@article{gilchrist_carpenter_gray-battle_2014, title={Piloting a Fiber Optics and Electronic Theory Curriculum with High School Students}, volume={9289}, ISSN={["1996-756X"]}, DOI={10.1117/12.2070742}, abstractNote={Previous participants from a multi-year blended learning intervention focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) content knowledge, technical, college, and career preparatory skills were recruited to pilot a new module designed by the project staff. Participants met for a total of 22 contact hours receiving lectures from staff and two guest speakers from industries relevant to photonics, fiber optics hands-on experimentation, and practice with documenting progress. Activities included constructing a fiber optics communication system, troubleshooting breadboard circuits and diagrammed circuits as well as hypothesis testing to discover various aspects of fiber optic cables. Participants documented their activities, wrote reflections on the content and learning endeavor and gave talks about their research experiences to staff, peers, and relatives during the last session. Overall, it was found that a significant gain in content knowledge occurred between the time of pre-testing (Mean=0.54) and post-testing time points for the fiber optics portion of the curriculum via the use of a paired samples t-test (Mean=0.71), t=-2.72, p<.05. Additionally, the electronic theory test results were not a normal distribution and for this reason non-parametric testing was used, specifically a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Results indicated a significant increase in content knowledge occurred over time between the pre- (Mdn=0.35) and post-testing time points (Mdn=0.80) z=-2.49, p<,05, r=-0.59 for the electronic theory portion of the curriculum. An equivalent control group was recruited from the remaining participant pool, allowing for comparison between groups. The program design, findings, and lessons learned will be reported in this paper.}, journal={12TH EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN OPTICS AND PHOTONICS CONFERENCE}, author={Gilchrist, Pamela Olivia and Carpenter, Eric and Gray-Battle, Asia}, year={2014} }
 @article{gilchrist_carpenter_gray-battle_2014, title={Predicting Scientific Oral Presentation Scores in a High School Photonics Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program}, volume={9289}, ISSN={["0277-786X"]}, DOI={10.1117/12.2070741}, abstractNote={A hybrid teacher professional development, student science technology mathematics and engineering pipeline enrichment program was operated by the reporting research group for the past 3 years. Overall, the program has reached 69 students from 13 counties in North Carolina and 57 teachers from 30 counties spread over a total of five states. Quantitative analysis of oral presentations given by participants at a program event is provided. Scores from multiple raters were averaged and used as a criterion in several regression analyses. Overall it was revealed that student grade point averages, most advanced science course taken, extra quality points earned in their most advanced science course taken, and posttest scores on a pilot research design survey were significant predictors of student oral presentation scores. Rationale for findings, opportunities for future research, and implications for the iterative development of the program are discussed.}, journal={12TH EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN OPTICS AND PHOTONICS CONFERENCE}, author={Gilchrist, Pamela Olivia and Carpenter, Eric D. and Gray-Battle, Asia}, year={2014} }