Developing the Guided Learner Journey

The University of Hertfordshire was one of the first UK universities to embrace the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and embed it as part of our learning strategy to personalise and enhance the student experience. Our in-house built platform, Studynet, which has been in continuous use and ongoing development since 2001, has facilitated a continuum of student engagement from blended approaches to studying via online or distance learning modes. In 2014 we embarked on a two year, in-depth consultation process with students and staff to identify the vision for our future online environment. Through the process we co-developed a set of pedagogic principles and aspirations for our new VLE which resulted in our vision of a ‘Guided Learner Journey’ (GLJ). To enable our vision we purchased Canvas (a virtual learning environment) and Talis (a reading management software) and through our close working relationship, and the innovative approach of Canvas, we have embedded the softwares within Studynet to enable the implementation of the GLJ. In our presentation we will share our consultation and prototyping process as well as well as training programme we have developed to ensure the smooth implementation of our vision.Non peer reviewe

Coarse-graining of overdamped Langevin dynamics via the Mori-Zwanzig formalism

The Mori–Zwanzig formalism is applied to derive an equation for the evolution of linear observables of the overdamped Langevin equation. To illustrate the resulting equation and its use in deriving approximate models, a particular benchmark example is studied both numerically and via a formal asymptotic expansion. The example considered demonstrates the importance of memory effects in determining the correct temporal behaviour of such systems

New Navy Kitchen Serves

Helen Hudson describes modern equipment utilized in the Navy\u27s kitchen and food service at Friley Hal

Temperament and family environment in the development of anxiety disorder: Two-year follow-up.

Objective: Behavioural inhibition (BI) in early childhood is associated with increased risk for anxiety. The present research examines BI alongside family environment factors, specifically maternal negativity and overinvolvement, maternal anxiety and mother-child attachment, with a view to providing a broader understanding of the development of child anxiety. Method: Participants were 202 children classified at age 4 as either behaviourally inhibited (N=102) or uninhibited (N=100). Family environment, BI and child anxiety were assessed at baseline and child anxiety and BI were assessed again two-years later when participants were aged 6 years. Results: After controlling for baseline anxiety, inhibited participants were significantly more likely to meet criteria for a diagnosis of social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder at follow-up. Path analysis suggested that maternal anxiety significantly affected child anxiety over time, even after controlling for the effects of BI and baseline anxiety. No significant paths from parenting or attachment to child anxiety were found. Maternal overinvolvement was significantly associated with BI at follow-up. Conclusions: At age 4, BI, maternal anxiety and child anxiety represent risk factors for anxiety at age 6. Furthermore, overinvolved parenting increases risk for BI at age 6, which may then lead to the development of anxiety in later childhood

Site characterization of Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Missouri, for the purpose of hazardous waste site remediation

Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Missouri is located on a point bar along the Missouri River. Portions of the site have historically been used (1950 - 1973) as a municipal landfill receiving residential, commercial and industrial wastes. Relatively high concentrations of elemental lead have been found in small areas of the surface soil within the limits of the Park. Chemicals that may be present in the landfill wastes create a potential for groundwater contamination. A Remedial Investigation, including a series of groundwater monitoring wells is necessary to characterize groundwater geochemistry and flood-induced changes in groundwater flow direction, and to assess any potential environmental problems. During monitoring well installation and groundwater sampling, measures should be taken to obtain parameters for calibration of a computer program that could be used to simulate rates and magnitude of contaminant transport in site groundwater, if such is found to be present. Historical information gathered and data evaluation should be of applied value in determining future sampling or possible remedial action to be utilized at Riverfront Park --Abstract, page ii

Dynamical properties of coarse-grained linear SDEs

Coarse-graining or model reduction is a term describing a range of approaches used to extend the time-scale of molecular simulations by reducing the number of degrees of freedom. In the context of molecular simulation, standard coarse-graining approaches approximate the potential of mean force and use this to drive an effective Markovian model. To gain insight into this process, the simple case of a quadratic energy is studied in an overdamped setting. A hierarchy of reduced models is derived and analysed, and the merits of these different coarse-graining approaches are discussed. In particular, while standard recipes for model reduction accurately capture static equilibrium statistics, it is shown that dynamical statistics such as the mean-squared displacement display systematic error, even when a system exhibits large time-scale separation. In the linear setting studied, it is demonstrated both analytically and numerically that such models can be augmented in a simple way to better capture dynamical statistics.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures. Version accepted for publication in SIAM Multiscale Modeling and Simulatio

Temperament, family environment and anxiety in preschool children.

This research examines the relationship between behavioural inhibition (BI), family environment (overinvolved and negative parenting, parental anxiety and parent-child attachment) and anxiety in a sample of 202 preschool children. Participants were aged between 3 years 2 months and 4 years 5 months, 101 were male. A thorough methodology was used that incorporated data from multiple observations of behaviour, diagnostic interviews and questionnaire measures. The results showed that children categorised as behaviourally inhibited were significantly more likely to meet criteria for a range of anxiety diagnoses. Furthermore, a wide range of family environment factors, including maternal anxiety, parenting and attachment were significantly associated with BI, with inhibited children more likely to experience adverse family environment factors. No interactions between temperament and family environment were found for child anxiety. However, a significant relationship between current maternal anxiety and child anxiety was found consistently even after controlling for BI. Additionally, there was some evidence of a relationship between maternal negativity and child anxiety, after controlling for BI. The results may suggest that temperament and family environment operate as additive, rather than interactive risk factors for child anxiety. This is discussed in the context of theoretical models of child anxiety and directions for future research

Interpretation bias in preschool children at risk for anxiety: a prospective study.

A story-stem paradigm was used to assess interpretation bias in preschool children. Data were available for 131 children. Interpretation bias, behavioural inhibition (BI) and anxiety were assessed when children were aged between 3 years 2 months and 4 years 5 months. Anxiety was subsequently assessed 12-months, 2-years and 5-years later. A significant difference in interpretation bias was found between participants who met criteria for an anxiety diagnosis at baseline, with clinically anxious participants more likely to complete the ambiguous story-stems in a threat-related way. Threat interpretations significantly predicted anxiety symptoms at 12-month follow-up, after controlling for baseline symptoms, but did not predict anxiety symptoms or diagnoses at either 2-year or 5-year follow-up. There was little evidence for a relationship between BI and interpretation bias. Overall, the pattern of results was not consistent with the hypothesis that interpretation bias plays a role in the development of anxiety. Instead, some evidence for a role in the maintenance of anxiety over relatively short periods of time was found. The use of a story-stem methodology to assess interpretation bias in young children is discussed along with the theoretical and clinical implications of the findings

Informing early intervention: preschool predictors of anxiety disorders in middle childhood

Background: To inform early intervention practice, the present research examines how child anxiety, behavioural inhibition, maternal overinvolvement, maternal negativity, mother-child attachment and maternal anxiety, as assessed at age four, predict anxiety at age nine. Method: 202 children (102 behaviourally inhibited and 100 behaviourally uninhibited) aged 3–4 years were initially recruited and the predictors outlined above were assessed. Diagnostic assessments, using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule, were then conducted five years later. Results: Behavioural inhibition, maternal anxiety, and maternal overinvolvement were significant predictors of clinical anxiety, even after controlling for baseline anxiety (p,.05). No significant effect of negativity or attachment security was found over and above baseline anxiety (p..1). Conclusions: Preschool children who show anxiety, are inhibited, have overinvolved mothers and mothers with anxiety disorders are at increased risk for anxiety in middle childhood. These factors can be used to identify suitable participants for early intervention and can be targeted within intervention programs

A Survey of Methods of Spelling Instruction and Analysis of Textbooks Which Incorporate these Methods

The purpose of this study was to discover what general procedures in spelling instruction are considered necessary in good spelling pedagogy, regardless of what series ot texts, or whether any text, is used. In addition, the purpose was to find the specific methods of instruction believed to be most productive of good results and the texts incorporating these methods