Speaking with Students: Profiles in Digital Pedagogy

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: This assessment guide centers on multimodal thesis projects done by students in an undergraduate honors program at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy. It includes a brief program history, a discussion of the challenges of documenting multimodal work, and a set of assessment parameters for gauging its efficacy. It is part of a webtext published in Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy. The webtext includes twelve short videos that feature students from a range of disciplinary majors describing their theses. Each video is accompanied by a “notes on process” section, which includes the decisions made in constructing the video with regard to the representation of students and their work. Kairos editor Cheryl Ball builds on the thesis parameters and offers a nuanced reading of multimodal assessment practices in her article “Assessing Scholarly Multimedia: A Rhetorical Genre Studies Approach,” which is a great resource for teachers

Panel: The Architectural Touch: Gestural Approaches to Library Search

This panel centers on the LibViz project—a touch and gesture-based interface that allows users to navigate through library collections using visual queries—and the issues surrounding such efforts. The LibViz project, for which we have done initial research and constructed a prototype, aims to increase the discoverability of library materials, particularly those of non-textual objects, which are difficult to access via traditional search and which do not circulate. Many collections are currently preparing large scale digitizing of threedimensional objects and it is imperative to develop appropriate methods to work with this new kind of data. The established methods only do a poor job at providing access to 3D-object data. Based in theories of “grounded cognition,” the LibViz interface will be optimized for use on personal mobile devices, but it can also be used on large format touch screens equipped with depth cameras that track user gestures. In other words, the interactive flow of LibViz allows both gestural interaction and touch commands, effectively extending the sensory modalities involved in the cognitive processing of the search results. By engaging a fuller range of human cognitive capabilities, the LibViz interface also hopes to help transform search. The amount of data generated in the digital era is growing exponentially, and so we must find novel ways of analyzing and interpreting these vast data archives. Moreover, the ways in which information is categorized and databases are created are value laden. As such, the processes by which these structures are established should be more transparent than conventional systems currently allow. The project turns library search into a powerful and pleasurable experience, stimulating engagement with the collections and the library itself

Interactive Narrative

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: Anastasia Salter’s syllabus for a course on interactive narrative, published in Syllabus, approaches interactivity both creatively and critically, focusing on narrative structure as well as technological infrastructure. Each unit includes a mini-project created with a different tool—namely, Twine, Scratch, and Inform 7. These units culminate in the creation of a final project, a multimedia interactive narrative, which has clearly articulated goals and outcomes. The use of freeware and easy-to-learn tools makes this a viable approach for those who lack access to expensive production tools and who do not have advanced media skills. Although designed for upper-level classes in game design, the syllabus emphasizes the conceptual aspect of game mechanics and interactivity, making the syllabus customizable as it forms a bridge between analysis and production

Demandas energéticas en el bailaor norteamericano profesional de flamenco.

El objetivo de este estudio ha sido examinar la capacidad aeróbica y anaeróbica de bailaores estadounidenses profesionales de flamenco, con el fin de conocer las necesidades energéticas de esta danza. La muestra estudiada estaba formada por 11 bailaores profesionales de flamenco de Albuquerque, Nuevo Méjico (4 hombres y 7 mujeres). Se han registrado 3 variables: la composición corporal, medida con un adipómetro calipers; el consumo máximo de oxígeno (VO2max) estimado mediante el análisis de gases durante un test de esfuerzo progresivo; y la capacidad anaeróbica, calculada a través del test de Wingate. La edad media de los bailaores fue de 28.45 años (22-44 años) y el tiempo medio que llevaban participando en espectáculos flamencos era de 13.5 años (2-40 años). Respecto a la composición corporal, los participantes presentan datos de porcentaje de grasa corporal (GC) inferior a la media, tanto la muestra masculina, 9.96% GC (5,25-13,09% GC), como la femenina, 16.35% GC (12,96-20,17% GC). La media máxima de capacidad aeróbica fue de 51.63 mlO2•kg–1•min–1 para los hombres (40.7-59,5 mlO2•kg–1•min–1) y 38,78 mlO2•kg–1•min–1 para las mujeres (32.9-43,8 mlO2•kg–1•min–1), en ambos casos por encima de la media. La potencia máxima media registrada en el test de Wingate, fue de 16.2 W/kg (13.7-18.3 W/kg) y 11.3 W/kg (8.6 hasta 14.3 W/kg) para hombres y mujeres, respectivamente, con un índice de fatiga del 65.5% (62-74%) para los hombres y 56.1% (35.2-68.1%) para las mujeres. Estos resultados son superiores, casi en un 25 %, a otros datos publicados sobre deportistas que realizan actividades anaeróbicas. Por lo tanto, los bailaores de flamenco tienen una considerable potencia anaeróbica. Atendiendo en los resultados de este estudio, se sugiere que el entrenamiento de bailaores incluya componentes aeróbicos y anaeróbicos

Long-period High-amplitude Red Variables in the KELT Survey

We present a sample of 4132 Mira-like variables (red variables with long periods and high amplitudes) in the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey. Of these, 376 are new Mira-like detections. We used Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) colors to identify candidate asymptotic giant branch stars. We searched for photometric variability among the candidate asymptotic giant branch stars and identified stars that show periodic variability. We selected variables with high amplitudes and strong periodic behavior using a Random Forest classifier. Of the sample of 4132 Mira-like variables, we estimate that 70% are Miras and 30% are semiregular (SR) variables. We also adopt the method of using (W_(RP) - W_(K)) versus (J - K_s) colors in distinguishing between O-rich and C-rich Miras and find it to be an improvement over 2MASS colors

A systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions to prevent STI/HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Background The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains of global significance and there is a need to target (a) the adolescent age-groups in which most new infections occur; and (b) sub-Saharan Africa where the greatest burden of the epidemic lies. A focused systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa to prevent HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in this age group was therefore conducted. Methods Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, Cinahl and PsychINFO according to agreed a priori criteria for studies published between 1986 and 2006. Further searches were conducted in UNAIDS and WHO (World Health Organization) websites, and 'Google'. Relevant journals were hand-searched and references cited in identified articles were followed up. Data extraction and quality assessment was carried out on studies selected for full text appraisal, and results were analysed and presented in narrative format. Results Some 1,020 possible titles and abstracts were found, 23 full text articles were critically appraised, and 12 articles (10 studies) reviewed, reflecting the paucity of published studies conducted relative to the magnitude of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Knowledge and attitude-related outcomes were the most associated with statistically significant change. Behavioural intentions were more difficult to change and actual behaviour change was least likely to occur. Behaviour change in favour of abstinence and condom use appeared to be greatly influenced by pre-intervention sexual history. Conclusion There is a great need in sub-Saharan Africa for well-evaluated and effective school-based sexual health interventions

Perspectives on Astrophysics Based on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Techniques

About two generations ago, a large part of AMO science was dominated by experimental high energy collision studies and perturbative theoretical methods. Since then, AMO science has undergone a transition and is now dominated by quantum, ultracold, and ultrafast studies. But in the process, the field has passed over the complexity that lies between these two extremes. Most of the Universe resides in this intermediate region. We put forward that the next frontier for AMO science is to explore the AMO complexity that describes most of the Cosmos.Comment: White paper submission to the Decadal Assessment and Outlook Report on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Science (AMO 2020