Language Use for the Next Fifty Years

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

There are approximately 6,900 languages spoken around the world today. Of those, there are ten languages deemed most widely spoken by humans. Due to the trends in globalization, it is important for companies that exist internationally to take into consideration language trends. In this research performed as part of the international contest in modeling, we seek to predict the future top ten languages based on the generalized Abrams-Strogatz model of language competition.

Le Cygne (The Swan) by Camille Saint-Saens

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The Swan is the 13th movement of the 'The Carnival of the Animals' by Camille Saint-Saëns. Also known as 'Le Cygne' in French, this is one of the most famous cello works originally scored for cello accompanied by two pianos. Like the animal it is named after, this is a very graceful and elegant piece. For this performance, my classmate Aaron Lopez is accompanying me on piano while I am playing the cello.

Leaf Dispersal Trends Among Pyrophytic and Mesophytic Oak Tree Species

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

We hypothesize that leaves from pyrophytic species (highly flammable species with historically frequent fire regimes) will disperse farther than leaves from mesophytic species (less flammable species with lower frequency fire regimes). To test this, we examined the leaf fall velocity and dispersal distance of four mesophytic and four pyrophytic oaks species from California by dropping ten leaves of each species from five different heights in the absence of wind. Preliminary results indicated that mesophytes dispersed farther than pyrophytes, and mean leaf fall velocity was slower in pyrophytes. Mesophytes could have traveled farther due to having lower surface area-to-mass ratio.

Learning in a classroom setting: Audio, Visual, or Audiovisual Learning, which is best for recall?

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Students are impacted by differential modes of stimuli presentation while learning in multimedia environments. In the classroom, lecturers often display written text that corresponds with their spoken instruction, but how are students impacted by this? This study aims to address how visual (text), auditory, and pictorial stimuli in isolation or combination pertaining to the same novel subject affect recall accuracy. A cross-sectional between-subjects design was utilized in the study, and we found that students did better on recall questions when they were either taught with auditory, textual and pictorial information, or taught with auditory and pictorial information.

Learning the Ways of the Force

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Within any county there are economic forces that are constantly at odds with each other, and Humboldt County is no exception. Currently, it has been recognized that the skills in some of Humboldt County’s workforce are struggling to keep up with what is expected by employers. The goal of this project is to assess the needs of these potential employers, demonstrate how employers are coping with the issue, and to explore possible avenues that may improve the relationship between the potential employer’s and employee’s recruitment experience. It is the hope that informing the public of this issue may lend a hand in improving workforce readiness in Humboldt County.

LEEROY JENKINS: Identity Formation, Investment, and Social Structure of Guilds in World of Warcraft

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

World of Warcraft is a story-based fantasy adventure massively multiplayer online role-playing game in which players customize characters and play through game content individually or in a group. Guilds in WoW are semi-permanent groups of players that come together with a common in-game agenda. Through participant observation and interviews, this project studies one guild within WoW, focusing on personal and group identity formation, and the relationship between perceived value and monetary/time investment. Examination of these topics builds reality within a fictional, virtual setting, and seeks to provide insight into the formation of structured subgroups within a larger society.

Leeroy Jenkins; Identity Formation, Investment, and Social Structure of a Guild in World of Warcraft

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

World of Warcraft, an online fantasy game, connects more than 10 million players worldwide in a multiplayer story-based adventure. Each player builds a character and plays through game content individually or in groups called guilds. Through participant observation over the course of a year, this study of one guild found: social/hierarchical bonds/structure are reinforced in all group activities; and the correlation between individual time investment in guild play/communication and group cohesion. This research contributes to existing scholarship on online sociality by providing insight into the role online gaming plays in connecting people across time and space in new forms of community.

Lesson Study Across Waters

College of Professional Studies

Humboldt State University (HSU) students participated in the first part of an international lesson study by developing and implementing curriculum about climate change. Together with Swiss students from Haute Ecole Pédagogique du Canton de Vaud (HEP ), ideas of pedagogy were shared while developing, deploying, and revising an engaging lesson plan. With the goal to better understand lesson development and successful teaching strategies in the classroom, the students are to repeat this process at least three more times in Switzerland.

LEVEE STORIES UNEARTHED

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

LEVEE STORIES UNEARTHED: FIELD AND MIXED METHODS IN SUPPORT FOR AN EXPEDITED RECONNAISSANCE STUDY

Levee Stories: Myths of Management

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

What is the cultural significance that the Redwood Creek Levee System carries in Orick, California? The purpose of this study is to further investigate the history and management of the levee system and to apply the findings. By tracking the levee's ethos using multiple research methods and publishing, the study hopes to better understand roles humans play with regard to the levee system and to each other. Through collaboration and greater understanding of the levee system research will be revealed in the Orick wikipedia page and within an Omeka exhibit site.