Undergraduate Level Courses Research Articles

The Fourier spectrum of a singing wine glass

The phenomenon of the singing wineglass is familiar to many. Most people have run a finger along the rim of a wine glass with the right speed and pressure to get it to whistle a tone or perhaps heard a glass harmonica being played. However, have you ever noticed and wondered why the vibrations caused by a finger on a glass produce a pulsating sound, rather than a steady, constant-amplitude vibration? Further exploration reveals that the sound and pulsations of a wine glass vary depending on the way the wine glass is stimulated. In this paper, we investigate and model the characteristic sounds produced by three different cases: the pulsating sound exhibited by a finger run along the rim of a wine glass, the steady tone produced by a stationary finger on a rotating wine glass, and the decaying pulsations exhibited by a struck rotating wine glass. Analyzing the qualitative differences among these three cases provides opportunities for students to hone experimental, modeling, and data analysis skills in an intermediate level undergraduate experimental physics course.

Online and In-class Team-Based Learning in Undergraduate Immunology: a Comparative Analysis.

The goal of this study was to compare student learning outcomes and preferences using a modified team-based learning (TBL) approach in classroom-based versus online formats in an upper level undergraduate immunology course. Fifty-five students were randomly assigned to small groups and participated in four immunology case study modules either face-to-face in a classroom or synchronously online. In both comparative groups, students completed pre-test Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT) at the beginning of each module in-class or online, discussed cases in-class or online with group members, and completed in-class or online post-test Group Readiness Assurance Test (GRAT) after case study group discussions. Assessment of individual student learning was performed using multiple choice exam questions that addressed concepts from each module. At the end of the course, students completed an optional survey to evaluate course satisfaction and preferences. In all four modules, students performed equally well on the IRATs, regardless of whether they performed TBL in class or online; and students performed better on the GRATs than the IRATs after using the TBL methodology, regardless of whether they performed TBL in class or online. In the application of course concepts, except for modules 2 and 3, there was no difference between a student's performance on the IRAT and the exams, regardless of whether they performed TBL in class or online. There was a significant difference in student perception but not performance when comparing in-class versus online TBL. For almost all measured outcomes, students preferred in-class TBL to online TBL.

Microcontroller Programming and Interfacing with Texas Instruments MSP430FR2433 and MSP430FR5994 -- Part II, Second Edition

This book provides a thorough introduction to the Texas Instruments MSP430™ microcontroller. The MSP430 is a 16-bit reduced instruction set (RISC) processor that features ultra-low power consumption and integrated digital and analog hardware. Variants of the MSP430 microcontroller have been in production since 1993. This provides for a host of MSP430 products including evaluation boards, compilers, software examples, and documentation. A thorough introduction to the MSP430 line of microcontrollers, programming techniques, and interface concepts are provided along with considerable tutorial information with many illustrated examples. Each chapter provides laboratory exercises to apply what has been presented in the chapter. The book is intended for an upper level undergraduate course in microcontrollers or mechatronics but may also be used as a reference for capstone design projects. Also, practicing engineers already familiar with another microcontroller, who require a quick tutorial on the microcontroller, will find this book very useful. This second edition introduces the MSP–EXP430FR5994 and the MSP430–EXP430FR2433 LaunchPads. Both LaunchPads are equipped with a variety of peripherals and Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM). FRAM is a nonvolatile, low-power memory with functionality similar to flash memory.

A Teaching Methodology Based on an Educational Experimental Platform

This work introduces a methodology to teach Mechatronics, Robotics and Automatic Control through a lowcost handson educational experimental platform based on a radio control (RC) servo. The hardware needed to build the platform is described as well as the teaching methodology. Performance of the platform is assessed by means of realtime experiments using an Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) law based on a Disturbance Observer (DOB). These experiments prove the platform potential for supporting undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Physiotherapy Students’ Perceptions of Team-Based Learning Using the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment

According to the National Curricular Guidelines for the undergraduate-level course in physical therapy, the curriculum must promote the training of a generalist, humanist, critical, and reflective professional to develop skills focused on decision-making, communication, leadership, etc. Several methodologies are used in the teaching-learning process; of these, active methodologies are often cited, wherein, contrary to the traditional model of teaching, the roles of the teacher and student are reversed. This study aimed to evaluate students’ perception of learning in teams (Team-based learning) as a teaching-learning strategy in the physical therapy undergraduate program of the University of the State of Pará, using the Team-based Learning Student Assessment Instrument (TBL-SAI). A cross-sectional, descriptive study with 21 physical therapy undergraduate students of the UEPA Campus XII was conducted. The TBL-SAI was administered after they participated in an optional course of the respiratory system, wherein the TBL teaching was adopted. The 33 items of the TBL-SAI comprise responses ranging from 1 (I strongly disagree) to 5 (I strongly agree), divided into three subscales: perception of students’ accountability, preference for traditional approach or TBL, and students’ satisfaction. Average score on the subscales higher than the neutral scores indicated that the students perceived the TBL to be an effective learning tool. The participants reported an overall positive experience using TBL with respect to accountability toward their studies, preference for TBL, and their satisfaction with the method. Future studies should evaluate the impact of TBL on the academic performance and learning ability of undergraduate students of physical therapy.

Comparison of stomatology education systems between two medical universities in China and Russia

By comparing the similarities and differences in the higher education system and degree levels of stomatology, especially in the undergraduate-level courses, between I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and Harbin Medical University, we found that: the class hours for undergraduates majoring in stomatology in Russia are three times as many as those in China, and the former's class hours for PBL accounts for 80% of its total class hours, which can greatly develop the medical students' competence of life-long learning and innovation. Russia focuses more on the early exposure to oral medical and clinical education. Moreover, they make stomatology penetrate the whole education process. The system of combing postgraduate medical education with residency training in Russia has been developed early and relatively mature, which can provide example for Chinese standardized training of oral residents. The study for the current education system of stomatology in Russia is of great significance in strengthening the cooperation between China and Russia on stomatology education and promoting the reform of Chinese stomatology education. Key words: Russia; China; Stomatology; Education system; Comparison

Commoning the Classroom

This paper provides details for and commentary on two semester-long point-sharing activities I include in my Sustainable Development class, an undergraduate-level course cross-listed in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. In a course that deals with finding solutions to the issue of resource scarcity, both absolute scarcity and distributional inequity, I ask students to think about the possibilities for significant cultural shifts in values and norms rather than only technological fixes and “green consumerism.” Using class points as a resource, these activities challenge students to consider making sacrifices of time for future generations of students and to work together to conserve a communal pool of points. Combined with ethnographic case studies of the diversity of resource management strategies in the world, putting alternative ways of thinking about resource use into practice helps “decolonize our imaginaries,” making neoliberal ideology and its effects on our values and behaviors more visible and open to critical reflection.

Green Forever Landscaping and Design, Inc.: how an entrepreneur grew his business

Theoretical basis The case should be introduced after students have been exposed to the following topics: the practice of entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition, market segmentation and minority business enterprise. Research methodology The names of the companies and individuals in this descriptive case have not been disguised, with the exception of the solar company representative and his company affiliation. Information was obtained from interviews (i.e. first-hand accounts) with Nikita Floyd, President and Owner of Green Forever Landscaping and Design, Inc., and secondary sources cited. Case overview/synopsis Nikita, a 50-year old, African American male, had grown his business from a one-person seasonal landscaping business to a year-round landscaping and design business with full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees and an array of services and customer segments. To his delight, he was able to unite his avocation with his vocation. With over 30 years of experience in landscaping and landscape design Nikita was always scanning the landscape for new business opportunities that would align with his company’s mission statement and help sustain Green Forever’s core business. Complexity academic level This case is most appropriate for introductory undergraduate and graduate level courses in entrepreneurship.

Outcast conflict

Research methodology The case was created via an interview of the protagonist. Case overview / synopsis The case describes the dilemma a young leader, Captain Bryson, faces after a few months in his new organization. Amid a routine meeting, two of CPT Bryson’s direct reports get into a verbal (and nearly physical) altercation over a relatively benign issue. CPT Bryson must decide how to handle the conflict at that moment. Further, the organization is resource constrained, so the personnel will be working in the same organization for at least the next six months. Therefore, CPT Bryson must try to diagnose the types and sources of conflict so that he can decide on how to manage the conflict in both the short and long terms. Complexity academic level This case is designed for use in undergraduate and graduate level courses on leadership and management. The case is useful for teaching lessons (or electives) on conflict management, developmental communication (counseling), emotional intelligence and power and influence.

Undergraduate lab series using the K562 human leukemia cell line: Model for cell growth, death, and differentiation in an advanced cell biology course.

This sequence of labs was developed for an upper level undergraduate cell biology course at Fairfield University. The labs are based on the use of the K562 human erythroleukemia cell line, a model system that is exceptionally amenable to an undergraduate cell biology lab course due to its ease of maintenance and propagation and usefulness for studies of growth, death, and differentiation. The sequence of labs is conducted over a 6-week period, following a series of weekly cell biology labs covering basic cell and molecular biology techniques. Together, the lab series has four primary objectives 1) to teach students how to culture and maintain mammalian cells; 2) to build student competency in standard cell biology techniques; 3) to demonstrate the role of growth factors on cell proliferation and viability; and 4) to provide students with an opportunity to use these cells in an independent investigation on cell differentiation. We provide examples of student data and offer a range of experimental measurements depending on institutional capacity and facilities. Our assessment data suggest that students find great value in this lab series, enhancing their comprehension of key concepts, acquisition of important lab skills, and depth of understanding of the research process. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(3):263-271, 2019.

Individual Book Reports: An Application of Differentiated Instruction in Two Public Health College Courses

As an anecdote to the one-size-fits-all curriculum, differentiation presents a pedagogical opportunity to accommodate learner variance. Differentiated instruction typically aims to address variance in at least one of the following areas: 1) student readiness; 2) student learning profiles; and 3) student interests. While each aim is fundamentally important to effectively differentiating instruction, the purpose of this descriptive best practice paper was to present a simple approach for addressing variance in individual student interest in a university setting. Participants in this teaching activity included 175 students enrolled in one of two undergraduate-level courses in the Department of Public Health at a large private university in the United States. Each participant was asked to select a book related to his or her chosen career path and that aligned with a topic covered in the course. Students selected the book of their choice and submitted the title to the principle investigator who reviewed each selection. Students were given approximately six weeks to read their selected books and write a brief book report. Participants completed a brief online survey assessing the value of this teaching approach. Descriptive analyses indicate this teaching activity was widely considered to be meaningful and beneficial, supporting the inclusion of differentiated instructional approaches at the university level.

Book Review: Indian Agriculture After the Green Revolution: Changes and Challenges

This book attempts to capture the challenges faced by Indian agriculture through the post Green Revolution period and assesses its readiness to face emerging challenges. Through 14 chapters, the book weaves together the passage of the Indian agriculture through its various achievements, and emphasizes on the past five decades. Each of the chapters can also be read in isolation with ample references for further readings. Overall, it is well written and can be used as a good study material for both undergraduate and graduate level courses on agricultural development in India.

Swatch Group and Francogeddon

This case illustrates how exchange rate shocks affect international businesses. The focus is on one recent stark example: the effect on Swatch Group of the Swiss National Bank's January 2015 decision to end its policy of putting a ceiling on the euro/Swiss franc exchange rate. It is useful for an introductory class that defines different exchange rate concepts, illustrates why managers should care about exchange rates, and motivates/previews the study of the macroeconomics of exchange rates, capital flows, and monetary policy. This case is appropriate for use in a first-year MBA course that deals with international economics or finance, though it is written to be standalone and thus could also be employed in an advanced undergraduate or master's level course on international macroeconomics or finance. Excerpt UVA-GEM-0167 Oct. 29, 2018 Swatch Group and Francogeddon “The Swiss National Bank has decided to discontinue the minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20 per euro with immediate effect and to cease foreign currency purchases associated with enforcing it.” Thomas Jordan, Chairman, Swiss National Bank With that one sentence uttered on a cold Zurich day in early 2015, Thomas Jordan ended the Swiss National Bank (SNB) policy to hold the Swiss franc (CHF) down against the euro (EUR). The policy, which had been in place since September 2011, had SNB purchasing foreign currency in exchange for the Swiss franc in order to maintain a floor of CHF1.2 per euro (or, equivalently, a ceiling of EUR0.83 per franc). Within a week of removing this policy, the franc appreciated over 20% and the stock price of Swatch Group, a Swiss watch manufacturer and exporter, fell by over 20% (Figure 1). Swatch CEO Nick Hayek Jr. proclaimed, “Words fail me! Jordan is not only the name of the SNB president, but also of a river and today's SNB action is a tsunami; for the export industry and for tourism, and finally for the entire country.” . . .

Mitigation of Language in Post-Observation Conferences Between Two Peer Teachers : A Preliminary Study

This qualitative study examined the patterns of utterance-level mitigation strategies employed by peer teachers in the formulation of the suggestions and advice provided during a post-observation conference (POC) after peer observation of teaching (POT). Two peer teachers, who were serving as instructors for undergraduate level courses at the same university, participated in this study. Over a period of one semester, one of the two teachers observed the other teacher’s class two times, focusing on the agenda determined in the pre-observation conference. After each class visit, the observing teacher and the observed teacher had a POC in order to discuss the lesson in terms of the problems, strengths, possible future improvements. Findings showed that both the observing teacher and the observed teacher used a range of mitigating devices to protect each other’s positive and negative face. This suggests that despite the peers’ close relationship with balanced power, they were aware of the potential threat to face and the need to employ language mitigating strategies to maintain each other’s face in the POCs.

New Wella Salon: a journey towards popularizing the services (B)

Subject area Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Marketing and Services Marketing. Study level/applicability The New Wella Salon case (B) is suitable for teaching at MBA level and last-year students of undergraduate-level courses in services marketing and entrepreneurship. Case overview This case discusses the challenges faced by a young entrepreneur Mr Meer, who has successfully brought a new trend in the salon industry of Sukkur City. The new trend focuses on trendier and sophisticated services keeping in mind the changing mindset of consumer and services provided by leading salons of Pakistan. Though, the new salon has proved to be a great success. But recent developments have badly shaken the well-established brand. The most challenging issue was the loss of customers to competition, showing a negative sign for the future of this leading brand of local salon industry. He was confused and upset about the future of the leading salon brand of the local industry. He knew that he has to make some strategic decisions to secure his career and family business but appeared to be confused about how to operationalize these. He soon realized that word-of-mouth publicity and running a Facebook page would not be enough to promote his business effectively; so, he has to explore some new ways to promote his unique and nascent service other than advertising. But what should those be? To capture the growing demand of trendy services and scattered populations as a result of growing competition from similar salons, Meer has chalked down two different options: open another salon at a promising avenue and/or offer more services. Expected learning outcomes To identify and differentiate between traits of an entrepreneur and traditional businessman. To discuss how services companies can create and sustain competitive advantage. To understand the various strategic aspects of the small businesses that lever their decision-making. To work out strategic choices available to a new entrepreneurial firm, evaluate the alternatives and devise strategies for successful expansion of the business. To assess the usefulness of traditional and non-traditional marketing channels for promoting a small business. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Office space: a leadership challenge

Synopsis The case describes the dilemma a young leader, First Lieutenant Toomey, faces after arriving at a new organization. Toomey’s subordinate (sergeant first class Rodgers) is more experienced and accomplished and has enjoyed a degree of autonomy under Toomey’s predecessor. Rodger’s demeanor and the physical setup of the joint office space speak to a dysfunctional dynamic in an organization that values a traditional hierarchy and relatively high power distance between supervisor and subordinate. The potential for conflict exists as Toomey contemplates how to address the dysfunctional norms he has observed while maintaining a functional relationship and reputation as an effective leader in his new unit. Research methodology The case was created via an interview of the protagonist. Relevant courses and levels This case is designed for use in undergraduate and graduate level courses on leadership and management. The case is useful for teaching lessons (or electives) on power, influence, conflict management, culture and leading change.

Down to Earth: The Emerging Field of Planetary Health.

Down to Earth: The Emerging Field of Planetary Health.

Investigating and addressing student difficulties with the corrections to the energies of the hydrogen atom for the strong and weak field Zeeman effect

Understanding when and how to make limiting case approximations and why they are valid in a particular situation is a hallmark of expertise in physics. Using limiting cases can simplify the problem-solving process significantly and they often provide a means to check that the results obtained are reasonable. We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the limiting cases of the strong and weak field Zeeman effects using degenerate perturbation theory. This investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering written free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. Here we first discuss the common student difficulties related to these concepts. We then describe how the research on student difficulties was used as a guide to develop and evaluate a quantum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) which strives to help students develop a functional understanding of the concepts necessary for finding the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the strong field and weak field Zeeman effects. The development of the QuILT and its evaluation in the undergraduate and PhD level courses are presented.

Adaptation of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory into Turkish and Analysis of Turkish Academics’ Approaches to Their Own Teaching

The aim of this research is to adapt the Approaches to Teaching Inventory into Turkish culture and analyze the teaching approaches of academics working at education faculties in terms of various variables. In the light of this aim, two subsequent sub studies were conducted. In the first phase of the study, the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI) was adapted to Turkish culture. During the adaptation phase, language equivalence was analyzed both through interviews conducted with foreign language experts and through the correlation scores between the original and the Turkish forms. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis which was conducted on data gathered from 140 academics working at 35 different education faculties in Turkey confirmed the two-factor model of ATI as student centered and teacher centered. Reliability studies of ATI were carried out through Cronbach α, and McDonald ω coefficients and results revealed that ATI has the appropriate psychometric properties to be used in Turkish studies. In the second phase of the study, 185 academics working at 31 different education faculties were reached and their teaching approaches were analyzed based on the level of the course, number of students in their classes, their academic titles, and seniority variables. As a result of the analysis, it was found that academics adopted a more teacher-focused approach to teaching at undergraduate level courses whereas they adopted a more student-focused approach to teaching at graduate level courses. It was also found in terms of class size that academics adopted a more teacher-focused approach to teaching when the class size exceeded 20 students. In addition, in terms of academic titles, associate professors adopted a more student focused teaching approach compared to lecturer doctors and research assistant doctors. Moreover, a negative and weak relationship was found between seniority and teacher focused approach to teaching.

Implementation of an Inverted Classroom in Structural Design Courses

AbstractThe authors have used an inverted (flipped) classroom approach for the previous five years in upper level undergraduate courses in structural design (“Structural Steel and Reinforced Concre...