Albion College

About: Albion College is a education organization based out in Albion, Michigan, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Higher education. The organization has 485 authors who have published 754 publications receiving 20907 citations.

Five writing-assistance programs: A review

Abstract: A variety of written material was evaluated with five writing-assistance software packages. Three of the packages were found to be of limited value; they operated at a superficial level and cost much money. Of the remaining two, one was judged potentially valuable, although it was embedded in a larger system designed to teach writing to college students. The other one was judged a best buy on the basis of helpfulness to writers and minimal cost. Software is still no substitute for a good human editor.

Multi-scale virtual field experience: sedimentology and stratigraphy of Grand Ledge, Michigan, USA

Abstract: . Field experiences are a critical component of undergraduate geoscience education; however, traditional onsite field experiences are not always practical due to accessibility, and the popularity of alternative modes of learning in higher education is increasing. One way to support student access to field experiences is through virtual field trips, implemented either independently or in conjunction with in-person field trips. We created a virtual field trip (VFT) to Grand Ledge, a regionally important suite of sedimentary outcrops in central lower Michigan, USA. This VFT undertakes all stages of a field project, from question development and detailed observation through data collection to interpretation. The VFT was implemented in undergraduate sedimentation and stratigraphy courses at two different liberal arts institutions, with one version of the VFT conducted in-person and the other online. The VFT was presented from a locally hosted website and distributed through an online learning platform. Students completed a series of activities using field data in the form of outcrop photos, virtual 3D models of outcrops and hand samples, and photos of thin sections. Student products included annotated field notes, a stratigraphic column, a collaborative stratigraphic correlation, and a final written reflection. VFT assessment demonstrated that students successfully achieved the inquiry-oriented student learning outcomes, and student reflection responses provide anecdotal evidence that the field experience was comparable to field geology onsite. This VFT is an example of successful student learning in an upper-level sedimentation and stratigraphy course via virtual field experience with an emphasis on local geology.

Wood: Economics, Structure, and Composition

Abstract: Wood is the most extensively used plant product in the world and is used as lumber, energy production, and construction. Wood fibers are used in paper manufacturing and food products. Valuable chemicals are extracted from wood and bark. Tree rings and “figure” are the consequence of annual growth cycles, dictated by seasonal environmental conditions. Those growth patterns generate a historical record that is useful in archeology, climatology, and forensics. Hardwood is produced by woody dicots and softwood by conifers. Heartwood is to the center and stained with tannins and waste products and sapwood to the exterior and the site of transpirational water flow. Conifer wood is composed mainly of tracheids, with some parenchyma in both the axial and ray systems. Resin canals run in both the axial and radial directions. Eudicot wood is a mixture of tracheids and vessel elements (pores); pore distribution and grouping is the main trait for wood identification. Horizontal limbs develop reaction wood to aid in support. Monocot stems may gain considerable strength by the sclerification of fibers associated with the vascular bundles.