'First Portal in a Storm': A Virtual Space for Transition Students

The lives of millennial students are epitomised by ubiquitous information, merged technologies, blurred social-study-work boundaries, multitasking and hyperlinked online interactions (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005). These characteristics have implications for the design of online spaces that aim to provide virtual access to course materials, administrative processes and support information, all of which is required by students to steer a course through the storm of their transition university experience. Previously we summarised the challenges facing first year students (Kift & Nelson, 2005) and investigated their current online engagement patterns, which revealed three issues for consideration when designing virtual spaces (Nelson, Kift & Harper, 2005). In this paper we continue our examination of students’ interactions with online spaces by considering the perceptions and use of technology by millennial students as well as projections for managing the virtual learning environments of the future. The findings from this analysis are informed by our previous work to conceptualise and describe the architecture of a transition portal

'Any Portal in a Storm?' Online Engagement Patterns of First Year QUT Students

Engaging new students in tertiary study, amidst the storm of their adjustment to university life, should harness conventional physical as well as new virtual spaces to ensure (as urged by McInnis 2003, p.9) learning opportunities are maximised inside and outside of the classroom. When ubiquitous information, merged technologies, blurred social-study-work boundaries, multitasking and hyperlinked online interactions epitomise generational routines (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005); positive, rewarding interactions through virtual space "portals" may establish the mode and intensity of on- and off-campus student experience. Conventional modes of curriculum delivery and learning support that hinge on presentation of material according to (for example) scheduled topic sessions, contact times and administrative office hours, do not necessarily fully accommodate these new social realities (James, 2002, p.81), contemporary learning practices or transition-informed curriculum design (Kift, 2005). In this paper, quantitative data and rich qualitative information from internal and external surveys are triangulated to examine the patterns of online engagement for students at QUT. These patterns inform our ongoing project that seeks to tailor the delivery of curriculum mediated resources within a virtual space

Service Visibility Across Lines Of Business

This paper introduces the use of service science to maximize profitability by providing service transparency across lines of business in a financial operating environment. The concept of a live collector that runs in the cloud is presented. The collector gives information visibility, context mediation, and presentation facilities on a dynamic basis by employing the principles of cloud computing. The subject of cloud computing is introduced in the paper

Book Review: Rethinking Rural: Global Community and Economic Development in the Small Town West

Book Review: Rethinking Rural: Global Community and Economic Development in the Small Town West Don E. Albrecht 2014 Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press 232 pages Softcover, $17.09 ISBN-13: 978-0-87422-319-

Social and Environmental Justice and the Water-Energy Nexus: A Quest in Progress for Rural People

Access to affordable and reliable clean water and energy is necessary for economic development, health, and well-being of all people worldwide. Unavailable, unaffordable, or unreliable water and energy resources represent social and environmental injustices that disproportionately burden poor people, especially those in rural areas. Furthermore, there is an inextricable link between water and energy: clean water requires power for delivery and sanitation, and power production requires large amounts of water. This water-energy nexus connects two vital resources for humanity with more attention to economic concerns than to human or environmental issues. This paper addresses social and environmental justice issues that confront rural populations with little or no access to clean water and affordable energy. Local examples of grassroots efforts to produce and provide access to clean water and affordable energy in remote communities and rural areas offer innovations intended to ameliorate daily deprivation of necessary resources. Indeed, the water-energy nexus is so enormous, and risks further exacerbation if global efforts to build capacities to sustain environmental resources continue to lag or fail to develop. Domestically and internationally, the interconnectivity of water and energy cannot be ignored for a sustainable future for the world’s population

Workfare Programs in Rural America: Joblessness in Ohio\u27s Appalachian Counties

In 1988 the Family Support Act was passed into law requiring welfare recipients to participate in work experience programs to receive their welfare benefits. This paper questions the effectiveness of mandatory workfare programs in rural impoverished regions of the United States. The Appalachian counties of Ohio are used as a case example to demonstrate the problems in implementing workfare programs in economically distressed regions where limited job opportunities exist. Implications for policy are examined, alternatives to mandatory work programs are discussed, and further research to determine the utility of workfare programs is called for

Patient Opinions about Early Screening for Gestational Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

Dell Medical Schoo

Structure and Composition of Tree Islands and Krummholz within the Forest-Tundra Ecotone in Central and Eastern Canada

The forest-tundra ecotone is expected to experience some of the initial effects of climate change. At the forefront of this transition zone, we find clonal growth forms of stunted and deformed trees with and without taller erect trees, called tree islands and krummholz, respectively. We sought to assess the potential effects of expansion of these clonal growth forms on tundra plant species at two Canadian locations, one in the Mealy Mountains of Labrador and the other near Churchill, Manitoba. Our objectives were 1) to analyze the structure (height distribution and shape) of these clonal growth forms to determine whether they are expanding; 2) to compare tree cover on the leeward and windward sides of clonal growths and 3) to assess patterns in individual plant species across these growth forms. Cover of trees and other plant species was measured at both locations, while tree stems were mapped near Churchill only. The presence of seedlings and symmetric patterns of tree height suggest that half of the tree islands near Churchill may be expanding. The edges of tree islands and krummholz may harbour safe sites for tundra plant species, as shown by peaks in cover of individual species at these edges. Our results suggest that expansion of tree islands and krummholz would affect the abundance of tundra plant species, which could lead to changes in species composition and biodiversity.On s’attend à ce que l’écotone de la toundra forestière subisse dans une certaine mesure les premiers effets du changement climatique. À l’avant-plan de cette zone de transition se trouvent des formes de croissance clonales d’arbres rabougris et difformes parfois assortis ou non assortis de plus grands arbres dressés, ce que l’on appelle des îlots boisés et des krummholz, respectivement. Nous avons cherché à évaluer les effets potentiels de l’expansion de ces formes de croissance clonales sur les espèces végétales de la toundra à deux emplacements situés au Canada, un aux monts Mealy du Labrador et l’autre près de Churchill, au Manitoba. Nos objectifs étaient les suivants : 1) analyser la structure (répartition des hauteurs et formes) de ces formes de croissance clonales afin de déterminer si elles prennent de l’expansion; 2) comparer la couverture arborescente en aval et en amont des croissances clonales; et 3) évaluer les modèles se dessinant chez les diverses espèces végétales individuelles au sein de ces formes de croissance. Les couvertures arborescentes et d’autres espèces végétales ont été mesurées aux deux endroits, tandis que les tiges d’arbres n’ont été relevées qu’à l’emplacement de Churchill. La présence de semis et de modèles symétriques en ce qui a trait à la hauteur des arbres suggère que la moitié des îlots boisés près de Churchill pourraient être en expansion. Le bord des îlots boisés et des krummholz pourrait constituer des lieux sûrs pour les espèces végétales de la toundra, comme l’indiquent les crêtes caractérisant la couverture des espèces individuelles situées en bordure. Nos résultats laissent entendre que l’expansion des îlots boisés et des krummholz aurait des incidences sur l’abondance des espèces végétales de la toundra, ce qui pourrait entraîner des changements sur le plan de la composition et de la biodiversité des espèces

The Use of Elementary and Middle School Science Lead Teachers For the Purpose of Delivering Effective Professional Development During the Transition to New Standards

The State of Tennessee transitioned to new science standards. Previous methods for delivering professional development were unable to support teachers in pedagogy, content knowledge, or sustainability during this paradigm shift. As such, a lead teacher model was thoughtfully and intentionally implemented, and delivered professional development for three-dimensional learning and the Tennessee Academic Standards for Science. The lead teacher model provided for one middle school science lead teacher per grade level (6-8) per middle school, and one K-2 and one 3-5 STEM lead teacher per elementary school. The lead teachers participated in monthly professional learning communities, and then re-delivered that information to their schools and grade levels. Using a mixed methods design, the researcher examined the relationship between the effectiveness of lead teacher re-delivery sessions and student achievement of the group, self-efficacy, and how the current lead teacher model impacted self-reported science teaching practices. Research findings showed that as effectiveness scores of a lead teacher re-delivery session increased, so did student achievement. Analysis from a variety of qualitative instruments suggested the lead teacher model did impact teacher’s self confidence in science knowledge and science teaching. Historical data provided unique themes for how the district’s current lead teacher model impacted science teaching practices, and indicated suggestions for how to support teachers in the areas of science curriculum, assessment, and future professional development. Results from the research will provide district personnel with recommendations for how to enhance the lead teacher model during the continued transition to new science standards