Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 40).

Thesis (Ph.D)--Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010. / Committee Chair: Gregory Abowd; Committee Member: Elle Yi-Luen Do; Committee Member: James Foley; Committee Member: John Peponis; Committee Member: John Stasko. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

This inductive study investigates interactions within groups of visitors during a science center visit. Using simplified interaction analysis of recorded videos; I explore the group dynamics in terms of what determines who takes the lead while multigenerational groups interact with different types of experiments. From the observations, I suggest that the age of different group members and specific design aspects of the experiments play the most important roles in the emergence of leadership. Teenagers in a group tend to take the leadership and dominate during a group interaction, while young children like to explore freely leading the group from one experiment to the next without focusing on finishing them properly. As for the design aspects, if an experiment requires cognitive skills then adults and teenagers take the lead but if an experiment requires physical skills and provides immediate feedback then young children take the lead. I also suggest, instead of guiding the young children in the group, adults tend to become observers during engagements. This study will be useful for researchers and interaction designers who are focusing their work on the behavior of multigenerational groups in science center or museum settings.

A three dimensional viscous/inviscid interactive boundary layer method for predicting the effects of fluid viscosity on the performance of fully wetted propellers is presented. This method is developed by coupling a three dimensional low-order potential based panel method and a two dimensional integral boundary layer analysis method. To simplify the solution procedures, this method applies a reasonable assumption that the effects of the boundary layer along the span wise direction (radially outward for propeller blades) could be negligible compared with those along the stream wise direction (constant radius for propeller blades). One significant development of this method, compared with previous work, is to completely consider the effects of the added sources on the whole blades and wakes rather than evaluate the boundary layer effects along each strip, without interaction among strips. This method is applied to Propeller DTMB4119, Propeller NSRDC4381 and DTMB Duct II for validation. The results show good correlation with experimental measurements or RANS (ANSYS/FLUENT) results. The method is further used to develop a viscous image model for the cases of three dimensional wing blades between two parallel slip walls. An improved method for hydrofoils and propeller blades with non-zero thickness or open trailing edges is presented as well. The method in this thesis follows the idea of Pan (2009, 2011), but applies a new extension scheme, which uses second order polynomials to describe the extension edges. A improved simplified search scheme is also used to find the correct shape of the extension automatically to ensure the two conditions are satisfied. / text

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a web-based strategic, interactive computer application (Fun Fraction) on the ability of middle school students with LD, who have mathematics goals on their IEPs, to solve word problems with fractions and multiplication including two factors of a whole number (less than or equal to 4) and proper fractions. A multiple-probe single case research design across subjects was applied for the study. Three middle school students with learning disabilities participated in baseline, intervention, and maintenance test sessions over a 13-week period. Findings showed that there was an experimental effect for all three students, tested on their instructional probes; students' performance improved from baseline to intervention phases after receiving instruction through Fun Fraction. John and Alec reached the mastery level of 80% on two of the three review days. The level of change from baseline to intervention phases ranged from 28.67% to 68.89%. Even through there was no immediacy effect for John, the trend of his data (10.33) revealed a substantial growth in general. Additionally, the percentage of data showing improvement between baseline and intervention phases was 70% for Tiffany, 56% for John, and 100% for Alec. In particular, the improvement trend of Alec's data was statistically significant (Tau[subscript novlap] = 1, p < .05, CI 90% = .341<>1.659). All of them reached 80% accuracy percentage on their one-time maintenance tests. Regarding the three problem types of combine, partition, and compare for each representation and equation question, students struggled the most with combine representation questions and showed relatively better competence in compare equation questions. A learning-related social validity questionnaire and usability questionnaire indicated that students liked learning through Fun Fraction and recognized well the useful interaction design features embedded in Fun Fraction. Cognitive and metacognitive strategy questionnaires also indicated that students liked the represent strategy that allowed students to manipulate the rectangular area model, and students expressed positive views on the thinking process through metacognitive strategies embedded in Fun Fraction. / text

Social networking has become integrated into every aspect of business that one can imagine and universities must take advantage of the phenomenon to build personal relationships with young alumni in an effort to build a lifetime of loyalty. This study addresses some issues that should be considered to build loyalty in young alumni, from the moment of their first arrival, rather than waiting until after they graduate to cultivate them. This study examines how alumni relations officers can help build relationships through social networks, and in-school interventions that will help creating lifetime loyalty among young alumni. Young alumni, who are more familiar with technology than older generations of alumni are a prime target audience that should be considered to study efficient and effective way for universities to get their messages out. Through an interactive qualitative analysis study, this research addresses the factors that keep alumni from wanting to hear about and be vested in their alma mater before they graduate and how they will communicate with the university after graduation. This study explores the broad question, Why do some students use alumni social media and some do not? To answer the question, the researcher explores the phenomenon of The Undergraduate Experience and Using Social Media. Using Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA), this study identifies the elements that make up The Undergraduate Experience and The Using Social Media Experience. The study goes further by identifying how these elements relate in a system of influence. The study concludes with practical solutions for the engagement of alumni. / text

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This dissertation examines the relationship between an instructional style called Interactive-Engagement (IE) and gains on a measure of conceptual knowledge called the Calculus Concept Inventory (CCI). The data comes from two semesters of introductory calculus courses (Fall 2010 and Spring 2011), consisting of a total of 482 students from the first semester and 5 instructors from the second semester. The study involved the construction and development of a videocoding protocol to analyze the type of IE episodes which occurred during classes. The counts of these episodes were then studied along with student gains, measured in a number of different ways. These methods included a traditionally used measure of gain, called normalized gain, which is computed at the instructor level. Additionally, gains were further investigated by constructing hierarchical linear models (HLMs) which allowed us to consider individual student characteristics along with the measures of classroom interactivity. Another framework for computing ability estimates, called Item Response Theory (IRT), was used to compute gains, allowing us to determine whether the method of computing gains affected our conclusions. The initial investigation using instructor-level gain scores indicated that the total number of interactions in a classroom and a particular type of interaction called "encouraging revisions" were significantly associated with normalized gain scores. When individual-level gain scores were considered, however, these instructor-level variables were no longer significantly associated with gains unless a variable indicating whether a student had taken calculus or precalculus in high school or in college was included in the model. When IRT was used to create an alternative measure of gain, the IE variables were not significant predictors of gains, regardless of whether prior mathematics courses were included, suggesting that the method of calculating gain scores is relevant to our findings.

As the cloud computing paradigm has gained prominence, the need for verifiable computation has grown urgent. Protocols for verifiable computation enable a weak client to outsource difficult computations to a powerful, but untrusted, server. These protocols provide the client with a (probabilistic) guarantee that the server performed the requested computations correctly, without requiring the client to perform the computations herself. / Engineering and Applied Sciences

Objects intended as elements in interior spaces generally do a great job of meeting the standard criteria of form and function, but they can do more. By becoming something other than what they normally are, common elements can change a viewer's response to the space itself. This subtle but unexpected expression by an object impacts the viewer on many levels, heightening awareness and changing the viewer's cognitive interpretation of the space itself. This document examines the activation of space through objects capable of responding to a viewer's presence, using as a focus a light fixture that uses motion sensors to trigger sequential lighting responses in different locations, which move from low to high activity states. This object and its changing states are designed to engage viewers and provoke interaction. Such a reaction fundamentally reshapes the space the light fixture inhabits by actively transforming it into a playfully experiential environment.