Hot-wiring community

ABSTRACT In response to the \u27digital divide\u27, national and local governments in the UK, the US and Australia have embarked on various initiatives designed to promote the use of computer networks in low-income communities. These initiatives involve common models of self-help and mutual obligation; the pattern is one where government provides seed funding to encourage public-private partnerships between disadvantaged communities, businesses, philanthropists and universities. Together they rig up a solution to information poverty, giving people access to information technologies in their homes. The idea is that people will be better able to share resources, find work, acquire qualifications, help themselves and trust one another. Already, however, the reality has fallen short of expectations. It taken a long time for technical experimentation to find success; often, meanwhile, the public-private partnership model has broken down. More importantly for broader social policy discussion, there is a prevailing confusion about whether the focus should be on employment, education and training outcomes, or on more diffuse ideas about social cohesion. This paper reviews international examples of success and failure in building wired communities, putting the case for a stronger focus on selfeducation, informal learning and employment outcomes rather than on community-building and social cohesion

Onset Patterns of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Mixed Method Approach

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) refer to a debilitating illness without a universally accepted or well-understood etiology. Some experts have suggested that there are multiple pathways to the development of ME and CFS, which may also indicate multiple onset patterns. Due to unanswered questions regarding etiology, the onset of ME and CFS is considered a key area of inquiry. Case criteria for ME and CFS and much of the academic literature suggest that patients typically experience one of two possible onset patterns: sudden or gradual. Many experts consider the mode of ME and CFS onset an important factor for differentiating patients on key dimensions including etiology, health status, prognosis, and psychiatric comorbidity. Previous literature has suggested a link between sudden ME and CFS onset and a viral/infectious etiology, lower psychopathology, and worse health outcomes. However, other studies have found opposite or inconclusive findings. In order to replicate and build on previous research, the current study is an investigation of whether mode of onset differentiates individuals with ME and CFS on etiology, psychopathology, and daily functioning. It was hypothesized that individuals with sudden onsets would more likely report that a virus/infection preceded their illness, attribute their illness to physical causes, evidence lower lifetime psychiatric comorbidity, report poorer physical functioning, and have better mental health outcomes compared to the gradual onset group. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) and the Pearson’s chi-squared test of independence. Results revealed that mode of illness onsetdid not differentiate individuals on key factors related to etiology, psychopathology, and prognosis. The lack of a universal definition for mode of illness onset is likely contributing to the inconsistencies in the percentage of sudden versus gradual ME and CFS onsets reported in the literature. Given the ambiguous etiology, complex symptom profile, and heterogeneous onset patterns associated with ME and CFS, it would be useful to better define onset. An in-depth investigation of ME and CFS onset can provide insight into early symptoms, onset duration, and the progression of functional disability. Few studies have utilized qualitative inquiry to understand the patient’s perspective of onset. Based on previous research documenting the rich information that can be gained from personal illness narratives, the second phase of the study involved phone interviews with individuals with ME and CFS. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to gain rich descriptions of illness onset from the patients’ point of view. Overall, qualitative findings revealed detailed descriptions of ME and CFS onset experiences. Major themes that emerged from the data included: onset/illness progression patterns, illness causes, methods of adapting and coping, hardworking and active lives prior to onset, healthy lives prior to onset, prior health problems, comorbid health conditions, emotional responses to onset, exertional effects, the illness as life limiting, stress, traumatic experiences, lack of support, support, and treatment limitations. A closer examination of the onset/illness progression patterns that emerged from the data provided evidence that individuals with ME and CFS experience complex onset patterns. Furthermore, the study findings suggest that the method of categorizing individuals into sudden versus gradual onset groups may not be useful as it fails to capture the more nuanced and varied onset experiences. Prospective research studies that capture the onset period as it is developing could lead to improvements in the way we define and assess ME and CFS onset, and may also lead to methods for early detection, prevention, and individualized treatment approaches for this multifaceted and debilitating illness

Educational Benefits from Immersion into Fiction and Nonfiction Literary Worlds

Reading fiction is positively correlated with many educational and social benefits. The current study explored a comparison of historical fiction and nonfiction read alouds to determine if differences were observed in student’s transportation, content learning and socio-emotional development. The participants consisted of 40 students with ages ranging from 9- to 12-years-old. Over the period of one week, four classrooms were visited by a researcher for three sessions where excerpts from a fiction novel or nonfiction book were read aloud. The participants were then assessed on their content knowledge of the Great Depression, and their self-reports of transportation, perspective taking, fantasy, empathetic concern and helping behaviours. Through quantitative and qualitative data analysis, it was discovered that both fiction and nonfiction groups learned the same amount of content; however, fiction allowed for more positive relationships between transportation and socio-emotional development self-reports. Therefore, fiction novels can provide opportunities for the learning of historical information, while enabling a child’s growth in socio-emotional development

Effects of Timeframe on the Recall Reliability of ME/CFS Symptoms

This study served as an investigation of the effects of symptom stability, timeframe length, and momentary symptom severity on the recall reliability of symptoms experienced by individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). ME/CFS symptoms were assessed at four recall timeframes (right now, the past week, the past month, and the past six months) and at two assessment points. Analyses revealed that test-retest reliability was significantly stronger for recall of post-exertlonal malaise (PEM), headaches, and memory problems, when these symptoms were perceived to be stable over time rather than variable. It was also revealed that the optimal timeframe for variable ME/CFS symptoms differed across symptoms. Momentary symptom severity impacted recall reliability for two symptoms (sore throats and concentration problems) and only when the recall timeframe was six months. In general, analyses revealed that the optimal timeframe for reliably reporting stable ME/CFS symptoms is highly uniform, such that each of the symptoms measured were more reliably recalled at the six month timeframe. Furthermore, when symptom stability and momentary severity were removed from the analyses, individuals were most reliable in reporting the majority of their symptoms over a six month timeframe. This study provides evidence that timeframe, symptom stability, and momentary severity can influence the recall reliability of reporting ME/CFS symptoms. Furthermore, results showed that individuals with this illness are capable of reliably recalling their symptoms over longer timeframes than might be expected. An increased awareness and understanding of the impact that these contextual factors on recall reliability of ME/CFS symptoms would likely improve the way in which this complex illness is understood, diagnosed, and treated

Community-engaged dramaturgy : the role of young audiences in New Work development

textTheatre for young audiences (TYA) is a field defined by its intergenerational audiences, and TYA artists have the responsibility to engage this target audience as active participants at all stages of the creative process. While young people have opportunities to act as artistic agents in the related areas of youth theatre and theatre education, where their participation is the focus of the work, TYA needs to further explore the role of young people in professional theatre-making spaces. Building on emerging scholarship and practices of involving young people in new play development, this thesis documents significant current practices and examines the collaboration between first grade students and theatre artists at UT Austin in depth. The findings in this thesis invite TYA artists and scholars to consider how intergenerational collaboration affects new work development process and product and create space for youth to influence the theatre adult artists create with and for them in TYA.Theatre and Danc

Students\u27 Perception of Value of Interactive Oral Communication as Part of Writing Course Papers

Every day students are able to discuss complex ideas relatively easily in spontaneous conversation, yet when they attempt to express complex ideas in a written paper, students often experience great difficulty. The features of face-to-face conversation and of written communication differ in a number of respects. This study examines student\u27s perceptions of peer evaluation through interactive conversation as compared to non-interactive written peer feedback. This study provides evidence that students perceive value in actively talking with others about their paper. In particular, students often prefer to talk to someone who has investment in their success and who can give them constructive, honest advice. This study provides some initial evidence that students prefer face-to-face conversing with a classmate as compared to non-interactive written peer feedback. We discuss reasons why conversing about a paper in face-to-face conversation has advantages that may benefit students in academic writing

Backboards and Backlash: The Experiences of Women\u27s Intercollegiate Basketball Players Under Title IX, 1975-1992

Enacted as a provision of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Title IX dramatically reshaped intercollegiate athletics opportunities for young women at American institutions of higher education. Yet, discrimination in intercollegiate athletics continued in the decades after the law went into effect. Using the oral history testimony of ten narrators, each a woman who played intercollegiate basketball between 1975 and 1992, this thesis explores the experiences of women’s basketball players in the first two decades after the passage of Title IX. Approaching the Title IX era through the lens of social history, this thesis asks two major questions: whether female athletes benefitted from Title IX’s introduction, and how; and why inequity persisted in intercollegiate basketball under the law. While much of the literature to date has rendered verdicts on Title IX’s success, this work finds that playing women’s college basketball under Title IX was neither all good nor all bad