Enhancing the Teaching of Lawyering Skills and Perspectives Through Virtual World Engagement

Educators from around the globe are rapidly utilizing and transforming virtual worlds, such as Second Life, with innovative teaching strategies. Mediation and dispute resolution, and associated communication and problem-solving skills, are particularly well suited for developing in virtual worlds, as are other lawyering skills such as, interviewing, counseling, and trial advocacy. The opportunities for students and faculty to engage in cross-cultural exchange and networking are another selling feature of virtual world engagement. Virtual worlds offer particular promise for those seeking innovative and cost-effective ways to integrate more professional training and skills development into the law school curriculum. Moreover, as more and more people enter virtual worlds and other forms of online social engagement, there is increasing need to offer innovative online opportunities for student learning. This article uses a project on teaching dispute resolution skills to law students conducted in the virtual world as a medium within the law school curriculum

Comparative analyses of seven algorithms for copy number variant identification from single nucleotide polymorphism arrays

10.1093/nar/gkq040Nucleic Acids Research389e105-NARH

A possible radio supernova in the outer part of NGC 3310

As part of an on-going radio supernova monitoring program, we have discovered a variable, compact steep spectrum radio source ~65 arcsec (~4 kpc) from the centre of the starburst galaxy NGC 3310. If the source is at the distance of NGC 3310, then its 5 GHz luminosity is ~3 x 10^{19} WHz^-1. The source luminosity, together with its variability characteristics, compact structure (<17 mas) and its association with a group of HII regions, leads us to propose that it is a previously uncatalogued type II radio supernova. A search of archival data also shows an associated X-ray source with a luminosity similar to known radio supernova.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Accepted by MNRA

A realist evaluation of student use of a virtual reality smartphone application in undergraduate legal education

This paper provides a realist evaluation of the Open Justice virtual reality (VR) smartphone app, designed to develop presentation skills for students on an undergraduate legal education module. This work addresses two research questions: what proportion of students engaged with the Open Justice app, and what worked for whom in what circumstances and why? Questionnaire and interviews were conducted and analysed using a realist evaluation approach. This approach is particularly pertinent to the evaluation of how emerging educational technologies are used, as it can point to the potential affordances of a technological intervention, in addition to assessing its current use. In keeping with the realist evaluation approach, data analysis was completed using the context–mechanism–outcome framework. The findings suggest that more than half of students did not engage with the app during their studies, but this was not surprising as it was a pilot project into using VR with our students and such innovations can be difficult to manage in distance education contexts. Those who did engage with it recognised the potential of immersive VR to contribute to legal skills development, but they found the application of the technology, in this context, to be of limited use. By utilising a realist evaluation framework, this study contributes to the emerging field of programme theory‐based evaluations of educational technology, which might form the basis of further research

Plano de Ação Florianópolis Sustentável e as Políticas Públicas Municipais: Análise das ações no cumprimento de objetivos.

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Sócio Econômico, Curso de Administração.O crescimento acelerado e a urbanização, tem feito as cidades passarem por mudanças significativas na sua organização. Isso se deve aos problemas relacionados a qualidade de vida e o suprimento das necessidades básicas, comprometendo a sua sustentabilidade. Diante disso, se faz necessário o planejamento urbano e ações governamentais, em complemento ao protagonismo cidadão se mostra como uma alternativa na sugestão de planos e ações, por meio de ações conjuntas na coprodução do bem público. Diante desse contexto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo fazer uma análise das políticas públicas do governo formuladas a partir do Plano de Ação Florianópolis Sustentável. O referencial teórico do trabalho levou em consideração os tópicos de administração pública, administração pública municipal, políticas públicas e cidades sustentáveis. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória, qualitativa, descritiva e de estudo de caso, com a utilização de dados primários e secundários provenientes das ações descritas no Plano de Ação. Para tanto, se utilizou da entrevista semiestruturada para a obtenção de dados primários junto à Prefeitura. Os resultados evidenciam que das 43 ações analisadas, apenas 6 encontram-se em execução, ainda que a maioria permaneça no planejamento. As ações que não foram realizadas, se devem as questões de ordem administrativa e de financiamento. Para tanto, são necessários estudos futuros que analisem com mais profundidade junto aos órgãos responsáveis pela ação

The contribution of the Unresolved Extragalactic Radio Sources to the Brightness Temperature of the sky

The contribution of the Unresolved Extragalactic Radio Sources to the diffuse brightness of the sky was evaluated using the source number - flux measurements available in literature. We first optimized the fitting function of the data based on number counts distribution. We then computed the brightness temperature at various frequencies from 151 MHz to 8440 MHz and derived its spectral dependence. As expected the frequency dependence can be described by a power law with a spectral index $\gamma \simeq -2.7$, in agreement with the flux emitted by the {\it steep spectrum} sources. The contribution of {\it flat spectrum} sources becomes relevant at frequencies above several GHz. Using the data available in literature we improved our knowledge of the brightness of the unresolved extragalactic radio sources. The results obtained have general validity and they can be used to disentangle the various contributions of the sky brightness and to evaluate the CMB temperature.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Superluminal Expansion of 3C 273

Figure 1 shows hybrid maps of the core of 3C 273B at five epochs, made with arrays of 4 or 5 VLBI antennas. The maps span a period of 3.5 years. They all show a bright eastern peak and a lower-brightness extension to the west. There is a local maximum in the western extension between 6 and 8 milliarcsec from the main peak. This “blob” moves steadily further away from the main peak along a roughly straight line in PA −116° ± 2°. Compare this with the position angle of the 25-arcsec optical jet, −137°. The maps show a slight curvature to the south with increasing separation from the main peak. Lower-resolution VLBI maps at lower frequencies show that this curvature continues at greater separations, suggesting a smooth connection between the milli-arcsecond position angle and the position angle of the optical jet. In our latest map (1981.09) the blob is no longer detectable with the limited dynamic range of the VLBI network (about 20:1)