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1780 West 49th Street Hialeah, Florida 33012
Editorial Note: Polygon is MDC Hialeah's Academic Journal. It is a multi-disciplinary online publication whose purpose is to display the academic work produced by faculty and staff. We, the editorial committee of Polygon, are pleased to publish the 2020 Spring Issue Polygon which is the thirteenth consecutive issue of Polygon. It includes nine regular research articles. We are pleased to present work from a diverse array of fields written by faculty from across the college. The editorial committee of Polygon is thankful to the Miami Dade College President, Dr. Rolando Montoya, Miami Dade College District Board of Trustees, Hialeah Campus President, Dr. Anthony Cruz, Dean of Faculty Dr. Michelle Ploetz, Chairperson of Hialeah Campus Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dr. Caridad Castro, Chairperson of Hialeah Campus World Languages and Communication, Professor Liliana Cobas, Director of Hialeah Campus Administrative Services, Ms. Andrea M. Forero, Director of Hialeah Campus Network & Media Services, Mr. Juan Villegas, and from Learning Resources, Mr. Alejandro Leyva, Ms. Caitlin Richardson, and Ms. Nerys Torralbas for their support and cooperation for the publication of Polygon. Sincerely, Editorial Board Members of Polygon: Dr. M. Shakil (Editor-in-Chief), Dr. Jaime Bestard and Professor Victor Calderin Advisory & Reviewer Committee of Polygon: Dr. Kelly Kennedy, Dr. Alex Gancedo, Prof. Loretta Blanchette, Prof. Rene Barientos, Dr. Melissa Lammey, Dr. Carlos Ruiz, Prof. Rodolfo Cruz, Dr. Victoria Castells, Dr. Mariana Vaillant Molina, Dr. Allison Thomas Johnson Patrons: Dr. Anthony Cruz, President, Hialeah Campus Dr. Michelle Ploetz, Dean of Faculty Dr. Caridad Castro, Chairperson of Liberal Arts and Sciences Professor Liliana Cobas, Chairperson of World Languages and Communication Professor Charles Williams, III, Chairperson of Business, Engineering & Technology Dr. Nelson MagaĂąa, Dean of Student Services; Mr. Alexander Hernandez, Director of Learning Resources Ms. Youdaris Mira, Chairperson of Continuing Education Ms. Andrea M. Forero, Director of Hialeah Campus Administrative Services Mr. Juan Villegas, Director of Hialeah Campus Network & Media Services Miami Dade College District Board of Trustees: Chair Bernie Navarro, Vice Chair Carlos A. Migoya, Trustee Dr. Anay Abraham, Trustee Michael Bileca, Trustee Marcell Felipe, Trustee Nicole Washington Dr. Rolando Montoya, President, Miami Dade College Dr. Lenore Rodicio, Executive Vice President and Provost, President, Miami Dade College
ii Mission of Miami Dade College As democracy’s college, Miami Dade College changes lives through accessible, high-quality teaching and learning experiences. The College embraces its responsibility to serve as an economic, cultural and civic leader for the advancement of our diverse global community.
Solicitation of Articles for the 2021 Issue (14th Issue) of Polygon: The editorial committee would also like to cordially invite the MDC community to submit their articles for consideration for the 2021 Issue (14th Issue) of Polygon. Guidelines for Submission POLYGON “Many Corners, Many Faces (POMM)” A premier professional refereed multi-disciplinary electronic journal of scholarly works, feature articles and papers on descriptions of Innovations at Work, higher education, and discipline related knowledge for the campus, college and service community to improve and increase information dissemination, published by MDC Hialeah Campus Liberal Arts and Sciences Department (LAS). Editorial Board: Dr. Mohammad Shakil (Mathematics) (Editor-in-Chief) Dr. Jaime Bestard (Mathematics) Prof. Victor Calderin (English) Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Welcome from the POLYGON Editorial Team: The Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Miami Dade College–Hialeah Campus and the members of editorial Committee - Dr. Mohammad Shakil, Dr. Jaime Bestard, and Professor Victor Calderin – would like to welcome you and encourage your rigorous, engaging, and thoughtful submissions of scholarly works, feature articles and papers on descriptions of innovations at work, higher education, and discipline related knowledge for the campus, college and service community to improve and increase information dissemination. We are pleased to have the opportunity to continue the publication of the POLYGON, which will be bi-annually during the Fall & Spring terms of each academic year. We look forward to hearing from you. General articles and research manuscripts: Potential authors are invited to submit papers for the next issues of the POLYGON. All manuscripts must be submitted electronically (via e-mail) to one of the editors at mshakil@mdc.edu, or jbestard@mdc.edu, or vcalderi@mdc.edu. This system will permit the new editors to keep the submission and review process as efficient as possible. Typing: Acceptable formats for electronic submission are MSWord, and PDF. All text, including title, headings, references, quotations, figure captions, and tables, must be typed, with 1 1/2 line spacing, and one-inch margins all around. Please employ a minimum font size of 11. Please see the attached template for the preparation of the manuscripts.
iii Length: A manuscript, including all references, tables, and figures, should not exceed 7,800 words (or at most 20 pages). Submissions grossly exceeding this limit may not be accepted for review. Authors should keep tables and figures to a minimum and include them at the end of the text. Style: For writing and editorial style, authors must follow guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2019). The editors request that all text pages be numbered. You may also please refer to the attached template for the preparation of the manuscripts. Abstract and keywords: All general and research manuscripts must include an abstract and a few keywords. Abstracts describing the essence of the manuscript must be 150 words or less. The keywords will be used by readers to search for your article after it is published. Book reviews: POLYGON accepts unsolicited reviews of current scholarly books on topics related to research, policy, or practice in higher education, innovations at work, and discipline related knowledge for the campus, college and service community to improve and increase information dissemination. Book reviews may be submitted to either themed or open-topic issues of the journal. Book review essays should not exceed 1,900 words. Please include, at the beginning of the text, city, state, publisher, and the year of the book’s publication. An abstract of 150 words or less and keywords are required for book review essays. Notice to Authors of Joint Works (articles with more than one author): This journal uses a transfer of copyright agreement that requires just one author (the corresponding author) to sign on behalf of all authors. Please identify the corresponding author for your work when submitting your manuscript for review. The corresponding author will be responsible for the following: • • •
Ensuring that all authors are identified on the copyright agreement, and notifying the editorial office of any changes to the authorship. Securing written permission (via email) from each co-author to sign the copyright agreement on the co-author’s behalf. Warranting and indemnifying the journal owner and publisher on behalf of all coauthors.
Although such instances are very rare, you should be aware that in the event a co-author has included content in their portion of the article that infringes the copyright of another or is otherwise in violation of any other warranty listed in the agreement, you will be the sole author indemnifying the publisher and the editor of the journal against such violation. Please contact the editorial office if you have any questions or if you prefer to use a copyright agreement for all coauthors to sign. Instructions for the Preparation of Manuscripts for the Polygon: (THE TITLE IS HERE) (12 pt, bold, 32 pt above) NAME IS HERE (11 pt16 pt above, 32 pt below) ABSTRACT is here, not exceeding 160 words. It must contain main facts of the work. (11 pt) Key words and phrases (11 pt) Introduction (11 pt, bold, 24 pt above, 12 pt below) Main Body of the Article
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Discussion Conclusion Acknowledgements REFERENCES (11 pt, 30 pt above, 12 pt below) M. Abramowitz and I. A. Stegun, Handbook of Mathematical Functions, with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables. Dover, New York, 1970 J. Galambos and I. Simonelli, Products of Random Variables – Applications to Problems of Physics and to Arithmetical Functions, CRC Press, Boca Raton / Atlanta, 2005. S. Momani, Non-perturbative analytical solutions of the space- and time-fractional Burgers equations. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 28(4) (2006), 930-937. Z. Odibat, S. Momani, Application of variational iteration method to nonlinear differential equations of fractional order, Int. J. Nonlin. Sci. Numer. Simulat. 1(7) (2006), 15-27. (11 pt) Author’s Biographical Sketch (Optional): Dr. Y. Abu received his Master’s and Ph. D. Degrees in Mathematics from the University of Small Town, USA, in 1987, under the direction of Dr. M. Opor. Since 1989, he has been teaching at the Community College of Small Town, USA. His research interests lie in the Fractals, Solitons, Undergraduate Teaching of Mathematics, and Curriculum Development. (11 pt) Address: Department of Liberal Arts & Sciences (Mathematics Program), Community College of Small Town, P. O. Box 7777, Small Town, USA. E-mail: yabu@ccst. (11 pt)
v Contents Articles / Author (s)
Pages
Foreword
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Anthony Cruz, Ed.D. President Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus Michelle Ploetz, PhD Dean of Faculty Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus Caridad Castro, JD Chairperson, Liberal Arts and Sciences Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus On the Philosophical Concepts of Multiplicity and Identities in the Movie “The Matrix”
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José A. Donis Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Qualitative Study
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Dr. Eric Bernard Terry, DBA, Miguel B. Fernandez, Rachely Gonzalez and Alessandro Molina Pena The Impact of the Evolution of the Hurricane Characteristics in the South Floridian Climate Change
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Jaime Bestard, Ph.D. and Pedro Lopez U. R Evolution of Climate Change in South Florida Evidenced by Statistical Analysis of Temperatures and Precipitations
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Jaime Bestard, Ph.D., and Melisa S. Gonzalez Using Statistical Packages to Deliver Problem Based Learning in STEM via STA2023 Statistical Methods: A data analysis of multi-disciplinary integrative projects at Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus 45 Jaime Bestard, Ph.D. Area Servicing Optimization System: Deploying the Internet of Things in the Fight Against COVID-19
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Rodolfo Cruz, and Daniel Milanes Autonomous Driver Seizure Detection and Vehicle Halting System
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Rodolfo Cruz, Luis León, Anna Nicol, and Néstor Ceballos Life Detector under Dangerous Temperature Conditions
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Rodolfo Cruz, Luis León, Anna Nicol, and Néstor Ceballos Test Item Analysis Using Blackboard’s Tools Dr. M. Shakil, Ph.D
Previous Editions Link: https://issuu.com/mdc-polygon
Disclaimer: The views and perspectives of the authors presented in their respective articles published in Polygon do not represent those of Miami Dade College.
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Foreword Welcome to the thirteenth issue of the Polygon, an interdisciplinary academic journal of Miami Dade College’s Hialeah Campus. The Polygon demonstrates the passion that our contributors have for meaningful research which has a profound impact on our community of learners. Their academic curiosity propels their studies related to philosophy, workforce issues, climate change, problem-based learning, technology, and teaching enhancements. The Polygon exemplifies a strong commitment to academic excellence that is unparalleled. On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Hialeah Campus, please enjoy reading this thought-provoking issue. Anthony Cruz, Ed.D. President Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus
polygon noun Definition of polygon 1: a closed plane figure bounded by straight lines 2: a closed figure on a sphere bounded by arcs of great circles 3: the shape of student learning
With this edition of Polygon, I propose adding a third definition to Merriam-Webster’s entry of the word polygon: the shape of student learning. Herein lies the proof. Kuh (2008) defines undergraduate research as a “high-impact practice” that positively affects student academic performance, and the faculty authors of the thirteenth edition of
vii Polygon impact student learning a number of ways. They engage their students in undergraduate research opportunities that are all too uncommon in the first two years of college. Under faculty leadership, twoyear college students learn to investigate real-world problems: Dr. Eric Terry and his students published a qualitative study on sexual harassment in the workplace. Dr. Jaime Bestard and student conducted a statistical analysis of climate change in South Florida while Professor Rodolfo Cruz and his students developed technology innovations for smarter living. The publication itself shapes student learning by showing that inquiry has an audience beyond the classroom. Writing is not just a two-dimensional process shared between student writers and their professors. Professor Jose Donis’ article on the multiplicity of identity as seen in the movie, The Matrix, shows students how the scholarly study of popular culture can reveal what it means to be human. The issue also delves into the scholarship of teaching and learning. Co-editor, Dr. Jaime Bestard, compared the academic performance of students in three sections of a statistics course, two of which he taught using project-based learning and a third, which was delivered using a traditional lecture format. Co-editor and journal founder, Dr. M. Shakil examined the use of the item-analysis tool in Blackboard in order to improve quizzes in mathematics classes. In sum, the scholarly efforts of the faculty and students at Miami Dade College-Hialeah Campus take teaching and learning to a higher plane. I am proud of their efforts and grateful to co-editors Dr. M. Shakil, Dr. Jaime Bestard, and Professor Victor Calderin, for publishing Polygon.
Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Polygon. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/polygon Michelle Ploetz, PhD Dean of Faculty Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus
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It gives me great pleasure to invite readers to the 13th issue of Polygon, Hialeah Campus’ electronic interdisciplinary journal. This journal is a testament to the commitment from faculty and staff to share best practices. I congratulate Polygon’s Editorial staff on another successful issue. Caridad Castro, JD Chairperson, Liberal Arts and Sciences Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus
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On the Philosophical Concepts of Multiplicity and Identities in the Movie “The Matrix” José A. Donis Liberal Arts and Sciences Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus jdonis@mdc.edu
Abstract This article analyzes the various theories of identity as expressed by past and present philosophers, and how these ideas are expressed in the film The Matrix (1999). The article touches upon philosophy, namely aesthetics, focusing on the theme of defining identity and how it is applicable in film.
Introduction The theory of identity has been thoroughly explored throughout history since the Enlightenment. Locke believed that “consciousness alone unites actions into the same person.” 1 Thomas Reid’s direct realist theory argued against Locke’s view of identity by asserting that “consciousness cannot be the same individually for any two moments but only of the same kind” therefore, “we are not for any two moments the same individual persons.” 2 As a skeptic, David Hume believed that humans are simply a “bundle or collection of different perceptions (experiences), which each succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement.” 3
John Locke, “Of Identity and Diversity” Chapter XXVII of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 2nd Edition, section 18, 1689. 2 Thomas Reid, “Chapter 4: Of Identity” in Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, Essay Three: Of Memory, 1785. 3 David Hume, “Of Personal Identity” in A Treatise of Human Nature, Book I: Of the understanding, Part IV: Of the skeptical and other systems of philosophy, Section VI, 1739. 1
2 Twentieth century philosophers have also chimed in on the topic of identity. Derek Parfit allowed for identity to have psychological continuity, which consists of a transitive relation of having a series of overlapping memories, as well as psychological connectedness, which he describes as an intransitive relation of having overlapping memories. 4 Roderick Chisholm maintained that certain concepts associated with identity are used loosely in popular parlance and should be used in the strictest philosophical sense. He asserted that by using the term “is” in reference to identity in the strictest possible sense, then one must admit that identity is subject to continual changes of their being. 5 With so many theories of identity, it is quite easy to see how this concept may be used in various ways in literary and theatrical media. Identity allows for a richness of plots and subplots, so much so that the concept of identity becomes a crucial and integral component in science fiction literature and film. The purpose of this essay is to show how the character Neo in the movie The Matrix (1999) goes through various identities. The first section of this essay will discuss the various views of identity and the self, and how it is applicable to the character Neo. I will defend the notion that each person consists of not a single self, but of many selves, therefore, having a plethora of identities throughout one’s life. The second section will describe how Neo has different identities in different worlds, transforms into a new identity with each upload of a new skill, and with each experience he has in the Matrix, he acquires a new identity. Certain scenes will serve as examples to uphold my thesis. Finally, I will conclude my essay with a summary of how the theory of identity is expressed in the film.
Discussion I believe that one of the ways to understanding identity is to understand the concept of the self. One may argue that the self is identity, 6 hence, multiple selves are akin to multiple identities. Using
Derek Parfit, “Personal Identity,” in The Philosophical Review, vol. 80, No. 1 (January 1971), pp. 3-27. Roderick M. Chisholm, “Identity Through Time” in Person and Object, Open Court Publishing, pp. 537 – 551, 1976 6 Daphna Oyserman, Kristen Elmore, George Smith, “Chapter 4: Self, Self-Concept, and Identity,” in Handbook of Self and Identity, Mark R. Leary and June Price Tangney (editors), New York: Guilford Press, 2012: pp. 69 – 104. 4 5
3 philosophical works by Derek Parfit, Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, Galen Strawson, and others, I am proposing to show the many rich and robust varieties of the self and how they are contained in a single person throughout a period of time. Hence, by showing a variety of selves, I can also make an argument for the existence of a variety of identities. In turn, I will provide evidence of the various identities Neo portrays throughout the film. Let us begin with a thought experiment. Imagine that you are at a fast-food restaurant. The checkout line is a bit long, and you notice that you are bothered by this. The cashier slowly gets through the line until it is your turn. You realize that the cashier is constantly on his phone, texting friends, having no sense of urgency or responsibility, causing you more delays. Your anger for such irresponsibility makes you want to make a quick punitive comment, but something stops you. Something in your mind tells you to consider the possible outcomes of your actions. You go through the various types of comments—ranging from rude to tactful remarks to saying nothing—evaluating all possible “parallel universes” in which the outcomes differ in each world. Each of these possible comments come from a possible self of yours. For example, if you choose to say to the cashier, “Hey, why don’t you hurry up?!”, this can clearly be attributed to a self or identity of yours that is far-fetched from your professional identity. Clearly, your professional self or identity would never react in such a way. However, if you choose to say nothing at all and simply remain patient and go about your way, then one can argue that you chose a self or an identity that is more focused on the end goal, which is to eat your lunch. In either of these cases, you must choose a self or an identity that you recognize to be the appropriate one to handle the situation. As for this particular case at the fast-food restaurant, you realize that it would be best to remain professional, say nothing, and go directly to the supervisor. You feel that if you say something offensive to the ignorant cashier, he may very well retort with a loud and embarrassing riposte, possibly escalating the situation beyond what you expected or desired. Therefore, you choose your professional “self” or identity—over all other possible identities—at that moment to
4 handle that particular situation in the manner that you believed would yield the best results. I contend that each self is a single identity. 7 Past and current philosophers have spilled much ink over the theory of identity. Many agree that identity cannot be pinned down to just one. It is fluid, it changes, and one can have multiple identities. First, one must analyze what philosophers have said about the self, which will reveal how Neo’s character goes through various transformations and multiplicity of identities. David Hume states that a person is never the same from one moment to the other. Even the smallest change to our self is sufficient to say that “we must acknowledge that the particular object (our self) which existed before the exchange no longer remains.” 8 Hume argues that while a person can think that he/she is something, that something simply cannot be observed. He adds that if the self cannot be an identifiable experience, then there cannot be a self. Furthermore, he questions the properties of any mental construction or mode of thinking about one’s experiences. Derek Parfit argues that one should redefine what one means by identity. 9 He maintains that while memory may be sufficient to establish identity, it is not necessary. He states that this is possible only if humans do not presuppose the concept of identity and, instead, speak of such matters as “prior and later selves.” He contends, using David Wiggins case of fission, that it is logical to think that one’s brain may be split into two and may be transplanted into two other patients who happen to be waiting for a brain transplant. 10 Which one of these three individuals has the identity of the original donor? Parfit concludes that the only possible answer is that the donor survives as two other people. These two share his brain and are supposedly his later self, both of whom share the same memories of the donor’s past. In Parfit’s argument about q-memory—relatively described as a memory of something that may or may not
Proceeding in this portion of the essay, I will use the concepts “self” and “identity” interchangeably. I advise the reader to think of the word “a self” as a single “identity” and where it says “multiple selves,” read as “multiple identities.” 8 Ibid. “Of Personal Identity” 9 Ibid. “Personal Identity” 10 David Wiggins, Identity and Spatio-Temporal Continuity, Oxford, 1967. 7
5 be one’s past experiences—Parfit maintains that the person who is remembering an experience does not necessarily have to be the same person who had the experience. That is, memory does not necessarily presume identity. This allows for the possibility of a future self to be the same person, but not necessarily in the same body. The idea of a future self-existing in a separate body becomes more fluid and open. In the following section of this essay, I will show how Parfit’s identity theory applies to Neo’s so-called fission between his identity in the real world and his identity in the Matrix. Neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, along with his assistant William Hirstein, created a list of the characteristics that define the self, which include: The embodied self, the passionate self, the executive self, the mnemonic self, the unified self, the vigilant self, the conceptual self, and the social self. 11 He believes that the self can have multiple levels, facets, characteristics, and can function in different parts of the brain (mainly temporal and frontal lobes), all of which make up the self. This shows the complex nature that is the human brain, the mind, and consciousness. There is no single, unified, much less, easy explanation, as it seems that others are trying to provide. Ramachandran cautiously admits, however, that the word “self” is difficult to define and he personally finds his “self” to be a thing that “unites all [his] diverse sensory impressions and memories, claims to be ‘in charge’ of [his] life, makes choices (has free will) and seems to endure as a single entity in space and time.” 12 Galen Strawson offers a more elaborate view of multiple selves. 13 His argument proposes something a bit more inclusive, that is, he proposes humans have many selves over an entire lifetime. He refers to this view as the Pearl view. These selves are experienced, for the most part, in short bursts of time, during a period of “hiatus-free conscious thought.” For Strawson, each of these moments of uninterrupted consciousness is a unique and single mental self. The result is an inordinately amount of selves (or identities) in a lifetime, considering that a separate and distinct self emerges in between every
V. S. Ramachandran, Phantoms in the Brain, (Harper Collins: New York) 1999, pp. 247-254. Ibid. p. 246. 13 Galen Strawson, “The Self” from Journal of Consciousness Studies, 4, No. 5/6, Joseph Goguen and Valerie G. Hardcastle (editors), Imprint Academic, 1997. 11 12
6 single interruption of our conscious thought. In the following section, I will provide evidence of Neo’s identity changing gradually and abruptly throughout various points in time. Clearly, many philosophers have defended the idea of a single person having multiple selves or identities. Let us see how some of these identity theories can be applied to the character of Neo in the film The Matrix. Written by the Wachowski brothers, 14 The Matrix (1999) is a cyberpunk film about a dystopian future in which highly intelligent and sentient machines control human beings by creating a virtual reality world referred to as “the Matrix.” The machines use human biothermal energy as a source to sustain the Matrix. The main character, Thomas Anderson who goes by his hacker alias “Neo,” becomes aware of this dystopia and joins a rebellious group to stop the machines. Neo first becomes fully aware of the dystopia when he is awoken by a cryptic message on his computer screen. Confused by it, he nevertheless follows its instructions. He soon comes across the character of Trinity, who tells Neo that she knows him well, despite never having met. She reveals to him that he has been looking for something called “The Matrix” and she can help him find it. Throughout the film, Neo appears as having different identities. The audience sees Neo as Thomas Anderson in a world he thinks has always been real. His identity as Thomas Anderson is revealed by his dull job as a computer programmer at the soulless MetaCortex corporation, his cubicle which gives a feeling of detachment from others, his dreary clothes consisting of a simple dark suit, white shirt, and tie. However, there is a different identity emerges as Neo, the computer hacker. Neo the hacker is more secretive. He comes across as recluse. He furtively sells computer software (which he poignantly hides in a copy of Jean Baudrillard’s Simulation and Simulacra) to ruffians, hoodlums, and drug dealers. Spending most of his time in the illicit world of hacking, Neo suspects there is a virtual reality world called “the Matrix.” When he is contacted by Trinity, and later
The siblings are now known as “The Wachowskis” after Larry and Andy Wachowski have both come out as trans women, Lana and Lilly, respectively.
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7 Morpheus (the leader of the rebellion), Neo goes down a long and winding rabbit hole that will reveal yet other identities. Neo’s curiosity about the Matrix leads him to make a life-changing decision, offered by Morpheus, to know more about the Matrix. After Neo takes the red pill, another identity emerges. This time it is the actual Neo as he truly appears in the real world. He is naked, hairless, and his muscles atrophied. Unaware that he had been in a comatose state in a vat full of jelly, he is released from the biothermal-energy-retrieving machine and is drained from the vat into a lake. 15 Taken from a lake by the human rebellion hovercraft, the Nebuchadnezzar, his body is rehabilitated. 16 Finally, a fourth identity is revealed when Neo is in the virtual world of the Matrix, discussed in the following paragraph. All the different versions of Neo described above can be seen as different identities of a person by the same name. One could argue that at least three out of the four are different persons. 17 This is parallel to Dr. Ramachandran’s assertion of the individual embodying many selves, having multiple levels, facets, and characteristics. Probing further, it is evident that as Neo begins to develop the skills and talents each time he is connected to the Matrix, he takes on a different identity. The first time Neo is plugged into the Matrix, or rather, the loading program known as the Construct, he is met by Morpheus who explains to him what exactly the Matrix is. In the Construct, one is able to upload anything from “clothing, equipment, weapons, training simulations” and anything else needed. Neo, questioning that he is in a loading program, begins to realize that everything about his physical self is different. His hair is different, the plugs in his body and head are gone, and his clothing has changed. Morpheus discloses to Neo that this is his “residual self-image” or the “mental projection of his digital self.” Neo is realizing at this point that he now has two selves, or two identities. One is reclining on a seat, plugged into the program, and the other is the mental projection in the Construct. Not all will agree that this is a clear-cut case of separate identities.
Incidentally, this was the last scene that was shot for the film even though it is one of the first scenes of the film. The rehabilitation itself can be seen as a change in physical identity. 17 Thomas Anderson and Neo the computer hacker could be seen as a single human entity. 15 16
8 Audience members may argue that Neo is the same person with the same identity in both worlds. A reason why one would believe this is that most people use concepts in a loose fashion in daily conversations. As Roderick Chisholm points out, common parlance allows for the use various words loosely, with vague or broad definitions, for example, the word “is.” 18 In everyday life, people tend to use “is” quite loosely, as shown in the following example: Let us say there is a train with three carriages running north from Miami to Tallahassee. As it trails along, stopping at every station, the train picks up plywood stored in the carriages to be transferred up north. However, when it arrives to Orlando, another set of three carriages with an inventory of steel planks are added to the original set of three carriages originating from Miami. Now the train consists of six carriages carrying both plywood and steel planks. Loosely speaking, one can say that it “is” still the original train, and, although it is ubiquitous to speak in such a manner, Chisholm argues that one cannot be so careless when speaking philosophically. Strictly speaking it is not the same train. The train has clearly undergone gradual and dramatic changes. Chisholm succinctly explains this phenomenon of change, which he refers to as the doctrine of temporal parts, in the following manner: “every individual thing X, for every period of time (t), has set of parts at that time, that X does not have at another time.” 19 In the train example above, the train subsumed a different characteristic at each station, making it a different train altogether. Therefore, one must reject the loose use of concepts like “is” and “identity” in favor of adopting a strict sense of concepts and terminology associated with identity. Since the focus of this paper is the philosophical use of the word “identity,” then one can proceed to show how Neo’s many different identities in the strict sense of the word. Drawing parallels from train example above, each additional martial skill Neo uploads turns him into a different self, or identity. In the first upload, he learns jujitsu. A new identity is subsumed. He then
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Roderick M. Chisholm, “Identity Through Time” in Person and Object, Open Court Publishing, 1976 Ibid. p. 541.
9 undergoes 10 full hours of uploading various martial skills. For each martial skill uploaded, he gains a new identity. This can be expressed in the following manner: Neo has identity X in the Matrix. Each martial skill is yₙ. Jujitsu can be called y; kung fu is y2; mixed martial arts is y3, etc. With each upload, Neo acquires a new martial skill. After ten hours, Neo has identity X + y + y2 + y3 + y4…yₙ. Furthermore, Neo’s identity changes for each duration of time (Matrix Time = T hereafter) he is in the Construct. This can be explained by applying Gale Strawson’s characteristic of the self as synchronically considered. Strawson believes that a self is possible and describable in great detail. He proposes a list containing the essential characteristics of the self. He asserts that the self can be sensed or experienced as: (1) a thing, in some robust sense; (2) a mental thing, in some sense; (3) a single thing synchronically considered; (4) a single thing diachronically considered; (5) ontically distinct from all other things; (6) a subject of experience, 20 a conscious feeler and thinker; (7) an agent; (8) and a thing that has a certain character or personality. Of these eight, Strawson believes that 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are essential, and nos. 1 and 3 can be effectively defended. He argues that no. 3 on the list—the self being synchronically considered—is fundamental. 21 Synchronically, the self, or an identity, may be experienced within a small fraction of time, a few seconds, at most. From this characteristic, Strawson develops the Pearl view. The Pearl view, as odd and awkward as it may sound, suggests that a person has many mental selves, or identities, existing one at a time, sequentially, like pearls on a string. Each sense of mental self has its moment, either for a small or long duration of time, like a “gappy series of eruptions of Strawson further explained this idea as a SESMET in a later article. See Galen Strawson, “The Self and the SESMET” in Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6, No. 4, 1999. 21 Strawson contends that No. 4—the self as diachronically considered—is not as essential as No. 3, if it is even essential at all. He states that the single mental self is vivid and complete at any given moment in time. There is no essential need to wonder about how past and future experiences have shaped or will shape the self, that is, there is no need to consider the self over a long period of time, longer than what is necessary. 20
10 consciousness from a substrate of apparent non-consciousness.” These moments of uninterrupted period of consciousness are as real as any other objects deemed to be real. Strawson argues that these moments could be seen as time intervals, for example, t₁...t₂…t₃, etc. In The Matrix, Neo not only spends time acquiring knowledge of martial arts, but he also spends time applying these skills. For each time that he spends training with Morpheus, learning how to use the various martial skills, he acquires a new identity. In essence, Neo’s identity changes with each y acquired at each subsequent time T: Neo has identity X in the Matrix. Neo has gained property y at T₁, which he did not have prior. Neo has gained property y2 at T₂, which he did not have prior to T₁. …et cetera, through yₙ. Neo utilizes knowledge of y, y2, y3… yₙ with Morpheus at Tₙ. Neo has properties now that he did not have before. Neo now has new identity X + y + y2 + y3… yₙ. In the strictest sense of the word “is,” as Chisholm, asserted, Neo is a different person with each property he gains. That is, whatever identity he subsumed prior to having property yₙ at Tₙ is not the same identity he now has. In a later scene, the sage Oracle informs Neo that he is not “the One,”—the ultimate god-like identity. The villainous agents learn of the rebel group’s location at the Oracle’s apartment and go after them. All escape back to the hovercraft, except for Morpheus. The agents capture him and hold him hostage. With no one believing that Neo is the One, not even Neo himself, all hopes of fighting the agents and saving Morpheus dwindle. Tank, one of two fully human entities operating the hovercraft, decides to pull the plug on Morpheus, which would instantly kill him. Neo quickly stops Tank and discloses to the rebels that the Oracle told him that he would have to make a choice. Although he does not believe to be “the One,” he believes that he could save Morpheus. Trinity joins Neo, although he resisted the idea of her coming along.
11 As Neo and Trinity confront the three agents, one sees that Neo has an added feature to his identity which he did not have nor learned before moving in bullet time. He is able to dodge bullets, something which intrigues Trinity because she has only seen the agents having this feature. Neo, however, could not explain to Trinity how he learned it nor how he could do it at will. After Morpheus is rescued, Trinity takes him back to the hovercraft. However, Neo stays stuck behind. After a series of fighting scenes with the three agents—Smith proving to be the most highly skilled of all three—Neo suffers a life-ending setback. As he enters a room to answer the phone to take him back to the real world in the hovercraft, Agent Smith appears and unloads his gun on Neo. Neo dies because, as Morpheus explained to Neo earlier (“The body cannot live without the mind”), if one dies in the Matrix, then one dies in the real world. It is worth exploring this idea further. Consciousness is an attribute of the entire organism. Some of the information-processing operations needed for consciousness cannot be possible without a body that acts under the control of those operations. Furthermore, those operations need the physical feedback from particular aspects of reality that affect the actions of the body, and, in turn, affects consciousness. It is a two-way street. The body is needed for consciousness to make predictions and evaluations, specifically in a particular space and time. Certain mental states can affect physical states. Note that Neo is actively talking, moving, emoting, and fighting in the Matrix while lying lifelessly in the Nebuchadnezzar. In an earlier scene, while learning to jump from building to building in the Construct, he fails to cover the distance of the clearing and hits the ground at a rather violent speed. When he is unplugged, he notices some blood coming out of his mouth. He suddenly realizes that what happens to him in the Matrix, may physically affect him in the real world. Although there is no direct evidence showing that if you die in your dream, then you will die in real life (how could one ever really know!), there is evidence of various types of parasomnia. For example, somniloquy which is a sleeping condition in which you speak out loud in real life as you are in a sleeping state, or somnambulism which is known as sleep-walking, or sleeping conditions in which you cry or shake. Furthermore, certain mental states persist regardless of what is seen in reality.
12 Some patients who have undergone amputation surgery still feel pain in the amputated limb. Neurologists calls this “learned paralysis.” There is no actual limb there to have any pain, therefore, the pain is originating solely in the mind. Dr. Ramachandran, therefore, developed a type of therapy known as mirror therapy to help patients with phantom limbs. 22 He helped patients with this condition by having the patient place the mirror at a particular angle so that their real limb appears to them in the mirror as their amputated limb. The patient sees their other real limb move in the mirror to convince the brain circuitry (Hebbian learning) that the missing limb was no longer paralyzed, and they no longer feel the pain. Over a period of time, the patient was able to decrease and eliminate the pain in their phantom limb. The examples above serve to make the point that mental states can indeed affect physical states. Viewers will see how this dramatically unfolds in The Matrix. As one may recall earlier in the film, during one of the training sparring sessions with Neo, Morpheus revealed that some rules of physics can be bent and others can be broken, depending on the willingness of one’s mind to do so. When Neo dies toward the end of the film, Trinity—who is back at the hovercraft—discloses to Neo, who is lying lifelessly on the recliner seat, that the Oracle told her that Trinity will fall in love with the One. She kisses him, and he comes back to life in both worlds. At this point, his final identity is fully revealed. Rather than seeing the Matrix as a real-world phenomenon (e.g. a world with people, animals, streets, buildings, trees, etc), he now sees it as the code that created and runs the Matrix. He realizes he has the power to stop programs like Agent Smith. Neo flies into him, eventually exploding him from within him, after which he flexes and bends the world around him.
Conclusion In conclusion, regardless whether one thinks of identity in the strictest philosophical sense or the broad sense of everyday speak, one can account for at least two identities of Neo. Neo in the Matrix virtual world is a heroic figure with all sorts of skills and abilities to fight any programs that seek to 22
See meandmymirror.org.
13 destroy him. Back in the Nebuchadnezzar, Neo is simply a man. None of the knowledge and skills he acquired through uploading programs to his mind have transferred over to the real world. He cannot jump great heights, he has no martial skills whatsoever, he just has the memory of what he experiences in the Matrix. Derek Parfit’s theory of identity applies: there appears to be both psychological continuity and psychological connectedness in two different persons in two separate realities. Neo switches from one reality to the other without ever having simultaneous consciousnesses. Earth Neo has q-memory of the experiences Matrix Neo has, but it does not necessarily mean that Earth Neo has to have the experience. One may argue that Neo is the same consciousness throughout the film and that he only experiences heightened qualities just as a weightlifter increasingly gains muscles. However, this argument falls short of what is necessary to distinguish between sameness and difference. Loosely speaking, the argument that Neo is the same would hold water, but this is because in common every day lexicon society accepts broad definitions of what constitutes identity. Philosophically speaking, however, concepts cannot be so flexible as to mean whatever one wants it to mean. To say that something is the same is to say that each and every single particle is the same within that entity at any given point in time. Therefore, to say that Neo’s identity is the same is to say that he does not change a single iota about himself. Evidence to the contrary, Neo does go through various changes to his self. I have shown that Neo’s identity changes with each skill he uploads, and with each experience he is exposed to. I have also proven that the changes between identities are both gradual and abrupt, small and large. Neo clearly has multiple identities, with each meeting the criteria of being a thing, with mental and intellectual ability, ontically distinct from all other things, consciously feeling and thinking, containing a certain character or personality.
Acknowledgements The author is thankful to the editor-in-chief and reviewer for providing constructive feedback and comments which improved the quality and presentation of the paper. The author is also thankful to Miami
14 Dade College to serve this institution and provide opportunities without which it was not possible to conduct his research.
15 References Chisholm, Roderick M. “Identity Through Time.” Person and Object. Open Court Publishing, 1976. Hume, David. “Of Personal Identity.” A Treatise of Human Nature. Book I: Of the understanding. Part IV: Of the skeptical and other systems of philosophy. Section VI. 1739. Locke, John. “Of Identity and Diversity.” An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Chapter XXVII. 2nd Edition. 1689. Oyserman, Daphna, Elmore, Kristen, Smith, George. “Chapter 4: Self, Self-Concept, and Identity.” Handbook of Self and Identity. Mark R. Leary and June Price Tangney (editors). New York: Guilford Press, 2012. Parfit, Derek. “Personal Identity.” The Philosophical Review. Vol. 80, No. 1. Pp. 3 – 27. Duke University Press, January 1971. Ramachandran, V. S. Phantoms in the Brain. Harper Collins: New York, 1999. Reid, Thomas “Chapter 4: Of Identity.” Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man. Essay Three: Of Memory. 1785. Strawson, Galen. “The Self.” Journal of Consciousness Studies, 4. No. 5/6. Joseph Goguen and Valerie G. Hardcastle (editors). Imprint Academic, 1997. “The Self and the SESMET.” Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6. No. 4. Joseph Goguen and Valerie G. Hardcastle (editors). Imprint Academic, 1999. Sumner, Stephen. Meandmymirror.org. Accessed 14 July 2018. The Matrix. Directed by The Wachowskis. Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Warner Bros. 1999. Wiggins, David. Identity and Spatio-Temporal Continuity. Oxford, 1967.
16
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Qualitative Study Dr. Eric Bernard Terry, DBA, Miguel B. Fernandez, Rachely Gonzalez and Alessandro Molina Pena, Family School of Global Business, Trade and Transportation Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus, Hialeah, FL 33012, USA. Email: eterry@mdc.edu
Abstract This qualitative paper attempts to explain sexual harassment from the viewpoint of the victim and accused. This paper also looks at the negative impact of sexual harassment on an organization’s reputation and finances when they turn a “blind eye.” How “sexual harassment” is defined depends on the state the offence occurred. This paper will try to define sexual harassment, as well as, review the history of it. Additionally, the authors will discuss current punishment, corporate policies and victim after care. The information for this paper came from many sources, such as academic journals, websites, book, and news articles. Perspectives were then organized by the viewpoints of the individuals involved in the series of events related to sexual harassment.
Keywords: Sexual Harassment, Corporate Impact, Sexual Harassment Laws, Victim Impact, Globalization and Prevention Policies
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Sexual harassment has been going on longer than a century. Although many cases have been brought to light recently, they have been ignored by many organizations. One such example of sexual harassment in the workplace is a case where a woman named Ashley was sexually harassed and assaulted by Richard Moore, a manager at Aaron’s Rentals where Ashley worked (McCoy, 2017). Despite her repeated complaints, it was not until Richard Moore attacked her for a second time that the company took
17 action (McCoy, 2017). Even though cases like Ashley’s have occurred many times in the past, the topic of sexual harassment has been ignored until now. The media in many cases have been uncovering scandals connecting congress officials to sexual harassment cases. One of these cases involves Senator Al Franken, who was one of the first sitting lawmaker publicly accused. It was not until six additional women accused Senator Franken that the senate’s ethics panel opened a preliminary inquiry investigation about the alleged claims (Przybyla, 2017). The main reason individuals are now researching sexual harassment is because the media has connected these issues to high ranking officials within the government and entertainment industry (Przybyla, 2017). Sharma (2016) defined sexual harassment as the “unwanted sexual advance or unwelcome conduct.” Sexual harassment includes sexual conduct in which the victim would be offended, humiliated, intimidated, or in general, creates a hostile or humiliating environment for the victim (Sharma, 2016). While Sharma’s definition serves as a general definition, the definition can vary depending on country, religion, culture, education, and many other aspects. While the definition can be debated, it is clear that society is no longer willing to accept this type of behavior and will hold those individuals perpetrating this action accountable.
Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative study is to bring awareness to the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace. This topic is not generally talked about because most individuals, companies, and organizations assume there are policies to deal with this type of situation. According to Zachary (2014), sexual harassment policies are common in companies now, they are incorporated into behavioral standards, anti-harassment policies, or are freestanding. Although these types of policies are common, the reason sexual harassment is not a big topic is because current policies are usually ambiguous, ineffective, and rarely followed by both employees and companies (Zachary, 2014).
18 Research Methodology The student researchers have chosen to use a qualitative research methodology for this study. The qualitative research method brings a deeper understanding of general information; qualitative research allows one to take a magnified look into people’s point of view (Yin, 2011). A qualitative study is not defined by a single definition but is acknowledged because of the five features it contains. The first feature of a qualitative study is being able to understand people’s lives under real-world conditions. Information gathered in a qualitative paper is obtained from different platforms and it is through these platforms individuals are given the opportunity to express themselves (Yin, 2011, p. 8). The second and third features of a qualitative research method are being able to understand another person’s perspective as well as covering the information that consists of people’s social and environmental lives (Yin, 2011, p. 8). The fourth and fifth features of a qualitative study are being able to add to already existing concepts as well as being able to benefit and gather information from multiple sources instead of a single source (Yin, 2011). Unlike qualitative research, quantitative studies deal more with data, graphs, and numbers, it establishes a more reliable viewpoint (McLeod, 2017). Quantitative studies also involve key features that help understand the topic in a less biased manner. The first and last key features of a quantitative study is to test the results and reject the information with evidential results (McLeod, 2017). The second through fourth key features are used to eliminate unbiased information (McLeod, 2017). The reasoning behind the researchers choosing a qualitative research study lies in its ability to uncover a more personal viewpoint on a topic that deals with people’s behavioral and mental state; it focuses more on the thoughts and perspectives of individuals. Additionally, qualitative studies allow the researchers to use multiple sources that provides a real-world perspective (McLeod, 2017).
Laws
19 During the late 20th century when sexual harassment was first debated, it was known as sex discrimination and there were many debates on what the definition of sexual harassment was and what laws should be implemented to prevent it (Siegel & Mackinnon, 2003). Any form of sexual harassment was legal until 1964 when Title VII The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed, it prohibited “employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin” (NOLO, n.d.). This law was implemented to prevent the past events that involved sexual assault against African American women slaves (NOLO, n.d.). Even though this law only prevented sexual discrimination, the courts did not bring cases involving this law to the court until the 1980s (NOLO, n.d.). Following the Title VII, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendment was issued in order to prevent sexual discrimination in schools that received federal funds (NOLO, n.d.). It was not until the 1980s that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recognized sexual harassment in the workplace as part of sex discrimination (NOLO, n.d.). Around the 1980s, after sexual harassment was recognized under Title VII, there were two forms of sexual harassment, “quid pro quo” and hostile work environment. Quid pro quo sexual harassment is a type of blackmail, where a supervisor or someone of higher position with authority demands toleration of sexual harassment in exchange for keeping a job or receiving benefits (FindLaw, n.d.). The other form of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, is illegal when someone’s behavior is unwanted, in a sexual form, and creates a hostile work environment (FindLaw, n.d.). These forms of sexual harassment were discovered and created around 1986 during the case of Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson where the court ruled that speech in itself can be used to create a hostile environment, which is against Title VII (NOLO, n.d.). The current laws of sexual harassment happened in the 1990s, beginning in 1991 when the Civil Rights Act of 1991 was passed. This law was a modified version of the Title VII law that prohibited sex discrimination. The 1991 law added further protection to sexual harassment in the workplace, including being able to make a case in a jury trial in federal court. The law also allowed the plaintiffs to receive compensation for damages (NOLO, n.d.). In 1994, the Violence against Women Act of 1994 was passed and it narrowed the acceptance of evidence that held information regarding the plaintiff’s past sexual
20 history (NOLO, n.d.). This law also permitted the sexual history of the accused to be brought as evidence in the case (NOLO, n.d.). The most current law in connection to sexual harassment was passed in 1995. The Government Accountability Act made it possible for Congress members to be subjected to the same employment laws of any other employee (NOLO, n.d.).
Victim Impact The victim of sexual harassment can experience some psychological effects. They include the aftereffects, social trauma as well as a negative financial impact. When it comes to the psychological impact that victims can experience a range of emotions from minimal irritation to severe cases of depression (Funk, 2016). Some of the more severe cases include stress, anxiety, loss of self-esteem, and serious cases of depression. This goes for both women and men according to research gathered at Cleveland State University that stated, “Between 90 and 95 percent of women who have been sexual harassed experience debilitating stress reactions, including anxiety, depression, headaches, sleep disorders, lowered self-esteem, and nausea. And one study found that the trauma and its fallout
could even rise to the level of major
depressive disorder (MDD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” (Young, 2016, p. 56). Although women report more conflicting effects than men, “studies indicate that men may be at a higher risk of mental health issues and depression” (Workplace, 2017, p. 2). Additionally, the psychological effect that sexual harassment in the workplace could have on victims may lead to physical issues as well. The victims could experience loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, and other physical problems that could negatively affect their health (The Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, 2015). Other than psychological and physical issues that the victims could experience, the victim’s social life could be affected in a negative way as well. Their social life could be minimalized as the victim becomes afraid of working in the same work environment, which could negatively affect their work performance and personal life (The Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, 2015).
21 Research has clearly indicated that sexual harassment could affect an individual’s mental and physical state. Its impact on an individual’s finances and career shouldn’t be overlooked. There could be severe challenges the victim would have to face when this situation occurs. For example, losing their job or experiencing negative repercussions for their career (The Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, 2015). The victims would most likely have to take unpaid leave to deal with their mental state, which could create a financial challenge for them (Shah, 2016). In terms of “quid pro quo” of sexual harassment, the victims could get fired for not participating in the event. Thereby making it difficult for them to acquire jobs in the future or advance in their organizations (Shah, 2016). These are some of the financial challenges the victim could face when they experience sexual harassment in the workplace.
Accused Impact Even though the victim gets affected in a negative way, it is often forgotten that the person accused also is impacted, especially if they are innocent. The topic of “Accused Impact” has not been discussed in many instances. Many people accused of sexual harassment have experienced the fallout of being accused. These scandals have created a mass hysteria through workplaces around the world. Many men and women, but mainly women, have been using the #MeToo campaign to accuse people with high profiles of sexual harassment (Suk Gersen, 2017). Since the #MeToo campaign has become well known, there has been a ripple effect called the “Weinstein ripple effect,” which started with film producer Harvey Weinstein being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women (Campo, 2017). This ripple effect has inspired other people to come forward and accuse people of high profiles (Campo, 2017). For example, film director Brett Ratner was accused of sexual harassment by six women who came forward with similar stories of abuse (Campo, 2017). Although Brett Ratner’s attorney denied the allegations on his behalf, Mr. Ratner decided to stay away from any work-related activities to not have a negative impact on his workplace until his personal issue had been resolved (Campo, 2017). This issue of repeated allegations against high-profile people has caused them to be fired or to leave their jobs (Almukhtar,
22 Gold, & Buchanan, 2018). Society should also be concerned of the possible effects of allegations made against the accused. Individuals accused of sexual harassment in the workplace may experience a negative impact on their finances. It should be understood that in many cases the accused tend to get fired or be forced to step down from their position because employers favor the accusers over the accused (Suk Gersen, 2017). The accused get no warning or reasoning for their termination as the employers tend to make the irrational decision without investigating the allegations correctly. For example, in Sassaman v. Gamache, an employee sued his employer for failing to investigate the accusation made against him because the employer had made his decision based on biased thoughts and forced the employee to resign (Suk Gersen, 2017). Without warning, the accused lose their jobs which for most people is their only source of income. The rights of the victim must be protected. However, companies should also protect the rights of the accused. Companies should be mindful that in our society, the accused is innocent until proven guilty.
Corporate Impact When sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, it does not only impact the victims and the accused, but also the corporations and their stakeholders. A company’s reputation is everything and accusations of sexual harassment could ruin a company’s reputation. Organizations could be held liable for a multiple of offenses, including bullying, polluting the environment and sexual harassment (Compensation Sense, 2018). The damage that can be done to a company’s reputation because of the serious allegations could make the company lose a great deal of business. For example, consumers can “develop rapid, negative generalizations, which will make them less likely to repurchase from the firm” (Young, 2016, p. 12). The companies could even lose their reputations with their own employees, suffer from a drop in employee productivity, and employees could cause gossip, anxiety, stress, and many other factors that could work towards decreasing productivity (Luman, 2018).
23 Not only can a company’s reputation be damaged due to sexual harassment accusations, but they can suffer financially as well. Companies can expect staff turnover causing employees to leave their organization. This would require organizations to spend money for hiring and training of new employees (Chinn, 2016). Employers could also expect to lose a significant amount of money in lawsuits filed against their organization. According to Young (2016), “In 2015 alone, the U.S. Equal employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received over 6,800 claims of sexual harassment, resulting in 1,829 charges and $46 million in direct settlements” (p.20). The costs increase if the case(s) go to trial and companies could lose millions of dollars in lawsuits, loss of employees, and in business partners backing out because of their negative reputation (Young, 2016).
Prevention Policies/After Care Many big and small organizations have problems with sexual harassment, and many have chosen to adopt policies to address sexual harassment, general harassment, and anti-harassment training (HeathField, 2017). These policies include the definition of sexual harassment, what investigation procedures will be undertaken if this were to happen, and the role the manager must take to prevent sexual harassment (HeathField, 2017). One well-known example of these policies is that it is forbidden to date an employee in a supervisory role and not report it (HeathField, 2017). There are also many other examples such as do not laugh or encourage inappropriate jokes or behavior, keep it “PG” rated, and all upper level employees must attend an anti-harassment workshop (7 Steps To Prevent Sexual Harassment In The Workplace, 2014). Depending upon the traumatic damage, the victim may be offered counseling at the expense of the organization.
Globalization The definition of sexual harassment as well as the laws and policies vary by state and when you travel abroad, the change in culture, religion, and diversity brings a new meaning to sexual harassment.
24 These differences have become problematic for many organizations. Organizations participating in international business are facing the challenge of trying to keep-up with the different variables. Companies will have to consider International Labor Rights, race, gender, sexual identity as well as ethnicity (Chen, 2017). Since sexual harassment can be different globally, it is important to follow the rules that you follow in your own country in any other country that you might visit. For example, in the United States, sexual harassment in the workplace is broken down into two categories, “quid pro quo� and hostile work environment, and it is considered illegal and punishable by law. In other countries such as Pakistan, the definition of sexual harassment is similar to the one in the United States and is also punishable by law, but in Pakistan, this law was passed in 2010 after the citizens overcame their conservative oppositions (Schreck, 2011). The problem of international sexual harassment will not go away anytime soon. However, organizations have a responsibility to act in a responsible manner.
Conclusion Sexual harassment is still an ongoing problem that is now coming to light because of the recent cases with congress, therefore it is important to know the actual definition of sexual harassment and to take action if it occurs in a place-of-work. This qualitative paper was written for that exact reason, bringing awareness on a topic that many people lose their jobs over and have psychological trauma from the event. Additionally, the topic of sexual harassment was studies to gain the perspectives of everyone involved in a sexual harassment case and investigate how it affects not only the victim, but also the accused and the corporation as a whole. This paper’s main focus was to dig deeper into the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace by using examples of actual cases and using them to gain a broader perspective on the topic.
25 Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the editor-in-chief and reviewer for providing constructive feedback and comments which improved the quality and presentation of the paper. The authors are also thankful to Miami Dade College to serve this institution and provide opportunities without which it was not possible to conduct our research. References 7 Steps To Prevent Sexual Harassment In The Workplace. (2014, July 18). Retrieved from IntergrityHR: https://integrityhr.com/hrblog/7-steps-to-prevent-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace/ Almukhtar, S., Gold, M., & Buchanan, L. (2018, February 8). After Weinstein: 71 Men Accused of Sexual Misconduct and Their Fall From Power. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/10/us/men-accused-sexual-misconductweinstein.html Campo, C. (2017, October 26). The Weinstein ripple effect: Famous man accussed of sexual harassment and assault. Retrieved from CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/26/the-weinstein-rippleeffect-famous-men-accused-of-sexual-harassment-and-assault.html Chen, M. (2017, December 7). Stopping Sexual Abuse on the Job Begins With Empowering Workers. Retrieved from THE Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/stopping-sexual-abuse-on-thejob-begins-with-empowering-workers/ Chinn, K.-A. (2016). The impact of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Retrieved from GO1: https://www.go1.com/post/impact-sexual-harassment-workplace Compensation Sense. (2018, January 12). Retrieved from Total Reward Solutions: http://www.totalrsolutions.com/workplace-harassment-impact-corporate-culture-compensation/ FindLaw. (n.d.). Sexual Harassment at Work. Retrieved from FindLaw: http://employment.findlaw.com/employment-discrimination/sexual-harassment-at-work.html Funk, C. (2016, February 12). Harassment: Effects on People and Organizations. Retrieved from bookboon blog: https://bookboon.com/blog/2016/02/harassment-and-its-effects/
26 HeathField, S. M. (2017, December 15). How to Prevent and Address Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Retrieved from The Balance: https://www.thebalance.com/sexual-harassment1918253 How to Get Help for Trauma after Sexual Harassment. (n.d.). Retrieved from Traumatic Abuse Treatement : http://traumaabusetreatment.com/how-to-get-help-for-trauma-after-sexualharassment Luman, M. (2018, January 18). Effects Of Sexual Harassment In The Workplace. Retrieved from 360training.com: http://www.360training.com/blog/effects-of-workplace-sexual-harassment/ McCoy, K. (2017, October 25). Sexual Harassment: Here are some of the biggest cases. Retrieved from USA TODAY: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/10/25/sexual-harassment-heresome-biggest-cases/791439001/ McLeod, S. (2017). Qualitative vs. Quantitative. Retrieved from SimplyPsychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/qualitative-quantitative.html NOLO. (n.d.). The History of Sexual Harassment Law. Retrieved from Employment LawFirms: https://www.employmentlawfirms.com/resources/employment/workplace-safety-andhealth/sexual-harassment-law.htm Przybyla, H. M. (2017, December 5). A list: Members of Congress facing sexual misconduct allegations. Retrieved from USA TODAY: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/05/listmembers-congress-facing-sexual-misconduct-allegations/923484001/ Schreck, S., SCRP, & SGMS. (2011, June). Global Standpoints on Workplace Harassment . Retrieved from WRLDWIDE ERC: https://www.worldwideerc.org/Resources/MOBILITYarticles/Pages/0611-schreck.aspx Shah, S. (2016, August 29). The Effects of Sexual Harassment at Work. Retrieved from Eisenberg & Baum, LLP: https://www.eandblaw.com/employment-discrimination-blog/2016/08/29/effectssexual-harassment-work/ Sharma, C. (2016). Sexual Harassment Law and Policy. (A. Farazmand, Ed.) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance, 1-7. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5 Siegel, R. B., & Mackinnon, C. A. (2003). A Short History of Sexual Harassment. Retrieved from Directions in Sexual Harassment Law:
27 https://law.yale.edu/system/files/documents/pdf/Faculty/Siegel_IntroductionAShortHistoryOfSex ualHarrasmentLaw.pdf Suk Gersen, J. (2017, December 20). The Transformation of Sexual Harassment Law Will Be Double Faced. Retrieved from The NEW YORKER: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/thetransformation-of-sexual-harassment-law-will-be-double-faced The Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. (2015, February 12). Retrieved from Advocacy CenterFfor Employment Law: http://www.employmentadvocacy.com/blog/2015/february/theeffects-of-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplac.aspx Workplace Sexual Harassment "A Chronic Problem," Says APA President. (2017, November 16). Retrieved from American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/11/workplace-sexual-harassment.aspx Yin, R. K. (2011). Qualitative Research from Start to Finish, First Edition. New York, NY: Guilford. Young, J. (2016, December 1). The Effects of Sexual Harassmnet in the Workplace. Retrieved from Workplace Answers - an EVERFI Company: http://www.workplaceanswers.com/resources/blog/the-effects-of-sexual-harassment-in-theworkplace/ Zachary, M. K. (2014, October). Sexual Harassment Policies - no guarantee of protection. Supervision, 75(10), 20-24.
28
The Impact of the Evolution of the Hurricane Characteristics in the South Floridian Climate Change Jaime Bestard, Ph.D. and Pedro Lopez U. R. Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus
Abstract The following is a study of the impact of the evolving hurricane characteristics prompted by the climate change affecting South Florida. The objective of this research is to identify and show the climate is changing around us by analyzing statistical data of the average wind speed and intensity of hurricanes for a time frame of a hundred years up to 2019. This study will introduce a detailed statistical examination showing that the fluctuation of the climate variables in South Florida is not a product of random chance. The results can be later compared with different human activities such as emission of greenhouse gases or with the raising temperatures over the years in order to identify whether the increment in intensity of hurricanes through the years can correlate to any of those climate characteristics. Keywords: climate change, hurricanes, South Florida
Introduction Hurricanes are powerful storms that have been around since long before our own species came into existence. They are formed in the oceans due to high temperatures of water. When warm air rises along with water vapors, they condense and produce rain, creating a center of low pressures capable of reaching high intensity-winds. This distinct process is what transforms hurricanes into massive and destructive natural phenomenon, able to exact severe damages to infrastructures. When a hurricane makes land fall, it does not just bring along rain and wind but also big waves that struck coastal cities. This causes millions of dollars in repairs, including the probability of killing many people. In the last decades,
29 more powerful storms have been observed as a consequence of climate change and the increment in temperature and warm water. For these reasons, the purpose of this research is to perform a statistical analysis of the evolution of climate change in South Florida. This was achieved by analyzing hurricanes from the year 1900 until the present time to get a perspective of how hurricanes have evolved. It was hypothesized that the development of these natural events will correlate with the development of climate change as high temperatures and warmer oceans are factors that increase the number of hurricanes and intensity.
Methodology The data presented was obtained from the hurricane database of North Carolina Climate Office. The data was collected starting in 1900 to 2019 of every hurricane that made land fall in South Florida. After the data was collected, an average of wind speed per year was performed to later be statistically analyzed using the software MiniTab. The data was separated into to equal periods of 59 years each, to compare them both since the first 59 years from 1900 to 1959 were assumed to show statistical difference to the second period. This was hypothesized because the impact of human has been of greater significance in the last years of the 20th century.
Results and Discussion After analyzing Figures 1 and 2, it can be observed that there is not much variation between the first and second period, which is demonstrated by a mean value of 73.23 mph and 74.08 mph, respectively. In addition, a coefficient of variation of 69.26 mph and 70.59 mph, respectively evidences the similarity between the two periods. However, a significant difference can be observed in the velocities above 120 mph.
30
Wind Speed Frequency from 1900 to 1959 22 20
Frequency
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
40
80
120
Wind Speed (mph)
160
200
Wind Speed Frequency from 1960 to 2019 25
Frequency
20
15
10
5
0
0
40
80
120
Wind Speed (mph)
160
200
Figure 1-2: Histograms showing wind speed frequency of hurricanes in both periods of analysis
31 Figure 3 demonstrates that, after 1959, the frequency of hurricane per year increased significantly, which was confirmed by a two-sample t-test that showed a p-value of 0.007. Also, a mean value of 2.05 hurricanes per year in the second period demonstrates an increase of almost 1 hurricane per year in comparison with the mean value of 1.48 obtained for the first period.
Number of Hurricanes per Year Since 1900 1960
Number of Hurricanes per Year
5
4
3
2
1
0 1900
1920
1940
1960
Time (years)
1980
2000
2020
Figure 3: Number of hurricanes and tropical depressions per year since the 1900. Analysis of Figure 4 shows that the median of the period between 1960 and 2019 is significantly higher with respect to the period between 1900 and 1959, evidencing the increment of higher intensity hurricanes in the last 60 years. The standard deviation in the first 60 years was 16.4, while in the last 60 years it was 20.3, presenting more variation and less concentration than the first period. Also, the mean was found to be 149.7 mph between 1960 to 2019, and 140.1 mph between 1900 to 1959, indicating that more intense hurricanes passed during the last 60 years.
32
Comparison of Wind Speed Between the Periods 1900-1959 and 1960-2019 130
155
1900-1959
1960-2019
110
120
130
140
150
160
Wind Speed (mph)
170
180
190
Figure 4: Wind speed of hurricanes with categories 3, 4 or 5. Other important findings of this investigation are that the average wind speed of the first period was 73.23 mph and, for the second period, it was 74.04 mph. The maximum wind speed for both years was of 184 mph and the maximum number of hurricanes per year was 5 for both periods. However, in the first period there was only one year with 5 hurricanes, while in the second period there were two years. The mode was 0 for both periods, indicating that there are more years with no presence of hurricanes or tropical depressions. Both periods show -0.93 and -0.53 Kurtosis which demonstrates that the distribution of both periods has lighter tails than the normal distribution.
Concluding Remarks: In the last 60 years, hurricanes with higher categories, having wind speeds over a 110 mph, have been more common than in the previous 60 years. A two-sample hypothesis test was preformed and pvalue of 0.008 was obtained, confirming that our data shows that these hurricanes are not products of
33 random chances. This illustrates that our climate has changed in the last century, resulting in the increasingly intense and disastrous storms generating more damage than ever before. Also, not only has the intensity of hurricanes increased, but so have the amount per year. However, storms are not the only aggravating events. Devastating fires like the ones in the Amazon or in Australia and, melting glaciers, show that not only Florida, but also the world is facing a huge and overwhelming challenge:the rapid evolution of climate change. More research about this topic is essential. For future investigations, it is recommended to expand the period of analysis before the industrial revolution to try to find a correlation.
Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the editorial committee and reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which improved the quality of the paper.
References [1] Mann, M. E., Woodruff, J. D., Donnelly, J. P., & Zhang, Z.
(2009). Atlantic hurricanes and climate
over the past 1,500 years. Nature, 460(7257), 880–883. [2] Hurricanes Database. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/hurricanes/database. [3] Trenberth, K. (2005). Uncertainty in hurricanes and global warming. Science, 308(5729), 1753-1754.
34
Evolution of Climate Change in South Florida Evidenced by Statistical Analysis of Temperatures and Precipitations Jaime Bestard, Ph.D., and Melisa S. Gonzalez Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus
Abstract Climate change is an enormous challenge for the economy and the environment in South Florida. Sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, water management and Everglades ecosystems are a potential target of elevation of temperatures and changes in precipitations. For this reason, it is very important to understand how climate change has developed in the region to facilitate the process of planification of strategies to mitigate its effects. Taking this into consideration, a statistical analysis of the evolution of climate change was conducted during this study by examining and comparing the behavior of average annual temperatures and total annual precipitations in the periods between 1920 to 1969 and 1970 to 2019. The results presented in this investigation showed that, in the last 50 years, there was an alarming increase in temperatures of about 1°F, while the precipitations exhibited no significant change during both periods of analysis. In addition, the highest temperature values were observed during the last five years, demonstrating the unstoppable elevation of temperatures as a consequence of climate change. Keywords: Climate change, temperatures, precipitations, South Florida
Introduction Climate change is characterized by alterations on weather patterns representatives of a specific region. In the recent decades, its unsustainable and pronounced evolution has been of major concern for the scientific community. Many studies have focused their attention on the main factors triggering these events and the consequences they might have for the planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
35 Change has published, in its Fifth Amendment Report, that the probability of human action being the main cause of these abrupt changes in the atmosphere is more than 95%. In fact, the consumption of fossil fuels has experienced a substantial increase since the development of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, intensifying the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a 30% (NASA, 2020). Other activities such as deforestation, pollution, agriculture, use of pesticides and biomass burning have also increased the release of gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons. The accumulation of these gases into the atmosphere is what aggravates the infamous greenhouse effect, causing the global temperature to rise as more heat from the Sun is trapped by them (Last, Trouton & Pengelly, 1998). In South Florida, climate change is a menacing threat for the economy and the environment. Factors such as elevation of temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns might reduce water supply and negatively affect agriculture, fisheries, the Everglades and marine ecosystems. For instance, if temperatures increase, the rate at which water evaporates will also increase, and this combined with periods of prolonged droughts are deadly for water resources such as Everglades and Okeechobee Lake (EPA, 2016). Warmer temperatures and reduction in precipitations are expected to decline the production of crops, dairy and livestock, severely impacting the economy of the region. A similar effect is anticipated for marine habitats, in which intensification of heat will enhance algal bloom and diseases in seawater fauna, targeting the productivity of South Floridians fisheries (Carter, et al., 2014). Furthermore, wildfires, peat loss, aggravation of carbon emission and increase of invasive species populations are some of the negative consequences of climate change in the Everglades’ ecosystems. (Nungesser, et al., 2014). For all these reasons, it is crucial to evaluate how climate change has developed throughout the years for proper planification and designing of strategies to minimize its effects. Having this into consideration, the purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of climate change in South Florida by conducting statistical methods to compare alterations and significant trends in average annual temperatures and total annual precipitations between the periods of 1920 to 1969 and, 1970 to 2019.
36 Methodology In this investigation, South Florida was defined as the counties below Okeechobee Lake, those being Lee, Hendry, Collier, Broward, Monroe and Miami Dade counties. Climatological data about average annual temperatures and total annual precipitations in the six counties was collected from Climate Data Online (CDO), an online database hosted by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NECI). The complete period of analysis ranged from the year 1920 to 2019. To avoid the introduction of biases, the station with the most complete historical data about temperature and precipitation was selected to construct the climate record of each county. In the case in which records were missing, stations in a radius of about 40 km were selected for gap filling, following the protocol published by Lai and Dzombak (2019). After the record for average annual temperatures and total annual precipitations was completed for each county, the average of both variables per year in the six counties was calculated to construct a homogenized record for South Florida. These results were then processed and analyzed statistically using the software MiniTab. Two periods were selected for examination and comparison, the first being from 1920 to 1969, and the second from 1970 to 2019.
Results and Discussion Analysis of Total Annual Precipitations in South Florida A side by side boxplot, illustrated in Figure 1, was constructed in order to interpret the behavior of total annual precipitations during the periods of 1920 to 1969 and 1970 to 2019. In the first period, the median value was 54.01 in., while in the second period the median value was 52.03 in. The box plots demonstrated that, for the first period, 75% of the total annual precipitations is at least 59.32 in. and, for the second period, it is 57.50 in. Both box plots demonstrate a distribution that is not normal, which is confirmed by positive skewness coefficients obtained from a descriptive statistical analysis (Table 1) of both periods. This indicates that the distribution is skewed to the right toward the lower precipitation values in both, the first and second period.
37 The whiskers of the first period box plot demonstrated that the annual precipitations stretch over a wider range compared to annual precipitations in the second period. This indicates that during the years 1920 and 1969, precipitations were more varied and unpredictable in comparison with the period between 1970 and 2019, where precipitations were more concentrated about the median. This situation is better illustrated and supported by Figure 2. Additionally, an outlier outside the upper whisker can be observed in the boxplot for the first period, which shows a year of intense precipitations that occurred in 1947 as it can be observed in Figure 2. One of the factors influencing this extreme rainfall patterns could have been that in that year South Florida was impacted by two powerful hurricanes, one of them being Hurricane George, which occupies the fourth place in being one of the strongest hurricanes in the United States with maximum precipitations of 10.12 inches. (Barnes, 2007).
Comparison Total Annual Precipitations in First Period and Second Period
1920-1969
1970-2019
30
40
50
60
Total Annual Precipitations (in)
70
80
Figure 1: Side by side box plots consisting of total annual precipitations in the periods between 1920 to 1969 and, 1970 to 2019.
38
Total Annual Precipitations Since 1920 1970
Total Annual Precipitations (in)
80
70
60
50
40
30
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
Time (years)
1990
2000
2010
2020
Figure 2: Scatterplot illustrating the total annual precipitations since 1920 From the descriptive statistics summary shown in Table 1, it was observed that the average total precipitations between 1920 and 1969 was 53.67 in., while an average of 53.16 in. was noticed for the period between 1970 and 2019, indicating that there was no significant difference in the rainfall pattern of both periods. This conclusion was confirmed by a p-value of 0.626, obtained after conducting a twosample t-test. In the first period, the lowest value for annual precipitations was 32.98 in. and the highest was 78.24 in. In the second period, the minimum observed value was 40.16 in. and the maximum was 67.75 in. An important finding of this analysis was that, although the two-sample t-test for total annual precipitations showed no significant difference between the two periods analyzed, a decrease in the maximum amount of precipitations can be observed, with a difference of more than 10 inches. Additionally, the first period of analysis exhibited a higher coefficient of variation compared with the second period, those being 17.13 and 12.66 respectively. A similar situation occurred with the range of observed precipitations between 1920 to 1969 and 1970 to 2019, being the first one greater than the
39 second one. These findings correlate with the results obtained with the side by side box plots, in which precipitations in the first 50 years were found to be more varied. Table 1 Descriptive Statistics Summary for Total Annual Precipitations (inches) in both periods of analysis Periods Mean StDev CoefVar Min 1920-
Q1
Median Q3
Max
Range IQR
Mode Skewness Kurtosis
53.67
9.19
17.13
32.98 47.14 54.01
59.32 78.24 45.27
12.18 -
0.13
0.22
53.16
6.73
12.66
40.16 48.35 52.02
57.50 67.75 27.59
9.148 -
0.45
-0.38
1969 19702019 Analysis of Average Annual Temperatures in South Florida In order to compare the annual average temperatures between the periods 1920 to 1969 and 1970 to 2019, side by side box plots (Figure 3) were constructed using the software Minitab. The median for the first period exhibited a value of 74.23 째F, while for the second period the median was 75.9 째F. It can be appreciated that 75% of the observations for the first period have a lower value than 25% of the observations for the second period, that is, the quartile3 (Q3) in the first period, with a value of 74.5 째F, is lower than the quartile1 (Q1) in the second period, which is equal to 75.15 째F. These results demonstrate that in the last 50 years, three quarters of the temperatures registered annually have higher values compared with the observations for the first 50 years. The box plot of the period between 1920 and 1969 followed a distribution that is skewed to the right toward the lower temperature values, which is consistent with a positive skewness coefficient obtained in the descriptive statistics summary, illustrated in Table 2. In contrast, the second box plot shows a distribution that is skewed to the left toward the upper temperature values, which was confirmed with the obtention of a negative skewness coefficient, showed in Table 2. The abrupt increase of temperatures in the recent years due to climate change is demonstrated
40 by these outcomes because in the second period of analysis more than 50% of the values concentrate about higher temperatures.
Comparison Annual Average Temperature in the First Period and Second Period
1920-1969
1970-2019
72
73
74
75
Temperature (°F)
76
77
78
Figure 3: Side by side box plots comparing the annual average temperature between 1920 to 1969 and 1970 to 2019 To better illustrate the elevation of temperatures throughout the years, a scatterplot for the annual average temperature since 1920 was constructed (Figure 4). A positive slope confirms the alarming increase of this climatological variable in the recent years. Its rapid acceleration can be observed after 1970, which can be associated with the development of more industries and the enlargement of the population in South Florida during that period (Schmandt & Wilson, 2019). Another important finding of this investigation was that in the years between 1920 and 1969, the temperatures were below 74 °F more often than between 1970 and 2019, which only exhibited a single observation below this reference in the year 2010 with a value of 73.85 °F. During that year the North Atlantic Oscillation index exhibited
41 significantly low negative values, causing Arctic air to overturn to the United States and affect the state of Florida with a strong cold weather. (Wang, Liu, & Lee, 2010). Additionally, analysis of the scatterplot showed that annual temperatures never reached 77 째F in the first period of analysis, while in the second period there were 6 observations above this value, 4 of which were in the last 5 years. These findings evidence that temperatures in South Florida are becoming hotter as climate change intensifies.
Annual Average Temperature since 1920 1970
Annual Average Temperature (째F)
78 77 76 75 74 73 72
1920
1940
1960
1980
Time (years)
2000
2020
Figure 4: Scatterplot illustrating the annual average temperature since 1920 In accordance with the descriptive statistics summary illustrated in Table 2 for annual average temperatures in South Florida, the mean value for the period between 1920 and 1969 was 74.33 째F; while between 1970 and 2019 the mean value was 75.82 째F. An important result was that, according to a pvalue of 0.000 obtained from a two-sample t-test conducted, the difference between the temperatures in the second period is statistically significant than those in the first period, which is a clear evidence of the evolution of climate change in the region. Furthermore, in the first period, the lowest observed
42 temperature was 72.45 °F and the highest was 76.52 °F. A value of 73.85 °F was obtained for the minimum temperature in the second period, and a maximum of 77.98 °F. After a detailed analysis of Table 2, it can be appreciated that the mean, minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum of the annual average temperatures in the last 50 years exhibited an approximate increase of 1°F in comparison with the descriptive statistics variables of the first 50 years.
Table 2 Descriptive Statistics Summary for Average Annual Temperatures (°F) in both periods of analysis Periods Mean StDev Coef
Min
Q1
Median Q3
Max
Range IQR Mode Skew
Var 1920-
Kurtosis
ness
74.33 0.88
1.18
72.45 73.77 74.23
74.90 76.52 4.07
1.13 74.02 0.27
-0.18
75.82 0.91
1.19
73.85 75.15 75.9
76.38 77.98 4.13
1.23 75.9
-0.11
1969 1970-
-0.13
2019
Conclusions The abrupt evolution of climate change in South Florida is demonstrated throughout the development of this investigation. In the last 50 years, annual temperatures were observed to increase approximately 1°F while annual precipitations values remained relatively constant in both periods with no specific pattern or trend. Additionally, between 2015 and 2019, there were 4 years exhibiting the highest temperatures in the complete record constructed for South Florida, which covers a 100-year period. These results are evidence that the intensification of climate change is causing temperatures to increase at an unstoppable rate, presenting a tremendous challenge for the economy and the environment of this region. Consequences such as reduction in water supply, decrease in agricultural products, increase in wildfires
43 and decline in marine fauna are expected to occur if these changes in weather are not minimized. For these reasons, actions to mitigate the severe repercussions of climate change are extremely necessary. For future research, it is recommended to investigate if there is a correlation with the intensification of temperatures and the occurrence of natural phenomenon such as El Nino and La Nina. In addition, it is suggested to perform a statistical study analyzing if the years with higher temperature values have more intense hurricanes.
Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the editorial committee and reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which improved the quality of the paper.
References Barnes, J. (2007). Floridas hurricane history. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. Carter, L. M., J. W. Jones, L. Berry, V. Burkett, J. F. Murley, J. Obeysekera, P. J. Schramm, and D. Wear (2014) Ch. 17: Southeast and the Caribbean. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 396-417. Lai, Y., & Dzombak, D. A. (2019). Use of Historical Data to Assess Regional Climate Change. Journal of Climate, 32(14), 4299–4320. Last, J. M., Trouton, K., & Pengelly, D. (1998). Taking our breath away: the health effects of air pollution and climate change. Vancouver: David Suzuki Foundation. NASA. (2020, February 10). The Causes of Climate Change. Retrieved from
https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
44 National Centers for Environmental Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ Nungesser, M., Saunders, C., Coronado-Molina, C., Obeysekera, J., Johnson, J., Mcvoy, C., & Benscoter, B. (2014). Potential Effects of Climate Change on Florida’s Everglades. Environmental Management, 55(4), 824–835 Schmandt, J., & Wilson, R. H. (2019). Promoting high technology industry: initiatives and policies for state governments. London: Routledge. Wang, C., Liu, H., & Lee, S.-K. (2010). The record-breaking cold temperatures during the winter of 2009/2010 in the Northern Hemisphere. Atmospheric Science Letters, 11(3), 161–168. doi: 10.1002/asl.278 What Climate Change Means for Florida. (2016, August). Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-08/documents/climate-change-fl.pdf
45
Using Statistical Packages to Deliver Problem Based Learning in STEM via STA2023 Statistical Methods: A data analysis of multi-disciplinary integrative projects at Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus Jaime Bestard, Ph.D. MDC, Hialeah Campus, jbestard@mdc.edu
Abstract The use of the Problem Based Learning as a pedagogical tool to promote critical thinking, integrated and multidisciplinary learning, and using the modality of service learning, brings the students the perspective to the practical use of a statistical software package, widely implemented in several industries in South Florida. The analysis of the positive change in student success and performance are framed in the context of the application of a systematic Learning Outcomes Assessment System, the incorporation of Learning Assistants and in looking forward to positively and directly impacting the employability of students.
Introduction One of the most challenging moments in the contemporary pedagogy is the motivation of the young students who may not be ahead in their areas of study or have not even defined their majors. For that reason, many initiatives and good practices were obtained from the experienced educators in the field, such as flipping the classroom, contextualized content, modularization, and other educational resources. According the literature (1; 2; 3) motivation needs a boost in order to encourage the students to embrace deep long-lasting learning as well as the development of their maturity. Ultimately, this will empower the multidisciplinary integrative approach that students need in the third level of education; let’s
46 call to these applications and let’s incorporate the multi-disciplinary and integrative approach using a specific environment that connects the students with the practice in their diverse areas of study.
Materials and Methods The Study consisted on three groups of STA2023 Statistical Methods taught by the same instructional personnel, either in class lectures or practical activities by the professor, as in the laboratory where they were assisted by an associate instructor. The groups were designated to be under the following procedures: a) Project Based Learning, with minimal lecture time using Individual project theme; b) Project Based Learning groups of two students for each project theme and c) the traditional lecture and practice with the project execution under full guidance as a control group. The STEM grant has made it possible for the Hialeah Campus to have the current version of MINITAB17 software which is used in several industries in South Florida and in the United States, in particular in the pharmacology field to process experimental data. A current trend in pedagogy, the Principle of Project Based Learning (PBL), has been disseminated college wide by the college leadership and faculty across the campuses. the Spring 2018 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Seminar (SoTL), and the academic year 2018-2019 implementation of workshops, campus based creating the campus continuum of the SoTL outcomes, started the dissemination of such technique. The Strategic Plan for the PBL continuum is focused in the following objectives: increase student completion and success rates, increase student engagement in change-making activities, increase academic program quality and impact, and increase innovation in teaching and learning. Additionally, incorporation of problems relating to the 2018 midterm elections, provided exciting opportunities for students to participate in PBL related to civic engagement. Steps in the implementation may consider: To provide: Clear Instructions
47 Guidance and resources Expected conventions, transparency in evaluation criteria Expected characteristics of the submission Contract the student, consistent assistance in and out of the class The experiment was designed based in the comparison of several sections over the 2018 Summer and Fall terms, where a pilot took place and then a control group was compared to the two sections that applied the two modalities of the PBL.
Experimental Results The experimental design considered a 5 % margin of error and a 95 % confidence, or what is complementary, a 5% significance level, producing a necessary sample size of 168 students involved in 3 sections, after the corresponding pilot over the summer term, to adjust the pace of the sections. The experiment consisted in using three groups of actions: a) the one that used the PBL techniques of minimal orientation, forming pairs of students to address the topic, b) the one that conducted individual PBL techniques to address the topic, and c) the traditional method of conducting the course with the exercises per chapter according to competencies, with a guided project. It is important to state that the PBL choices did accomplish the competencies of the course and that the indicators of the analysis involve only the results of the course work and not the final grade. The correlation of the final grades and PBL choices may be the object of an independent analysis. Group
Cohort/ size
Pass Rate (%)
Correlation Progress Significance Coefficient/ Regression p-value Rate a) EXP 1 PBL Ind/ 57 87.1 0.84/ 0.023 0.54 * a vs. c b) EXP 2 PBL Group/ 76 88.7 0.86/ 0.001 0.49 ** b vs. c c) Ctrl Group Traditional/ 35 84 0.89/0.003 0.43 * a, b vs. c As illustrated in the chart, there is a significant association that distinguishes the past rate in each treatment compared to the traditional, but also a strong and significant correlation in each treatment with respect to the % of content delivered, including the traditional, in particular, when there is a paired project
48 and the association is in the course progression of content delivery, during the semester, as shown in the slope of the regression model. While ANOVA showed a significant difference from the group project versus the other variants, the simple variant of one student per project shows better progression with respect to the percent of content delivery.
Concluding Remarks 1. It is remarkable that P^2BL permitted better results in a paired form than the traditional method and even than the simple form. 2. In all the groups, there is a strong correlation with the progression of the semester, but it is remarkable that the simple form accelerates faster than the progression of content than the other versions. It is recommended that extending these results to other disciplines to always incorporate the use of technology in all the variants and introduce a multi-disciplinary-integrative approach of the instructional process, present in the course STA2023 Statistical Methods.
Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the editorial committee and reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which improved the quality of the paper.
49 References Bestard et al, Problem Based Learning (PBL) Campus Continuum, November 2018 Molina, M., Sample and Guidelines to Problem Based Learning (PBL), August, 2018 Prince, M., Presentation to MDC 2018 Spring Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Problem Based Learning (PBL), May, 2018 Rodicio, L., Campus discussions about MDC Strategic Plan, March, 2018
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Area Servicing Optimization System: Deploying the Internet of Things in the Fight Against COVID-19 Rodolfo Cruz, and Daniel Milanes School of Engineering Technology and Design Miami Dade College – Hialeah Campus, Hialeah Florida rcruz2@mdc.edu, daniel.Milanes001@mymdc.net
Abstract Internet of Things (IoT) technology is starting to be incorporated widely into many areas of today’s world. From hairbrushes to scales, smart toasters to connected rectal thermometers and fitness collars for dogs. This technology is transforming a wide-ranging array of consumer and industrial devices. The Area Servicing Optimization System (ASOS) is an IoT system that uses network connectivity to communicate with various devices to count how many people are coming in and out of an area as well as provide relevant statistics. This provides data and information that can be useful in the fight against COVID-19 and other highly infectious diseases. In addition, workplaces, schools, hospitals, and other public places can utilize this technology to increase efficiency, save money and improve the customer’s experience. In this paper we describe the design and testing of ASOS. Keywords: Arduino, IoT, Smart Device, Internet of Things, Area Servicing, COVID-19, Coronavirus
Introduction An Area Servicing Optimization System (ASOS) is a set of devices that communicate together through the internet. Its core functionality revolves around counting the number of people going into or coming out of an area (office, restroom, classroom, etc.). The system consists of three devices: a laser emitter, a laser receiver, and the final device. The laser receiverchecks for interruptions, and
51 communicates with the final device, which displays the information that the other devices have acquired. This system can provide useful information to companies, schools, hospitals or any person who would be interested in knowing how many people are coming in and out of an area to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. The functionality of the system allows for further implementation of smart device characteristics such as, controlling lights, air conditioning and much more. ASOS has also the potential to save money, time, increase efficiency and provide useful information to the user utilizing this technology.
Background and Motivation The creation of this system was motivated by the desire to improve our everyday lives by solving a problem using the capabilities of IoT technology. At first, the authors looked around and wondered what they could do to make life safer. They began working to a device that could determine the number of people inside a room without using motion detection and utilize it in a way where it would turn electrical equipment on and off to match the preferences of those occupying the room. Eventually, they realized that this idea could be also utilized in fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. A more impactful use of the technology would be not only for convenience and money saving, but also in saving lives in locations like schools, offices, malls, and hospitals. Business owners, schools and doctor’s offices can use this system to count how many people are going in and out of their buildings to enforce social distancing rules. In addition, based on the data acquired, a retail store owner can promote a sale on one of their new items. ASOS can tell the store owner how many customers they had on the days the sale was live. When they compare the number of customers they had during the sale to the average number of customers on regular days, the owner could see if the sale brought in more customers or not. ASOS can also be used as an optimization system. For example, janitors must clean bathrooms based on a schedule whether the bathroom had a lot of foot traffic or not. With this system, it can tell the janitors if a lot of people used a bathroom or not and clean it based on the amount of foot traffic the
52 bathroom received. If a bathroom was barely used, there’s no need to clean it as often. This will save the janitor time and resources. The janitors can prioritize bathrooms that received more people. All these examples are just a few solutions that motivated the creation of ASOS.
Technical Description The first step into building the project was to figure out how the code would work with two lightdependent resistors (photoresistors) and two laser diodes. The two photoresistors would each receive light via a pointed laser diode on the photoresistor that would trigger whenever the light from the laser would be interrupted. Each laser diode would be connected to a small battery. These batteries are connected to a Charging Module Board that can recharge the battery via a mini USB cable. The Arduino itself would be powered by a 9V battery. The Arduino is connected to the two photoresistors through wires. The Arduino is programmed to provide power to the photoresistors and the laser diodes and to read the resistance coming in from the photoresistors.
Figure 5: Recharge Lithium Ion Charging Module Board
The Arduino then had to be programmed to execute calculations on what to perform when the laser would be tripped. Through additional research, the Arduino was designed to wait for any of the photoresistors to detect an increase in resistance due to the laser diode being blocked by an object, in this case a person walking by. Once the detection occurred, the Arduino would now wait to receive a similar detection on the second photoresistors that would be triggered by the person walking. After that, the Arduino would start counting by increasing or decreasing by one depending on the direction the person is going. Once the Arduino performs the calculations, it keeps count of how many people have entered the
53 area and stores that information on two separate variables that show how many people are currently in the area, and how many people total have entered. The Arduino would then send this information to a Wi-Fi Module (ESP8266) which would store the variables.
Figure 6: ESP8266 Wi-fi Module
Figure 3: Project Prototype Design
The Wi-Fi module, powered by the Arduino, would then send the data it has collected and deliver it to a phone application called Blynk. Blynk application shows the total number of people that have entered the area and how many currently are in the area in real time. If a person was to leave the area, the Blynk application would show one less person currently in the area, but the total number of people would stay the same. This process repeats itself indefinitely until either the battery has run out, or the user decides to turn it off.
Project Timeline The first step for this project was building a prototype. The prototype was designed to be very simple. The important thing it had to achieve was making sure that the code for this project would work and be compatible with the photoresistors and the laser diodes. The prototype started off with the Arduino powered by a computer via a USB cable. Next, dozens of cables connected to the Arduino to a breadboard that brought power, ground and Analog pins . The first breadboard contained the components that housed the connection from the photoresistors. The photoresistors then receive the light from the laser. The lasers were connected to another breadboard that was faced towards the photoresistors. To power on the lasers, wires connected to the Arduino also had to connect to the second breadboard. The analog pins were
54 connected to the photoresistors. and this was how the Arduino was able to read immediately the information from the photoresistors.
Figure 4: Project Prototype Schematics
Figure 5: Area Service Optimizing System
After that, the prototype was tested by imitating the motion of a person entering and leaving with our fingers. Building this setup was the easy part of this project. The difficulty laid in coming up with a program that would be able to read the photoresistors and be able to tell whether the person is walking inside or outside. After hours of research and testing, the authors were able to write a program that can read both photoresistors simultaneously and detect when a photoresistor is triggered depending on the direction the person is walking.
Figure 6: The inside and outside of the laser devices with the battery and charging module
Now that the prototype was a success, the next step was to build the components to hold these devices and eliminate the external power source used on the Arduino. The 9V battery was introduced to
55 power-on the Arduino instead of a USB cable hooked up to the computer. Also, the Wi-Fi module that also needed a source of power was introduced. The solution was to power the Wi-Fi module through the Arduino using the 3.3V pins that the Arduino was able to provide. With that, the next step was to design the look of the project. After buying a pack of twelve small, black plastic boxes, various tools were used to bein drilling holes for the cables for four boxes. They were then clumped together and attached to a plastic board with hot glue. The first device was complete and all that was left was to put the Arduino, the Wi-Fi module, the 9V battery, the photoresistors and the cables that connect to all of it inside the four boxes. After that two more plastic boxes were drilled where the laser would be placed. The laser diodes were connected to the charging module, which was connected to a 3.7V battery. With that, the design of the project was complete and all that was left was programming the Wi-Fi module and setting up the Blynk application to display the results of devices. Programming the Wi-Fi module by using serial communications to obtain the information form the Arduino and connecting it to the internet to send that data to the Blynk application was achieved after a research on the module and the application. With that, the project was complete, the next step was to move on to testing.
Testing The biggest concern with testing was an interference on the photoresistors from the light in the environment rather than the light from the laser. However, once testing whether the environmental light had any effect on the results began it was concluded that the laser was powerful enough to be distinguished in the readings from any other light source. Various tests were performed once the system set up. The most important thing was making sure the device with the readings and the devices with the lasers were evenly positioned, so the light from the lasers would directly hit the photoresistors. Once that was ensured, the ability of the project was tested. People walked inside a room and outside a room and
56 made sure the system was able to keep count. The frequency and speed of individuals coming in and out of the room was increased to examine if the devices could keep up. After extensively testing coming in and out of the room in different times and speed, the results were very successful. Every time someone walked in the device would accurately count them in as a person in the area and increase the total number of people entered in the Blynk application. When the person left, the number of people currently in the room went down but the total number stayed the same. This worked whether you entered quickly or slowly. The only problem was when people stood around the lasers, triggering them both at the same time. While this would be an unlikely scenario that the device would face, the next step was to figure out a way to solve this problem. Unfortunately, there was not a clear solution on how to fix this issue, so instead the Arduino was programmed to reset the system if it detected that both lasers are being triggered at the same time. This would prevent the system from showing faulty results and instead just start the counting over from scratch. Besides that, the rest of the time the project was working as intended.
Discussion and Future Work The Area Servicing Optimization System was a successful project that reliably performed what it was intended to do. While the project was a success, it could still be improved greatly. For starters, future work would focus on finding a solution to having people standing around and triggering both lasers at the same time. This kind of solution might mean that the project would need a drastic change, but it is something to think about for the future. Another future implementation would be adding a Graphical User Interface (GUI). This would allow the users to manually input how many individuals are in the area and change the total number of people in case the device miscounted. It would also allow for a convenient on and off switch that the user can switch back and forth anytime, set up a timer for when they would like the system to be operational and show battery percentages on the devices. The project could also be hooked up to various electrical
57 equipment such as light or AC to automatically turn it on or off depending if there are people in the room. This would be an effective way to save money effortlessly on the user’s part. The Area Servicing Optimization System can be further upgraded in many ways that will enhance not only the product, but the users experience as well.
Cost Analysis With current market prices, the system described in this paper can be built for approximately $80.00. Buying in bulk would reduce the price by at least 25%. Considering there is a market for this system and given the benefits of it, the cost should play a minor role in its introduction to the market. It is also possible to reduce the cost and size of the device if it is mass produced.
Conclusion The Internet of Things will continue to be a staple in modern technological advances that will go far, far into the future. As shown, this technology could be deployed to help count the number of people in a given area. This capability can be used to save lives if used to enforce social distancing in a pandemic like COVID-19 or save money and time if used to optimizing restroom operations or acquire vital foot traffic data to help businesses succeed. With the internet, the world is now connected on a widespread scale and with it, its connectivity by using it to enhance our products is an advantage. Working on this project showed the potential of the Internet of Things and the research delved into shows that it is not going anywhere. With each passing day, more and more technological advances are being made and most of it is coming with some sort of connectivity to the internet. That is where the future is headed, and it will only get bigger from here on out.
58 Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the editorial committee and reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which improved the quality of the paper.
References Brown, B. (2020, April 09). Pros and Cons of 5 Different People Counting Sensors - GetDor.com. Retrieved from <https://blog.getdor.com/2019/11/19/people-counting-door-counter-sensors/>. V-Count. (2019, July 22). The Benefits of People Counting Technology to Retail Stores and Shopping Malls: V-Count. Retrieved from <https://v-count.com/benefits-people-counting-technology-retailstores-shopping-malls/>. Woodhouse, R. (2017, November 03). What is People Counting, Anyway? Retrieved from <https://www.flonomics.com/people-counting-technology/>.
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Autonomous Driver Seizure Detection and Vehicle Halting System Rodolfo Cruz, Luis León, Anna Nicol, and Néstor Ceballos School of Engineering Technology and Design Miami Dade College – Hialeah Campus, Hialeah Florida rcruz2@mdc.edu, luis.leon006@mymdc.net, ganna.nicol001@mymdc.net, nestor.ceballos001@mymdc.net
Abstract Monitoring systems, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, embedded systems, etc. help track all sorts of events and situations these days. The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought the capability to digitize the environment as well as the world around us and even inside ourselves with sensors that can monitor our vital signs, internal organs and so forth. But what about car drivers that can suffer a sudden seizure while driving? Statistical data shows that there is a minimal correlation between the seizures as a cause for car accidents when compared to other causes. That is probably the reason why this problem is underestimated as a whole. But what about their consequences? Traffic accidents due to epilepsy were less serious than the "average accident". “They involved another vehicle much less often, and they occurred more often outside rather than inside built-up areas” (Lugt). This paper demonstrates that technology can help solve or diminish the consequences of specific issues like this one, with a low budget and using resources already available on the World Wide Web. Keywords: IoT, Arduino, raspberry, pi, driver, seizure, halt, engine, crash, accident, epilepsy, microcontroller, sensors, skin, capacitance, heart, rate, pulse, wheel.
Introduction After an IoT Professor asked about the possibility of enlisting our knowledge of IoT devices to solve the problem of detecting seizures while a person is driving a car, it was found that companies
60 usually do not tackle real world problems when the rates of occurrence are too low to be considered a generalized issue that could generate some revenue. The first research about the topic did not show much information on the relationship between driving a vehicle on the streets and having seizures. However, the focus of this paper is on solving the problem of identifying a seizure event of a car driver while operating the vehicle, and not specifically dealing with reasons or statistics about the amount of drivers allowed to keep their driving rights. Using relatively cost-effective devices that can be integrated on a small system, the authors came up with an idea to solve the issue by trying to detect the actual seizure through four different methods. This was done to provide a level of redundancy on the detection protocol and minimize false positives. IoT devices are cheap, small, non-intrusive and highly known in their capacity and reliability. Their computing power is enough for this task and they allow us to connect the devices into the environment allowing us to receive information about environmental conditions around the sensors.
Background and Motivation Many solutions to real-world problems come after we have a personal connection to the condition that prompts us to enlist our expertise. Some of these issues are not addressed by the technology industry because they are not profitable due to the low incidence of events or the complexity of the variables involved. The issue of seizures while driving came to the authorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention in this way, and after giving it some thought and research, it was thought to be possible to develop a system that can detect a seizure affecting a carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driver and take actions to stop the vehicle and prevent an accident. Some of the actions that could be taken are slowing down the vehicle, cutting off the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engine, and messaging care takers and emergency services. These actions are prioritized based on the number of triggered sensors in the system. The higher the number of sensors triggered, the higher the confidence that the system is being triggered by a real seizure. Another measure could include opening the vehicle windows to allow other people to help the driver once the vehicle is stopped.
61 The system should provide redundancy on its sensing capabilities from at least four sensors allowing the system to reduce the false positives triggers. The project described here uses galvanic skin conductance, heart rate sensors, accelerometers and a touch sensor on the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheel. The functionality, specs and other data will be explained in next sections.
Technical Description The proposed system consists of two separate modules that will communicate wirelessly with each other. One part will be a cloth wrist band (See Figure 2) to enclose the circuitry allowing the driver to wear it without distractions or interference. This part of the system will contain an Arduino Pro Mini controller that is just 33 x 18 millimeters size (See Figure 4) which could fit easily on the wrist band device. There will be also a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor which measure the skin conductance, a GY521 sensor which works as an accelerometer detecting unusual shaking of the arm, a MAX30100 pulse rate sensor, and finally a NRF24L01+ 2.4Ghz transceiver for communication purposes (See Figure 6 below). The maximum power consumption will be around 300 milliamps and the system will use a rechargeable battery rated over 500 milliamps per hour. The whole device should not weigh more that the average weight of a wristwatch. The main processing unit will be deployed under the dashboard and will contain a second Arduino Pro Mini controller to process the incoming data and a NRF24L01+ transceiver module for receiving the incoming wireless data packages. The main unit will be wired to the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheel which would have a simple touch sensor alerting the system if the driver failed to keep his/her hands on the wheel, while driving.
62 Wrist Band Unit
Figure 1: Wrist band unit sensors and board Figure 2: Wristband containing wireless Unit
Figure 3: Wireless unit prototype
The controller is the Arduino Pro Mini with a power consumption is as low as 54 milliamps at 3.3 volts running at 16 MHz (See Figure 4 below). It also utilizes JST connectors 0.1inches pitch from 2 to 5 pins to facilitate the connections and give them stability (See Figure 5 below).
Figure 4: Arduino Pro Mini 3.3v
Figure 5: JST connector 2 pins
This unit communicates wirelessly to the main unit throughout a NRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz transceiver module (See Figure 6 below), operating at 3.3 volts.
63
Figure 6: NRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz transceiver board
The GY521 accelerometer module is used to measure the actual seizure effect on the driver’s hands we use (See Figure 7 below). “The sensor measures the acceleration of any movement in the wrist, whether this was in the x-, y-, or z-direction” (Beniczky, Polster and Kjaer). Using the average of three possible direction movement variables giving a total value of 25 samples / 10 seconds and comparing that average to the previous one to obtain a value that if over a threshold it would trigger this sensor and send the alarm to the main unit.
Figure 7: GY-521 Accelerometer sensor
The galvanic skin conductance sensor (See Figure 8 below) is one of the main components to be measured due to the big differences in amplitude between a normal value on a subject in average state and a subject suffering a seizure. At this point, no experiments on an epileptic subject have been conducted, but studies show the positive correlation between seizures and great amplitude of the galvanic skin conductance on the studied subjects. The greater the amplitude of the samples the more confidence there is to trigger the alarm. “GSR, standing for galvanic skin response, is a method of measuring the electrical conductance of the skin. Strong emotion can cause stimulus to the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in the sweat glands secreting more sweat. Grove GSR allows for spotting such strong emotions by simple
64 attaching two electrodes to two fingers on one hand, an interesting gear to create emotion related projects, like sleep quality monitor” (Seeed Development Limited).
Figure 8: Galvanic Skin Sensor
The heart pulse rate is measured by a MAX30100 board (See Figure 9 below). This sensor uses two LEDs and a photodetector with optimized optics to measure the pulse rate and oximetry. It operates at 3.3 volts and its very low power consumption, 0.7μA makes it ideal for mobile applications. Using the same average routine of taking 25 samples / 10 seconds and compare the mean value with previous values to trigger the emergency protocol on the main unit. “Heart rate changes occur frequently and occur around the time or even before the earliest electrographic or clinical change” (Maeike Zijlmans 847)
Figure 9: MAX30100 Pulse Rate Sensor
Main Unit The main unit consist of an Arduino Pro mini controller, a GPS UART-GPS-NEO-7M module (See Figure 10 below), high gain active antenna 56 channels, 35 milliamps power consumption, and 3.3 and 5volts capable. Mobile friendly application to get the global positioning system location to be added to the SMS alert message the system will send to the relatives of the driver in case of an event.
65
Figure 10: GPS NEO 7M receiver
The alerts will be handled by a GSM 4G SIM808 (See Figure 11 below) cellular communications module. The system will be able to add several contacts and deliver an SMS alert message containing the alert message, the GPS location, and the triggered alarms.
Figure 11: SIM808 GSM 4G Cellular module
Project Timeline The project started by separately testing the compatibility of each sensor module board, their libraries and code examples. Every module has its advantages and disadvantages and requires extensive testing to be sure it is capable to provide the parameters expected of it. There are also issues related to the code implementation that were addressed and fixed. The controller module should be one that can handle the computing power necessary for the application. Arduino Pro Mini has more computing power and more RAM and ROM than its big brother, the original Arduino Uno. Usually this small form factor board
66 is used on production units because of its very low power consumption and reliability. The board connectors were placed to avoid miss connections or interferences (See Figure 12 below).
Figure 12: Arduino Pro Mini with connectors
The testing part of every module was done on a breadboard and then added to the Arduino Pro Mini while integrating the code with the previous modules. There were some issues integrating some common code and as a result some of the libraries were modified by changing the connection pins utilizing the free general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins or converting analog pins to digital ones when necessary. The wrist band module was more difficult due to the number of components that were necessary to accomplish its functionality and modifying several modules libraries to avoid their connections interfere each other resources. The first board worked on was the accelerometer, which is simple as it uses an SPI interface. It was necessary to get the average values from a separate function that collects all three parameters coming from the GY-521 accelerometer module and creating an average value with 25 samples every three seconds, then obtaining the mean of the those three values and creating a final mean value that is returned to the loop section. That value will be further compared to the previous mean values to detect is there is a bigger amplitude value. If the amplitude passes the threshold of 500 the system will trigger the alarm. The next module was the pulse sensor. Originally, a simple pulse sensor that returned voltage values was used, but it was unreliable as it depended on the pressure applied to the sensor against the
67 skin. It was replaced with a MAX30100 pulse sensor module which provided better results and was capable to read the heart pulse rate on the inside part of the arm. The incoming data is then processed after some tuning on the threshold and other variables (See Figure 13 below). In the same way as before, some samples were taken and an average value which is compared every 3 seconds to detect if the average is raising as expected. The numbers were only stimulated with test functions and more testing should be done with real subjects.
Figure 13: Pulse rate samples from Arduino IDE
Afterwards, the Galvanic Skin Capacitance sensor which measures the voltage that is sent on one electrode to another location very close to the first one is addressed. The sensor specs indicate it measures the skin conductance. To do so, it transmits 5 volts with just couple milliamps from one of the electrodes, and that voltage is picked up by the second electrode measuring the residual amount of voltage. There is a formula to calculate these values: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Human Resistance = ((1024 + 2 * Serial_Port_Reading) * 10000) / (512-Serial_Port_Reading), unit is ohm, Serial_Port_Reading is the value display on Serial Port (between 0~1023)â&#x20AC;? (Seeed Studio). The values provided by this sensor show a pattern of numbers. For example, a range begins with normal conditions and then shows disruptive changes when an emotional event, stress or shock is caused to the subject. The goal is to detect this jump on average values in the event of a seizure event. This must be further validated but based on preliminary research there is confidence that those values will be present. The expectation is that those values jump more than five times higher than the regular values allowing to differentiate the status and trigger the alarm as well.
68 The communications part was completed with the NRF24 module, which transmits at 2.4 GHz using channel one, 2Mbps bandwidth link, between the client and the main unit and using its low power mode. Issues and instability were found between the devices. The modules were powered at five volts coming from the Arduino. Those modules were tested and used at that voltage before with success but something prevented reaching a constant link. It was determined that the distance between the devices during testing was the issue. It was necessary for working purposes to reduce the transmission power to a minimum to make the device work and to avoid interferences. As an extra safety measure, the communication link is verified every time the system starts. If the link is broken for some reason, an audible alert will ] trigger signaling the issue. This is communicating alarm triggers all at once and making the decision on the main unit. The main unit will decide what measure to take depending on a weighted alarm system. If the vehicle is moving and the wheel sensor is triggered (meaning the wheel sensor detects that hands are off the wheel for some time the system triggers) that is more important than a pulse rate sensor triggered alone. For testing purposes all the triggers weighted the same value.
Figure 15: OBDII port Nissan Xterra 2005
Figure 14: OBDII port pinout
Using the On-board Diagnostics II protocol (ODBII) and serial communications parameters from the vehicle can be extracted to be sure it is moving. The port on the vehicle tested, Nissan Xterra 2005 is located under the driver side dash board under the wheel (See Figure 15 above). If the vehicle is not moving or the transmission is on the parking position, no counter measure would be taken. This second and third way to know if the vehicle is being operated guarantees that no emergency protocol will be triggered to avoid any disruption on the vehicle, but an alert could be send to the relatives of the driver if other alarms were triggered (e.g. the Galvanic Skin Capacitance or the pulse rate alarms are detected). The first way to detect if the vehicle is been operated and moving is the onboard GPS
69 module. The extra measures are taken just in case a loss of GPS signal occurs in very few circumstances like inside parking buildings.
Testing To solve the lack of a real subject suffering seizures and additionally having the subject actually having a seizure event the device was tested using walkthrough drill procedures or simulation with a healthy subject driving a vehicle and shaking their hand while wearing the wireless unit. This simulation of a seizure by using a push button activating the alarms and checking if the main unit receive the data related to the alarms. Once the data is received, and the main unit collects the GPS location, the main unit sends an SMS text message with an explicative text that includes a hyperlink that provides the actual location of the vehicle (See Figure 16 below). The system has the capacity to trigger a relay that should be connected to the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ignition circuit to halt the engine, present on most vehicles. It should be necessary to just ground the yellow (usually) cable that comes from the ignition key mechanism.
Figure 16: SMS text received after the alarm
Findings People with epilepsy have a higher rate of fatal crashes than patients with other medical conditions. Due to the fact that this condition is caused by different factors there is no perfect solution for all patients because the different epileptic manifestations or symptoms. People with seizures have 2.3 times the rate of fatal driver crashes because they completely lose the control of their vehicle and even
70 sometimes the car is accelerated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Epilepsy is associated with a 37% increased risk of serious traffic accidentsâ&#x20AC;? (Veronica Hackethal).
Discussion and Future Work This is preliminary research and work that must continue until few variables are stablished, like the rate of frequency of sensing the biological parameters. The system should provide means to adjust depending on the subject to be monitored. A display and controls should be added to the system to allow for the modification of these values while also checking the system's status and working conditions. Future research will focos on improvements like send commands to the computer through the OBDII system to activate the brake mechanism and slow down the vehicle safely instead of halting the engine. The system will be able to receive commands in simple digits like: 1. Disarm the system (in case of a false trigger) with a push button on the dashboard. 2. Open vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s windows if a few seconds have passed after the event to allow the driver to be helped from the outside. 3. Send a picture from inside the vehicle (additional camera module is necessary). Additionally, the system would trigger the hazards lights or, if there is not a manual deactivation, start a call to 911 using a text to speech engine to communicate about a possible accident. Arduino controller platform provides more than a dozen of inputs and outputs and we can program any of them with different functionality.
Cost Analysis With current market prices, the system described in this paper can be built for approximately $60.00. Buying in bulk would reduce the price by at least 25%. Considering there is a market for this system and given the benefits of it, the cost should play a minor role in its introduction to the market. It is also possible to reduce the cost and size of the device if it is mass produced.
71 Conclusion Having a seizure can cause a person to lose control of their body, change the way they act and sense things, or make them pass out suddenly. If a person has a seizure while driving, they could lose control of their car and cause a crash. They could hurt themselves and others if they are not able to stop safely the vehicle. This project tries to decrease the consequences of the inevitable incidence of seizure related accidents, even if the number of accidents is lower than other causes, the effects of this kind of accident are usually stronger than others. There should be focus on issues in our society even if they do not lead to monetary gain. With few resources and a little bit of research this study has reached a large deal of improvement. All the information to accomplish this kind of task is out there and can be taken advantage of through separate pieces of hardware and code to give life to all sort of solutions to improve our safety conditions.
Acknowledgments The authors are thankful to the editorial committee and our instructor for their guidance to produce this project and research. Any suggestion or comments are welcome to improve the quality of this paper and project.
72 References Beniczky, Sandor, et al. "Detection of generalized tonicâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;clonic seizures by a wireless wrist accelerometer: A prospective, multicenter study." Epilepsia 2013: e59. PDF. Lugt, Van der. "Traffic accidents caused by epilepsy." Epilepsia 30 Nov 1975. web. <http://europepmc.org/article/MED/1222750>. Maeike Zijlmans, Danny Flanagan, Jean Gotman. "Heart Rate Changes and ECG Abnormalities During EpilepticSeizures: Prevalence and Definition of an ObjectiveClinical Sign." Epilepsia 43.8 (2002). Web. <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1046/j.1528-1157.2002.37801.x>. Seeed Development Limited . "Grove - GSR Sensor." n.d. Seeed Wiki. web. 4 March 2020. <https://seeeddoc.github.io/Grove-GSR_Sensor/>. Seeed Studio. Grove - GSR Sensor - Seed Wiki. n.d. Web. 12 February 2020. <http://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Grove-GSR_Sensor/>. Veronica Hackethal, MD. MH life Sciences. 13 March 2018. Web. <https://www.neurologytimes.com/epilepsy-and-seizure/serious-accidents-increased-epilepsy>.
73
Life Detector under Dangerous Temperature Conditions Rodolfo Cruz, Luis León, Anna Nicol, and Néstor Ceballos School of Engineering Technology and Design Miami Dade College – Hialeah Campus, Hialeah Florida rcruz2@mdc.edu, luis.leon006@mymdc.net, ganna.nicol001@mymdc.net, nestor.ceballos001@mymdc.net
Abstract Distractions could cause a car driver to break their daily routine. It could be a traffic jam, a call from work, anything that could distract and as a consequence could lead to forget some very important things. It may seem that forgetting one’s child in the car is close to impossible, but according to Kids and Cars, “more than 900 children have died in hot cars in the US since 1990”. The present work is to provide a solution to this issue, using technology already available in the market with a very low price. The utilization of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology involves the usage of sensors that can be easily integrated with embedded systems platforms and communications through internet or cellular connections. Keywords: Arduino, IoT, smart, things, internet, edge, computing, network, kids, hot, cars, death.
Introduction Nowadays, people’s daily routines are much more complex, and some may argue, more distracting than they have ever been. Consider the 1980s, there was no such thing as a personal computer, and internet connectivity was far from becoming available to ordinary people. Many of the technologies available today were not even yet invented. Today’s lives incorporate digitization of massive amounts of information, smart systems, increased communication. The growing importance of social media, cars with all kind of entertainment, supposedly to help us relax while we are driving. All of this has indeed made our lives better, but it has also made them more complex in a way that keeps overtaxing our brains with
74 vast amounts of information that needs to be processed and filtered in a given amount of time. Checking social media accounts while filling one’s car with gas, watching TV while making morning breakfast, listening to the radio, and worrying about a myriad of things on the way to school or dropping the kids off can at times be overwhelming. Therefore, people are prone to be distracted and forgetful. Being a parent is a huge responsibility and given all the technological and sociological changes occurred in the last few decades, it has not become any easier. “Parents often suffer from exhaustion due to lack of sleep; work responsibilities; and their memory can give up on them on the least expected occasions. Everyone is at risk of forgetting a sleeping baby at the back seat of the car, which can result in an injury or possibly even death” (kidsandcars.org). “850 children have died due to Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH) since 1998. All these deaths could have been prevented” (No Heat Stroke) (See Fig 1).
Figure 1: Heatstroke Fatalities, 1990-2019. (Kids and cars)
Figure 2: Airbag deaths rate vs Heat Stroke since 1990 (Kids and cars). The above figure (See Figure 2) demonstrates the growing number of deaths because of the heat stroke in comparison to airbag deaths that has already been addressed and reduced. It also demonstrates the number of the actual fatalities in the US per state. It is evident that the states such as Florida, Texas
75 and California are at the peak for obvious reasons, like higher temperature ranges, which is why it was crucial to address this issue. There are various preventive measures that can be taken to avoid placing our kids at risk of heatstroke such as: “Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.” (kidsandcars.org). All of this relies on remembering these safety precautions; but what happens if a person is too busy with all the overwhelming responsibilities and do not have a minute to remember all those safety checks?
Background and Motivation “Vehicular heatstroke deaths do not just happen when a child is forgotten. The second leading cause (26%) of such deaths are children getting into unattended vehicles, according to NoHeatstroke.org. The temperature inside a car can reach 110 degrees, even when the outside temperature is as low as 57 degrees” (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). It is not just the issue with children’s deaths but also people forgetting their pets or even police officers leaving work dogs while they are patrolling or having lunch. This is the main motivation and is it was decided to utilize IoT and edge computing technology to tackle the high numbers of innocent deaths by helping people remember and concentrate on their loved ones more. Life Detector under Dangerous Temperature Conditions (further referenced as LDDTC) was designed and developed with the goal of preventing deaths by checking the car and alerting the driver in case any movement has been detected in given critical temperature threshold. The idea behind the project was to simply help save lives of those who require help and need to be taken care of. The idea does not intend to replace existing safety measures but serve as a backup by introducing IoT technology that takes certain tasks off their shoulders and minds of busy people.
76 Technical Description The LDDTC has been built using IoT capabilities for enabling communication rather than simply picking up movements in the car, measuring the temperature and triggering an alarm. LDDTC started out as a device that contains several sensors that can detect any movements in the interior of the vehicle all connected to an Arduino board. The device goes into standby mode when the engine is turned off. In this mode, it measures the temperature inside the car until it reaches a dangerous set threshold. Once the temperature is critical, the device goes into monitoring mode and checks if there is any movement in the car. If any sort of movement has been detected, the device rechecks for a second trigger and activates its emergency protocol which includes sending an SMS message to the owner of the vehicle alerting them that movement has been detected in the car. This is intended to prompt the user check if they have forgotten a child or pet inside the car (See figure 3 below). The SMS includes the GPS location with a map in the link to the google maps service. In case it takes more than three minutes for the owner of the vehicle to respond to the alert, the device starts the alarm to alert anyone around the car to take action. Three minutes after the device was triggered, the device will send another SMS alert message to all the contacts registered into the system. If no action is taken in the next three minutes the device could initiate a 911 call via a 4G built in module.
Figure 7: SMS alert
77 Components
Arduino Pro Mini 328 5v Arduino Pro Mini 328 (See figure 4 below) is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328, with six analog and 14 digital input/output pins, a reset button, and holes for pin headers. The microcontroller board is responsible for retrieving measurements of the connected sensors. It controls their functionality and working pattern. It is the main controller of the project.
Figure 8: Arduino Pro Mini 5v
HC-SR501 Motion Detector This motion detector sensor is based on the infrared technology, automatic control module, low voltage operating mode and is widely used in the automotive industry. The automatic induction operates as following: to trigger the output â&#x20AC;&#x153;highâ&#x20AC;?, the person needs to be in the range of the sensor. Alternatively, if a person leaves the range, it will be set to low. The sensing range is 120-degree angle, up to seven meters (See figure 5 below). The sensing distance can be adjusted with the potentiometer to ensure lower range for more precision. The LDDTC utilizes this sensor for the interior movement detection.
78
Figure 9: HC-SR501 Infrared sensor
RCWL0516 Microwave Radar Motion Sensor This sensor module has been designed as an alternative to the existing PIR motion sensors that are widely used in burglar alarm technology. Similarly, to the HC-SR501 Sensor, it detects movements within a given range. This sensor uses a â&#x20AC;&#x153;microwave Doppler radarâ&#x20AC;? technique to detect movement. When triggered it is set to HIGH and then returns to LOW when the movement is no longer detected. Sensing distance is between three to seven meters. A resistor was used to reduce the range to avoid people around the vehicle from triggering the sensor from outside the vehicle with a redundancy of sensors to ensure identification of the signalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s origin.
Figure 10: HC-SR501 Infrared sensor
79 DHT-11 Humidity and Temperature Sensor DHT-11 is a basic, low-cost digital temperature and humidity sensor. It uses a humidity sensor and a thermistor to measure the stats of the surrounding air and outputs the digital signal on the pin with a temperature Accuracy of ¹ 2% °C. It allows several readings to be made and an average of temperatures to be determined which would decide if the temperature is too high and it is a risk for any form of life inside the vehicle. The setting compared is predefined and can be changed in running time with SMS commands. Sensing the temperature is critical and should be avoided the direct exposure of the sensor directly to some reflection from the sun. The sensor is located inside the device enclosure but allowing it direct contact with the exterior air.
Figure 11: DHT-11 Temperature sensor NEO7-GPS The NEO-7 GPS module is a standalone GPS receiver module that delivers high sensitivity within minimal time range after receiving signal from GPS, GNSS, GLONASS, Galileo or QZSS navigation systems. LDDTC receives GPS signal for locating the vehicle. This module power consumption is very low and can receive signals up to 10 channels at once while calculating the location with three signals. The first location calculation could be reached in less than 45 seconds and subsequent readings can be done in less than two seconds.
80
Figure 12: GPS break board - NEO7 SIM800 GSM 4 Cellular module SIM800L is a miniature GSM modem used for SMS text messages, via internet connectivity. The module requires an antenna that is used for any kind of voice or data transmission and has a SIM pocket for a 4G micro SIM card. It contains LED status indicators to signal the status of cellular network.
Figure 13: SIM 800 GSM module
SI-140 5-24 volt 3amp Voltage Buck Converter
Figure 14: mini buck voltage converter x5
81 The modules and board work at five volts and this buck converter generates a fixed output voltage which is constant regardless of changes to its input, between the tolerances given by the manufacturer. This is a necessary board due to the low power supplied by the Arduino Pro mini which is capable only to power devices under 40miliamps consumption. This buck converter is voltage selectable through a series of small links that can be soldered at the selected voltage option from 1.25 to 12 volts. The input could be greater as 30 volts. The efficiency of this converter it is closer to 95%.
Project Timeline The project has started off as a series of discussions and ideas put together on paper to identify the most efficient and the best solution to the problem that we are facing. First proper design of the project and the components were required. This was a challenging phase there needed to be insurance that the outside movement did not trigger the device to send a false positive alert so that we could choose sensors accordingly. Secondly, those components needed to be assembled into one working device. As the primary motivation behind this project was to save lives, the highest precision of the retrieved data and fastest speed of communication between the assembled components and the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner mobile phone is needed to ensure the alert is received and they can take action in time. Reliability is also a key component of this critical task.
Figure 15: Project prototyping on a breadboard The prototyping was done with an Arduino Uno with a breadboard (See figure 11 above) to test all the components one by one and adding them to the project. The connectivity of the device had to operate at a high range. The original plan included using Bluetooth technology, but the range was too
82 short. This project required a wide range solution to make possible to alert people other than the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner if necessary and making it easy to be shared without using hard to find or expensive technologies. As a result, a SIM800L GSM module was incorporated to the device which allows to use a simple SIM card from any phone company provider. The device also needed to provide accurate measurements of all the surrounding conditions prior to sending a signal, which is why it integrates multiple motion and temperature detection sensors to make the system redundant. The data from the multiple sensors is taken into account to ensure accuracy, which is crucial in this situation. The device is powered by a DC-168 4000 milliamps rechargeable ion battery which could provide months of service without need to recharge. Having finalized the first testing phase, certain parts of the code were adjusted as well as the positioning of the sensors in the assembled device. Each component was tested on its own to ensure every sensor retrieves and analyses the data correctly. Then the code for all the sensors were integrated into the main code framework of the device to test compatibility and coordinate the timelines for each sensor measurements.
Figure 16: Finished Prototype, depicting the battery Testing To verify that the device works as expected, a series of tests were conducted using two approaches by sensor and as a whole system. The device was tested in rainy, sunny, and cloudy weather conditions. Also, in different surrounding areas such as parking lots, streets, and parking garages. A few
83 changes were implemented such as introducing a delay between different sensors to avoid too much power consumption. An issue using the microwave sensor to detect human or living activity inside the vehicle was discovered. The default range that comes configured with the sensor was too high. It iwas above 14 feet distance and detects living subjects even outside the vehicle and goes through glass. After some research range sensitivity was reduced to a 3 feet radius to reduce false positives. Additionally, different sensing ranges of the components were tested to ensure only the interior of the car is taken into the consideration to decrease false positive alerts such as people walking around the car and any vibrations coming from passing vehicles. It was ensured that the device was as efficient and adaptable to different environments as possible. The device was installed in the middle of the ceiling of the vehicle, over the seats division to avoid blind spots (See Figure 13 and 14 below). An advantage of this location is the early detection as the temperature raises when the vehicle is off.
Figure 17: Device location depicted in red
Figure 18: Device location, view from rear left door
84 Discussion and future work The LDDTC has proven to be a successful prototype that does serve its purpose. There is hope that the device will help save the lives of children and pets that are lost every year due to being forgotten in a car. As to any future improvements that can be implemented, additional work will be done to add some GUI to give greater visibility of the data and possibly any alert that would remind the owner of the vehicle to check the back seat as soon as the engine is turned off to help prevent unwanted incidents. In addition, a camera with audio for a parent to be able to communicate with the child while being on their way to pick them up could be added. On the vehicle side there can be an addition of some interface to trigger an alarm directly in case of the emergency protocol if there is no cellular signal to send an alert message. This interface may count also with a relay to allow the system to be programmed to open the windows system as well the doors look system. There is a need to check for the voltage battery in case it is been depleted as an additional safety check. This can be detected using an analog pin and doing an analog reading of the voltage and an alarm could be triggered telling the user that the battery need to be recharged or replaced in case the system is not being powered by the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battery, or even better serving as extra feature for the vehicle keeping an eye on the battery an alerting the diver to a low charge battery. There are options to broaden the text to speech technology applied to this solution in case there is no response by the vehicle proprietary. This would allow the system to make a call and give instructions and ask for help. Integration with the vehicle would give the device more and more options to reach the goal and prevent harm to those inside the vehicle.
Cost Analysis Most electronic components used in this project can be purchased at very low prices. Taking into consideration this project uses GPS technology and 4G cellular network, the total cost of the components was approximately $25.00 when purchased oversees, or $45.00 if buying from local suppliers. Further
85 research should be focused on integrating all the components on just one board which will further reduce the cost of production. It is estimated that mass producing this device could bring the costs to around $10.00 per unit.
Conclusion The LDDTC device was developed with the goal of saving lives. The usage of low-cost components ensures that this device is affordable to public. This device can be used to prevent fatal deaths incidents of children and pets, which are often left in vehicles when the owners were distracted enough to forget their loved ones. Even though the vehicles are left running, there may be faults that happen unexpectedly like the engine turning off (in any case the authors do not recommend to leave a child or pet alone in a vehicle even for a very short period of time). Whether the engine fails or the AC stops working, this device can help to prevent all those tragic losses of lives that may happened due to negligence or forgetfulness. Since modern life is filled with responsibilities, vast amount of information, media, audio, and social interactions, it is easy to become distracted and end up responsible for the terrible consequences, that in no way were intentional. This device makes it top priority to monitor, detect and alert the owner of the vehicle in critical situations like this to ensure safety and happiness of families. This project has shown a lot of IoT technology and how to direct engineersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skills and knowledge for a good cause.
Acknowledgment The authors are thankful to the editorial committee and reviewers for their comments and suggestions, to improve the quality of the paper.
86 References Kids and cars. 2019. <https://www.kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/heat-stroke/>. kidsandcars.org. "Look Before you Lock." n.d. PDF. 8 March 2020. <http://www.kidsandcars.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/04/LBYL-19-both.pdf>. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hot Car Deaths: Record Number of Children have Died | NHTSA. n.d. web. 21 Jan 2020. <https://www.nhtsa.gov/child-safety/help-prevent-hot-cardeaths>. "No Heat Stroke." 13 May 2020. No Heat Stroke. web. 17 May 2020. <https://www.noheatstroke.org/>.
87
Test Item Analysis Using Blackboardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tools Dr. M. Shakil, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics Department of Mathematics and Statistics (Liberal Arts & Sciences) Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus, FL 33012, USA E-mail: mshakil@mdc.edu
Abstract The Blackboard report on item analysis statistics gives an overall view of the test results and evaluates each test item, which are also useful in comparing the item analysis for different test forms. The objective of this paper is to investigate the uses of the Blackboard tools in the test item analysis of online quizzes in some math courses. It is hoped that the present study would be quite useful in recognizing the Blackboard tools and features in assessing and exploring the most critical pieces of the test items data and evaluating whether or not that test item needs revision. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classifications: 97C30, 97C40, 97D40, 97D60. Keywords: Blackboard, Online Quiz, Test Item Analysis.
Introduction An item analysis involves many statistics that can provide useful information for determining the validity and improving the quality and accuracy of multiple-choice or true/false items. These statistics are used to measure the ability levels of examinees from their responses to each item. The Blackboard item analysis report of a multiple-choice exam consists of three types of statistical reports, namely, column statistics, attempts statistics and item analysis, where one can find a summary of test statistics, a test frequency table, and item statistics. The test statistics summary and frequency table describe the
88 distribution of test scores. The item analysis statistics evaluate class-wide performance on each test item. The Blackboard report on item analysis statistics provides an overall view of the test results and evaluates each test item, which are also useful in comparing the item analysis for different test forms. Motivated by the importance of the Blackboard tools and features in assessing and exploring the most critical pieces of the test items data, and evaluating whether or not that test item needs revision, this paper investigates the uses of the Blackboard tools in the test item analysis of online quizzes in some math courses. The organization of this paper is as follows. In Section 2, descriptions of some useful, common item analysis statistics, that is, item difficulty, item discrimination, distractor analysis, and reliability, are presented. For the sake of completeness, in Section 2, definitions of some test statistics as reported in the Blackboard analysis report are also provided. Section 3 contains the uses of item analysis statistics to some multiple-choice math quizzes. The concluding remarks are presented in Section 4.
Item Analysis Statistics In what follows, we will assess and explore the compatibility of the new learning management system, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blackboardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Item Analysis Toolâ&#x20AC;?. For details on various commonly used item analysis statistics, see, for example, Shakil (2008, 2016), and references therein. The interested readers are also referred to visit: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Tests_Pools_Surveys/Item_Analysis, among others. Item Analysis: An item analysis involves many statistics that can provide useful information for determining the validity and improving the quality and accuracy of multiple-choice or true/false items. These statistics are used to measure the ability levels of examinees from their responses to each item. The Blackboard report on item analysis statistics gives an overall view of the test results and evaluates each test item, which are also useful in comparing the item analysis for different test forms. The Blackboard item analysis report, when a multiple-choice exam is graded in Blackboard, consists of the following three types of statistical reports:
89 A. Column Statistics: This tool displays the overall class performance on the Grade Center item that includes average score and standard deviation. It also lists the number of submissions for the item that are in progress or need grading. This information is used for the analysis of how well students learned the material. Instructors can also compare the performance of the current class to other sections or previous terms. B. Attempts Statistics: This tool displays the average score and distribution of student responses for each question. In addition, it provides statistics on overall test performance and individual questions. This data identifies questions that might be poor discriminators of student performance. Instructors can use this information to improve questions for future test administrations or to adjust credit on current attempts. C. Item Analysis: This tool provides statistics on overall test performance and individual test questions. This data helps to recognize questions that might be poor discriminators of student performance. Instructors can use this information, for example, to improve questions for future tests or to adjust credit on current attempts, to discuss test results with our class, to provide a basis for remedial work, and to improve classroom instruction. Please note that the test summary and the question statistics table on the item analysis report provide data on the test as a whole, which are described below. Test Summary: This tool includes the following: A. Possible Points: The total number of points for the test. B. Possible Questions: The total number of questions in the test. C. In Progress Attempts: The number of students currently taking the test that have not yet submitted it. D. Completed Attempts: The number of submitted tests. E. Average Score: Scores denoted with an * indicate that some attempts are not graded and that the average score might change after all attempts are graded. The score displayed here is the average score reported for the test in the Grade Center.
90 F. Average Time: The average completion time for all submitted attempts. G. Discrimination: This area shows the number of questions that fall into the Good (greater than 0.3), Fair (between 0.1 and 0.3), and Poor (less than 0.1) categories. A discrimination value is listed as “Cannot Calculate” when the question's difficulty is 100% or when all students receive the same score on a question. Questions with discrimination values in the “Good” and “Fair” categories are better at differentiating between students with higher and lower levels of knowledge. Questions in the “Poor” category are recommended for review. H. Difficulty: This area shows the number of questions that fall into the “Easy” (greater than 80%), “Medium” (between 30% and 80%) and “Hard” (less than 30%) categories. Difficulty is the percentage of students who answered the question correctly. Questions in the “Easy” or “Hard” categories are recommended for review and are indicated with a red circle. Question Statistics Table: This tool provides item analysis statistics for each question in the test, in different categories, as indicated below: A. Good Questions: These have: (i) Medium (30% to 80%) difficulty; (ii) Good or Fair (greater than 0.1) discrimination values. B. Low Quality Questions: These have: (i) Easy (>80%) or Hard (< 30%) difficulty; (ii) Poor (< 0.1) discrimination values. C. Further on Question Statistics: In addition to the above categories, the question statistics table for each question also includes the following: a. Discrimination: Indicates how well a question differentiates between students who know the subject matter those who do not. A question is a good discriminator when students who answer the question correctly also do well on the test. Values can range from -1.0 to +1.0. Questions are flagged for review if their discrimination value is less than 0.1 or is negative. Discrimination values
91 cannot be calculated when the question's difficulty score is 100% or when all students receive the same score on a question. b.
Difficulty: The percentage of students who answered the question correctly. Difficulty values can range from 0% to 100%, with a high percentage indicating that the question was easy. Questions in the Easy (greater than 80%) or Hard (less than 30%) categories are flagged for review. Difficulty levels that are slightly higher than midway between chance and perfect scores do a better job differentiating students who know the tested material from those who do not. It is important to note that high difficulty values do not assure high levels of discrimination.
c. Graded Attempts: Number of questions attempts where grading is complete. Higher numbers of graded attempt produce more reliable calculated statistics. d. Average Score: Scores denoted with an * indicate that some attempts are not graded and that the average score might change after all attempts are graded. The score displayed here is the average score reported for the test in the Grade Center. e. Standard Deviation: Measure of how far the scores deviate from the average score. If the scores are tightly grouped, with most of the values being close to the average, the standard deviation is small. If the data set is widely dispersed, with values far from the average, the standard deviation is larger. f.
Standard Error: An estimate of the amount of variability in a student's score due to chance. The smaller the standard error of measurement, the more accurate the measurement provided by the test question.
Applications of Test Item Analysis Statistics
92 In what follows, the test item analysis of some online multiple-choice math quizzes administered through the learning management system Blackboard and using the “Blackboard’s Item Analysis Tool” is provided. Example (1): Please see Table 4 (a) below, where a comparison of the overall class performance of MAC1147-2183-6398 and MAC1147-2183-6399 in Quiz 1, Spring 2018 is provided. Table 4 (a) Column Statistics (Grade Distribution) (A Comparison of the Overall Class Performance of MAC1147-2183-6398 and MAC1147-21836399 in Quiz 1, Spring 2018) MAC1147Quiz1-Spring2018
Count (No. of Students)
Points Possible
Minimu m Value
Maximu m Value
Range
Average
Median
MAC1147-21836398
29
100
56
100
44
89.7931
92
MAC1147-21836399
29
100
72
100
28
95.5862
96
MAC1147-Quiz1Spring-2018
Standard Deviation
Variance
MAC1147-21836398
11.96
142.99
MAC1147-21836399
6.16
37.90
MAC1147-Quiz1Grade Distribution
90 100
80 - 89
70 - 79
60 - 69
50 - 59
Below 50
MAC1147-2183-6398
23
2
1
2
1
0
MAC1147-2183-6399
26
2
1
0
0
0
Example (2): Please see Tables 4 (b and c) below, where item analysis of STA2023 reinforcement points quiz is provided. For the sake of completeness, the STA2023 Reinforcement Points Quiz is provided. Item Analysis: STA2023 Reinforcement Points Quiz Spring 2018 Reinforcement Points Quiz
93 (To be Added to the Lowest of Your EXAM # 1 or Exam # 2 Scores) (Topics: Probability) TOTAL POINTS: 12 (@ 1 POINT PER QUESTION) DIRECTIONS: ANSWER ALL 12 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS ONLINE IN BLACKBOARD. THERE IS NO PARTIAL CREDIT FOR A QUESTION IF YOUR ANSWER IS WRONG. No written or oral excuses will be accepted for this. Note: As explained in the class, in the interest of the whole class, the points earned in this "Reinforcement Points Quiz" will be added to the Lowest of your EXAM # 1 or Exam # 2 Scores. MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1) At a certain college, 23% of students speak Spanish, 8% speak Italian, and 3% speak both languages. A student is chosen at random from the college. What is the probability that the student speaks Spanish given that he or she speaks Italian? A) 0.050
B) 0.280
C) 0.375
D) 0.130
2) A firm uses trend projection and seasonal factors to simulate sales for a given time period. It assigns "0" if sales fall, "1" if sales are steady, "2" if sales rise moderately, and "3" if sales rise a lot. The simulator generates the following output. 0102200123202022123122203002121 Estimate the probability that sales will rise at least moderately. A) 0.512
B) 0.452
C) 0.613
D) 0.516
3) If two cards are drawn without replacement from a deck, find the probability that the second card is a spade, given that the first card was a spade. A)
B)
C)
D)
4) Swinging Sammy Skor's batting prowess was simulated to get an estimate of the probability that Sammy will get a hit. Let 1 = HIT and 0 = OUT. The output from the simulation was as follows. 100010010011100001111000011001111000001111 Estimate the probability that he gets a hit. A) 0.301
B) 0.476
C) 0.452
D) 0.286
5) In a recent year, 304 of the approximately 300,000,000 people in the United States were struck by lightning. Estimate the probability that a randomly selected person in the United States will be struck by lightning this year. A) 0.000000101
B) 0.000101
C) 0.00000101
D) 0.0000101
6) Three coins are tossed 80 times and the number of heads is observed.
94
Compute the empirical probability that at most two heads occur. A) 12
B)
C)
D)
7) An employment agency required 20 secretarial candidates to type the same manuscript. The number of errors found in each manuscript is summarized in the histogram. Find the empirical probability that a candidate has less than four errors in the typed manuscript.
A)
B)
C)
D)
8) During July in Jacksonville, Florida, it is not uncommon to have afternoon thunderstorms. On average, 12.3 days have afternoon thunderstorms. What is the probability that a randomly selected day in July will not have a thunderstorm? A) 60.32%
B) 87.70%
C) 39.68%
D) 59.00%
9) The manager of a bank recorded the amount of time each customer spent waiting in line during peak business hours one Monday. The frequency table below summarizes the results. Waiting Time (minutes) 0-3 4-7 8-11 12-15 16-19 20-23 24-27
Number of Customers 9 10 12 4 4 2 2
If we randomly select one of the customers represented in the table, what is the probability that the waiting time is at least 12 minutes or between 8 and 15 minutes? A) 0.093
B) 0.558
C) 0.727
D) 0.651
10) A survey was done at a mall in which 5000 customers were asked what type of credit card they used most often. The results of the survey are shown in the figure below:
95
Determine the empirical probability that a person selected at random from the 5000 surveyed uses no card. Round to the nearest ten-thousandth when necessary. A) 0.0001
B) 0.01
C) 0.021
D) 0.001
11) There are 3 cards in a hat; one is a king, one is a queen, and one is an ace. Two cards are to be selected at random with replacement. Using a tree diagram, obtain the sample space for the experiment. List the elements that make up the sample space. A) K K, K Q, K A, Q K, Q Q, Q A, A K, A Q, A A B) K K Q, K A K, Q Q Q, K Q, A A K C) K Q, K A, Q K, Q A, A K, A Q D) K K, K Q, K A, Q Q, Q A, AQ, A A 12) 390 voters are classified by income and political party. The results are shown in the table. If a person is selected at random from the sample, find the probability that the person has medium income and votes Democrat.
A) 0.564
B) 0.413
C) 0.762
D) 0.238
Table 4 (b) Test Summary Possible Points 12
Possible Questions 12
Completed Attempts 28
Average Score 9.47
Discrimination
Difficulty
6 Good Questions
5 Easy Questions
96
4 Fair Questions 2 Poor Questions 0 Cannot Calculate
7 Medium Questions 0 Hard Questions
Table 4 (c) Item Analysis Question
Discrimination
Difficulty (%)
Graded Attempts
Average Score
Std Dev
Std Error
1
0.05
78.58
28
0.79
0.42
0.08
•
Review recomm ended
2
0.09
92.86
28
0.93
0.27
0.05
•
Review recomm ended
3
0.13
75.00
28
0.75
0.45
0.09
4
0.14
85.72
28
0.86
0.36
0.07
•
Review recomm ended
5
0.28
92.86
28
0.93
0.27
0.05
•
Review recomm ended
6
0.28
85.72
28
0.86
0.36
0.07
•
Review recomm ended
7
0.33
96.43
28
0.97
0.19
0.04
•
Review recomm ended
8
0.37
71.43
28
0.72
0.47
0.09
9
0.40
64.29
28
0.65
0.49
0.10
10
0.48
71.43
28
0.72
0.47
0.09
11
0.53
78.58
28
0.79
0.42
0.08
12
0.60
53.58
28
0.54
0.51
0.10
97 Concluding Remarks and Recommendation for Future Research The objective and goal of the present paper was to study the test item analysis statistics which are available in the Miami-Dade College's new learning management system â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blackboardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Item Analysis Tool and Reportâ&#x20AC;?. The uses of item analysis statistics to some online multiple-choice math quizzes administered through the Blackboard tools have been investigated. Some item analysis statistics which are available in the Blackboard analysis report have been discussed. It is hoped that the present study would be helpful in recognizing the most critical pieces of our test items data and evaluating whether or not that test item needs revision. The methods discussed in this research project can be used to describe the relevance of test item analysis to classroom and blackboard tests and exams.
Acknowledgments The author would like to thank the Editorial Committee of Polygon for accepting this paper for publication in Polygon. The author would also like to acknowledge his sincere indebtedness to the works of various authors and resources on the subject which he had consulted during the preparation of this research project. Furthermore, the author would like to express his sincere gratitude and thanks to the LAS Chair, Dr. Cary Castro, the Dean of Faculty, Dr. Michelle Ploetz, and the President, Dr. Anthony Cruz, of Miami-Dade College, Hialeah Campus, for their continued encouragement, support and patronage. Last but not the least, the author is thankful to Miami Dade College for giving him an opportunity to serve this college, without which it was impossible to conduct his research.
98 References
Blackboard Help-Item Analysis. https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Tests_Pools_Surveys/Item_Analysis. Shakil, M. (2016). Item Analysis Statistics and Their Uses: An Overview. Polygon, Vol. 9, 1-20. Shakil, M. (2008). Assessing Student Performance Using Test Item Analysis and its Relevance to the State Exit Final Exams of MAT0024 Classes - An Action Research Project. Polygon, Vol. 1, 1-35