Developing preparedness for flexible delivery of training in enterprises

On a basis of research and literature review, Smith, in 2001, suggested a model for the development of preparedness of learners and their workplaces to support the flexible delivery of training in enterprises. Using the model as a framework, he then developed a detailed set of strategies that may be used in operating workplaces to develop learners and workplaces for effective flexible delivery. The research reported here was designed to test that strategy set in 12 different enterprises to assess the feasibility of their implementation in operating workplaces. The research shows that a majority of suggested strategies are feasible for implementation; some are feasible with qualification; and a minority were not seen as feasible.<br /

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThere are many bacteria that associate with insects in a mutualistic manner and offer their hosts distinct fitness advantages, and thus have likely played an important role in shaping the ecology and evolution of insects. Therefore, there is much interest in understanding how these relationships are initiated and maintained and the molecular mechanisms involved in this process, as well as interest in developing symbionts as platforms for paratransgenesis to combat disease transmission by insect hosts. However, this research has been hampered by having only a limited number of systems to work with, due to the difficulties in isolating and modifying bacterial symbionts in the lab. In this dissertation, I present my work in developing a recently described insect-bacterial symbiosis, that of the louse fly, Pseudolynchia canariensis, and its bacterial symbiont, Candidatus Arsenophonus arthropodicus, into a new model system with which to investigate the mechanisms and evolution of symbiosis. This included generating and analyzing the complete genome sequence of Ca. A. arthropodicus, which provided some evidence that Ca. A. arthropodicus has become recently associated with insects and may have evolved from an ancestor that was an insect pathogen. Additionally, I describe the development of methods for genetic modification of this bacterial symbiont and for introducing recombinant symbionts into louse fly hosts, as well as a new microinjection technique that enables the complete replacement of native symbionts with recombinant symbionts. With the generation of the symbiont genome sequence along with strategies for engineering recombinant symbionts and establishing them in an insect host, this work provides an interesting new system with which to investigate the function of specific genes in symbiosis as well as a promising new avenue of research involving paratransgenesis

Inclusion Of Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities In Grades 1-5 Mainstream Language Arts Classrooms

The research question addressed in this capstone project was what are best practices for creating an inclusive language arts program in grades 1-5 in an elementary school? It documents the history of special education and inclusion in the United States, least restrictive environment (LRE), benefits and barriers to inclusion as well as strategies to create an inclusive language arts setting. The author uses research to prepare and present a PowerPoint presentation to licensed teachers to be used as staff development. The PowerPoint presentation addresses the history of special education and inclusion, how LRE is determined, benefits and barriers to inclusion, strategies for creating an inclusive language arts setting as well as how students are selected for inclusion in language arts, service time for students in this setting as well as a comparison of standardized test scores between a school using the inclusive language arts model and one which does not. Supplemental material are also provided for ongoing staff development including information on specific disabilities

As home care packages become big business, older people are not getting the personalised support they need

The Royal Commission into Aged Care has unleashed a spate of claims of system failure within the residential aged care sector

Leadership and learning: facilitating self-directed learning in enterprises

Purpose - To show that a key aspect of learning and development of individual employees is that of self-directedness. This paper will consider the role of the leader in facilitating workforce development in terms of employees\u27 self-directedness for learning. The research was designed to investigate the views that \u27learning leaders\u27 in organizations have towards the development of self-directedness in employees; and to identify strategies that are feasible in developing self-directedness in operating organizations. Design/methodology/approach - Draws on a national research project undertaken in 12 organizations in Australia, representing a range of sizes and a number of industry sectors. Data collection involved interviewing learning and development managers in each organization to gauge the relative feasibility of the implementation of a number of pre-identified strategies designed to develop self-directedness among employees within operating work environments. Findings - Showed that: learning managers and leaders were generally well disposed towards the development of self-directedness, and some had already moved to do so; and identified a number of possible strategies for implementation of varying degrees of feasibility. The paper will consider these findings in relation to the concept of a \u27learning leader\u27. Research limitations/implications - Although the research was conducted in a diverse set of 12 enterprises, applicability of the results across an even wider set of enterprises would need to be tested. Originality/value - The findings of this research provide guidance to learning and development personnel on feasible strategies to use within their own organization to assist with the development of self-directed learning among employees. <br /

'A Spell of White Magic': L.M. Montgomery and the appropriateness of her novels for readers' advisory librarians' use with adolescent women

This paper describes Lucy Maud Montgomery's life, her written works, and the use of these works to readers' advisory service. Montgomery's life is detailed to show her suitability for writing young adult novels. Readers' advisory is explained to provide an understanding of how these novels might be used in this field. Six novels written by L. M. Montgomery are analyzed for their provision of role models for young women. Some of the literature related to these topics is also presented in order to give a more complete picture of these areas

Epidemiology of Anthrax in the Kruger National Park, South Africa: Genetic Diversity and Environment.

The Kruger National Park, (KNP), in the Republic of South Africa, provides a unique opportunity to investigate interesting and unresolved aspects of the epidemiology of the disease anthrax. Anthrax is a disease of primarily mammals caused by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming bacteria Bacillus anthracis. Beyond it\u27s great historical significance anthrax is clearly important in the world today. From a rich legacy of empirical investigations and observations in the form of ecological and epidemiological studies conducted around the world this work endeavors to distill and extract the essence of what biotic and abiotic factors of environment might be causally associated with the incidence of anthrax mortalities. A systematic examination of the development of today\u27s conceptual model of anthrax epidemiology in livestock and wildlife identifies some of the questions left unanswered. The distillate is then brought to the epidemiologist\u27s work bench as a set of a priori hypotheses for testing in a Poisson regression model. Results indicate that species which browse at 1 to 3 meters have higher mortality rates than do other species of ungulates in the KNP, as do animals near to soil with high calcium and alkaline pH. The genetic diversity of anthrax in the KNP was characterized using a Multi-Locus VNTR Analysis. Ninety-two isolates were analyzed and mapped. Three epidemiological clustering methods were employed to examine genotype group clustering in time and space. The environmental characteristics were then compared for the genotype groups using a non-parametric analysis of variance. Finally, anthrax genotype groups were introduced as factors in the environmental model to determine the effect anthrax mortalities attributable to genotype group. A higher rate of mortality and a more stringent requirement for calcium for one anthrax genotype group relative to the other reveals two mechanisms by which one group may have been limited in its global distribution

Discrepancies in maternal reports of infant sleep vs. actigraphy by mode of feeding

Objectives: Many studies of infant sleep rely solely on parentally-reported data, assuming that parents accurately report their infant’s sleep parameters. The objective of this paper is to examine whether night-time sleep parameters of exclusively breastfed or exclusively formula-fed infants differ, and whether correspondence between parental reports and objective measures varies by feeding type. Methods: Mother-infant dyads intending to breastfeed or formula-feed exclusively for 18 weeks were recruited. Mothers were multiparas and primiparas, aged between 18 and 45 years. Infants were full-term, normal birthweight singletons. Maternal report and actigraphic data on infant sleep were collected fortnightly, from four to 18 weeks postpartum. Data were analysed cross-sectionally using t-tests and GLM analysis to control for interaction between feed-type and sleep location. Results: Actigraphy-assessed infant sleep parameters did not vary by feed-type but parentally reported sleep parameters did. Maternal report and actigraphy data diverged at 10 weeks postpartum and discrepancies were associated with infant feeding type. Compared to actigraphy, maternal reports by formula-feeding mothers (controlling for infant sleep location) over-estimated infant’s Total Sleep Time (TST) at 10 weeks and Longest Sleep Period (LSP) at 10, 12 and 18 weeks. Conclusions: These results raise questions about the outcomes of previous infant sleep studies where accuracy of parentally-reported infant sleep data is assumed. That parental reports of infant sleep vary by feeding type is particularly important for reconsidering previous studies of infant sleep development and intervention studies designed to influence sleep outcomes, especially where feed-type was heterogeneous, but was not considered as an independent variable

From Pejuta To Powwow: The Evolution Of American Indian Music

In the current climate of American Indian culture in the United States, the impact of the internet on powwow music and the electronic sharing of music has superseded the more traditional sharing of music in Native cultures. Due to the unique history of American Indian cultures, Native music changed, or evolved, from medicinal uses, pejuta, to expressionism, a method in which to cope with and express the effect history has had on the American Indian people and a way in which to bond with one another in these shared experiences. The evolution of Native music is a traditional form of historical particularism as seen by Native people themselves, and the history of American Indians, ethnomusicology, and hip-hop prove that this is the natural trajectory of Native cultures in today\u27s America. This paper poses to explore the movement of American Indian music from a sacred, private medicinal use, to continue being used to heal, but in a more public and adapted domain

Youth Leadership Development Program Evaluation

In competitive youth sports organizations, few organizational leaders focus on leadership development to prepare youth for life situations. Sports organizational leaders are concerned about youth leadership development, as development allows youth to build skills necessary to understand their strengths and weaknesses and recognize ways to overcome fears. Grounded in social learning theory, the purpose of this summative program evaluation was to determine the extent to which a competitive youth sports leadership development program aligned with the organizationâs primary objective to provide skilled athletic training while providing lessons to prepare youth for adulthood. The participants comprised 40 key stakeholders, including participants of the leadership program in northeastern Ohio, who participated in, managed, or were affected by the program. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, surveys, archival data, and focus groups. The results indicated there were positive correlations linking eligible athletes to the number of athletes who participated in the leadership program for the years 2017 (r = .84, p = .05), 2018 (r = .90, p = .05), and 2019 (r = .98, p = .05). The qualitative data were examined using thematic analysis and the Van Kaam technique. The resulting themes were structure, academics, sense of self, community involvement, and physical health and safety. A key recommendation is for program leaders to evaluate programs to monitor success with meeting program outcomes continuously. The implications for positive social change include the potential for program leaders to provide a safe environment where youth learn leadership skills and use the skills independently to establish support networks to participate in community life