Adapting e-learning and learning services for people with disabilities

Providing learning materials and support services that are adapted to the needs of individuals has the potential to enable learners to obtain maximal benefit from university level studies. This paper describes EU4ALL project which has been exploring how to present customized learning materials and services for people with disabilities. A number of the technical components of the EU4ALL framework are described. This is followed with a brief description of prototype implementations. This is then followed by a discussion of a number of research directions that may enhance the adaptability, usability and accessibility of information and support systems can be used and consumed by a diverse user population

A qualitative case study with quantitative data: How a relational pedagogical process promotes engagement and a more inclusive learning experience for students of color (Black & Latino) in grades 6-8

Literature review

Anomalous Features in Surface Impedance of Y-Ba-Cu-O Thin Films: Dependence on Frequency, RF and DC Fields

Two high-quality Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films on MgO substrates have been investigated using the coplanar resonator technique at 8 and 16 GHz. Both films exhibit an anomalous decrease in their surface impedance, Zs as a function of microwave field, Hrf. In zero dc field, Hrf-dependences of Rs and Xs for both the samples are uncorrelated, and only one of the quantities, Rs or Xs, displays anomalous behavior. Here, application of relatively weak (~5 mT) dc magnetic fields, Hdc can produce a correlated decrease of Rs(Hrf) and Xs(Hrf). The dependences of Zs on Hdc in both low and high microwave power regimes were found to be non-monotonic. The frequency dependence of Rs ~ fn, 1.7<n<2.5, remained the same upon the transition from low to high microwave power ranges. The consequences of the reported findings for microwave device applications are briefly discussedComment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to ASC'2000 Conference Proceeding

H-Diplo Roundtable - Assuming the Burden, Porch on Lawrence

Mark Atwood Lawrence, Assuming the Burden: Europe and the American Commitment to War in Vietnam (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2005) Roundtable Editor: Thomas Maddux Reviewers: Anne Foster, Indiana State University, Shawn McHale, George Washington University, Lien-Hang T. Nguyen, Harvard University, Douglas Porch, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, Martin Thomas, Exeter University, UKCommentary by Douglas Porch, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California; Mark Atwood Lawrence, Assuming the Burden: Europe and the American Commitment to War in Vietnam

Power analysis for detecting trends in juvenile spotted seatrout abundance in Florida Bay

The spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) is considered a key species relative to the implementation of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). One of the goals of the CERP is to increase freshwater flows to Florida Bay. Increased freshwater flows can have potential positive and negative impacts on spotted seatrout populations. At low salinities, the planktonic eggs of spotted seatrout sink to the bottom and are not viable (Alshuth and Gilmore, 1994; Holt and Holt, 2002). On the other hand, increased freshwater flows can alleviate hypersaline conditions that could result in an expansion of the distribution of the early life stages of spotted seatrout (Thayer et al., 1999; Florida Department of Environmental Protection1). Thus it would be useful to develop a monitoring program that can detect changes in seatrout abundance on time scales short enough to be useful to resource managers. The NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (NOAA) has made sporadic collections of juvenile seatrout using otter trawls since 1984 (see Powell et al, 2004). The results suggest that it might be useful to sample for seatrout in as many as eight different areas or basins (Figure 1): Bradley Key, Sandy Key, Johnson Key, Palm Key, Snake Bight, Central, Whipray and Crocodile Dragover. Unfortunately, logistical constraints are likely to limit the number of tows to about 40 per month over a period of six months each year. Inasmuch as few seatrout are caught in any given tow and the proportion of tows with zero seatrout is often high, it is important to determine how best to allocate this limited sampling effort among the various basins so that any trends in abundance may be detected with sufficient statistical confidence. (PDF contains 16 pages

The Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996

The Taiwan Strait Crisis of March 1996 demonstrated that tense relations between the People\u27s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) constitute an Achilles\u27 heel of East Asian stability. When the PRC began to fire missiles into the seas of Taiwan\u27s two major ports, the United States demonstrated its commitment to the peaceful unification (or reunification ) of Taiwan with the mainland by dispatching an armada that included two carriers, the USS Independence (CV 62) and the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), in the most significant naval display in the area since the 1950s. Because the crisis faded away and was soon consigned to distant memory, its implications have failed to receive the attention they deserve

A catch-free stock assessment model with application to goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) off southern Florida

Many modern stock assessment methods provide the machinery for determining the status of a stock in relation to certain reference points and for estimating how quickly a stock can be rebuilt. However, these methods typically require catch data, which are not always available. We introduce a model-based framework for estimating reference points, stock status, and recovery times in situations where catch data and other measures of absolute abundance are unavailable. The specif ic estimator developed is essentially an age-structured production model recast in terms relative to pre-exploitation levels. A Bayesian estimation scheme is adopted to allow the incorporation of pertinent auxiliary information such as might be obtained from meta-analyses of similar stocks or anecdotal observations. The approach is applied to the population of goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) off southern Florida, for which there are three indices of relative abundance but no reliable catch data. The results confirm anecdotal accounts of a marked decline in abundance during the 1980s followed by a substantial increase after the harvest of goliath grouper was banned in 1990. The ban appears to have reduced fishing pressure to between 10% and 50% of the levels observed during the 1980s. Nevertheless, the predicted fishing mortality rate under the ban appears to remain substantial, perhaps owing to illegal harvest and depth-related release mortality. As a result, the base model predicts that there is less than a 40% chance that the spawning biomass will recover to a level that would produce a 50% spawning potential ratio

The Plan Starts Now: A Study of Juvenile Delinquency and a Re-entry Program Back into the Community

African American youth are five times as likely as whites to be detained or committed to youth facilities; 1 out of 10 high school dropouts are institutionalized. $8–21 billion is spent locking up juvenile delinquents. The educational system has failed many African American youth, which can lead them into delinquency. These youth are disregarded in the educational system, placed in overcrowded classrooms, and often dismissed as unable to learn. The results of this are school to prison pipeline. Many youths have learning disabilities that are not addressed by teachers, so youth began acting out. These are acts of attention and frustration lacking reading and comprehending skills, with little to no family support these youth then turn to street gangs to be loved and feel a part of something and make money. Re-entry programs are greatly needed to support youth who have been adjudicated by giving them necessary life skills to survive upon release. Chapter 2 is a proposed re-entry program that gives youth these necessary supports. Chapter 2 has professional counselors to help young African American men to deal with mental, physical or substance abuse as well as trauma and other related issues. A primary goal of Chapter 2 is to decrease the chances of recidivism by helping youth to be the best citizens they can be upon returning to the community. Mixed methods data collection and analysis is recommended to assess the program’s impact and effectiveness

“No Bad Stories”

Media-military relations have always been rocky; the basic explanation is that the natures and goals of the media and military are fundamentally in tension. Future trends are likely to make these relations more, rather than less, difficult. Nevertheless, the two institutions must recognize that it is in the interests of both to make the relationship work