Navigating Discourse Genres: Parallel Texts in American Sign Language and English on Canoeing in the Boundary Waters

Contains a series of parallel texts on canoeing in the BWCA. It explores how the features of language change in different genres of languagehttps://digitalcommons.unf.edu/asleimats/1012/thumbnail.jp

The impact of synchronous inter-networked teacher training in ICT integration.

This research aimed to provide fresh perspectives and experiences in technology-based learning, in an endeavour to produce new knowledge that would further inform the literature on the utilisation of technology in education. The Case Study research (Merriam, 1988) attempted to develop an understanding of the change in pre-service teacher trainees' pedagogical practices in the integration of ICT in learning environments during a 12-week undergraduate course where synchronous networked tasks were developed and implemented. The contributions by the trainees (n=16) to the process of the iterative task design, post-task discussions, and commentaries on a Bulletin Board System, provided insights to the research question regarding changing beliefs and the impact of synchronous networking in affecting such change. This qualitative data was supported by quantitative data in the form of weekly surveys that situated synchronous and asynchronous task activities and cognitive outcomes (Knipe & Lee, 2002). In summary, the research highlighted a development of academic competencies (Morrison & Collins, 1996) considered appropriate for informed ICT integration; namely, generic, epistemic and declarative competencies. In addition, after taking into consideration the competencies developed during this Case Study, a framework consisting of four key elements, namely, the communication, the task, the learning and the technology, was drawn. It is thus anticipated that the competencies and the framework contribute new knowledge to the literature on technology in education on how best facilitate the 'informed' integration of ICT (Towndrow & Vallance, 2004) by teachers to support 'good' learning (Goodyear, 2001)

A Qualitative Research Approach to Understanding Challenges That May Inhibit Optimal Usage of Automatic Milking Systems in Northern Utah

Dairy robotics, i.e., Automatic Milking Systems (AMS), is a relatively new field, one that has great promise to optimize efficiency, production, and animal welfare of dairy cattle. However, despite quantitative research findings that indicate AMS success, dairy farmers still face challenges integrating AMS into their production systems. During the fall of 2018, interviews were conducted with northern Utah dairy farmers regarding their robotic systems. The respondent data was analyzed to reveal repeated problems with the robots. This analysis was then used to direct research in order to propose solutions to the farmers\u27 AMS challenges. Conclusions were then summarized in an Extension publication designed to help USU Extension agents understand issues and opportunities with AMS technology from a user perspective and, thus, effectively assist farmers with AMS challenges

The perceptions of e-HR outcomes and line managers: a study in three UK based subsidiaries of global organisations.

Conducted within the UK-based subsidiaries of three global organizations, this research examines the perceived outcomes experienced by HR managers and line managers associated with the proposed implementation, and actual use, of e-HR. The research settings are the UK operations of Cable & Wireless Global, Schlumberger and T-Mobile. Both qualitative and quantitative data are used in a multiple case study approach, which leads to the development of a theoretical framework that attempts to illustrate the relationship linking HR strategy with e-HR outcomes. These data provide partial support for the model's validity but also show the need for a more dynamic understanding of the links between e-HR variables and the importance of context in explaining differences between line managers' acceptance of e-HR. This research attempts to bridge academia and practice; to provide new academic insights into the world of e-HR and to translate this in ways that allow a useful contribution to practice

Easing the writing task: designing computer based systems to help authors

An increasing number of people interact not only with computers, but through computers. Interaction between people through computers to complete work tasks is termed Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). The scope of activities supported by CSCW systems is described, and CSCW systems which support communication, meetings and writing are discussed. More specifically, the potential for improved computer support of the writing task is investigated. It is concluded that models of the writing task and writers are not yet sufficiently accurate to be embedded in normative computer programs or systems; individual writers and writing tasks are extremely varied. Leading on from the studies of both existing systems and writing theories, requirements for generic CSCW systems, single author support systems and multiple author support systems are presented. The design of CSCW systems which support asynchronous collaborative authoring of structured documents is investigated in this thesis. A novel approach to design and implementation of such systems is described and discussed. This thesis then describes MILO, a system that does not feature embedded models of writers or the writing task. In fact, MILO attempts to minimize constraints on the activities of collaborating authors and on the structure of documents. Hence with MILO, roles of participants are determined by social processes, and the presentational structure of documents is imposed at the end of the writing process. It is argued that this approach results in a workable, practical and useful design, substantiating the view that 'minimally-constrained' CSCW systems, of which MILO is an example, will be successful. It is shown that MILO successfully meets the stated requirements, and that it compares favourably with existing collaborative writing systems along several dimensions. The limitations of work presented in the thesis are discussed, leading to suggestions for future work which will remedy deficiencies and extend the work which has been undertaken. The nature of this thesis's contribution to CSCW in general, computer supported collaborative writing, and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is discussed

Women's Internet Portals: Negotiating Online Design Environments within Existing Gender Structures in Order to Engage the Female User

This thesis encapsulates my investigation of women's commercial Internet portals as examples of design practice targeting female users. I present a case study of BEME. com, an Internet portal created as a direct development of the traditional women's magazine publishing industry in response to a boom in dot. corn industries at the end of the 1990s. I explore the design environment responsible for the interpretations of the aims of the publishing house into material outcomes and analyse the ability of design practice to develop strategies to counter gender representations within the women's magazine publishing industry. It is my argument that there is a need for Internet designers to be aware of how gender is represented and furthermore be conscious of their ability and responsibility to apply this awareness to design practice. Most importantly, the notion of 'many truths' rather then one 'design practitioners' truth', introduces the possibility of alternative epistemologies. This is crucial to the question of how design practice as a tool of creative production can embody alternative meanings through recognition of existing gender structures. Furthermore, locating the BEME. com case study within feminist postmodernism incites a new way of understanding the problematic relationship between design practice and theory, the Internet and female users. Therefore, I assert the potential of online portal design to offer alternative ways of communicating to female users in such a way as to resist and combat the gendered status quo. The new knowledge obtained from this research provides important insight into the ways design practice attempts to reconcile a critical agenda with gender structures. It also illuminates female users' tendency to disassociate with identities constructed in gendered niche marketing. It is clear from my research that current commercial imperatives are deeply implicated in gendered structures. Therefore, three key indications for better design for a female niche market emerge from the BEME. com case study. They are (a) centre all aspects of the design process on the actual end-user; (b) consciously recognise the folly of using gender alone as an appropriate description of female audiences; (c) be aware of social, cultural and political factors that exert influence over the design process. Finally the obtained knowledge offers insight into the general lack of interest on the part of designers working within industry that trades heavily in gender stereotypes, to problematise this process and their role within it. Rather, as feminist critiques of design practice reveal, design practitioners maintain gender values by constructing consumer profiles by means of gendered assumptions

Game Design Patterns for Learning

Kelle, S. (2012). Game Design Patterns for Learning. November, 9, 2012, Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open Universiteit in the Netherlands, CELSTEC. Aachen: Shaker Verlag.What do learning games consist of? How to design learning games and what to keep in mind? How to balance educational objectives with good gameplay? What to do if you are a game designer and you want to use e-learning standards for your game? And what to do if you are an instructional designer and you are in desperate need to gamify your content? This publication aims at illuminating these questions, presenting results from a 4 year long PhD project run at CELSTEC, the Center of Learning Sciences and Technologies at the Open University of The Netherlands. Sebastian Kelle is a multidisciplinary researcher, currently building up a new center for higher education didactics at Stuttgart Media University.EU ICOPER Projec

Identification and remediation of student difficulties with quantitative genetics.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.Genetics has been identified as a subject area which many students find difficult to comprehend. The researcher, who is also a lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, had noted over a number of years that students find the field of quantitative genetics particularly challenging. The aim of this investigation was two-fold. Firstly, during the diagnostic phase of the investigation, to obtain empirical evidence on the nature of difficulties and alternative conceptions that may be experienced by some students in the context of quantitative genetics. Secondly, to develop, implement and assess an intervention during the remediation phase of the study which could address the identified difficulties and alternative conceptions. The research was conducted from a human constructivist perspective using an action research approach. A mixed-method, pragmatic paradigm was employed. The study was conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal over four years and involved third-year students studying introductory modules in quantitative genetics. Empirical evidence of students' conceptual frameworks, student difficulties and alternative conceptions was obtained during the diagnostic phase using five research instruments. These included: free-response probes, multiple-choice diagnostic tests, student-generated concept maps, a word association study and student interviews. Data were collected, at the start and completion of the modules, to ascertain the status of students' prior knowledge (prior knowledge concepts), and what they had learnt during the teaching of the module (quantitative genetics concepts). Student-generated concept maps and student interviews were used to determine whether students were able to integrate their knowledge and link key concepts of quantitative genetics. This initial analysis indicated that many students had difficulty integrating their knowledge of variance and heritability, and could not apply their knowledge of quantitative genetics to the solution of practical problems. Multiple-choice diagnostic tests and interviews with selected students were used to gather data on student difficulties and alternative conceptions. The results suggested that students held five primary difficulties or alternative conceptions with respect to prior knowledge concepts: (1) confusion between the terms variation and variance; (2) inappropriate association of heterozygosity with variation in a population; (3) inappropriate association of variation with change; (4) inappropriate association of equilibrium with inbred populations and with values of zero and one; and, (5) difficulty relating descriptive statistics to graphs of a normal distribution. Furthermore, three major difficulties were detected with respect to students understanding of quantitative genetics concepts: (1) students frequently confused individual and population measures such as breeding value and heritability; (2) students confused the terms heritability and inheritance; and, (3) students were not able to link descriptive statistics such as variance and heritability to histograms. Students found the concepts of variance and heritability to be particularly challenging. A synthesis of the results obtained from the diagnostic phase indicated that many of the difficulties and alternative conceptions noted were due to confusion between certain terms and topics and that students had difficulty with the construction and interpretation of histograms. These results were used to develop a model of the possible source of students' difficulties. It was hypothesized and found that the sequence in which concepts are introduced to students at many South African universities could be responsible for difficulties and alternative conceptions identified during the study, particularly the inappropriate association of terms or topics. An intervention was developed to address the identified difficulties and alternative conceptions. This intervention consisted of a series of computer-based tutorials and concept mapping exercises. The intervention was then implemented throughout a third year introductory module in quantitative genetics. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using the multiple-choice diagnostic tests and interview protocols developed during the diagnostic phase. The knowledge of the student group who participated in the intervention (test group) was compared against a student group from the previous year that had only been exposed to conventional teaching strategies (control group). t-tests, an analysis of covariance and a regression analysis all indicated that the intervention had been effective. Furthermore, an inductive analysis of the student responses indicted that most students understanding of the concepts of variance, heritability and histograms was greatly improved. The concept maps generated by students during the remediation phase, and data from the student interviews, provided an indication of the nature and extent of the conceptual change which had occurred during the teaching of the module. The results showed that most of the conceptual change could be classified as conceptual development or conceptual capture and not conceptual exchange. Furthermore, it seemed that conceptual change had occurred when considered from an epistemological, ontological and affective perspective, with most students indicating that they felt they had benefited from all aspects of the intervention. The findings of this research strongly suggest an urgent need to redesign quantitative genetics course curricula. Cognisance should be taken of both the sequence and the manner in which key concepts are taught in order to enhance students' understanding of this highly cognitively demanding area of genetics

Spring Meeting of Council, May 4-7, 1997, Washington, D. C.

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_assoc/2008/thumbnail.jp