5,066 research outputs found

    Black Holes and Vacuum Cleaners: Using Metaphor, Relevance, and Inquiry in Labels for Space Images

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    This study extended research on the development of explanatory labels for astronomical images for the non-expert lay public. The research questions addressed how labels with leading questions/metaphors and relevance to everyday life affect comprehension of the intended message for deep space images, the desire to learn more, and the aesthetic appreciation of images. Participants were a convenience sample of 1,921 respondents solicited from a variety of websites and through social media who completed an online survey that used four high-resolution images as stimuli: Sagittarius A*, Solar Flare, Cassiopeia A, and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101). Participants were randomly assigned initially to 1 of 3 label conditions: the standard label originally written for the image, a label with a leading question containing a metaphor related to the information for the image, or a label that contained a fact about the image relevant to everyday life. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 image and compared all labels for that image. Open-ended items at various points asked participants to pose questions to a hypothetical astronomer. Main findings were that the relevance condition was significantly more likely to increase wanting to learn more; the original label was most likely to increase overall appreciation; and, smart phone users were more likely to want to learn more and report increased levels of appreciation. Results are discussed in terms of the need to examine individual viewer characteristics and goals in creating different labels for different audiences.Comment: 50 pages, 7 tables, 2 figures, accepted by the journal "Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts

    A Comparative Study on The Stress Levels of Black, White, Asian, and Latino Undergraduate Students

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    Research found that undergraduates who had poor academic performance and experienced depression and anxiety were reported to have encountered higher levels of stress than those students who persisted (Andrews & Wilding, 2004; Bennett, 2003). It also was found that minority students had a higher tendency to experience stress than their counterparts. Although, universities allocate resources to recruit minority undergraduates and provide various types of support, many universities tend to be limited in the resources for handling and detecting stressors among college students. The purpose of this research was to investigate the different levels of stress faced by minority college students and also to take a systematic look at levels of stress as reported by Black, White, Asian, and Latino students at a major urban university on the East Coast of the United States. The findings indicated no significant differences in the stress levels in regards to studentsā€™ ethnicity. It is imperative that college recruiters understand that although students may be diverse in their ethnicity, they also arrive on campus from diverse family backgrounds, meaning that a large percentage come from low income homes and many are first-generation college students. Therefore, academic leaders should consider creating programs and interventions that would provide support for students who are members of these underrepresented groups

    The effect of vocational rehabilitation on the employment outcomes of disability insurance beneficiaries: New evidence from Canada

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    We estimate the effects of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program run by the Canada Pension Plan Disability Program using administrative data. Identification relies on "selection on observed variables" plus careful comparison group selection and institutional knowledge regarding sources of conditional variation in participation. We employ several matching and weighting estimators and emphasize flexible conditioning on variables suggested by theory, the institutional setup and the literature. We find modest, and imprecisely estimated, impacts on employment outcomes for men and larger, sometimes statistically significant, impacts for women. A formal sensitivity analysis finds our results are quite robust to lingering selection on unobserved variables

    An Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of the 13.0-Acre Manadas Wastewater Treatment Plant Project in Laredo, Webb County, Texas

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    On 29 November 2017, Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. (Horizon) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of the City of Laredoā€™s (City) proposed 13.0-acre Manadas Wastewater Treatment Plant Project in Laredo, Webb County, Texas (Project Area). To facilitate its construction, the City is pursuing federal funding through the Texas Water Development Boardā€™s (TWDB) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). As these funds are ultimately federal monies issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the undertaking falls under the regulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended. Additionally, the Project Area will be located on property owned by the City of Laredo. Because the City is a political subdivision of the state, the Project Area also falls under the regulations of the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). At the request of Zephyr Environmental Corporation (Zephyr), Horizon conducted the cultural resources survey of the Project Area on behalf of the City in compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA and the ACT. The purpose of the survey was to determine if any archeological sites were located within the Project Area and, if any existed, to determine if the undertaking had the potential to have any adverse impacts on sites eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for formal designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs). The investigations were conducted under Texas Antiquities Committee (TAC) permit number 8230. The cultural resources survey of the Project Area resulted in the documentation of 1 newly recorded prehistoric archeological site. Site 41WB842 was recorded as a prehistoric open campsite covering the entirety of the 13.0-acre Project Area. Hundreds of chert flakes, fire-cracked rock (FCR) specimens, multiple bifaces, and 2 dart point fragments were observed on the site, suggesting that it may have served as a long-term campsite. Artifacts were observed scattered on the surface of the site, as well as subsurface in shovel tests to a depth of 31.4 inches (80.0 cm). The site was only recorded within the current Project Area, and undocumented portions of the site undoubtedly extend beyond the current Project Area. Considering the high artifact density on the site, along with the presence of temporally diagnostic tools and deeply buried deposits, it is Horizonā€™s opinion that the portion of site 41WB842 within the current Project Area could be a contributing element to the overall NRHP/SAP eligibility of the site. Based on the limited information about site 41WB842 gathered during the survey phase of activities, insufficient data are currently available to determine whether or not the site meets the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the NRHP and/or for designation as an SAL. As such, the site is currently considered to be of undetermined NRHP and/or SAL eligibility. Horizon recommends avoidance of all ground-disturbing activities within the documented site boundaries in order to avoid any adverse effects to archeological deposits that may meet the criteria of significance. If avoidance is not feasible, then a supplemental phase of archeological significance testing investigations may be required to fully assess the eligibility of the site for inclusion in the NRHP and/or for designation as a SAL

    Literacy Assessment New Zealand Style

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    It\u27s mostly performance based. It assesses students in teams as well as individually. What\u27s more, students like it

    Development of a measure of receptivity to instructional feedback and examination of its links to personality

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    CRediT authorship contribution statement: Anastasiya A. Lipnevich: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - original draft. Kalina Gjicali: Formal analysis, Writing - review & editing. Mustafa Asil: Formal analysis. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Peer reviewedPostprin

    An Integrated Approach to Modeling Solar Electric Propulsion Vehicles During Long Duration, Near-Earth Orbit Transfers

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    Recent NASA interest in utilizing solar electronic propulsion (SEP) technology to transfer payloads, e.g. from low-Earth orbit (LEO) to higher energy geostationary-Earth orbit (GEO) or to Earth escape, has necessitated the development of high fidelity SEP vehicle models and simulations. These models and simulations need to be capable of capturing vehicle dynamics and sub-system interactions experienced during the transfer trajectories which are typically accomplished with continuous-burn (potentially interrupted by solar eclipse), long duration "spiral out" maneuvers taking several months or more to complete. This paper presents details of an integrated simulation approach achieved by combining a high fidelity vehicle simulation code with a detailed solar array model. The combined simulation tool gives researchers the functionality to study the integrated effects of various vehicle sub-systems (e.g. vehicle guidance, navigation and control (GN&C), electric propulsion system (EP)) with time varying power production. Results from a simulation model of a vehicle with a 50 kW class SEP system using the integrated tool are presented and compared to the results from another simulation model employing a 50 kW end-of-life (EOL) fixed power level assumption. These models simulate a vehicle under three degree of freedom dynamics (i.e. translational dynamics only) and include the effects of a targeting guidance algorithm (providing a "near optimal" transfer) during a LEO to near Earth escape (C (sub 3) = 2.0 km (sup 2) / sec (sup 2) spiral trajectory. The presented results include the impact of the fully integrated, time-varying solar array model (e.g. cumulative array degradation from traversing the Van Allen belts, impact of solar eclipses on the vehicle and the related temperature responses in the solar arrays due to operating in the Earth's thermal environment, high fidelity array power module, etc.); these are used to assess the impact on vehicle performance (i.e. propellant consumption) and transit times

    What Do Grades Mean? Variation in Grading Criteria in American College and University Courses

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    This study examined differences in the criteria used by college and university instructors in the United States to assign course grades. Two hundred and fifty course syllabi (159 from universities and 91 from four-year colleges) developed by randomly selected instructors from five academic disciplines (education, maths, science, psychology, and English) were examined to determine the extent to which instructors employed different criteria in assigning course grades in introductory-level courses. Sources of variation in grade assignment included the use of product versus process criteria, the prevalence of using performance exams, and the framing criteria for grades. Differences between institution types and among academic disciplines were also investigated. Results revealed significant differences among the five academic disciplines in grading criteria and the use of examinations, with instructors in education and English relying more heavily on process criteria. A significant interaction between institution type and academic discipline in grading criteria was also identified. Theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed along with avenues for further research
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