Experiences with Problem-Based Learning: Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement

The Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) provides high-quality professional development for teachers and administrators to enhance the quality of their science instructional programs. One emphasis of this program is helping teachers learn to implement Problem-Based Learning in the elementary science classroom. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has the potential to produce significant positive outcomes for students, such as increased student engagement, and opportunities for in-depth critical thinking [1]. Teachers find PBL challenging because it does take additional time for planning and material acquisition, but experience has shown that the benefits outweigh these challenges. Setting clear goals, identifying specific learning objectives, and developing big questions that tie these together help increase the success of the unit. Additionally, administrators can help teachers succeed in implementing a Problem-Based Learning unit by understanding the dynamic nature of the PBL environment, providing flexibility with unit pacing, and setting aside time for refining, reflection, and revision of the unit

Lysine Requirement of the Gestating Sow Determined by Using Plasma Urea Nitrogen as a Rapid Response Criterion

Lysine requirements at two stages of gestation were estimated in adult sows who had been fed either low (LL) or high lysine (HL) diets in the previous lactation period. Sows fed LL lost more weight during lactation that sows fed HL. Also, sows fed LL diet had more days of anestrus than sows fed HL. There were no differences, however, in litter weight gain of sows fed LL and HL. Estimates of gestation lysine requirements for sows fed LL were 9.6 ± 1.5 and 12.2 ± 1.7 g/d for early gestation and late gestation, respectively. The plasma urea nitrigen (PUN) technique did not accurately or precisely estimate the lysine requirement of the sows fed the HL diet in lactation

Self-Regulation in a Web-Based Course: A Case Study

Little is known about how successful students in Web-based courses self-regulate their learning. This descriptive case study used a social cognitive model of self-regulated learning (SRL) to investigate how six graduate students used and adapted traditional SRL strategies to complete tasks and cope with challenges in a Web-based technology course; it also explored motivational and environmental influences on strategy use. Primary data sources were three transcribed interviews with each of the students over the course of the semester, a transcribed interview with the course instructor, and the students’ reflective journals. Archived course documents, including transcripts of threaded discussions and student Web pages, were secondary data sources. Content analysis of the data indicated that these students used many traditional SRL strategies, but they also adapted planning, organization, environmental structuring, help seeking, monitoring, record keeping, and self-reflection strategies in ways that were unique to the Web-based learning environment. The data also suggested that important motivational influences on SRL strategy use—self-efficacy, goal orientation, interest, and attributions—were shaped largely by student successes in managing the technical and social environment of the course. Important environmental influences on SRL strategy use included instructor support, peer support, and course design. Implications for online course instructors and designers, and suggestions for future research are offered

Feasibility study for a Scanning Celestial Attitude Determination System /SCADS/ for three axis attitude determination at a Command and Data Acquisition /CDA/ station Final report

Scanning Celestial Attitude Determination System /SCADS/ for three axis attitude determination at Command and Data Acquisition /CDA/ statio

Computational Model for Microbubble Enhanced Performance of Airlift Bioreactor (ALB)

This paper presents a computational model for microbubble enhanced performance of an airlift bioreactor (ALB). Five different bubble diameters were defined in the model under the same conditions (440 µm to 1 mm bubble diameter). The computational model parameters and the size of the ALB were defined by referring to experimental work done previously. The main objective of the model is to study the effect of bubble size on the rising velocity and the liquid flow velocity in the airlift reactor (ALB). The results obtained from the computational model shows that microbubbles have a better performance over larger bubbles because microbubbles have better gas hold up due to slow rise velocity and are able to increase the flow velocity due to their high surface area to volume ratio

Optical and Infrared Spectroscopy

Contains reports on two research projects.Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DA 36-039-AMC-03200(E

Overlapping-gate buried-channel charge-coupled devices

In this letter the advantages of the overlapping-gate buried-channel charged-coupled devices over the 3-phase metal-gate and resistive-gate buried-channel c.c.d. are discussed and pertinent design considerations for the overlapping-gate c.c.d.s are presented