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- All Subjects: Creative Project
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Description
Engineering is a heavily male-dominated field and females are significantly less likely to choose an engineering-related major or career path. At the age of six years old, females start believing that their male peers are smarter than them, leading them to pursue less ambitious careers. The children's book Lyla B. An Engineering Legacy was created to encourage more young girls to discover their own potential and pursue engineering as a career. To explore the efficacy of the book on its target consumers, a pilot study was performed with first and second grade children. The participants' engineering knowledge; fixed and failure mindset beliefs; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) interest, competency, and career aspirations; and stereotype beliefs were evaluated before and after being read the book to determine if the story has a positive impact on children. Additionally, the satisfaction of the participants towards both the book and main character were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Overall, the results of the study suggest that the book has a positive impact on the interest and competency of STEM fields and the stereotype beliefs that the children had towards engineers. The study also suggests that the book decreases fixed and failure mindsets and that the participants were satisfied with the overall concept of the book and main character, Lyla.
ContributorsPiatak, Catherine (Co-author) / Seelhammer, Marissa Leigh (Co-author) / Torrence, Kelly (Co-author) / Miller, Cindy (Thesis director) / Jordan, Shawn (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In this creative project, our goal was to establish a student lead service organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for a selected medical issue through an interactive carnival event. In doing so, we were able to identify the potential obstacles and pathways that are required for service organizations within Arizona State University. Our experience provides a guideline for future students looking to organize charitable events on campus. This paper discusses several essential skills for running a charitable student organization, including establishing a brand, managing finances, cultivating business relationships, and marketing the cause. It is our hope that future students can learn from our experience and find success in similar endeavors.
ContributorsStoddard, Stacy Dawn (Co-author) / Wong, Brittney (Co-author) / Hultsman, Wendy (Thesis director) / Holland-Malcom, Jan (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Most daily living tasks consist of pairing a series of sequential movements, e.g., reaching to a cup, grabbing the cup, lifting and returning the cup to your mouth. The process by which we control and mediate the smooth progression of these tasks is not well understood. One method which we can use to further evaluate these motions is known as Startle Evoked Movements (SEM). SEM is an established technique to probe the motor learning and planning processes by detecting muscle activation of the sternocleidomastoid muscles of the neck prior to 120ms after a startling stimulus is presented. If activation of these muscles was detected following a stimulus in the 120ms window, the movement is classified as Startle+ whereas if no sternocleidomastoid activation is detected after a stimulus in the allotted time the movement is considered Startle-. For a movement to be considered SEM, the activation of movements for Startle+ trials must be faster than the activation of Startle- trials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect that expertise has on sequential movements as well as determining if startle can distinguish when the consolidation of actions, known as chunking, has occurred. We hypothesized that SEM could distinguish words that were solidified or chunked. Specifically, SEM would be present when expert typists were asked to type a common word but not during uncommon letter combinations. The results from this study indicated that the only word that was susceptible to SEM, where Startle+ trials were initiated faster than Startle-, was an uncommon task "HET" while the common words "AND" and "THE" were not. Additionally, the evaluation of the differences between each keystroke for common and uncommon words showed that Startle was unable to distinguish differences in motor chunking between Startle+ and Startle- trials. Explanations into why these results were observed could be related to hand dominance in expert typists. No proper research has been conducted to evaluate the susceptibility of the non-dominant hand's fingers to SEM, and the results of future studies into this as well as the results from this study can impact our understanding of sequential movements.
ContributorsMieth, Justin Richard (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire (Thesis director) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The novella Flicker by Rachel Ponstein is a climate fiction story. It draws influence from the post-apocalyptic and dystopian genres as well as classic gothic literature. The story utilizes elements of gothic literature including Freud's Uncanny, uneven framing, and bildungsroman. It also utilizes subhuman species to incite conversation about the importance of perspective and the use of an alternative lens on the post-Reckoning world. The disaster story is ambiguous to focus the reader on the importance of the characters and their progress throughout the journey rather than the overall plotline. The analysis below serves as an explanation for the intentional decisions made to fit a sub-genre and engage the reader in an intellectual conversation about the issues broached.
ContributorsPonstein, Rachel Kay (Author) / Fette, Donald (Thesis director) / Hoyt, Heather (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Startle-evoked-movement (SEM), the involuntary release of a planned movement via a startling stimulus, has gained significant attention recently for its ability to probe motor planning as well as enhance movement of the upper extremity following stroke. We recently showed that hand movements are susceptible to SEM. Interestingly, only coordinated movements of the hand (grasp) but not individuated movements of the finger (finger abduction) were susceptible. It was suggested that this resulted from different neural mechanisms involved in each task; however it is possible this was the result of task familiarity. The objective of this study was to evaluate a more familiar individuated finger movement, typing, to determine if this task was susceptible to SEM. We hypothesized that typing movements will be susceptible to SEM in all fingers. These results indicate that individuated movements of the fingers are susceptible to SEM when the task involves a more familiar task, since the electromyogram (EMG) latency is faster in SCM+ trials compared to SCM- trials. However, the middle finger does not show a difference in terms of the keystroke voltage signal, suggesting the middle finger is less susceptible to SEM. Given that SEM is thought to be mediated by the brainstem, specifically the reticulospinal tract, this suggest that the brainstem may play a role in movements of the distal limb when those movements are very familiar, and the independence of each finger might also have a significant on the effect of SEM. Further research includes understanding SEM in fingers in the stroke population. The implications of this research can impact the way upper extremity rehabilitation is delivered.
ContributorsQuezada Valladares, Maria Jose (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire (Thesis director) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Previous research has shown that a loud acoustic stimulus can trigger an individual's prepared movement plan. This movement response is referred to as a startle-evoked movement (SEM). SEM has been observed in the stroke survivor population where results have shown that SEM enhances single joint movements that are usually performed with difficulty. While the presence of SEM in the stroke survivor population advances scientific understanding of movement capabilities following a stroke, published studies using the SEM phenomenon only examined one joint. The ability of SEM to generate multi-jointed movements is understudied and consequently limits SEM as a potential therapy tool. In order to apply SEM as a therapy tool however, the biomechanics of the arm in multi-jointed movement planning and execution must be better understood. Thus, the objective of our study was to evaluate if SEM could elicit multi-joint reaching movements that were accurate in an unrestrained, two-dimensional workspace. Data was collected from ten subjects with no previous neck, arm, or brain injury. Each subject performed a reaching task to five Targets that were equally spaced in a semi-circle to create a two-dimensional workspace. The subject reached to each Target following a sequence of two non-startling acoustic stimuli cues: "Get Ready" and "Go". A loud acoustic stimuli was randomly substituted for the "Go" cue. We hypothesized that SEM is accessible and accurate for unrestricted multi-jointed reaching tasks in a functional workspace and is therefore independent of movement direction. Our results found that SEM is possible in all five Target directions. The probability of evoking SEM and the movement kinematics (i.e. total movement time, linear deviation, average velocity) to each Target are not statistically different. Thus, we conclude that SEM is possible in a functional workspace and is not dependent on where arm stability is maximized. Moreover, coordinated preparation and storage of a multi-jointed movement is indeed possible.
ContributorsOssanna, Meilin Ryan (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire (Thesis director) / Schaefer, Sydney (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The goal of this project was to create a card game that would quickly and easily allow medical professionals to learn important information. This project seeks to advance ways in which medical staff gain information about disease outbreaks through the creation of a card game which teaches players the proper steps and procedure to triage and treat patients who are suspected to have Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, which was not done properly during the recent outbreak. To create this game, research was conducted on the information given by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the various steps to triaging those who were suspected of having Ebola. Various prototypes of the game were made and tested to optimize the win-lose ratio while still being an enjoyable game to play. This card game is fast-paced, small, and can be played either individually or with more than one person. It is loosely based off of Solitaire. This game has gone through three prototypes of the cards as well as a few brief testing periods. Through the methods and procedure used in this game's creation, it has been concluded that this method is a great way to easily teach players a proper procedure, and that this method of game can be applied to other disease breakouts and even to other fields where information must be learned quickly. Future steps for this game include improving the graphic art used in the cards, and continuing on to create a smartphone application.
ContributorsHenriksen, Carissa (Co-author) / Pratt, Breanna (Co-author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Coursen, Jerry (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of this creative project was to establish the foundation of an educational program that teaches financial literacy to the local homeless population. The name of this program is stillHUMAN. The project consisted of two parts, a needs analysis and a prototyping phase. The needs analysis was conducted at the Phoenix Rescue Mission Center, a faith-based homeless shelter that caters to male "clients", through written surveys and one-on-one interviews. Before interviewing the clients, the team acquired IRB approval as well as consent from the Center to carry out this study. These needs were then organized into a House of Quality. We concluded from Part 1 that we would need to create 3 - 7-minute-long video modules that would be available on an online platform and covered topics including professional development, budgeting, credit, and Internet literacy. In order to commence Part 2, each team member recorded a video module. These three videos collectively conveyed instruction regarding how to write a resume, use the Internet and fill out an application online, and how to budget money. These videos were uploaded to YouTube and shown to clients at Phoenix Rescue Mission, who were each asked to fill out a feedback survey afterwards. The team plans to use these responses to improve the quality of future video modules and ultimately create a holistic lesson plan that covers all financial literacy topics the clients desire. A website was also made to store future videos. The team plans to continue with this project post-graduation. Future tasks include creating and testing the a complete lesson plan, establishing a student organization at Arizona State University and recruiting volunteers from different disciplines, and creating an on-site tutoring program so clients may receive individualized attention. Once the lesson plan is demonstrated to be effective at Phoenix Rescue Mission, we plan to administer this lesson plan at other local homeless shelters and assess its efficacy in a non-faithbased and non-male environment. After a successful financial literacy program has been created, we aim to create lesson plans for other topics, including health literacy, human rights, and basic education. Ultimately stillHUMAN will become a sustainable program that unites the efforts of students and professionals to improve the quality of life of the homeless population.
ContributorsKim, Michael (Co-author) / Gulati, Guneet (Co-author) / Vanood, Aimen (Co-author) / Ganesh, Tirupalavanam (Thesis director) / Shrake, Scott (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The Honors Creative Project evolved drastically from start to finish, despite its origin remaining the same. My core goal in this project was to connect two seemingly mutually exclusive aspects of my life, engineering and dance. After conducting an IRB study and using data from my own personal experiences, I was able to see how dance had in fact made me a better engineer. There were skills that I gained and learned in dance that were directly applicable to engineering, and I believe will be critical to my success as an engineer. As the focal point of the project angled towards myself, I had to look deeply into who I am and how I reached this point. I conducted self-reflections on various aspects of my current life and also on the struggles and hardships I overcame during my years at ASU. From these reflections, I learned a lot about myself and how my personal identity has evolved. This identity evolution became the backbone behind my thesis defense. I took my research and self-reflections and designed a series of artwork that I personally designed and painted myself. I my engineering side to conduct the research and collect the data, and then used my artistic side to present my findings to the public in a way that attracted and audience and caused others to reflect upon their own identities.
ContributorsArizmendi, Romann Fuentes (Author) / Olarte, David (Thesis director) / Welz, Matt (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05