PURE Research Report
Permanent URI for this collection
Program in Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) undergraduate award holders work with University of Calgary researchers to pursue an area of inquiry over the course of a summer term. In doing so, they learn how research projects are developed and conducted, and how research results can contribute to new knowledge and solve problems in a field of research and in society. PURE Research Reports demonstrate the power of inquiry and innovation in undergraduate student work, and provide insight into the exciting work of the next generation of emerging researchers from every program of study on campus.
https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/students/undergraduate/pure-awards
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Open Access A Review of the Literature on Online Collaborative Learning in K- 12 and Post-Secondary Education During COVID 19(2022) Tay, Sharmaine; Friesen, SharonThe COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to familiar instructional practices as the national and international response to a global pandemic precipitated a shift to online teaching and learning. This en masse transition offered a novel opportunity to examine the benefits and challenges of the now more widespread context of technologically mediated education and its impact on collaborative group learning. This conceptual review of the literature reports the findings on the impact of COVID-19 on collaborative learning in Education between the years 2020-2022. Twenty-nine of the 54 published articles from K-12 to post-secondary education contexts met the criteria established for this review and were included in the review. Three themes emerged from the review: 1) impacts of online learning on collaboration; 2) student responsibility; and 3) collaborative knowledge building. The literature on online learning and student responsibility described widely varied results with collaborative learning while the literature on online Knowledge Building learning environments indicated many of the issues had been anticipated and reported learning gains were maintained in the shift to online learning. Our review of the studies conducted during COVID-19 indicates a need for increased proactive intentional design to support learners in online learning environments.Item Open Access A BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS INVESTIGATION OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE USE AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING(Program for Undergraduate Research Experience, 2019-09-23) Pavelka, ChloeItem Open Access The Translation of Trauma: Trauma and Language Acquisition in the ELL Classroom(2019-09-25) Tighe, CaitlinConsequently, focused on the practice of teachers, this research project endeavored to look closely at trauma informed practice (TIP) in schools and those methods and strategies teachers use when working with trauma inflicted youth who are English Language Learners (ELLs). Uncovering the effectiveness of these strategies and the successes and challenges teachers encounter in working with this unique group of students was among the objectives of this research. In undertaking this work, this research aimed at articulating effective pedagogical practices that Alberta educators can adopt when utilizing TIP with ELL students and what barriers prevent these practices from being universally integrated. The specific research questions that guided this study were as follows: What challenges mitigate the teaching and learning of refugee students? What are the intersections between traumatic experience and language acquisition? And, what practices are teachers using to navigate trauma, learning and language acquisition?Item Open Access Adaptive Radiation Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer(2019-09-23) Harjai, NabhyaHead and neck cancer is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide with 350 000 deaths reported annually (1). Radiotherapy is one of the most common treatment modalities for head and neck cancer patients. Although head and neck cancer (HNC) survival is steadily increasing, the close proximity of tumor volumes to organs at risk (OARs) makes radiotherapy planning and delivery challenging for these patients. We hypothesize it will not only further reduce the incidence of treatment-related toxicities and improve post-treatment quality of life of patients with cancer but also improve the allocation of essential clinical resources.Item Open Access Investigating Proton Conduction using Guest-Loaded Metal-Organic Frameworks(2019-09-23) Lin, GiselleTwo Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), ZIF-65 and ZIF-90 were loaded with phosphate esters and investigated for their abilities as proton conductors at temperatures ranging from 23ºC to 200ºC, with the goal being the achievement of superprotonic conduction at increased temperatures. Polybenzimidazole, a conductive polymer, was synthesized and incorporated with the MOFs to aid in proton transport. The following results do not achieve superprotonic conduction at high temperatures, but are promising for future investigation.Item Open Access Exploring Mothers’ Experiences and Perceptions of Alberta FICare©™ Compared to Standard Care(2019-09-23) Dien, RachaelBackground: Alberta’s preterm (<37 weeks gestation) birth rate is consistently among the highest of the Canadian provinces. The majority of preterm infants require care in a level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). NICUs are highly-technological critical care environments that can be overwhelming for parents during an already stressful time. Alberta FICare©™ is a theoretically-driven, psychoeducational model of care that provides detailed strategies and practical tools to integrate parents in the care of their infant in the NICU from time of admission. The components of Alberta FICare©™ are: 1) Relational Communication, 2) Parent Education, and 3) Parent Support. Parental experiences of FICare have not been evaluated. Objective: The objective of this qualitative sub-study was to explore mothers’ experiences of FICare compared to standard care using data from the Alberta FICare©™ cluster randomized controlled trial. Method: Mothers from FICare (n=13) and standard care (n=13) sites participated in semi-structured interviews. A subset (n=7 FICare; n=5 standard care) of transcripts were coded and analyzed using the grounded theory methodology of Strauss and Corbin. Results: Preliminary analysis revealed the process of “Getting Home”. In the FICare group this was facilitated by parent integration in bedside rounds (BSR), experiential learning, formal and informal supports, and feeling self-efficacious in providing infant care. In contrast, parent integration in BSR and self-efficacy did not emerge as strongly in the standard care group, and mothers spoke about a lack of tangible supports and the challenges of the NICU environment. Mothers from both groups talked about the challenges to continuity and consistency of care, but those in the FICare group also highlighted communication and information-sharing that takes place in parent-healthcare provider interactions. Conclusion: This sub-study increase our understanding of mothers’ experiences of Alberta FICare©™ and may inform enhancements to family-centred care practices in level II NICUs.Item Open Access STRUCTURE IMAGING IN THE AREA OF MT. MEAGER(2019-09-20) Su, Hongyi; Gilbert, Hersh J.According to Natural Resources Canada, South Mt. Meager project, which taken place in this area, is the most advanced geothermal power project in all Canada (Natural Resources Canada, 2017). We mainly focus on studying a background reference model in this study. Passive Seismic Tomography (PST) is the geophysical technique that I applied in this study.Item Open Access Programming a Micro-controller To Use a RF Module(2019-09-23) Rasuli Arasi, MaralThe purpose of this project was to design and implement a wireless data communication system with the minimum latency (<1ms) and maximum throughput (500kbps). This system is going to be used in a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system for Electrical Vehicle (EV) Battery-Charging. It acts like a wireless feedback from EV battery voltage and current, that is why they need very-low latency communication.Item Open Access Synthesis of 1) DAP Core Anion Detectors and 2) Halogenated Cyanine Dyes(2019-09-23) Ross, MathewThroughout the summer research term the project was split into two synthesis-based projects. One focused on the synthesis of diazapyrine core anion detectors and the other focused on the synthesis of ortho- and para-substituted methyl-benzimidazole cyanine dyes. This report is purely synthesis-based, however, this research lays a foundation support for further synthesis and characterization studies for future.Item Open Access Coping With a "Near-Arctic" China(2019-09-22) Longman, MischaAn analysis of Chinese economic interests, the Sino-Russian relationship and the American reaction in the Arctic.Item Open Access Contested Commemoration: Alberta Educators' Experiences Teaching Controversial Monuments in Social Studies Classrooms(2019-09-23) Gobran, JessicaHistorical monuments currently occupy a controversial place in countries across the world. However, despite the important role of social studies educators in this debate, at this time there is a limited number of studies that explore the teaching methods these educators use in their classrooms to make sense of and engage with controversies surrounding memorialization. To address these gaps, this project sought insights into the following research questions: 1) How (if at all) do social studies teachers in Alberta address contentious debates around the memorialization of controversial historical figures in their classrooms? 2) To what extent have they experienced emotional reactions when engaging these topics with their students, and how have they addressed this in their practice?Item Open Access Using Photogrammetry to Accomplish Mountain Peak Recognition(2019-09-21) Johnson, KaelaIOS application (app) development using techniques of photogrammetry and machine learning to recognize mountain peaks from images taken on an iPhone camera. App operates under conditions of poor visibility (i.e. cloudy, dark), and is not sensitive to colour information.Item Open Access Expletive Pronoun Deletion(2019-09-21) Weir, JesseThis study aims to observe phonetic changes that participants made in their speech when reading sentences with deleted subject pronouns. Three subject pronoun types were considered in this study; expletive 'it', expletive 'there', and referential 'it'. Productions of sentences were elicited using a self-paced reading task. The results show that participants do not alter their speech if the subject pronoun is absent, but will maintain phonetic consistency based on the type of pronoun that was absent. These results suggest that participants process the type of pronoun that should be present, and unconsciously speak the sentence as though it were present.Item Open Access CONSTRAINING FLOW PROPERTIES OF SANDSTONES AND DOLOSTONES THROUGH X -RAY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY(2019-09-21) Mitchell, NolanWater-rock interactions in porous underground formations can impact the effectiveness of energy technologies ranging from natural gas extraction to geologic CO2 storage and geothermal energy production. Numerical simulators known as Reactive Transport Models (RTMs) have been developed to predict the effects of these interactions on the flow and transport properties of subsurface energy reservoirs, but these models have been historically plagued by the inability to quantify the pore scale properties, such as porosity, mineral surface area, and permeability, that impact the evolution of reservoir-scale flow and transport properties during energy extraction operations. In this PURE summer research project, I will use previously-acquired, three-dimensional, high-resolution X–ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) images from the Advanced Photon Source (Chicago, USA) to constrain the pore-scale flow properties of a suite of sedimentary rock samples, including sandstones and dolostones. The 3D image data will be analyzed using the recently-acquired Pergeos software package and accompanying high-performance Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-outfitted workstation in the RTG laboratory to determine and constrain porosity, permeability, and mineral surface areas in the sedimentary rock samples. This novel, important data set will provide inputs to pore-scale RTMs of the samples, which will, in turn, permit the effective prediction of the evolution of pore-scale flow properties of these important rock types.Item Open Access Understanding the Rise of Nationalist Populism Through an Examination of Structuralism and Humanism in Marxist Theory(2019-09-20) Gregson, WilliamThe current rise of right-wing populism (Trump, Brexit, Le Pen, etc.), characterized largely by xenophobia, anti-establishment rhetoric and a distrust in globalization, has challenged many of the basic tenets of the liberal order, blaming liberalism for such things as declining living conditions, loss of identity, income inequality, and so on. Paradoxically, this right-wing movement has correctly identified symptoms of pertinent crises without identifying the root causes, inaccurately blaming immigration for job loss for instance. This project demonstrates how the origins of this movement can be explained utilizing a Marxian lens, highlighting how this political trend arose out of contradictions in the liberal order. In doing so, this project delves into the fundamental structuralist-humanist debate within Marxist theory—premised on a supposed incompatibility between the early and late Marx—and concluded that a dissolution of the debate through a re-engagement with Marx’s works lends to a more comprehensive analysis of populist nationalism.Item Open Access A collection of cognitively demanding acute trigonometry tasks for grade eleven Albertan teachers.(2019-09-20) McConnell, SeanThis report looks at the levels of cognitive demand that were used in an Albertan mathematics 20-2 classroom to teach a unit on acute triangle trigonometry during a student teacher's practicum as part of a PURE summer research award.Item Open Access Wearable technology approach to determining exercise fidelity in athletes during a neuromuscular training warm-up program(2019-09) Chin, Mathieu; Pasanen, Kati; Emery, Carolyn A.; Benson, Lauren C.Introduction: Basketball is one of the most popular sports in North America, but there is a high incidence of lower extremity injuries among youth basketball players. Participation in neuromuscular training (NMT) warm-up programs can reduce injury risk by 29% with lower injury rates reported for teams with high adherence to the NMT program. The use of wearable technology will allow us to more easily and efficiently quantify the movements of athletes during these warm-up programs to potential determine the effects of exercise fidelity. Thus, this study looks to quantify the movements of youth basketball players in an NMT warm-up program. Methods 27 male and female basketball players (ages 14-18) completed the NMT warm-up exercises prior to a practice. A Shimmer3 inertial measurement unit (Shimmer3 GSR+®, Shimmer Inc., Dublin, IE) was worn on the lower back, with concurrent video recording. Results Analysis of the “Side Plank” showed an 8.01% difference between Side 1 (88.15%) and Side 2 (96.16%) of Player 1, whereas Player 2 had a 32.42% difference between Side 1 (86.43%) and Side 2 (54.01%). The “One Legged Jump Over the Line” showed that Player 1 had a 17.12m/s2 difference between the forward and backward accelerations of Leg 1, with the difference being 0.80m/s2 in Leg 2. Player 2 had a difference of 0.08m/s2 and 2.62m/s2 for legs 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusions Preliminary results indicated that the acceleration of the Shimmer3 devices are sensitive enough to differentiate movements amongst players when performing exercises in the NMT warm-up program. Side-to-side differences were apparent amongst athletes during the “Side Plank” and the “Single Leg Jump Over the Line” exercise. Further analysis is currently in progress for other exercises in the warm-up program, as well as video analysis of the same sessions to determine exercise fidelity and its effects on injury prevention.Item Open Access Study Space Finder - University of Calgary(2019-08) Mah, ClaireThis is a map detailing all of the study spaces on the University of Calgary main campus. It's purpose is to aid students in finding ideal conditions for studying and better manage their time.Item Open Access Self-diffusiophoresis of calcium carbonate and carbonate Janus particles at an oil-water interface(2019-09-06) Do, Bich DungItem Open Access Geographical View of Chopin's Musical Influences(2019-09-02) Hong, DaphneThe purpose of this project is to show the footsteps of musical composer, Frédéric Chopin, through map visualization. It aims to build upon preliminary knowledge about the composer, allowing young musicians to better understand the music they are playing. With a never before seen aspect of geographical association with Chopin’s biography, it will allow users to make a straightforward connection between Chopin’s life and the geographical map. The goal is to instill users’ knowledge of the composer. Ultimately, it is to better their understanding of music history and the way it had evolved. Taken all together, contemporary musicians will have the resources they need for a more accurate interpretation of the music they are playing. Insight on the composer’s interpretation (e.g. circumstances which may have influenced their music – war, love, etc.) allows young musicians to replicate the piece the way it had originally been written.