The Office of Student Research hosted its annual student research exhibition on Tuesday, April 21 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Learning Center. The event showcased findings from 11 funded projects completed at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) during the 2014-15 academic year. The event was held in the Student Commons in the Columbus Learning Center.
According to Dr. Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Office of Student Research, this year marks the fifth year for the annual Student Research Exhibition at IUPUC.
“Student research is considered to be a high impact practice in terms of student learning and outcomes, and our students impress us and exceed our expectations in their dedication to research and in the results they produce,” says Goodspeed-Chadwick. “This year is no exception: in fact, the OSR will feature particularly innovative and impressive projects in the Exhibition. Indeed, many of the OSR researchers have presented their funded research at regional and national conferences, and some have succeeded in obtaining other grants. The level of mentoring and the availability of opportunities to be involved in disciplinary research are remarkable and significant features of student life at IUPUC.”
Since the Office of Student Research opened five years ago, IUPUC students have completed/ presented 37 research projects at the IUPUC annual OSR Student Research Exhibitions from 2010-2014.
Descriptions of the 11 funded projects, along with the names of the student researchers, their majors, hometowns, and faculty mentors follow.
Kylie Bennett | County: Bartholomew
Student major and/or minor: Business
Faculty mentor: Dr. Erica Berte
Title of project: Perceptions of the Best and Worst Practices in Online Classes: Instructor’s Perspective
Description/abstract of project: The purpose of this research project is to identify the most common perceptions of beneficial practices in designing and teaching online courses from an instructor’s perspective. Primary research will consist of surveys distributed to and completed by IUPUC professors who have previously taught online classes. Secondary research will include information from academic journals, books, videos, etc.
Kylie also won an Undergraduate Research Opportunities $1,000 grant at IUPUI this academic year and presented her work in a poster session at the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference in Bloomington last November and at the SoTL Commons Conference: A Conference for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Statesboro, Georgia in March.
Rodney Burton | County: Johnson
Student major and/or minor: Psychology
Faculty mentor: Dr. Mark Jaime
Title of project: Individual Differences, Feedback, and Short-Term Memory Performance
Description/abstract of project: The primary goal of this study is to investigate the effects of feedback on short-term memory performance. The secondary goal is to explore the relationships between self-efficacy, self-esteem, personality, feedback, and short-term memory performance.
Michael Foist and Jacyln Vanosdol | Counties: For Michael = Bartholomew | For Jaclyn = Decatur
Students’ majors and/or minor:
Michael and Jaclyn are both Communication majors. Jaclyn has minors in Sociology and Women’s Studies.
Faculty mentor: Dr. Anna F. Carmon
Title of project: Like it, Tweet It, Share it: Social Media Satisfaction and Biological Sex
Description/abstract of project: This study examined how individuals’ social media communication satisfaction was influenced by their biological sex and perceptions of interpersonal communication competence. Relationships between biological sex, social media utilization preference, communication competence, and communication satisfaction were also explored. Results suggested no relationship existed between biological sex and social media communication satisfaction, satisfaction and social media preference, and interpersonal communication satisfaction and social media preference. A significant positive relationship was found to exist between interpersonal communication competence and communication satisfaction.
Michael and Jaclyn presented their research as an oral presentation at the Butler Undergraduate Research Conference in Indianapolis on April 10th, and they will also present at the Central States Communication Association’s Undergraduate Honors Research Conference in Madison, Wisconsin later this month.
Autumn Fox | County: Jackson
Student major and/or minor: Biology
Faculty mentor: Dr. Luke Jacobus
Title of project: Self-Sustainable Gardening
Description/abstract of project: We are establishing long-term ecology education and student research plots in neglected spaces on our small campus. Our pilot plots will be in small dirt patches bounded by curbs in a parking lot. Currently, the plots are an eyesore and require unnecessary maintenance. We will use plants native to Indiana that can withstand the harsh conditions of that microclimate. Once the plots are established, they will provide opportunities to study ecological succession, sustainable gardening practices and various areas of botany, as well as provide opportunities for biological education in public areas. Eventually, we hope to see the project expand to include small gardens of herbs and vegetables to be used in our campus café.
Chelsea Guerrieri | County: Shelby
Student major and/or minor: B.S. Education, with Dual License Elementary Education and Special Education (K-6)
Faculty mentor: Dr. Jenny Conner-Zachocki
Title of project: An Examination of Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs about Using Social Issues Picture Books in their Future Elementary Education Classrooms
Description/abstract of project: This research project is based on the belief that public schools must, as one of their basic responsibilities, incorporate the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds and with different lifestyles as a way to remove barriers to societal injustices. Pre-service teachers will be asked to examine several books that highlight social justice issues. Among other information they will be asked whether or not they would use the book in an elementary classroom and why.
This project will be presented at the Indiana State Reading Association Conference.
Heather Johnson | County: Bartholomew
Student major and/or minor: Major: Astronomy & Astrophysic
Minors: Chemistry and Mathematics
Faculty mentor: Dr. James D. Mendez
Title of project: The Effect of Chitin Fiber Morphology on Mechanical Strength
Description/abstract of project: We have already determined that chitin can be obtained from a wide variety of sources including crawfish shells, cicada sloughs, mealworms, and lobster shells. The next step is to determine if there are differences in the chitin obtained from these different sources at the nanoscopic level that can be useful for other applications. Mechanical testing of some basic chitin/plastics composites is already in progress, but we need a more detailed picture. To see what is occurring at the nanoscopic level, we plan to use using the TEM (transmission electron microscopy) at IUPUI to assess the size and structure of the fibers that our chitin is made of.
This project was presented at the Butler Undergraduate Research Conference on April 10th in a poster presentation.
Courtney Linville | County: Johnson
Student major and/or minor: Business major, minor in Psychology
Faculty mentor: Dr. Erica Berte
Title of project: The Best and Worst Practices in Online Classes: Students’ Perspectives
Description/abstract of project: The online learning environment is continuing to grow; this means the quality of online education is becoming even more important. The goal of this research project is to find the best and worst practices in online classes from students’ perspectives. The results will give instructors the opportunity to alter their online classes to implement the most effective online teaching strategies.
Courtney also won an Undergraduate Research Opportunities $1,000 grant at IUPUI this academic year and presented her work in a poster session at the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference in Bloomington last November and at the SoTL Commons Conference: A Conference for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Statesboro, Georgia in March.
Carece Robbins | County: Decatur
Student major and/or minor: Bachelors of Science in Nursing
Faculty mentor: Bethany Murray, MSN, RN, PMHCNS-BC
Title of project: Comparing Methods of Measurement: The Various Blood Pressure Instruments and Locations
Description/abstract of project: We are researching whether there is a difference in blood pressure (BP) measurements when the measurements are conducted with different measurement methods. These methods include: an automated upper arm blood pressure machine, an automated wrist blood pressure method, and a manual measurement on the upper arm.
Emma Metz Sipple | County: Bartholomew
Student major and/or minor: Major in Communication, Certificate in Leadership, and Certificate in Labor Studies
Faculty mentor: Dr. Ryan Neville-Shepard
Title of project: Long Tan Legs: A Pentad Analysis of Women in Modern Country Music
Description/abstract of project: This work is the application of Kenneth Burke’s pentad to popular country songs. It illuminates the patterns of expectations of women in country music and also the consequences of widespread acceptance of these expectations.
Emma will present this project at the Central States Communication Association’s Undergraduate Honors Research Conference on April 18, 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin. She also entered the essay that emerged out of this research into theScholarship in Communication Essay Contest at the Indiana Forensic Association’s State Speech Meet, held on February 21st and 22nd, at Butler University. She won third place.
Megan Taylor | County: Bartholomew
Student major: Psychology
Faculty mentor: Dr. Mark Jaime
Title of project: Recognition of Subjective Action in Children
Description/abstract of project: One aspect of self-awareness in children that has not been explored is whether they can represent subjective experiences and when does this capacity emerge in development. Understanding children’s recognition of first-person action is important because it provides a basis for more complex social cognitive functioning later in development. Therefore, the objective of this proposed study is to explore whether children have the ability to recognize first person experiences.
Megan presented this project at the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference in Bloomington last November and plans to present this research at the 45th Annual Meeting of The Jean Piaget Society in Toronto, Canada in June 2015.
Andy Usher | County: Johnson
Student major and/or minor: Biology / Chemistry
Faculty mentor: Dr. Luke Jacobus
Title of project: The Biodiversity of Mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) in Minnesota
Description/abstract of project: This continuing study aims to identify current species of mayfly in the State of Minnesota, observe their habitat and range, as well as record data from hitherto uncatalogued parts of the state. Minnesota is recognized as a rich tapestry of diversity of aquatic fauna, yet conversely, the mayfly is poorly studied thereat. The changing habits of mayflies may be equated with global climate change and human habitat interference: the project aims to pose the question of how the distribution of an organism so low on the “food chain” could portend wide ranging implications for future human habitation.
Andy is planning to present his research at the annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Science in Indianapolis.
For more information, contact Dr. Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, Director of the Office of Student Research and Associate Professor of English, at 812.348.7270 or juligood@iupuc.edu.