Making the Most of Cooperative Federalism: What the Clean Power Plan has Already Achieved

The fate of the EPA\u27s Clean Power Plan-the signature Obama Administration action to reduce greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions from existing power plants under the Clean Air Act-is uncertain at best given pending litigation and the opposition of President Donald Trump. Despite this uncertainty, the development of the Clean Power Plan provides an important case study of how rulemaking under a cooperative federalism statutory structure can prompt broad, beneficial policy engagement by states and stakeholders, even in a contentious regulatory action. In the development of the Clean Power Plan, active state and stakeholder engagement and an iterative process of trying on different compliance choices through the rulemaking process prompted policy-learning by state officials, spurred new interagency coordination, and developed new support for policy insights that would not have happened in a top-down rulemaking. It also led to the development of innovative opt-in regulatory structures that reduce interstate coordination burdens and facilitate use of diverse state energy policies. These insights further recent federalism scholarship, which shows that the dynamic, iterative process of cooperative federalism can produce public policy benefits missed by earlier analyses. They also show how the development of the Clean Power Plan will leave a lasting, positive contribution, regardless of whether the Clean Power Plan is implemented in its current form

Metrics for Broadband Networks in the Context of the Digital Economies

In a transition to automated digital management of broadband networks, communication service providers must look for new metrics to monitor these networks. Complete metrics frameworks are already emerging whereas majority of the new metrics are being proposed in technical papers. Considering common metrics for broadband networks and related technologies, this chapter offers insights into what metrics are available, and also suggests active areas of research. The broadband networks being a key component of the digital ecosystems are also an enabler to many other digital technologies and services. Reviewing first the metrics for computing systems, websites and digital platforms, the chapter focus then shifts to the most important technical and business metrics which are used for broadband networks. The demand-side and supply-side metrics including the key metrics of broadband speed and broadband availability are touched on. After outlining the broadband metrics which have been standardized and the metrics for measuring Internet traffic, the most commonly used metrics for broadband networks are surveyed in five categories: energy and power metrics, quality of service, quality of experience, security metrics, and robustness and resilience metrics. The chapter concludes with a discussion on machine learning, big data and the associated metrics

How reflective exchanges of second language students can have an impact on their learning outcomes and on future curriculum planning in a tertiary environment

Teaching academic English and study skills at tertiary level can be a restricted and pressured environment due to factors such as heavy course content, large numbers of students or lack of time to teach all areas that are needed. Situations like this often mean there is little opportunity for students to voice personal opinions on the content and method of how they are being taught in ESL oriented papers or their mainstream majors. It also means limited chances for them to articulate and share personal learning experiences and cultural backgrounds to allow them to extend their knowledge of their present situations. This paper describes how giving students time for reflection on these areas in an undergraduate second language academic discourse paper allowed them to contemplate learning and studying strategies for this and other papers they were engaged with. The outcomes for them included an increase in confidence to express themselves to their peers, a realisation that their previous learning and cultural backgrounds had value and use to their New Zealand experiences and a greater understanding of some basic tertiary processes. Web conferencing was used to support their reflection process. The results of these reflective exchanges for the tutor has had an impact on current and future curriculum design and led to the compiling of a list of simple but important factors that could of be of use to the wider tertiary community in their teaching of non-English speaking background students

Biomedical Informatics Applications for Precision Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Modern medicine is in the midst of a revolution driven by “big data,” rapidly advancing computing power, and broader integration of technology into healthcare. Highly detailed and individualized profiles of both health and disease states are now possible, including biomarkers, genomic profiles, cognitive and behavioral phenotypes, high-frequency assessments, and medical imaging. Although these data are incredibly complex, they can potentially be used to understand multi-determinant causal relationships, elucidate modifiable factors, and ultimately customize treatments based on individual parameters. Especially for neurodegenerative diseases, where an effective therapeutic agent has yet to be discovered, there remains a critical need for an interdisciplinary perspective on data and information management due to the number of unanswered questions. Biomedical informatics is a multidisciplinary field that falls at the intersection of information technology, computer and data science, engineering, and healthcare that will be instrumental for uncovering novel insights into neurodegenerative disease research, including both causal relationships and therapeutic targets and maximizing the utility of both clinical and research data. The present study aims to provide a brief overview of biomedical informatics and how clinical data applications such as clinical decision support tools can be developed to derive new knowledge from the wealth of available data to advance clinical care and scientific research of neurodegenerative diseases in the era of precision medicine

Non‐hierarchical learning: sharing knowledge, power and outcomes

Arguing that every student has the capacity to succeed and that every student must be provided with the opportunity to reach their full potential, this article introduces a new pedagogic approach that draws on a wide range of influences. Linking theoretical practices from sociology, pedagogy, social and educational psychology, and cultural studies, the approach posits that teaching and learning should be conducted in non‐hierarchical classrooms where all members are equal and working towards shared objectives. A theoretical frame is outlined and the factors that helped shape it are reflected on. A conceptual framework which covers the goals of instruction, instructional materials, classroom management, instructional methods, and assessment is also presented. It is hoped that educators will consider the concepts included in this article and, if possible, incorporate them into their teaching practices

Research into literacy and technology in primary classrooms: an exploration of understandings generated by recent studies

Whilst much has been written about the implications for ‘literacy’ for practices surrounding digital technologies (Gee, 2000a; Luke and Carrington, 2002; Snyder, 1998), there has been surprisingly little research investigating new literacies in primary classrooms (Andrews, 2003; Labbo and Reinking, 2003: Lankshear and Knobel, 2003). This review examines the kinds of understandings that have been generated through studies of primary literacy and technology reported during the period 2000-2006. It uses Green’s distinction between ‘operational’, ‘cultural’ and ‘critical’ dimensions of primary literacy (Lankshear and Bigum, 1999; Snyder, 2001) to investigate the focus and methodology of 38 empirical studies. It explores ways in which research may be informed by assumptions and practices associated with print literacy, but also highlights the kinds of studies which are beginning to investigate the implications of digital texts for primary education. The paper concludes by arguing for further ethnographic and phenomenological studies of classroom literacy practices in order to explore the complex contexts which surround and are mediated by digital texts

Organizations in the making: Learning and intervening at the science-policy interface

This paper synthesizes recent insights from geography, science and technology studies and related disciplines concerning organizations and organizational learning at the science-policy interface. The paper argues that organizations do not exist and evolve in isolation, but are co-produced through networked connections to other spaces, bodies and practices. Furthermore, organizations should not be studied as stable entities, but are constantly in-the-making. This co-productionist perspective on organizations and organizing has implications for how geographers theorize, study and intervene in organizations at the science-policy interface with respect to encouraging learning and change and in the roles we adopt within and around such organizations