Cramming for tests. Processing music in the brain. Learning language from a parent versus a TV show. There are so many ways we teach, learn and understand the world around us both in and out of the classroom.

See how eight MacEwan students (a small representation of the more than 300 who presented from across faculties at the university’s biggest-ever Student Research Day) are exploring big questions around how we receive and process information.

Does choice decrease procrastination and stress?

When Delaney O’Brien-Ristau was diagnosed with ADHD in the second year of her Honours Psychology program, she began to distinguish what kinds of course structures worked best for her brain. Looking at universal design for learning (a framework to build accommodations for students into course design) made her wonder if the issues she experienced could be part of a bigger picture.

“I’ve always struggled with procrastination, as do many other students,” she explains. “Procrastination is typically viewed as an individual issue, but maybe course design could actually play a role in students’ procrastination habits.”

She worked with Dr. Michele Moscicki for her honours thesis, which explored whether students who were given more choices in their course delivery felt more ownership over their work. She hypothesized that if they were more engaged in what they were doing, students would procrastinate less, feel less stressed and have increased confidence in their academics. O’Brien-Ristau plans to continue her research, hoping to eventually use it to implement more inclusive practices in her own classroom when she achieves her goal of becoming a professor.

Does cramming the night before a big exam actually work?

When Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Sarah Burden found herself memorizing information for exams but struggling to apply the knowledge in more practical situations, she decided to look into it.

Working with Dr. Yuwaraj Narnaware, she asked students to answer questions designed to test deep understanding of classroom topics rather than simple recall of basic concepts. The results, she says, showed gaps in deep learning. Burden says that deeper understanding is necessary for nurses to do their jobs properly in clinical settings and that students like her have a role to play in their own learning.

“This project has shown me that we have a responsibility to ask critical questions about our own learning. I feel empowered now to advocate for evidence-based teaching strategies that prioritize real-world competence over the traditional emphasis on academic performance alone.”

Countering body-size bias 

Anti-discrimination laws protect people in a number of ways, but there is no legislation that covers discrimination based on body size. Sociology student Wy George worked with Dr. Diane Symbaluk to research the impact of stigma against fat people and ways to combat it.

George found that weight-based stigma can cause discrimination in employment, health care and other areas of day-to-day life. Social media movements that promote body positivity, like Health at Every Size, bring awareness to this problem but also may help to combat those stigmas and increase acceptance.

“My voice matters, especially as a fat person advocating for fat people,” says George. “I almost opted out of Student Research Day, and I’m so glad that I didn’t. The engagement and feedback I got on my poster presentation was exhilarating, and it was so exciting to teach people something new.”

Do culture and sex education affect consent?

“Coming from a Lebanese background, I grew up in an environment where discussions about sex were often considered taboo,” says Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology student Nassreen Fayad. “This sparked my curiosity about how different cultural groups perceive and communicate consent, especially in contexts where formal and informal sex education is lacking or absent.”

Fayad decided to research the topic with Dr. Aimee Skye for her Honours thesis, allowing her to compare her own lived experiences with those of other cultures. She is also exploring whether having sex education affects how people view and communicate consent.

Though her research is still in progress, Fayad believes future findings may show differences in understanding and communication of consent among cultures – and a possible avenue for change. For education on sex and consent to be available and effective, catering to the needs of individuals and their cultural backgrounds rather than a one-size-fits-all approach may help increase understanding and improve healthy sexuality outcomes.

“Framing sex education in a way that aligns more closely with cultural values and beliefs can, hopefully, help individuals feel more comfortable engaging with and endorsing it,” says Fayad.

Tracking brain function while listening to music

Computer science major Ryan Vieira joined Dr. Dana Cobzas and Dr. Cameron Hassall in their existing research into uncovering how the brain processes sound. As 30 subjects listened to music, the team monitored EEG readings – a measure of brain activity taken by placing electrodes on a person’s scalp.

“Using advanced machine learning methods, we are attempting to train a model that can take EEG data and output the music a person was listening to,” explains Vieira. “We can then look at the patterns the model has identified to get a deeper understanding of what parts of the brain do what when a person listens to music.”

Reproducing the music successfully from the EEG readings would help create a map of brain functions that could also serve as a diagnostic tool, says Vieira. He adds that his time working on this project exposed him to new data types and concepts and challenged him in new and exciting ways.

Understanding the needs of nursing students with disabilities

Pulling from her own life experience, Brooke Davidson wanted to explore the experiences of fellow nursing students with disabilities. She undertook a literature review with Dr. Emilene Reisdorfer to look for trends in the needs of and support for those students.

From the literature published on the topic, Davidson found that students with disabilities in nursing programs reported negative experiences and experienced significant challenges and discrimination and a lack of support. She further examined the literature and highlighted actionable steps to improve those experiences through creating inclusive and supportive learning environments. When students with disabilities feel supported and empowered to pursue nursing careers, she says, their unique strengths and lived experiences can make a difference in the lives of patients with disabilities seeking health care.

“This project has strengthened my resolve to advocate for anti-ableism and greater disability inclusion in nursing,” says Davidson. “My research helped me to realize that I am not alone in many of my experiences and that pushing for change is important to create a future where nursing students with disabilities have more positive experiences in nursing programs.”

Are shows like Cocomelon rotting children’s brains?

Bachelor of Communication Studies student Viktorya Gyulinyan is a big sister and cousin and volunteered with children at the Edmonton Public Library. Through those interactions, she’s noted differences in language acquisition in children that have been nurtured in person by adults in their lives compared to those who have primarily learned through watching content on screens. 

“I looked into this concept profoundly, exploring and dissecting the complex psychological and neurological impacts of stimulating early communication, or the lack thereof,” says Gyulinyan.

Along with assistant professor Vivian Giang, Gyulinyan found that children get a better understanding of language when learning from interactions with a parent – particularly when it’s between mother and child, likely due to gendered caregiving roles. She asserts that those early exchanges are pivotal in development, and parents need to be aware that conscious efforts to cultivate those moments can make a discernible difference to their child’s development.

Is there a relationship between spatial cognition and musical proficiency?

In the midst of his PSYC 351 class, Will McCarty had a moment of insight while learning about spatial cognition – the brain’s way of understanding the space around us and how to move through it. After hearing that spatial ability can differ in people who are born blind, develop blindness later in life and those who have full eyesight, he wondered how the same concept might apply to musicians – particularly blind musicians like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. He wondered if the same concept might apply to musicians who are able to play the guitar or piano in different genres and styles.

Working with supervisors Dr. Eric Legge and Dr. Kathleen Corrigall, McCarty turned the idea into his Honours Psychology thesis, analyzing  some of his favourite musicians and his own experiences playing guitar. He reasoned that executive functioning – which helps with tuning out distractions and remembering things in the moment – might help musicians in playing different genres and multitasking as they think ahead to play the next chord or adjust their finger placements. Due to their familiarity with their instrument, musicians also have advanced spatial cognitive abilities when playing, making those movements faster and easier to execute.

“My hypothesis is that not only is musical proficiency and spatial ability very possibly positively correlated, but that executive functioning likely mediates this association and helps it to be stronger,” says McCarty. He’s still working to collect data to support the theory but believes it may eventually lead to further research about how that relationship can help with the maintenance and beneficial upkeep of cognitive health.