The School of Social and Cultural Studies Research Presentation Schedule
The School of Social and Cultural Studies invites everyone to learn about research supported by summer research fellowships in 2012. There is a $5 credit toward lunch at Mainstreet Market with a sign in sheet at the register. All events take place at 12 p.m. in the Student Union Building 3203.
April 11
Rubana Mahjabeen (Economics)
“In Search of Effective Active Learning Tools for an Economic Development Course”
This research had two goals. First, some active learning tools were introduced in an Economic Development course. Through survey questionnaires, researchers attempted to quantify, evaluate and analyze student learning outcomes of those tools. Second, practitioners in local community organizations have better knowledge of the needs of the low-income households of Kirksville. The aim was to utilize that knowledge to introduce some new active learning tools, so that students can learn and interact with surrounding community in an effective way.
Rob Tigner (Psychology)
“Do We Recall Risky Decisions Accurately? How Our Intense Aversion to Loss Biases Memory”
This research explores biases in our memories that may impede us from learning through experience. When confronted with risky decisions, we are powerfully motivated to minimize losses…and over time the stakes grow in our minds.
April 15
Marc Becker (History)
“Intermediaries in the South American Andes”
Intermediaries have long played key roles in negotiating power relationships between fundamentally different worlds and across deep class divides. In twentieth-century Latin America, a variety of intermediaries including educators, priests, journalists, and socialists became involved in defending the interests of rural communities throughout. Examining the actions of a wide range of intermediaries from both subordinate and dominant perspectives provides key insights into how people negotiated power relations between different cultures for mutually beneficial and exploitative ends.
Andrei Klyukovski (Communication)
“Communicating Ambiguity Strategically in the Classroom”
The purpose of this study was to create and validate a scale to measure instructional strategic ambiguity (ISA). Instructional strategic ambiguity is defined as an instructor’s purposeful engenderment of meaning plurality amongst students in order to foster learning. The goal of this study was to validate an ISA measure by 1.) conducting a factor analysis, 2.) checking the internal reliability of the scale, 3.) examining the relationship between instructional strategic ambiguity and other variables (i.e., need for cognition, learner empowerment, student motivation, learning indicators and teacher clarity) to establish construct validity, 4.) testing for predictive validity by administering the measure to students enrolled in an introductory class versus students enrolled in a 300 or 400 level classes.
April 22
Xiaofen Chen (Economics)
“Is China’s High Household Saving Sustainable?”
Why do households in China save so much? Economic, social and cultural factors all contributed to the high saving rate in China. However, these factors are undergoing changes, which will cause household saving to decrease in the future.
Amanda Medlock-Klyukovski
“Student Resistance and Communication Apprehension”
This study explored the relationship between students’ communication apprehension (the anxiety one feels when communicating in the interpersonal, group or public speaking contexts) (McCroskey, 1970; 1978) and student resistance (strategies students use to oppose an instructor’s persuasive messages) (Burroughs, Kearney, & Plax, 1989). Results of a study which used a survey to ascertain the relationship between undergraduate students’ level of communication apprehension and their likelihood to use more active resistance strategies versus passive resistance strategies will be discussed. In addition, whether computer mediated communication plays a role in students’ choice of strategy (active versus passive) will also be discussed.
April 11
Rubana Mahjabeen (Economics)
“In Search of Effective Active Learning Tools for an Economic Development Course”
This research had two goals. First, some active learning tools were introduced in an Economic Development course. Through survey questionnaires, researchers attempted to quantify, evaluate and analyze student learning outcomes of those tools. Second, practitioners in local community organizations have better knowledge of the needs of the low-income households of Kirksville. The aim was to utilize that knowledge to introduce some new active learning tools, so that students can learn and interact with surrounding community in an effective way.
Rob Tigner (Psychology)
“Do We Recall Risky Decisions Accurately? How Our Intense Aversion to Loss Biases Memory”
This research explores biases in our memories that may impede us from learning through experience. When confronted with risky decisions, we are powerfully motivated to minimize losses…and over time the stakes grow in our minds.
April 15
Marc Becker (History)
“Intermediaries in the South American Andes”
Intermediaries have long played key roles in negotiating power relationships between fundamentally different worlds and across deep class divides. In twentieth-century Latin America, a variety of intermediaries including educators, priests, journalists, and socialists became involved in defending the interests of rural communities throughout. Examining the actions of a wide range of intermediaries from both subordinate and dominant perspectives provides key insights into how people negotiated power relations between different cultures for mutually beneficial and exploitative ends.
Andrei Klyukovski (Communication)
“Communicating Ambiguity Strategically in the Classroom”
The purpose of this study was to create and validate a scale to measure instructional strategic ambiguity (ISA). Instructional strategic ambiguity is defined as an instructor’s purposeful engenderment of meaning plurality amongst students in order to foster learning. The goal of this study was to validate an ISA measure by 1.) conducting a factor analysis, 2.) checking the internal reliability of the scale, 3.) examining the relationship between instructional strategic ambiguity and other variables (i.e., need for cognition, learner empowerment, student motivation, learning indicators and teacher clarity) to establish construct validity, 4.) testing for predictive validity by administering the measure to students enrolled in an introductory class versus students enrolled in a 300 or 400 level classes.
April 22
Xiaofen Chen (Economics)
“Is China’s High Household Saving Sustainable?”
Why do households in China save so much? Economic, social and cultural factors all contributed to the high saving rate in China. However, these factors are undergoing changes, which will cause household saving to decrease in the future.
Amanda Medlock-Klyukovski
“Student Resistance and Communication Apprehension”
This study explored the relationship between students’ communication apprehension (the anxiety one feels when communicating in the interpersonal, group or public speaking contexts) (McCroskey, 1970; 1978) and student resistance (strategies students use to oppose an instructor’s persuasive messages) (Burroughs, Kearney, & Plax, 1989). Results of a study which used a survey to ascertain the relationship between undergraduate students’ level of communication apprehension and their likelihood to use more active resistance strategies versus passive resistance strategies will be discussed. In addition, whether computer mediated communication plays a role in students’ choice of strategy (active versus passive) will also be discussed.
