Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "Folkestad, James, committee member"

Browsing by Author "Folkestad, James, committee member"

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Open Access
A binding deficit: value-directed remembering for item-specific vs. associative information
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) DeLozier, Sarah J., author; Rhodes, Matthew G., advisor; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Cleary, Anne, committee member
In a series of four experiments I examined whether value enhanced memory for item-specific or associative information. Value indicated the importance of an item at study (i.e., 1 point = low importance, 12 points = high importance), with memory typically being enhanced for high-value information (e.g., Castel, 2008). Utilizing the feature-conjunction paradigm, in which recognition errors for conjunction lures provide a means of examining whether value-enhanced recognition is a result of recollection or familiarity, the Pilot Experiment revealed through increased conjunction errors that value enhanced memory only for item-specific information. In Experiment 1 participants were permitted to self-pace their study and made confidence learning judgments (CLJs) after each recognition judgment. Learners spent more time studying higher-valued words yet demonstrated a similar pattern of increased conjunction errors by value. In Experiment 2, participants were instructed to use either rote repetition or interactive imagery for all words at study. Under these controlled study strategy conditions, conjunction errors were similar across values. In Experiment 3, I examined the influence of value on feature lures. When both feature lures and conjunction lures were presented at test, learners' susceptibility to lures was similar across values, yet learners correctly recognized more high-value old words. Results indicated that both encoding processes and item-based familiarity may contribute to a deficit in binding components of high-value words. These findings are discussed in terms of the negative effects of value on memory for associative information.
Open Access
A spiral design: redesigning CS 1 based on techniques for memory recall
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Lionelle, Albert, author; Beveridge, J. Ross, advisor; Ghosh, Sudipto, committee member; Blanchard, Nathaniel, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
Computer Science (CS 1) offerings in most universities tend to be notoriously difficult. Over the past 60 years about a third of students either fail or drop out of the course. Past research has focused on improving teaching methods through small changes without changing the overall course structure. The premise of this research is that restructuring the CS 1 course using a Spiral pedagogy based on principles for improving memory and recall can help students learn the information and retain it for future courses. Using the principles of Spacing, Interleaving, Elaboration, Practiced Retrieval, and Reflection, CS 1 was fundamentally redesigned with a complete reordering of topics. The new pedagogy was evaluated by comparing the students with those coming from a traditional offering in terms of (1) CS 1 performance, (2) CS 2 performance, and (3) retention of students between CS 1 and 2. Additionally, students were tracked on the individual outcome / topic level of their performance, and students filled out surveys measuring learning motivation and self-regulation. The Spiral pedagogy helped students outperform those who learned via the traditional pedagogy by 9% on final exam scores in CS 1 with a significant difference. Furthermore, 23% of students taught using the Spiral pedagogy mastered greater than 90% of the outcomes, where those taught with the traditional method only mastered 5% of the learning outcomes. Students who were taught with the Spiral pedagogy showed a greatly increased interest in Computer Science by the end of the course, with women showing the greatest increase in interest towards Computer Science. Retention is increased between CS 1 and CS 2 with a 19.2% increase for women, and a 9.2% increase overall. Five weeks later, students were given the same final exam by way of a review exam in CS 2. With the gap in time to forget, those taught with the Spiral pedagogy scored 10-12.5% higher than their peers taught using the traditional method. The change in pedagogy showed an influence with Cohen's d = .69. Furthermore, students continued to do better in CS 2 with increased grades across all assessments, including programming capabilities. By the end of CS 2 only 65% of students who learned by the traditional method passed CS 2 with a C or above while students who learned via the Spiral pedagogy had 80% pass with a C or above. The framework for the Spiral Design is presented along with implementation suggestions if others wish to duplicate the pedagogy for their course along with future research suggestions; including building a Spiral Curriculum to enhance performance across courses and interactive tools to act as a means of intervention using techniques proven to improve recall of past content. Overall the Spiral Design shows promising results as the next generation in course design for supporting student achievement and provides additional pathways for future research.
Open Access
Accessibility and inclusion in higher education: an inquiry of faculty perceptions and experiences
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) McGinty, Jacqueline M., author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Kaiser, Leann, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member; Scott, Malcolm, committee member
Although there are an increasing number of students with disabilities attending institutions of higher education, the graduation rate for students with disabilities lags behind that of non-disabled college students attending similar institutions. College faculty members produce academic content, determine learning outcomes, and determine assessment protocol. As primary gatekeepers of academic achievement, college faculty members are instrumental in the provision of academic accommodations for students with disabilities. Faculty members in the College of Engineering and in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Colorado State University were invited to participate in answering a survey on accessibility and academic accommodations for students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify faculty issues and concerns regarding accommodations for students with disabilities and to make suggestions that lead to increased faculty utilization of accessible learning materials. This research intends to improve the learning environment for students with disabilities by recommending and disseminating inclusive teaching practices to improve accessibility of higher education so that all students can acquire the same information and participate in the same activities in a similar manner as students without disabilities.
Open Access
Adoption of building information modeling in developing countries: a phenomenological perspective
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Sahil, Abdul Qadeer, author; Glick, Scott, advisor; Valdes-Vasquez, Rodolfo, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a cutting edge technology that has addressed prominent challenges in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries in most of the developed countries. Construction industries in developing countries due to identified challenges and unavailability of the clear understanding of best practices, are dithering whether to adopt this technology. The scope of this study was how to facilitate BIM adoption in developing countries. A phenomenological design approach was considered to seek early adopters’ and BIM professionals’ lived experiences on similar situations and how did they triumph over the hindrances against BIM adoption and made its implementation successful. A total of six participants with extensive BIM experience and first hand BIM application knowledge were interviewed. The result confirms BIM adoption issues similarities in both developed and developing countries. Recommended best practices for new BIM users in four categories of education requirement, infrastructure requirement, sound practices, and working with partners with no previous BIM experience is represented in chapter five. The study limitation was the inability to reach out BIM professionals in developing countries therefore, considering the similarities of BIM adoption issues, five of the participants selected for this study were from the United States whereas one participant was selected from developing countries. The study concludes with recommendation for further study in this field.
Open Access
An examination of decision-making during organizational crises: a case study of the 2017 Northern California Firestorm
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Thomas, Cliff, author; Korte, Russell, advisor; Chermack, Thomas, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Williams, Elizabeth, committee member
Organizations experiencing crises are subject to harm that can involve injuries, fatalities, financial losses, reputational damage, losses of assets, and others. This study examined a phenomenon central to minimizing crisis-related harm: decision-making. More specifically, this study examined the ways in which decision elements interact to influence decision processes and behaviors during crises. The significance of this study stems from a steady increase in the frequency and intensity of organizational crises, and the claim that novel research and insights into the phenomenon can promote harm reduction. Research in this domain has been predominantly grounded in post-positivist perspectives, suggesting that new insights and understandings can be found through alternate perspectives. This inquiry adopted a constructivist and holistic view of crisis decision-making, recognizing that the construction of meaning, or "sensemaking", is an important aspect of decision-making. As such, this study sought to investigate how people make decisions during organizational crises, how and why some factors influence sensemaking and decision-making in the ways they do, how and why some decision factors are ascribed more significance than others, and the ways in which decision consequences influence ongoing decision-making. The conceptual framework guiding this study involved organizational crises, contextual decision factors, sensemaking frameworks, decision-making strategies, and decision consequences. The results of this study are intended to enlighten an area that some researchers and practitioners believe is growing in importance, and to provide insights that will foster improved practitioner capabilities. The study's findings suggest that in some contexts, organizational crisis decision-making can be appropriately described as a complex adaptive system. The findings also yielded insights related to several decision factors: past experiences, time influences, situational control, group member trust, and decision-maker self-perceptions. Among the various decision factors studied, decision-maker self-perceptions were found to be the most influential. Finally, implications for research, theory, and practice are presented.
Open Access
Analytical injustice league: understanding statistical manipulation of student retention data using modification methods of missing values
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Long, Sarah E., author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee member
Missing values that fail to be appropriately accounted for may lead to reduced statistical power, biased estimators, reduced representativeness of the sample, and incorrect interpretations and conclusions (Gorelick, 2006). The current study provided an ontological perspective of data manipulation by explaining how statistical results can fundamentally change depending on specific data modification methods. This has consequential implications, specifically in higher education, that depend on quantifiable methodologies to substantiate practices through evidence based policy making (Gillborn et al., 2018; Sindhi et al., 2019). The results of the current study exposed how examining patterns of data missingness can have critical implications on student retention initiatives including intervention programs, identification of high-risk students, and funding opportunities for support programs. It is imperative for both data scientists and data stakeholders to be critically aware of what data they collect, report, and utilize from the variable selection to statistical methodologies.
Embargo
Commercial construction ethical decision making: authentic case studies
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Weber, John R., author; Makela, Carole, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Ozbek, Mehmet, committee member
This study was developed from 30 years of experiences in commercial construction. In addition to 20 case studies on ethical decision making, perspectives of instructors who taught at American Council of Construction Educators (ACCE) accredited Construction Management (CM) programs were included. These perspectives were considered to improve effectiveness. Literature found on the topic was minimal with most from government press releases. A Qualtrics survey was sent to 996 CM instructors with a potential sample size of 961 where 78 responded (8.12%). Case study effectiveness, the role and techniques used, as well as themes in literature were analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative data contributed to the development and refinement of 20 authentic case studies. Over 95% of instructors perceived it their role to teach ethical decision making; strongly agreed (45.59%), agreed (50.00%), neutral (2.94%), disagreed (1.47%), and none strongly disagreed. Instructors perceived construction as having unique pressures varied; Yes (67.65%), No (26.47%), with 5.88% did not know. When asked if ethical transgressions were systemic; Yes (38.24%), No (45.59%), and 14.71% did not know. Did instructors perceive an "everybody does it" attitude; Yes (42.65%), No (47.06%), and 10.29% did not know. When asked if authentic case studies were readily available; strongly agreed (4.48%), agreed (23.88%), neutral (28.36%), disagreed (35.82%), and strongly disagreed (7.45%).
Open Access
Determining best practices for integrating marketing and sales in organizations: using the Delphi technique
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Watson, Kristin R., author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member; Ingram, Thomas, committee member; Makela, Carole, committee member
Using the Delphi technique; combining a thorough review of literature, with opinions of experts during three rounds of data collection, this study determined best practices for integrating marketing and sales in organizations. A purposeful, heterogeneous sample of marketing and sales executives, with a minimum of 30 years experience, in seven different industries, with 40 different organizations around the world participated as experts. Organizations that integrate marketing and sales can improve business performance; increase efficiency, effectiveness, customer and employee satisfaction. Eleven best practices for integrating marketing and sales in organizations were determined: communication; clearly defined roles, responsibilities and expectations; performance metrics; a customer focus; strategic planning; organizational knowledge; training and education; shared/aligned rewards; organizational intelligence (i.e. market, competitor, and customer information); lead management; and common technology platforms; resulting in the development of Watson's Integrated Marketing and Sales Best Practices (WIMS BP) model.
Open Access
Effects of interactive whiteboard technology on the achievement and engagement of elementary-aged students with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder in the content of reading
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Stanley, Nicole, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Fidler, Deborah, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Wallner, Barbara, committee member
This dissertation examined the effects of interactive whiteboards (IWB) during reading instruction on student engagement and achievement with three elementary-aged students with identified Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To date, the majority of the literature references regular classroom instruction and not special populations. A quantitative-dominant mixed methods approach was implemented. It included experimental methods to collect achievement and engagement data, and a post-study interview to get a more in-depth understanding of the research. The same participants were used in both the quantitative and qualitative phases. The experimental phase consisted of two methods of delivery of the same reading intervention-traditional paper materials and on an IWB alternated in an A-B-A-B design. During the traditional delivery, students received books and corresponding worksheets in paper form. During the IWB condition, each student read the books and completed corresponding worksheets on the IWB. For the purpose of the study, data were collected on achievement and engagement of these three students. The percent of questions answered correctly answered on bi-weekly comprehension quizzes and word fluency was measured for student achievement. The frequency of joint attention (JA) behaviors was measured for student engagement. The second phase served a supporting qualitative component. At the conclusion of the experimental phase, structured interviews were conducted individually with each participant to examine the perceptions of the students on integration of the IWB into reading instruction. This study examined between and within-phase patterns of achievement and engagement for each student. It included descriptive statistics of the data, visual analysis with line graphs that displayed data phase-by-phase, and statistical analysis. In total, no noticeable differences or statistical significance was found in achievement or engagement between the two methods of intervention for the students with ASD. While a few correlations were found, they were only found in one variable in each category of achievement and engagement. All three participants did not have correlations for both of the two measurable variables for achievement. Also, all three participants did not have correlations for more than one of the four measured variables for engagement. Students expressed both positive and negative aspects of both conditions; however, a preference was given to the IWB. Suggestions for further research are incorporated as part of the study results. This dissertation may impact financial decisions related to purchasing technology for school administrators for their buildings. As demand for the use of technology in educational settings increase, along with the need for evidence-based interventions for students with ASD, administrators are faced with making decisions regarding the type of technology, the impact of technology, and the cost/benefits of particular technologies within school settings.
Open Access
Elementary teacher leaders: theory and methodology of development
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Medina, Andrew J., author; Timpson, William M., advisor; Aragon, Antonette, committee member; Bimper, Albert, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
Education reform in K-12 public education continues to be a national priority. The call for improvement includes teachers to emerge as leaders to reform K-12 education where it matters most – at the classroom level. In the past decade, the discussion of teacher leadership is gaining legitimacy in education literature as well as in educational practice. The first section discusses topics in current educational reform that have led to the conclusion a new paradigm is needed in the teaching profession. The second part considers challenges of teacher leadership. The third part discusses what is known about teacher leadership. This review is an attempt to place teacher leadership in context of changing work force issues and improving student achievement in Jefferson County Schools K-6. The purposes of this study are to explain teacher leadership in Jefferson County K-6 public education and to identify the principles of effective teacher leadership and the barriers that inhibit teacher leader participation in public school reform efforts. This study presented eight principles from complexity theory. Complexity theory suggests K-6 public education be viewed as a complex organization calling for leadership that can transform education from past practices and to prepare public education for the twenty-first century. Identification of a set of guiding principles in teacher leadership practice could further empower classroom teachers in public school reform. The eight principles and implications for teacher leadership explain how educational and organizational theories apply to issues related to teacher leadership in elementary public education. Several factors were studied related to distributive leadership. Leadership types, roles and positions, influence, context, and expertise are factors. If factors are considered with regard to interactions of leaders, followers, and the situation, then practice can be placed centrally in a framework for leadership practice. The tenets used to frame the analysis were related to distributed leadership and pertaining to elementary public education. Sociocultural learning was a way to analyze how teachers were learning to be teacher leaders in public elementary education. A teacher (person) is learning in characteristic ways by engaging in social processes (activity) in a defined community of practice (world). Teacher leaders participate in various activities in the school system. Participation sets a teacher leader on a trajectory to becoming a member in the social world of elementary public education. Sociocultural learning theory provides a lens through which the social world and participation in activities that places the person as the focal point. This view suggests practice in social structures as a way of explaining the person as a learner. This perspective maintains an explicit focus on the whole person as inseparable from learning by membership in a learning community. From this view, learning to lead is an activity engaged in by classroom teachers in elementary education. Given this study of teacher leaders is a grounded theory from case studies, a theoretical framework explains the key constructs that were studied and presumed relationships among them. The three theoretical constructs for this study of teacher leaders are the guiding principles of complexity of their work, qualities of practices in the distribution of leadership, and sociocultural learning experience. The outcome of this study is a theory and a process of teacher leaders' development and practice.
Open Access
Employee engagement: critique, theory, and model
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Stampka, Scott A., author; Makela, Carole, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member; Troxell, Wade, committee member; Venneberg, Donald, committee member
Organizational behavior researchers fail to critically evaluate the congruence between their conceptualizations, definitions, and measures of employee engagement. Three manuscripts are presented to illuminate this unrecognized confusion in employee engagement research. The first manuscript explored the employee engagement, motivation, and performance literature, and presented a definition of employee engagement necessary for the three constructs to fall within the same nomological network. The definition was unique and counter to the most prevalent conceptualization of employee engagement. It was shown, for employee engagement to provide organizational value, it should be defined to include physical behaviors aligned with the goals of the organization. This positions employee engagement as a motivated state, contrary to the most prolific conceptualization, which describes employee engagement as a motivational state. The second manuscript explored the motivation and employee engagement literature to develop a Motivation Model of Engagement (MMOE). It was shown traditional motivation theories focus on 'why' someone is motivated. However, the MMOE elucidates 'how' someone becomes motivated. The MMOE described how employees become engaged and what influences the likelihood of engagement. The MMOE is unique and strengthens motivation theory by filling in common gaps in existing theories and showcases how existing motivation theories complement each other. The third manuscript illuminated the incongruence of current employee engagement research designs, and presented a heuristic model, which aligns conceptualization, definition, and measure. A measurement model was presented, which described influencers of employee engagement. A conceptual measurement instrument was presented, which captures the likelihood of employees engaging in behaviors beneficial to the organization and illuminates potential interventions to increase the likelihood of employees engaging. The manuscripts were presented such that each built on the one preceding. However, each was intended to be applicable to research and practice on its own. Implications for research and practice were discussed, as well as potential applications. Further, suggestions for future research were proposed to entice, strengthen, and grow organizational behavior research.
Open Access
Exploring the efficacy of a social-emotional focused equine-assisted learning program for youth in a school-based partnership
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Matlock, Sarah K., author; Birmingham, Daniel, advisor; Peters, Caiti, committee member; Black, Jerry, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the efficacy of a social-emotional learning (SEL) focused equine-assisted learning (EAL) program for youth who are not responding to school-wide efforts in SEL. The mental health crisis in youth is a leading cause for concern in public school systems across the nation and schools are uniquely positioned to provide additional support through community-based partnerships. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of an 8-week SEL-focused EAL program in improving social-emotional competencies, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and perceptions of self-efficacy in youth from the local school district. Based on parent DESSA reports, we found that youth who participated in the program (n = 15) showed statistically significant improvements in social-emotional competencies (p = .01), compared to the waitlist-control group (n = 14), with a large effect size (d = .995). Teachers also completed the DESSA reports, and although we did not find statistically significant differences (p = .616), we did find slightly greater improvements in SEL scores for the experimental group compared to the waitlist-control group, from pre-test to post-test. Students completed pre- and post-tests for the PHQ-9 (symptoms of depression), the GAD-7 (symptoms of anxiety) and the GSES (perceptions of self-efficacy. We did not find statistically significant differences between groups in these areas. However, we saw improvements in approximately half of the participants within the experimental group in all three categories. We also found that some students experienced setbacks in all three of these areas post-programming. In the future, it is important to explore the phenomenon of why certain students see improvements in anxiety and depression, while others have increased symptoms post-programming. We are happy to report that an 8-week SEL-focused EAL program is effective in improving SEL competencies for students who are not responding to SEL efforts within the classroom.
Open Access
Graduate students of color: the impact of mentoring at predominantly white institutions
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Gonzalez, René, author; Aragon, Antonette, advisor; Basile, Vincent, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member; Cespedes, Karina, committee member
Despite the increasing diversity of the US population, particularly of Latinx residents, the lack of resources and the underrepresentation of graduate students of color (GSC) are lingering issues in higher education. This dissertation discusses the impact of mentoring at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) for GSC. With Critical Race Theory (CRT) as my lens, I expand on mentoring, mentorship services, counter-storytelling, critical social factors and a historical context of higher education in order to both illustrate the problem and offer specific solutions to the systemic barriers that GSC face every day on college campuses. By leveraging the narrative side of CRT, this study provided the opportunity for additional GSC by creating a qualitative/quantitative survey designed to capture perceptions and experiences at other PWIs. These stories identify a trend or need for appropriate services in a system where GSC are attempting to navigate. The results offer specific counterstories by and experiential knowledge of GSC on mentoring at PWIs. There were two types: open-ended and Likert-scale. The survey results gave clarity on the specific topics it was designed to address. Respondents' overall attitudes and perceptions of mentoring show that mentees expect mentors to exhibit high levels of accessibility, approachability, trust, interest in a mentee's personal and academic welfare, especially as a person of color. Also, GSC expected at least some level of engagement with the mentee as a junior colleague, not merely as a student. Finally, GSC expected mentors to help navigate departmental academic support structures and policies as well as professional opportunities.
Open Access
Human-technology relationality and self-network organization: players and avatars in World of Warcraft
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Banks, Jaime, author; Martey, Rosa Mikeal, advisor; Rouner, Donna, committee member; Champ, Joseph, committee member; Aoki, Eric, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
Massively multiplayer online roleplaying games, or MMOs, present an increasingly popular digital media experience whereby identity emerges as players contribute materially to play but contributions are governed by affordances and constraints of the game. Unique to this medium is the player's ability to create and control a digital body - an avatar - to represent the Self in the immersive gameworld. Although notions of identity and the Self in digital games have been examined through a number of approaches, it is still unclear how the way one sees the avatar in the uncanny situation of having two bodies - one digital, one physical - contributes to a sense of Self in and around these games. Further, it is unclear how non-human objects contribute to human senses of Self. In that vein, this study examines two research questions: How do players have relationships with their avatars in a digital game? And how does the Self emerge in relation to those relationships? Toward understanding how nonhumans play a role in the emergence of the Self, this study approaches these questions from an actor-network perspective, examining how human, nonhuman, material, and semiotic objects exist in complex webs of relations and how those relations give rise to particular senses of Self in relation to particular gameplay situations. Tracing the history of the construct of "Self" from romantic and singular to postmodern and pluralistic, I argue for an approach to Self that accommodates postmodern perspectives that embodiment is only one way that the Self is signified across spaces. Actor-Network Theory principles are integrated with postmodern notions of identity to propose a Network Model of Self. In this model, the Self is a network of personas that are, themselves, complex networks of objects. Following, I present a research approach called "object-relation mapping" that integrates phenomenology, Actor-Network Theory, social network analysis, and Grounded Theory to accommodate network structures and multiplicities of the Self as it is signified across spaces. To address the questions of how the Self emerges in relation to different player-avatar relationships, I conducted in-depth interviews with 29 players of the online digital game World of Warcraft. Transcripts of those interviews were analyzed via thematic analysis for patterns in player-avatar relationships and via object-relation mapping for semantic and structural patterns in how object-relations give rise to persona- and Self-networks. Through this analysis, a four-point typology of player-avatar relationships emerged, characterized by variations in emotional intimacy, self-differentiation, perceived agency, and primary gameplay focus. It is interpreted that the different relationships are the result of sense-making processes in response to the uncanny situation of having two bodies - one digital and one physical. Analysis revealed that players of different relationship types "activated" different types of personas, resulting in a Self that was more or less complex and consistent across game and non-game spaces. Further, players of each relationship type differently approached particular objects in crafting those personas. Ultimately a model of active Self-organization is presented, where players work with the affordances and against the constraints of objects in sense-making practices in order to maintain and protect preferred senses of agency and to achieve personal gameplay goals. These findings suggest that players see avatars as objects that are, to different degrees, both human and technological, and as resources in the purposeful organization of a Self that serves individual psychological, social, and functional purposes. Different phenomenal accounts of the player-avatar relationship emerge as players work to make sense of human-technology interactions and to maintain agency and Selfhood in the face of technological constraints. Implications for human-technology relationships, more broadly, are discussed.
Open Access
If we build green, will it appraise?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Bently, Laura E. M. J., author; Glick, Scott, advisor; Strong, Kelly, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member
This study investigates the current status of sustainable value integration in real estate markets within Colorado. It was discovered that the property appraiser is in an opportunistic position to influence all stakeholders and potentially increase the demand for sustainable building practices. Therefore, the dynamics of the appraisal process, necessary inputs, and rules and regulations will be the main focus of the study. This research focus builds on the education and professional practices in both real estate and construction realms and therefore, has the potential to impact all professionals involved with any aspect of real estate property. This research uses an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach to conduct a cross-sectional study through archival research, a survey distribution, and the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. The investigation begins with a discovery of relevant terms to the study parameters and assessment of the necessary qualifications and processes to becoming a licensed appraiser, followed by a summary of the typical property appraisal process. Then, a comparative analysis of those sustainable education requirements and resources is conducted to discover the status of appraisal regulation and practices relative to sustainable building features. A survey was distributed to collect data on the perceptions of appraisal professionals toward the existence of sustainable value integration, the degree of their consideration, and their perspectives to its impact on economic value. The study confirmed that real estate appraisers in Colorado are progressing toward integrating sustainable building features in their appraisal assignments. However, the research confirmed several complex challenges to sustainable value integration exist: (1) sustainable feature recognition remains a challenge for a portion of the appraiser population, (2) appraisers are continually challenged by the inability to measure and quantify the economic impacts of sustainable building features, and (3) there is limited information and data related to sustainable building features available for appraisers to utilize in their analyses. Continuing efforts for mandated education focused on sustainability are needed. Further research is directed toward developing methods and processes to measure and quantify sustainable building features and their impacts, discovering efficient and accurate methods to record property and market data relative to sustainable building features, and case studies examining the impacts of specific building features and their influences on economic value.
Open Access
Is judgment reactivity really about the judgment?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Myers, Sarah J., author; Rhodes, Matthew, advisor; Cleary, Anne, committee member; Fisher, Gwen, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
A common research tool used to measure one's understanding of their own learning is to collect judgments of learning (JOLs), whereby participants indicate how likely they are to remember information on a later test. Importantly, recent work has demonstrated that soliciting JOLs can impact true learning and memory, referred to as JOL reactivity. However, the underlying cognitive processes that are impacted when learners make JOLs and that lead to later reactivity effects are not yet well-understood. To better elucidate the mechanisms that drive JOL reactivity, I examined how changing the method of soliciting JOLs impacts reactivity. In Experiment 1, I manipulated how long participants had to make their JOLs; in Experiment 2, I compared JOLs made on a percentage scale versus a binary (yes/no) scale; and in Experiment 3 participants were required to explain why they made some of their JOLs. Judgments that require or allow for more in-depth processing (i.e., longer time in Experiment 1, percentage scales in Experiment 2, explaining in Experiment 3) should require more effort from participants to make their judgments. If these more effortful judgments lead to larger reactivity effects, it would suggest that reactivity is driven by processes that occur when making JOLs. However, findings from the experiments did not support this account. Although some differences in reactivity effects were seen after making binary and explaining JOLs compared to percentage JOLs, the hypothesis that more cognitive effort would result in stronger reactivity was not supported. Therefore, results suggest that the mere presence of JOLs during study may cause a general shift in participants' learning approach, resulting in later JOL reactivity.
Open Access
Mastery quizzing: assessing a novel testing technique in the classroom and the laboratory
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Bates, Lauren Elizabeth, author; DeLosh, Edward, advisor; Rhodes, Matthew, committee member; Graham, Daniel, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
Research promotes the use of frequent quizzing, as well as the use of feedback to promote long-lasting learning. In this dissertation, I propose a method for promoting long-lasting learning using mastery quizzing. Participants read an expository text and then answered questions about that text. Some participants were required to take quizzes until they achieve a perfect score, which I refer to as mastery quizzing, whereas other participants were forced to take quizzes a certain number of times. I explored how mastery quizzing can contribute to students' classroom learning and whether this method is more effective than traditional quizzing. In Experiment 1 I first looked at whether the benefits of mastery quizzing may emerge due to the benefits associated with frequent testing and feedback. Next, In Experiment 2 I explored the role that feedback may play in the mastery model, exploring students' use of feedback and how that may impact final test scores. Experiment 3 explored whether attending to and processing feedback led to increased performance on a final test. My results supported an overall benefit of mastery quizzing relative to standard quizzing techniques, even when controlling for number of quiz attempts, the presence of feedback, and conditions meant to simulate a need to use the feedback to improve performance. These results imply that the mastery technique may be a more effective method to improve student learning than standard quizzing techniques.
Open Access
Misbehavior in virtual worlds: breaking the rules for social benefit
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Shiflett, Kevin, author; Martey, Rosa Mikeal, advisor; Champ, Joseph, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
This thesis uses Gidden's (1984) Structuration Theory as a guiding framework for examining the causes and consequences of misbehavior in virtual worlds. Misbehavior is clearly delineated from more commonly studied cheating behaviors to examine the possibility that certain unintended behaviors (those that break coded rules, semiotic rules, and emerging social norms) may be productive and even beneficial behaviors for social groups in online spaces. Data was gathered at a private island within Second Life as part of the larger SCRIBE project. Therefore, this thesis conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data and found that participants were primarily able to misbehave by transgressing boundaries created by structures of domination, legitimation, and signification if the group identity of detective trainees was salient over the individual identities of present participants. Such findings are consistent with the social identity model of deinviduation effects (Lea & Spears, 1991). Further findings are discussed in detail using supporting literature and theory.
Open Access
New business formation in northern Colorado - a time-series cross-sectional analysis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Barreto, Henrique Lima, author; Makela, Carole J., advisor; Grant, John, advisor; Feller, Rich, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Hogler, Raymond L., committee member
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document.
Open Access
Predicting assistive technology service utilization and grade point average for postsecondary students with disabilities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Simpson, Claire, author; Malcolm, Matthew, advisor; Roll, Marla, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member
Postsecondary students with disabilities (SWD) face many barriers in their educational endeavors. Assistive technology (AT) is a necessary accommodation for postsecondary SWD intended to increase equitable access to physical and virtual educational environments. Despite the availability of AT for postsecondary SWD, barriers to equal educational opportunities persist. There is limited evidence demonstrating who is using AT or its impact on objective measures of academic performance, such as GPA. This study seeks to fill these evidence gaps. In addition to AT use, there are multiple potential predictors of GPA. The Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model specifies a transactional relationship between the person, their activity, context, and AT. Each of these pieces interact to influence the outcome. This model was used to consider multiple factors which may influence the outcome of GPA. The purposes of this study were to 1) explore predictors of AT service utilization, 2) determine if AT service utilization or other personal or contextual factors predict GPA, and 3) identify a relationship between objective academic performance (GPA) and subjective academic performance (modified Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (mCOPM)). Binomial logistic regression was used to explore whether AT service utilization is related to first-generation status, disability diagnostic category, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and/or major. Multiple linear regression was used to determine if final cumulative GPA could be predicted by AT service utilization, first-generation status, disability diagnostic category, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and/or major. Finally, Pearson correlation was used to identify a relationship between GPA and mCOPM. While the full model used to explore predictors of AT service utilization was not statistically significant (χ 2 = 15.62, df = 10, p = 0.11, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.026), we found first-generation students were significantly more likely to seek AT services, while students with psychological and cognitive disabilities were significantly less likely. The full model used to determine predictors of GPA significantly explained approximately 4% of variation in GPA (R2 = 0.043, F = 2.81, df = 694, p = 0.001). AT service utilization, first-generation status, and multiple disabilities were significant predictors of students' cumulative GPA. In particular, SWD who utilized AT services earned a 0.14 higher GPA than their peers who did not use AT. Additionally, we found a small but statistically significant correlation between GPA and self-perceived academic performance (r = 0.21, p < 0.01) and satisfaction (r = 0.21, p < 0.01) as measured by the mCOPM. Our research indicates personal characteristics, such as being a first-generation college student and type of disability can predict AT service utilization, and AT service utilization is among factors associated with earning a higher GPA. These findings have implications for universities, AT service providers, and SWD. Universities and service providers should be intentional and strategic about promoting AT services to students who are less likely to pursue them, while understanding and emphasizing the relationship between using AT services and increased GPA.