Elementary School and Spelling Bees as Sites of Struggle: Akeela and the Bee

In the popular film, “Akeela and the Bee”, a struggle between power and non-power discourse unfolds in a working-class community. Akeela’s determination and the cohesiveness of the community ultimately challenge the social boundaries of discourse. Representations of literacy and language are analyzed through Gee’s definition of discourse and Verdoodt’s notion of a Pygmalion film. Key themes found in the film are discourse in contact and conflict, the mentor/mentee relationship, community support for learning, and the negative impact of a performance-focused learning environment. Ultimately, consolidations and opportunities are proposed through critical literacy and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy”

Investigating opportunities to improve surgical site infection prevention through social and technological innovation

Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common cause of morbidity and mortality and pose a significant problem for patients, health systems, and society. There is a wealth of literature on SSI prevention interventions, yet SSIs remain a problem. Surveillance of SSI rates on a local and national scale has been shown to be fundamental to reducing rates and improving patient safety. The national surveillance program for SSI rates in England is focused mostly on orthopaedic SSIs and in-hospital surveillance, and data collection is done manually despite advances in automation. Aims This thesis aims to address four key research questions emerging around SSI prevention through surveillance at the interface of two concepts: social innovation and technological innovation. Four questions arising from gaps in the literature are 1) which surgery types should be targeted for SSI surveillance, 2) what are healthcare workers’ perceptions and beliefs about SSI prevention and surveillance, 3) how can technology enhance SSI surveillance, and 4) how can post-discharge SSI surveillance be improved? Study design Quantitative methods were used to synthesise data on SSI risk, burden, cost, and national reporting requirements in different surgery types in England to inform decisions on how to prioritise surveillance. To better understand perceptions and drivers of SSI prevention and surveillance practices, qualitative interviews with staff stakeholders at a large London NHS Trust were analysed thematically. A mixed-methods case study used quantitative validation of a semi-automated in-hospital surveillance algorithm and qualitative workshops with staff to explore barriers and facilitators to implementation. The final studies used a realist review and patient focus groups to assess post-discharge surveillance methods. Results Current practices for SSI surveillance do not match the medical or economic burden posed by SSIs in different surgical categories. The highest contributors of SSIs in England are large bowel surgery and caesarean section, which are under voluntary surveillance or no national surveillance respectively. Differences in the perceived responsibility for SSI prevention (whole team and patients) versus accountability for rates (consultant surgeons) create tensions in the team, but surveillance can help stimulate engagement. Electronic systems to improve SSI surveillance are a promising and obvious solution to chronic resource problems, but poor technological infrastructure and difficulties proving their cost-effectiveness prevent a universal solution. Patients are often required to contribute to post-discharge surveillance of SSIs but need to see this task as useful and easy. Conclusion Improvements in technological infrastructure in the NHS would facilitate enhanced SSI surveillance, while top-down encouragement from national bodies and hospital managers to broaden surveillance could provide the social support needed to re-prioritise surveillance. On a local level, team accountability of SSI rates could precipitate social change by facilitating stakeholder engagement.Open Acces

The Role of Cultural Instruction in Adult Indigenous Language Learning

As one of the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada, the TRC demanded that the Canadian government fund language revitalization and preservation programs, including language courses at the postsecondary level. The demand for funding of language revitalization programs has, in turn, augmented the drive for Indigenous language revitalization (ILR) programs in communities and educational institutions, which results in a need for instructional programs. This article presents a review of the literature on Indigenous language instruction coupled with instruction in Indigenous cultural concepts among Indigenous adult learners of Anishinaabemowin: in particular, the focus is on learning gains when a component of cultural instruction is added to Indigenous language instruction to Indigenous adults. This review of literature highlights a gap in the research on adult Indigenous language learning and cultural teachings in the field of adult Indigenous language teaching. Additional research on this topic would contribute to the revitalization of Indigenous languages and contribute to fulfilling Calls to Action 13, 14, and 15 of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. Addressing this gap in the research would advance knowledge about the role of cultural instruction in Indigenous language learning, which is useful for ILR curriculum planners and instructors

Integrating Assessment from Day One in a Student Development Event: Long Night Against Procrastination (LNAP) at a Mid-Sized University

This paper explains the assessment process that was the focus of the planning of an undergraduate student academic development event, from project inception through completion. The learning outcomes for the Long Night Against Procrastination (LNAP) event in 2015 were planned based on key aspects of the home university’s mission statement. The learning outcomes for the event and the university’s mission statement were next woven together into the learning outcomes and success criteria of the individual workshops. The assessment of the event was planned to investigate whether, and to what extent, the success criteria had been met based on the student responses. The academic orientation of the event focused on empowering students with strategies to plan study time, write papers, manage stress, and solve problems at mid-term. The goal of the workshops was to teach the students academic and wellness strategies to enable their success. The success criteria were assessed through administration of exit questionnaires after each workshop. The qualitative data collected clearly depicts the learning experiences of the students who attended the event. The qualitative data is matched with the success criteria of the individual workshops, permitting a commentary on the level of achievement of the success criteria and areas for improvement. Results showed that the student experience of the workshops mirrored very closely the planned success criteria. Adherence to the institutional, unit, and workshop goals throughout the planning process yielded outcomes that were closely aligned with the original goals

On improvements in metal oxide based flexible transistors through systematic evaluation of material properties

Thin-film metal oxide (MOx) semiconductors have opened the way to a new generation of electronics based on their unique properties. With mobilities, mu, of up to 80 cm2V-1s-1, metal oxides do not rival crystalline silicon (mu~1000 cm2V-1s-1) for complex applications. But such oxides do have three unique characteristics driving great interest: their mobilities persist in the amorphous form, contrary to the thousandfold drop seen in silicon; they are transparent; and they can be processed at, or near, room temperature. Most work on MOx semiconductors, in particular indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), has focused on display applications, where MOx thin-film transistors (TFTs) are used to drive individual pixels, reducing power consumption by blocking less light than alternatives, and allowing smaller pixels due to reduced TFT sizes. Such work has seen great advances in IGZO, but has generally not considered the thermal budget during production. By utilising the low temperature processing possible with MOx, a new world of applications becomes possible: flexible electronics. This work aims to improve the characteristics of TFTs based on amorphous IGZO (a-IGZO) through detailed study of the thin-film structure in relation to functional performance, looking at the material structure of three critical layers in an a-IGZO TFT. A study of optimisation of a dielectric layer of Al2O3, deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), is presented. This dielectric, between the a-IGZO and the gate electrode, shows a three-layer substructure in what has previously been regarded as a single homogeneous layer. A study of the insulating Al2O3 buffer layer below the a-IGZO compared the properties of Al2O3 deposited by ALD and sputtering. Sputtered material has a more complex structure than ALD, consisting of multiple sublayers that correlate with the sputtering process. The structure of the two materials is discussed, and the impact on device performance considered. A detailed systematic study of the effects of annealing of a-IGZO shows a strong dependence of the density on both time and temperature. A two mechanism model is proposed which consists of structural relaxation of the amorphous material followed by absorption of oxygen from the environment. Finally, investigation of the influence of the buffer material on the a-IGZO, and the structure of this interface showed little difference in the growth of the a-IGZO, but did reveal some changes in the interface, while a systematic study of annealing effects on the a-IGZO-dielectric interface showed some interesting changes in this structure, both of which are likely to significantly impact the operational characteristics of TFT devices

Cathodic discharges during high frequency plasma electrolytic oxidation

Using small area electrical data logging, high speed photography, sample mass gain monitoring, gas evolution measurement and microstructural examination, a study has been made of the formation and effect of cathodic discharges during PEO of Al substrates. Discharge formation during the cathodic half-cycle is promoted by high frequency, thick coatings and high pH. They form (under constant current conditions) when the voltage during cathodic polarization reaches a value (~250 V in the work described here) sufficient to cause dielectric breakdown across thin residual oxide layers on the substrate. This occurs when the normal cathodic process of proton flow through electrolyte channels in the coating can no longer deliver the required current. Cathodic discharges tend to carry higher currents, and emit more light, than anodic ones. Gas evolution rates during PEO are well above the Faraday yield level. This is due to water entering discharge plasmas, breaking down into ionized species and failing to recombine completely during subsequent collapse and quenching. It is reported here that rates of gas evolution rise as discharges start to take place in the cathodic part of the cycle, as well as in the anodic part. Rates of substrate oxidation (coating growth), however, drop off, rather than rise, when cathodic discharges start. Evidence is presented here suggesting that this is associated with their highly energetic nature, causing substantial amounts of oxide to be expelled into the electrolyte during cathodic discharges. This is also apparent in the coating microstructure, where recent cathodic discharge sites are identifiable as large, highly porous regions.EPSRC (grant number EP/I001174/1) Sims Scholarship (Cambridge University

Heat-Induced Color-Intensity Change in Coastal Douglas-Fir and White Spruce

In a previous study, it was found that to reach the same degree of surface inactivation, Douglas-fir attained a much higher heat-induced color intensity at 520 nm than white spruce. To explain the heat-induced color-intensity change as a function of the above species, the present study measured the thermally induced spectral changes in the visible wavelength region for these species. The differential reflectance spectra for the sapwood and heartwood of coastal Douglas-fir and white spruce showed a peak in the 410- to 430-nm region, but only coastal Douglas-fir showed a second peak at 550 nm. Comparison of rate data for extracted and unextracted coastal Douglas-fir showed that its extractives contributed significantly to the heat-induced color-intensity change. Dihydroquercetin, a major phenolic extractive in coastal Douglas-fir upon heating produced a powerful chromophore group