California State University , Los Angeles Research Articles

Innovative Pedagogy Through Big Data and ArcGIS: Perspectives on the Collaboration Among First-Generation Students, Nonprofits, and Open Data in Los Angeles

This article focuses on the innovative teaching practices using big data that arose from a 4-year collaboration between faculty, first-generation students at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), and local communities. The aim of the National Science Foundation–funded Big Data Project at CSULA was to engage students and faculty in using big data to tackle social issues such as racial violence, poverty, environmental inequalities, urban ecology, and structural barriers in Los Angeles, while preserving the cultural richness of the communities in East Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Once a year, faculty members applied to the program to incorporate data projects into their courses, received training, adapted their curricula, and worked with nonprofits. Our experience showed that the students who participated in this semester-long, hands-on learning experience exceeded the learning objectives of the program and specific courses. They were key contributors in generating new insights using big data, fostering meaningful dialogue, and creating research and scholarship opportunities that positively impacted their communities.

The Impact of Web Search Engines on Subject Searching in OPAC

This paper analyzes the results of transaction logs at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and studies the effects of implementing a Web-based OPAC along with interface changes. The authors find that user success in subject searching remains problematic. A major increase in the frequency of searches that would have been more successful in resources other than the library catalog is noted over the time period 2000-2002. The authors attribute this increase to the prevalence of Web search engines and suggest that metasearching, relevance-ranked results, and relevance feedback ( "more like this") are now expected in user searching and should be integrated into online catalogs as search options.

Recruiting for Rehabilitation Counselor Education Programs: Twenty Years Later

Purpose:To examine changes in recruitment procedures over the past 20 years and the effect of these changes on the number of students entering rehabilitation programs at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA).Method:The authors reviewed recruitment practices at CSULA and student enrollment of graduates and undergraduates in rehabilitation programs in 1993 and compared the recruitment practices and student enrollment in rehabilitation programs in 2014.Results:Some of the methods used in 1993 are still in use today. However, the establishment of technology has created new opportunities for recruitment with positive effect. The undergraduate program has grown from 100 students in 1993 to 450 students in 2014. The graduate program has increased from 15 students to 28 students accepted annually, turning away two-thirds of potential graduate students who have applied for admission to the program.Conclusion:To enhance recruitment, it is important to reach as many students as possible, which can be done with the creative use of technology as well as retaining effective recruitment practices used in the past.

Science Communication Versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist As A K-12 Classroom Resource

Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) (Shulman, 1987). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse (Stocklmayer, 2001). The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students’ cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the “Science For Our Schools” (SFOS) model implemented at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation’s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who “know” science and those who “teach” science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science education, and science literacy in the midst of science learning by bringing together graduate student scientists and science teachers to engage students in the two world’s dialogue in the midst of the school science classroom. The graduate student scientists and the science teachers worked as a team throughout the school year and became effective science communicators as they narrowed the gulf between the two worlds.

Making the bridge: Testing a library workshop for a summer bridge learning community

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), collaborated with the CSULA Student Support Program and the Educational Opportunity Program in an innovative attempt to increase visibility and use of library resources and services by at-risk students enrolled in the 2005 Summer Bridge Program. Workshops were held for tutors, study group leaders, and writing instructors associated with the Summer Bridge. Assessment of the program was conducted through a survey of workshop participants. Writing instructors and tutors were overwhelmingly positive in their response to the workshop, but study group leaders were more evenly divided in their assessment of the workshop's utility, which suggests that alumni of the Summer Bridge Program may benefit from additional instructional support services.

Design & Modeling of a Segmented Reflector Test-bed

Because of the weight and volume constraints of space-borne astronomical instruments, segmented reflectors have become the only practical choice for future astrophysical missions. While a monolithic reflector depends on the mechanical properties of its material to provide the dimensional stability required for good optical performance, a segmented reflector requires an active segment-alignment control system in order to make the reflecting surface have the optical performance of a monolithic unit. This paper describes an experimental test-bed that is being developed at the Control and Structures Research Laboratory (CSRL) at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The CSRL test-bed is a 2.4 m focal length Cassegrain optical configuration consisting of a 2.66 m actively controlled segmented primary and an active secondary. The primary consists of six hexagonal panels surrounding a fixed central panel and supported by a light-weight flexible truss structure. The project has been funded by NASA to study the complex dynamic behavior of large segmented optical systems.

Technology transfer and academic education with a focus on diversity

This paper describes the “Presence on Campus” technology transfer experiment that Hughes Electronics Corporation is conducting with a large minority institution, California State University, Los Angeles (CSLA). It presents the experiment in the context of the company's workforce diversity objectives and its internal and other external education diversity efforts, as well as CSLA's minority education and research and development programs. The article summarizes progress toward the promotion of resource-leveraging joint R&D projects and student intern involvement, as well as the definition of industry-relevant thesis topics. Some lessons learned are reported.