Collaborative Funding to Facilitate Airport Ground Access, Research Report 11-27

This report presents the findings and conclusions from a research study that has examined the challenges of funding airport ground access projects and the role of collaborative funding strategies between the different agencies that typically become involved in such projects. The report reviews the recent literature on funding airport ground access projects, as well as funding transportation projects more generally. This is followed by a detailed review of current federal transportation funding programs relevant to airport ground access projects, as well as a discussion of state and local funding programs and potential opportunities for private-sector funding. A major component of the research described in the report consists of detailed case studies of seven selected airport ground access projects, including a major intermodal center, two automated people-mover projects, two airport access highway projects, and two airport rail links. These case studies examine the history of each project, the costs involved, and the funding programs and mechanisms used to finance the projects. Based on the literature review, the review of current funding programs, and the case study findings, the report identifies potential funding strategies for intermodal airport ground access projects, requirements for effective implementation of these strategies, and a recommended approach to facilitate successful project development and implementation. The report also presents recommended changes to transportation funding program rules and regulations that could facilitate and simplify development of intermodal solutions to future airport ground access needs

Student Perceptions of Web-Based Supplemental Information

This article is from The Journal of Technology Studies, 30, no. 4 (Fall 2004): 25–31.</p

Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging features of idiopathic oculomotor neuropathy in 14 dogs: Canine Idiopathic Oculomotor Neuropathy

Ophthalmoplegia/ophthalmoparesis (internal, external, or both) has been reported in dogs secondary to neoplasia affecting the oculomotor nerve and is usually given a poor prognosis. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the clinical findings, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, management, outcome, and follow-up in a group of canine cases with idiopathic oculomotor neuropathy. Inclusion criteria included cases with ophthalmoplegia/ophthalmoparesis (internal, external or both) as sole neuroophthalmologic signs, complete ophthalmic and neurologic examination, head MRI, and a minimum follow-up period of 1 year. Dogs with progressive neurological signs not related to oculomotor neuropathy were excluded. Fourteen cases met the inclusion criteria. All cases were unilaterally affected. Magnetic resonance imaging showed equivocal enlargement of the oculomotor nerve in three cases, mild enlargement in five, and marked enlargement in six. Contrast enhancement was present in 12 cases, being marked in six. When present, the contrast enhancement was focal in eight cases and diffuse in four. The median follow-up time was 25 months. External ophthalmoparesis improved in seven cases, five cases under no treatment and two under systemic corticosteroid therapy. The clinical signs in the other seven cases remained unchanged. Idiopathic oculomotor neuropathy should be included as a differential diagnosis in dogs presenting with unilateral ophthalmoplegia/ophthalmoparesis (internal, external, or both) with the absence of other neurologic and ophthalmic signs, and with the MRI findings restricted to the oculomotor nerve. Idiopathic oculomotor neuropathy has a good prognosis as the clinical signs do not deteriorate and they can improve without treatment

The Impact of Teaching Oxy-Fuel Welding on Gas Metal Arc Welding Skills

Industrial technology programs around the country must be sensitive to the demands of manufacturing and industry as they continue to replace “vocational” curriculum with high-tech alternatives. This article examines whether or not teaching oxyacetylene welding in the industrial technology classroom is required to learn arc welding processes. The results of this study suggests that there appears to be little impact, in terms of gas metal arc welding skills, associated with removing oxyacetylene welding from the curriculum. Because the gas metal arc welding industry is growing globally and industrial technology curricula are under time constraints that often limit the amount of time devoted to welding, faculty should consider suspending oxy-fuel welding to allow more time in gas metal arc welding instruction

Enriching the Undergraduate Experience Through a Technology Learning Community

The word team can mean different things to many people. To some the word team means playing a game together such as baseball, football, or basketball. These types of teams, because the outcome depends on their collective action, truly do function together as a team; team members either win together or lose together. For many the word team means simply working together on a project or special assignment. In education many schools use team teaching to indicate that two or more teachers work together teaching a class or particular subject. This article offers a definition of what a self-directed team is, how it functions, how it functions in industry, and what team members need to know to work well in teams. The problems of finding highly skilled self-directed team members and how technology subjects can help prepare such people in the future are also addressed

Using Contextual Learning to Build Cross-Functional Skills in Industrial Technology Curricula

This article is from Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 38, no. 3 (Spring 2001).</p

Holistic Assessment of Students in Undergraduate Industrial Technology Programs

This article is from The Journal of Technology Studies, 30, no. 4 (Fall 2004): 78–85.</p

Professional Connections through the Technology Learning Community

Have you heard? The new buzzword is “learning communities.” A learning community is a relatively old phenomenon that has resurfaced; it is making educators at institutions of higher education stand up and take notice. According to Angelo (1997), learning communities have produced significant gains in student involvement, learning, satisfaction, social connectedness, persistence, and retention, thus creating a more holistic and favorable educational experience. Grounded in collaborative and cooperative learning theories, learning communities have created environments in which student learning is the center of attention. Overtime, the acquisition of knowledge had come to be considered a highly social process in which construction occurs interdependently between students and teachers (Cross, 1998)

Evaluation of the Safety Content in the National Association of Industrial Technology Certification Exam

This study addresses the safety portion of the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) Certification exam. NAIT promotes the field of industrial technology in education, business, and industry. Certification is the recognition of voluntarily achieved standards by the profession that created the proposed standards. Certification programs are used to define a required body of knowledge and skills, and establish common performance standards. The NAIT certification exam began its initial development in the 1990s. Since its development, the safety portion of the certification exam has not been reevaluated critically. A survey with an expert panel was used to determine if the safety content of the NAIT certification exam was still appropriate. Participants, made up of members of the NAIT Safey Division, identified 30 safety topics as being important enough to be represented in the safety portion of the NAIT certification exam. This study concluded that while terminology may have changed slightly, the safety topics covered on the NAIT certification exam are still relevant and current

A systematic review of brief mental health and well-being interventions in organizational settings

Objectives The aim of the systematic review was to provide an overview of the evidence on the effectiveness of brief interventions targeting mental health and well-being in organizational settings and compare their effects with corresponding interventions of common (ie, longer) duration. Methods An extensive systematic search was conducted using the Medline and PsycINFO databases for the period of 2000-2016. Randomized-controlled trials (RCT) and quasi-experimental studies evaluating primary or secondary brief interventions carried out in the workplace settings were included. Subsequently, common interventions matching brief interventions by type and assessed outcomes were included. The methodological quality of included studies was appraised using NICE guidelines and the best evidence synthesis approach was applied. Results The review identified 11 brief interventions and 9 corresponding common interventions. Included studies varied substantially in sample size and characteristics, methodological quality, duration of follow-up, types of intervention, and assessed outcomes. All but one study evaluating brief interventions had high risk of bias. No evidence was found on the effectiveness of brief stress management, relaxation, massage, mindfulness meditation, or multimodal interventions. We found limited evidence on the effectiveness of brief positive psychology interventions. Conclusions Our review highlights the need for high-quality studies evaluating brief mental health and well-being interventions in organizational settings. Future studies should use methodologically rigorous designs and improved reporting of methods and results to provide conclusive evidence on the effectiveness and sustainability of the intervention effects