SoTL in verse

This piece offers an overview of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in a nontraditional genre. It glances backward to the catalyst for the movement and traverses the context of SoTL today. Grounded in foundational literature of the field, it explores ideas about SoTL, including its purpose, nature, and characteristics. It underscores the importance of the symbiotic relationship between teaching and research and highlights improved student learning as the primary focus of SoTL inquiries. Embedded within the piece is the need for SoTL engagement to transform the educational landscape in morally and socially responsible ways. SoTL is laden with an ethic of reflexivity evidenced in actions that improve learning and the contexts in which teaching and learning occur for those in the core of the inquiry as well as others by extension

Unearthing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Self and Practice

Bringing the principles and characteristics of the scholarship of teaching and learning into my university classroom has helped me support the development of teaching as scholarly activity for my students while cementing my own commitment in this regard. These students are preservice teachers, who have the opportunity to conduct peer observations and provide feedback to one another establishing a learning commons of sort. While engaged in an initial practicum experience, preservice elementary teachers observe and provide feedback on each other’s teaching. This paper will describe and analyze this peer observation and feedback activity as part of the cycle of the scholarship of teaching and learning. My engagement in the scholarship of teaching and learning has also stimulated further research in this area among my peers. Establishing praxis in the scholarship of teaching and learning is beneficial at all levels of teaching and learning

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Trades

SoTL’s existence rests on individual and collective desire, and subsequent engagement, of faculty to improve student learning and the contexts in which teaching and learning occur. This includes systematically assessing and evaluating the impact of our own teaching on students’ learning. The former and the latter form the crux of the collective consciousness that is SoTL. A part of this engagement is becoming more reflexive; awareness of one’s responsibility toward others is part of this reflexivity. This essay peruses the works of SoTL colleagues across the globe and relates how these works individually and collectively reflect the nature and characteristics of SoTL. These works exemplify educators, in diverse parts of the world, engaging in introspection and program evaluation, as they inquire into the best ways to help students learn in general and specific content areas; how to help students develop habits of the mind, lifelong learning skills, professional dispositions, and the like. While paths to SoTL inquiries may diverge, the focus is always on improving student learning

Transformative Education in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: An Analysis of SoTL Literature

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) though in its youth, is perceived by many as transforming the academy. Will the transformation of the academy promised by SoTL be a mere shifting of priorities from research in the disciplines to research in pedagogy? Or will SoTL pursue transformation of the conception of teaching and learning whereby the commons influence our identities as knowers and actors engaged in scholarship for the purposes of transformation and growth on local and global scales? Our purpose is to explore whether the scholarship of teaching and learning, as represented in literature associated with SoTL, is being utilized for transformative or transgressive (hooks, 1994) educational practices. What does a review of literature identified as SoTL reveal about the utilization of the commons and the transformative practice of SoTL? Is SoTL playing its role in promoting education that is responsive to the sociopolitical climates in which teaching and learning occur

The Influence Of Initial Moisture, Retention Time, And Steam Quality In Two Conditioners On The Pelleting Process

Master of ScienceDepartment of Grain Science and IndustryPelleting of animal feed occurs extensively throughout the feed manufacturing industry. Steam conditioning plays an important role in any pelleting system, yet there is little research available to help understand this process. The overall objective of this research is to gain an understanding of what actually occurs during the mash conditioning process by examining the effects of mash moisture, retention time, and steam quality in two conditioners on the pelleting process and pellet quality. This experiment was conducted with a split-plot treatment structure within a CPM and Bliss conditioner. Mash moisture served as the whole plot treatment. Retention time (short and long), and steam quality (70, 80, 90, and 100%) made up the sub-plot treatments. Combinations of sub-plot treatments were completely randomized within the two mash moistures (12% and 14%). Three replications of all above combinations were completed. Data collection included moisture contents, pellet durabilities, energy consumption, and stt:am flow. The results of this study indicated that pellet quality, energy consumption, and steam flow were significantly related to mash moisture, retention time, and steam quality. The optimal operating performance was achieved through several combinations of treatments. For example, a short retention time combined with 14% mash moisture and using 70% steam quality produces high quality pellets at the lowest kWh/t. In contrast, a long retention time provided nearly equal quality pellets and energy consumption in combination with 12% mash moisture. It is important, however, to keep in mind that these results were obtained using a constant conditioned mash temperature of 82.2°C

Landscape evolution at extensional relay zones

It is commonly argued that the extensional relay zones between adjacent crustal-scale normal fault segments are associated with large catchment-fan systems that deliver significant amounts of sediment to hanging wall basins. This conceptual model of extensional basin development, while useful, overlooks some of the physical constraints on catchment evolution and sediment supply in relay zones. We argue that a key factor in the geomorphic evolution of relay zones is the interplay between two different timescales, the time over which the fault array develops, and the time over which the footwall catchment-fan systems are established. Results of numerical experiments using a landscape evolution model suggest that, in isolated fault blocks, footwall catchment evolution is highly dependent on the pattern and rate of fault array growth. A rapidly linked en echelon fault geometry gives rise to capture of relay zone drainage by aggressive catchment incision in the relay zone and to consequent increases in the rate of sediment supply to the hanging wall. Capture events do not occur when the fault segments are allowed to propagate slowly toward an en echelon geometry. In neither case, however, are large relay zone catchment-fan systems developed. We propose several physical reasons for this, including geometric constraints and limits on catchment incision and sediment transport rates in relay zones. Future research efforts should focus on the timescales over which fault array development occurs, and on the quantitative variations in catchment-fan system morphology at relay zones

Comparison of Two Detailed Models of Aedes aegypti Population Dynamics

The success of control programs for mosquito-­borne diseases can be enhanced by crucial information provided by models of the mosquito populations. Models, however, can differ in their structure, complexity, and biological assumptions, and these differences impact their predictions. Unfortunately, it is typically difficult to determine why two complex models make different predictions because we lack structured side-­by-­side comparisons of models using comparable parameterization. Here, we present a detailed comparison of two complex, spatially explicit, stochastic models of the population dynamics of Aedes aegypti, the main vector of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Both models describe the mosquito?s biological and ecological characteristics, but differ in complexity and specific assumptions. We compare the predictions of these models in two selected climatic settings: a tropical and weakly seasonal climate in Iquitos, Peru, and a temperate and strongly seasonal climate in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both models were calibrated to operate at identical average densities in unperturbedconditions in both settings, by adjusting parameters regulating densities in each model (number of larval development sites and amount of nutritional resources). We show that the models differ in their sensitivityto environmental conditions (temperature and rainfall) and trace differences to specific model assumptions.Temporal dynamics of the Ae. aegypti populations predicted by the two models differ more markedly under strongly seasonal Buenos Aires conditions. We use both models to simulate killing of larvae and/or adults with insecticides in selected areas. We show that predictions of population recovery by the models differ substantially, an effect likely related to model assumptions regarding larval development and (director delayed) density dependence. Our methodical comparison provides important guidance for model improvement by identifying key areas of Ae. aegypti ecology that substantially affect model predictions, and revealing the impact of model assumptions on population dynamics predictions in unperturbed and perturbed conditions.Fil: Legros, Mathieu. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Otero, Marcelo Javier. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Romeo Aznar, Victoria Teresa. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Solari, Hernan Gustavo. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Gould, Fred. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Lloyd, Alun L.. National Institutes of Health; Estados Unido

Study of particles collected by the 1965 Luster rocket

Heat annealing tests of Luster rocket collected micrometeorites to determine whether radiation damage can distinguish extraterrestrial from terrestrial particle

The effects of childbirth on the pelvic-floor

Basically, vaginal delivery is associated with the risk of pelvic floor damage. The pelvic floor sequelae of childbirth includes anal incontinence, urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Pathophysiology, incidence and risk factors for the development of the respective problems are reviewed. Where possible, recommendations for reducing the risk of pelvic floor damage are given