Simulation study of traffic-sensor noise effects on utilization of traffic situation display for self-spacing task

The effect of traffic sensor noise on the ability of a pilot to perform an intrail spacing task was determined. The tests were conducted in a fixed base cockpit simulator configured as a current generation transport aircraft, with an electronic traffic display provided in the weather radarscope location. The true positions of the traffic were perturbed in both relative range and azimuth by random errors to simulate traffic sensor noise associated with an onboard sensor. The evaluation task involved simulated instrument approaches into a terminal area while maintaining self separation on a lead aircraft. Separation performance data and pilot subjective ratings and comments were obtained. The results of the separation data indicate that displayed traffic position errors, having standard deviation values up to 0.3-n.mi. range and 8 deg azimuth, had negligible effect on the spacing performance achieved by the pilots. Speed profiles of the lead aircraft, display of the lead aircraft groundspeed, and individual pilot techniques were found to significantly affect the mean spacing performance

Teachers\u27 Self-Directed Informal Learning for Technology Integration in 1:1 Device High Schools

Public schools are implementing 1:1 computing programs in the hopes of transforming education to provide students with the digital literacy competencies that will enable them to be successful in our technology driven world. Continuous professional learning is critical in helping teachers develop the knowledge and skills for effective educational technology integration. Research has found however, that formal professional development, commonly implemented as one-time workshops with outside facilitators, are ineffective due to the multi-dimensional nature of technology integration. Teacher continuous professional learning outside of the formal context needs be considered. This survey study will explore the self-directed informal online and offline learning behaviors for technology integration of public high school teachers in 1:1 device schools. The findings from this study indicate that teachers are frequently engaged in informal learning activities for technology integration. Teachers regularly engage in traditional socio-constructivist activities through independent exploration, practice, and routinely asking their colleagues for help. Although searching the Internet to learn is the most commonly reported online activity, more sophisticated uses of technology to learn were limited. Teacher learning goals were also found to predict certain learner behaviors. The findings from this study inform both teachers and professional developers of the possibilities of informal learning as a legitimate form of professional lifelong learning

Illustrating the Central Limit Theorem Through Microsoft Excel Simulations

Using Microsoft Excel, several interactive, computerized learning modules are developed to demonstrate the Central Limit Theorem. These modules are used in the classroom to enhance the comprehension of this theorem. The Central Limit Theorem is a very important theorem in statistics, and yet because it is not intuitively obvious, statistics students often have difficulty accepting it. Nevertheless, understanding this theorem is essential because of its importance in statistical inference

Synchro phase selector aid

Phase selector permits multiple leads of synchro devices to be randomly connected while proper interconnections are determined by operating selector switches. Operation of these switches varies both phase and rotation relationship of synchro devices

A Microsoft Excel Simulation Illustrating The Central Limit Theorems Appropriateness For Comparing The Difference Between The Means Of Any Two Populations

Using Microsoft Excel, several interactive, computerized learning modules are developed to illustrate the Central Limit Theorems appropriateness for comparing the difference between the means of any two populations. These modules are used in the classroom to enhance the comprehension of this theorem as well as the concepts that provide the foundation for inferences involving the comparison of two population means

Teaming up to Teach Teamwork in an LIS Master’s Degree Program

Objective – Collaboration and working in teams are key aspects of all types of librarianship, but library and information studies (LIS) students often perceive teamwork and group work negatively. LIS schools have a responsibility to prepare graduates with the skills and experiences to be successful working in teams in the field. Through a grant from the university office of assessment, the assessment committee at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies explored their department’s programmatic approach to teaching teamwork in the MLIS curriculum. Methods – This research followed a multi-method design including content analysis of syllabi, secondary analysis of student evaluation of teaching (SET) data, and interviews with alumni. Syllabi were analyzed for all semesters from fall 2010 to spring 2016 (n = 210), with 81 syllabi further analyzed for details about their team assignments. Some data was missing from the dataset of SETs purchased from the vendor, resulting in a dataset of 39 courses with SET data available. Interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of alumni about their experiences with teamwork in the LIS program and their view of how well the LIS curriculum prepared them for teamwork in their careers (n = 22). Results – Findings indicate that, although alumni remembered teamwork happening too often, it was required in just over one-third of courses in the sample period (fall 2010 to spring 2016), and teamwork accounted for about one-fifth of assignments in each of these courses. Alumni reported mostly positive experiences with teamwork, reflecting that teamwork assignments are necessary for the MLIS program because teamwork is a critical skill for librarianship. Three themes emerged from the findings: alumni perceived teamwork to be important for librarians and therefore for the MLIS program, despite this perception there is also a perception that the program has teamwork in too many courses, and questions remain about whether faculty perceive teaching teamwork as important and how to teach teamwork skills in the MLIS curriculum. Conclusions – Librarians need to be able to collaborate internally and externally, but assigning team projects does not guarantee students will develop the teamwork skills they need. An LIS program should be proactive in teaching skills in scheduling, time management, personal accountability, and peer evaluation to prepare students to be effective collaborators in their careers

To what extent are temperature levels changing due to greenhouse gas emissions?

Weather and temperatures vary in ways that are difficult to explain and predict precisely. In this article we review data on temperature variations in the past as well possible reasons for these variations. Subsequently, we review key properties of global climate models and statistical analyses conducted by others on the ability of the global climate models to track historical temperatures. These tests show that standard climate models are rejected by time series data on global temperatures. Finally, we update and extend previous statistical analysis of temperature data (Dagsvik et al., 2020). Using theoretical arguments and statistical tests we find, as in Dagsvik et al. (2020), that the effect of man-made CO2 emissions does not appear to be strong enough to cause systematic changes in the temperature fluctuations during the last 200 years

On a new process for cusp irregularity production

Two plasma instability mechanisms were thought until 2007 to dominate the formation of plasma irregularities in the F region high latitude and polar ionosphere; the gradient-drift driven instability, and the velocity-shear driven instability. The former mechanism was accepted as accounting for plasma structuring in polar cap patches, the latter for plasma structuring in polar cap sun aligned arcs. Recent work has established the need to replace this view of the past two decades with a new patch plasma structuring process (not a new mechanism), whereby shear-driven instabilities first rapidly structure the entering plasma, after which gradient drift instabilities build on these large "seed" irregularities. Correct modeling of cusp and early polar cap patch structuring will not be accomplished without allowing for this compound process. This compound process explains several previously unexplained characteristics of cusp and early polar cap patch irregularities. Here we introduce additional data, coincident in time and space, to extend that work to smaller irregularity scale sizes and relate it to the structured cusp current system