Neutralism as pluralistic diverse history: government support for preservation stewardship of historic religious properties

Masters final project submitted to the Faculty of the Historic Preservation Program, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Historic Preservation. HISP 710/711 final project, 2014.America’s historically designated religious sites face a unique set of legal and financial preservation challenges. These properties tend to be financed through fluctuating membership and fundraising, and can be denied public preservation funding if violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. Beyond their evident architectural and historical significance, an economic impact analysis demonstrates the financial value of benefits these sites provide to the public. A historical analysis of related policy, statutory law, and judicial review reveals the development of neutralist Establishment Clause interpretation that allows public subsidized funds to be disbursed to religious institutions that are providing a secular charitable benefit as non-profit organizations. Two case study sites in Baltimore City demonstrate how public funds have been received by following best practices in secular use restriction and preservation management. Recommendations then propose legally defining, guiding, and potentially regulating the neutral disbursement of government preservation funds to historic sacred sites

Old Goucher neighborhood : strengthening a community identity through an exploration of the past

"University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Fall 2013.

Network Behavior in Thin Film Growth Dynamics

We present a new network modeling approach for various thin film growth techniques that incorporates re-emitted particles due to the non-unity sticking coefficients. We model re-emission of a particle from one surface site to another one as a network link, and generate a network model corresponding to the thin film growth. Monte Carlo simulations are used to grow films and dynamically track the trajectories of re-emitted particles. We performed simulations for normal incidence, oblique angle, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques. Each deposition method leads to a different dynamic evolution of surface morphology due to different sticking coefficients involved and different strength of shadowing effect originating from the obliquely incident particles. Traditional dynamic scaling analysis on surface morphology cannot point to any universal behavior. On the other hand, our detailed network analysis reveals that there exist universal behaviors in degree distributions, weighted average degree versus degree, and distance distributions independent of the sticking coefficient used and sometimes even independent of the growth technique. We also observe that network traffic during high sticking coefficient CVD and oblique angle deposition occurs mainly among edges of the columnar structures formed, while it is more uniform and short-range among hills and valleys of small sticking coefficient CVD and normal angle depositions that produce smoother surfaces.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, revtex

Motivated learning with digital learning tasks: what about autonomy and structure?

Article about Motivated learning with digital learning tasks: what about autonomy and structure

“Horror, guilt and shame” – Uncomfortable Experiences in Digital Games

Gameplay frequently involves a combination of positive and negative emotions, where there is increasing interest in how to design for more complex forms of player experience. However, despite the risk that some of these experiences may be uncomfortable, there has been little empirical investigation into how discomfort manifests during play and its impact on engagement. We conducted a qualitative investigation using an online survey (N=95), that focused on uncomfortable interactions across three games: Darkest Dungeon, Fallout 4 and Papers, Please. The findings suggest games create discomfort in a variety of ways; through providing high-pressure environments with uncertain outcomes and difficult decisions to make, to the experience of loss and exposing players to disturbing themes. However, while excessive discomfort can jeopardize player engagement, the findings also indicate that discomfort can provide another facet to gameplay, leading to richer forms of experience and stimulating wider reflections on societal issues and concerns

The effect of social proximity on fear conditioning: A virtual reality study

Invasions of personal space automatically trigger fearful responses and yet little is known about the relationship between personal space and fear conditioning. We hypothesized that fear extinction would be weakened and fear renewal would be strengthened for a human avatar invading participants’ personal space as compared to a human avatar safely outside of participants’ personal space. We tested this hypothesis using a within-subject (n = 15) design wherein four human avatars, two close and two far, appeared in front of participants while they traveled down a virtual reality environment that appeared like a long hallway. During the acquisition phase, one human avatar from each distance was paired with mild electrical stimulation. The context of the virtual reality environment changed during the extinction phase and then returned to its original state in order to test contextual renewal after extinction. We found no significant differences in skin conductance responses between human avatars in the extinction phase, but we did find a main effect of distance ((F(1,14) = 13.043, p = 0.003) and a significant interaction effect between distance and CS type (F(1,14) = 8.66, p = 0.012) during renewal. Thus context and personal space interact during return of fear phenomena. These findings have implications for our understanding and treatment of PTSD.Psycholog

Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences Therapy Notes

Brief, monthly newsletter of the Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences featuring articles by staff specialists on current treatments and other topics of importance to clinicians in the mental health profession. This issue discusses "The case management evaluation project.

The effects of a problem based learning digital game on continuing motivation to learn science

textThe purpose of this study was to determine whether playing a problem-based learning (PBL) computer game, Alien Rescue III, would promote continuing motivation (CM) to learn science, and to explore the possible sources of CM. Another goal was to determine whether CM and interest to learn science in the classroom were identical constructs. CM was defined as the pursuit of academic learning goals in noninstructional contexts that were initially encountered in the classroom. Alien Rescue was played for a total of 9 hours in the seventh grade of a private middle school with 44 students, total, participating. The study used a design-based research approach that attempted to triangulate quantitative and qualitative methods. A science knowledge test, and two selfreport questionnaires--one measuring motivation and one measuring CM--were administered preintervention, postintervention, and follow-up. Qualitative data was also collected, including student interviews, classroom observations, written responses, and a science teacher interview. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine any significant changes in scores. A multiple regression analysis was used to explore whether a model of CM could be determined using the Eccles’ expectancy-value achievement motivation model. The constant comparative method was used to obtain relevant information from the qualitative data. Based on contradictory quantitative and qualitative findings, results were mixed as to whether students exhibited an increase in CM to learn space science. Students continued to freely engage Alien Rescue during the mid-class break, but this does not strictly adhere to the definition of CM. However, many students did find space science more interesting than anticipated and developed increased desire to learn more in class, if not outside of class. Results also suggest that CM and interest in learning more in class are separate but related constructs. Finally, no satisfactory model emerged from the multiple regression analysis but based on students’ interviews, continuing interest to learn is influenced by all the components of Eccles’ expectancy-value model. Response effects may have confounded quantitative results. Discussion includes challenges of researching in classrooms, CM, and Eccles’ motivational model, and the tension between PBL and game based approaches. Future design recommendations and research directions are provided.Curriculum and Instructio