The space of Anosov diffeomorphisms

We consider the space \X of Anosov diffeomorphisms homotopic to a fixed automorphism $L$ of an infranilmanifold $M$. We show that if $M$ is the 2-torus $\mathbb T^2$ then \X is homotopy equivalent to $\mathbb T^2$. In contrast, if dimension of $M$ is large enough, we show that \X is rich in homotopy and has infinitely many connected components.Comment: Version 2: referee suggestions result in a better expositio

The Relationship between Enrollment in Service Learning Courses and Deep Approaches to Learning: A Campus Study

Utilizing 2012 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data for both freshmen and senior students on a college campus, this study isolates the influence of participation in service learning courses on freshmen and senior students’ application of deep approaches to learning. Deep learning, as compared to surface learning, describes the extent to which a student engages in the learning process. Students who use deep learning strategies make more robust connections to course material by emphasizing learning activities such as integration, synthesis, and reflection. By making deeper connections, students focus on both the substance and the underlying meaning of their studies. Students learn to apply the knowledge gained to real life situations and successfully integrate this with prior learning. Multiple linear regression results for both freshmen and senior students suggest that students’ use of deep approaches to learning increased as their participation in service learning courses increased, adjusting for student characteristics and participation in other high impact practices. These findings provide a rationale for institutions to support faculty who engage with their community partners to develop service learning courses. For faculty who teach service learning courses, these findings support the value, from an institutional perspective, of the work that they do

The Relationship between Service Learning and Deep Learning

This research investigated the relationship between college students’ participation in service learning courses and their reported use of deep learning skills. An analysis of 2012 National Survey of Student Engagement data for freshmen and seniors at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis found that reported deep learning skills of higher order learning, integrative learning, and reflective learning were all higher for both freshmen and seniors who participated in service learning courses, with integrative learning skills having the greatest gain. These results contribute evidence that service learning should be valued to the extent that it contributes to student learning at the course level as well as at the institutional level and provide a rationale for institutions to support faculty who engage with the community partners to develop service learning courses

Higher order topological actions

In classical mechanics, an action is defined only modulo additive terms which do not modify the equations of motion; in certain cases, these terms are topological quantities. We construct an infinite sequence of higher order topological actions and argue that they play a role in quantum mechanics, and hence can be accessed experimentally.Comment: 7 page

IUPUI Taxonomy for Service Learning Courses

The Center for Service and Learning at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis has developed a Taxonomy of service learning courses that supports fidelity and quality by identifying six crucial attributes of service learning courses (i.e., diversity of interactions, civic competencies, community activities, critical reflection, reciprocal partnerships, and assessment)

An Introduction to the Integrated Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection Framework (I-CELER)

Cultivating ethical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics researchers and practitioners requires movement beyond reducing ethical instruction to the rational exploration of moral quandaries via case studies and into the complexity of the ethical issues that students will encounter within their careers. We designed the Integrated Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection (I-CELER) framework as a means to promote the ethical becoming of future STEM practitioners. This paper provides a synthesis of and rationale for I-CELER for promoting ethical becoming based on scholarly literature from various social science fields, including social anthropology, moral development, and psychology. This paper proceeds in five parts. First, we introduce the state of the art of engineering ethics instruction; argue for the need of a lens that we describe as ethical becoming; and then detail the Specific Aims of the I-CELER approach. Second, we outline the three interrelated components of the project intervention. Third, we detail our convergent mixed methods research design, including its qualitative and quantitative counterparts. Fourth, we provide a brief description of what a course modified to the I-CELER approach might look like. Finally, we close by detailing the potential impact of this study in light of existing ethics education research within STEM

Polycations XXII. Ru(bpy)2L2 and Ru(phen)2L2 Systems with Cationic 4,4’-Bipyridine Ligands: Syntheses, Characteristics, and Interactions with DNA

Earlier efforts have been concerned with the association of Ruthenium octahedral complexes with DNA. Since the positively charged ruthenium species has been found to associate with the electron rich major groove of double-stranded DNA, it was proposed the addition of cationic sites on the ligands attached to ruthenium would facilitate such association. Thus, we have synthesized several series of octahedral ruthenium complexes bearing ligands having within themselves cationic sites. These have been investigated in their interaction with calf thymus DNA using fluorescence titration analysis. The introduction of the cationic ligands has been found to exhibit enhanced association of the ruthenium (II) species with the DNA as compared to those without such ligands, in keeping with the original concept. This work leads us to conclude that this line of investigation can lead to useful pharmaceutical agents

What is the value of short? Exploring the benefits of episodic volunteer experiences for college students

This exploratory study is designed to understand the civic outcomes (e.g., civic-mindedness, intentions to volunteer in the future, and intentions to donate money in the future) for college students who participate in a “Day of Service”. Understanding civic outcomes for college student episodic volunteers helps to justify the investment of staff time devoted to planning and implementing short-term volunteer events by both campus and community-based organizations