From the Margins to the Mainstream: Human Rights and the Good Friday Agreement

This Essay examines the process by which the language of human rights moved to center stage in the political process. It looks to peace processes elsewhere to determine whether the Agreement is deserving of the High Commissioner\u27s special praise and analyzes, from a human rights perspective, the content of the Agreement and the extent to which the promises made therein have been fulfilled to date

Identifying Childhood Hunger in Maine

Recent political campaigns at the national and state levels have been filled with much rhetoric about the present and future of families and children. But effective public policy developed in response to many pressing financial and social needs of families and children has not followed from the rhetoric. The lack of adequate quantitative research on the needs of children is often cited as a reason to move cautiously in responding to perceived needs. Deirdre Mageean discusses the nation’s public policy responses to poverty that have been attempted since the mid-1960s. Mageean, who served as co-director of a year-long childhood hunger study, examines these poverty policies in the context of the findings of that study, the Maine Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP). The Maine CCHIP study, along with 20 others conducted under the auspices of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in recent years, have begun to fill some of the data needs of state and federal policymakers as they struggle to craft responsive and responsible poverty policies

Welfare Reform: Unresolved Issues

As this issue goes to press, the U.S. Congress debates passage of sweeping legislative reforms to welfare, shifting responsibility to the states via block grants. In this Margaret Chase Smith Essay, Deirdre Mageean highlights several unresolved welfare reform issues

A comparative study of pre- and post-famine migrants from north-west Ireland to North America

A computer database of detailed information on 23,753 emigrants who sailed from the port of Derry in the northwest of Ireland was constructed, using Customs and ship passenger records that together spanned the years 1803- 1867, though not continuously. This information was used to trace changes in the origins of the emigrants, their age and sex distribution, their occupational backgrounds, their destinations, and in how they paid for their fare. Analysis showed that that the profile of emigration changed from emigration of mainly young, unattached males in the early part of the century to family migration during the Famine years, subsequently changing to emigration of equal numbers of males and females, mostly as young adults. Major differences found between the emigrant populations who sailed for Canada and the United States respectively were related to the cost of fares and the extent of assistance to emigrate. Pre-paid fares were found to be very significant, especially during the Famine years. Until the early 1860s the majority of the emigrants were from the more affluent, fertile areas of the north-west. Both the pattern of pre-paid fares and the concentration of the emigrants' origins were closely related to the migration tradition within the area. This tradition, dating back to the eighteenth century, helped create a migration mentality, promoted subsequent emigration, and gave rise to the pre-payment of fares by earlier emigrants. Although the Famine had a major impact on the area, it was not the instigator of mass migration from the northwest. The demise of the linen trade and associated economic crises were more important in this respect. The response to population pressure and economic crises varied within the region as well as with time

Hierarchical Modeling for Integrated Environmental Assessments

The distribution of biotic resources over large spatial extents is often a function of climate, of land-use, and of the demographics of the human population but these different classes of independent variables have different spatial scales for their action. One approach to the integration of these effects across scales is to use hierarchical models that incorporate contingencies and constraints in effects. This project seeks to develop such a modeling paradigm by use of classification and regression trees (CART). The hexagonal grid of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u27s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program is used as the spatial grid, with about 12000 grid points within the conterminous U.S. To test the approach, national Breeding Bird Survey data are used as dependent variables (species richness, abundance of individual species). The independent variables are derived from climate models, from remote sensing of land use from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometry (the Loveland prototype land cover classification), from National Agricultural Statistics Service statistics, and from Bureau of the Census data. The CART modeling then determines the best combination of predictors for each hexagon with bird data (ca. 1200), and the resulting model is used to predict values for all other hexagons. One can then map the regions with unique patterns of environmental effects on birds, can determine the location and degree of species losses associated with the local or regional action of particular stressors, and assess the location and total impact of the overall stressor load on the system. Specific questions that are addressed in the project include the value of different datasets as predictors, the influence of spatial autocorrelation, improvement of model fit and assessment of prediction accuracy, and methods of visualization of the results. The effects of climate, land-use and human demographics on environmental resources are particularly difficult to estimate in an integrated manner because some effects are broad-scale while others are very localized. If one could do so, a national environmental risk assessment would be feasible in a cost-effective manner. Here a new approach to the problem is tested, using a hierarchical model that first adjusts for broad- scale effects and then assesses regional and local effects in turn. As a test, bird data for the 48 conterminous states are modeled against national climate data, remote sensing data on land use, and agricultural and Census data. The resulting national map shows on a 12,000 point grid the extent to which species are lost to particular or to all stressors at each point, in effect a national risk assessment of environmental impacts as experienced by birds in relation to the stressors tested. The approach can readily be extended to other environmental response variables and to smaller or larger scales. This project systematically investigates technical uncertainties that might limit the usefulness of the approach

Technology in the First Year Experience - A Study on the Resources Provided to and used by Students

The introduction of new technologies has increased the amount and type of information resources available to students. Today’s student encounters technology in all aspects of life, from social interactions to online purchases. Of particular note are the increased possibilities in the availability of resources to support their studies. This paper presents a study of the types of resources available to first year students, how they interact with each type and their preferences. Two surveys were carried out. The first survey was conducted amongst academics delivering first year modules. Its primary aim was to obtain information about the resources students were given, or directed to, by the lecturers. The second survey was conducted amongst first year students from different technical programmes, including full time and part time programmes and therefore a mix of mature and non-mature students. Students were questioned about their engagement with a range of different types of resource and their use of resources that were additional to those provided by their lecturers. This study presents the combined results of the surveys. These were used to evaluate the engagement with traditional resources and technological and digital resources in education both from the lecturer and student perspective. The results show a divide between the types of material provided by the lecturers and the materials and usage preferred and actually used by the students

Online Resources Platform for Mathematics Education

The aim of this project was to develop and explore the use of a Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) integrating a web-based platform for the study of mathematics as part of an active learning environment. The platform was designed to provide active support to engineering students especially those in their first year of study. Early use of the platform can identify possible areas of weakness and provide the self-learning environment required for students to become more proficient in areas where they are lacking key skills or are finding the concepts difficult to understand. The platform consists of a set of tests and applications for the study of engineering mathematics. The tests can adapt and change depending on the answers provided by the student, including video feedback for incorrect answers before the student progresses to the next question. Based on the idea that teaching a concept is the best way to learn that concept, the students become actively involved in the platform as they create the videos that provide feedback to the other users of the platform. This active learning, constructivist approach provides an environment of achievement and ownership that allows students of all levels to enjoy the learning experience

Continuous Assessment: A Preliminary Study of Student Engagement in the Assessment Process

This paper provides an objective analysis of student engagement with continuous assessment over a three year period. The results of two groups of students from different stages of a modularised level seven engineering programme were examined. As both groups had taken modules where they studied numerical differentiation, this topic was selected and the corresponding assessment results and attendance of both groups were analysed. Two assessment methods were used to evaluate student engagement. The first method of assessment required the student to complete a laboratory assignment and submit it within a specified period of time. The second method of assessment involved an invigilated practical exam which was held in the laboratory on completion of the module. For both groups, students were required to attend a one hour lecture each week and a two hour computer laboratory on alternate weeks. Specific module content was introduced through the lecture and the computer laboratory enabled students to apply the material presented in the lectures and work on laboratory assignments relating to a specific topic. An online course management system was used which allowed students to download lecture materials, obtain model answers and view marks awarded for previously submitted assignments. The preliminary results and findings of this study are presented in this paper and may be used in part to answer the following questions: Is the student’s level of attendance, an indicator of how they will perform in their continuous assessment? Does the scheduling of weekly lectures and bi-weekly laboratory classes have an effect on the student’s performance? How does a student’s performance in a laboratory assignment compare with their performance in an invigilated laboratory exam

What are the lived experiences of young people who identify as part of a sexual minority in education settings in 2022? An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Background The ways in which gender and sexuality can be expressed has experienced rapid change and members of the LGBTQ+ community are becoming more visible. The number of young people openly identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community is rising, with these young people often at risk of negative experiences in their education settings as a result of how they identify. Despite this changing context and given the impact of the recent COVID 19 pandemic, the research examining the educational experiences of sexually minoritised young people in England is limited. The purpose of the current research was to contribute to the understanding of the educational experiences of sexually minoritised young people and to provide a platform for these marginalised voices to be heard. Methods Four young people (aged 16-18 years old) who identify as part of a sexual minority were recruited and semi-structured interviews were carried out to discuss their experiences of education. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was adopted. Findings Five Group Experiential Themes were identified following an analysis of the interviews. Participants discussed their Journey to Discovering an Identity and the support and barriers they faced during this process. They also outlined the importance of Building a Supportive Community. Participants then touched on When Support from Your Education Setting Falls Short and their Reality of Belonging to a Sexual Minority in the Current Context. Finally, the participants discussed the Impact of Positive Support from Your Education Setting. Conclusions The research findings highlighted that sexually minoritised young people seem to experience a range of difficulties and barriers, alongside some instances of positive support in their education settings. Findings are discussed in relation to previous literature in this area and relevant psychological theory. The implications for Educational Psychologists are discussed, with the findings indicating the importance of valuing the views of sexually minoritised young people, particularly when developing policies and guidelines for supporting these young people in their education settings

Repeated Sprint Performance in Male and Female College Athletes Matched for VO2max Relative to Fat Free Mass

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in repeated sprint exercise (RSE) performance among male and female athletes matched for VO2max relative to FFM (VO2max FFM). Thirty nine male and female college athletes performed a graded exercise test for VO2max and hydrostatic weighing to determine FFM. From the results, 11 pairs of males and females matched for VO2max FFM (mean ± SD; 58.3 ± 4.3 and 58.9 ± 4.6 ml.kg FFM-1.min-1; men and women, respectively) were identified. On a separate day, matched participants performed a RSE protocol that consisted of five 6-sec cycle sprints with 30-sec recovery periods, followed by 5-min active recovery and a 30-sec all-out sprint. Repeated 6-sec sprint performance did not differ between men and women; both maintained power output (PO) until sprint 4. POFFM (W.kg-1 FFM) did not differ between men and women during the five sprints. During the 30-sec sprint, men achieved a lower peak POFFM than women (11.7 ± 1.5 vs 13.2 ± 1.2); however, the decline in POFFM over 30 sec was greater in women. VO2 (ml.kg FFM-1.min-1) was lower in men during recovery (24.4 ± 3.8 vs 28.7 ± 5.7) and at the beginning (29.2 ± 4.0 vs 34.7 ± 4.9and end (49.4 ± 5.0 vs 52.3 ± 4.0) of the 30-sec sprint. These data indicate that men and women with similar aerobic capacities do not respond differently to short repeated sprints but may differ in their ability to recover and perform sprints of longer duration