Math homework is a highly debated topic within the middle school education field. Teachers, parents, and students all have differing opinions on what the ideal math homework assignment is and how it promotes academic achievement. This study was intended for discovering what the optimal middle school math homework assignment looks like, how teachers can best follow-up on the assignment, and the most beneficial quantity and frequency of homework. Currently, teachers need more distinct guidelines when designing homework assignments. Students in Barrett, The Honors College, at Arizona State University were asked a series of questions about the type, length, and follow-up practices of their homework assignments and how they felt about them. It was found that students who like math are generally highly motivated in the subject. Most often, students are given short but frequent practice homework assignments, which they find to be most helpful, and they appreciate when teachers review the steps and solutions to the assignments in class. These results should allow educators to better align their math homework assignments with practices that students find to be helpful and necessary.

This research investigates the attitude of students towards chatbots and their potential usage in finding career resources. Survey data from two sources were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The first survey found that students had a neutral attitude towards chatbots, but chatbot understanding was a key factor in increasing their usage. The survey data suggested that chatbots could provide quick and convenient access to information and personalized recommendations, but their effectiveness for career resource searches may be limited. The second survey found that students who were more satisfied with the quality of resources from the career office were more likely to use chatbots. However, students who felt more prepared to explore their career options were less likely to use chatbots. These results suggest that the W. P. Carey Career Office could benefit from offering more and better resources to prepare students for exploring their career options and could explore the use of chatbots to enhance the quality of their resources and increase student satisfaction. Further research is needed to confirm these suggestions and explore other possible factors that may affect the use of chatbots and the satisfaction with career office resources.

Service corps and service-focused leadership programs are popular approaches for higher education institutions to prepare their students to become civically engaged future leaders. It is established that integrating diverse students into higher education produces better educational outcomes through active thinking and decision-making as well as introducing students to new perspectives. This study aims to evaluate how effective recruitment practices in Arizona State University’s Next Generation Service Corps (NGSC) are at attracting diverse students. By reviewing the current literature on recruiting diverse candidates, best practices can be established. Data was collected through interviews with NGSC staff on their current recruitment strategies and personal concepts of diversity. Data was also collected from the current students in the program to determine the common channels of recruitment and reasons for their application. There was a misalignment in staff reported recruitment strategy and how students reported finding out about the program. A misalignment in the recruitment strategy and application questions with NGSC staff’s desired traits for applicants was also found. With this in mind, this research provides staff with a full picture of the current state of their recruiting practices and identifies areas for improvement.

In the age of growing technology, Computer Science (CS) professionals have come into high demand. However, despite popular demand there are not enough computer scientists to fill these roles. The current demographic of computer scientists consists mainly of white men. This apparent gender gap must be addressed to promote diversity and inclusivity in a career that requires high creativity and innovation. To understand what enforces gender stereotypes and the gender gap within CS, survey and interview data were collected from both male and female senior students studying CS and those who have left the CS program at Arizona State University. Students were asked what experiences either diminished or reinforced their sense of belonging in this field as well as other questions related to their involvement in CS. Interview and survey data reveal a lack of representation within courses as well as lack of peer support are key factors that influence the involvement and retention of students in CS, especially women. This data was used to identify key factors that influence retention and what can be done to remedy the growing deficit of professionals in this field.

Sustainability is a critical global issue that requires urgent action at all levels, as emphasized by the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Education has been identified as a key driver for advancing sustainability globally, and higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to contribute to the social, economic, and environmental transformations required to tackle the world's most pressing issues due to their capacities to produce groundbreaking research, innovative solutions, and critical education to address sustainability issues across disciplines. However, these efforts alone are not enough to confront the sustainability challenges we face in the present and future, as ultimately, change for sustainability must occur in human behavior at the community and individual levels. Universities can play a key role in promoting behavior change due to their status as living laboratories, and their responsibility to prepare students, regardless of discipline, for addressing the challenges they will face as leaders in the future. By addressing student behavior change for sustainability, universities can create a model for changing community behaviors and produce future leaders in all disciplines that will be prepared to confront global sustainability issues. As a university recognized for its dedication to sustainability, this study addresses barriers to behavior change for sustainability in students at Arizona State University (ASU). Despite ASU’s championing of sustainability, the overall university community has yet to consistently practice sustainable behaviors, especially students. To understand why sustainable behaviors are not being practiced at ASU, interviews with ASU students, staff, and faculty find barriers to behavior change at the university pertaining to university infrastructure, campus culture, messaging, and student engagement. The study recommends actions to address these issues, as well as recommends further research into the individual sustainability issues where these barriers occur.

The opioid crisis is a dangerous public health issue on the rise among college students involved in Greek organizations. This study investigated what first-year students involved in National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities and Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities at Arizona State University (ASU) know about opioids and how to react in the event of an opioid overdose to provide recommendations for ASU. Data was collected by surveying first-year NPC and IFC students at ASU on their knowledge and behavior patterns regarding opioids and overdoses. Additionally, a series of interviews with large public universities in the United States were conducted to discuss resources available to students. It was found that the fraternity and sorority members surveyed have an inadequate amount of knowledge about opioids and overdoses, but have less experiences with opioids and/or overdoses compared to non-Greek affiliated students at ASU. It is believed that with proper education and access to resources, students will decrease their risk of experiencing an overdose. This research provided the basis to argue for educational programs and resources being provided to students at ASU.

The opioid crisis is a dangerous public health issue on the rise among college students involved in Greek organizations. This study investigated what first-year students involved in National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities and Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities at Arizona State University (ASU) know about opioids and how to react in the event of an opioid overdose to provide recommendations for ASU. Data was collected by surveying first-year NPC and IFC students at ASU on their knowledge and behavior patterns regarding opioids and overdoses. Additionally, a series of interviews with large public universities in the United States were conducted to discuss resources available to students. It was found that the fraternity and sorority members surveyed have an inadequate amount of knowledge about opioids and overdoses, but have less experiences with opioids and/or overdoses compared to non-Greek affiliated students at ASU. It is believed that with proper education and access to resources, students will decrease their risk of experiencing an overdose. This research provided the basis to argue for educational programs and resources being provided to students at ASU.