Comparative Analysis of Distance Learning and Traditional Instructional Delivery Methodologies in Selected Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Graduate Courses

A causal-comparative study that evaluated the qualitative and quantitative data for selected Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate courses in both the distance learning and traditional classroom delivery methods. The population for this study was made up of two segments. The first segment consisted of all students that completed a particular Master of Aeronautical Science course through distance learning, with the instructor that developed the course. The second segment consisted of all students that completed a particular Master of Aeronautical Science course in the classroom environment with the instructor that developed the course for distance learning presentation. The primary instrument for this analysis was the grade reports provided by professors. The grade reports were analyzed to determine if any significant difference in outcomes existed between the distance learning and traditional classroom method students. The two-tailed t test of significance was administered to the quantitative data. This method of analysis provided statistical data to evaluate the hypothesis that no significant difference exists

Leslislating in the Face of New Technology: Copyright Laws for the Digital Age

This Note discusses the agendas and proposals of different countries with respect to copyright regulation in the digital age. Part I discusses the present state of copyright law in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Community. Part I also examines laws that have developed in response to new technology. Part II considers the varying commentaries and proposals addressing the promulgation of copyright law for digital technology. Part III argues that the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Community should take their existing copyright concepts and expand them to fit with digital technology. In addition, Part III maintains that lawmakers should consider copyright infringement liability standards which are based on an OSP\u27s knowledge of and ability to control infringing works appearing on online services. Finally, this Note concludes that promulgation of copyright laws relating to the Internet is crucial to the growth of online services and a necessary prerequisite to a global information infrastructure

Australian Governments and dilemmas in filtering the Internet: juggling freedoms against potential for harm

This paper examines proposed internet filtering policies in Australia from the 1990s to 2014 and discusses some of their ideological underpinnings. Executive summary The Internet is a revolutionary source of information and its dissemination; and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals without regard for geographic location. Since its inception, however, concerns have been raised about the potential for unsavoury characters to use the Internet as a vehicle for distributing pornography and material of a violent nature to young or otherwise vulnerable individuals. Governments across the world have attempted to deal with such activities by various means and to varying degrees. These have included imposing mandatory filtering at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) level and optional filtering at the computer level. In Australia there has been considerable debate about what degree of filtering (if any) should be mandated. The Howard Government favoured an approach which emphasised self-regulation by ISPs combined with a legislative component and education and freedom for families to choose between either computer or ISP filtering based on a list of unacceptable content. The Rudd and Gillard Governments preferred the option of a mandatory ISP level filter, although this too was to be based on a ‘blacklist’ of prohibited content. Both options have been criticised as being expensive and inefficient. In addition, it has been argued that the Rudd/Gillard option would have had a detrimental impact on Internet speeds and that it would set a precedent for future governments to widen filtering to other forms of expression. The Howard Government’s programs were largely discarded by Labor after it was elected in 2007. However, Labor’s own filtering option was abandoned prior to its defeat in the 2013 election. In conjunction with their filtering options , both Coalition and Labor Governments have supported education and information campaigns to assist people, particularly children, to deal with online predators and both have introduced successful programs. The current Coalition Government’s policy on Internet filtering appears to favour light-handed legislation combined with education and information programs. This paper examines the iterations of internet filtering policies from the 1990s to 2014 and discusses some of their ideological underpinnings

Evidence-informed discharge planning model for stroke rehabilitation

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability (Benjamin et al., 2017) and patients with this diagnosis have been found to have higher incidences of inappropriately long hospital lengths of stay (McDonagh, Smith, & Goddard, 2000). Generalist training in occupational therapy curriculum coupled with variable research utilization (Dysart & Tomlin, 2002; McKenna et al., 2005) leads to inconsistent methods of evaluation and decreased communication between providers across settings. Furthermore, there are currently no standardized discharge planning models or guidelines for clinicians to follow when evaluating patients or making recommendations (Ilett, Brock, Graven, & Cotton, 2010). An evidence-informed discharge planning model was created to address these issues. This model utilizes a multidisciplinary approach, with guidelines for selecting and administering evaluations to quantify a patient’s functional status. Assessments are clustered into four domains: activities of daily living, balance and mobility, cognition, and other (i.e. visual inattention, motor control and spasticity). These assessments supplement a basic patient evaluation, and results are used to guide clinical decision making regarding recommendations for the next level of care. Stroke rehabilitation and care cannot be standardized, but the methods used to select measures and make discharge recommendations should have distinct guidelines. By choosing from a core set of measures, clinicians can use a common “language” to describe patient function and measure progress across settings over time. This will ensure patients are discharged to the appropriate level of rehabilitation to optimize their recovery, and it will also help prevent excessively long hospital admissions

Backwards is the way forward: feedback in the cortical hierarchy predicts the expected future

Clark offers a powerful description of the brain as a prediction machine, which offers progress on two distinct levels. First, on an abstract conceptual level, it provides a unifying framework for perception, action, and cognition (including subdivisions such as attention, expectation, and imagination). Second, hierarchical prediction offers progress on a concrete descriptive level for testing and constraining conceptual elements and mechanisms of predictive coding models (estimation of predictions, prediction errors, and internal models)

VRSC 2021 Conference Proceedings

The biennial conference aims to catalyze ideas and innovation between academia, practice, NGOs and government agencies who work to address analysis, planning, valuation, design and management of visual resources. The aim of the 2021 Virtual Conference is to share ideas and discuss the issues associated with the assessment and protection of visual resources in an era of major landscape change - regionally, national and globally

Arnis-based Exercise Program for Balance Control in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Study Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Aging causes impairment in balance and increases the prevalence of falls in older adults. Martial arts are now incorporated into exercise programs to improve balance. Arnis, a Filipino Martial Art, can improve the balance control of older adults. Objectives: This study primarily aims to determine the effects of an Arnis-based exercise program on balance control of healthy community-dwelling older adults. This study also aims to describe its effect on older adults’ concerns about falling and lower limb functional strength. Methods:This will be a single-blind, pilot randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group will perform an Arnis-based exercise program for 40-60 minutes per session thrice a week for 12 weeks. The control group will continue to do their usual activities for the duration of the study. Participants will be measured at baseline and 12 weeks after for balance, concern for falling, and lower limb strength using the Berg Balance Scale, Timed-Up and Go Test, Falls Efficacy Scale-International Filipino, and the 30-second Chair Sit-to-stand Test, respectively. Data will be analysed through independent and paired t-tests. A p-value Expected Results: Significant improvements in the balance scores in the intervention group are expected after 12 weeks of the Arnis-based exercise program, along with its effects on concerns for falling and lower extremity strength. The pilot study will provide data on the effectiveness of Arnis as a reference for future larger experimental studies

The effect of shoulder stability training on upper limb function and quality of life in patients with hemiplegia

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Physiotherapy Johannesburg, 2016INTRODUCTION Stroke is a major cause of mortality and long-term adult disability and has a significant physical and psychosocial impact on individuals and their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The loss of upper limb function post-stroke directly impacts on shoulder girdle stability of the affected side. Shoulder girdle stability is essential for optimal functioning of the upper limb; good shoulder function is a prerequisite for effective hand function and the execution of the expected tasks with regard to activities of daily living (ADL). It is well known that the rehabilitation of the upper limb post-stroke remains challenging. AIM The aim of the study was to determine the effect of shoulder stability training using the Biodex Balance System (BBS) on shoulder girdle stability, upper-limb function, pain control and HRQoL in patients with hemiplegia post-stroke. METHODS The study utilised a quantitative longitudinal randomised control trial design with single blinding. Participants who met the inclusion criteria and who gave informed consent were assigned to one of two groups, the experimental or the control group, using computer-generated random numbers with concealed allocation. Participants were included in the study if they met the following criteria: were either male or female patients, who had a stroke, resulting in hemiplegia and/or shoulder instability, and were between the ages of 18 and 85 years. In addition to usual care, shoulder girdle stability training using the BBS was given to the participants in the experimental group. Assessments were done at baseline and one, three and six month’s post-baseline. All the participants were assessed by the research assistant using the following: pain measured by the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, the functionality of the upper limb measured by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity, the shoulder girdle stability measured by the Postural Stability Test on the BBS and HRQoL measured by the SF-36v2 Health Survey. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A total of 17 participants were included in the main study after screening and, 53% were males. The median age of the study sample was 53 years. The control group comprised more female (n=5) than male (n=2) participants, while the experimental group comprised more male (n=7) than female (n=3) participants. All the participants in the control group were right-handed implying that more of them had their dominant hand affected than those in the experimental group. At baseline the two groups were comparable with regard to shoulder girdle stability, upper limb function and the HRQoL, but were not comparable regarding pain, as the control group experienced significantly more pain than the experimental group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with regard to shoulder girdle stability on any of the three BBS stability levels neither at the baseline (p=0.69) nor at one-month follow-up post-baseline (p=0.77). There was no significant difference in upper limb function (baseline p=0.5, one month follow-up post-baseline p=0.93) between the control and the experimental groups for the entire study period. The severity of the impairment of upper limb function for both the control and the experimental group was comparable at baseline and improved from moderate (56-79) to mild (>79) during the duration of the study. At baseline the participants in the control group already expierienced more pain than the experimental group (p=0.05). Participants in the control group experienced significantly more shoulder pain than the experimental group at the one-month followup (p=0.02), but no differences were found at the three- (p=0.17) and sixmonths( p=0.12) follow-up post-baseline. At baseline a statistically significant difference was found regarding the impact of emotional problems on role limitation (p = 0.03) and pain (p = 0.05) between the two groups, with the control group indicating lower scores than the experimental group. At one month a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups regarding the extent of impaired social functioning (p = 0.05). The participants in the experimental group reported improvement in their health over time (baseline = 67.5 and six-month follow-up post baseline = 86.11). None of the factors investigated in this study impacted on HRQoL outcomes over time. CONCLUSION Shoulder girdle stability training using the BBS did not result in significant improvements in shoulder girdle stability, upper limb function, pain relief and HRQoL post-stroke in this cohort. The findings in this study could have been influenced by the small sample size (the power calculation was done only for the shoulder girdle stability) and also by participants in the control and experimental group continuing with their standard care, which included an intensive rehabilitation programme. This could have been a confounding factor impacting on the outcome. Further research in this field is required.MT201