Summer Longings

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-me/1254/thumbnail.jp

Microbial technology with major potentials for the urgent environmental needs of the next decades

Several needs in the context of the water-energy-food nexus will become more prominent in the next decades. It is crucial to delineate these challenges and to find opportunities for innovative microbial technologies in the framework of sustainability and climate change. Here, we focus on four key issues, that is the imbalance in the nitrogen cycle, the diffuse emission of methane, the necessity for carbon capture and the deterioration of freshwater reserves. We suggest a set of microbial technologies to deal with each of these issues, such as (i) the production of microbial protein as food and feed, (ii) the control of methanogenic archaea and better use of methanotrophic consortia, (iii) the avoidance of nitrification and (iv) the upgrading of CO2 to microbial bioproducts. The central message is that instead of using crude methods to exploit microorganisms for degradations, the potentials of the microbiomes should be used to create processes and products that fit the demands of the cyclic market economy

Songs by Ethelbert Nevin: summer longings

https://digitalmaine.com/blue_hill_documents/1174/thumbnail.jp

Assessing the Validity and Reliability of Dichotomous Test Results Using Item Response Theory on a Group of First Year Engineering Students

Traditional measurement instruments employed to assess the performance of student’s studying on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related programmes typically involve classification based on final scores. The validity and reliability of these instruments and test forms are important considerations when assessing whether a student understands content and if not, where and in what way they are struggling. The aim of this study is to examine, validate and analyse the test results of first-year engineering student’s at an Institute of Higher Learning in Ireland who took the Purdue Spatial Visualisation Test of Rotation (PSVT:R). Results obtained were analysed using the RASCH measurement model to see if it could be used to provide an alternative means of measuring student learning and to help identify those who may require extra assistance to overcome academic deficiencies, particularly where spatial skills have been linked to success. Findings may be used to inform on future improvements to teaching approaches and styles

The Effects of Spatial Skills and Spatial Skills Training on Academic Performance in STEM Education

Spatial ability plays an important but often unacknowledged role in achieving success in science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) education. Many entering STEM disciplines have low spatial skills but these can be improved through a short training course. Accompanying improvements in academic grades and retention rates have been observed by others. This presents an opportunity to enhance the first year experience (FYE) for those with poor spatial skills. In this study the spatial skills of students entering several first year programmes in science and engineering were measured. Those identified as weak visualisers were offered a spatial skills course. Spatial skill post testing data were collected and correlations between academic grades and spatial ability were determined. No significant difference was found in the post test spatial scores of weak visualisers who attended and did not attend the course, nor was a significant difference found between the academic grades of weak and strong visualisers at the end of the first semester

A Profile of the Spatial Visualisation Abilities of First Year Engineering and Science Students

The link between spatial visualisation skills and academic and professional achievement in STEM fields is well established. It is also widely documented that men outperform women on tests of spatial ability. This disparity puts women at a relative disadvantage for academic success in STEM disciplines. Our research explores the influence of secondary academic experience on spatial visualisation ability among first year students entering an engineering or science programme. Spatial ability was measured using two standard psychometric instruments for measurement of spatial visualization. Out of eight secondary courses considered, a single course in design and computer graphics emerged as a predictor of spatial ability. Students who took this course had significantly higher scores on both measures of spatial cognition than students who did not take the course. There was no significant difference in test scores of men and women who took the course. A significant gender gap was observed among students who did not take the course

Examining the Relationship Between Physics Students’ Spatial Skills and Conceptual Understanding of Newtonian Mechanics

One of the primary motivating factors of physics educators is to ensure a high level of conceptual understanding is achieved by their students. Furthermore it has been shown that success in physics and engineering courses is strongly related to students\u27 spatial skills. Conceptual and spatial skills tests have been independently developed and reported in the literature as a measure of each of these competencies. In this study we examine correlations between spatial skills and conceptual understanding using two of these tests in order to determine the relationship, if any, between students\u27 conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics and their spatial skills. Spatial skills and Conceptual understanding of physics are tested using the Purdue Spatial Visualisation Test of Rotations (PSVT:R) and the Force Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) respectively. Correlations between PSVT:R and FCME scores are presented along with significant gender biases in both test scores