Applying Deweyan Principles to Global Citizenship Education in a Rural Context

Abstract Global citizenship education (GCE) helps students conceptualize citizenship beyond national boundaries so they are capable of action in dealing with global issues like human rights and environmental sustainability. However, very little literature exists to assist rural teachers in implementing GCE as they face specific challenges due to the context of their schools. This paper identifies challenges rural educators encounter, such as conservative communities and geographic isolation, and details a Deweyan approach to GCE as a means to overcome these challenges. Specifically, we apply Dewey’s democratic and social learning theories to reconceptualize GCE around student, family, and community life to foster a more relevant curriculum that utilizes students’ experiences (Dewey, 1897, 1902, 1938, 1916/2008). It emphasizes the utmost respect for local customs and culture by using them as sources of content for the curriculum while simultaneously extending citizenship thoughts and actions to the global arena.

Workload profiles prior to injury in professional soccer players

© 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This study examined if a particular profile of internal and external workload existed prior to injury. Forty-five professional soccer players were monitored over two seasons. For each non-contact injury, a profile of workload variables was determined for 4 weeks and expressed as (i) an absolute, (ii) week-to-week change and (iii) relative to the player’s season mean. Variables included exposure, session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) workload, total distance, low-, high-, very-high-speed running distance, mean speed, bodyload, monotony and strain. Acute:chronic workload ratio was also calculated and sensitivity of the relative workload was tested. Absolute and relative exposure and s-RPE workload were greater in all 3 weeks compared to the injury week (P  0.05). Acute:chronic workload ratio for s-RPE was significantly greater than acute:chronic workload ratio for very-high-speed running (P = 0.04). A workload threshold of 114% of a player’s season mean reported low sensitivity and specificity for exposure (25.6[20.2–33.5]% and 73.9[22.6–28.2]%,) and s-RPE workload (16.3[12.6–24.9]% and 79.9[20.3–26.1]%, respectively). No specific load profile existed, although high-sustained exposure and s-RPE were evident for the 3 weeks prior to injury. Consequently, load prescription should be aware of sustained high workloads

Crossing the macro-micro divide in systems ergonomics

This paper attempts to further explore the concept of mesoergonomics and the implications this has for the use of the systems approach within ergonomics. The concept has been applied within the field of organisational behaviour to understand a wide variety of complex work contexts and the interaction between individual, group and organisational levels of analysis. More recently, researchers in human factors and ergonomics have similarly argued that there is a need for holistic, integrated accounts of the relationship between macro- and micro- system levels (Karsh, 2003). In order to go some way toward achieving this, we outline two case studies drawn from health care (infection control, electronic medical records) and analyze these using mesoergonomic constructs. The case studies are used to outline a set of steps towards a more general framework for mesoergonomic research

Potential of wireless power transfer for dynamic charging of electric vehicles

Wireless power transfer (WPT) offers a viable means of charging electric vehicles (EVs) whilst in a dynamic state (DWPT), mitigating issues concerning vehicle range, the size of on-board energy storage and the network distribution of static based charging systems. Such charge while driving technology has the capability to accelerate EV market penetration through increasing user convenience, reducing EV costs and increasing driving range indefinitely, dependent upon sufficient charging infrastructure. This study reviews current traction battery technologies, conductive and inductive charging processes, influential parameters specific to the dynamic charging state as well as highlighting notable work within the field of WPT charging systems. DWPT system requirements, specific to the driver, vehicle and infrastructure interaction environment are summarised and international standards highlighted to acknowledge the work that must be done within this area. It is important to recognise that the gap is not currently technological; instead, it is an implementation issue. Without necessary standardisation, system architectures cannot be developed and implemented without fear of interoperability issues between systems. For successful deployment, the technologies impact should be maximised with the minimum quantity of infrastructure and technology use, deployment scenarios and locations are discussed that have the potential to bring this to fruition

Focusing a NIR adaptive optics imager, experience with GSAOI

The Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI) to be used with the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) system at Gemini South is currently in the final stages of assembly and testing. GSAOI uses a suite of 26 different filters, made from both BK7 and Fused Silica substrates. These filters, located in a non-collimated beam, work as active optical elements. The optical design was undertaken to ensure that both the filter substrates both focused longitudinally at the same point. During the testing of the instrument it was found that longitudinal focus was filter dependant. The methods used to investigate this are outlined in the paper. These investigations identified several possible causes for the focal shift including substrate material properties in cryogenic conditions and small amounts of residual filter power

A new layout optimization technique for interferometric arrays, applied to the MWA

Antenna layout is an important design consideration for radio interferometers because it determines the quality of the snapshot point spread function (PSF, or array beam). This is particularly true for experiments targeting the 21 cm Epoch of Reionization signal as the quality of the foreground subtraction depends directly on the spatial dynamic range and thus the smoothness of the baseline distribution. Nearly all sites have constraints on where antennas can be placed---even at the remote Australian location of the MWA (Murchison Widefield Array) there are rock outcrops, flood zones, heritages areas, emergency runways and trees. These exclusion areas can introduce spatial structure into the baseline distribution that enhance the PSF sidelobes and reduce the angular dynamic range. In this paper we present a new method of constrained antenna placement that reduces the spatial structure in the baseline distribution. This method not only outperforms random placement algorithms that avoid exclusion zones, but surprisingly outperforms random placement algorithms without constraints to provide what we believe are the smoothest constrained baseline distributions developed to date. We use our new algorithm to determine antenna placements for the originally planned MWA, and present the antenna locations, baseline distribution, and snapshot PSF for this array choice.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRA