Enhancing engagement in flipped learning across undergraduate Science using the Flipped Teacher and Flipped Learner Framework

The flipped classroom describes one approach to blended learning in which new instructional content is delivered online prior to class, making time for more student-centred active learning during the face-to-face class. Despite the advantages of a flipped classroom approach, such as flexibility, more time for students to consolidate ideas, and more opportunities for collaborative learning and reflection (Kim, Kim, Khera & Getman, 2014), flipped classrooms are still under-researched and under-evaluated (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015). Many academics are unsure of how to implement flipped classrooms and students often have difficulty adopting this approach to learning because they are used to traditional transmission approaches (Chen, Wang & Chen, 2014). To facilitate more student-centred blended learning in our faculty, we aimed to: 1. Use the “Flipped Teacher and Flipped Learner Framework” (Reyna, Huber & Davila, 2015) to design, implement, communicate and evaluate flipped learning activities in undergraduate Science subjects; and 2. Build students’ understanding of the advantages of the flipped classroom model in order to improve their overall engagement and approach to learning. The Flipped Teacher and Flipped Learner Framework (Reyna et al., 2015) identifies seven elements that are influential to implementing a flipped learning activity. Using this framework, flipped learning activities have been integrated into the Science curricula. In 2016, the Framework was applied in a first year and a second year subject. A mixed methods approach (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2011) was used to evaluate the efficacy of the Framework, particularly the role of communication (element 6) of the benefits of flipped learning to students and academics. Student completion of pre-class online tasks was tracked through the learning management system. Within each subject, questionnaires were used to evaluate student experiences of flipped learning. Where applicable, student academic performance relating to flipped activities was evaluated. Preliminary data analyses indicate that the majority of students completed their online pre-class activities (e.g. >90% in the first year subject, n = 751 students). In the questionnaires, the majority of students in both subjects reported that they understood the benefits for their learning of completing online pre-work prior to face-to-face classes. Furthermore, the majority of students in the second year subject reported that the flipped classroom approach enhanced their learning. Our early results indicate that communicating to students and academics the rationale for using a flipped classroom approach is key to successful implementation of the flipped classroom model. Further testing of the framework in other subjects across the science degree will advance our understanding of the impacts of and best practice for flipped classrooms in Science higher education. References Abeysekera, L., & Dawson, P. (2015). Motivation and cognitive load in the flipped classroom: definition, rationale and a call for research. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(1), 1-14. Chen, Y., Wang, Y., & Chen, N.S. (2014). Is FLIP enough? Or should we use the FLIPPED model instead?. Computers & Education, 79, 16-27. Creswell, J. W., & Plano-Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting Mixed Methods Research. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Kim, M.K., Kim, S.M., Khera, O., & Getman, J. (2014). The experience of three flipped classrooms in an urban university: an exploration of design principles. The Internet and Higher Education, 22, 37-50. Reyna J, Huber E, Davila YC (2015) Designing your Flipped Classroom: an evidence-based framework to guide the Flipped Teacher and the Flipped Learner. The 12th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, RMIT Melbourne, 27th to 30th October, 2015, pages 91-92

Suffusion in compacted loessial silts. Interaction with granular filters

Loess soils, which occupies much of central Argentina, is characterized by its high sensitivity to change in moisture. This condition categorized loess structure as internally unstable soil. Despite this natural condition, silts derived from loess are frequently used as material in roads and hydraulics constructions. In filtration processes, the soil should be shielded from erosion phenomena. The filter must have a particle size consistent with the ground to protect. In particular, sandy silts can be affected by phenomena of suffusion, or internal instability of the soil structure. The filter must control the loss of material and ensure the stability of flow. The present study shows the experimental results of flow applied to loessial silts, with low compaction. Tests have been conducted using filtration columns that simulate the soil-filter-drain. The test methodology applied aims to follow the research lines of similar studies worldwide. Studies have focused on analyzing the influence of variables such as degree of compaction, hydraulic gradient and composition of the filter material. The results obtained allow recommendations with reference to construction systems to be applied and the composition of the filter in order to properly control the suffusion.Fil: Terzariol, R. E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Rocca, R. J. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Zeballos, M. E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Otras Ingeniería Civi

Evaluation of the paraphyletic assemblages within Lonchophyllinae, with description of a new tribe and genus

In the past decade, six new species and one new genus have been described in the Lonchophyllinae (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), increasing the number of recognized taxa in the subfamily to four genera and 17 species. During this time, three studies, both morphologic and genetic, indicated the genus Lonchophylla was paraphyletic with respect to other genera in the subfamily. Using tissues from museum voucher specimens, including the holotypes of specimens of Xeronycteris vieirai and Lonchophylla pattoni, issues related to the previous paraphyletic assemblages were addressed. A combination of mitochondrial (Cytb), nuclear data (Fgb-I7, TSHB-I2), chromosome diploid and fundamental numbers, and morphologic characters was used to determine whether all species of Lonchophylla share a common ancestor after diverging from other genera in the subfamily. Based on gene sequence data, a basal, monophyletic, statistically supported radiation within the subfamily Lonchophyllinae was observed in all phylogenetic analyses. We conclude that this assemblage merits recognition as a new tribe and genus, and, therefore, present formal descriptions of the genus as Hsunycteris and the tribe as Hsunycterini. Several other issues related to paraphyly within both the genus Hsunycteris and tribe Lonchophyllini were not resolvable at this time, including that the genus Lonchophylla is paraphyletic and Hsunycteris thomasi contains four genetic species. A species in the genus Hsunycteris remains undescribed because it was not possible to determine which of two lineages the type specimen of H. thomasi is actually a member. Until additional genetic and/or morphologic data are available, resolution of all paraphyletic relationships is not possible. Future studies that focus on utilizing morphologic and genetic (both mitochondrial and nuclear) data from the type specimens of species of Lonchophylla and species of Hsunycteris thomasi are needed to resolve these remaining questions

Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Approach for Life-Cycle Carpet Profit

This paper proposes an mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to accurately represent a product life-cycle design considering profit maximization. The model that takes into account the effects on the demand lev-el and a measure of the customer utility considering recycled raw materials and prices of the traditional and modular products. Demand functions for traditional and modular products are considered. Given the presence of bilinear terms in the formulation (for example due to the multiplication of product price for the demand), the multi-parametric disaggregation technique is used to obtain a line-ar model. The developed model is applied to a company that produces tradition-al carpets and it wants to manufacture carpets based on a new modular design where recycled materials must be incorporated. The objective of the company is to maximize the total profit taking into account the design specifications and the selling prices for traditional and modular carpets. In addition, the amount of square meters of traditional carpets must be determined and the take-back rate must be considered. The practical behavior of the formulation is analyzed through computational experiments exploring the analyzed case-study.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Approach for Life-Cycle Carpet Profit

This paper proposes an mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to accurately represent a product life-cycle design considering profit maximization. The model that takes into account the effects on the demand lev-el and a measure of the customer utility considering recycled raw materials and prices of the traditional and modular products. Demand functions for traditional and modular products are considered. Given the presence of bilinear terms in the formulation (for example due to the multiplication of product price for the demand), the multi-parametric disaggregation technique is used to obtain a line-ar model. The developed model is applied to a company that produces tradition-al carpets and it wants to manufacture carpets based on a new modular design where recycled materials must be incorporated. The objective of the company is to maximize the total profit taking into account the design specifications and the selling prices for traditional and modular carpets. In addition, the amount of square meters of traditional carpets must be determined and the take-back rate must be considered. The practical behavior of the formulation is analyzed through computational experiments exploring the analyzed case-study.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Approach for Life-Cycle Carpet Profit

This paper proposes an mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to accurately represent a product life-cycle design considering profit maximization. The model that takes into account the effects on the demand lev-el and a measure of the customer utility considering recycled raw materials and prices of the traditional and modular products. Demand functions for traditional and modular products are considered. Given the presence of bilinear terms in the formulation (for example due to the multiplication of product price for the demand), the multi-parametric disaggregation technique is used to obtain a line-ar model. The developed model is applied to a company that produces tradition-al carpets and it wants to manufacture carpets based on a new modular design where recycled materials must be incorporated. The objective of the company is to maximize the total profit taking into account the design specifications and the selling prices for traditional and modular carpets. In addition, the amount of square meters of traditional carpets must be determined and the take-back rate must be considered. The practical behavior of the formulation is analyzed through computational experiments exploring the analyzed case-study.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

AzTEC 1.1 mm observations of high-z protocluster environments : SMG overdensities and misalignment between AGN jets and SMG distribution

We present observations at 1.1 mm towards 16 powerful radio galaxies and a radio-quiet quasar at 0.5 > z > 6.3 acquired with the AzTEC camera mounted at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment to study the spatial distribution of submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) towards possible protocluster regions. The survey covers a total area of 1.01 sq deg with rms depths of 0.52-1.44 mJy and detects 728 sources above 3σ. We find overdensities of a factor of ~2 in the source counts of three individual fields (4C+23.56, PKS1138-262, and MRC0355-037) over areas of ~200 sq deg. When combining all fields, the source-count analysis finds an overdensity that reaches a factor ≳ 3 at S 1.1mm = 4mJy covering a 1.5-arcmin-radius area centred on the active galactic nucleus. The large size of our maps allows us to establish that beyond a radius of 1.5 arcmin, the radial surface density of SMGs falls to that of a blank field. In addition, we find a trend for SMGs to align closely to a perpendicular direction with respect to the radio jets of the powerful central radio galaxies (73 -14 +13 deg). This misalignment is found over projected comoving scales of 4-20 Mpc, departs from perfect alignment (0 deg) by ~5σ, and apparently has no dependence on SMG luminosity. Under the assumption that the AzTEC sources are at the redshift of the central radio galaxy, the misalignment reported here can be interpreted as SMGs preferentially inhabiting mass-dominant filaments funnelling material towards the protoclusters, which are also the parent structures of the radio galaxies.Peer reviewe

A new type of resistive plate chamber: the multigap RPC

This paper describes the multigap resistive plate chamber (RPC). The goal is to obtain a much improved time resolution, keeping the advantages of the wide gap RPC in comparison with the conventional narrow gap RPC (smaller dynamic range and thus lower charge per avalanche which gives higher rate capability and lower power dissipation in the gas gap)