Sustained Dialogue and Civic Life: Post-College Impacts

This study examined the civic outcomes of the Sustained Dialogue model. Qualitative interviews investigated the perceived impacts of dialogue experience on post-graduate civic life, generating an inventory of 29 dialogue civic outcomes across five domains: 1) cognitions, 2) behaviors, 3) attitudes 4) skills, and 5) hopes and plans for the future. Results extend past research by finding that perceived dialogue impacts lasted into the post-college years and affected future hopes and plans. Additional impacts were identified: (1) across various civic arenas of society, and (2) a transformative restringing effect, in which participants reported they were changed or transformed in subtle, complex, and pervasive ways

Studying the Effectiveness of Peer Instruction in Statics

This paper describes the peer instruction approach that was used in teaching Statics. The subject of Statics lays the foundation for subsequent courses, namely Dynamics and Mechanics of materials. Hence it becomes critical for any engineering student to understand and grasp the concepts of Statics course as it gives the students an ability to master follow-up material in upper level engineering courses. Therefore, improving learning in the subject of Engineering Statics deserves significant attention. Research shows that students who are actively engaged in learning, learn more. It was also proved that tradionally taught courses do little to improve student’s understanding of the key concepts and motivate only a few students in class. It is believed that peer instruction is an effective way to motivate students by making them teach their fellow students. This approach not only helps students learn core concepts and present it in technical language but also build their confidence. Results of this study indicated that post quiz scores improved for 71% of the students and 15% of students’ scores were 100 in both pre and post quizzes. The overall pass rate was 79% on quizzes and 79% on the final exam.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Survivorship Of Anopheles gambiae In Relation To Malaria Transmission In Ilorin, Nigeria

For the first time in Africa, an entomological study went beyond the conventional practice of determining parity and survival rates of field-collected adult anopheline mosquitoes but also related these variables to duration of Plasmodium sporogony and estimated the expectation of infective life. Blood-seeking female mosquitoes were collected in Ilorin, Nigeria, from January 2005 to December 2006, and dissected for ovarian tracheations following WHO recommended techniques. The results indicated an annual mean parous rate of 70.92%, and significantly higher parous rates in the rainy than dry season, which also had very low densities. Mean probability of daily survival of the mosquitoes was 0.80, with annual mean life expectancy of 12.24 days. The probability of surviving the sporogonic cycle was low (< 0.4) but the expectation of infective life was long, especially in the rainy season (mean = 8.31 days). The epidemiological implications of these results were discussed. The An. gambiae population in Ilorin is dominated by older mosquitoes with high survival rates thus, suggesting a high vector potential for the species in the area. These information on the survival rates of An. gambiae in relation to malaria transmission would enhance the development of a more focused and informed vector control interventions

Dialogue on Campus: An Overview of Promising Practices

Higher education institutions are recognizing the value of dialogue in engaging diverse perspectives and experiences while providing the necessary skills and knowledge for students to become effective citizens. Colleges and universities are incorporating the theory and practice of dialogue across different dimensions of the curriculum, co-curriculum, pedagogy, and administration and governance. Examples include nation-wide intergroup dialogue programs, community standards processes in residence halls, and institution-wide decision making on curricula. Seen as a whole, these and other examples provide a vision for a comprehensive approach to integrating dialogue on campuses

"This is not 13th Grade": Making the Transition to College through Coding

The Summer Coding Academy 2017 at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) was designed for the first-year freshman and transfer students with a declared Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) major. The camp participants were from diverse STEM fields that included engineering, biochemistry, nuclear medicine science, biology, computer information systems, meteorology, and 3-D animation & game design. The objectives of the camp were (1) to improve the student’s preparation for a rigorous STEM degree, (2) to increase their skills in communication and data analytics through coding and robotics. This paper describes the teaching materials that we utilized, the results of students evaluations, lessons learned and the future work.Cockrell School of Engineerin

PEMBERDAYAAN DEWAN SEKOLAH DALAM MENINGKATKAN MUTU PENDIDIKAN : Studi Analisis Terhadap Implementasi Konsep Manajemen Berbasis Sekolah di Sekolah Dasar Negeri Se-Kabupaten Majalengka

Keberadaan Dewan Sekolah (DS) dianggap sebagai solusi yang terbaik dalam memecahkan problematika pendidikan yang selama ini memprihatinkan. Pendidikan dengan berbagai aspek permasalahannya dituntut untuk eksis dan dinamis dalam mewujudkan kejayaan suatu bangsa. Dalam tataran praktis Dewan Sekolah dianggap sebagai DPR yang ikut mengontrol / mengawasi kegiatan sekolah, sehingga kebijakan-kebijakan maupun keputusan-keputusan yang diambil oleh Kepala Sekolah adalah kebijakan yang bersifat aspiratif yang bersumber dari orang tua dan masyarakat melalui wadah Dewan Sekolah. Penelitian ini mempunyai maksud,, mendeskripsikan, menggali, menghimpun tentang bagaimana peranan Dewan Sekolah yang ada di Sekolah Dasar Negeri dalam rangka meningkatkan mutu pendidikan, adapun fokus permasalahannya adalah bagaimana memberdayakan Dewan Sekolah yang ada di Sekolah Dasar Negeri S< Kabupaten Majalengka Secara khusus permasalahan yang muncul adalah bagaimana Komi si kemampuan dari stakeholder dalam implementas; Dewan Sekolah ditinjau dari segi kekuatan, kelemahan, tantangan dan peluang 9, Bagaimana strategi untuk memberdayakan Dewan Sekolah di Sekolah Dasar Negeri f bagaimana peranan Dewan Sekolah dalam meningkatkan Mutu pendidikan 9 Metode yang digunakan adalah metode deskriptif jenis studi kasus , dan pendekatan kualitatif Porposive. Lokasi penelitian di Sekolah Dasar Negeri se-Kabupaten Majalengka . Data diperoleh dari Kepala Dinas,, ketua Dewan Sekolah, Kepala sekolah (Pimpinan Sekolah) , guru, orang tua siswa Analisis kondisi vang dimiliki stakeholders dalam implementasi Manajemen Bebasis Sekolah, yakni : Kekuatan : (1) UU Nomor 22 tahun 1999 dan UU No.25 Tahun 2000 ; (2) Sosialisasi MBS ; (3) Kesadaran masyarakat meningkat dan kontrol masyarakat efektif; (4) Dukungan dari Bank Dunia melalui BEP, Kelemahan : (1) Belum meratanya kemampuan manajerial Ketuaanggota Dewan Sekolah;(2) Belum meratanya dayi dukung dan partisipasi masyarakat terhadap pendidikan, Peluang : (1) Adanya dukungan dari pemerintah setempat maupun pusat; (2) Perusahaan ikut mendukung terhadap program MBS, Tantangan : (1) Masyarakat cenderung memilih pendidikan yang bermutu; (2) Otonomi pengelolaan pendidikan: (3) Sekolah Dasar merupakan tolok ukur untuk jenjang pendidikan selanjutnya. Strategi untuk memberdayakan Dewan Sekolah adalah peningkatan mutu pelayanan PBM dan pembinaan masyarakat sadar mutu, Sosialisasi konsep MBS dengan Dewan Sekolah, Meningkatkan kemampuan sumber daya manusia

Biocidal Activities of Some Tropical Moss Extracts Against Maize Stem Borers

Solutions of four moss powders, namely: Calymperes afzelii Sw., Thuidium gratum (P. Beauv.) Jaeg., Bryum coronatum Schwaegr. and Barbula lambarenensis (Hook) Spreng., were evaluated for insecticidal activity against maize stem borers. The aqueous solutions were smeared periodically on mature maize plants in the field. All mosses tested showed some toxic activity against the established maize stem borers, deterrence regarding further infestation and some influence on the distribution of the borers. C. afzelii and B. coronatum showed encouraging toxic activities, deterrent activities and promptness that were better or just as good as with Tricel, the control inorganic insecticide. The order of activity of the moss solutions was C. afzelii\u3e B. coronatum \u3eT. gratum= B. lambarenensis. The incidence of stem borer in the most preferred internode, i.e. III, was reduced significantly by C. afzelii, T. gratum and B. coronatum treatments, while B. lambarenensis like, Tricel, restricted the incidence of borer holes to internodes III and IV. The advantages proffered by the window of utilizing mosses as pesticide, namely: availability, safety, low cost, ease of application, as well as, the disadvantages, i.e. laborious serial repetitions, was highlighted