction between two objects. The first part of this...
Show moreAdhesion is a physicochemical process of great importance for various environmental engineering technologies including those that are employed in water treatment facilities Understanding adhesion is the key to elucidating separation mechanisms in unit processes and operations such as flocculation, granular media filtration, membrane separation. The likelihood of adhesion can be quantified in terms of the interfacial energy of interaction between two objects. The first part of this dissertation is devoted to the study of virus adhesion to surfaces commonly encountered in various indoor settings. Fomites are inanimate surfaces, which can transfer the pathogens to a new human host. Fomite-based transfer is an important pathway of virus transmission, along with direct contact and transmission through aerosols. The study of fomites has traditionally focused on determining whether there is presence of specific pathogenic organisms. In addition to detecting genetic material and viable microbes on fomite surfaces, it is also important to understand the underlying mechanism of virus adhesion and factors that affect the likelihood of transmission between fomites and humans. In this dissertation, Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) is employed to quantify virus attachment to fomites. XDLVO modeling is applied to predict the virus-fomites interactions. Virion size, surface charge and surface energy components as well as surface charge and surface energy components of various fomites were measured and used as inputs to the XDLVO model.The second part of this dissertation describes the study of membrane filter aging due to membrane’s intermittent exposure to foulants and cleaning agents. This study explores how the surface chemistry of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes evolves in challenge tests with humic acid (HA) fouling and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) employed as a model foulant and cleaning agent, respectively. The evolution of physicochemical properties of the ageing membranes is characterized based on surface energy calculations. The results point to the formation of a chemically irreversible layer of foulants that is conditioned by consecutive exposures to foulants and is comprised of the adsorbed foulant fraction that is hard to oxidize further.
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Title: Ultrafast transient states in nonequilibrium quantum systems
Creator: Hwang, Bin
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Photo-induced phase transitions (PIPT) in quantum systems are the epitome of challenging non-equilibrium many-body phenomena, that also have a wide range of potential applications. Recently interest in light-matter coupled states with an energy gap have yielded evidence for Floquet topological states. In this study we demonstrate nonequilibrium Floquet band formation under ultrafast optical excitation using a one-dimensional topological insulator. As an example, the effects are illustrated...
Show morePhoto-induced phase transitions (PIPT) in quantum systems are the epitome of challenging non-equilibrium many-body phenomena, that also have a wide range of potential applications. Recently interest in light-matter coupled states with an energy gap have yielded evidence for Floquet topological states. In this study we demonstrate nonequilibrium Floquet band formation under ultrafast optical excitation using a one-dimensional topological insulator. As an example, the effects are illustrated using a new Zig-Zag Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model of polyacetylene, which is a paradigmatic Hamiltonian exhibiting nontrivial edge states. Our results indicate short optical pulses feasible in experiments can induce novel topological states, local spectral selection and novel pseudospin textures in polyacetylene. Pump-probe photoemission spectroscopy is able to study these states by measuring Floquet band formation and sizeable energy gaps on femtosecond time scales. We find that optically activated nontrivial variations of sublattice mixing could lead to novel topological phenomenon.The rich variety of states induced by lasers have a wide range of potential applications so that control of these states has become a key objective. We present a computational approach to finding optimal ultrafast laser pulse shapes to induce target states and population inversion in pump-probe PIPT experiments. The Krotov approach for Quantum optimal control theory (QOCT) is combined with a Keldysh Green’s function calculation to describe experimental outcomes such as photoemission, transient single particle density of states and optical responses. Results for a simple model charge density wave (CDW) system are presented, including generation of almost complete population inversion and negative temperature states.
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Title: USING THE “KITE” FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING LANDSCAPE CHANGE AND IMPROVING EAST AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE
Creator: Wanyama, Dan
Date: 2021
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The Mount Elgon Ecosystem (MEE), an important hydrological and socio-economic area in East Africa, has exhibited significant landscape changes, driven by both natural factors and human activities, therefore leading to more frequent natural disasters (frequent and extended droughts, floods, and landslides). Yet, few studies have focused on the MEE socio-ecological system; no comprehensive knowledge exists of how humans and nature interact, at multiple scales, to drive ecosystem-wide landscape...
Show moreThe Mount Elgon Ecosystem (MEE), an important hydrological and socio-economic area in East Africa, has exhibited significant landscape changes, driven by both natural factors and human activities, therefore leading to more frequent natural disasters (frequent and extended droughts, floods, and landslides). Yet, few studies have focused on the MEE socio-ecological system; no comprehensive knowledge exists of how humans and nature interact, at multiple scales, to drive ecosystem-wide landscape changes. This dissertation focuses on three interrelated questions: (1.) What is the nature and magnitude of change in MEE greenness for the period 2001-2018, and how is this change related to long-term trends and variability in MEE precipitation? (2.) How is ecological and environmental (eco-environmental) vulnerability distributed across the MEE, and what are the major factors driving these patterns? and (3.) How will the MEE landscape change in the future, and what opportunities exist for streamlining livelihood improvement and environmental conservation efforts?Study 1 characterized comprehensively, over multiple time scales, recent patterns and trends in MEE vegetation greening and browning. The MEE was found to exhibit significant variability in vegetation dynamics and precipitation regimes. There was persistent greening and browning at different time scales and this change was attributed to both natural factors (including changing precipitation) and anthropogenic factors (especially the vegetation-to-cropland conversion). The study also concluded that MEE precipitation had increased substantially in the post-2000 era, which influenced greening and browning patterns observed in the 2006-2010 period. The integration of Mann–Kendall, Sen’s slope and bfast (breaks for additive season and trend) proved useful in comprehensively characterizing recent changes in vegetation greenness within the MEE. Study 2 examined eco-environmental vulnerability for the MEE using freely available remote sensing (RS), topographic, and socio-economic data. The study found that the majority of the MEE (comprising savannas, grasslands, and most of the agricultural land in Ugandan MEE) was moderately vulnerable based on the analysis methods and variables used. The eco-environmental vulnerability index (EEVI) showed a marked increase in vulnerability with decrease in elevation. Eco-environmental vulnerability was strongly associated with multi-year variables based on precipitation, temperature, and population density. Moreover, precipitation distribution was changing especially in the wet season, thus adding another layer of risk for agriculture and ultimately for local community livelihoods.Study 3 simulated possible future land use changes in the MEE based on existing RS LULC products and a well-known land use change model. The study projected that agriculture will possibly expand from approximately 58% in 2001 to more than 64% in 2033 if current and future LULC transformation follows rates in 2001-2017. These new croplands will occur mostly around edges of the protected forest and zones of transition between mixed vegetation and existing croplands. Due to the unpredictable LULC transitions in the MEE, simulating forest-to-cropland conversion was less accurate compared to mixed-to-cropland conversion. This research provides a more complete explanation of the underlying complex human-environment interactions shaping the MEE landscape. This is the first study to comprehensively assess landscape dynamics at multiple scales (10-day, 16-day, monthly, seasonal, and household). It is also the first to define and assess at the annual scale, eco-environmental vulnerability as influenced by climate, topographic and socio-economic variables. In addition, by simulating future LULC change, this research provides the opportunity to quantify and anticipate possible LULC changes in the MEE. This research relies on publicly available RS and geospatial datasets and therefore analyses conducted here can easily be translated to other similar regions.
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Title: USING MACHINE LEARNING TO UNCOVER POPULATION HETEROGENEITY IN LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Creator: Lee, Youngjun
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Machine learning has been an emerging data analytic tool in the fields of quantitative social and behavioral sciences. Among others, model-based recursive partitioning (MOB) is one of the popular comprehensive approaches incorporating parametric model into tree-based algorithm. It has gained growing interests as a complementary data analytic tool to address population heterogeneity by detecting parameter instability over candidate covariates. Structural equation models using tree algorithm ...
Show moreMachine learning has been an emerging data analytic tool in the fields of quantitative social and behavioral sciences. Among others, model-based recursive partitioning (MOB) is one of the popular comprehensive approaches incorporating parametric model into tree-based algorithm. It has gained growing interests as a complementary data analytic tool to address population heterogeneity by detecting parameter instability over candidate covariates. Structural equation models using tree algorithm (SEM Trees) has particularly shown its benefits for discovering informative covariates and their complex interactions that predict differences in structural parameters with interpretable results, which in turn produces distinct homogeneous subgroups. While all previous studies make important contributions to use this approach, it has been less examined to investigate the performance of SEM Trees where there exist interaction effects of various types of covariates (i.e., categorical, ordinal, and continuous), which is the key motivation of this study. This study has three main purposes. First, it aims to introduce a framework of MOB for educational researchers and guide them when it can be beneficial with an illustrative example using nationally representative longitudinal data (High School Longitudinal Study of 2009). A parametric latent growth curve model (LGCM) is used as a template model along with MOB. Second, a simulation study for a given LGCM is conduced to investigate the performance of MOB, which provides researchers with statistical evidence of how well MOB recovers true subgroups. Simulation conditions include a) effect size (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0), b) sample size (1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000), c) three different test statistic for ordinal covariate (chi-square, adapted maximum Lagrange multiplier, and a weighted double maximum), d) pre pruning option of limiting the minimum sample size per subgroup (250 vs. none), and e) post pruning option (BIC vs. none). The main evaluation criteria are a) statistical power to recover true subgroups, b) overall classification accuracy and precision, c) accuracy of cut points of ordinal/continuous covariates and labels of categorical covariates, and d) bias and root mean squared error (RMSE) of the parameter estimates per subgroup. Third, the simulation is parallelly conducted with GMM, and the results of it are compared with the ones of MOB. The key findings suggest that medium effect size (0.4 - 0.6) with relatively large sample sizes (5,000, 10,000, and 20,000) and large effect size (0.8 - 1.0) with adequate sample size (1,000 or 2,000) are enough to distinguish the difference in focal parameters, recovering the true number of subgroups. In addition, treating ordinal variables as either ordinal or categorical is not different in terms of recovering the true subgroups. However, the empirical study suggests that using test statistic for the ordinal covariates is desired when there exist association between the outcome and ordinal covariate. Post pruning using BIC and limiting the minimum size per subgroup simultaneously are also desired options. Without the post pruning with BIC, MOB tends to over-extract the subgroups across conditions. With the same simulated datasets, GMM produced neither accurate subgroups nor reliable parameter estimates. This study sheds light on how to uncover subpopulations using MOB algorithm with a popular parametric model for longitudinal study. This approach is beneficial for large-scale data such as more than 10,000 sizes with large number of potential covariates. Limitations and future directions are also discussed. The findings play a critical role to lay the groundwork of extending the application of MOB into various statistical models by investigating its performance regarding complex covariate effects.
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Title: USE OF LAGRANGIAN METHODS TO SIMULATE HEAVY STORM-INDUCED RIVER PLUME DYNAMICS AND RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY IMPACTS IN THE NEARSHORE REGION OF SOUTHWESTERN LAKE MICHIGAN
Creator: Weiskerger, Chelsea
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The Great Lakes are the primary source of drinking water for nearly 30 million people in the region. During storm events runoff from upstream watersheds and (combined) sewer overflows delivers pathogens to the Lakes. The pathogens are then transported to beaches and water intakes by the lake circulation, posing risks to human health. Fecal indicator organisms such as Escherichia coli are used to track pollution levels and to take proactive measures to manage coastal resources and to safeguard...
Show moreThe Great Lakes are the primary source of drinking water for nearly 30 million people in the region. During storm events runoff from upstream watersheds and (combined) sewer overflows delivers pathogens to the Lakes. The pathogens are then transported to beaches and water intakes by the lake circulation, posing risks to human health. Fecal indicator organisms such as Escherichia coli are used to track pollution levels and to take proactive measures to manage coastal resources and to safeguard public health by closing beaches to the public, issuing swimming advisories, etc. Predictive modeling of coastal water quality continues to be an attractive approach to generate water quality forecasts and to gain insights into key processes. Although progress has been made in understanding and quantifying the impacts of tributary loading and river plumes on microbial pollution at beaches, the impacts of extreme storm events on coastal water quality are not well-understood. As the frequency and intensity of storm events increase, the pollution footprint of extreme storm events has not been quantified in a way that can be used to inform policy. Complex nearshore features, including irregular coastlines and coastal structures calls for high-resolution modeling that is computationally demanding. While traditional Eulerian approaches to plume modeling have been previously used, comparisons with available observed plume data indicated that Lagrangian particle tracking improves prediction of plume dimensions (and hence risks) in southwestern Lake Michigan. Therefore, coupled hydrodynamic and reactive particle tracking models were developed and tested to simulate the complex dynamics of multiple river plumes induced by extreme storm events in the Chicago area in southwestern Lake Michigan. The present-day Chicago River normally flows to the Mississippi River and discharges into Lake Michigan only during “backflow” events triggered by these storms. Simulations of extreme storm-induced river plumes during years 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017 were reported and models tested using available data on currents, water temperatures, concentrations of indicator bacteria (E. coli) and the spatial extent of turbidity plumes using MODIS Terra satellite imagery. Results suggest that plumes associated with the extreme storms persist along the Chicago shoreline for up to 24 days after the commencement of backflow release and that plume areas of influence range from 7.9 to 291 km2 in the nearshore. Plume spatiotemporal dynamics were largely related to the volume of water released via backflow events and the duration of the backflow releases. Empirical relations were proposed to allow beach and stormwater managers to predict plume spatiotemporal dynamics in real time. Model results from a Lagrangian E. coli fate and transport model were compared against monitoring data collected at 16-18 beaches during and after backflow events in 2010 and 2011. Results indicate that all Chicago Park District beaches are susceptible to E. coli concentrations that exceed USEPA thresholds for safe recreation after extreme storms. Therefore, the current approach to beach management, which involves closing all beaches during and immediately after backflow events, is likely prudent. However, results also suggest that beaches are probably being reopened prematurely after storm events, as beaches may be at risk for degraded water quality for multiple days, post backflow event. To address data gaps, we recommend that future research focus on the collection of additional in situ hydrometeorological and water quality data during and after extreme storms and backflow events. These data may be collected using unmanned aerial vehicles or autonomous sensor systems.
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Title: UNDERSTANDING THE SOLID/SOLID AND LIQUID/SOLID INTERFACE PHENOMENA FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY APPLICATIONS
Creator: Phongpreecha, Thanaphong
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In many alternative energy technologies, interfacial phenomena are critical in determining process efficiency and feasibility. Previously, a complete application of density functional theory (DFT) as a tool to study interfaces has not only led to fundamental insights into the system, but also predictive models and recommendations for materials that were experimentally validated. In this thesis, it is first demonstrated that such an approach can also be used to solve a well-characterized...
Show moreIn many alternative energy technologies, interfacial phenomena are critical in determining process efficiency and feasibility. Previously, a complete application of density functional theory (DFT) as a tool to study interfaces has not only led to fundamental insights into the system, but also predictive models and recommendations for materials that were experimentally validated. In this thesis, it is first demonstrated that such an approach can also be used to solve a well-characterized interface problems related to sustainable energy technologies. This first problem is a solid/solid interface between the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and its sealant, specifically an interface between SOFC’s exposed electrolyte, which is typically made of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), and the commercial Ag-CuO sealing braze. The current material, CuO, which helps molten Ag to wet on YSZ surfaces and later adhere once the Ag is solidified, has been previously characterized to form a CuO-rich layer between Ag and YSZ. However, over time it is reduced by the SOFC’s reductive conditions and results in formation of pores. Therefore, alternative oxides are needed that are thermodynamically stable in SOFC’s high operating temperatures and also provide similar adhesion properties to CuO. To that end, this thesis has identified two mechanisms that enable only CuO to work so far. First, it was found that, unlike most other Ag/oxides, the Ag/CuO interface has a particularly strong adhesion ‒ five times that of Ag/YSZ. Second, the dissolved oxygen in molten Ag from air during the brazing process diffuses to the interface and partially improves adhesion. The high adhesion of Ag/CuO was proposed to be from CuO’s unique atomic structure. Therefore, a descriptor based on the oxide’s structural and chemical features was developed to predict Ag/oxide adhesion. The descriptor expedites screening of new oxides as no expensive calculation is needed, leading to several recommendations such as CuAlO2 and Cu3TiO4.In the second problem, a more complex and less well-characterized interface in sustainable energy technologies is investigated. It should be noted that due to the complexity, the screening model cannot be developed yet. This second interface is a liquid/solid interface between solvated lignin and its catalyst. Lignin is a highly heterogeneous polymer in lignocellulosic biomass with many functional groups. Its valorization is essential to the economic feasibility of biorefinery, and its catalytic hydrogenolysis in a liquid phase is well-studied technology route to add value to the lignin. Many experiments have shown that solvent choice can have large impacts on product types and yields. However, the solvent effect on the reaction is still unclear. An understanding of the solvated lignin/catalyst interface would be valuable. For this, we are interested in the adsorption. To achieve this, spectroscopic and wet chemistry techniques are first used to help characterize the system by identifying that the quantity of ether linkages in lignin is the most critical functional group that determines the hydrogenolysis yields. Using a lignin dimer that contains a characteristic ether linkage, DFT shows that, in vacuum, the adsorption of the dimer is much stronger on Ni(111) than Cu(111). Upon solvation with ethanol, it was found that the dimer-metal interactions weaken so significantly that for Cu(111), it no longer adsorbs onto the metal surface. This implies that Cu may not provide high catalytic activity, which agrees with hydrogenolysis experiments performed in this thesis, although there could be other contributing factors. Lastly, to circumvent large DFT calculations, a model based on a thermodynamic cycle was developed to predict adsorption energy of a solvated lignin dimer for a given pair of solvent and catalyst. Although the model is not suitable for screening purposes, it provides a valuable, quantitative insight to the solvent effects.
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Title: UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES OF INTERKINGDOM MICROBIAL INTERACTIONS, MICROBIAL TRAITS, AND HOST FACTORS IN THE ASSEMBLY OF PLANT MICROBIOMES
Creator: Liber, Julian Aaron
Date: 2021
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The community of organisms that associate with plants are vital to both the survival of the host plant but also the diseases which may kill it. The processes by which this community, called the microbiome, assemble and function can contribute to the traits of the host, including plants that humans rely on for food, resources, and ecosystems services. This thesis focuses on understanding the assembly of microbiomes at the scale of microbe-microbe interactions and traits of individual microbes,...
Show moreThe community of organisms that associate with plants are vital to both the survival of the host plant but also the diseases which may kill it. The processes by which this community, called the microbiome, assemble and function can contribute to the traits of the host, including plants that humans rely on for food, resources, and ecosystems services. This thesis focuses on understanding the assembly of microbiomes at the scale of microbe-microbe interactions and traits of individual microbes, as well as how characters of the host may change this process. I first address this by examining the in vitro and in planta interactions within small synthetic communities of root-inhabiting bacteria and fungi and with the plant host and viral disease of the host. While intermicrobial interactions in vitro were not predictive of in planta interactions, adding host disease or additional organisms to the system altered the assembly process. I then show the development and applications of the CONSTAX2 classifier, a taxonomic assignment tool for metabarcoding studies, which offers improved accuracy and ease of use for conducting metabarcoding studies exploring the diversity and structure of microbial communities. Last, I present a study testing which factors affected the composition of forest fungal communities to understand the ecology of litter-inhabiting fungi and improve methodologies for sampling leaf-associated fungal communities. The factors affecting the assembly of plant microbiomes are complex and varied but connecting individual interactions to community composition and ultimately function may improve our abilities to predict and manage microbiome processes.
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Title: UNDERSTANDING THE PARASITIC VARIABILITY OF THE NORTHERN ROOT KNOT NEMATODE (MELOIDOGYNE HAPLA) THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES OF SOIL BIOME AND ENVIRONMENT
Creator: Lartey, Isaac
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Managing Meloidogyne hapla remains challenging due to the ban of broad-spectrumnematicides, lack of resistant crops and its broad host range. It also has parasitic variability (PV) where populations (pop) are morphologically and genetically similar but vary in pathogenicity and reproductive potential. Although PV in M. hapla appears to have some relationship to soil types, what soil conditions favor its PV and/or its distribution are unknown. The goal of my research was to understand the soil...
Show moreManaging Meloidogyne hapla remains challenging due to the ban of broad-spectrumnematicides, lack of resistant crops and its broad host range. It also has parasitic variability (PV) where populations (pop) are morphologically and genetically similar but vary in pathogenicity and reproductive potential. Although PV in M. hapla appears to have some relationship to soil types, what soil conditions favor its PV and/or its distribution are unknown. The goal of my research was to understand the soil conditions where M. hapla PV exist by quantifying the biophysicochemical (BPC) conditions from the ecosystem down to microbiome level. I designed observational and experimental approaches and tested four objectives. First, was to evaluate the association between soil conditions and M. hapla distribution at the ecosystem level. My hypothesis was that the presence of M. hapla will be associated with degraded soil conditions. I selected 15 (6 muck and 9 mineral soil) agricultural fields with adjacent natural vegetation in southwest, northwest and eastern regions of the lower peninsula of Michigan as study sites. I collected a total of 75 (5 per field) georeferenced soil samples from agricultural fields and equal number from adjacent natural vegetation soils, quantified the soil food web (SFW) conditions using the Ferris SFW model, and screened for M. hapla presence or absence. The fields were described either as disturbed, degraded (worst-case) or maturing (best-case). Meloidogyne hapla was present in 3 mineral (2, 8 and 13) and 6 muck (4, 5, 6, 10, 14 15) agricultural fields with degraded and/or disturbed soil conditions and absent from maturing soils, partially supporting the hypothesis. Degraded soils had low nitrogen content in both soil groups. The second objective was to isolate and culture the 9 M. hapla populations to test a hypothesis that PV is related to specific SFW conditions. I found three categories of reproductive potential: the highest (Pop 13), medium (Pop 8), both from degraded mineral soils, and lowest from disturbed mineral (Pop 2) and disturbed (Pops 4, 6 and 10) and degraded (Pops 5, 14 and 15) muck soils. Thus, the hypothesis was not supported. The third objective, was to determine relationships between microbial community structure and M. hapla distribution. My working hypotheses were that there is a relationship among microbiome, soil health and M. hapla occurrence. Microbial community structure in the fields was determined from sub-samples of the same samples where the nematodes were isolated. I used 16S (bacteria) and ITS (fungi) rDNA analysis and characterized the microbial composition, core- and indicator-microbes co-existing with M. hapla pop in the field soils and soil conditions relative to the Ferris SFW model description. The results showed that bacterial and fungal community abundance and composition varied by soil group, SFW conditions and/or M. hapla occurrence. I found that a core of 39 bacterial and 44 fungal sub-operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found variably, 25 bacterial OTUs associated with presence or absence of M. hapla, and 1,065 OTUs were associated SFW conditions. All three hypotheses were supported. The final objective was to determine the relationship between PV and the microbes associated with M. hapla pop. I compared bacteria present in M. hapla pop isolated from the field and greenhouse cultures. The hypothesis was that either presence and/or absence of specific bacteria are associated with M. hapla population. Population 8 shared more bacteria with the lowest reproductive potential pop than Population 13. Presence of several bacteria was unique to Population 8 as was the absence of other bacteria to Pop 13 in either field or greenhouse nematodes. Therefore, the hypothesis was supported. My research findings provide a foundation for: a) testing the relationship between M. hapla PV and the BPC conditions and b) designing soil health-based management strategies.
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Title: UNDERSTANDING THE GENETIC BASIS OF HUMAN DISEASES BY COMPUTATIONALLY MODELING THE LARGE-SCALE GENE REGULATORY NETWORKS
Creator: Wang, Hao
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Many severe diseases are known to be caused by the genetic disorder of the human genome, including breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the genetic basis of human diseases plays a vital role in personalized medicine and precision therapy. However, the pervasive spatial correlations between the disease-associated SNPs have hindered the ability of traditional GWAS studies to discover causal SNPs and obscured the underlying mechanisms of disease-associated SNPs. Recently, diverse...
Show moreMany severe diseases are known to be caused by the genetic disorder of the human genome, including breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the genetic basis of human diseases plays a vital role in personalized medicine and precision therapy. However, the pervasive spatial correlations between the disease-associated SNPs have hindered the ability of traditional GWAS studies to discover causal SNPs and obscured the underlying mechanisms of disease-associated SNPs. Recently, diverse biological datasets generated by large data consortia provide a unique opportunity to fill the gap between genotypes and phenotypes using biological networks, representing the complex interplay between genes, enhancers, and transcription factors (TF) in the 3D space. The comprehensive delineation of the regulatory landscape calls for highly scalable computational algorithms to reconstruct the 3D chromosome structures and mechanistically predict the enhancer-gene links. In this dissertation, I first developed two algorithms, FLAMINGO and tFLAMINGO, to reconstruct the high-resolution 3D chromosome structures. The algorithmic advancements of FLAMINGO and tFLAMINGO lead to the reconstruction of the 3D chromosome structures in an unprecedented resolution from the highly sparse chromatin contact maps. I further developed two integrative algorithms, ComMUTE and ProTECT, to mechanistically predict the long-range enhancer-gene links by modeling the TF profiles. Based on the extensive evaluations, these two algorithms demonstrate superior performance in predicting enhancer-gene links and decoding TF regulatory grammars over existing algorithms. The successful application of ComMUTE and ProTECT in 127 cell types not only provide a rich resource of gene regulatory networks but also shed light on the mechanistic understanding of QTLs, disease-associated genetic variants, and high-order chromatin interactions.
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Title: UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS AFFECTING DIGITAL INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION : A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES AND INDONESIA
Creator: triwibowo, whisnu
Date: 2020
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Research on the digital divide and digital inequality is often descriptive. The coexistence of a multitude of theoretical frameworks limits our knowledge to explain and/or predict the phenomenon. This dissertation tries to fill a gap in the literature about digital divides by proposing an integrative framework to explain digital outcomes in addition to access and uses. Informed by Giddens’ structuration theory, the framework conceptualizes the digital divide as social practices that reflect...
Show moreResearch on the digital divide and digital inequality is often descriptive. The coexistence of a multitude of theoretical frameworks limits our knowledge to explain and/or predict the phenomenon. This dissertation tries to fill a gap in the literature about digital divides by proposing an integrative framework to explain digital outcomes in addition to access and uses. Informed by Giddens’ structuration theory, the framework conceptualizes the digital divide as social practices that reflect the interplay of structures and human agency. This dissertation seeks to develop improved measures of digital outcomes and digital skills that can capture current digital practices. Furthermore, it aims to understand three issues that have not been explored in depth. First, it examines the relationships and interactions between social structures, human agency, access, internet use, and digital outcomes. Second, is asks which factors help individuals to improve their utilization of the opportunities offered by the Internet (digital inclusion) and which ones might contribute to falling behind relative to others (digital exclusion). A comparative research design, based on surveys in two countries, enables examining the extent to which models of the digital divide are supported in nations with differing economic, political, and cultural conditions. Three important findings emerge from the dissertation: First, interconnections were revealed between social structures, elements of agency, internet use, and internet outcomes. Second, the research shows that actors are an important factor to predict the second and third level of digital divides. Third, the structuration model of the digital divide can inform studies of digital inclusion and exclusion, and agency remains a key element in understanding digital divides. The effect of agency in influencing internet use and outcomes is moderated by access sustainability in the United States. In Indonesia, the moderation only occurs among users who earn low internet outcomes. However, more research will be necessary to refine the approach and findings developed in the dissertation. In sum, this dissertation provides insights for the future direction of digital divides research and for decision-makers seeking to narrow digital divides.Keywords: access divide, digital capital, digital divides, digital inclusion, digital exclusion, digital outcomes divide, digital skills divide, Giddens, Indonesia, internet use divide, structuration, structural equation modeling, the United States.
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Title: UNDERSTANDING LARGE-SCALE HUMAN-WATER INTERACTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT
Creator: Chaudhari, Suyog
Date: 2021
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Hydropower dams have received increased global attention due to their detrimental socioenvironmental ramifications, resulting in increased concerns as to whether their energy benefits can outweigh the detrimental consequences. To fulfill rising energy demands driven by rapid population growth, especially in the developing world, hydropower has often been developed with a primary focus on energy generation. The re-emergence of large dams could very well bring large energy and economic...
Show moreHydropower dams have received increased global attention due to their detrimental socioenvironmental ramifications, resulting in increased concerns as to whether their energy benefits can outweigh the detrimental consequences. To fulfill rising energy demands driven by rapid population growth, especially in the developing world, hydropower has often been developed with a primary focus on energy generation. The re-emergence of large dams could very well bring large energy and economic incentives especially to the developing economies, however, these incentives may come at the expense of altering the natural flow regime of rivers with additional repercussions on the biodiversity and ecological productivity within the basins. With the continued interest in hydropower development, it is imperative to examine and understand the intricate changes to the basin’s hydrology due to dam operations and further rethink hydropower design to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences. To date, several studies have simulated and examined the impacts of reservoir operation on the hydrological characteristics of global rivers. Although, these studies have made great strides in examining the impact of dams on river flow, the observation-based studies alone are not sufficient to disentangle the major drivers of change and there are major deficiencies in simulation-based studies in providing a comprehensive picture of the large-scale and cumulative impacts of dams. Hence, the actual impacts of the existing dams and the potential effects of new dams remain poorly understood. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to address this important research gap by employing a mechanistic approach to develop a holistic understanding of the hydrology of global river basins under the effects of climate change and human interventions, such as LULC change and dam operations. The study is conducted over the Amazon River basin that is increasingly dammed with hundreds of dams planned for the near future. The historical interannual and interdecadal hydrological changes in the Amazon River basin and its sub-basins are first investigated by implementing a high-resolution, physically based, continental-scale hydrological model, LEAF-Hydro-Flood (LHF), to determine the dominant mechanisms that modulate terrestrial water storage (TWS). The historical impacts of existing dams and the potential impacts from collective operation of existing and planned dams on a basin-wide scale in the Amazon are then quantified under the historical climate using a new dam operation scheme in a high-resolution hydrodynamic model, CaMa-Flood-Dam (CMFD). Using this new dam operation scheme, the potential future changes to the hydrology of the Amazon River basin are then quantified under cumulative operation of existing and planned dams and multiple climate change scenarios for the entire twenty first century. Lastly, this dissertation explores viable alternatives for hydropower generation, by assessing the feasibility—with respect to energy potential and cost—of implementing in-stream turbines to harness a large portion of the power that is expected to be generated by building large dams. The results from the aforementioned analysis provide major advances and crucial insights on the understanding of the integrated river-floodplain-reservoir dynamics in a flood and hydropower dominant river system, such as the Amazon, with further implications for sustainable hydropower development. Over the long run, this assessment could prove beneficial in investigating the future of hydropower in the Amazon and other regions worldwide (for example, the Mekong and Congo River basins) where a boom in construction of mega-scale hydropower dams is underway.
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Title: UNBUILT BRIDGES : EXAMINING THE INCLUSION OF THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD HISTORY
Creator: Bronstein, Erin Anne
Date: 2021
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This study explored how world history teachers think about the United States and the world in their practice. The purpose of this study was to understand how teachers make decisions about including the United States in their world history instruction and how those choices position the United States in relation to the world. The study sought to consider how teachers describe their roles as world history teachers and the ways they exercise these roles to reinforce or challenge broad cultural...
Show moreThis study explored how world history teachers think about the United States and the world in their practice. The purpose of this study was to understand how teachers make decisions about including the United States in their world history instruction and how those choices position the United States in relation to the world. The study sought to consider how teachers describe their roles as world history teachers and the ways they exercise these roles to reinforce or challenge broad cultural ideas such as American exceptionalism. This qualitative study focused on the reflections and descriptions of four world history teachers in the same Midwestern state. Semi-structured interviews that included prompts and resources were used to collect data over two months in the spring of 2020. Figured worlds and teacher decision making were combined with a macro discourse analysis to examine participant responses and resources. While other studies have examined world history curriculum more broadly or how teachers organize world history content, the findings of this study suggest that while teachers aspire to broaden student views of the world, they are influenced by more than that aspiration. Their instructional decisions are also influenced by broader cultural understandings such as American exceptionalism and Western-influenced theories of democracy. These cultural understandings position the United States as an exemplar, a modern power, an extension of Western actions or as separated from the happenings of the rest of the world at times. This study suggests that teachers, both in and pre-service teachers navigate a variety of considerations and influences in their teaching. It also demonstrates that teachers might benefit from more opportunities to examine the ways that societal views impact their choices as well as access to decolonial knowledge that might also impact their choices.
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Title: UNA ESCUELA PARA TRANSFORMAR : LINKING SCHOOLS TO COMMUNITY SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
Creator: Gonzalez-Flores, Marcos David
Date: 2020
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The bourgeoning scholarship on community organizing for educational change suggest positives outcomes when it comes to countering failed school reforms. Early reports on community organizing across the United States have shown an exponential grow since the 1990s and by 2010 there were 500 of 800 community organizing groups were working in the area of school reform. Nevertheless, not all organizing efforts are the same as they are contingent to context, organizational characteristics, phase of...
Show moreThe bourgeoning scholarship on community organizing for educational change suggest positives outcomes when it comes to countering failed school reforms. Early reports on community organizing across the United States have shown an exponential grow since the 1990s and by 2010 there were 500 of 800 community organizing groups were working in the area of school reform. Nevertheless, not all organizing efforts are the same as they are contingent to context, organizational characteristics, phase of organizing, levels of work (i.e. neighborhood, school district, and state). The purpose of this dissertation was to bring front and center the stories of the community leadership from Grupo de las Ocho Comunidades del Caño Martín Peña (G-8, Inc) around their experiences during an educational project that started as a collaborative agreement with the centralized Department of Education of Puerto Rico. Through the interviews and document analysis I present how the G-8’s leadership turned to their apoderamiento comunitario and sentido de pertenencia to implement a curriculum in an elementary school focus on social transformation designed with the participation of residents and community leadership. Following a decolonial stance, I underlined the instances where the community engaged in what I saw as a decolonial act or when there was a manifestation of the logics of coloniality during the emergent collaboration.For G-8’s leadership it was important to organized in order to challenge the historical government neglect towards el Caño that was used as a subterfuge to forced them out of their communities. This historical abandonment towards el Caño was also seen in the pobre educación young people were receiving. Thus, transformar la educación and community-school relationship was also part of their comprehensive plan to transform el Caño. To accomplished this goal, G-8 establish an agreement of collaboration to implement a curriculum in leadership and social transformation build upon the political education of their community organizing work. Thus, the main question in this dissertation is: How has the G8-DEPR collaboration emerged and evolved in the context of the development and implementation of an innovative educational project? The collaborative agreement evolved in a contentious relationship in which the central and the local school leadership joined forces to impeded the full implementation of the curriculum. The educational project for La Escuela de Liderazgo y Transformación Social del Caño Martín Peña geared towards reconfiguring the community’s place inherent in state sanctioned schooling by centering la comunidad and their lucha comunitaria in regards school-community relations. For DEPR leadership the new educational project was both a signal to communities to work together with the centralized system and also a political project that did not align with the ideological and colonial form of state-sanctioned schooling. Thus, the tensions around the curriculum content and its implementation between the colonial DEPR and the G-8’s leadership denotes how forms of community-school collaboration that are institutionalized hinder the transformative work of CBOs. Moreover, the politics of coloniality deemed community knowledge as no important to contribute in bringing educational change will make the collaboration not viable. This was the case of the G8-DEPR’s collaboration. The community leadership took the hard decision to retire from the collaboration and find other ways to have their educational project for La Escuela de Liderazgo y Transformación Social del Caño Martín Peña.
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Title: Types of feedback in peer review and the effect on student motivation and writing quality
Creator: Sloan, Christopher Colgan
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In writing classrooms, peer review has been shown to have numerous practical and cognitive benefits. However, little research has been done that examines how different types of peer feedback motivate adolescent students and the effects that different types of feedback have on writing quality. While the literature has indicated that peers give each other much more positive feedback than their teachers do, the research has yielded conflicting findings on whether comments about strengths or...
Show moreIn writing classrooms, peer review has been shown to have numerous practical and cognitive benefits. However, little research has been done that examines how different types of peer feedback motivate adolescent students and the effects that different types of feedback have on writing quality. While the literature has indicated that peers give each other much more positive feedback than their teachers do, the research has yielded conflicting findings on whether comments about strengths or comments about weaknesses are more helpful. For this study high school seniors in an AP English Language and Composition class were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: a group directed only to provide comments about the strengths in the writing of their peers, a second group directed only to provide comments about weaknesses, and a "business as usual" group who were directed to provide helpful feedback (typically a mix of strength and weaknesses comments). There were no treatment group differences in students' writing quality and motivation (attributions, belongingness, and sociocognitive conflict regulation). However, there were clear indicators that suggest students saw statistically significant differences in how helpful some types of comments were perceived to be. Implications for the theory and practice of peer-based feedback in writing instruction are discussed.
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