A Case Study of a Learning Management System in a New Zealand Secondary School

This project was a case study of the use of a learning management system (LMS) within a New Zealand secondary school. The interpretive study aimed to find out why the LMS was purchased, to examine the extent and patterns of its use within the school, and to identify factors that may be impeding or enabling its use. Data on user perceptions of the use of the LMS were gathered from students, teachers and administration staff through questionnaire, individual interviews and focus group interviews. User login data from LMS records were also used. The study findings indicate that KnowledgeNet is currently being used predominantly as a content management system rather than a genuine LMS. Usage of the system within the school is moderate to high, especially with student users, but students perceive they are not using the system adequately. The findings reveal a number of impediments to the effective use of the system within the school and make several recommendations as to how these issues might be addressed. The study also makes recommendations to address the shortage of research on LMS implementations in NZ to help guide schools in the choice and implementation of LMS

Examining the factors shaping the population structure of Thalassoma bifasciatum in the Lemon keys, Guna Yala, Panama

Research question What is the population structure of Thalassoma bifasciatum in the Lemon Keys, Guna Yala, Panama? Research objective To examine size class structure of Thalassoma bifasciatum and how its abundance and density vary in relation to factors such as substrate, species diversity and depth

Register in Mah Meri

This paper presents the results of a first phonetic investigation of register in Mah Meri, a Southern Aslian language spoken in Peninsular Malaysia, and part of the larger Austroasiatic family spread throughout South and Southeast Asia. Voice register, a complex of laryngeal and supralaryngeal properties, is a common areal feature amongst members of the Austroasiatic family (particularly the Mon-Khmer group) but has never previously been reported to occur in an Aslian language. We consider general spectral appearance, duration and f0 in order to see how well they correlate with perceived differences in register

Promoting a Culture of Integrity: A Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty at a Large Public Midwestern University

Research reveals that reducing academic misconduct requires an understanding of factors that influence the two key stakeholders in the epidemic: students who engage in academically dishonest behaviors and faculty who are charged with the responsibility of reporting and deterring the behavior (e.g., Prenshaw, Straughan & Albers-Miller, 2000). In response, a body of research reveals that in order to alter the environment in which academic dishonesty occurs, an understanding of how individuals perceive dishonesty and its severity is of great importance (Roberts & Rabinowitz, 1992). Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions and student perceptions of academic dishonesty. The study involved 561 undergraduate students and 112 faculty members who primarily teach undergraduate courses at a large public Midwestern institution during the Fall Semester 2011. Participants completed an anonymous, online questionnaire that was composed of three preexisting scales: the Attitudes toward Academic Dishonesty Scale (Davis et al., 1992; Bolin, 2004), the Academic Dishonesty Scale (McCabe & Trevino, 1997c) and the Academic Integrity Survey (McCabe, 2008d). Utilizing a series of frequency counts, mean scores and one-way ANOVAs, similarities and differences were found within faculty perceptions and student perceptions for the dependent variables under study. Results of the study revealed statistically significant differences within faculty responses to student engagement in behaviors identified as academically dishonest and within student responses and faculty responses to perceptions of institutional policies and procedures that address dishonesty. Further, the results of the study support research that reveals students may not perceive certain behaviors as constituting dishonesty (e.g., Brown, 2002; Carpenter, Harding & Finelli, 2006; Godfrey & Waugh, 1998; Rabi, Patton, Fjortoff & Zgarrick, 2005; Rakovsky & Levy, 2007) and that faculty perceptions of student engagement in specific behaviors identified as academically dishonest may be more negative than student self-reports of engagement (e.g., Nolan, Smith & Dai, 1998; Pe Symaco & Marcelo, 2002)

Witnessing violence: The link to reactive aggression

This study uses a multiple regression correlational (MRC) analytic approach to examine the association between witnessing violence and reactive aggression, post-traumatic stress, and insecure attachment. One hundred adult male California State University students were surveyed using the Conflict Tactics Scale, the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment scale, the Child Report of Post Traumatic Symptoms scale, the Conduct Disorder scale, and the Modified Impact of Events scale

School-based agricultural education instructors' self-perceptions of well-being

The purpose of this Q methodology study was to explore Oklahoma school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers' perceptions of their well-being.Twenty-four SBAE teachers from Oklahoma sorted a Q set of 40 statements related to well-being. Through centroid analysis and varimax rotation, two factors were identified for interpretation. Arrays, demographic information, field notes, and post-sort interviews were used to interpret the factors: the Network Builders and the Confident Connectors.The Network Builders recognize abundant social support from their community and others in a profession that provides purpose to these educators. The Confident Connectors also recognize a natural social support that allows for a community embeddedness through strong family ties. Statements related to the discussion of mental health and potential irreversible tolls to physical health caused by work were sorted "most unlike" by these groups.Findings indicate a strong social support system through family ties, community support, or a network of other educators may provide important aspects of SBAE teacher well-being

Effect of the Coriolis Force on the Hydrodynamics of Colliding Wind Binaries

Using fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the effect of the Coriolis force on the hydrodynamic and observable properties of colliding wind binary systems. To make the calculations tractable, we assume adiabatic, constant velocity winds. The neglect of radiative driving, gravitational deceleration, and cooling limit the application of our models to real systems. However, these assumptions allow us to isolate the effect of the Coriolis force, and by simplifying the calculations, allow us to use a higher resolution (up to 640^3) and to conduct a larger survey of parameter space. We study the dynamics of collidng winds with equal mass loss rates and velocities emanating from equal mass stars on circular orbits, with a range of values for the ratio of the wind to orbital velocity. We also study the dynamics of winds from stars on elliptical orbits and with unequal strength winds. Orbital motion of the stars sweeps the shocked wind gas into an Archimedean spiral, with asymmetric shock strengths and therefore unequal postshock temperatures and densities in the leading and trailing edges of the spiral. We observe the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the contact surface between the shocked winds in systems with orbital motion even when the winds are identical. The change in shock strengths caused by orbital motion increases the volume of X-ray emitting post-shock gas with T > 0.59 keV by 63% for a typical system as the ratio of wind velocity to orbital velocity decreases to V_w/V_o = 2.5. This causes increased free-free emission from systems with shorter orbital periods and an altered time-dependence of the wind attenuation. We comment on the importance of the effects of orbital motion on the observable properties of colliding wind binaries.Comment: 12 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Related to the use, Maintenance, and Disposal of a Residential Structure

Virtual residential houses in Atlanta, Georgia, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, were analyzed to determine energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission during the building use, maintenance, and demolition phases of their life cycle. An analysis of Census data on housing stocks provided estimates for the useful life of a house. Home Energy Saver, an internet tool for energy analysis sponsored by the Department of Energy and available from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was the primary tool used in assessing energy consumption for heating and cooling during the use phase of the buildings. A survey on the life span of house components by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) was used to estimate a maintenance/replacement schedule. Emissions during demolition and transport to the landfill were estimated based on the initial bill of materials in the house and distance to the landfill.The energy consumption over a 75-year life was estimated to be 4,575 GJ for the Atlanta wood frame, 4,725 GJ for the Atlanta concrete block structure, and 7,800 GJ for the Minneapolis wood frame. A steel-framed Home Energy Saver model was not available, but since the steel-framed house was designed to code for equal thermal properties with the wood frame house, we assume no difference. Energy consumption related to structural/exterior maintenance was estimated at 110.5 GJ for the Atlanta location and 73.3 GJ for Minneapolis, only 1-2% as large as used for heating and cooling. The energy needed for demolition and waste removal was even smaller.Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the consumed energy were estimated using the regional energy grids in SimaPro at 227,000 kg (501,000 lbs) for the Atlanta wood frame, 235,000 kg (519,000 lbs) for the concrete frame, and 338,000 kg (856,000 lbs) for the Minneapolis wood frame. CO2 emissions related to structural (primarily exterior) maintenance were 4143 kg and 3468 kg, respectively, for Atlanta and Minneapolis. The emissions from deconstruction and waste removal were roughly 1/10th that of maintenance.Reducing energy consumption during building use provides a major opportunity to reduce environmental burdens. When time-valued discounting over the building life is considered, reducing the burdens associated with product use and construction is equally important

Brief Report: Visuo-spatial Guidance of Movement during Gesture Imitation and Mirror Drawing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Thirteen autistic and 14 typically developing children (controls) imitated hand/arm gestures and performed mirror drawing; both tasks assessed ability to reorganize the relationship between spatial goals and the motor commands needed to acquire them. During imitation, children with autism were less accurate than controls in replicating hand shape, hand orientation, and number of constituent limb movements. During shape tracing, children with autism performed accurately with direct visual feedback, but when viewing their hand in a mirror, some children with autism generated fewer errors than controls whereas others performed much worse. Large mirror drawing errors correlated with hand orientation and hand shape errors in imitation, suggesting that visuospatial information processing deficits may contribute importantly to functional motor coordination deficits in autism