Assessment Narratives: The Affordances of Video Inquiry for Formative Assessment of Multiliteracies

This case study investigating primary teachers’ use of video as a multimodal tool for formative assessment of multiliteracies demonstrates a need for a more nuanced understanding of formative assessment practices. The study asked: What stories do teachers tell about student achievement when they examine multimodal (video) evidence of students at work? And, in what ways might they use this information formatively? The data sources for the study were video clips teachers provided of students at work on routine multiliteracy activities, and interviews with the teachers framed by viewing the videos together. The resulting narratives were analyzed thematically, drawing on sociocultural and sociomaterial perspectives on learning to interpret the findings. Results suggest that the method of video inquiry employed in this study can assist teachers in attending to backgrounded data and multimodal communication, and in moving from recall to justification in interpreting what they see

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThe ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) protein complexes are required for the sorting of proteins into the MVB (multivesicular body) pathway, a protein trafficking pathway that is critical for the degradation of plasma membrane proteins. As a result, the ESCRTs plays an important role in the regulation of nutrient import and cell signaling events by influencing the expression of nutrient transporters and signaling receptors on the surface of the cell. In this study we present a novel in vitro technique based on SFG (sumfrequency generation) capable of analyzing the dynamic assembly of the ESCRT complexes on planar supported lipid bilayers. We present evidence to support that this novel approach has the potential to provide information about the dynamics of the ESCRT network and to obtain data regarding the function of these protein complexes. Furthermore, we elucidated a regulatory connection between the nutrient sensing system, TORC1 (target of rapamycin complex 1), and the MVB pathway. Our results demonstrate that the MVB pathway functions to degrade non-essential biomass during starvation to replenish depleted amino acid levels. We further propose that ESCRT-dependent protein turnover is regulated by the metabolic state of the cell through TORC1 signaling. Surprisingly, we found indications that endocytosis and subsequent degradation of plasma membrane proteins is regulated by a novel starvation pathway that acts independently of TORC1. Based on our results, we present a model in which during starvation TORC1, together with an unknown regulatory pathway, increases the sorting efficiency and degradation of cargo proteins through the MVB pathway by suppressing recycling pathways. The increase in protein turnover replenishes the free amino acid pool, which allows the cell to produce stress-response proteins required to adapt to starvation conditions

Preserving the Reproductive Rights of Girls and Women in the Era of COVID-19: The Need for a Least Restrictive Solution

Fairchild and colleagues assert that while “equal” on the surface, the rapidly implemented, society-wide public health restrictions enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic veil harsh inequities (Fairchild et al. 2020). These inequities are particularly apparent in the deep erosion of sexual and reproductive health rights for women and girls

Career Aspirations in Conservative Culture

Observed gender differences in career attainment lead many observers to conclude that women and men differ in terms of career and family aspirations. Yet recent national data suggest that career and family-based attitudinal differences between men and women are shrinking, particularly among younger generations. This study asks whether men and women nearing college graduation hold different career goals, and whether these differences change over time as graduates form families and enter careers. We focus our analysis on Utah, a culturally conservative state that ranks last in terms of women’s professional advancement. By analyzing and tracking gender differences in career goals, we hope to better understand the factors that shape women’s career trajectories and contribute to gender differences in career attainment over time. Our analysis will be based on a multi-method longitudinal survey of graduating Honors students at a large R1 university. Wave 1 included a sample of graduating Seniorss who are members of the Honors Program, as well as Alumni from the Honors program. Participants completed a survey about their career aspirations and expectations. Surveys were followed by in depth interviews to further explore what experiences shaped the development of their aspirations. Wave 2 will include a similar survey that also accesses change. Wave 2 will also be supplemented by in-depth interviews with a sample of survey respondents comprised of recent graduates and alum

Contraception Options and Provision to Adolescents

Adolescent pregnancy is a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality. Adolescents who become pregnancy have lower educational attainment, are more likely to live in poverty, and have lower wellbeing. Increasing access to hormonal contraceptives and long acting reversible contraception is highly effective in reducing adolescent pregnancies. This narrative review covers key aspects of the provision of contraception to adolescents, including confidentiality, counseling, and data supporting expanded access to adolescents. We provide information for pediatric providers to start adolescent patients on contraceptives, including a detailed description of each method, including effectiveness, use, starting, side effects and benefits. Tools for counseling and prescribing are provided

Fertility Preservation after a Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of Adolescents', Parents', and Providers’ Perspectives, Experiences, and Preferences

Study Objective Survival into adulthood is now a reality for many adolescents facing cancer. Fertility preservation (FP) is rapidly advancing, but oncology providers and health systems struggle to incorporate the newest FP technologies into the clinical care of adolescents. Our objective was to systematically review and synthesize the available data regarding the perspectives, experiences, and preferences of adolescents, parents, and oncology providers about FP to inform clinical implementation of FP technologies. Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychInfo) were systematically searched for studies published between January 1999 and May 2014. Adolescents were defined as 12-18 years at the time of diagnosis or designated as pubertal/postpubertal and younger than 18 years of age. Studies were assessed for methodological quality, data were extracted using a standardized form, and results were synthesized using guidelines for a narrative syntheses of quantitative and qualitative data. Results In total, 1237 records were identified, with 22 articles, representing 17 unique studies that met the inclusion criteria. The following topics were consistently observed across studies and populations: (1) fertility in trust; (2) decision-making challenges; (3) provider knowledge and practices; and (4) discrepancies between desired and actual experiences. Conclusion Despite the challenges associated with a new cancer diagnosis, adolescents and parents value the opportunity to discuss fertility concerns and preservation options. Providers play an important role in addressing these topics for families and efforts should be made to incorporate FP discussions into routine cancer care for all adolescents, with attention paid to the unique needs of adolescents and their parents

Co-Constructed by Design: Knowledge Processes in a Fluid “Cloud Curriculum”

Two concurrent trends converge in contemporary education: the first acknowledges educational activities as social and situated prompting us to imagine new roles for community in teaching and learning; the second attends to our abilities to differentiate and individualize activities, to be responsive to learner needs. Multiliteracies theorists contend that learning can be understood as a process of ‘weaving’ backward and forward across and between different pedagogical moves. Using ‘knowledge processes’ as a theoretical lens, we explore the pedagogical moves possible when we take an award winning curricular approach to teaching Shakespeare and work with it in the context of a dynamic ‘cloud’; a generative, flexible and participatory space where learners, educators and developers are integral to the process of ‘curriculum making’. We offer examples of the multiple opportunities for the pedagogies of ‘new teacher’ and ‘new learning’ to emerge when a space for invention is created