Reflections on the Local and the Global in Psychology: Innovation, Liberation and Testimonio*

This paper presents some reflections on the process of creating research, from the point of view of a psychologist working in an academic environment in a developing country which is undergoing social transformation. It explores some tensions between global and local concerns in research, and reflects on the relation between research, art, narration, and the person of the researcher. The ideas presented are based on the personal reflections of the author after developing a methodology for a qualitative research project. The aim is to open up areas of inquiry into the process of constructing research, rather than providing final answers, thus honouring the postmodern assumptions that are tentatively put forward as vehicle of innovation in research in a global psychology

The Influence of Demographic Characteristics, Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Attributes on the Effectiveness of the LADDERS Probation Intervention Program

Retention is an important measure for institutions of higher education thereby making improved academic success and increased retention of paramount concern to university administrators. This concern has resulted in a body of literature addressing retention and the development of retention programs. Few of these programs however, have been empirically evaluated for their effectiveness and repeatedly, the literature has cited the need for evaluation of retention and probation programs across demographic, cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the LADDERS (Let Academic Difficulty Disappear to Energize and Retain Students) program developed by Old Dominion University is an effective model that can be used to improve academic achievement and retention rates of probationary undergraduate students. ANOVA, Factorial ANOVA and Logistic Regression were used to compare the academic achievement and retention of probationary students who attended the LADDERS program across their demographic characteristics and cognitive and non-cognitive attributes. The results of this study showed that participation in the LADDERS program leads to higher GPA and greater retention of students. Findings further suggest that participation in LADDERS may be especially effective for improving retention rates among minority male students

Future NASA solar system exploration activities: A framework for international cooperation

The goals and approaches for planetary exploration as defined for the NASA Solar System Exploration Program are discussed. The evolution of the program since the formation of the Solar System Exploration Committee (SSEC) in 1980 is reviewed and the primary missions comprising the program are described

Create a Successful Homework Partnership Program: A Professional Development Workshop for Teachers to Maximize Benefits of Homework Assignments

Decades of research have indicated the importance of family participation as a contributing factor toward the academic success of children. Most significantly, a child\u27s family can play a role in his or her scholastic achievement by helping with homework assignments. The teacher\u27s task in this endeavor is to explain assignments clearly and thoroughly both to students and to their families. This task is twofold. First, the teacher must construct assignments that are purposeful, clear and appropriate to meet individual student needs; second, the teacher must offer assignments in a variety of presentation modes to accommodate needs of diverse populations that exist within our learning communities. The purpose of this project was to create a staff development workshop for teachers. The workshop was designed specifically to meet those challenges associated with creating a successful homework partnership program within an elementary school

Using simultaneous equation modeling for defining complex phenotypes

BACKGROUND: Interactions between multiple biological phenotypes are difficult to model. Simultaneous equation modelling (SEM), as used in econometric modelling, may prove an effective tool for this problem. Generalized linear models were used to derive the structural equations defining the interactions between cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These structural equations were then applied, using SEM, to Cohort 2 data (replicates 1–100) to estimate the phenotypic structure underlying the simulation. The goal was to determine if this empiric method of deriving structural equations for use in SEM was able to recover the simulation model better than generalized linear models. RESULTS: First, the underlying structural equations were estimated using generalized linear model techniques, which found strong a relationship between glucose, triglycerides and HDL-C. Using these structural equations, I used SEM to evaluate these relationships jointly. I found that a combination of the empiric structural equations and the SEM method was better at recovering the underlying simulated relationship between biologic measures than generalized linear modelling. CONCLUSION: The empiric SEM procedure presented here estimated different relationships between dependent variables than generalized linear modelling. The SEM procedure using empirically developed structural equations was able to recover the underlying simulation relationship partially and thus holds promise as a technique for complex phenotype analysis. Robust methods for determining the structural equations must be developed for application of SEM to population data

The Horrific “Mother/ Monster” and the Spaces Between in Ridley Scott\u27s Alien and James Cameron\u27s Aliens

Despite the wealth of scholarship on the films in the Alien series, the first two films connect the most to the universe created in the original film and effectively complete the primary narrative arc for the series hero, Ellen Ripley. A preponderance of the research offered on the Alien film series focuses on Ripley, the iconic xenomorphs, and their Alien Queen. However, I also explore the roles of other liminal characters in the films, such as synthetic humans Ash and Bishop. Addressing the recurring motifs in the films, I discuss the sliding signifier of mother and track how the signifier “child” undergoes many other interesting distinctions. The outcomes of the liminal beings and the mother/ child relationships provide another range of perspectives for analyzing these films. Furthermore, the Weyland-Yutani company exemplifies one of the more powerful motifs of the film: the power of corporations and governments to define our bodies

A Fireworks Display of Library Instruction

Instructing students on how to use the library and the databases in one setting, especially when there is only 50 minutes, can be extremely overwhelming for the students and instructor. This session covered tips that can be used in the interview process with the professor, creating a flipped classroom or blended instruction opportunities to enhance the learning process ( including pre or post-session), as well as demonstrating guides for assisting students in database searching techniques. Finally, the session ended with ways to get buy-in from professors about tutorials and guides used outside the lessons