Browsing by Subject "Retention"
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Item A comparative study of first-generation and continuing-generation college students at a single four-year public university.(2012-08) Schultz, Amber MarieRetention and graduation rates are measures of success for institutions of higher education. First-generation college students have been identified in the literature as being at-risk of attrition. This research compared first-generation and continuing-generation students at a medium-sized, public, four-year university to determine if and to what extent they differ in terms of pre-college traits, within college experiences and learning outcomes. First-generation college students were compared to continuing-generation students using a large database already in existence at the study institution. Over five thousand students responded to a variety of survey questions. Approximately twenty-four hundred first-generation college students were compared to approximately twenty-five hundred continuing generation college students on a variety of variables. Approximately fifty-three variables were used to compare first-generation to continuing-generation students. Terenzini et al.'s (1996) theoretical framework was used to identify variable dimensions for comparison such as pre-college characteristics, within college experiences, overall college satisfaction, and learning outcomes. First-generation college students; entered the study institution with lower average ACT composite scores, came from families with lower household incomes, were less likely to participate in class, were less likely to get to know other students, worked more hours, spent fewer weekends on campus, had lower GPA's, and were less likely to be retained from first to second year. Findings at the study institution were similar to findings at other institutions studied in the literature. In order for this institution to increase its retention and graduation rates it should consider developing retention programs aimed at first-generation college students. Further qualitative analysis on the differences identified in this research will aid in the design of the program for first-generation college students.Item The Correlation between College Student Engagement and 1st to 2nd Year Retention(2016-05) Zobel, Emily JThis study sought to contribute additional research to the field of education that directly connects student engagement with student outcomes, as the literature calls for further validation in this area of postsecondary educational research. The study utilized National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results from first-year college students at a mid-sized, public university in the Midwest. Quantitative analysis was used to explore the relationship between student engagement and student outcomes, specifically first to second year freshman retention and cumulative grade point average (GPA). Logistic regression revealed an association between NSSE student engagement indicators, gender, and freshman retention. Hierarchical multiple regression showed little predictive power for cumulative GPA using NSSE student engagement indicators.Item Data for: Internal Loading in Stormwater Ponds as a Phosphorus Source to Downstream Waters(2019-04-15) Taguchi, Vinicius J; Olsen, Tyler A; Natarajan, Poornima; Janke, Benjamin D; Gulliver, John S; Finlay, Jacques C; Stefan, Heinz G; ; taguc006@umn.edu; Taguchi, Vinicius J; University of Minnesota - St. Anthony Falls Laboratory - Stormwater Research GroupStormwater ponds remove phosphorus through sedimentation before releasing captured water downstream. Internal loading can impair net phosphorus removal but is understudied in these highly modified systems. Using a combination of methods, we assessed the prevalence and potential causes of sediment phosphorus release in urban ponds. In a three-year, 98-pond dataset, nearly 40% of ponds had median water column total phosphorus concentrations exceeding the 95% confidence interval for runoff values (0.38 mg/L), suggesting widespread internal loading. In a subsequent intensive monitoring study of four ponds, strong stratification prevented spring and summer diurnal mixing, resulting in persistent hypolimnion anoxia (<1 mg/L dissolved oxygen). Incubated sediment cores from seven ponds demonstrated high anoxic phosphorus release. Sediment analysis revealed high labile organic and redox-sensitive phosphorus fractions with release potential at anoxia onset. Our analyses suggest phosphorus accumulated in stormwater ponds is highly sensitive to internal loading, reducing net removal and contributing to downstream eutrophication.Item Effect of Song on Fifth Grade Students' Environmental Education Knowledge and Retention(2013-05) Nganji, Edwin NThis study reports the effect of song on fifth grade students’ environmental education knowledge and retention. Participants in this study were twenty-nine fifth grade students at a school in north Minnesota. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups, fifteen students in the control group and fourteen students in the experimental group. Both groups were taught a one-hour lesson on endangered primates of Cameroon, after which students took a posttest, one month after, twelve students in the control group and thirteen students in the experimental group took a delayed posttest. During the lesson, students in the experimental group were taught a song that contained the objectives of the lesson. In the closed-ended questions of the quiz, posttest results, measuring knowledge, revealed a significant difference between the control and experimental group, with the treatment group scoring higher. There was no significant difference between both groups during the delayed posttest results, measuring knowledge retention. In the open-ended questions of the quiz for both the posttest and delayed posttest, when asked what participants learned or recalled from the lesson, both groups listed causes, consequences and solutions to the problems of endangered primates; names of endangered primates and lesson activities (song and game). Participants of the control group listed more causes, consequences and solutions the government of Cameroon and other conservation organizations are applying to the problem of endangered primates of Cameroon. Participants in the experimental group listed more names of endangered primates as what they learned or recalled from the lesson. In the delayed posttest, participants in the experimental group listed more lesson activities as what they learned or recalled from the lesson.Item An evaluation of a Midwestern Police Academy.(2012-05) Weber, Amber Ann MarieThe purpose of this research was to examine and evaluate the 2009 police recruit academy at the Duluth Police Department (DPD) in Duluth, MN, from the perspectives of those involved and gauge which components of the academy were 1) sufficient; 2) unnecessary; or 3) in need of further explanation (or needed to be added); and 4) how the community policing ethos of DPD, in connection with adult learning practices, aided training. This research was conducted because this was the first formal academy at DPD and all eleven recruits had successfully completed training that year. Fifty-two officers at DPD were contacted about participating in interviews; forty-three officers responded, with an additional three who volunteered. During interviews, officers were asked questions about their opinion on aspects of the academy, based on their category (recruit, lieutenant/sergeant, field training officer, or coordinator/instructor). Further, statistics were compiled on all officers hired from 1999-2009 by sending out sixty-seven emails (sixty-one officers responded) and going through the employee files of thirty-one additional previous employees in reference to each officer’s schooling and prior experience. The primary results of the interviews revealed five themes, including the perceived success of the academy, the hands-on approach used, the reasons surrounding the creation of the academy, the “good candidate versus good training” debate, and the department and community benefit of this program. A statistical analysis of the compiled data indicated a moderately strong significant relationship between retaining the recruits and 1) prior experience, and separately, 2) schooling. An analysis was also done on a combined variable of experience and/or schooling, versus neither variable; no significant relationship was found between the variables in this case. A section was also included on the author’s firsthand experience going through the second academy (in 2010) at DPD and a discussion comparing the 2009 and 2010 academies. The principal conclusions included that the success of the recruits through training had to do with both the quality of the candidates as well as the provided training, and that a higher level of training, even if it does not prevent all candidates from being washed out, is a great tool to any agency.Item Evaluation of implant restoration retention on various custom abutment materials and surfaces(2018-05) McMillan, KalePurpose: Clinical use of cement-retained implant crowns requires selecting the appropriate abutment materials, surface characteristics, and cement type, based on finding the right balance between the desired level of retention form and the potential need for retrievability for each patient case. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the forces needed to vertically displace a cement-retained implant crown, using a provisional cement and five different combinations of abutment materials and surface characteristics. Material & Methods: A clinical master cast with an implant analog in the maxillary right central incisor site was fabricated and facilitated the design and manufacturing of 25 implant custom abutments planned for cement-retained restorations. Although all 25 implant custom abutments were designed to be identical in contour, each group of five abutments was fabricated from different materials or had different surface characteristics. The five different implant abutment groups were titanium smooth surface (Ts), titanium with retentive grooves (Tr), titanium with a nitride coating and smooth surface (Gs), titanium with a nitride coating and retentive grooves (Gr), and zirconia (Z). A total of 25 lithium disilicate crowns were fabricated and each crown was cemented to its corresponding abutment with non-eugenol temporary resin cement. With the use of a universal testing machine, the maximum tensile strength needed to dislodge the crown from the abutment was recorded and evaluated. Results: The mean tensile force needed to decement the lithium disilicate crowns within each implant abutment group was 31.58 N for titanium smooth surface (Ts), 29.29 N for titanium with retentive grooves (Tr), 32.90 N for titanium with nitride coating with smooth surface (Gs), 28.75 N for the titanium with nitride coating with retentive grooves (Gr), and 139.49 N for zirconia (Z). The titanium abutment groups did not differ significantly (P=.92); however, the zirconia abutment group required a statistically significant higher tensile force to decement the lithium disilicate crowns cemented with non-eugenol temporary resin cement compared to the titanium abutment groups (P<.05) Conclusion: Surface characteristics of the titanium implant abutments, including retentive grooves and nitride coating, did not increase the tensile force required to decement the crowns compared to a smooth titanium surface. The fabrication of zirconia abutments has the potential to generate discrepancies in the size and shape of the zirconia abutments, especially compared to the milled titanium abutments. The possible discrepencies in the zirconia abutments, including larger surface areas and need for nonstandardized crowns to fit the zirconia abutments may contribute more significantly to the increased retention compared to the interaction of the abutment material and provisional cement.Item Examining Factors Which Influence Expatriate Educator Turnover in International Schools Abroad(2017-06) Gomez, FranklynAbstract The purpose of this study is to determine factors affecting the departure of expatriate teachers and expatriate administrators from international schools. The sample for this study is expatriate administrators and expatriate teachers from schools associated with the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE). Expatriate teacher departure is greatly influenced by the teacher’s age as well as the number of dependent children they have. Though not statistically significant, personal factors (i.e. relationships with family, retirement, and a feeling that it is time to move on) are frequently mentioned as reasons for departure. Supportive leadership and improved working conditions are both seen as potential means to pro-longing the expatriate teacher’s service at the international school. Expatriate administrators report that personal factors are influential in their reason for leaving an international position. Family concerns as well as retirement are often reported as a rationale for departure which falls under personal factors. The opportunity to professionally advance in another school is a potential reason to leave an international position as an expatriate administrator. Working conditions concerns also contribute to expatriate administrator turnover in international schools.Item Factors that Influence Teacher Retention in US Accredited Schools in Colombia(2014-10) Kelly, BrianThe purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence expatriate teacher retention in Colombian schools that are accredited through AdvancED and affiliated with the Association of Colombian-Caribbean American Schools (ACCAS). This research adds to previous studies completed on turnover and retention in other regions of the world, and focuses on both institutional and individual factors related to teacher retention. The approach for this study is founded in a mixed-method design involving both quantitative and qualitative research. Following the explanatory-sequential model (Creswell, 2014), an online survey was completed by 113 expatriate teachers representing the 13 Colombian schools accredited by AdvancED and affiliated with ACCAS. After an analysis of survey data, focus group questions were developed in order to further explore the significant factors of teacher retention for teachers in the region. Seven focus groups at four schools in the region were conducted, with forty teachers participating in the qualitative research process. Upon completion of the research, nine institutional factors and seven individual factors demonstrated statistically significant relationships to teacher retention. In addition, three additional factors were discovered as potentially significant based on the qualitative data from the focus group interviews. One of the most noteworthy findings is the role that school administrators play in expatriate teacher retention. These factors include support from the school director and principals, communication from school administration, teacher workload, and teacher involvement in decision making. Also noteworthy are the individual factors teachers' reported as significant. These factors include the quality of personal life in Colombia, living conditions, the ability to speak Spanish, and connection to the local community. Additional factors discovered through the focus group interviews that may be important include autonomy in teaching, positive relationships with students and having a local "significant other". The findings from this study indicate that living and teaching in Colombia is difficult and potentially challenging for expatriate teachers, especially when they come unprepared for the living conditions or do not have a strong enough background in Spanish to communicate freely and overcome cultural barriers. The implications of the results from this research are that administrators in these schools must provide consistent support, promote a positive school community, communicate clearly and concisely, and provide reasonable workloads with ample preparation time. Additionally, the school leaders must understand the importance of both individual and personal factors teachers face as expatriate faculty members. The findings of this study suggest that not only can the factors affecting teacher retention be anticipated, but they can become a focus for change for school leaders that will lead to improved teacher retention. If schools can successfully address these factors, teacher retention is far more likely to improve.Item The first-year student experience: examining student satisfaction and the use of learning communities in the first year of college.(2010-05) Murphy, Sara CooperThe first year of college is unique and important for many reasons that warrant focused research. Students are often solely responsible for making many academic decisions for the first time as well as living relatively, independently away from home. One apparent consequence of these challenges is that this is the peak time for dropping out of college. Schools have designed many interventions to influence and improve the first-year experience, such as first-year seminars, learning communities, campus-wide initiatives to improve satisfaction and commitment, and different techniques used to enhance engagement and learning in the classroom. Therefore, it is important to examine the effects of many variables in this first year of college. Considerable research has focused on this critical first year. One thing believed to be important as both a dependent and an independent variable is a student's global satisfaction. The first study, a meta-analysis of satisfaction correlates, addresses the conflicting results found in the student satisfaction literature for first-year students. This study provides clear evidence for the multidimensional nature of satisfaction, as satisfaction facets result in differential relationships with other variables. In addition, this meta-analysis demonstrates that satisfaction has an important relationship with a variety of higher education outcomes. Overall, the results of this meta-analysis have important implications for retention in schools as well as future research on satisfaction. Currently, most university administrators recognize that satisfaction, performance in school, and retention are important variables to monitor. One common intervention that many schools are currently using to manipulate students' attitudes toward school is the learning community model. This intervention is perceived as cost effective and having a positive effect on retention and performance. Learning communities come in many different forms, but all have a similar organizational goal--to create a smaller social community within the larger college, often linked to an increase in faculty attention. Study 2 examines the effects of involvement in a learning community on retention, grades, and satisfaction at graduation. Involvement in a learning community had a significant positive relationship with both first-year retention and retention over time. In fact, students who did not participate in learning communities were more prone to drop out prior to graduation, even after accounting for background variables. The results of this study also show that students who were involved in a learning community had significantly higher first-year and cumulative GPAs. The findings of this study did not demonstrate a relationship between involvement in a learning community and end of school satisfaction. Overall, these results indicate that some aspect of the learning community program is contributing to better student outcomes.Item Ji-AAnjichigeyang 'to change the way we do things' retention of American Indian students in teacher education.(2009-05) Bergstrom, Amy A.American Indian students have the lowest retention rate of any other group in higher education. The purpose of this study was to understand factors that influence retention of American Indian students and to understand the participants' perspectives of these factors. The study was conducted using interviewing as the method of inquiry. The study aimed to uncover multiple perspectives on the topic, interviewing a Dean, Program Director, and two students from a teacher education program. All interviews were conducted in person, lasting sixty to one hundred twenty minutes. All participants were asked the same ten questions. Analysis of the data indicated the need for change in working with American Indian students. Through the use of story, vignettes, and narrative of the research participants' perspectives, the study presents ways in which to work more effectively with American Indian students. The study indicates it is not just identifying the issues many American Indian students bring with to their higher education experience but more importantly how we work with and respond to these issues. The results of the study offer specifically teacher education programs but more broadly, higher education institutions strategies to work more effectively with American Indian students.Item Mindfulness based stress reduction effects on registered nurses.(2009-12) Penque, SusanMindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Effects on Registered Nurses Background: Nursing turnover is reaching disturbing rates and proving to be a crisis. Nurses are leaving the profession mostly due to stress from clinical work and inability to practice as they were prepared. Strategies are needed to assist nurses manage clinical work and their overall health. The MBSR program promotes overall well being and reduces stress in some populations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether MBSR is an effective tool to support nurses psychologically and to improve work satisfaction as they perform their essential work roles. Theoretical Framework: This study was based on Heideggerian philosophy of `being' and Kabat Zinn's work on mindfulness. METHOD: A quasi-experimental, longitudinal, pretest post test design was used to examine the effects of MBSR on mindfulness, self compassion, empathy, serenity, and work satisfaction of nurses (N=80). The correlation between mindfulness and self compassion, serenity and empathy were examined. The effects of MBSR on incidental overtime and job burnout were also analyzed. RESULTS: Most (N=61) nurses completed the MBSR program (76%). Statistically significant differences were found pre to post MBSR in mindfulness (33.2 to 42.9), self compassion (2.8 to 3.8), serenity (3.0 to 3.7), work satisfaction measure of autonomy (3.3 to 4.3), and all subscales of job burnout. There was a statistically significant increase in empathetic concern from baseline (21.3 to 22.5). Mindfulness was significantly correlated with self compassion (r=.79) and serenity (r=.78). Incidental overtime trended downward throughout the study. IMPLICATIONS: Findings support the utilization of MBSR to improve overall psychological outcomes and work satisfaction for registered nurses. MBSR statistically increased mindfulness in nurses which impacts practice by enhancing nursing presence. Mindfulness may improve patient care through patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of outcomes. RECOMMENDATIONS: Further research is needed to explore the effects of MBSR on different groups of nurses. The utilization of MBSR as an intervention to help transition new graduates to staff nursing may be an effective means for overall retention. MBSR may be helpful in settings with high stress such as critical care units. The program of MBSR enhances mindful thoughts and actions. Further nursing research is needed to explore the effects of MBSR on nursing practice as it relates to patient safety.Item Model of international student persistence: factors influencing retention of international undergraduate students at two public statewide four-year university systems(2010-01) Kwai, Chee Khei (C.K.)The current global economy has created a new middle class around the world, making higher education more accessible to a wider population. The increasing diversity in U.S. higher education is not only the result of minority American students, but also due to the increasing enrollment of international students. This study examined the factors influencing retention from fall 2006 to fall 2007 of international undergraduate students (N = 454) in two public statewide four-year university systems. The model used in the study was based on a combination of retention models by Tinto (1975) and Astin (1970), and revisions made by Tierney (1992) and Pascarella and Terenzini (1980). The data in this study were analyzed using stepwise binomial logistic regression as the primary statistical technique. The findings of this study showed that the results were consistent with other retention studies where there was no single factor or model to predict the persistence of postsecondary students in U.S. higher education institutions. Results for most variables studied were either unclear or inconsistent. Only academic achievement was consistently shown to have a statistically significant and positive effect on persistence into the second year of international students in this study. The difference in the results of this study, in comparison to studies of factors affecting the retention of domestic students, is intriguing. In a way, this study raises more questions than it answers. In conclusion, this study indicated that variables, such as spring semester GPA, credit hours attempted, and on-campus employment have a positive effect on retention into the second year of international undergraduates.Item Models of dynamic user preferences and their applications to recommendation and retention(2014-12) Kapoor, KomalComputational models of preferences are indispensable in today's era of information overload. They help facilitate access to all types of resources such as videos, songs, images etc. via several means such as content recommendation, site personalization and customization, and promotional targeting and marketing. They further serve as important business intelligence tools providing content providers insights to improving their practices. Vanilla models of preferences such as the static and time decay models commonly used today, albeit powerful, are limited in their abilities to cater to the volatile and shifting tastes and needs of the users. On the other hand, researchers in the domain of behavioral psychology have studied various aspects of the formation and evolution of individual preferences over several decades. Despite several advances, findings from behavioral research have had little or no impact on the design of computational models for dynamic preferences on the web. This is because, most of these studies have been qualitative and/or have relied on carefully constructed user experiments and surveys for testing their methods. The recent proliferation of online interfaces, however, allows the accumulation and analysis of large quantities of user preference logs, opening new avenues for understanding user dynamic behavior via data driven means. In this thesis, we therefore focus on developing a repertoire of tools and techniques for analyzing, modeling and predicting temporal and history dependent dynamics in preferences of online users. For this purpose, we adapt techniques from survival analysis, a branch of statistics used for analyzing duration data, to empirically measure changes in user preferences from their activity streams. We specifically use hazard functions which allow us to relate user dynamic preferences to user's dynamic choice probabilities for items, a quantity that can be conveniently measured from temporal logs of user consumption behavior. The dynamics in user preferences is further studied by analyzing their consumption behavior separately with respect to their (a) consumption of known (familiar) items; and (b) consumption of new items. We show that user consumption of a familiar item over time is driven by boredom. That is, we find that users move on to a new item when they get bored and return to the same item when their interest is restored. To model this behavior, we propose a Hidden Semi-Markov Model (HSMM) which includes two latent psychological preference states of the user for items - sensitization and boredom. In the sensitization state the user is highly engaged with the item, while in the boredom state the user is disinterested. We find that the gaps between consumption activities characterize these two states in the most natural way. We further find that our two state model for item consumption not only better predicts the revisit time of the user for items, but also, improves how items are recommended to the users, compared to existing state-of-the-art. This is because our model has two advantages over other methods. First, by modeling boredom it can avoid devalued items in the user recommendation list and second, by identifying items which the user would want to consume again, it can re-introduce items which have not been consumed for some time. >We further focus on a user's incorporation of new items in their consumption list (novelty seeking). We find that a user's preferences for novelty vary with time and such dynamics can be related to their boredom with familiar items. We then introduce for the first time, a novel approach to selectively incorporate novelty in a user's recommendation list using our prediction of their novelty seeking behavior. We further show that our approach is robust in terms of a new metric for accuracy more suitable to the problem of selective novelty recommendation based on user's novelty seeking preference. Finally, in the last section of this thesis we use hazard models to estimating the dynamic interest of the user in the content provider. This is achieved by using a Cox Proportional Hazard model to estimate the dynamic rate of a users' return to the service as a function of time since the user's last visit. We use our model to address the problem of retention for web services and show that our model allows better user segmentation based on predicted return time. The model further incorporates several behavioral and temporal features of the users interaction with the service which provides valuable insights to the service's practices. Based on the experimental findings on various real world datasets, from different sections of the thesis, the benefits of well-grounded dynamics preference models is apparent for improving user experience on the web in several important ways. We hope that the rigorous treatment of the problem of dynamics in user preferences provided in this work, assists and motivates future research in this area.Item The persistence pyramid: factors related to persistence for low-income students in baccalaureate programs(2013-11) Opatz, Leslie JosephLow-income students earn bachelor's degrees at significantly lower rates than their high-income peers. This qualitative study interviewed 21 Fall 2008 full-time first-year Pell Grant recipients in May 2012 when almost all were near the point of baccalaureate degree completion at a large urban doctoral-granting institution with very high research activity. The Persistence Pyramid was a conceptual framework created by the author to organize the previous persistence research into four thematic areas related to individual student factors that affect persistence, and four thematic areas related to campus-based environmental factors that affect persistence. The four student areas include economic, social, psychological, and academic factors. The four campus factor areas include educational and curricular support, support for diversity and community, involvement opportunities, and a caring culture. The Persistence Pyramid was employed as a lens to ascertain which factors have the greatest impact on persistence from the perspective of successful low-income students. The study utilized a case study approach to illustrate how various factors interacted with each other to enhance persistence, hinder persistence, or mute negative risk factors. The Persistence Pyramid was a useful framework for illuminating which themes were most salient to the persistence of low-income students. The persistence factors related to economics were the most prevalent and had the greatest effect, potentially negative, on students' persistence. These economic factors also interacted the most with other persistence factors, often preventing the full utilization of persistence enhancers that students could have employed to their advantage. Seven other factor areas in the Persistence Pyramid were found to be relevant and all had particular themes of persistence that illustrated factors that helped or hindered persistence for low-income students. Two particular themes emerged as especially helpful in students' ability to persist. Under the social area, relying on friends for emotional support and academic assistance was especially useful for these students. Under the involvement area, over three-fourths of students served as a mentor or tutor and most of these students indicated that this experience was one of the most beneficial in improving their ability to persist to degree completion. Employing a pragmatic perspective, this study has numerous implications for recommendations to improve the baccalaureate attainment rate for low-income students. Suggestions for increasing baccalaureate degree attainment for low-income students include: Institutions could provide low-income students with campus jobs that will build career-specific skills. Institutions could develop programs to ensure that all students have a mentor and serve as a mentor. Student-service personnel could develop ways for students to utilize campus resources and support services earlier in their college careers. Students could ensure that they take advantage of numerous involvement opportunities, especially serving as a mentor or tutor. Students could make an effort to establish deep friendships and provide emotional support and encouragement to each other. Students could spend time studying with friends and classmates and serving as academic resources for each other.Item Recruitment and Retention in Minneapolis Public Schools(HHH, 2015-05-11) Bitton, Naor R.; Kessenich, Katherine; Kurth, Leif; Long, Mari Jo; Schilz, AaronItem Strategies utilized by African refugee and immigrant students in order to persist in post-secondary career and technical education programs(2013-05) Prokop, Pamela AnnThis research study was a constructivist case study designed to elicit the strategies utilized by African refugees and immigrant students in order to persist in their post-secondary career and technical education programs. The eleven students interviewed were currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a technical college in a suburb of the Twin Cities. The interview questions focused on the strategies these students have employed in order to persist academically: Which programs and/or services were utilized? What support networks were found to be beneficial? What kept these students motivated to continue in their studies? The findings which emerged from the analysis of the interviews indicate that the students felt challenged by the academic nature of the English language utilized in the classroom and course material as well as the time required to comprehend the course material. The students had little hesitation when asking for assistance from their instructors or lab assistants; however they tended not to use most of the academic and social programs and services offered on campus or in the community. iv Each student mentioned having a busy life due to juggling multiple life-roles, but few knew how to effectively manage their time. Finally the students reported receiving encouragement from many sources which kept them motivated to persist. These findings had two main implications: critical thinking skills were not being developed and there may be a reliance on impractical strategies. Several recommendations include (a) encourage students to be more proactive in initiating conversation with their U.S.-born classmates, (b) utilize lab assistants to help with the development of critical thinking skills, (c) hire non-U.S.-born peer-tutors, (d) offer summer bridge courses to teach background scientific concepts and technical vocabulary, and (e) develop an information scavenger hunt to introduce on-campus resources. Recommendations for future research include expanding this study to include other demographics to gain a better understanding of the persistence strategies utilized in post-secondary career and technical education.Item Utilizing Waste Material From Minnesota For Stormwater Management Purposes(2024-05) Amoateng, GodblessMinnesota's mineral, forestry, agriculture, and industrial activities generate substantial by-products and waste. Strategies to reuse or recycle these can reduce landfill waste, enhance public health, conserve resources, and cut costs and emissions. Building on the frameworks by Johnson et al. (2017), Saftner et al. (2019), and Saftner et al. (2022), this project extended its scope across Minnesota to include materials like dredge sediment from Mississippi River, RCA (recycled concrete aggregate) and VersaLime. Researchers identified, selected, and characterized various waste, by-products, and commercial materials statewide and tested engineered soil mixes for roadway foundations, assessing their stormwater retention and support for native plants. Laboratory methods characterized these mixes, which were implemented and evaluated in situ. A preliminary environmental life cycle assessment was also conducted, quantifying the environmental impacts of the engineered soil mixtures. Results were compiled into a design guide for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) engineers.Item What Would Grace Hopper Do? Reclaiming Women's Place in Computer Science(2019-12) Isaacson, KrisThis dissertation investigated the experiences of college women pursuing computer science degrees at a mid-size university in the upper Midwest. Between the 1940s and 1960s computer programming was considered “women’s work,” but by the 1980s women were being systematically phased out as men recognized the importance (not to mention financial gain) of software development (Brewer, 2017). The percentage of undergraduate degrees in computer science awarded to women and employment in the field reflects the gendered attitudes towards computing. Undergraduate degrees awarded to women and the ratio of women employed in computing-related fields have been in decline in recent decades and are currently at 19 and 25 percent respectively (“Digest of Education Statistics,” 2018; Funk & Parker, 2018). The number of men entering computer science since the early 2000s has outpaced that of women, meaning that as an overall, the ratio of women in the field has gone down (Trapiani & Hale, 2019). Moreover, women tend to leave computer science degree programs at nearly twice the rate of their male counterparts (Chen, 2013; White & Massiha, 2016) and there does not appear to be any one definitive reason why women are leaving. Some suggested reasons include the dominant male hegemony, preconceived notions about what it means to “be technical,” stereotype threat, low confidence, and a lack of female peers and role models. The underrepresentation of women in computing is rooted in larger cultural issues; therefore, sociocultural theory and sense of belonging were the conceptual frameworks used to guide this dissertation. A case study design was selected for its ability to gain a deeper understanding of the women’s lived experiences within a specific context and how those experiences shaped their identity, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and decisions to persist. Five women, studying software development and/or game development at North Central University participated in this research. The data used in this research included transcripts from two in-depth interviews with each of the participants, transcripts from interviews with the academic program directors, classroom observation field notes, and university enrollment numbers. Seven themes and eight sub-themes were derived from the data analysis, were deeply interconnected, and illustrated multiple aspects of the women’s experiences as students. The concept of duality, where the women were caught up in a continuous cycle of divergent cultural demands, was determined to be the most pivotal theme insomuch that it interacted with the remaining themes and shaped the women’s overall experiences. Five of the themes manifested out of the dichotomous value and belief systems between broader society and the computing micro-culture. The final theme demonstrated the necessity for academic support and mentorship. The findings of this dissertation indicate that there is hope, that there are women who persist in computing degrees, and that concerted efforts to make the computing micro-culture more inclusive show promise for bringing about gender equity. Universities can bring about change and improve women’s sense of belonging in the traditionally male-dominated micro-culture by deliberately building communities of women, providing support, demonstrating empathy, and ensuring women have role models. The findings also indicate that additional research and much more work is still needed to bring about gender parity in the field of computer science.