Digital game based learning: an exploratory analysis of perceived educational benefits at a junior high school level.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) incorporates innovative tools that are widely recognized as having considerable potential to foster and support active learning, problem-solving and communication while providing an environment that embraces practice and learning through failure. The many proponents of DGBL believe that its use can provide a teaching approach that is relevant to the digital needs of the youth of today. Indeed, there are many studies that document the many benefits associated with DGBL for both teaching and learning. However, as was discovered in this study, there are many issues concerning the successful implementation and adoption of constructivist teaching technologies such as DGBL. Computer games can be expensive to purchase and difficult to personalise. Moreover, learners and educators alike; need to be convinced of their effectiveness before buying into their use. Furthermore, many educators simply do not have the time; or the expertise, to be able to effectively design and create games of their own. A problem exacerbated by the, perceived, high level of specialist expertise normally associated with game development. While there are many theorized benefits associated with DGBL there are as many issues concerning its successful implementation. The main purpose of this study was to investigate these theoretical benefits by addressing the following research questions: Can DGBL positively influence teaching and learning? And can DGBL positively influence learner perceptions of Information Technology (IT), with specific reference to coding? A survey was deployed after the implementation of an intervention within Grade 8 Computer Literacy classrooms. The instrument explored the perceptions and effectiveness of DGBL and served to inform the closed-ended questions used in the follow-up focus group interviews. To further support the data, educator interviews also took place post-intervention. The study found that DGBL did have a positive effect on both teaching and learning. Educator and learner views were either reinforced or changed in favour of a DGBL approach to teaching IT. The study recommended, further study into the academic and inter-disciplinary benefits of DGBL be conducted. The study also recommends the development of a set of guidelines on the use of DGBL as a means to support 21st century skills development in the classroom

Compared to What? The Effectiveness of Synthetic Control Methods for Causal Inference in Educational Assessment

Synthetic control methods are an innovative matching technique first introduced within the economics and political science literature that have begun to find application in educational research as well. Synthetic controls create an aggregate-level, time-series comparison for a single treated unit of interest for causal inference with observational data. However, the strict statistical assumptions associated with matching methods for causal inference raise concerns for unobserved bias related to some data models and availability. The small but increasing set of existing synthetic controls studies with student achievement measures as the outcome of interest suggest that research is warranted into the effectiveness of this methodology in creating unbiased comparisons with necessary sensitivity to detect treatment effects typical of educational interventions. In this study I examined these concerns at an empirical level by analyzing patterns of minimum necessary effects for statistical significance across multiple data models, contrasting covariate specifications, and pools of available comparison units. Data included five years of public elementary school math and reading scores from Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) exams for approximately 35,000 unique students. Using placebo tests for statistical inference as recommended in the literature, I calculated the standardized differences necessary for both a cross-sectional and a cohort model of student progress. Results showed that the addition of demographic covariates provided no additional predictive power over matching on prior MAP achievement alone. Further, near-perfect matches across the pretreatment period were found often enough that a treated unit could not reasonably reach posttreatment effect sizes necessary for detection without also achieving a near-perfect synthetic control match. The placebo tests were sensitive to the increased difficulty of finding close matches when additional pretreatment time points were included, but overall the magnitudes of necessary effects decreased as a result. Average z-score differences across four pools of comparison units ranged from 0.13 to 0.45 for statistical significance at 5% and from 0.10 to 0.35 for 10% significance. I offer recommendations for using synthetic controls in evaluating educational interventions with student achievement outcomes and for further research into the effectiveness of these methods in reaching conclusions based on unbiased comparisons

A Differential pH Requirement for Extraction of Stable Polyribosomes from Winter Barley in Relation to RNase Activity of the Tissue

The development of a systematic procedure to fractionate cells into functional components is important to many current problems in biological research. Polyribosomes are of considerable interest since it is this cell fraction which is the site of protein synthesis. They are unique structures in that they are reported to contain the transcribed genetic information in the form of messenger RNA (mRNA) which functions as the binding site for ribosomes in the decoding process. A satisfactory isolation of polyribosomes provides an opportunity to analyze the nature of this transcribed genetic message and also determine the extent to which protein synthesis is controlled by the translational process. Considerable insight into current theory of the genetic code problem has come about as a result of in vitro synthesis systems that have involved isolated ribosomes. Most of these advances have been made using single cell organisms. Efforts to duplicate these results with higher plants have been sketchy. A major obstacle has been an inability to inhibit endogenous enzymes that a.re responsible for degrading both synthetic and naturally occurring messenger RNA (mRNA). Extraction of stable polyribosomes provides reasonable assurance that single-stranded mRNA has been protected. From such preparations one would also stand the best, chance of recovering undegraded transfer RNA (tRNA) which is vital in protein synthesis but vulnerable to RNase attack. Progress toward reducing the influence of nucleases during extraction of plant tissue has been made by the use of diethyl pyrocarbonate. Weeks and Harcus have shown that it is an unstable compound although an effective one in inhibiting RNase. Should there be an interest in the isolation of immediate products resulting from the translation of the genetic message, it again becorr.es important to isolate stable polyribosomes containing nascent peptides. Petermann and Pavlovec (21) have stressed the importance of eliminating the basic cytoplasmic proteins which can be randomly bound to the ribosomal particles. They found that high salt levels during extraction were essential to obtaining stable polyribosomes from muscle tissue. Thus it becomes important to not only retain the identity of the polyribosomes, but also to achieve some compartmentalization of other cell components

Architectural constructs of Ampex DST

The DST 800 automated library is a high performance, automated tape storage system, developed by AMPEX, providing mass storage to host systems. Physical Volume Manager (PVM) is a volume server which supports either a DST 800, DST 600 stand alone tape drive, or a combination of DST 800 and DST 600 subsystems. The objective of the PVM is to provide the foundation support to allow automated and operator assisted access to the DST cartridges with continuous operation. A second objective is to create a data base about the media, its location, and its usage so that the quality and utilization of the media on which specific data is recorded and the performance of the storage system may be managed. The DST tape drive architecture and media provides several unique functions that enhance the ability to achieve high media space utilization and fast access. Access times are enhanced through the implementation of multiple areas (called system zones) on the media where the media may be unloaded. This reduces positioning time in loading and unloading the cartridge. Access times are also reduced through high speed positioning in excess of 800 megabytes per second. A DST cartridge can be partitioned into fixed size units which can be reclaimed for rewriting without invalidating other recorded data on the tape cartridge. Most tape management systems achieve space reclamation by deleting an entire tape volume, then allowing users to request a 'scratch tape' or 'nonspecific' volume when they wish to record data to tape. Physical cartridge sizes of 25, 75, or 165 gigabytes will make this existing process inefficient or unusable. The DST cartridge partitioning capability provides an efficient mechanism for addressing the tape space utilization problem

Local Color\u27s Finest Hour: Kentucky Literature at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

This thesis takes into consideration literature created by various authors during the period 1890 to 1910, the turn of the twentieth century. This thesis looks specifically at the works produced during that time period by authors from Kentucky, living in Kentucky, or with strong ties to the state. The texts themselves illustrated these ties, as they all focused on or related to Kentucky at the time. The data that was gathered for this thesis came directly from the writings themselves. In order to research the appropriate authors and the works they produced, the author read all of the materials discussed in this thesis, taking great care to compile many notes in the process. The compiled notes were then analyzed to produce this thesis. The author found that there were several prevailing themes present in Kentucky-based literature written from 1890 to 1910. The five major themes that revealed themselves during the research for this thesis were nature, poverty, race, romance, and war/peace. These themes are discussed in this thesis as a means to explain why Kentucky-based literature was so popular during the aforementioned time period

A structural equation analysis of the relationships between PTSD, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation : is general strain theory a viable framework for explaining suicide risk among correctional staff?

There is a large body of evidence, which suggests PTSD is strongly related to increased suicide risk, however, some studies suggest the true nature of their relationship is better explained through the development of depression due to the effects of PTSD. While a majority of the studies examining this relationship focus only on general populations, a growing body research suggests that high-risk occupations such as police, firefighters and correctional staff are developing PTSD at rates as high as 8 to 10 times that of the rate of these general samples. This study, then, aims to fill a small gap in this nascent research into PTSD and suicide among high-risk occupations. Guided by a General Strain Theory framework, this study uses structural equation modeling to examine whether depression is capable of mediating the effect PTSD has on suicide risk. The results of this study support the use of GST as a viable framework for examining these relationships within high-risk samples, revealing depression mediated a negative direct relationship exhibited by PTSD on suicidal ideation. This suggests that while PTSD may still play a role in increased suicidal behavior, the main effect PTSD displays on increased suicidal thought is instead a product of the depression developed alongside other PTSD symptoms. These findings have implications for the treatment of PTSD and the handling of workplace-related trauma for individuals in high-risk occupations, especially correctional facilities

Market Orientation, Innovativeness, and Performance of Food Companies

Food processors have seen escalating levels of competition over the past three decades. An underlying objective of this research is to gain a greater understanding of how food companies thrive in the face of this increased competition. This study incorporates market orientation theory (competitor orientation, customer orientation, and interfunctional coordination) and firm innovativeness to explain differences in firm financial performance. A national survey of food processors was conducted and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results show that the more successful firms are more internally focused (interfunctional coordination and innovativeness) than externally focused (competitor and customer orientation).firm performance, food industry, innovativeness, market orientation, structural equation modeling, Agribusiness, Marketing,

Down By The Old Garden Gate

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/1339/thumbnail.jp

Silver Song

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/6581/thumbnail.jp