Rowan After Hours: the impact of student employment on student engagement

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of student employment in Rowan After Hours (RAH) on student engagement at Rowan University. All respondents were employed by RAH during the spring 2013 semester. A survey was used to gather information on various aspects of subject engagement on campus, including how often students contributed to academic classes, utilized information learned in class in their academics or daily life, interacted with faculty or staff, time spent completing various tasks, number of pages written throughout the semester, and work and co-curricular experiences. Established research indicates that engaging students in a variety of educationally productive activities is associated with self-reported gains in general abilities, critical thinking skills, learning, and persistence. The findings of this study suggest that RAH student employees are more highly engaged at their institution than students at similar large, master\u27s granting institutions. Moreover, evidence suggests that the OSA student development model, focusing on promoting student engagement, is meeting its goals and objectives

Testing the Optomotor Response in Sepia bandensis

Cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish) have commonly been used as models to test visual function and camouflage due to their similarity in eye morphology with humans and because of their readily observable changes in body color in response to visual stimuli. Most studies have used a single species, Sepia officinalis, to make broad conclusions about camouflage and vision. However, these generalizations may not be applicable to all species. Here, I have examined visual function of the dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis), which differs from S. officinalis in habitat, geographic range, and size. Using the optomotor response, I quantified the minimum separable angle (MSA) of resolution, a behavioral measure of visual acuity, by recording cuttlefish movement in response to rotating black and white stripes of decreasing stripe width. The threshold of visual acuity for these experiments was a stripe width of 5mm and a MSA of 3.76°. These results indicate that S. bandensis has poorer visual acuity than S. officinalis (MSA 0.57°), and therefore, may be less able to resolve fine details in the environment. The ability to perceive these fine details enables animals to navigate, forage, and communicate with conspecifics. Future work should examine the behavioral ecology of S. bandensis to understand the biological and physical environmental context in which visual cues are used by this species

Beyond the ritual of exchange: The culture of alienation shared between soldiers along the Rappahannock during the winter of 1862--63

Between December 1862 and April 1863, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and Union Army of the Potomac remained stalemated across from one another on the Rappahannock River. Following the victory at the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Confederate Army held the city while the Union forces remained across the river in Falmouth, Virginia. Soldiers on both sides had several reasons for discontent at this point in the war. The larger causes that drove these men to enlist and fight faded as larger political issues, incompetent commanders, and the difficulties of camp life intensified. Union and Confederate soldiers felt infringement on their independence and looked for other ways to regain their manhood. While soldiers on both sides took their turn on picket duty, they were only a stone\u27s throw away from their enemy. The permeability of the river and a truce against firing allowed for quite possibly the largest instance of fraternization throughout the Civil War.;While soldiers sat on picket duty across from their enemy, they sang songs, shared jokes, and shouted to one another. As this behavior became accepted, soldiers sent sailboats across with coffee in exchange for tobacco and vice versa. Newspapers were also a hot commodity for exchange. Despite ordinances by both General Lee and General Hooker, soldiers continued to trade items and even began to cross the river. Why would soldiers risk their lives for an enemy that weeks earlier they fought against at the Battle of Fredericksburg? The answer to this question lies in the analysis of the deeper meaning of fraternization, which is at the center of this study. Fraternization was not just an exchange of coffee and tobacco, but served as a larger purpose and had a very complex meaning. When soldiers met one another across enemy lines, they shared stories of home and combat, and talked of peace. These interactions were possible through a common soldier culture of alienation. Confederates were able to relate to disheartened Union soldiers through a common bond of sacrifice and honor. As seasoned veteran soldiers, Federals and Confederates felt that they had more in common with one another than the generals who led them and the politicians at home. This culture of alienation created a bond that was strong enough for these men to travel behind enemy lines, exchange commodities, and share emotions. Fraternization was a subtle form of dissent and did not deter men from staying and they continued to fight at Chancellorsville. The same unity and empathy that brought these men together on the Rappahannock, kept them in their ranks. Therefore, the unique culture developed through fraternization serves as a tool in the development of the synthesis of the Civil War soldier experience

Rooted in Resilience: A Framework for the Integration of Well-Being in Teacher Education Programs

The process of teaching students is incredibly difficult. Oftentimes, the adversities of the profession sway highly effective teachers into social and emotional deficits, and eventually lead to burnout (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011; Wisniewski & Gargiulo, 1997). Emotional depletion, burnout, and high attrition in the profession may be costly for the educational system – both financially and academically (Klusmann, Richter, & Lüdtke, 2016). We suggest that the key to preventing burnout, and cultivating flourishing students, is through the educators themselves. Educators who are taught, practice, and implement the skills of well-being at the onset of their careers are more likely to positively adapt and endure the adversities associated with the profession. Investigation of the current integration of well-being skills in teacher education programs suggests that teaching well-being is not prioritized and, therefore, not well included in the curriculum of teacher education programs. As a result, we suggest a framework for the reform of teacher education programs, which includes well-being accreditation standards, supporting domains, and sample courses. Planting a seed of resilience within teacher education programs may allow educators to build foundational practices and pedagogies based on the science of human flourishing. We hope that our research sparks conversations about the importance of prioritizing teacher well-being and resilience

Becoming what women want : formations of masculinity in postfeminist film and television

This thesis uses a range of recent television and film texts to interrogate postfeminist media formations of masculinity. In particular, this work focuses on increasingly prevalent media narratives that are about producing men as suitable romantic partners for postfeminist women. Arguing that existing literature on postfeminism ignores or trivialises the issue of masculinity, this thesis addresses new cultural formations of masculinity that are linked not only to postfeminist discourse, but also related cultural and economic shifts such as post-industrialisation and the rise of neo-liberal cultural politics. Analysing texts from the mid-1990s to 2012, the work argues that such representations are rife with tensions and contradictions. They represent in part an ungendering of previously feminine arenas (such as the makeover, and the home) yet are also marked by a discourse that requires the reassertion of sexual difference and the maintenance of heteronormativity. As such, the urge towards coupling becomes central to these formations, across the range of texts discussed within this thesis. The thesis argues that postfeminist media representations of masculinity are often characterised by an interplay between dominant, residual and emergent formations. In the makeover show, the mission is to improve a man to satisfy his existing partner (perhaps as preparation for a proposal) or to ready him for entry into the dating market. In the lifestyle show, the advice given on how to manage domestic labour is committed to encouraging harmony between the heterosexual couple. The homebuilding sitcom focuses on the challenges of the transition between youth and the establishment of a family unit: finding the right partner, settling down, building a home, having children. The Hollywood romantic comedy, even in its recent, male-centred incarnations, still presents successful coupling as integral, essential, and inevitable, even if its attitude to the union is sometimes ambivalent. In all of these television and film genres, there is a considerable focus on how men must change in order to become, and stay, "marriageable". This emphasis on coupling is paired with images of singledom as failure, a pathologisation which, this thesis argues, is rapidly becoming ungendered. The example texts' reinforcement of compulsory heterosexuality, their focus on a particular 'life-stage' (the early stages of independent living) and the increased focus on men's private lives means that domestic space and the home become key sites in which these tensions and battles are played out. This thesis examines the central role of the home, its decor, arrangement and labour, as both one of the major negotiations of coupling and as an aesthetic strategy for representing different formations of masculinity and postfeminist dilemmas of masculinity within this group of texts

Mobile Device Use Among Rural, Low-Income Families and the Feasibility of an App to Encourage Preschoolers' Physical Activity: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundAs mobile devices are becoming ubiquitous, technology-based interventions provide a promising strategy to positively influence health behaviors of families with young children. However, questions remain about the feasibility and acceptability of intervention delivery via mobile apps in low-income, rural settings and among families with preschoolers.ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to understand the content and context of mobile device use for preschoolers; explore parent beliefs on this topic, including the acceptability of intervention delivery via mobile devices; and test a prototype of an app to encourage preschoolers' physical activity with both parents and children.MethodsParents (n=29) were recruited from 5 preschool centers in eastern, rural Colorado to complete a semistructured telephone interview regarding preschoolers' mobile device use. A second sample of parents (n=31) was recruited from the same preschool centers to view the app prototype independently and provide feedback. A third sample of preschool children (n=24) was videotaped using the app in small groups to measure engagement and record their responses to the app.ResultsFive key content areas emerged from the telephone interviews: (1) mobile devices are an important part of families' everyday routines, and parents have parameters governing their use; (2) parents often use mobile devices as a tool for behavior management; (3) parents clearly distinguish between mobile device use for learning versus entertainment; (4) parents have an overarching desire for balance in regard to their child's mobile device use; and (5) parents were generally supportive of the idea of using mobile apps for intervention delivery. From the app prototype testing with parents, participants reacted positively to the app and felt that it would be useful in a variety of situations. Testing with preschoolers showed the children were highly engaged with the app and a majority remained standing and/or actively moving through the entire length of the app.ConclusionsMobile devices are already integrated into most families' daily routines and appear to be an acceptable method of intervention delivery in low-income families in rural Colorado. The physical activity app represents an innovative way to reach these families and, with further improvements based on participant feedback, will provide children with a unique opportunity to practice key movement skills

Intracellular Signaling Contributions to Behaviors Relevant to Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine is the primary addictive substance in tobacco, and most smokers who quit will relapse within a year. Evidence shows that cigarette craving increases over time, termed “incubation.” The purpose of these studies was to see if protracted abstinence from chronic nicotine increases rat self-administration, an animal model with good face validity for human tobacco use, and if nicotine self-administration during daily exposure/after 8+ days of abstinence is regulated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell or anterior cingulate cortex (PFC). ERK kinase inhibitor U0126 was infused in the NAc shell or PFC of Long Evans rats immediately prior to daily self-administration sessions and following 8+ days of abstinence. U0126 in the PFC decreased responding for nicotine during daily sessions. Following 8+ days of abstinence, animals showed a robust increase in responding for nicotine, blocked by U0126 in the NAc shell, but not the PFC. Western blots revealed that nicotine treatment decreased levels of a substrate of ERK, ribosomal s6 kinase (RSK), in the NAc shell and increased it in the PFC, which occurred independent of abstinence period. In contrast, levels of RSK were increased in the NAc shell following a nicotine challenge during the abstinence period. In summary, our data show that the ERK signaling pathway plays a vital role in nicotine addiction during daily nicotine exposure and following periods of abstinence

The role of the right hemisphere in semantic control: A case-series comparison of right and left hemisphere stroke.

Semantic control processes guide conceptual retrieval so that we are able to focus on non-dominant associations and features when these are required for the task or context, yet the neural basis of semantic control is not fully understood. Neuroimaging studies have emphasised the role of left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in controlled retrieval, while neuropsychological investigations of semantic control deficits have almost exclusively focussed on patients with left-sided damage (e.g., patients with semantic aphasia, SA). Nevertheless, activation in fMRI during demanding semantic tasks typically extends to right IFG. To investigate the role of the right hemisphere (RH) in semantic control, we compared nine RH stroke patients with 21 left-hemisphere SA patients, 11 mild SA cases and 12 healthy, aged-matched controls on semantic and executive tasks, plus experimental tasks that manipulated semantic control in paradigms particularly sensitive to RH damage. RH patients had executive deficits to parallel SA patients but they performed well on standard semantic tests. Nevertheless, multimodal semantic control deficits were found in experimental tasks involving facial emotions and the 'summation' of meaning across multiple items. On these tasks, RH patients showed effects similar to those in SA cases - multimodal deficits that were sensitive to distractor strength and cues and miscues, plus increasingly poor performance in cyclical matching tasks which repeatedly probed the same set of concepts. Thus, despite striking differences in single-item comprehension, evidence presented here suggests semantic control is bilateral, and disruption of this component of semantic cognition can be seen following damage to either hemisphere