7,061 research outputs found

    UMSL Bulletin 2023-2024

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    The 2023-2024 Bulletin and Course Catalog for the University of Missouri St. Louis.https://irl.umsl.edu/bulletin/1088/thumbnail.jp

    With the Participatory Consumer Audience in mind: exploring and developing professional brand identity designers reflexive practice

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    This PhD reflects upon first-hand unidirectional and passive consumer audience experience approaches prevalent in professional UK brand identity design. It explores: How brand identity designers might move towards an improved reflexive practice in the design of consumer audience experiences. This practice-led research focuses on the ideas generation stage of their design process. An ongoing constructivist audience paradigm shift signals that when thinking about and using their positionality in relation to their consumer audience experiences, designers need reflexive practice to support critical reflection of themselves, their biases and assumptions. This research uncovered a lack of relevant theory regarding reflexive practice specific to the context of brand identity design. This insufficiency throws into doubt designers' relational, participatory and equitable approaches in their working practices and their abilities to address market imperatives, including client requirements connected to the ongoing audience paradigm shift. Aligned with John Dewey's ethical pragmatism and drawing from Creswell, Tashakkori and Teddlie, my study adopts a mixed methods methodology. Alongside established qualitative and quantitative methods, this includes my practice via design visualisations, as discussed by Drucker, and builds upon Carl DiSalvo's approach of practice used to do inquiry and design as a method of inquiry. My practice enabled me to critically reflect, evaluate and construct reflexive practice knowledge, including the development of reflexive practice communications, to advance understanding of and improve other designers' reflexive practice, and to communicate my process of reflexive design practice research. Thirty UK-based professional brand identity designers participated in this research: nineteen participants in Phase One, a questionnaire, and six in Phase Two semi-structured interviews. Phase One and Two findings identified a gap in that designers are not employing a reflexive design practice and lack the resources to do so. Seeking to improve these shortcomings, eighteen initial reflexive design practice principles were explored and tested in Phase Three, a workshop involving five design participants. Results showed that the principles facilitated participants to advance prior thinking and engage in a reflexive design practice. Further reflections and insights from the same five Phase Three participants uncovered a need to refine and reduce the principles and communicate them in a guide. Eight revised overarching and eighteen sub-principles in a prototype guide were explored in Phase Four in applied practice by three brand identity designers involved in Phase Three. Results corroborated workshop findings and provided further recommendations. Contributions of this research are three-fold. First, offering an advanced understanding of professional brand identity designers' reflexive practice and process knowledge. Second, it produced a reflexive design guide with eight overarching and eighteen sub-reflexive design principles and corresponding digital app, thereby offering a preliminary new design practice method. This method offers a way to improve designers' thinking about and operation of their relational positionality, participatory consumer audience experience approaches, and reflexive design practice actions. Third, it provides a contribution to knowledge via its methodology, which integrates design visualisation practice into a mixed methods approach

    Towards A Practical High-Assurance Systems Programming Language

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    Writing correct and performant low-level systems code is a notoriously demanding job, even for experienced developers. To make the matter worse, formally reasoning about their correctness properties introduces yet another level of complexity to the task. It requires considerable expertise in both systems programming and formal verification. The development can be extremely costly due to the sheer complexity of the systems and the nuances in them, if not assisted with appropriate tools that provide abstraction and automation. Cogent is designed to alleviate the burden on developers when writing and verifying systems code. It is a high-level functional language with a certifying compiler, which automatically proves the correctness of the compiled code and also provides a purely functional abstraction of the low-level program to the developer. Equational reasoning techniques can then be used to prove functional correctness properties of the program on top of this abstract semantics, which is notably less laborious than directly verifying the C code. To make Cogent a more approachable and effective tool for developing real-world systems, we further strengthen the framework by extending the core language and its ecosystem. Specifically, we enrich the language to allow users to control the memory representation of algebraic data types, while retaining the automatic proof with a data layout refinement calculus. We repurpose existing tools in a novel way and develop an intuitive foreign function interface, which provides users a seamless experience when using Cogent in conjunction with native C. We augment the Cogent ecosystem with a property-based testing framework, which helps developers better understand the impact formal verification has on their programs and enables a progressive approach to producing high-assurance systems. Finally we explore refinement type systems, which we plan to incorporate into Cogent for more expressiveness and better integration of systems programmers with the verification process

    An empirical investigation of the relationship between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in supply chains

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    This research aimed to develop an empirical understanding of the relationships between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in the supply chain domain, based on which, two conceptual frameworks were constructed to advance the field. The core motivation for the research was that, at the stage of writing the thesis, the combined relationship between the three concepts had not yet been examined, although their interrelationships have been studied individually. To achieve this aim, deductive and inductive reasoning logics were utilised to guide the qualitative study, which was undertaken via multiple case studies to investigate lines of enquiry that would address the research questions formulated. This is consistent with the author’s philosophical adoption of the ontology of relativism and the epistemology of constructionism, which was considered appropriate to address the research questions. Empirical data and evidence were collected, and various triangulation techniques were employed to ensure their credibility. Some key features of grounded theory coding techniques were drawn upon for data coding and analysis, generating two levels of findings. These revealed that whilst integration and dynamic capabilities were crucial in improving performance, the performance also informed the former. This reflects a cyclical and iterative approach rather than one purely based on linearity. Adopting a holistic approach towards the relationship was key in producing complementary strategies that can deliver sustainable supply chain performance. The research makes theoretical, methodological and practical contributions to the field of supply chain management. The theoretical contribution includes the development of two emerging conceptual frameworks at the micro and macro levels. The former provides greater specificity, as it allows meta-analytic evaluation of the three concepts and their dimensions, providing a detailed insight into their correlations. The latter gives a holistic view of their relationships and how they are connected, reflecting a middle-range theory that bridges theory and practice. The methodological contribution lies in presenting models that address gaps associated with the inconsistent use of terminologies in philosophical assumptions, and lack of rigor in deploying case study research methods. In terms of its practical contribution, this research offers insights that practitioners could adopt to enhance their performance. They can do so without necessarily having to forgo certain desired outcomes using targeted integrative strategies and drawing on their dynamic capabilities

    Constitutions of Value

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    Gathering an interdisciplinary range of cutting-edge scholars, this book addresses legal constitutions of value. Global value production and transnational value practices that rely on exploitation and extraction have left us with toxic commons and a damaged planet. Against this situation, the book examines law’s fundamental role in institutions of value production and valuation. Utilising pathbreaking theoretical approaches, it problematizes mainstream efforts to redeem institutions of value production by recoupling them with progressive values. Aiming beyond radical critique, the book opens up the possibility of imagining and enacting new and different value practices. This wide-ranging and accessible book will appeal to international lawyers, socio-legal scholars, those working at the intersections of law and economy and others, in politics, economics, environmental studies and elsewhere, who are concerned with rethinking our current ideas of what has value, what does not, and whether and how value may be revalued

    Interdisciplinarity in the Scholarly Life Cycle

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    This open access book illustrates how interdisciplinary research develops over the lifetime of a scholar: not in a single project, but as an attitude that trickles down, or spirals up, into research. This book presents how interdisciplinary work has inspired shifts in how the contributors read, value concepts, critically combine methods, cope with knowledge hierarchies, write in style, and collaborate. Drawing on extensive examples from the humanities and social sciences, the editors and chapter authors show how they started, tried to open up, dealt with inconsistencies, had to adapt, and ultimately learned and grew as researchers. The book offers valuable insights into the conditions and complexities present for interdisciplinary research to be successful in an academic setting. This is an open access book

    Improving public policy using behavioural understanding:The behavioural insights group Rotterdam

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    Specificity of the innate immune responses to different classes of non-tuberculous mycobacteria

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    Mycobacterium avium is the most common nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) species causing infectious disease. Here, we characterized a M. avium infection model in zebrafish larvae, and compared it to M. marinum infection, a model of tuberculosis. M. avium bacteria are efficiently phagocytosed and frequently induce granuloma-like structures in zebrafish larvae. Although macrophages can respond to both mycobacterial infections, their migration speed is faster in infections caused by M. marinum. Tlr2 is conservatively involved in most aspects of the defense against both mycobacterial infections. However, Tlr2 has a function in the migration speed of macrophages and neutrophils to infection sites with M. marinum that is not observed with M. avium. Using RNAseq analysis, we found a distinct transcriptome response in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction for M. avium and M. marinum infection. In addition, we found differences in gene expression in metabolic pathways, phagosome formation, matrix remodeling, and apoptosis in response to these mycobacterial infections. In conclusion, we characterized a new M. avium infection model in zebrafish that can be further used in studying pathological mechanisms for NTM-caused diseases

    eLuna : A Co-Design Framework for Mixed Reality Narrative Game- Based Learning

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    De siste tiårs utvidede fokus på læring utenfor skolen har bidratt til økt anvendelse av vitensentre som læringsarena for barn i grunnskole og videregående utdanning. En læringsløype er en type integrert læringsmiljø der de lærende, fysiske installasjoner, og digitale hjelpemidler bidrar til å fremme læringsinnhold og mål. På vitensentre brukes læringsløyper som pedagogisk støtte innen et bredt spekter av pensumplaner og programmer, gjennom å kombinere forskjellige sett av installasjoner og ved å vektlegge forskjellige aspekter av installasjonenes innhold. Siden de er sammensatt av både fysiske installasjoner og digitale hjelpemidler, er læringsløyper blandet virkelighet systemer, der de lærende interagerer med elementer i både den fysiske og virtuelle virkeligheten. Forskning har vist at både narrativ og spillmekanikker er blant de mest effektive komponentene som kan ligge til grunn for at læringsløyper skal kunne oppnå økt fokus på læringsinnhold, og for å engasjere de lærende ved å sette dem i en tilstand av flyt (av engelsk flow). Forskningen som presenteres i denne avhandlingen har som hovedmål å forbedre læring på vitensentre, gjennom å bidra med et co-design-rammeverk for blandet virkelighet narrative spillbaserte læringsløyper som underbygger positive effekter på engasjement, motivasjon, og læring. Narrativ har vært brukt til læring og instruksjon siden forhistorisk tid, og spill for læring har vært teoretisert og anvendt i mennesker i århundrer, i enda større grad etter oppfinnelsen av datamaskiner, og mulighetene bragt på banen gjennom digitale spill. Selv om bade narrative og spill har vært vist å kunne ha positive effekter når anvendt for læring, har forskning på effekter fra narrative spillbasert læring vist variable og motstridende resultater. Mangelen av en felles modell for kategorisering av narrative spill medfører manglende kunnskap relatert til hvordan og under hvilke forutsetninger narrative spill har effekt på læring. På tross av at de fleste studier av narrativ spillbasert læring unnlater å nevne narratologiske modeller, og de som gjør det primært refererer til modeller lånt fra andre media som mangler de nødvendige egenskapene til å kategorisere hendelsesflyten som benyttes i mange spill, finnes det en ludo narrativ variabel modell (LNVM), som er en narratologisk modell som kategorisere alle spill som narrativ. Denne forskningen videreutvikler LNVM, og presenterer en felles modell for kategorisering av narrativ spillbasert læring; eLNVM (fra engelsk: The extended LNVM). Narrative spillbaserte læringsløyper består av interaktive installasjoner og digitale hjelpemidler som belyser læringsmål innenfor pensumprogrammer. Det er derfor nødvendig med deltakelse både fra pedagoger og utviklere når slike læringsløyper skal designes og presenteres til lærende. Forskning viser at det er mangel av modeller, metoder, og rammeverk som myndiggjør pedagoger og utvikleres felles design av spillbasert læring, noe som enten resulterer i tapt fokus på læringsinnhold til fordel for engasjerende spillmekanikk, eller i at underholdningspotensialet i spill blir underordnet læringsmålene. Slike rammeverk må videre kunne skille mellom fysiske og virtuelle elementer for å være anvendbare i blandet virkelighet omgivelser. Forskningen presentert i denne avhandlingen benytter et rammeverk for informasjonssystemer som vitenskapelig metode til å utvikle eLuna co-design-rammeverket for blandet virkelighet narrative spillbaserte læringsløyper som underbygger positive effekter på engasjement, motivasjon, og læring. En systematisk litteraturstudie identifiserte 15 studier som rapporterte effekter fra digitale spillbaserte læringssystemer på engasjement, motivasjon, og læring. Disse systemene ble kategorisert med bruk av eLNVM og sortert basert på deres rapportering for å identifisere karakteristikker av narrative digital spillbasert læring som har positive effekter på engasjement, motivasjon, og læring. Denne forskningen benytter en iterativ design-basert forskningsprosess der karakteristikkene assosiert med de positive effektene legges til grunn for et co-design-rammeverk bestående av en metode og et visuelt språk. Co-design-rammeverket blir deretter utvidet med kapasitet til å separere mellom fysiske og virtuelle elementer i blandet virkelighet omgivelser. Rammeverket blir gjennom prosessen testet i deltakende co-design workshops og evaluert med bruk av varierte metoder, inkludert fokus grupper, intervjuer, spørreskjemaer, tematisk analyse, og heuristisk evaluering. Forskningen som blir presentert i denne doktoravhandlingen resulterer i eLuna co-design-rammeverket for narrative spillbasert læring, som kan bli brukt av pedagoger og utviklere til å lage både narrative digitale spillbaserte læringssystemer, og blandet virkelighet narrative spillbaserte læringsløyper som optimaliserer potensiale for positive effekter på engasjement, motivasjon, og læring.Increased focus on out of school learning over the last decades has led to extended use of science centres as learning arenas for pupils in primary and secondary education. A learning trail is a form of embedded learning environment in which the learners themselves, physical exhibits, and digital companions are elements that promote learning content and goals. When used in science centres, learning trails can combine different sets of exhibits and emphasize various aspects of their content to support learning goals inside a broad range of curricular plans and programs. Being comprised of physical exhibits and digital companions, science centre learning trails are mixed reality systems in which learner interaction occurs in both the physical and virtual domains. Research has shown that narratives and game mechanics are among the most effective components for science centre learning trails to achieve increased focus on the learning content, and to induce flow and engagement in learners. With an aim to contribute to improving science centre learning, the main objective of this research is to develop a co-design framework for mixed reality narrative game-based learning trails that enforce positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning. Narratives have been used in learning and instruction since prehistoric times, and games for learning have been theorized and applied in human culture for centuries, increasingly so with the advent of the computer, and opportunities provided by digital games. While both narratives and games are shown to have the ability to positively affect learning, research on the effects from narrative game-based learning has shown mixed and contradictory results. The lack of a common model to categorize narrative games has led to a knowledge gap regarding how and under which conditions narrative games have effects on learning. Whereas most studies of narrative game-based learning neglect mentioning a narratological model at all, the ones that do mainly refer to models adapted from different media that lack the capabilities to properly categorize the event flow of many digital games. An exception is the ludo narrative variable model (LNVM), a narratological model that can properly categorize all games as narratives. Building on the LNVM, this research fills this gap with the development of the extended LNVM (eLNVM), a common model to categorize and isolate narratives in digital game-based learning. Narrative game-based learning trails comprise interactive exhibits and digital companions and promote learning goals inside curricular programs. Therefore, they require participation from educator and developer stakeholders to be properly designed and brought to learners. Research has shown that there is a lack of models, methods, or frameworks that empower educators and developers to co-design game-based learning, something which results in either the learning content being lost in the engaging mechanics of the game, or the fun of the games becoming inferior to the learning goals. Furthermore, to be applicable in science centres, such a co-design framework must also distinguish between physical and digital elements in mixed reality environments. Applying an information system research framework as a design science methodology, the eLuna co-design framework for mixed reality narrative game-based learning trails that enforce positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning was developed. A systematic literature review identified 15 studies that self-reported effects of digital game-based learning systems on engagement, motivation, and learning. These were categorized on the eLNVM and sorted by their self-reported effects to identify what characterizes narrative digital game-based learning systems that positively affect engagement, motivation, and learning. Using an iterative design-based research process these characteristics associated with positive effects were then applied in a co-design framework comprising a method and a visual language, which was later extended with the capabilities to distinguish between physical and virtual elements in mixed reality learning trails. Throughout the process the framework was tested in co-design workshops with stakeholders and evaluated through mixed methods, including focus groups, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, thematic analysis, and heuristic usability inspection. The research presented in this PhD dissertation contributes the eLuna co-design framework for narrative game-based learning, which empowers educators and developers in the creation of both narrative digital game-based learning and mixed reality narrative game-based learning trails that optimize the potential to induce positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning.Doktorgradsavhandlin

    Elementary Principal Perceptions of Their Roles in Literacy Leadership: Collective Efficacy, Preparation, and Literacy Orientation

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    Literacy disparity is a widespread problem for schools across the country. Children with reading difficulties are present in every school in the United States. Although literacy is the foundation of all academics, many students lag behind regardless of their socioeconomic, racial, or gender status. There is mounting pressure on schools to produce students who read proficiently. The elementary school principal plays a pivotal role in creating a thriving literacy culture. For inexperienced and seasoned school administrators, the inability to produce proficient readers by the end of third grade is a significant concern. This dissertation examined the principal\u27s role as a literacy leader relative to the areas of preparation, efficacy, and methods for fostering collective literacy efficacy in schools. The study took place in an urban district located in the eastern part of the United States. All participants were elementary school principals with different levels of experience. Data sources included a modified version of the Principals’ Sense of Efficacy Scale survey including demographical data and transcripts from structured interviews with participants which were analyzed using the grounded theory analysis to identify participants’ perspectives and themes within and across these narratives. Findings demonstrated that principals believed their roles and responsibilities are to facilitate student learning, create a positive learning environment, and raise literacy standardized test scores. Findings demonstrated that current principal preparation programs are not equal, universities and districts need to work together to create stronger literacy leaders, and principal efficacy and collective efficacy go hand in hand
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