Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection

Geology and its tangential studies, collectively known and referred to in this thesis as geosciences, have been paramount to the transformation and advancement of society, fundamentally changing the way we view, interact and live with the surrounding natural and built environment. It is important to recognize the value and importance of this interdisciplinary scientific field while reconciling its ties to imperial and colonizing extractive systems which have led to harmful and invasive endeavors. This intersection among geosciences, (environmental) justice studies, and decolonization is intended to promote inclusive pedagogical models through just and equitable methodologies and frameworks as to prevent further injustices and promote recognition and healing of old wounds. By utilizing decolonial frameworks and highlighting the voices of peoples from colonized and exploited landscapes, this annotated syllabus tackles the issues previously described while proposing solutions involving place-based education and the recentering of land within geoscience pedagogical models. (abstract)

This study estimates the effect of district wealth on Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account program participation using data from the Arizona Department of Education. We find that students from poor districts are not more likely to participate as school performance decreases.Conversely, those from wealthy districts do increase participation as school performance decreases. We briefly try to explain the observed heterogeneity through survey results and commenting on the program design.

The 5E model of instruction is most commonly used in STEM; however, this thesis explores the idea of integrating the 5E model into second-language teaching of Spanish. Furthermore, this project incorporates technology into the 5E system to create engaging lessons. The overarching question of this paper is “How can technology and the 5E model be combined to create effective 5th-grade Spanish lesson plans?” This thesis includes four complete Spanish 5E lesson plans designed for a 5th-grade class.

This study aims to produce efficient and effective group writing workshops for students within the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. To balance two opposing theories in writing center pedagogy - the direct instruction theory and the student-led/ collaborative theory - this study also aims to determine whether a balanced combination of these approaches in writing workshops will increase student confidence in their writing abilities. Several writing workshops were held over Zoom utilizing a combination of direct teaching methods and collaborative techniques. Students were then surveyed to determine whether they found the workshops helpful, learned new skills, and/or grew more confident in their abilities. The student responses proved the hypothesis that a combined approach leads to an increase in student confidence.

The purpose of this study was to bring new information to the field of education research on<br/>graduation rates and school programming. Research on graduation rates and the effects of school<br/>programs exist, however there is not an abundance of research aimed specifically at Title I high<br/>schools. The goal was to find what school characteristics might impact graduation rates in this<br/>population. The thesis focused on Title I high schools in the Phoenix Union District with a<br/>graduating 2019 class of at least 250 students. This limited the effect of variability (school size,<br/>location, socioeconomic status). To research this topic, school characteristics were selected<br/>including course rigor, mentor programs, and college prep programs, as well as specific schools.<br/>To obtain the information, multiple sources were used including the Arizona Department of<br/>Education website, school websites, and school administrators/staff. The research revealed that<br/>the effect of course rigor, college prep programs, and mentorship on graduation rates in Phoenix<br/>Union High Schools is not apparent. Further research should be conducted into other possible<br/>causes for the gaps in graduation rates between the Title I high schools in this district. Future<br/>research on ELL students and programs in the Phoenix Union district and their effectiveness or<br/>lack thereof is also recommended. The research shows that this large demographic negatively<br/>correlates with the overall graduation rates at the six schools researched.

The purpose of this study was to bring new information to the field of education research on graduation rates and school programming. Research on graduation rates and the effects of school programs exist, however there is not an abundance of research aimed specifically at Title I high schools. The goal was to find what school characteristics might impact graduation rates in this population. The thesis focused on Title I high schools in the Phoenix Union District with a graduating 2019 class of at least 250 students. This limited the effect of variability (school size, location, socioeconomic status). To research this topic, school characteristics were selected including course rigor, mentor programs, and college prep programs, as well as specific schools. To obtain the information, multiple sources were used including the Arizona Department of Education website, school websites, and school administrators/staff. The research revealed that the effect of course rigor, college prep programs, and mentorship on graduation rates in Phoenix Union High Schools is not apparent. Further research should be conducted into other possible causes for the gaps in graduation rates between the Title I high schools in this district. Future research on ELL students and programs in the Phoenix Union district and their effectiveness or lack thereof is also recommended. The research shows that this large demographic negatively correlates with the overall graduation rates at the six schools researched.

As we count down the years remaining before a global climate catastrophe, ever increases the importance of teaching environmental history and fostering environmental stewardship from a young age. In the age of globalization, nothing exists in a vacuum, yet our traditional education system often fails to reflect the abundant connections between content areas that are prevalent outside of schools. In fact, many of the flaws of the field of education have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and a forced transition to online schooling, with many educators reverting to outdated practices in a desperate attempt to get students through the year. The aim of this project was to design a unit curriculum with these issues in mind. This month-long environmental history unit engages students through the use of hands-on activities and promotes interdisciplinary connections. The unit can be taught in a physical, online, or hybrid American history class, and will hopefully inspire and motivate students to become environmental stewards as they look toward their futures on this planet.

This 15-week long course is designed to introduce students, specifically in Arizona, to basic sustainability and conservation principles in the context of local reptile wildlife. Throughout the course, the students work on identifying the problem, creating visions for the desired future, and finally developing a strategy to help with reptile species survival in the valley. Research shows that animals in the classroom have led to improved academic success for students. Thus, through creating this course I was able to combine conservation and sustainability curriculum with real-life animals whose survival is directly being affected in the valley. My hope is that this course will help students identify a newfound passion and call to action to protect native wildlife. The more awareness and actionable knowledge which can be brought to students in Arizona about challenges to species survival the more likely we are to see a change in the future and a stronger sense of urgency for protecting wildlife. In order to accomplish these goals, the curriculum was developed to begin with basic concepts of species needs such as food and shelter and basic principles of sustainability. As the course progresses the students analyze current challenges reptile wildlife faces, like urban sprawl, and explore options to address these challenges. The course concludes with a pilot pitch where students present their solution projects to the school.

The academic environment has historically been somewhat slow to implement and adopt new technologies. However, developments in video games have created an opportunity for students to learn new skills and topics through nontraditional mediums of education. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for flexible learning opportunities. Joystick Education is our approach to addressing this need. Through online, game-based tutoring and a database of video games with high educational value, Joystick Education creates a learning environment that is effective, fun, and engaging for students. We analyzed popular, mainstream video games for educational content and selected nine games that teach concepts like history, biology, or physics while playing the game. Through promotion on social media, we generated buzz around our website which led to 103 unique visitors over our first month online and two customers requesting to book our tutoring service. We are confident that given more time to grow, Joystick Education can generate profit and become a successful business.

The academic environment has historically been somewhat slow to implement and adopt new technologies. However, developments in video games have created an opportunity for students to learn new skills and topics through nontraditional mediums of education. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for flexible learning opportunities. Joystick Education is our approach to addressing this need. Through online, game-based tutoring and a database of video games with high educational value, Joystick Education creates a learning environment that is effective, fun, and engaging for students. We analyzed popular, mainstream video games for educational content and selected nine games that teach concepts like history, biology, or physics while playing the game. Through promotion on social media, we generated buzz around our website which led to 103 unique visitors over our first month online and two customers requesting to book our tutoring service. We are confident that given more time to grow, Joystick Education can generate profit and become a successful business.