Critical Thinking and Microcomputers: Education\u27s New Tools for the Information Age

Developing applied critical thinking skills in students seems the most effective and efficient use of current and future computer technology

Adaptive Targeting: Engaging Farmers to Assess Perceptions and Improve Watershed Modeling, Optimization, and Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices

Targeting agricultural conservation practices to farmland that has the greatest impact on surface water quality has received wide support from scientists and watershed managers. The targeting approach has, however, been politically contentious as many believe farmers will oppose the approach on grounds such as privacy invasion and unfair distribution of government incentives. Targeting conservation practices using complex optimization models has become common in the scientific community, and yet targeted results are underutilized in practice because of difficulties such as knowledge transfer and absence of a political framework for their use. For targeting to be successful, it must be politically supported in concept and practically demonstrated in implementation. In this work I have conducted an interdisciplinary study and targeting experiment that brings together the human dimensions of targeting with the engineering tools of watershed modeling and spatial optimization to demonstrate an adaptive targeting approach. The approach is adaptive in its involvement of stakeholders, namely farmers and landowners, in the targeting process. Fourteen farmers were engaged through in-depth interviews about their farmland, conservation practices, and opinions on targeting of conservation. Interviews and the targeting experiment were conducted in 2012-2013 in two small west-central Indiana watersheds - the Little Pine watershed (56 km2) and Little Wea watershed (45 km2). There was general support for the targeting approach among farmers interviewed, despite wide variation in farmer views of conservation and government programs. Farmer views of differing conservation practices varied as well, supporting a flexible targeting approach where farmers are consulted prior to targeting conservation on their lands. The watershed modeling and spatial optimization approach tailored to farm boundaries was a suitable tool for targeting field scale practices at the watershed scale. Conservation practices represented in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) varied in effectiveness of reducing total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sediment from reaching surface waters. Grassed waterways, filter strips, and strategically cited wildlife habitats had the greatest efficiency in lands with little existing conservation, and cover crops and wetlands were capable of intercepting nutrients and sediments other practices could not reach. The adaptive targeting experiment resulted in a stated intention to adopt 35% of all targeted recommendations across ten farms. Interviews clearly improved the targeting approach, provided an avenue for knowledge transfer, and built trust with farmers

Access to health services in Western Newfoundland, Canada: Issues, barriers and recommendations emerging from a community-engaged research project

Research indicates that people living in rural and remote areas of Canada face challenges to accessing health services. This article reports on a community-engaged research project conducted by investigators at Memorial University of Newfoundland in collaboration with the Rural Secretariat Regional Councils and Regional Partnership Planners for the Corner Brook–Rocky Harbour and Stephenville–Port aux Basques Rural Secretariat Regions of Newfoundland and Labrador. The aim of this research was to gather information on barriers to accessing health services, to identify solutions to health services’ access issues and to inform policy advice to government on enhancing access to health services. Data was collected through: (1) targeted distribution of a survey to communities throughout the region, and (2) informal ‘kitchen table’ discussions to discuss health services’ access issues. A total of 1049 surveys were collected and 10 kitchen table discussions were held. Overall, the main barriers to care listed in the survey included long wait times, services not available in the area and services not available at time required. Other barriers noted by survey respondents included transportation problems, financial concerns, no medical insurance coverage, distance to travel and weather conditions. Some respondents reported poorer access to maternal/child health and breast and cervical screening services and a lack of access to general practitioners, pharmacy services, dentists and nurse practitioners. Recommendations that emerged from this research included improving the recruitment of rural physicians, exploring the use of nurse practitioners, assisting individuals with travel costs,  developing specialist outreach services, increasing use of telehealth services and initiating additional rural and remote health research.Keywords: rural, remote, healthcare, health services, social determinants of healt

Comparing fuzzy numbers: The proportion of the optimum method

AbstractThe proportion of the optimum fuzzy number ranking procedure measures the consonance of the fuzzy number under comparison with the fuzzy ideals of max and min. This is accomplished by using three successive levels of analysis, where the number of levels utilized is dependent upon the difficulty of the ranking problem. This method is then compared to eight existing fuzzy number comparison methods. When evaluating all nine methods (using five examples) in terms of the method attributes of robustness, accuracy, and ease of use, the Lee-Li and proportion of the optimum methods are recommended. If, however, the decision maker desires the most flexible model, due to spread-preference differences, then the proportion of the optimum method is recommended

Stressors and Supports for Baccalaureate Nursing Students Completing An Accelerated Program

This study examined stressors and resources for nursing students in an accelerated program. The research questions asked what the stressors and coping strategies are for accelerated option students. It also asked which learning strategies help or hinder accelerated option students in meeting the program objectives. The sample included students from an accelerated nursing program in an urban Midwestern university school of nursing. Participants completed a quantitative questionnaire and an interview. Findings suggested that nearly half of the students preferred the lecture format for classroom presentations. Clinical experiences were perceived as the most important component of the program. Resources included peers, family, and faculty. In understanding the stressors experienced by accelerated option students and the preferred learning strategies, the institution of nursing education may assist faculty to facilitate learning. This study forms the foundation for a second study exploring the differences in perceptions of accelerated students and the nursing faculty

How can we help? Supporting students in distance tertiary education: An evaluative study

This article reports on a study which investigated the role of student support in the completion of a distance education programme at tertiary level. It aimed to identify crucial methods of support in distance education, related to the nature of the student body in a specific programme of study. It found that a wide range of support mechanisms were needed and valued. Tutor attributes such as availability and approachability were regarded as crucial, personal knowledge of students by tutors increased students' sense of identification with the programme and the likelihood of their completion, and the effectiveness of support systems could be enhanced by the creation of a feeling of intimacy within an institution

Cut the Sound: The Role of Musician Strikes in Movements for Societal Change

This thesis examines the potential for musicians to contribute to societal change, on global and local scales, by engaging in strike action. While reaffirming the potent impacts of the music they create, it posits that musicians, as a result of their place within the economic structures of capitalism, also hold the ability to contribute to societal good through its strategic withdrawal. Through case study analysis of the 2022 Sydney Festival strike, it argues that musician strikes contribute to local and global societal change through directly and effectively challenging the intertwined economic and cultural processes which constitute destructive hegemonic forms

Visuospatial ability as a predictor of novice performance in ultrasound–guided regional anesthesia

Background: Visuospatial ability correlates positively with novice performance of simple laparoscopic tasks. The aims of this study were to identify if visuospatial ability could predict technical performance of an ultrasound–guided needle task by novice operators, and to describe how emotional state, intelligence and fear of failure impact on this. Methods: Sixty medical student volunteers enrolled in this observational study. We used an instructional video to standardize training for ultrasound-guided needle advancement in a turkey breast model and assessed volunteers’ performance independently by two assessors using composite error score (CES) and global rating scale (GRS). We assessed their ‘visuospatial ability’ with mental rotation test (MRT), group embedded figures test (GEFT) and Alice Heim group ability (AH4) test. ‘Emotional state’ was judged with UWIST mood adjective checklist (UMACL) and fear of failure, and ‘general cognitive ability’ with numerical reasoning test (NRT-20). Results: High CES scores (high error rate) were associated with low MRT scores (= −0.54; P<0.001). Better GRS scores were associated with better MRT scores (= 0.47; P<0.001). Regarding emotions, GRS scores were low when anxiety levels were high (= −0.35; P= 0.005) and CES scores (errors) were low when individuals reported feeling vigorous and active (= −0.30; P= 0.01). Conclusions: MRT predicts novice performance of an ultrasound-guided needling task on a turkey model, and as a trait measure could be used as a tool to focus training resources on less able individuals. Anxiety adversely affects performance. Both may therefore prove useful in directing targeted training in USGRA