The Use of Dramatic Demonstrations to Enhance the Motivation and Learning of Chemistry Students

As part of the Virginia Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (VCEPT) project, a series of demonstrations was incorporated into Chemistry 100: Man and Environment, a science course taken by non-science majors including many prospective K-12 teachers. Dramatic chemical demonstrations were first presented to the undergraduate students by the instructor, and then they used demonstration activities to teach each other during the semester. Finally, these undergraduates presented to the K-6 students in the Norfolk Statue University (NSU) Summer Children’s College. The perceptions of science by the undergraduates at the beginning and end of the course were assessed using a questionnaire. The responses of the K-6 students in the Children’s College were assessed through informal interviews and audience response. The use of these demonstrations seemed to change the perception of science held by the undergraduate students. In addition, this limited assessment indicated that these demonstrations may have helped more of the undergraduates consider teaching as a career option

Sex Ratio and Sexual Dimorphism in \u3ci\u3eFormica Exsectoides\u3c/i\u3e, the Allegheny Mound Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

We excavated 66 mounds from 6 populations of Formica exsectoides in Michigan jack pine, collecting sexual caste pupae for sex ratio estimates and measurement of dimorphism. Reproductive caste brood was present in only 37 ofthe 66 mounds, and presence of reproductive caste brood was associated with larger mound surface area. Females were heavier than males, but did not differ from males in energy density. Sexes did not differ in timing or rate of development. Sex ratio estimates based on individual mounds ranged from 1.0 (all male) to 0.08 (female·biased). Four of the six study populations were strongly male·biased, while sex ratio estimates for the remaining populations did not differ from equal investment. While this interpopulation variation may be caused by genetic factors, the equal investment populations were 10· cated in or near patches of clear·cut forest, suggesting that environmental impacts should be investigated

Enhancing the employability of fashion students through the use of 3D CAD

The textile and apparel industry has one of the longest and most intricate supply chains within manufacturing. Advancement in technology has facilitated its globalisation, enabling companies to span geographical borders. This has led to new methods of communication using electronic data formats. Throughout the latter part of the 20th Century, 2D CAD technology established itself as an invaluable tool within design and product development. More recently 3D virtual simulation software has made small but significant steps within this market. The technological revolution has opened significant opportunities for those forward thinking companies that are beginning to utilise 3D software. This advanced technology requires designers with unique skill sets. This paper investigates the skills required by fashion graduates from an industry perspective. To reflect current industrial working practices, it is essential for educational establishments to incorporate technologies that will enhance the employability of graduates. This study developed an adapted action research model based on the work of Kurt Lewin, which reviewed the learning and teaching of 3D CAD within higher education. It encompassed the selection of 3D CAD software development, analysis of industry requirements, and the implementation of 3D CAD into the learning and teaching of a selection of fashion students over a three year period. Six interviews were undertaken with industrial design and product development specialists to determine: current working practices, opinions of virtual 3D software and graduate skill requirements. It was found that the companies had similar working practices independent of the software utilised within their product development process. The companies which employed 3D CAD software considered further developments were required before the technology could be fully integrated. Further to this it was concluded that it was beneficial for graduates to be furnished with knowledge of emerging technologies which reflect industry and enhance their employability skills

Coherent state triplets and their inner products

It is shown that if H is a Hilbert space for a representation of a group G, then there are triplets of spaces F_H, H, F^H, in which F^H is a space of coherent state or vector coherent state wave functions and F_H is its dual relative to a conveniently defined measure. It is shown also that there is a sequence of maps F_H -> H -> F^H which facilitates the construction of the corresponding inner products. After completion if necessary, the F_H, H, and F^H, become isomorphic Hilbert spaces. It is shown that the inner product for H is often easier to evaluate in F_H than F^H. Thus, we obtain integral expressions for the inner products of coherent state and vector coherent state representations. These expressions are equivalent to the algebraic expressions of K-matrix theory, but they are frequently more efficient to apply. The construction is illustrated by many examples.Comment: 33 pages, RevTex (Latex2.09) This paper is withdrawn because it contained errors that are being correcte

Evaluation of an on-campus programme bridging the theory-practice gap in occupational therapy education: Student perspective

The transfer of learning from an academic setting to fieldwork and vice versa is not straightforward and occupational therapy students often report this as challenging. In acknowledgement of this, the fieldwork placement learning structure within the Bachelor and Master occupational therapy entry-level programs at a higher education institute was redesigned to enhance links between taught content at university and fieldwork placement. The aim of this study was to explore occupational therapy students’ perspectives of this new educational initiative. The students attended university for a set number of days over the course of their first and second fieldwork placements. The sessions were focused on assisting students to make connections between theory taught at university to the practice setting and allow time for reflection and consolidation of learning. One hundred and fifteen occupational therapy students completed an anonymized online questionnaire to evaluate their experiences consisting of open and closed questions. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis and Likert Scale data was analyzed descriptively. Three key themes were identified from the qualitative information: reflection, support, and understanding and knowledge. The students reported the sessions provided time for reflection, which enabled them to link theory to practice more clearly and peer support was highly regarded. The introduction of university days during fieldwork education was overall positively received by students. This educational approach helped students to better understand theory and promoted reflection on practice experiences. This may be a useful approach to bridge the gap between theory and practice

An exactly solvable model of a superconducting to rotational phase transition

We consider a many-fermion model which exhibits a transition from a superconducting to a rotational phase with variation of a parameter in its Hamiltonian. The model has analytical solutions in its two limits due to the presence of dynamical symmetries. However, the symmetries are basically incompatible with one another; no simple solution exists in intermediate situations. Exact (numerical) solutions are possible and enable one to study the behavior of competing but incompatible symmetries and the phase transitions that result in a semirealistic situation. The results are remarkably simple and shed light on the nature of phase transitions.Comment: 11 pages including 1 figur

On giant piezoresistance effects in silicon nanowires and microwires

The giant piezoresistance (PZR) previously reported in silicon nanowires is experimentally investigated in a large number of surface depleted silicon nano- and micro-structures. The resistance is shown to vary strongly with time due to electron and hole trapping at the sample surfaces. Importantly, this time varying resistance manifests itself as an apparent giant PZR identical to that reported elsewhere. By modulating the applied stress in time, the true PZR of the structures is found to be comparable with that of bulk silicon

Schools Respond to Risk Management Programs for Asbestos, Lead in Drinking Water and Radon

Based on a study of the three EPA-initiated, public school risk management programs noted in the title, the authors find that state agency involvement is an important factor in the success of such programs. They also find, e.g., that school districts are justifiably reluctant to comply with tentative program