Understanding the Student Perspective of Art History Survey Course Outcomes Through Game Development

This heuristic, design-based research study examines student perceptions of their learning experience in the art history survey course as manifested through a game design process. With the purpose of improving upon the lecture model of the standard art history survey, two sections of a capstone class of interdisciplinary art and design students—who had all taken the survey as part of their degree programs—selected learning objectives and designed games to accompany the introductory class. The researchers used the game design process to understand first how students perceived the survey class, its learning objectives, and the students’ experiences. Then the investigation addressed how these students designed games to aid learning of survey materials. The results offer survey course instructors significant insight into student perceptions of the structure and aims of art history’s foundational class

Comparing Dominant and Non-Dominant Torque and Work Using Biodex 3 Isokinetic Protocol for Knee Flexors and Extensors

INTRODUCTION. There is often a misconception when looking at comparing dominant and non-dominant limbs of any sort. Although there will be a lack of control in non-dominant limbs compared to dominant, the amount of torque and power associated with each limb may be equal; even so, there may be an instance of bilateral deficit, where even though the dominant limb may be used to do work on a specific limb, the non-dominant limb may still receive strength benefits. PURPOSE. The main purpose of this study is to directly relate ability (torque and total work) in both dominant and non-dominate limbs with a focus on knee flexion and extension. METHODS. Participants: Four (N = 4; 4 males, 0 females) volunteers were utilized for this study. The average age of the participants were 24.5 + 1.73 years old, average height was 71.75 + 3.20” (inches or 182.245 centimeters), and average weight was 183.26 + 45.78 pounds (83.3 kilograms). Methodology: Upon arriving to the lab, each participant was measured for height (recorded in inches) and weight (recorded in kilograms), as well as age was recorded (years). Each participant was added into the system when they attempted to perform the protocol. The protocol utilized isokinetic concentric/concentric contractions on the knee for three separate speeds or sets (30/s, 60/s, and 90/s); each set included 5 repetitions. Upon completion of each set (5 repetitions) the participant would be allowed 10 seconds of rest. Following the same protocol, all participants would complete the test using their non-dominate leg. RESULTS. The value and percent difference associated with dominant and non-dominant extension (both torque and work) were rather large. As seen in the percent difference section, the value of each percent difference were at least 7.83% (min) and as high as 27.43% (max). There was also a noticeable percent difference associated with 90/s in flexion for both torque and work between dominant and non-dominant with values at torque = 19.97% and work = 16.23%. DISCUSSION. This study may help provide insight into how dominant and non-dominant limbs may be trained and how they may be equal even without training. This may be untrue due to many variables, but this study has allowed a certain insight into how dominant and non-dominant limbs may be equal in gross motor movements. Results that find non-dominant to dominant differences may be errors due the tester and/or the participant; it may be due to the participant because of situational awareness, they may learn the protocol and movements with one leg and adjust using the other

Infusing experiential learning into a wildlife curriculum: Two models for one course

Experiential learning refers to contextually relevant knowledge acquired through problem solving, critical reflection and discussion, and decision making. It is not a new concept to academe; however, ways to incorporate experiential learning into our curriculum have been challenging as class size increases and student contact hours decrease. For wildlife students, learning experientially is an unwritten job requisite. Increasingly, students are exiting learning environments with little to no contact outside of formal lecture experiences. In this paper, we suggest ways to incorporate experiential learning into an undergraduate curriculum. Specifically, we focus on experiential learning in the wildlife curriculum with particular emphasis on the “Wildlife Techniques” course. This course is centered on teaching the practical application and limitations of various field, analytical, and management techniques. Consequently, this course is a perfect candidate to be taught using experiential learning techniques. We present two models for teaching this course that incorporates experiential learning throughout the duration of each program. One course is a two-week intensive program with little formal lecture periods, while the other is a semester-long course with a one-week intensive session at the beginning and more formal lecture, discussions, and case-study activities throughout the remainder of the semester. The pros and cons and lessons learned while teaching under these respective structures will be presented

Spatio-temporal influence of tundra snow properties on Ku-band (17.2 GHz) backscatter

During the 2010/11 boreal winter, a distributed set of backscatter measurements was collected using a ground-based Ku-band (17.2 GHz) scatterometer system at 26 open tundra sites. A standard snow-sampling procedure was completed after each scan to evaluate local variability in snow layering, depth, density and water equivalent (SWE) within the scatterometer field of view. The shallow depths and large basal depth hoar encountered presented an opportunity to evaluate backscatter under a set of previously untested conditions. Strong Ku-band response was found with increasing snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE). In particular, co-polarized vertical backscatter increased by 0.82 dB for every 1 cm increase in SWE (R2 = 0.62). While the result indicated strong potential for Ku-band retrieval of shallow snow properties, it did not characterize the influence of sub-scan variability. An enhanced snow-sampling procedure was introduced to generate detailed characterizations of stratigraphy within the scatterometer field of view using near-infrared photography along the length of a 5m trench. Changes in snow properties along the trench were used to discuss variations in the collocated backscatter response. A pair of contrasting observation sites was used to highlight uncertainties in backscatter response related to short length scale spatial variability in the observed tundra environment

Small Scale Fluids and Ordered Membranes

I have been investigating methods to study liguid crystals and membranes on a small scale, using microfluidies. I designed a system for automatically sorting micron sized droplets using di-electrophoresis. In addition to droplet sorting, I have made progress toward a system for producing smectic phase shells, with the purpose of applying an osmotic pressure to the shell. This will yield insight into the structure of the shell.</p

A Patriot for Men: The Politics of Masculinity in John Osborne\u27s A Patriot for Me

By applying David Savran’s scholarship on the politics of masculinity to John Osborne’s play A Patriot for Me (1965), I demonstrate that Osborne exemplified contradictory sexual politics in the play, and was criticized as homophobic and praised as revolutionary in similarly contradictory original reviews. I argue that play very much typifies the heteronormative politics of masculinity by placing a dominant homosexual (Redl) as protagonist, and inverts the positions of the period woman and the staged effeminate man. Redl is historically represented as a heroic homosexual, but is actually a heteronormative object. I provide evidence for this interpretation by employing Savran to conduct a close reading of the play A Patriot for Me. I also provide in my Conclusion an analysis of a notebook in the Osborne archives, purported by biographer John Heilpern to be simply notes for A Patriot for Me, but which actually contain many private ruminations on Osborne’s sexual politics that shed light on his thoughts concerning homosexuality

Mobile Work in Long Harbour

Long Harbour is a host community for most mobile workers employed at Vale’s nickel processing facility. Workers were found to commute into Long Harbour from across the province but mostly from communities within the St. John’s Census Metropolitan Region (CMA). Findings suggest that Long Harbour is also a source community, with many residents commuting daily into St. John’s for work and some commuting long-distance to Alberta and Ontario. This project, however, focused on the community impacts of mobile workers commuting to and from the nickel processing facility both for their source and host communities in the provinc