mLearning, development and delivery : creating opportunity and enterprise within the HE in FE context

This research project was funded by ESCalate in 2006-7 to support Somerset College in developing the curriculum, as well as widening participation via the use of mobile communications technologies such as mp3 players and mobile phones. The Project represents a highly topical and timely engagement with the opportunities for learning provided by the burgeoning use of mobile computing/ communications devices. Activities bring together colleagues from Teacher Education and Multimedia Computing in an innovative approach to designing for and delivering the curriculum. The Project addresses pedagogic issues and also vitally involves current and future learners, providing them with a new context for skills development and entrepreneurship. Anticipated outcomes include informed development of new HE modules and professional CPD activities which address the skills and context of this emerging approach to delivering the curriculum. The Project also intends to trial and evaluate the use of mobile technologies to support a blended learning approach to programme delivery and the development of a FD module which could be delivered via a mobile computing device. An interim report and a final project report are available as Word and PDF file

Examining Ways to Promote Water Conservation at Golf Courses in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois

The purpose of this study was to examine ways for golf courses in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, to promote water conservation. As the demand for freshwater exponentially increases around the United States, it becomes necessary to examine current freshwater uses, especially those for recreational purposes. Golf courses are one of the largest freshwater users, with a typical course consuming hundreds of thousands of gallons every day for grass maintenance. With water shortages and insecure future water supplies, golf courses around the United States are urgently looking for ways to promote water conservation. This includes golf courses in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The severe drought in the summer of 2012 amplified the importance of promoting water conservation at golf courses in Bloomington-Normal. My research focused on examining ways for these golf courses to conserve water. Through extensive archival research, observations of five selected golf courses, and in-depth interviews with local golf course superintendents, local water resource personnel, local golfers, and other knowledgeable community members, I have determined that there is substantial room for Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, golf courses to use water more wisely. The current average water use for each of the five selected Bloomington-Normal golf courses -- of around 300,000 gallons per day -- could be dramatically lowered with both maintenance updates and by changing the average golfer’s perceptions about how a golf course should look and be maintained. Unfortunately, I have also determined that some significant barriers exist for promoting golf course water conservation. I recommend extensive further research into changing the average golfer’s perception about how the typical American golf course should look and be maintained

Policy & Privilege in Photovoltaics: a Community Level Analysis In San Diego County

This research investigates the demographic and local government permit characteristics of communities with high levels of solar adoption in the San Diego Region. Utilizing a statistical model, this research illustrates which communities have been able to benefit from the current solar incentive programs in a robust market with an abundant solar resource. In San Diego, zip codes with large proportions of people over 65 have the highest correlation with high levels of residential solar adoption. This potentially illustrates that the life changes associated with retiring, including accumulated wealth, stable homeownership, and a fixed income, make residential solar systems accessible and appealing. Moving forward solar policy should expand to better facilitate installations for renters, sharing between neighbors, and clear pathways to retrofit older homes

Assessment Flooding and Rainwater Harvesting in Kaiaka Bay Watershed, O‘ahu, Hawaii

OCN 499 - Undergraduate Thesi

The Effects of Kids’ Cooking Camps on Native American Children’s Knowledge and Habits Related to Food Safety, Preparation, and Nutrition

A pilot research study was conducted to determine if cooking camps could increase knowledge and improve habits of Native American children related to food safety, nutrition, and reported food and exercise habits. Forty Native American youth were recruited for participation in one of four kids’ cooking camps. Each child took a pre-assessment upon their arrival at camp and a post-assessment on the last day of camp, as well as a pre- and post-test for each lesson. The children participated in lessons and food preparation activities during the six hours per day, four day camp. The thirty subjects taking both the pre- and post-assessment had significant increases in physical activity and food safety knowledge. Parents/guardians provided their input through focus groups and phone interviews. Parents reported their children increased consumption of fruits and vegetables after camp

Visual System Development in People with One Eye: Behaviour and Structural Neural Correlates

Postnatal monocular deprivation from the surgical removal (enucleation) of one eye in humans results in intact spatial form vision, although its consequences on motion perception development are less clear. Changes in brain structure following early monocular enucleation have either been assessed in species whose visual system is quite different from humans, or in enucleated monkeys and humans following short-term survival. In this dissertation, I sought to determine the long-term effects of enucleation on visual system development by examining behavioural visual abilities and visual system morphology in adults who have had one eye enucleated early in life due to retinoblastoma. In Chapter II, I conducted a series of speed and luminance contrast discrimination tasks not yet implemented in this group. Early monocular enucleation results in impaired speed discrimination but intact contrast perception compared to binocular and monocular viewing controls. These findings suggest differential effects of enucleation on the development of spatial form vision and motion perception. In Chapters III and IV, I obtained high-resolution structural magnetic resonance images to assess the morphological development of subcortical (Chapter III) and cortical (Chapter IV) structures in the visual pathway. Early monocular enucleation resulted in decreased optic chiasm width and volume, optic tract diameters, and lateral geniculate nuclei (LGN) volumes compared with binocularly intact controls. Surprisingly, however, optic tract diameter and LGN volume decreases were less severe contralateral to the remaining eye. Early monocular enucleation also resulted in increased grey matter surface area of visual and non-visual cortices compared with binocularly intact controls. Consistent with the LGN asymmetry, increased surface area of the primary visual cortex was restricted to the hemisphere contralateral to the remaining eye. Surprisingly, however, these increases were found for those with right- but not left-eye enucleation, suggesting different developmental time periods for each hemisphere. Possible mechanisms of altered development following early monocular enucleation include: 1) recruitment of deafferented cells by the remaining eye, 2) retention of deafferented cells due to feedback from visual cortex, and 3) a disruption in synaptic pruning. These data highlight the importance of receiving normal levels of binocular visual input during infancy for typical visual development

The Origin, Genetic Diversity and Taxonomy of the Invasive Diatom Didymosphenia geminata (Bacilliariophyceae) in New Zealand

This thesis describes an investigation of the origin, genetic diversity and taxonomy of Didymosphenia geminata, in New Zealand. D. geminata, commonly known as Didymo or Rock Snot , is a freshwater diatom, a photosynthetic alga with a silica shell. It attaches to rocks and plants by its mucilaginous stalks, its large blooms often covering all available substrates and causing shifts in community structure. Although it was historically associated with high altitude, oligotrophic waters, it is now showing increased ecological tolerance. It has been increasing in abundance and range in Europe and North America and has been introduced into new areas including New Zealand, Iran and India. Since the first discovery of D. geminata in New Zealand in October 2004, it has spread rapidly across the South Island. I have conducted a phylogeographic study of D. geminata samples from Europe, Asia, North America and New Zealand, using D. geminata-specific primers to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. I have also used these primers to amplify the small nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) subunit 18S to investigate the taxonomic placement of D. geminata within the pennate diatoms. Results from this investigation indicate that D. geminata may belong to the Family Cymbellaceae. It appears that D. geminata may have been introduced though several different introduction events to North America from Europe and then to New Zealand from North America. These results can be used to inform strategies regarding the control and management of this invasive species, including lending support for continuation of the Biosecurity New Zealand program aimed at improving public, and especially freshwater users', awareness and responsibility regarding D. geminata in New Zealand. This program is especially important as dispersal appears to be human-mediated. Limiting the number and source of introductions to an area can reduce the potential for increased genetic variation and thus adaptation to new environments