The Comprehension Dilemma

The term comprehension has become a catch all item. If a student is failing in school, his teacher will probably tell you that he does not comprehend what he reads. In addition, the teacher may mention that the student gets more from just listening than he does from reading. Another teacher will tell you that a student reads well in his social studies book but cannot quite figure out his math problems. Yet another teacher will tell you that one of her students comprehends when there are pictures on the page but take the pictures away and the student is lost

Climate Change and the Collapse of Slavery at the Stratford Hall Plantation in Late 1700s Westmoreland County, Virginia

Models used in climate predictions today are dependent on paleoclimate proxies, or recorders of past climate conditions. Eastern oyster shells contain oxygen isotopes that have the potential to be valuable paleoclimate proxies of seasonal changes in the Chesapeake Bay. Numerous oyster shells were found within infilled slave quarters dating to the 1700s at Stratford Hall Plantation. The fact that these slave quarters were backfilled when slavery was still prevalent in nearby regions is surprising. It is hypothesized that localized climate perturbations may have played a role in the abandonment of these slave quarters, as the 1700s took place during the Little Ice Age (LIA), a time when Europe and North America endured cold winters and only mild summers. Oxygen isotopes within the Stratford Hall fossil oyster shells were compared with oyster shells collected in 2019 to test their suitability as paleoclimate proxies and better understand the decline in slave quarters at Stratford Hall. Although the oxygen isotopes were lighter in the fossil oysters, further analysis must be conducted to better understand how differences in salinity between the collection sites of the fossil and modern oysters are affecting the results

My Avatar, My Self: A Posthuman Examination of Video Games and Cyborg Bodies

My Avatar, My Self is a project which seeks to examine cultural conceptions of the flesh-and-machine physical cyborg and to subsequently challenge these conceptions with a new idea of the cyborg: the conceptual cyborg. This thesis serves to discuss through posthuman theory what the conceptual cyborg is, how it has become a prevalent force in advanced technological societies, and what it means for human beings to be conceptual cyborgs. Beyond that, I also discuss the importance of the conceptual cyborg’s ability to be digitally embodied in virtual spaces, and this idea is expanded on through an examination of science-fiction television, video games, and even social media in relation to the conceptual cyborg. By examining contemporary cultural artifacts of the past two decades, I explain how we are all already conceptual cyborgs and how video games are able to serve as the best examples for the conceptual cyborg’s powers of digital embodiment

Life History and Ecology of the Barrens Topminnow, \u3cem\u3eFundulus julisia\u3c/em\u3e Williams and Etnier (Pisces, Fundulidae)

The life history of the Barrens topminnow, Fundulus julisia, was investigated in a two-year study from 1983 to 1985. The species is restricted to a few isolated springs and groundwater-influenced upland streams on the Barrens Plateau in the vicinity of Manchester in middle Tennessee. In most aspects of its behavior, including feeding and reproduction, this topminnow differs little from other members of the same genus. The fish is an opportunistic carnivore, feeding upon aquatic insects, crustaceans, and gastropods, as well as terrestrial insects that fall in water. Like other killifish, F. julisia has an extended breeding season that is bimodal with peaks in the last spring and late summer. The requirement of filamentous algae and/or other aquatic plants for a spawning site and the paucity of permanent upland waters supporting their growth is apparently the primary factor limiting the species to its currently restricted distribution. F. julisia has a maximum lifespan of about three years, but mortality is high among adults following reproduction and relatively few survive to spawn more than once. Mortality is higher in males than in females older than one year, presumably due to selective predation upon the more brightly colored males. Growth in the first year is very rapid when compared to other Fundulus. Possible predators of young Barrens topminnows are numerous, but piscivorous wading birds are probably the primary predators of adults. A potentially serious threat to all Barrens topminnow populations is Gambusia affinis which bears live young continuously throughout the warmer months and tends to grossly outnumber topminnows where the two are syntopic. The mosquitofish has been known to replace native species elsewhere. Droughts of the past few years as well as habitat alterations by man, especially those affecting groundwater levels, also may endanger the species\u27 survival

Evaluating the Response of Polyvinyl Toluene Scintillators used in Portal

The goal of this research work was to determine if there exists, and to what extent, variability in the pulse-height spectrum, and resolution produced by ɤ-photon induced scintillation events in polyvinyl toluene scintillators. Scintillator panels of the same type as those used in portal detector units currently operated by the Department of Homeland Security, made of polyvinyl toluene and measuring 12 x 15 x 2 in were purchased from three vendors. Each vendor supplied two scintillators, one wrapped by the vendor with aluminum foil coated mylar, and two unwrapped. The scintillators where exposed to an ≈ 8µCi source collimated 137Cs source which decays with a 662 keV ɤ-ray 85% of the time. A Hamamatsu R329-02 photomultiplier tube was optically mated to the 12 x 2 in surface of the scintillator. The pulse height spectrum was recorded with the source placed at different positions across the surface of the scintillator. Analysis of the pulse height spectrum was performed to determine efficiency and resolution differences across the surface of the scintillation panels. The resolution was found to have values that ranged from 23% at the corner furthest from the PMT to 33% an inch away from the PMT. The absolute efficiency ranged from 0.02 to 0.027 % for the majority of the measurements. The location and height of the Compton edge had noticeable trends, with the height being the greatest at the center and dropping off on the sides, but the peak location having a maximum in the corner along the axis of the PMT

Older adults and Posit Science : the effectiveness of a cognitive training program on attention and reaction time [abstract]

The purpose of this study is to investigate and determine if the computer brain fitness program, Posit Science, improves attention and reaction time in older adults. This study determined the effectiveness of Posit Science brain fitness program on the measure of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). Four participants were assigned to the Posit Science group. Each participant completed the Posit Science brain fitness program and engaged in intervention for one hour, once a day, five days a week, for eight weeks. The participants were evaluated pre-intervention and post-intervention

Visceral approaches in planning practices : a study of neighborhood centers in Austin, TX

Bodies are a social construction with expected trajectories based on their physical, social, and economic positions, and planning has often been a tool to control bodies in public space without considering these diverse experiences. Visceral methodologies use embodied practices to collect data concerning feelings and emotions, which can give depth and clarity to socio-spatial issues (Sweet & Ortiz Escalante, 2015). As the 2012 Imagine Austin comprehensive plan is being implemented, this study tests a visceral approach to investigate the relationship between the physical social spaces, and how people using the spaces feel internally, i.e. sensations, moods, physical states of being. Individual experiences and feelings are collected and analyzed to understand the economic, social, and political landscapes of three Neighborhood Centers as their physical landscapes change. As planners utilizing visceral methodologies, this study’s hyperlocal evaluation gives insight into how visceral methodologies can be used in the planning context and illuminates larger implications for the planning practice.Community and Regional Plannin

Misconceptions in rational numbers, probability, algebra, and geometry.

In this study, the author examined the relationship of probability misconceptions to algebra, geometry, and rational number misconceptions and investigated the potential of probability instruction as an intervention to address misconceptions in all 4 content areas. Through a review of literature, 5 fundamental concepts were identified that, if misunderstood, create persistent difficulties across content areas: rational number meaning, additive/multiplicative structures, absolute/relative comparison, variable meaning, and spatial reasoning misconceptions. Probability instruction naturally provides concrete, authentic experiences that engage students with abstract mathematical concepts, establish relationships between mathematical topics, and connect inter-related problem solving strategies. The intervention consisted of five probability lessons about counting principles, randomness, independent and dependent event probability, and probability distributions. The unit lasted approximately two weeks. This study used mixed methodology to analyze data from a randomly assigned sample of students from an untreated control group design with a switching replication. Document analysis was used to examine patterns in student responses to items on the mathematics knowledge test. Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the causal structure of content area misconceptions. Item response theory was used to compute item difficulty, item discrimination, and item guessing coefficients. Generalized hierarchical linear modeling was used to explore the impact of item, student, and classroom characteristics on incorrect responses due to misconceptions. These analyses resulted in 7 key findings. (1) Content area is not the most effective way to classify mathematics misconceptions; instead, five underlying misconceptions affect all four content areas. (2) Mathematics misconception errors often appear as procedural errors. (3) A classroom environment that fosters enjoyment of mathematics and value of mathematics are associated with reduced misconception errors. (4) Higher mathematics self confidence and motivation to learn mathematics is associated with reduced misconception errors. (5) Probability misconceptions do not have a causal effect on rational numbers, algebra, or geometry misconceptions. (6) Rational number misconceptions do not have a causal effect on probability, algebra, or geometry misconceptions. (7) Probability instruction may not affect misconceptions directly, but it may help students develop skills needed to bypass misconceptions when solving difficult problems