COSS 2022: Concurrent Session 2

During the summer of 2021, we focused on expanding our knowledge about the care, habitat requirements, and husbandry of the live animals we house in the Integrated Science Center. Special projects included researching, designing, and building a 40-gallon paludarium habitat for our fire-belly toads, along with the introduction of small fishes and a variety of plant species to the paludarium. The goal of this project was to better represent the natural environment of the fire-belly toads. A second aim of our work was to create a website for the Exotic Animal Care and Husbandry (EACH) student organization and courses that would provide resources for critter care, habitat creation, outreach opportunities and campus involvement. During our presentation, we will share information about our individual projects and then invite the audience to interact with some of the animals we have on campus.

It is important for undergraduate students to develop a strong understanding of electrochemistry from analytical chemistry courses, and cyclic voltammetry is one way to introduce students to practical electrochemistry. However, potentiostats for cyclic voltammetry can be expensive, and buying a pre-built potentiostat for cyclic voltammetry can inhibit students’ abilities to learn the inner workings of potentiostats. This presentation therefore describes how a simple potentiostat can be assembled in-lab with 9-V batteries and other common items in undergraduate laboratories. Additionally, cyclic voltammetry simulations can further aid in students’ learning by providing real-time feedback on the effects of changing parameters, as well as the ability to couple simulated data to experimental data. Another focus of this presentation is therefore the development of a cyclic voltammetry simulation in LabVIEW and Python based on previous work by Dr. Jay H. Brown of Southwest Minnesota State University. This program includes the ability to simulate cyclic voltammetry data with several parameters, overlay data on top of simulated data, optimize parameters, and model the effects of a rotating disk electrode. For demonstration, cyclic voltammetry experiments using K3Fe(CN)6 and benzophenone were conducted with the assembled potentiostat, and the results were compared with simulated data for two different electrochemical mechanisms. The results suggested that more work is needed to improve the accuracy of the simulated cyclic voltammetry data. Nonetheless, this simple, inexpensive potentiostat and cyclic voltammetry simulation can assist with furthering students; understanding of electrochemistry when used in undergraduate analytical chemistry courses.

Social emotional lessons build the skills a person develops to behave appropriately in social settings and adequately process their emotions. It is imperative for a students’ success in an elementary classroom setting to have these social emotional lessons. The purpose of this study is to see what impact a teacher’s classroom management abilities have on the social emotional learning of their students. To better understand the relationship between classroom management and social-emotional learning, data were collected through observations of 20 classrooms and discussions with school counselors and elementary teachers. The results of this study suggest that elementary teachers’ classroom management and use of social-emotional learning techniques has an effect on their students’ social-emotional learning. The teachers’ words, actions, and presence of mind have an immense effect on their students’ social and emotional well-being, which indicates that teachers need to have a good understanding of the relationship of social-emotional learning and classroom management.

My PEAK experience this spring involves coaching at American Gold Gymnastics, a recreational and competitive non-profit gym located in Fargo, North Dakota. I will be collaborating and teaching classes with several experienced coaches who have had experience teaching kids or being gymnasts themselves. I plan to research and gather insights about how and why we create different level progressions depending on the motor skills and kinesthetic development of children ages 2-18. Additionally, I will be addressing multiple disciplines during this PEAK. These include gymnastics pedagogy, physical education/wellness, some music, and social emotional learning. Some research methods I will use during the experience include drawing upon coursework I have done at Concordia regarding childhood development (EDUC 212, EDUC 425, EDUC 221, PSYC 111, PSYC 212), taking an IDI assessment (“Intercultural Development Inventory”) to assess my intercultural competence before and after the experience, journaling, and reading the book Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers by Michael Linsin. I will present  conclusions on my experience and invite the audience into discussion about my coaching and PEAK experience.

Lack of diversity is a widespread issue in academic institutions, and Concordia College’s Department of Music is no exception. Diversity in music continues to be a chronically under-researched field. Our research goal is to expand the musical and cultural interactions that students and faculty at Concordia have while exploring new repertoire and models of musicking and teaching. In exploring more diverse methods, we have developed three categories – context, content, and impact – to evaluate the potential outcomes of studying/performing musical works outside of our own traditions. With this in mind, specific criteria can be utilized to evaluate these works – including (but not limited to) authenticity, exploration and preservation of culture, variety of form and technique, and audience engagement. We intend for these criteria to be malleable throughout the research process; this is an initial step in an ongoing process that will hopefully continue in the years to come. We maintain that it is not only important that students study music from underrepresented composers and groups, but to understand and appreciate wider cultural frameworks. These cultural frameworks will increase our own cultural self-awareness and provide insights into our unspoken norms. This research will culminate in the criteria and their various applications for the department – including a bibliography of articles for educators and students, and a list of repertoire that exemplifies those criteria.

Many college students had their classes moved to online platforms in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This move to a computer based learning environment may have affected students differently than an in-person education. This study examined two hypotheses. 1.) Diverse students will report higher levels of communication apprehension (CA). 2.) Students who report higher levels of CA will report less course involvement. The study was conducted using the PRCA-24, a commonly used survey to measure CA. The survey also included a second portion to measure levels of course involvement in different aspects of the student engagement experience. Due to a homogeneous sample size no correlations with categories of diversity were found. The study found that individuals with high CA engage less with aspects of course involvement such as classroom discussions but engage with the working hard elements the most. Low CA individuals reported active engagement in all class aspects. This may be due to the lack of barriers that apprehension can present.