Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the middle of the spring 2020 semester, many universities were forced to move from face-to-face (FTF) in-classroom to remote instruction. Many institutions used Zoom as their delivery platform.  The purpose of this study was to investigate students’ attitudes towards the use of Zoom in remote learning, and their perceptions of its effects on their learning and engagement in comparison to FTF learning. Thirty-one university students participated in this study. Data were collected using a 5-point Likert-type survey. The results indicated that students had a negative attitude toward the use of Zoom and perceived it as having a negative effect on their learning experience and their motivation to learn. Students listed flexibility as a main advantage to using Zoom for learning.

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The use of web-based homework management systems has been on the rise for the past few years. These systems provide digital alternatives to the traditional paper-and-pencil assignments. The current study aimed at investigating student perceptions of the impact of the use of web-based homework systems on students’ active learning in mathematics. The study also investigated the effects of specific features of these systems such as immediate feedback and multiple attempts on student motivation and practice. Ninety-seven college students enrolled in a mathematics course participated in this study. Data were collected using a 5-point Likert-type questionnaire. The results indicated that students had a positive attitude toward the use of web-based homework systems and they also felt motivated to do more practice using the different features of these systems. Students perceived the web-based homework systems to have a positive influence on their learning experience in the classroom.

Enhancing students’ conceptual understanding and increasing student motivation to effectively participate in classroom discussions are important for instructors of mathematics. Web-based homework management systems provide alternatives to the traditional pen-and-paper based approaches. In addition, these tools facilitate the creation of a student-centered environment which allows instructors to assign work based on students' needs while using a variety of multimedia materials that can include animation, video, and/or audio in order to enhance student learning and facilitate student-instructor communications. These systems provide flexible instructional tools that not only offer students immediate feedback, but also track student performance. The goal of using these programs is to enhance student understanding and learning of different mathematical concepts. The purpose of this paper is to present students’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of using two web-based homework management systems; MyMathLab and WebAssign. In addition, it sheds light on students’ habits of using these systems and their perception of the optimal number of attempts that should be allowed to complete the homework assignments.

Hazardous waste shipments from U.S.-owned industries in the northern part of Mexico near the border with the United States are a growing problem. Today, the Mexican Environmental Agency requires all U.S. industries to return the waste produced by their plants to the United States. Currently, there is no database on the amount of hazardous waste transported from these firms, the pattern of shipments (from what origins to what destinations), and the nature of the risks to the population and environment along the shipment routes. In addition, there is a growing need to develop a risk assessment model and framework to focus on the transport of hazardous waste in the United States–Mexico border region, given the anticipated changes resulting from implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Results of the data collection and analysis task and the risk assessment model formulation task are presented. The methodology is demonstrated in a case-study area of the United States–Mexico border region, namely, the Arizona-Sonora border area, and should be a valuable tool for evaluating various transport risk management scenarios of importance to the border area.