Reaching beyond compliance: Obstacles to integrating sustainability into decision -making processes in an institution of higher education

There are emerging opportunities for institutions of higher education to respond to current environmental and public health crises. By setting institutional examples and modeling for others how to prioritize sustainability as a grounding framework for decision-making, institutions of higher education have an opportunity to facilitate society\u27s transition to a more sustainable future. Sustainability principles stem from an international consensus that the pursuit of economic viability as an end in itself, conditioned by a neo-classical model of economics, does not maintain or enhance ecological health and human well-being. There are a number of universities worldwide who are making an effort to evaluate current policies and embrace sustainability however, there are no universities that could be characterized as \u27sustainable\u27. This study examines two interrelated points of debate with respect to the obstacles to integrating sustainability into the decision-making process in an institution of higher education. These are: (a) What parameters characterize the current decision-making process? What within the process obstructs the integration of sustainability principles? (b) What influences a decision-makers construction of a rationale for embracing or rejecting sustainability in everyday decisions? As entry points into the university decision-making process, this study focuses on operational policy with a comparative analysis of food services, purchasing and waste management. The data was collected and analyzed with the application of a grounded theory methodology. The study illustrates how the conventional decision-making process integrates three dominant parameters, which shape decision outcomes: fiscal constraint, academic and operational divisions, and institutional values. These three factors are further influenced by the system of communication within the university. The study extends the analysis through a constructivist framework to examine the factors that influence an individual\u27s understanding of the concept of sustainability and how that understanding is reflected in ones rationale as a decision-maker. The results of this study point to areas of future research that include the development of systems of knowledge-distribution for sustainability and the pursuit of institutional capacity to meet the needs of a sustainable society

Campus Sustainability Performance: Introducing Ecological Regional Analysis to Advance Meaningful Impact

In this second session of a three-part NECSC conference series called Bioregional Metrics, Decision Making & Assessment the presenters will delve into the current state of bioregional assessment and analysis. Synopses of research-based understandings drawn from a bioregional assessment of AASHE-STARS data, LEED assessments, and other bioregional data will be be presented along with recommendations for how such understanding can enhance the impact of collective efforts. The STARS analysis is based on a paper current under peer review co-authored by Shana Weber (Princeton), Julie Newman (MIT), and Adam Hill (Ivy+ SOAR Collaborative)

Strategies for Institutionalizing Sustainability in Higher Education

Report on the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium 3rd Annual Conference and International Symposium November 2-4, 200

Professional education and Mad Studies: Learning and teaching about service users’ understandings of mental and emotional distress

This article considers the inclusion of mental health service users’ experiences and perspectives in professional education classrooms. After brief introductions to the authors’ backgrounds, the article discusses professional expertise and knowledge and the accreditation of professional education courses. It then goes on to explore service users’ understandings of mental and emotional distress and the development of Mad Studies, which, at first sight, may appear incompatible with professional education courses. Discussion then turns to the development and trial of a living experience learning resource, which portrays the first author’s knowledge and understanding of having voices. The article concludes by arguing for the inclusion of Mad Studies knowledges in professional education classrooms.Points of interest This article discusses including mental health service users’ experiences and knowledges in professional education classrooms. The article discusses service users’ own understandings of mental and emotional distress and the international development of Mad Studies–the cooperative study of mental health service users’ experiential knowledges. The article also describes how we produced a learning resource (video film) which portrays the first author’s understanding of having or hearing voices. The learning resource was used in research with seven first-year social work students and we found that the students’ understandings of mental illness changed after viewing the resource. Mad Studies offers mental health service users hope and the possibility of change. It is therefore important that Mad Studies knowledges are included in professional education

Educational Effects of a Vocabulary Intervention on Preschoolers' Word Knowledge and Conceptual Development: A Cluster‐Randomized Trial

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that helping preschoolers learn words through categorization may enhance their ability to retain words and their conceptual properties, acting as a bootstrap for self‐learning. We examined this hypothesis by investigating the effects of the World of Words instructional program, a supplemental intervention for children in preschool designed to teach word knowledge and conceptual development through taxonomic categorization and embedded multimedia. Participants in the study included 3‐ and 4‐year‐old children from 28 Head Start classrooms in 12 schools, randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Children were assessed on word knowledge, expressive language, conceptual knowledge, and categories and properties of concepts in a yearlong intervention. Results indicated that children receiving the WOW treatment consistently outperformed their control counterparts; further, treatment children were able to use categories to identify the meaning of novel words. Gains in word and categorical knowledge were sustained six months later for those children who remained in Head Start. These results suggest that a program targeted to learning words within taxonomic categories may act as a bootstrap for self‐learning and inference generation. كان الغرض من هذه الدراسة هو فحص فرضية أن مساعدة الأطفال في الروضة تعلم كلمات عن طريق التصنيف بإمكانه أن يعزز من قدراتهم على تذكر الكلمات وخصائصها المفاهيمية، بوصفها محفزا للتعلم. قمنا بفحص هذه الفرضية وذلك بالتحقيق في أثر البرنامج التعليمي "عالم المفردات" (WOW) الذي يعتبر تدخلا تكميليا لأطفال الروضة ومصمما من أجل تعليم معرفة الكلمات والتطور المفاهيمي، من خلال النظام التصنيفي ووسائل الإعلام. تضمنت الدراسة مشاركين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 3 و4 سنوات ينتمون إلى 28 روضة أطفال، التي تنتمي إلى 12 مدرسة, خضعت عشوائيا للبحث ومراقبة المجموعات. جرى تقييم الأطفال على معرفة الكلمات واللغة التعبيرية والمعرفة المفاهيمية وأصناف وخصائص المفاهيم في تدخل لمدة سنة كاملة. أظهرت النتائج أن الأطفال الذين خضعوا للبرنامج التعليمي "عالم المفردات" (WOW) قد تفوقوا بصورة مستمرة على نظرائهم الذين خضعوا للمراقبة. علاوة على ذلك, فإن أطفال البحث قد تمكنوا من استخدام الأصناف والتعرف على معنى الكلمات الجديدة. استمر اكتساب الكلمات والمعرفة التصنيفية بعد 6 أشهر بالنسبة للأطفال الذين بقوا في روضة الأطفال. توحي هذه النتائج إلى أنه يمكن لبرنامج يهدف إلى تعلم الكلمات أن يعمل كمحفز للتعلم الذاتي، وتوليد الاستنتاجات. 本研究旨在考查一个假设：帮助学龄前儿童通过分类来学习单词，可提高他们记忆单词及其概念属性的能力，从而发展他们的自主学习能力。作者通过调查「单词世界」(WOW)教学计划的影响来考查这个假设。该教学计划是一个学龄前儿童补充干预计划，旨在透过使用分类学的分类方法及嵌入式多媒体，教授单词知识和发展单词概念。研究参与者是来自12所学校中的28个「启蒙计划」学前儿童班里的3‐4岁儿童，他们被随机分配到干预组和对照组。在一年的干预中，儿童接受单词知识、表达语言、概念知识、类别和概念属性的评估。结果显示，「单词世界」(WOW)干预组的表现一致地优于对照组；此外，干预组儿童可以使用类别来确定新词的词义。仍然留在「启蒙计划」班里的儿童，其单词和类别知识的改进保持稳定至干预后6个月。这些研究结果显示，针对透过分类学的分类方法来学习单词的教学计划，可引导儿童凭自己的力量学习自学和产生推断。 Cette étude avait pour but d'examiner l'hypothíse qu'aider des enfants d'âge préscolaire à apprendre des mots en les catégorisant pourrait favoriser leur capacité à retenir les mots et leurs propriétés, agissant alors comme une amorce d'auto‐apprentissage. Nous avons examiné cette hypothíse en analysant les effets du matériel d'enseignement le Monde des Mots (MDM), un supplément pédagogique destiné aux enfants d'âge préscolaire conçu pour la connaissance des mots et le développement des concepts à l'aide d'une catégorisation taxinomique avec multimédia impliqué. Ont participé à l'étude des enfants de 3 et 4 ans provenant de 28 classes Head Start issus de 12 écoles assignées au hasard au groupe de traitement et au groupe contrôle. Les enfants ont été évalués sur leur connaissance des mots, l'expression orale, les connaissances conceptuelles, les catégories et les propriétés des concepts tout au long de l'année de l'intervention. Les résultats ont montré que les enfants du groupe de traitement MDM ont de maniíre systématique dépassé leur contrepartie du groupe contrôle; en outre, les enfants soumis au traitement ont été en mesure de se servir des catégories pour trouver le sens des mots nouveaux. Les bénéfices dans la connaissance des mots et les connaissances catégorielles sont demeurés six mois plus tard chez les enfants restés dans Head Start. Ces résultats suggírent qu'un programme visant l'apprentissage de mots au sein de catégories taxonomiques peut agir comme une amorce pour l'auto‐apprentissage et la production d'inférences. Проверялась гипотеза о том, что категоризация лексики при обучении дошкольников новым словам может существенно увеличить способность к запоминанию слов и их концептуальных свойств и стимулировать малышей к самообучению. Для расширения их словарного запаса и умения работать с концептами авторы исследовали учебный модуль “Мир слов” (WOW), разработанный в качестве дополнительного вмешательства для дошкольников, которые обучаются по программе Head Start. WOW знакомит детей с таксономической классификацией посредством мультимедийных средств. Трех‐ и четырехлетние дети из 28‐и дошкольных групп в 12‐и школах были случайным образом включены либо в экспериментальную, либо в контрольную группу. На протяжении годичного обучения оценивалось знание слов, выразительность речи, знание концептов, их свойств и категорий, к которым они могут быть причислены. Дети, обучавшиеся по программе WOW, стабильно показывали более высокие результаты, чем их ровесники из контрольных групп. Помимо прочего, эти дети способны использовать категоризацию для определения значений новых слов. Через полгода после окончания обучения эти дети продолжали опережать сверстников по знанию слов и умению категоризировать. Это свидетельствует о том, что программа, предлагающая изучение слов в рамках таксономических категорий, может помочь вырастить поколение, которое будет способно к самообучению и к самостоятельным выводам. La meta de este estudio fue el de investigar la hipótesis que ayudar a los preescolares a aprender palabras por medio de la categorización mejoraría su capacidad de retener palabras y sus propiedades conceptuales, sirviendo de arranque para el auto aprendizaje. Investigamos esta hipótesis estudiando los efectos del programa de enseñanza World of Words (Mundo de palabras; WOW por sus siglas en inglés), una intervención adicional para niños preescolares diseñada para el aprendizaje de palabras y el desarrollo conceptual por medio de la categorización taxonómica y el uso de diversos medios. En este estudio participaron niños de 3 y 4 años de 20 aulas de Head Start en 12 escuelas escogidas al azar en cuanto a grupos de tratamiento y de control. En un año completo de intervención, se evaluaron los estudiantes en cuanto a su conocimiento de palabras, su lenguaje expresivo, su conocimiento conceptual, y las categorías y propiedades de los conceptos. Los resultados mostraron que los niños del grupo de WOW sistemáticamente superaban a los niños del grupo de control; además, los niños del grupo de tratamiento podían usar categorías para encontrar el significado de palabras nuevas. Los adelantos en el conocimiento de palabras y categorías todavía existían 6 meses más tarde para los niños que seguían con Head Start. Estos resultados sugieren que un programa dedicado al aprendizaje de palabras dentro de categorías taxonómicas puede ayudar al autoaprendizaje y la producción de inferencias.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88072/1/RRQ.46.3.3.pd

Testing Photovoltaic Pavers for Roadway Applications

Concrete and asphalt are the primary materials used to construct roadways for motor vehicles, bike paths for pedestrians and bicyclists, and runways for aircraft. Solar Roadways®, Inc. (SR) in Sandpoint, ID, proposed using robust, Solar Road Panels (SRPs) as an alternative roadway material due to the potential for creating a modular, multi-functional infrastructure product with cost-savings, user-safety, power-generation, and a better alternative in terms of environmental sustainability when compared to contemporary pavement materials. Typical roadway construction materials, on average, need to be replaced every 10-15 years while also requiring regular annual maintenance to maintain proper safety standards. SR’s novel roadway material is intended to extend roadway replacement timelines, lower annual maintenance costs, and provide energy to the power grid. In this study, we tested the mechanical properties of the “SR3” model prototype SRP and evaluated its suitability as a replacement roadway material with the added benefit of generating electric power. Specifically, we tested this unique pavement material in submerged water environments, under extreme temperature conditions, and under dynamic loading conditions

Peer Acceptance and Friendship as Predictors of Early Adolescents’ Adjustment Across the Middle School Transition

This study examines several aspects of adolescents’ pretransition peer relationships as predictors of their adjustment to middle school. Participants were 365 students (175 boys; 99% Caucasian) involved in the Time 1 (the spring of fifth grade) and Time 2 (the fall of sixth grade) assessments. Adolescents completed measures that assessed peer acceptance, number of friends, the quality of a specific mutual friendship, loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and involvement in school. Academic achievement and absentee data were obtained from student files. Regression analyses indicated that the pretransition peer variables predicted posttransition loneliness, self-esteem, school involvement, and academic achievement. The patterns of prediction varied slightly for each adjustment variable, with the most robust relationship being between peer acceptance and achievement. Results of repeated-measures MANOVAs indicated no differential changes in adjustment across time by gender. Implications for including a peer component in programs that prepare students for the middle school transition are discussed

Peer Acceptance and Friendship as Predictors of Early Adolescents\u27 Adjustment Across the Middle School Transition

This study examines several aspects of adolescents\u27 pretransition peer relationships as predictors of their adjustment to middle school. Participants were 365 students (175 boys; 99% Caucasian) involved in the Time 1 (the spring of fifth grade) and Time 2 (the fall of sixth grade) assessments. Adolescents completed measures that assessed peer acceptance, number of friends, the quality of a specific mutual friendship, loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and involvement in school. Academic achievement and absentee data were obtained from student files. Regression analyses indicated that the pretransition peer variables predicted posttransition loneliness, self-esteem, school involvement, and academic achievement. The patterns of prediction varied slightly for each adjustment variable, with the most robust relationship being between peer acceptance and achievement. Results of repeated-measures MANOVAs indicated no differential changes in adjustment across time by gender. Implications for including a peer component in programs that prepare students for the middle school transition are discussed