Words Matter: A Study of Justice-Oriented Communication by Chesapeake Bay Environmental Nonprofits

This thesis explores the extent to which Chesapeake Bay environmental nonprofits incorporate issues of environmental justice into their external communications. This study begins with a baseline assessment of the state of environmental justice communications for almost one hundred Bay nonprofits. The nonprofits’ websites were coded by hand, and were extensively and methodically examined for environmental-justice oriented language. This quantitative study shows that nonprofits are exceptionally unlikely to have mission statements that engage with environmental justice. Nonprofits are somewhat more likely to engage with environmental justice on their issue pages and in their newsletters, but this engagement is sporadic, and is rarely indicative of a broader commitment to justice-oriented environmental communications. This study also includes semi-structured interviews that explore the reasons for variation in the external communications of environmental nonprofits. It shows that some progress has been made in making environmental communication more effective, but that funders, mission statements, and organizational history all constrain progress. Lastly, this study puts forth recommendations based on interviews and the results of the quantitative analysis. Mainstream environmental nonprofits should actively seek to build long-term partnerships with environmental justice groups, in which they leverage their privilege to elevate the voices of environmental justice groups. Mainstream environmental nonprofits should also let their messaging be shaped by communities, and should incorporate environmental justice more fully into their mission, programmatic work, and communications

A Graphical Approach to Progress for Structured Communication in Web Services

We investigate a graphical representation of session invocation interdependency in order to prove progress for the pi-calculus with sessions under the usual session typing discipline. We show that those processes whose associated dependency graph is acyclic can be brought to reduce. We call such processes transparent processes. Additionally, we prove that for well-typed processes where services contain no free names, such acyclicity is preserved by the reduction semantics. Our results encompass programs (processes containing neither free nor restricted session channels) and higher-order sessions (delegation). Furthermore, we give examples suggesting that transparent processes constitute a large enough class of processes with progress to have applications in modern session-based programming languages for web services.Comment: In Proceedings ICE 2010, arXiv:1010.530

Achievement for all: leadership matters

Purpose: "The focus of this document is on leadership - the impact that effective leaders have on their schools and their pupils; and the impact that the project has had upon the leadership styles and strategies within participating schools. It aims to: provide an overview of the key strands of the AfA project and give evidence of the impact it has had; identify characteristics of effective leadership that best support the achievement for all children and young people; share key learning from the project and provide illustrations of successful practice from participating schools; encourage other leaders to reflect on their own practice and to adopt AfA as a strategy for improving pupils' attainment and progress in their schools Throughout this document questions are suggested for schools to use to prompt discussion with the leadership group, staff, governors, parents and pupils, where appropriate." - Page 3

Self-Adaptation and Secure Information Flow in Multiparty Structured Communications: A Unified Perspective

We present initial results on a comprehensive model of structured communications, in which self- adaptation and security concerns are jointly addressed. More specifically, we propose a model of self-adaptive, multiparty communications with secure information flow guarantees. In this model, security violations occur when processes attempt to read or write messages of inappropriate security levels within directed exchanges. Such violations trigger adaptation mechanisms that prevent the violations to occur and/or to propagate their effect in the choreography. Our model is equipped with local and global mechanisms for reacting to security violations; type soundness results ensure that global protocols are still correctly executed, while the system adapts itself to preserve security.Comment: In Proceedings BEAT 2014, arXiv:1408.556

Detailed empirical studies of student information storing in the context of distributed design team-based project work

This paper presents the findings of six empirical case studies investigating the information stored by engineering design students in distributed team-based Global Design Projects. The aim is to understand better how students store distributed design information in order to prepare them for work in today‟s international and global context. This paper outlines the descriptive element of the work, the qualitative and quantitative research methods used and the results. It discusses the issues around the emergent themes of information storing; information storing systems; information storing patterns; and information strategy, making recommendations; establishing that there is a need for more prescriptive measures to supporting distributed design information management. This work will be of great value to industry also

Assessment for learning in architectural design programmes

This paper compares the learning and teaching strategies practised in the programmes of the Architectural Subject Group at the University of Northumbria with best practices of assessment (‘Assessment for Learning’) as promoted by the Centre for Excellence in Learning in the same University. These best practices are grouped under the umbrella concepts of ‘Assessment for Learning’ and comprise six key criteria which can be paraphrased as; authenticity and complexity in methods of assessment; use of summative assessment as the main driver for learning; extensive opportunities to develop and demonstrate learning; rich in formal feedback; rich in informal feedback; developing students’ abilities to direct their own learning, evaluate their own progress, and support the learning of others

Chinese Immigrant Parents\u27 Communication with Their Children\u27s School Teachers: Experiences, Expectations and Challenges

Using mixed methods research design, this study aimed to explore and examine Chinese immigrant parents\u27 communication experiences with their children\u27s school teachers. First, quantitative data was collected through 167 survey questionnaires in order to identify Chinese immigrant parents\u27 experiences, satisfaction, challenges, and expectations of communicating with school teachers. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with eight Chinese immigrant parents to get qualitative data for an in-depth understanding of the issues discovered through the survey. Results showed that Chinese parents felt highly responsible for communicating with teachers and were very willing to maintain timely, effective and regular communications with teachers. They sought detailed information of children\u27s development and progress in different aspects and hope to get assistance in becoming effective co-educator at home. Their attitudes toward previous experiences varied significantly depending on how these expectations were matched with teachers\u27 feedbacks and responses

An interactive learning environment in geographical information systems

The Unigis Learning Station is a computer‐based learning management tool for the Postgraduate Diploma in Geographical Information Systems by distance learning (correspondence). Unigis is an international network of universities co‐operating in the delivery of such courses. The students on Unigis courses are mature mid‐career professionals who study in addition to undertaking full time jobs. The Learning Station offers these students information about the course, resources for independent study, a structured set of exercises, assessments and feedback opportunities, and an integrated and easy way to interact with other course software. Following a brief introduction to the Unigis curriculum, this paper discusses the design of the Learning Station. The roles the Learning Station adopts are outlined, and the range of multimedia and communications tools used discussed. Evaluation of the Learning Station is presented and the issued raised by this provide useful lessons for other computer‐based learning management tools, and the adaptation of the Learning Station to other teaching and learning situations

The Shifting Gears Approach to Systems Change

Evaluates the Shifting Gears initiative to strengthen state postsecondary, adult basic education, and skills development systems through data, policy change, engagement, and communications. Focuses on the logic model and the policy agenda and action plan