467 research outputs found
Improving postsecondary transitions for students in rural Alaska: applying solution focused brief therapy in the school setting
Master's Project (M.Ed.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015Successful postsecondary transitions present several challenges for adolescents, and statistics show that Alaska Native youth experience additional adverse conditions and risks compared to their peers in the dominant culture. An effective intervention plan may assist rural Alaskan students in obtaining desirable education and increase opportunities for achieving personal and professional goals. This project is focused on answering the following research questions: What research has been done to show that SFBT groups could be effective in rural school settings to aid in postsecondary transitions? What components are necessary to include in an effective transition support plan for rural Alaskan students? A literature review was conducted to gain insight as to the aspects of Alaska Native culture that influence counseling outcomes, information regarding current postsecondary transition programs that are available, and the key facets of career development interventions for adolescents. This research guided the creation of a small group counseling curriculum that is grounded in the tenets of Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Family Systems Theory. The activities and discussion that are incorporated into the project target high schools in rural Alaska, and are designed to increase awareness, enhance self-efficacy, and embrace family, community and culture as vital supports in the career development process of adolescents
Are English Teachers the First Math Teachers? A Comparison of English and Mathematics Syntax
Abstract: The narrative presented hereafter will demonstrate the similarities of syntactic systems in formal written English and in generalized systems of standard computational algebra. The argument is made that algebraic systems can be taught using generalizations from written English syntax. This argument will be characterized in three parts: 1) describing the development of axiomatic systems in mathematics, 2) demonstrating the similar structure of the foundational elements used in English and mathematics, and 3) illustrating how mathematical process may be characterized by providing practical examples from written English
Immersion microscopy based on photonic crystal materials
Theoretical model of the enhanced optical resolution of the surface plasmon
immersion microscope is developed, which is based on the optics of surface
plasmon Bloch waves in the tightly bound approximation. It is shown that a
similar resolution enhancement may occur in a more general case of an immersion
microscope based on photonic crystal materials with either positive or negative
effective refractive index. Both signs of the effective refractive index have
been observed in our experiments with surface plasmon immersion microscope,
which is also shown to be capable of individual virus imaging.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure
Snapshot of Recreational Users in the Adirondacks 2020
With a marked increase in recreation in popular wilderness areas and user motivations diversifying, management practices can no longer be reactionary and based on narratives and so-called anecdotal evidence. The High Peaks Wilderness Area of the Adirondacks, considered a hot spot for hiking, is faced with heavy use that threatens trail and ecosystem health. For managers to effectively protect fragile ecosystems and provide positive recreational experiences to users, a baseline of empirical data is needed. This pilot study starts that process by characterizing recreational users of the High Peaks, exploring their intent and preparation, and gaining their perspective on management actions that address capacity issues but also raise access concerns. The study surveyed 592 recreationists at 12 trailheads in the summer of 2020. There were fewer first-time visitors than expected, and most respondents engaged in preparation for their visit, accessing authoritative material. Almost all reported familiarity with Leave No Trace principles and about 75% sought a wilderness experience. Management actions that address capacity through controlling access (e.g. shuttles, closures, permits) received lukewarm support, and the participants were not as polarized as expected, some feeling unsure. These data are essential for understanding and establishing Limits of Acceptable Change, as well as providing criteria for management goals, not only for the High Peaks region but also for other parks experiencing similar issues
Patient preference as a predictor of outcomes in a pilot trial of person-centred counselling versus low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy for persistent sub-threshold and mild depression
The aim of this analysis was to explore whether pre-treatment intervention preferences were related to outcomes for patients with persistent sub-threshold and mild depression who received one of two treatment types. Thirty-six patients took part in a two-arm, parallel group, pilot randomized controlled trial that compared short term (3 month and 6 month) outcomes of person-centred counselling (PCC) compared with low-intensity, CBT-based guided self-help (LICBT). Patient preferences for the two interventions were assessed at baseline assessment, and analysed as two independent linear variables (pro-PCC, pro-LICBT). Eight out of 30 interactions between baseline treatment preferences and treatment type were found to be significant at the p < .05 level. All were in the predicted direction, with patients who showed a stronger preference for a treatment achieving better outcomes in that treatment compared with the alternative. However, pro-LICBT was a stronger predictor of outcomes than pro-PCC. The findings provide preliminary support that treatment preferences should be taken into account when providing interventions for patients with persistent sub-threshold and mild depression. It is recommended that further research analyses preferences for different treatment types as independent variables, and examines preferences for format of treatment (e.g. guided self-help vs. face-to-face)
Reimagining school libraries: Children's perspectives and new opportunities
The Federal Government’s recent Building the Education Revolution program resulted in, among other features, the creation of over 600 new school libraries in Queensland alone. This paper reports on a component of a research project carried out with students in six primary schools and one secondary school that benefitted from the program, investigating the influences of these new physical environments on learning and teaching. In particular, this paper discusses one missing voice from the design process - that of the students who would be key users of the newly-created spaces in those schools. While opportunities for real involvement in design were minimal for most potential users of the new spaces, students’ imagined possibilities for school libraries, as submitted to the research project, suggest that students could have contributed different perspectives to enhance learning engagement through imaginative design elements. The findings of the project have relevance for teachers and teacher librarians in reconsidering the ways in which the new learning spaces are used as well as informing school designers in planning engaging school facilities. The findings may be extrapolated to the design and planning of general classrooms and other learning environments
Far-field optical microscope with nanometer-scale resolution
The resolution of far-field optical microscopes, which rely on propagating
optical modes, is widely believed to be limited because of diffraction to a
value on the order of a half-wavelength of the light used.
Although immersion microscopes have slightly improved resolution on the order
of , the increased resolution is limited by the small range of
refractive indices n of available transparent materials. Here we demonstrate a
new far-field optical microscope design, which is capable of reaching
nanometer-scale resolution. This microscope uses the fact that the effective
refractive index of a planar dielectric lens or mirror placed on a
metal surface may reach extremely large values, up to , as seen by
propagating surface optical modes (plasmons). In our design a magnified planar
image produced originally by surface plasmons in the metal plane is viewed by a
regular microscope. Thus, the theoretical diffraction limit on resolution is
pushed down to nanometer-scale values. Used in reverse,
such a microscope may become an optical lithography tool with nanometer-scale
spatial resolution.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.Letters, 14 pages, 4 figure
Magnetic light
In this paper we report on the observation of novel and highly unusual
magnetic state of light. It appears that in small holes light quanta behave as
small magnets so that light propagation through such holes may be affected by
magnetic field. When arrays of such holes are made, magnetic light of the
individual holes forms novel and highly unusual two-dimensional magnetic light
material. Magnetic light may soon become a great new tool for quantum
communication and computing.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.Lett., 3 figure
Goal-neglect links Stroop interference with working memory capacity
Relationships between Stroop interference and working memory capacity may reflect individual differences in resolving conflict, susceptibility to goal neglect, or both of these factors. We compared relationships between working memory capacity and three Stroop tasks: a classic, printed color-word Stroop task, a cross-modal Stroop, and a new version of cross-modal Stroop with a concurrent auditory monitoring component. Each of these tasks showed evidence of interference between the semantic meaning of the color word and the to-be-named color, suggesting these tasks each require resolution of interference. However, only Stroop interference in the print-based task with high proportions of congruent trials correlated significantly with working memory capacity. This evidence suggests that the relationships observed between Stroop interference and working memory capacity are primarily driven by individual differences in the propensity to actively maintain a goal. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
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