Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item How the teaching and practice of scientific sketching affects the quality of scientific observations by high school students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Affleck, Willow Georgette; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesCould the teaching and practice of scientific sketching affect the quality of observational data collected by high school students in biology class? This question was investigated by comparing two groups of students. One group was taught about why scientific sketching is important and how to make a complete sketch. They were given time to practice their skills and direct teacher feedback after each session on how to improve their sketches. The other group of students did not receive any teacher instruction nor time to practice sketching. Through qualitative interviews and quantitative worksheets, both groups of students were evaluated on their attitudes about sketching and biology, as well as on their abilities to make qualitative observations. The data collected both before and after the scientific sketching lessons showed that not only did the treatment group's attitudes and qualitative observation skills improve post-instruction, but that attitudes and skills of the nontreatment group decreased. The conclusion was reached that scientific sketching is a useful tool in increasing student enjoyment in biology and in developing their abilities to make robust qualitative observations.Item The impact of learner generated drawings in the comprehension of earth science concepts(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Temple, Thomas Allen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisDrawing was an activity that was common in science classes in the early 20th century. The students of today live in a world where making an image can be done effortlessly with the cameras they have access to in their cell phones. Recently there has been renewed interest in the use of drawing to enhance memory and understanding of scientific phenomena. The purpose of this research study was to see how drawing impacted student comprehension of Earth science concepts. Sub-questions addressed by the study were if students could improve in creating scientific drawings, if their attitudes about using drawing to learn would change as a result of drawing treatment, and if their engagement and enjoyment of Earth science would increase. The study was conducted for a period of 10 weeks in a 9th-grade Earth science classroom. The population of students was split into two treatment groups. While in the treatment period students were asked to create drawings of selected Earth science topics before any reading assignments or class discussion. Students were then asked to create a second drawing after an assigned reading and discussion of the same topics. Students not in the treatment group were not required to draw and received direct instruction through presentation slides and discussion. Each group was exposed to two rounds of treatment and two periods of non-treatment. A variety of data collection instruments were used in this study to compare the two groups quantitatively, including pre- and post-test scores, quiz scores, and a standards-based drawing rubric. Qualitative measures used to assess student attitudes and enjoyment included surveys, student interviews, and a journal of observations kept by the instructor. Results of the study showed that drawing did impact comprehension of the selected Earth science topics positively. Although student attitudes about drawing remained mostly unchanged, many indicated that they planned on using drawing to help them study for tests in the future.Item Implementing student created atomic scale depictions across multiple units to improve understanding of molecular interactions in high school chemistry(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Jones, Christopher S.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisOne of the most difficult aspects of studying chemistry is that one must imagine the atoms and molecules interacting to understand many of the concepts. A plan was developed to repeatedly draw out representations of the processes studied at the molecular scale in a high school chemistry curriculum. The goal was to provide increased understanding that would be reflected in exam scores. Analysis of exam results for the treatment year were compared to previous years' results of the same exams. Students were also surveyed about the perceived instructional benefit and enjoyment of the activities. Exam scores for the treatment year were not significantly higher or lower than in previous years. One aspect that was remarkable was the discrepancy between the students' belief in the efficacy of the intervention despite their lack of affect for it. The students generally believed the curriculum was more effective than it was. They also tended to express less satisfaction with the drawing treatment as the year progressed. Interviews were conducted with students who voluntarily expressed both positive and negative experiences, as well as others who were selected randomly.Item A discourse on drawing(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1970) Stanton, Jane BlacksonItem Urban drift(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2014) Goldsmith, Amy Katherine; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Josh DeWeeseUrban Drift is about the flaneur, the derive... the psychogeography of the Midwest. We, as curious beings, drift to places that spark memories of the past; such is the way of a nostalgic subconscious. These drawings and sculptures provide a mysterious and yet vaguely familiar space that illustrates a collision of diluted symbolism and traces of nostalgia. The Midwest is filled to the brim with the geriatric and remnants of times long gone; but the objects in this show provide the atmosphere for an idling sensation to let ones imagination take them to a time of industrial production and shiny chrome, away from the crumbling concrete and dusty interiors. Therefore, this work aims to allure the viewer into viewing the decaying urban landscapes that currently occupy the rustbelt's interiors and the history that is being eroded away from memory in the Midwestern society.Item A book and myth(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1973) Stifft, Barbara EileenMy ideas are evoked by landscapes, combinations of what I . see, feel, know consciously and subconsciously. I learned logic and rationality as one learns a foreign language. My native tongue is. intuitive emotional inner-feeling. These drawings come from both. I see objects, extensions of objects, their skelectal essence, their connections, growth, history and movement. Each is an aspect of reality, combinations of several evoke reality. Art is never reality, perhaps ones responses are.Item Story line(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1994) Sontheimer, Matthew StuartI come from a family of great story tellers. As a result, when I think of family members, it is not of their physical characteristics but of the stories that are told by them and about them. This series of sculptures and drawings are portraits in which the characteristics of the persons represented are constructed out of events in their lives, rather than from their physical attributes. These works recount both my earliest and most recent memories. I begin each sculpture by creating a symbol intended to represent a family member. This symbol is derived from a long process of researching the subject’s background (place of birth, important experiences, etc.). This information is condensed into a form, often a common object, which I feel fully summarizes the life of the subject. In a sense, the created symbol is like an advertising logo for the subject, an icon that gives the viewer a visual depiction of the essence of the subject. Advertising logos have in fact influenced my approach to the extent that some of the symbols used are adaptations from actual logos. For example, the eyes on the piece "Myra" are taken from the CBS television logo. Once the symbol is realized, I construct it into an object. The surface of this object is then covered with a language of other symbols and patterns which both elaborate and further describe the story of this person. The patterns on the sculptures act both as a visual ground to hold the symbols in place and as a descriptive backdrop. The descriptive function of the pattern is one which reiterates the theme of the piece, or one which describes a more specific aspect of the subject. For example, the pattern of cascading lines on the sculpture, "Myra" form the name Myra written over and over again. These lines are fragmented into shapes which represent droplets of water, and these in turn, relate to the overall form of the sculpture, a watering can. In "House of Fire" a work about my paternal grandfather, a maze-like pattern on one side of the work surrounds icons depicting significant concerns of his. The framework connecting these symbols represents the ambivalence that my grandfather brought into the events of his life.Item Paintings(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1986) Isaksen, EvaI grew up in an environment where the winters are without daylight and the summers are without darkness. My paintings reflect the contrast between light and dark, which I still associate with the changing of the seasons in Northern Norway. My color choices are influenced by this change and its effect on my state of mind. The darker colors , which I use more frequently during winter, have a heaviness relieved by bright hues, while paintings utilizing overall higher values, balance playfull darker tones. The world I am painting is one based on an imaginative interpretation of nature being transformed into a world caught between dreams and reality. I collect information about nature by painting outdoors. This information shares significance with memories of real and dreamed landscapes. Nature acts as a source on two levels; providing direct images described in the paintings and providing influence from natural phenomena like seasonal changes and cycles of death and rebirth. The paintings become a personal expression of my experiences of these pehnomena. Ultimately the work is not about nature in a literal or descriptive sense, but a metaphorical or spiritual way. Nature images described as themselves can be seen in a literal way. Yet because they have been used historically, they also are a universal symbolic language. This allows for the possibility of a visual statement which transcends the obvious literal meaning. The leaves, plants, stars, moon and sun which make up the iconography of my work are important to me, because of their everlasting cycle of death and rebirth, and because of their importance through the history of symbols. In Chinese symbolism, for example, a single leaf is an allegory of happiness, while several leaves appearing together represent people, and plants are an image of life and spirituality. Although I am aware of the symbolic language of the iconography I use, I choose these images because of their personal importance to me.Item Moods, attitudes, and erections(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1988) Hyden, John GarlandMy art is the manifestation of a unique, personal, obsessive vision and is the embodiment of intense emotion. Committed to my own vision and freedom, I have a fierce need for personal expression. My creative process is initiated by automatic drawing, however, the intensely personal nature of my work soon transforms these spontaneous images into a personal story or narrative. These narratives make autobiographical references and visualize personal experiences, dreams, and emotional responses. I utilize random juxtapositions to create enigmatic compositions containing violence, sexual allusions, and psychic crises. In my daily life, I expose only that part of myself that I want others to see, repressing my more ambitious, erotic, and aggressive desires. However, the id rebels against the censorship of the superego in my art allowing full expression of my fantasies. There are several predominant aspects of my true character which reveal themselves in my work. First, I visualize myself as a victim-hero in a dangerous and senseless world gone out of control. I have no power over the world and can only live with personal virtue and be self reliant. Consequently, I often deal with the darker side of the psyche, my own as well as that of others. Secondly, I have many erotic thoughts which exist in the realms of both fantasy and reality. My thoughts range from fears of impotence, castration, embarrassment, and rejection to the pride of extreme prowess and virility. A third major aspect of my work concerns pain and death.Item Sculpture and drawings(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1985) Mohr, Marilyn Hurn