Quality Control in Online Courses: Using a Social Constructivist Framework

There has recently been increased interest in the quality of online courses. Faculty from the School of Education at Marquette University suggest using social constructivist theories in the design and development of online courses and in the training and pedagogy of online instructors to ensure quality in online courses. Quality can be designed into online courses by focusing on complex tasks, using multiple perspectives, establishing a learning community, encouraging the social negotiation of meaning and providing assistance for learners at various levels. While good design can go a long way to ensure quality in online courses, the quality of the instructor is equally critical. Training instructors to establish a supportive climate, provide constructive feedback, and ask critical and probing questions leads to high quality online instruction

Implications for the Performance of the Music of Lee Hyla

Lee Hyla (1952–2014) gehörte zu einer Generation von Komponist_innen, die nachhaltig prägende Einflüsse durch das Spielen in Rock Bands und das Hören von Rock, Punk, Jazz und anderen nicht-klassischen Genres empfingen. Hyla zählt zu den versiertesten Komponisten seiner Generation, doch ist sein Werk kaum erforscht. Die Einflüsse auf seine Musik, u. a. von James Brown, Captain Beefheart, Neil Young und Cecil Taylor, manifestieren sich in seiner Musik in einer Weise, die postmoderne Zitat- oder Verweistechniken überwindet und seinen Zugang zu Rhythmus, Metrum und Phrasierung beeinflusst. Diese Qualitäten sind von einzigartigem Interesse für Hörer_innen und stellen besondere Herausforderungen an die Ausführenden. In der Analyse von Dream of Innocent III (1987) für verstärktes Cello, Klavier und Percussion stelle ich mein analytisches Rahmenkonzept vor, das von Lerdahls and Jackendoffs generativer Theorie tonaler Musik und von Bruce Hayes’ Theorie metrischer Betonungen inspiriert ist. Meine Analyse basiert auf Rhythmus und Metrum und zeigt die Implikationen der Hyla beeinflussenden Musikformen auf die Performance von Phrasierung und Struktur.Lee Hyla (1952–2014) belonged to a generation of composers whose formative musical experiences included playing in rock bands and listening to rock, punk, jazz, and other nonclassical genres. Hyla is among the most accomplished American composers of his generation, yet his work remains underexamined. His influences, particularly James Brown, Captain Beefheart, Neil Young, and Cecil Taylor, manifest in Hyla’s music in a manner that transcends postmodern quotation or mere reference and affect his approach to rhythm, meter, and phrasing. These qualities provide unique interest for the listener and specific challenges for the performer. Through an analysis of Dream of Innocent III (1987) for amplified cello, piano, and percussion, I present my analytical framework inspired by Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s generative theory of tonal music and Bruce Hayes’s metrical stress theory. My analysis, rooted in rhythm and meter, shows performative implications of Hyla’s influences as related to phrasing and structure

NATURAL HISTORY OF THE MOLE SALAMANDER AMBYSTOMA TALPOIDEUM IN VIRGINIA

The Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum) has been known from Virginia for over two decades, but no intensive research on this state-rare species had been pursued prior to this project. Various aspects of mole salamander natural history were studied over a seven-year period throughout a seven-county area of central Virginia. New state distribution records for the species were recorded from Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Nelson, and Pittsylvania Counties. These records include a range of extension with the most northern occurrence known for this species in the United States. Drift fence/pitfall trap studies were conducted on three ponds in two counties. Two distinct periods of immigration occurred in this species: one in the fall and another in late winter-early spring. The intensity of each period varied yearly depending on climatic conditions. Some individuals remained in breeding ponds for periods exceeding six months. Standard biometric measurements were taken, including values for: tail length, snout-vent length, weight, and breeding condition. These values were recorded for all larvae, adults, and paedomorphs captured during this investigation. This study reports the first documentation of paedomorphic individuals found in the state for this species. Paedomorphs were found in four counties. The occurrence of these individuals was dependent on the presence of breeding ponds with more permanent hydrologies than those of vernal pools. Metamorphosed paedomorphs appear to retain remnants of their paired ventral stripes, making identification of transformed paedomorphs possible. Recommendations are presented for the conservation of this species in Virginia

The Doyen of Dixie: A Survey of the Banjo Stylings of Uncle Dave Macon

David Harrison Macon (1870-1952) is often memorialized for his showmanship rather than his banjo playing. To compartmentalize such a significant American musician yields a wide gap within scholarship about Macon, country music history and the banjo. Macon’s banjo playing, documented through over two-hundred and fifty recordings made between the 1920s and 1950s, represents an array of cultures, eras, ethnicities, and styles all preserved in the repertoire of one of the most prolific country musicians of the 20th century. This study reveals Macon’s playing by considering such factors as influences that preceded his professional tenure, identifying elements within his playing from specific stylistic origins, and by technically notating selections from Macon’s canon that represent those influences. To understand the instrumental playing of one of early country music’s most important figures broadens understanding of banjo influences from the nineteenth century which laid the foundation for the instrument’s renaissance in the twentieth century

Science and Technology (S&T) Legislative Landscape: Mapping State-Level S&T Legislation in the US

Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy 2009This presentation was part of the session : Policy Actors and RelationshipsOver the last four years, the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Office of Policy Analysis and Research has supported the Georgia General Assembly's Science and Technology (S&T) legislative committees with policy analysis and expert testimony. This role provides OPAR a unique perspective on the S&T policy agenda in Georgia. In our duties, we are often called upon to prepare policy bulletins on S&T topics, including health information technology, biotechnology for economic development, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Because this research often results in comparative analysis with other US states, we recognized an opportunity not only to systematize this research, but also to provide a valuable service to the S&T policy community. The Science and Technology Legislative Landscape Project is an effort to do so. This research will inform state-level policymakers of nationwide trends in science and technology policy