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Sample records for projects engage high

  1. Urban High School Student Engagement through CincySTEM iTEST Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckett, Gulbahar H.; Hemmings, Annette; Maltbie, Catherine; Wright, Kathy; Sherman, Melissa; Sersion, Brian

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on the notable heightening of underrepresented students' engagement in STEM education through project-based learning CincySTEM iTEST projects. The projects, funded by an iTEST NSF grant, were designed and facilitated by teachers at a new STEM urban public high school serving low-income African-American students. Student…

  2. Identifying challenges in project consultants engagement practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shariffuddin, Nadia Alina Amir; Abidin, Nazirah Zainul

    2017-10-01

    Construction projects, green or conventional, involve multi-faceted disciplines engaged with the goal of delivering products i.e. building, infrastructure etc. at the best quality within stipulated budgets. For green projects, additional attention is added for environmental quality. Due to the various responsibilities and liabilities involved as well as the complexity of the construction process itself, formal engagement of multi-disciplinary professionals i.e. project consultants is required in any construction project. Poor selection of project consultants will lead to a multitude of complications resulting in delay, cost escalation, conflicts and poor quality. This paper explores the challenges that occur during the engagement of project consultants in a green project. As the engagement decision involves developers and architects, these two groups of respondents with green project backgrounds were approached qualitatively using interview technique. The challenges identified are limited experience and knowledge, consultants' fee vs. quality, green complexity, conflicts of interest, clients' extended expectation and less demand in green projects. The construction shifts to green project demands engagement of project consultants with added skills. It is expected that through the identification of challenges, better management and administration can be created which would give impact to the overall process of engagement in green projects.

  3. Game Development as Students’ Engagement Project in High School Mathematics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan V. Dio

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The general expectancies of the enhanced basic education curriculum in the Philippines focuses on the performance standards which can be expressed when students are able to produce products as evidence that they can transfer or use their learning in real-life situations. One way to assess students achievement is through an engaging activities that would require them apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the subject as the outcome of their learning. This descriptive method of research employed content analysis procedures and survey in describing and assessing the significant feature of the mathematical games as potential learning devices developed by the high school students through an engaging task assignment. It utilized purposive sampling techniques in the selection of the respondents and the submitted write-ups of mathematical games for analysis as typical sample in this study. The study revealed that the high school students developed mathematical board games with different objectives and mechanics as inspired by their learning, experiences, hobbies, and interest. Mathematical concepts and processes along numbers and number sense, measurements, algebra, geometry, and probability and statistics were integrated in the game through question card and mechanics of the game itself. The groups of students and teachers have high level of agreement as to the workmanship and usability, mechanics and organization, relevance to instruction/learning, and fun and enjoyment of the game as revealed by their assessment from very satisfactory to excellent level. Results implied that teachers in any subject area may use students’ engagement project as teaching strategy to produce products and performance that would provide evidence of students’ learning. The school curriculum makers may consider the students’ output as subjects of research for further improvements, exhibits, and classroom utilization.

  4. Using "Petites Projects" to Further Engage Students in Geography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Richard

    2013-01-01

    The challenge of teaching AP Human Geography to high school students is to make geography relevant, engaging and "real world." Often the pace of teaching AP classes constrains the ability of teachers to do creative projects and truly engage students until after the exam is over in May. In this lesson plan, the author suggests using "Petites…

  5. LYNX community advocacy & service engagement (CASE) project final report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-05-14

    This report is a final assessment of the Community Advocacy & Service Engagement (CASE) project, a LYNX-FTA research project designed : to study transit education and public engagement methods in Central Florida. In the Orlando area, as in other part...

  6. Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project: Engaging High School and Undergraduate Students in Watershed Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, E.; McCabe, D.; Sheldon, S.; Jankowski, K.; Haselton, L.; Luck, M.; van Houten, J.

    2009-12-01

    The Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project engages a diverse group of undergraduates, high school students, and their teachers in hands-on water quality research and exposes them to the process of science. The project aims to (1) recruit students to science careers and (2) create a water quality database comprised of high-quality data collected by undergraduates and high school groups. The project is the training and outreach mechanism of the Complex Systems Modeling for Environmental Problem Solving research program, an NSF-funded program at the University of Vermont (UVM) that provides computational strategies and fresh approaches for understanding how natural and built environments interact. The Streams Project trains participants to collect and analyze data from streams throughout Vermont and at limited sites in Connecticut, New York, and Puerto Rico. Participants contribute their data to an online database and use it to complete individual research projects that focus on the effect of land use and precipitation patterns on selected measures of stream water quality. All undergraduates and some high school groups are paired with a mentor, who is either a graduate student or a faculty member at UVM or other college. Each year, undergraduate students and high school groups are trained to (1) collect water and macroinvertebrate samples from streams, (2) analyze water samples for total phosphorus, bacteria, and total suspended solids in an analytical laboratory, and/or (3) use geographic information systems (GIS) to assess landscape-level data for their watersheds. After training, high school groups collect samples from stream sites on a twice-monthly basis while undergraduates conduct semi-autonomous field and laboratory research. High school groups monitor sites in two watersheds with contrasting land uses. Undergraduate projects are shaped by the interests of students and their mentors. Contribution to a common database provides students with the option to expand the

  7. Engaging clinicians in health informatics projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caballero Muñoz, Erika; Hullin Lucay Cossio, Carola M

    2010-01-01

    This chapter gives an educational overview of: * The importance of the engagement of clinicians within a health informatics project * Strategies required for an effective involvement of clinicians throughout a change management process within a clinical context for the implementation of a health informatics project * The critical aspects for a successful implementation of a health informatics project that involves clinicians as end users * Key factors during the administration of changes during the implementation of an informatics project for an information system in clinical practice.

  8. Consumer engagement: An insight from smart grid projects in Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gangale, Flavia; Mengolini, Anna; Onyeji, Ijeoma

    2013-01-01

    This paper provides an insight into consumer engagement in smart grid projects in Europe. Projects analysed are those included in the catalogue annexed in the JRC Report “Smart Grid projects in Europe: lessons learned and current developments”. The analysis suggests an increase in the interest in consumer engagement projects at European level and a strong focus on the residential sector, and emphasises the key importance of public funding to support these projects. The study also reveals that projects involving consumers are characterised by the pursuit of two main objectives: gaining deeper knowledge of consumer behaviour (observing and understanding the consumer) and motivating and empowering consumers to become active energy customers (engaging the consumer). The paper reviews the main activities undertaken to obtain these objectives and highlights trends and developments in the field. Finally, the paper discusses obstacles to consumer engagement and the strategies adopted by the projects surveyed to tackle them, highlighting the need to build consumer trust and to design targeted campaigns taking into consideration different consumer segments. The conclusions are in line with findings and analyses presented in the literature and underscore the need for further research and action at European level. - Highlights: • Consumers' key role in the success of the future electricity system (smart grids). • Survey on consumer engagement experiences in European smart grid projects. • Focus is on observing and understanding the consumers and on engaging them. • Trust and confidence as central elements. • Need to take into consideration different consumer segments/motivational factors

  9. Patient and Stakeholder Engagement in the PCORI Pilot Projects: Description and Lessons Learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsythe, Laura P; Ellis, Lauren E; Edmundson, Lauren; Sabharwal, Raj; Rein, Alison; Konopka, Kristen; Frank, Lori

    2016-01-01

    Patients and healthcare stakeholders are increasingly becoming engaged in the planning and conduct of biomedical research. However, limited research characterizes this process or its impact. We aimed to characterize patient and stakeholder engagement in the 50 Pilot Projects funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and identify early contributions and lessons learned. A self-report instrument was completed by researchers between 6 and 12 months following project initiation. Forty-seven principal investigators or their designees (94 % response rate) participated in the study. MAIN MEASURES Self-report of types of stakeholders engaged, stages and levels of engagement, facilitators and barriers to engagement, lessons learned, and contributions from engagement were measured. Most (83 %) reported engaging more than one stakeholder in their project. Among those, the most commonly reported groups were patients (90 %), clinicians (87 %), health system representatives (44 %), caregivers (41 %), and advocacy organizations (41 %). Stakeholders were commonly involved in topic solicitation, question development, study design, and data collection. Many projects engaged stakeholders in data analysis, results interpretation, and dissemination. Commonly reported contributions included changes to project methods, outcomes or goals; improvement of measurement tools; and interpretation of qualitative data. Investigators often identified communication and shared leadership strategies as "critically important" facilitators (53 and 44 % respectively); lack of stakeholder time was the most commonly reported challenge (46 %). Most challenges were only partially resolved. Early lessons learned included the importance of continuous and genuine partnerships, strategic selection of stakeholders, and accommodation of stakeholders' practical needs. PCORI Pilot Projects investigators report engaging a variety of stakeholders across many stages of research, with specific

  10. Creating Student Engagement: The Kickstarter Active Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzon, Elliott

    2017-01-01

    Students can become disengaged from marketing material if they cannot see the direct application. Marketing material needs to be applied to a meaningful business task to engage and motivate students. This article introduces the Kickstarter Active Learning Project--an innovative semester-long project in which students create a Kickstarter…

  11. Development of a student engagement approach to alcohol prevention: the Pragmatics Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buettner, Cynthia K; Andrews, David W; Glassman, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Significant involvement of students in the development and implementation of college alcohol prevention strategies is largely untested, despite recommendations by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and others. The purpose of the Pragmatics Project was to test a student engagement model for developing and implementing alcohol intervention strategies. The Pragmatics Project involved 89 undergraduate students on a large Midwestern university campus in the design and implementation of projects focused on reducing harm associated with high-risk drinking and off-campus parties. The engagement model used an innovative course piloted in the Human Development and Family Science department. The course successfully involved both students and the community in addressing local alcohol issues. The course design described would fit well into a Master of Public Health, Community Psychology, Health Psychology, or interdisciplinary curricula as well as the service learning model, and it is applicable in addressing other health risk behaviors.

  12. Projections on museum exhibits - engaging visitors in the museum setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basballe, Ditte Amund; Halskov, Kim

    2010-01-01

    Using animation, text, and visual effects as elements of projections on the Danish rune stone, Mejlbystenen (the Mejlby stone), we have explored approaches to engaging museum visitors. The installation positions itself in the field of previous installations and experiments exploring projection...... on physical objects, but is unique in focusing on fusing the projection and the object in an engaging approach to communicating information at a cultural heritage museum. The Mejlby stone installation is now a permanent installation at a cultural and historical museum, and, based on observation as well...

  13. Evaluation of a workplace engagement project for people with younger onset dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Jacinta; Evans, David

    2015-08-01

    In 2011, a workplace project was established to provide a small group of people who had younger onset dementia with the opportunity to return to the workplace. The project sought to explore the feasibility and safety of engaging these younger people in workplace activities if an appropriate framework of support was provided. Opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are quite limited for younger people with dementia because services are targeted at an older client population. A qualitative exploratory approach was used for the project evaluation. Participants were people who were 65 years or younger and had a diagnosis of dementia. They attended a large metropolitan hardware store one day per week and worked beside a store employee for a four hour work shift. Evaluation of the project included observation of participant's engagement in the workplace, adverse events and a qualitative analysis that used participant-nominated good project outcomes. Nine people with a mean age of 58·8 years participated in the project. Six of these participants have been engaged at the workplace for more than two years. All participants were able to gain the skills needed to complete their respective work duties. Participants initially assisted with simple work tasks, but over time, they were able to expand their range of duties to include more complex activities such as customer sales. Participants achieved their nominated good outcomes of improved well-being, engaging in worthwhile activities, contributing to society and socialisation. The evaluation has shown that this workplace programme is a viable model of engagement for younger people with dementia. This evaluation offers a practical demonstration that it is feasible and safe to provide opportunities for younger people with dementia to engage in meaningful activities in the community if appropriate support is provided. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Engaging Clinical Nurses in Quality Improvement Projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Susan; Stichler, Jaynelle F

    2015-10-01

    Clinical nurses have the knowledge and expertise required to provide efficient and proficient patient care. Time and knowledge deficits can prevent nurses from developing and implementing quality improvement or evidence-based practice projects. This article reviews a process for professional development of clinical nurses that helped them to define, implement, and analyze quality improvement or evidence-based practice projects. The purpose of this project was to educate advanced clinical nurses to manage a change project from inception to completion, using the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) Change Acceleration Process as a framework. One-to-one mentoring and didactic in-services advanced the knowledge, appreciation, and practice of advanced practice clinicians who completed multiple change projects. The projects facilitated clinical practice changes, with improved patient outcomes; a unit cultural shift, with appreciation of quality improvement and evidence-based projects; and engagement with colleagues. Project outcomes were displayed in poster presentations at a hospital exposition for knowledge dissemination. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  15. Projections on museum exhibits - engaging visitors in the museum setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basballe, Ditte Amund; Halskov, Kim

    2010-01-01

    Using animation, text, and visual effects as elements of projections on the Danish rune stone, Mejlbystenen (the Mejlby stone), we have explored approaches to engaging museum visitors. The installation positions itself in the field of previous installations and experiments exploring projection on...

  16. The Elwha Science Education Project (ESEP): Engaging an Entire Community in Geoscience Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, R. S.; Kinner, F.

    2008-12-01

    Native Americans are poorly represented in all science, technology and engineering fields. This under- representation results from numerous cultural, economic, and historical factors. The Elwha Science Education Project (ESEP), initiated in 2007, strives to construct a culturally-integrated, geoscience education program for Native American young people through engagement of the entire tribal community. The ESEP has developed a unique approach to informal geoscience education, using environmental restoration as a centerpiece. Environmental restoration is an increasingly important goal for tribes. By integrating geoscience activities with community tradition and history, project stakeholders hope to show students the relevance of science to their day-to-day lives. The ESEP's strength lies in its participatory structure and unique network of partners, which include Olympic National Park; the non-profit, educational center Olympic Park Institute (OPI); a geologist providing oversight and technical expertise; and the Lower Elwha Tribe. Lower Elwha tribal elders and educators share in all phases of the project, from planning and implementation to recruitment of students and discipline. The project works collaboratively with tribal scientists and cultural educators, along with science educators to develop curriculum and best practices for this group of students. Use of hands-on, place-based outdoor activities engage students and connect them with the science outside their back doors. Preliminary results from this summer's middle school program indicate that most (75% or more) students were highly engaged approximately 90% of the time during science instruction. Recruitment of students has been particularly successful, due to a high degree of community involvement. Preliminary evaluations of the ESEP's outcomes indicate success in improving the outlook of the tribe's youth towards the geosciences and science, in general. Future evaluation will be likewise participatory

  17. Framework for Advancing the Reporting of Patient Engagement in Rheumatology Research Projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Clayon B; Leese, Jenny C; Hoens, Alison M; Li, Linda C

    2017-07-01

    The term "patient engagement in research" refers to patients and their surrogates undertaking roles in the research process beyond those of study participants. This paper proposes a new framework for describing patient engagement in research, based on analysis of 30 publications related to patient engagement. Over the past 15 years, patients' perspectives have been instrumental in broadening the scope of rheumatology research and outcome measurement, such as evaluating fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis. Recent reviews, however, highlight low-quality reporting of patient engagement in research. Until we have more detailed information about patient engagement in rheumatology research, our understanding of how patients' perspectives are being integrated into research projects remains limited. When authors follow our guidance on the important components for describing patients' roles and function as "research partners," researchers and other knowledge users will better understand how patients' perspectives were integrated in their research projects.

  18. Lights! Camera! Action Projects! Engaging Psychopharmacology Students in Service-based Action Projects Focusing on Student Alcohol Abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Alcohol abuse continues to be an issue of major concern for the health and well-being of college students. Estimates are that over 80% of college students are involved in the campus "alcohol culture." Annually, close to 2000 students die in the United States due to alcohol-related accidents, with another 600,000 sustaining injury due to alcohol-related incidents (NIAAA, 2013). Students enrolled in a Psychopharmacology course engaged in action projects (community outreach) focused on alcohol abuse on our campus. Research has indicated that these types of projects can increase student engagement in course material and foster important skills, including working with peers and developing involvement in one's community. This paper describes the structure and requirements of five student outreach projects and the final projects designed by the students, summarizes the grading and assessment of the projects, and discusses the rewards and challenges of incorporating such projects into a course.

  19. Collaborations between Multicultural Educators and Archivists: Engaging Students with Multicultural History through Archival Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, Natalia

    2016-01-01

    When multicultural educators and archivists collaborate to design projects that engage students with multicultural history through archival research, students can learn in-depth research skills with primary source documents, creatively share their knowledge, and, on a broader level, engage with their local community history. The projects shared in…

  20. Genomics England's implementation of its public engagement strategy: Blurred boundaries between engagement for the United Kingdom's 100,000 Genomes project and the need for public support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuel, Gabrielle Natalie; Farsides, Bobbie

    2018-04-01

    The United Kingdom's 100,000 Genomes Project has the aim of sequencing 100,000 genomes from National Health Service patients such that whole genome sequencing becomes routine clinical practice. It also has a research-focused goal to provide data for scientific discovery. Genomics England is the limited company established by the Department of Health to deliver the project. As an innovative scientific/clinical venture, it is interesting to consider how Genomics England positions itself in relation to public engagement activities. We set out to explore how individuals working at, or associated with, Genomics England enacted public engagement in practice. Our findings show that individuals offered a narrative in which public engagement performed more than one function. On one side, public engagement was seen as 'good practice'. On the other, public engagement was presented as core to the project's success - needed to encourage involvement and ultimately recruitment. We discuss the implications of this in this article.

  1. Decoupling, re-Engaging: managing trust relationships in implementation projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rose, Jeremy; Schlichter, Bjarne Rerup

    2012-01-01

    , and the complex demands of managing those fluctuations. We investigate evolving trust relationships in a longitudinal case analysis of a large Integrated Hospital System implementation for the Faroe Islands. Trust relationships suffered various breakdowns, but the project was able to recover and eventually meet...... its goals. Based on concepts from Giddens’ later work on modernity, we develop two approaches for managing dynamic trust relationships in implementation projects: decoupling and re-engaging.......An important aspect of the successful implementation of large information systems (such as ERP systems) is trust. These implementations impact the legitimate interests of many groups of stakeholders, and trust is a critical factor for success. Trust in the project is contingent upon many factors...

  2. Determine small and medium enterprise social media activities: A community engagement project in the Tshwane community

    OpenAIRE

    Louise van Scheers; Jacques van Scheers

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to determine small and medium enterprise (SME) social media activities and promote CE scholarship engagement. It is a community engagement project conducted in the Tshwane community. Community engagement (CE) as a planned process with the specific purpose of working with identified groups of people in the community to address issues affecting their well-being. The CE project SME skills transfer workshops are aimed at expanding involvement with the community. The benef...

  3. Stakeholder integration and public engagement of EU and national research projects in Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhnau, Meike; Guo, Chenbo; Walter, Anastasia; Schneider, Nadine

    2017-04-01

    The talk addresses the feasibility and difficulties of research projects to reach out and to integrate a sufficient number of stakeholders (vgl. Carrada, 2006; Poulsen, 2007; Zikos et al. 2012; Lee & Belohlav, 2014). With "stakeholders" we understand end-users, policy makers, students for capacity building, administrators and interested general public. The design and later the implementation of stakeholder integration and public engagement strongly depend on the priority-setting and requirements of funding agencies (EU [1], DFG, BMBF and the regional ministries in Germany). They affect the size and constellation of consortia as well as the longevity and continuity of research community; on the other hand they also determine the weighting of communication, dissemination, outreach (and networking) activities within the project. For instance by public engagement of EU funded projects a share of 10% for communication and outreach activities was rated as best practices in 2014 [2]. On the national level there is no such appointment so far. In our talk we will quantify and compare activities among selected EU and nationally funded collaborative projects in Germany, address the hurdles, investigate the communication tools, examine the outreach channels and dissemination tactics, reflect the performances and the results achieved so far, with the objective to answer the following questions: - What tools/channels have been applied so far? Were they efficient and expedient? - What can be count as best practices? - Are such activities sustainable at all? The goal of this talk is to show the complexity of the stakeholder integration and public engagement in research projects, to critically assess our experiences gained in past and running projects, and to subsequently have an interactive exchange with other project professionals at EGU. [1] European Commission (2004, 2008, 2010, 2014). Communicating EU research and innovation guidance for project participants; [2] European

  4. Farmers’ Logics in Engaging With Projects Promoting Drip Irrigation Kits in Burkina Faso

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wanvoeke, J.; Venot, J.-P.; Zwarteveen, M.; de Fraiture, C.

    2016-01-01

    Development agencies enthusiastically promote micro-drip irrigation as an affordable water and labor-saving device, yet most farmers stop using it as soon as development projects end. This article analyzes why farmers engage in projects promoting drip irrigation kits, even though they appear not to

  5. Farmers’ Logics in Engaging With Projects Promoting Drip Irrigation Kits in Burkina Faso

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wanvoeke, Jonas; Venot, Jean Philippe; Zwarteveen, Margreet; Fraiture, de Charlotte

    2016-01-01

    Development agencies enthusiastically promote micro-drip irrigation as an affordable water and labor-saving device, yet most farmers stop using it as soon as development projects end. This article analyzes why farmers engage in projects promoting drip irrigation kits, even though they appear not

  6. Project-Based Learning in a STEM Academy: Student Engagement and Interest in STEM Careers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misher, Pamela Henry

    This case study explored the utilization of project-based learning (PBL) and how it affected student engagement and interest in STEM careers. Sixty-seven students and nine teachers participated in this case study. Three research questions addressed student engagement, perceptions, and challenges during PBL implementation. This study was designed to understand the experiences teachers and students had when they participated in a PBL environment. This research investigated how to develop a globally skilled workforce utilizing a PBL approach and the challenges teachers encountered during implementation. The survey data and informal focus-group sessions with staff and students were utilized, analyzed, and summarized in order to obtain insight on perceptions, challenges, and implementation of PBL. PBL is an instructional approach that was designed to encourage more engaged learning. This approach was built upon realistic learning activities that stimulated student interest and motivation. This research discovered that PBL did teach content and 21st century skills as students worked collaboratively toward a common goal while responding to a question or problem. This study revealed that rigorous projects were carefully planned to aid students in learning important academic content. This study displayed how PBL allowed students to reflect on their projects and ideas with the opportunity to voice their decisions and findings. This instructional approach provided opportunities for students to investigate and strengthen interest in future STEM careers. The driving force of America's future economy and maintaining the competitive edge will be through more innovation, mainly derived from advances in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. As business and industry leaders stressed the importance of improving STEM education, there continued to be a need to better prepare students to fill STEM-related careers. This research adds to the current body of research

  7. Building support for your wind project : engaging stakeholders : the Dillon Wind Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Philpott, G. [PPM Energy, Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2007-07-01

    Iberdrola, the world's largest renewable energy company, acquired Scottish Power PLC and its subsidiary PPM Energy in April 2007. Iberdrola operates 6,500 MW of wind energy worldwide. This presentation described PPM Energy's experience with the proposed 45 MW Dillon Wind Project in southern California. The proposed project includes fourty-five 1 MW 327 ft tall Mitsubishi turbines as well as associated facilities such as turbine access roads, underground collector lines, and a collector substation. The wind turbine array occupies 2 per cent of 1500 acres. The vacant rural desert properties surrounding the proposed project area already house 2,700 existing turbines within San Gorgonio Pass, 513 existing turbines within 1/2 of the proposed project, and 2 sites of formerly hosted wind turbines. PPM held an open house for interested residents and stakeholders to learn about the Dillon project and express concerns. The meetings were attended by local wildlife agencies, homeowner groups, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and Palm Springs Economic Development Council. The project would help California meet its renewable energy mandates and serve 13,500 homes. It would eliminate 186 million pounds of carbon dioxide, 9.6 million pounds of sulfur dioxide and 5.8 million pounds of nitrous oxides each year. Lessons learned by PPM were: engage in community outreach; emphasize project benefits; build flexibility into design; and address real environmental concerns. In response to public concerns, PPM Energy eliminated 2 turbines from the project. In addition, turbines were shifted away from residences and a scenic highway. All collector lines were placed underground, without any overhead lines. figs.

  8. The Acadia Learning Project: Lessons Learned from Engaging High School Teachers and Students in Citizen Science Supporting National Parks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, S. J.; Zoellick, B.; Davis, Y.; Lindsey, E.

    2009-12-01

    In 2007 the authors initiated a citizen science research project, supported with funding from the Maine Department of Education, designed to extend research at Acadia National Park to a broader geographic area while also providing high school students and teachers with an opportunity to engage in authentic research in cooperation with working scientists. The scientific focus of the work has been on providing information about the mercury burden of organisms at different trophic levels across different geographic and environmental settings. The pedagogical focus has been on providing students with immersion in a substantial, field-based project, including background research, hypothesis formulation, data collection and analysis, and presentation of research findings. Starting work with 6 teachers in two schools the first year, the project expanded to involve more than 20 teachers and 350 students in a dozen schools in its second year. In coming years, with support from NOAA and cooperation from other National Parks in the region, the project will expand to include work in other states along the coast of the Gulf of Maine. In this paper the authors describe evolution in the use of the Internet over the first two years of the project, a sharpened focus on professional development for teachers, survey results regarding student views of the nature of science, the importance of focusing on rigorous, useful data collection from an educational perspective, success in establishing that samples collected by students are useful in research, the disjuncture between scientific and pedagogical outcomes, an assessment of the value of student poster presentations, and lessons learned about preparation and use of curriculum support materials. The authors also describe future directions, which include an increased focus on professional development and student work with graphs, a narrower focus in sample collection, and increased use of the Internet to provide participating teachers

  9. Communication Choices to Engage Participation of Rural Indonesian Craftspeople in Development Projects

    OpenAIRE

    Zulaikha , Ellya; Brereton , Margot

    2013-01-01

    Part 1: Long and Short Papers; International audience; In participatory design projects, maintaining effective communication between facilitator and participant is essential. This paper describes the consideration given to the choice of communication modes to engage participation of rural Indonesian craftspeople over the course of a significant 3 year project that aims to grow their self-determination, design and business skill. We demonstrate the variety and subtlety of oral and written form...

  10. Farmers' logics in engaging with projects promoting drip irrigation kits in Burkina Faso

    OpenAIRE

    Wanvoeke, J.; Venot, Jean-Philippe; Zwarteveen, M.; de Fraiture, C.

    2016-01-01

    Development agencies enthusiastically promote micro-drip irrigation as an affordable water and labor-saving device, yet most farmers stop using it as soon as development projects end. This article analyzes why farmers engage in projects promoting drip irrigation kits, even though they appear not to be interested in their water and labor-saving attributes. We combine practice-based theories of innovation with insights from the anthropology of development to explain that in development project ...

  11. Stakeholder engagement in patient-centered outcomes research: high-touch or high-tech?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavallee, Danielle C; Wicks, Paul; Alfonso Cristancho, Rafael; Mullins, C Daniel

    2014-06-01

    Patient and stakeholder engagement enhances the meaningfulness of patient-centered outcomes research. Continuous engagement of diverse patients helps to achieve representativeness and to avoid tokenism, but is perceived as challenging due to resource and time constraints. The widespread availability of the internet, mobile phones, and electronic devices makes 'high-tech' solutions appealing, but such approaches may trade-off larger sample sizes for shallower engagement and/or skewed perspectives if most participants reflect users of technology. More traditional 'high-touch' solutions such as in-person interviews, focus groups, and town hall meetings can provide qualitative and sociological context and potentially more in-depth insights from small numbers of patients, but such approaches are also prone to selection bias as well. We compare and contrast high-tech and high-touch approaches to engaging stakeholders and suggest hybrid processes.

  12. Research and Mapping for MCEECDYA Project: Student Academic Engagement. Report 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ure, Christine; Gray, Jan

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the Research and Mapping for MCEECDYA Project: Student Academic Engagement was to examine the characteristics of schools with a low Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) from all jurisdictions that were identified to be making a difference to student academic and to identify the key drivers and characteristics of…

  13. STEM-related, Student-led Service Learning / Community Engagement Projects: Examples and Benefits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swap, R. J.; Wayland, K.

    2015-12-01

    Field-based, STEM-related service learning / community engagement projects present an opportunity for undergraduate students to demonstrate proficiencies related to the process of inquiry. These proficiencies include: appreciation of the larger project context, articulation of an informed question/hypothesis, project proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, project management (including planning, implementation reconfiguration and synthesis) and lastly the generation and handing off of acquired knowledge. Calls for these types of proficiencies have been expressed by governmental, non-governmental as well as the private sector. Accordingly, institutions of higher learning have viewed such activities as opportunities for enriching the learning experience for undergraduate students and for making such students more marketable, especially those from STEM-related fields. This institutional interest has provided an opportunity to support and expand field-based learning. Here we present examples of student-led/faculty-mentored international service learning and community engagement projects along the arc of preparation, implementation and post-field process. Representative examples that draw upon environmental science and engineering knowledge have been selected from more than 20 international undergraduate student projects over past decade and include: slow-sand water filtration, rainwater harvesting, methane biodigesters, water reticulation schemes and development and implementation of rocket stoves for communal cooking. We discuss these efforts in terms of the development of the aforementioned proficiencies, the utility of such proficiencies to the larger enterprise of STEM and the potential for transformative student learning outcomes. We share these experiences and lessons learned with the hope that others may intelligently borrow from our approach in a manner appropriate for their particular context.

  14. Engaging High School Youth in Paleobiology Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saltzman, J.; Heim, N. A.; Payne, J.

    2013-12-01

    The chasm between classroom science and scientific research is bridged by the History of Life Internships at Stanford University. Nineteen interns recorded more than 25,500 linear body size measurements of fossil echinoderms and ostracods spanning more than 11,000 species. The interns were selected from a large pool of applicants, and well-established relationships with local teachers at schools serving underrepresented groups in STEM fields were leveraged to ensure a diverse mix of applicants. The lead investigator has been hosting interns in his research group for seven years, in the process measuring over 36,000 foraminfera species as well as representatives from many other fossil groups. We (faculty member, researcher, and educators) all find this very valuable to engage youth in novel research projects. We are able to create an environment where high school students can make genuine contributions to jmportant and unsolved scientific problems, not only through data collection but also through original data analysis. Science often involves long intervals of data collection, which can be tedious, and big questions often require big datasets. Body size evolution is ideally suited to this type of program, as the data collection process requires substantial person-power but not deep technical expertise or expensive equipment. Students are therefore able to engage in the full scientific process, posing previously unanswered questions regarding the evolution of animal size, compiling relevant data, and then analyzing the data in order to test their hypotheses. Some of the projects students developed were truly creative and fun to see come together. Communicating is a critical step in science yet is often lost in the science classroom. The interns submitted seven abstracts to this meeting for the youth session entitled Bright STaRS based on their research projects. To round out the experience, students also learn about the broad field of earth sciences through

  15. Detroit Works Long-Term Planning Project: Engagement Strategies for Blending Community and Technical Expertise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toni L. Griffin

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In January 2013, civic leaders, community stakeholders, and residents came together to release Detroit Future City: 2012 Detroit Strategic Framework Plan, a guiding blueprint for transforming Detroit from its current state of population loss and excessive vacancy into a model for the reinvention of post-industrial American cities. Three years prior, the U.S. Census had reported that the city had lost 24% of its population over the last decade and had experienced a 20% increase in vacant and abandoned property, bringing total vacancy to roughly the size of Manhattan. In addition to physical and economic challenges, Detroiters had also acknowledged significant barriers to effective civic engagement. Foremost among these barriers were a profound sense of immobilization, planning fatigue, and a general perception of cynicism about planning and engagement efforts. These challenges were compounded by historic racial dynamics and tension. This case study elaborates on the comprehensive and innovative civic engagement executed in a citywide planning process called the Detroit Works Project, which took place from late 2010 through late 2012. For the citywide planning process to be successful and sustainable, civic leaders and project funders committed to a planning initiative that would be different from previous efforts, in large part because the “owners” of the process would be diverse and inclusive across all community sectors. The case study, written by three of the key consultants from the project, describes four key civic engagement strategies deployed in the creation of the strategic framework: (1 addressing profound challenges of culture, race, and politics by deliberately building trust; (2 elevating community expertise by fostering a sense of ownership of the process; (3 blending technical and community expertise; and (4 viewing civic engagement as an ongoing two-way conversation rather than a series of large-scale episodic events. This

  16. Educational Designs Supporting Student Engagement Through Network Project Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jørgen Lerche

    2016-01-01

    Internationally, new pedagogical approaches emphasizing collaboration or learning in networks have been developed following the introduction of new technologies, especially the spread of social media. It is interesting to see such pedagogical developments in relation to similar approaches......, developed from the traditions of organizing university studies through student-driven project work and problem-driven learning approaches, which have been developed at the Danish universities of Roskilde and Aalborg as early as from the beginning of the 1970s. Specific educational designs integrating...... digital media are discussed, especially focusing on student engagement and the implications of organizing the pedagogical practice as networked project work. The discussions are based on the author’s experiences during 16 years of teaching and supervising at the Danish Master’s Program of ICT and Learning...

  17. Scientific Value and Educational Goals: Balancing Priorities and Increasing Adult Engagement in a Citizen Science Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sickler, Jessica; Cherry, Tammy Messick; Allee, Leslie; Smyth, Rebecca Rice; Losey, John

    2014-01-01

    The Lost Ladybug Project is a citizen science project that engages individuals and groups in research and learning about ladybug population dynamics. With a dual purpose of advancing scientists' research about ladybug populations and achieving learning outcomes with participants, the project's summative evaluation led to critical reflection on the…

  18. The Synapse Project: Engagement in mentally challenging activities enhances neural efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonough, Ian M; Haber, Sara; Bischof, Gérard N; Park, Denise C

    2015-01-01

    Correlational and limited experimental evidence suggests that an engaged lifestyle is associated with the maintenance of cognitive vitality in old age. However, the mechanisms underlying these engagement effects are poorly understood. We hypothesized that mental effort underlies engagement effects and used fMRI to examine the impact of high-challenge activities (digital photography and quilting) compared with low-challenge activities (socializing or performing low-challenge cognitive tasks) on neural function at pretest, posttest, and one year after the engagement program. In the scanner, participants performed a semantic-classification task with two levels of difficulty to assess the modulation of brain activity in response to task demands. The High-Challenge group, but not the Low-Challenge group, showed increased modulation of brain activity in medial frontal, lateral temporal, and parietal cortex-regions associated with attention and semantic processing-some of which were maintained a year later. This increased modulation stemmed from decreases in brain activity during the easy condition for the High-Challenge group and was associated with time committed to the program, age, and cognition. Sustained engagement in cognitively demanding activities facilitated cognition by increasing neural efficiency. Mentally-challenging activities may be neuroprotective and an important element to maintaining a healthy brain into late adulthood.

  19. PERARES: Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steinhaus, Norbert; Mulder, Henk A.J.

    2014-01-01

    PERARES is a four-year project funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme which started in 2010. The acronym stands for "Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society”. The project brings together Science Shops, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and

  20. Strengthening rural Latinos' civic engagement for health: The Voceros de Salud project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Cevallos, Daniel; Dierwechter, Tatiana; Volkmann, Kelly; Patton-López, Megan

    2013-11-01

    This article describes the Latino Health Ambassadors Network (Voceros de Salud ) project created to support and mobilize Latino community leaders to address health inequalities in a rural Oregon county. Voceros de Salud is discussed as a model that other rural communities may implement towards strengthening Latino civic engagement for health.

  1. Student Engagement in an Independent Research Project: The Influence of Cohort Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conner, Jerusha O.

    2009-01-01

    Student engagement is widely viewed as an important antecedent to learning and achievement; however, research finds that engagement declines sharply as students advance through school. This article uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the engagement of high school seniors working on the IB Diploma Program's extended essay. Average engagement…

  2. Early data from Project Engage: a program to identify and transition medically hospitalized patients into addictions treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pecoraro, Anna; Horton, Terry; Ewen, Edward; Becher, Julie; Wright, Patricia A; Silverman, Basha; McGraw, Patty; Woody, George E

    2012-09-25

    Patients with untreated substance use disorders (SUDs) are at risk for frequent emergency department visits and repeated hospitalizations. Project Engage, a US pilot program at Wilmington Hospital in Delaware, was conducted to facilitate entry of these patients to SUD treatment after discharge. Patients identified as having hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption based on results of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Primary Care (AUDIT-PC), administered to all patients at admission, received bedside assessment with motivational interviewing and facilitated referral to treatment by a patient engagement specialist (PES). This program evaluation provides descriptive information on self-reported rates of SUD treatment initiation of all patients and health-care utilization and costs for a subset of patients. Program-level data on treatment entry after discharge were examined retrospectively. Insurance claims data for two small cohorts who entered treatment after discharge (2009, n = 18, and 2010, n = 25) were reviewed over a six-month period in 2009 (three months pre- and post-Project Engage), or over a 12-month period in 2010 (six months pre- and post-Project Engage). These data provided descriptive information on health-care utilization and costs. (Data on those who participated in Project Engage but did not enter treatment were unavailable). Between September 1, 2008, and December 30, 2010, 415 patients participated in Project Engage, and 180 (43%) were admitted for SUD treatment. For a small cohort who participated between June 1, 2009, and November 30, 2009 (n = 18), insurance claims demonstrated a 33% ($35,938) decrease in inpatient medical admissions, a 38% ($4,248) decrease in emergency department visits, a 42% ($1,579) increase in behavioral health/substance abuse (BH/SA) inpatient admissions, and a 33% ($847) increase in outpatient BH/SA admissions, for an overall decrease of $37,760. For a small cohort who participated between June 1

  3. Project H.O.P.E.: Effective University Engagement with Community Afterschool Programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara C. Jentleson

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Implemented in 2002 by the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, Project H.O.P.E. has improved the quantity and quality of afterschool programs for the youth of Durham, NC. Project H.O.P.E. provides tutoring programs, enrichment resources, and evaluation support to non-profit community partner organizations located in the low income Durham neighborhoods surrounding Duke University. Duke University undergraduates who provide tutoring services to the Durham youth in the afterschool programs gain from valuable reciprocal service learning experiences. Project H.O.P.E. is an effective model of the mutual benefits that can be gained from effective university and community engagement in the service of at-risk students.

  4. High school students' work engagement in practical teaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milanović-Dobrota Biljana Z.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The current interest in introducing the dual education system into Serbian secondary education has drawn our attention to the question of students' self-perception in the process of practical teaching. The idea that underpins this paper is the supposition that students are affectively engaged with the work activities they perform. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES (Schaufeli et al., 2002 has been used for assessing students' work engagement in practical teaching. A study was conducted to examine the differences between high school students with mild intellectual disabilities and those with typical development with regard to aspects of work engagement defined as Energy, Commitment and Absorption. The sample was comprised of 248 students of vocational high schools in Serbia of both genders, of whom 111 with intellectual disabilities and 137 with typical development. The findings indicate that students with mild intellectual disabilities tend to rate their engagement in practical teaching more positively (t=7,457; p=0,001 than students with typical development. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the pedagogical implications of these findings and also outlines the limitations of the study, thus pointing the way for future research on this or related issues.

  5. Using Wikis to Investigate Communication, Collaboration and Engagement in Capstone Engineering Design Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berthoud, L.; Gliddon, J.

    2018-01-01

    In today's global Aerospace industry, virtual workspaces are commonly used for collaboration between geographically distributed multidisciplinary teams. This study investigated the use of wikis to look at communication, collaboration and engagement in 'Capstone' team design projects at the end of an engineering degree. Wikis were set up for teams…

  6. An Exploration of the Effect of Community Engagement in Research on Perceived Outcomes of Partnered Mental Health Services Projects*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khodyakov, Dmitry; Stockdale, Susan; Jones, Felica; Ohito, Elizabeth; Jones, Andrea; Lizaola, Elizabeth; Mango, Joseph

    2011-01-01

    Mental health research projects address sensitive issues for vulnerable populations and are implemented in complex environments. Community-Based Participatory Research approaches are recommended for health research on vulnerable populations, but little is known about how variation in participation affects outcomes of partnered research projects. We developed a conceptual model demonstrating the impact of community engagement in research on outcomes of partnered projects. We collected data on key constructs from community and academic leaders of 21 sampled partnered research projects in two cycles of an NIMH research center. We conducted empirical analyses to test the model. Our findings suggest that community engagement in research is positively associated with perceived professional development, as well as political and community impact. PMID:22582144

  7. The PERFORM project: using performing arts to increase engagement and understanding of science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Jon

    2017-04-01

    This commentary describes some of the current challenges for science education in the UK and how an EU educational project (PERFORM) is seeking to use performing arts to engage young people with science, its values and the processes of research. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Assessing the Financial Value of Patient Engagement: A Quantitative Approach from CTTI's Patient Groups and Clinical Trials Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levitan, Bennett; Getz, Kenneth; Eisenstein, Eric L; Goldberg, Michelle; Harker, Matthew; Hesterlee, Sharon; Patrick-Lake, Bray; Roberts, Jamie N; DiMasi, Joseph

    2018-03-01

    While patient groups, regulators, and sponsors are increasingly considering engaging with patients in the design and conduct of clinical development programs, sponsors are often reluctant to go beyond pilot programs because of uncertainty in the return on investment. We developed an approach to estimate the financial value of patient engagement. Expected net present value (ENPV) is a common technique that integrates the key business drivers of cost, time, revenue, and risk into a summary metric for project strategy and portfolio decisions. We assessed the impact of patient engagement on ENPV for a typical oncology development program entering phase 2 or phase 3. For a pre-phase 2 project, the cumulative impact of a patient engagement activity that avoids one protocol amendment and improves enrollment, adherence, and retention is an increase in net present value (NPV) of $62MM ($65MM for pre-phase 3) and an increase in ENPV of $35MM ($75MM for pre-phase 3). Compared with an investment of $100,000 in patient engagement, the NPV and ENPV increases can exceed 500-fold the investment. This ENPV increase is the equivalent of accelerating a pre-phase 2 product launch by 2½ years (1½ years for pre-phase 3). Risk-adjusted financial models can assess the impact of patient engagement. A combination of empirical data and subjective parameter estimates shows that engagement activities with the potential to avoid protocol amendments and/or improve enrollment, adherence, and retention may add considerable financial value. This approach can help sponsors assess patient engagement investment decisions.

  9. Engaging High School Science Teachers in Field-Based Seismology Research: Opportunities and Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, M. D.

    2015-12-01

    Research experiences for secondary school science teachers have been shown to improve their students' test scores, and there is a substantial body of literature about the effectiveness of RET (Research Experience for Teachers) or SWEPT (Scientific Work Experience Programs for Teachers) programs. RET programs enjoy substantial support, and several opportunities for science teachers to engage in research currently exist. However, there are barriers to teacher participation in research projects; for example, laboratory-based projects can be time consuming and require extensive training before a participant can meaningfully engage in scientific inquiry. Field-based projects can be an effective avenue for involving teachers in research; at its best, earth science field work is a fun, highly immersive experience that meaningfully contributes to scientific research projects, and can provide a payoff that is out of proportion to a relatively small time commitment. In particular, broadband seismology deployments provide an excellent opportunity to provide teachers with field-based research experience. Such deployments are labor-intensive and require large teams, with field tasks that vary from digging holes and pouring concrete to constructing and configuring electronics systems and leveling and orienting seismometers. A recently established pilot program, known as FEST (Field Experiences for Science Teachers) is experimenting with providing one week of summer field experience for high school earth science teachers in Connecticut. Here I report on results and challenges from the first year of the program, which is funded by the NSF-CAREER program and is being run in conjunction with a temporary deployment of 15 seismometers in Connecticut, known as SEISConn (Seismic Experiment for Imaging Structure beneath Connecticut). A small group of teachers participated in a week of field work in August 2015 to deploy seismometers in northern CT; this experience followed a visit of the

  10. Looking through the Lens: Adapting and Modifying Photovoice Projects for Active Learning and Engagement in Biology

    OpenAIRE

    Karobi Moitra

    2016-01-01

    Photovoice projects traditionally include original visual imagery and minimal text to tell a powerful story. Photovoice student projects have been utilized in the health and social sciences to involve students with the local community and also in community-based projects to help at-risk youth call attention to their community problems, such as disease and drug use. The tool of the photovoice can be used in the biology classroom to engage students in the active learning process through communi...

  11. Scaffolding student engagement via online peer learning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casey, M M; Bates, S P; Galloway, K W; Galloway, R K; Hardy, J A; Kay, A E; Kirsop, P; McQueen, H A

    2014-01-01

    We describe one aspect of a UK inter-institutional project wherein an online tool was used to support student generation of multiple choice questions. Across three universities and in five modules in physics, chemistry and biology, we introduced the PeerWise online system as a summative assessment tool in our classes, the desire being to increase student engagement, academic attainment and level of cognitive challenge. Engagement with the system was high with many students exceeding the minimum requirements set out in the assessment criteria. We explore the nature of student engagement and describe a working model to enable high-impact student-learning and academic gain with minimal instructor intervention. (paper)

  12. Engagement Patterns of High and Low Academic Performers on Facebook Anatomy Pages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaffar, Akram Abood; Eladl, Mohamed Ahmed

    2016-01-01

    Only a few studies have investigated how students use and respond to social networks in the educational context as opposed to social use. In this study, the engagement of medical students on anatomy Facebook pages was evaluated in view of their academic performance. High performers contributed to most of the engagements. They also had a particular preference for higher levels of engagement. Although the students were deeply involved in the educational element of the pages, they continued to appreciate the inherent social element. The profound engagement of the high performers indicated a consistency between Facebook use in the educational context and better student performance. At the same time, the deeper engagement of high performers refutes the opinion that Facebook use is a distractor. Instead, it supports the notion that Facebook could be a suitable platform to engage students in an educational context.

  13. Early high school engagement in students with attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zendarski, Nardia; Sciberras, Emma; Mensah, Fiona; Hiscock, Harriet

    2017-06-01

    Students with attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continue to languish behind their peers with regard to academic achievement and education attainment. School engagement is potentially modifiable, and targeting engagement may be a means to improve education outcomes. To investigate school engagement for students with ADHD during the crucial high school transition period and to identify factors associated with low school engagement. Participants are adolescents (12-15 years) in the first and third year of high school with diagnosed ADHD (n = 130). Participants were recruited from 21 paediatric practices. Cross-sectional study assessing school engagement. Data were collected through direct assessment and child, parent, and teacher surveys. School engagement is measured as student attitudes to school (cognitive and emotional) and suspension rates (behavioural). Multivariable regression analyses examined student, family, and school factors affecting engagement. In comparison with state data, students with ADHD in the first year of high school were less motivated (p comparison to state-wide suspensions (21% vs. 6%, p < .01). Explanatory factors for poor attitudes include adolescent depression, poor adolescent supervision, and devaluing education. Conduct problems and increased hyperactivity were related to increased likelihood of being suspended, whilst higher cognitive ability, family socio-economic status, and independent schools reduced risk. Potentially modifiable individual and family factors including adolescent depression, behavioural problems, education values, and family supervision could be targeted to better manage the high school transition for students with ADHD. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  14. Engagement Patterns of High and Low Academic Performers on Facebook Anatomy Pages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akram Abood Jaffar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Only a few studies have investigated how students use and respond to social networks in the educational context as opposed to social use. In this study, the engagement of medical students on anatomy Facebook pages was evaluated in view of their academic performance. High performers contributed to most of the engagements. They also had a particular preference for higher levels of engagement. Although the students were deeply involved in the educational element of the pages, they continued to appreciate the inherent social element. The profound engagement of the high performers indicated a consistency between Facebook use in the educational context and better student performance. At the same time, the deeper engagement of high performers refutes the opinion that Facebook use is a distractor. Instead, it supports the notion that Facebook could be a suitable platform to engage students in an educational context.

  15. Engaging students in astronomy and spectroscopy through Project SPECTRA!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, E. L.

    2011-12-01

    Computer simulations for minds-on learning with "Project Spectra!" How do we gain information about the Sun? How do we know Mars has CO2 or that Enceladus has H2O geysers? How do we use light in astronomy? These concepts are something students and educators struggle with because they are abstract. Using simulations and computer interactives (games) where students experience and manipulate the information makes concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge and is completely unlike its paper-and-pencil counterpart. Visualizations also enable teachers to forgo purchasing expensive laboratory equipment. "Project Spectra!" is a science and engineering program that uses computer-based Flash interactives to expose students to astronomical spectroscopy and actual data in a way that is not possible with traditional in-class activities. To engage students in "Project Spectra!", students are given a mission, which connects them with the research at hand. Missions range from exploring remote planetary atmospheres and surfaces, experimenting with the Sun using different filters, or analyzing the soil of a remote planet. Additionally, students have an opportunity to learn about NASA missions, view movies, and see images connected with their mission, which is something that is not practical to do during a typical paper-and-pencil activity. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. These interactives complement in-class Project SPECTRA! activities exploring applications of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  16. A Project-Centric Course on Cyberinfrastructure to Support High School STEM Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daphne Rainey

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Recent rapid advances in information technology pose new challenges for teachers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM fields to incorporate the latest knowledge and technical expertise into courses in a way that will be applicable to students as future scientists. A demonstration project was designed, developed, and deployed by university faculty and high school teachers for their students to explore the use of the components of cyberinfrastructure. The project explored the introduction of cyberinfrastructure through the use of bioinformatics and the use of team science. This paper describes the high school course that was deployed at Galileo Magnet High School (GMHS in collaboration with the scientists at Virginia Tech University, and details its overall assessment. Implementation of a project-centric teaching paradigm to engage students in applying the concepts of cyberinfrastructure by integrating the disciplines of biology, computer science, mathematics, and statistics through bioinformatics was an integral part of this study.

  17. A high content, high throughput cellular thermal stability assay for measuring drug-target engagement in living cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massey, Andrew J

    2018-01-01

    Determining and understanding drug target engagement is critical for drug discovery. This can be challenging within living cells as selective readouts are often unavailable. Here we describe a novel method for measuring target engagement in living cells based on the principle of altered protein thermal stabilization / destabilization in response to ligand binding. This assay (HCIF-CETSA) utilizes high content, high throughput single cell immunofluorescent detection to determine target protein levels following heating of adherent cells in a 96 well plate format. We have used target engagement of Chk1 by potent small molecule inhibitors to validate the assay. Target engagement measured by this method was subsequently compared to target engagement measured by two alternative methods (autophosphorylation and CETSA). The HCIF-CETSA method appeared robust and a good correlation in target engagement measured by this method and CETSA for the selective Chk1 inhibitor V158411 was observed. However, these EC50 values were 23- and 12-fold greater than the autophosphorylation IC50. The described method is therefore a valuable advance in the CETSA method allowing the high throughput determination of target engagement in adherent cells.

  18. Global Think Tank Initiative Policy Engagement and ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Think tanks in developing countries aim to produce quality, evidence-based ... This project responds to the needs of TTI-funded institutions by launching the Policy ... highly engaged support and continual learning, the program will enable TTI ...

  19. Effects of student choice on engagement and understanding in a junior high science class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foreback, Laura Elizabeth

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of increasing individual student choice in assignments on student engagement and understanding of content. It was predicted that if students are empowered to choose learning activities based on individual readiness, learning style, and interests, they would be more engaged in the curriculum and consequently would develop deeper understanding of the material. During the 2009--2010 school year, I implemented differentiated instructional strategies that allowed for an increased degree of student choice in five sections of eighth grade science at DeWitt Junior High School. These strategies, including tiered lessons and student-led, project-based learning, were incorporated into the "Earth History and Geologic Time Scale" unit of instruction. The results of this study show that while offering students choices can be used as an effective motivational strategy, their academic performance was not increased compared to their performance during an instructional unit that did not offer choice.

  20. Project studies and engaged scholarship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Geraldi, Joana; Söderlund, Jonas

    2016-01-01

    and to rejuvenate these research directions. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose the umbrella term: “project studies” to denote the research related to projects and temporary organizing. Project studies is conceived not only as a body of research, but also as a social process embedded in research...... scholars, who’s “job” goes beyond the writing of articles and research applications, and includes shaping discourses of project research, nurturing new project scholars, contributing to project practice and carefully considering the legacy of projects and project studies in society. Originality......Purpose In 2006, the “Rethinking Project Management” network called for a paradigm shift in project research, and proposed five research directions. The directions inspired research and marked a milestone in the development of the field. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the past decade...

  1. Student engagement and its relationship with early high school dropout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archambault, Isabelle; Janosz, Michel; Fallu, Jean-Sébastien; Pagani, Linda S

    2009-06-01

    Although the concept of school engagement figures prominently in most school dropout theories, there has been little empirical research conducted on its nature and course and, more importantly, the association with dropout. Information on the natural development of school engagement would greatly benefit those interested in preventing student alienation during adolescence. Using a longitudinal sample of 11,827 French-Canadian high school students, we tested behavioral, affective, cognitive indices of engagement both separately and as a global construct. We then assessed their contribution as prospective predictors of school dropout using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Global engagement reliably predicted school dropout. Among its three specific dimensions, only behavioral engagement made a significant contribution in the prediction equation. Our findings confirm the robustness of the overall multidimensional construct of school engagement, which reflects both cognitive and psychosocial characteristics, and underscore the importance attributed to basic participation and compliance issues in reliably estimating risk of not completing basic schooling during adolescence.

  2. Determine small and medium enterprise social media activities: A community engagement project in the Tshwane community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louise van Scheers

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to determine small and medium enterprise (SME social media activities and promote CE scholarship engagement. It is a community engagement project conducted in the Tshwane community. Community engagement (CE as a planned process with the specific purpose of working with identified groups of people in the community to address issues affecting their well-being. The CE project SME skills transfer workshops are aimed at expanding involvement with the community. The benefits of social media seem to be ignored by most SMEs however; challenges prevent SME owners from using the tool effectively. A survey study method of research design has been selected for the research. The sample for the study comprised 200 SME owners who currently manage small businesses in the Tshwane area. The conducted research recommends that social media can be cost effective if the SMEs make use of their social networks and use best practises that enable them to get their adverts or posts shared across social networks. The conducted research also recommends that SMEs with limited resources start with social media and YouTube as a marketing tool, as the learning curve is low and cost involved is almost nil.

  3. ‘‘Lend a Hand’’ Project Helps Students: Improved Spatial Visualization Skills Through Engaging in Hands-On 3-D Printed Prosthetics Project During a 9th Grade Engineering Course

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, Shaunna; Talley, Kimberly

    2018-01-01

    Research shows that high spatial ability is linked to success and persistence in STEM. Empirical investigations often report a gender gap in favor of male students. The purpose of this research study was to assess changes to 9th grade engineering students’ spatial visualization skills through engagement in a nine-week collaborative 3-D printed prosthetics project embedded within their existing ‘‘Beginning Concepts of Engineering’’ course curriculum. Using concurrent mixed methods, this study ...

  4. Reading Motivation and Engagement at a Rural Georgia High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winfree, Linda

    2013-01-01

    As college and workplace success becomes increasingly dependent on reading, parents and educators have become more interested in how to engage students in reading. Teachers at a rural Georgia high school have reported that students are reluctant to engage in academic reading. Guided by previous research on the factors that promote or discourage…

  5. Burnout, work engagement and workaholism among highly educated employees: Profiles, antecedents and outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hely Innanen

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The present study examined the longitudinal profiles of burnout, engagement and workaholism among highly educated employees. First, the latent profile modeling indicated two latent classes: Engaged and Exhausted-Workaholic. Second, the results revealed that employees with the Engaged profile experienced high levels of energy and dedication, whereas employees with the Exhausted-Workaholic profile experienced exhaustion, cynicism and workaholism. Social pessimism in the transition from high education to work predicted poor subjective well-being at work. Further, workaholism decreased during the career among members of the Exhausted-Workaholic profile suggesting positive direction during career. Finally, Engaged employees experienced detachment and relaxation, life satisfaction and rewards.

  6. Enhancing Teacher and Student Engagement and Understanding of Marine Science Through Classroom Citizen Science Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodale, T. A.

    2016-02-01

    Overview This paper presentation shares findings from a granted funded project that sought to expand teacher content knowledge and pedagogy within the fields of marine science and coastal resource management through the implementation of classroom citizen science projects. A secondary goal was to increase middle and high school student interest and participation in marine science and natural resources research. Background A local science & engineering fair has seen a rapid decline in secondary student participants in the past four years. Research has demonstrated that when students are a part of a system of knowledge production (citizen science) they become much more aware, involved and conscious of scientific concepts compared to traditional school laboratory and nature of science activities. This project's primary objectives were to: (a) enhance teacher content expertise in marine science, (b) enrich teacher professional learning, (c) support citizen science classroom projects and inspire student activism and marine science engagement. Methods Project goals were addressed through classroom and meaningful outdoor educational experiences that put content knowledge into field based practices. Teachers learned to apply thier expanded content knowlege through classroom citizen science projects that focus on marine resource conservation issues such as fisheries management, water quality, turtle nesting and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. These projects would eventually become potential topics of citizen science research topics for their students to pursue. Upon completion of their professional development, participants were urged to establish student Marine Science clubs with the goal of mentoring student submissions into the local science fair. Supplemental awards were possible for the students of project participants. Findings Based on project measures participants significantly increased their knowledge and awareness of presented material marine science and

  7. Stakeholder Engagement: Achieving Sustainability in the Construction Sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damian Fearon

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Achieving sustainability-related targets in construction projects is increasingly becoming a key performance driver. Yet sustainability is a complex concept in projects and there are many diverse stakeholders. Some stakeholders are generally recognized as important, i.e., the client and main contractor, yet there are others not always perceived as such and whose absence from the decision-making processes may result in a failure to address sustainability issues. Hence there is a need for a systematic approach to engage with stakeholders with high salience in relation to sustainability. This paper reports the results of an exploratory study involving interviews with construction project practitioners that are involved in sustainability in some way. Data were collected from the practitioners in terms of the processes for engaging with stakeholders to deliver sustainability. The data suggests six steps to a stakeholder engagement process: (i identification; (ii relating stakeholders to different sustainability-related targets; (iii prioritization; (iv managing; (v measuring performance; and (vi putting targets into action. The results suggest that understanding the different sustainability agendas of stakeholders and measuring their performance using key performance indicators are important stages to be emphasized in any stakeholder engagement process to achieve sustainability-related goals.

  8. PERARES : Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mulder, Henk; Steinhaus, Norbert; Azman, Azlinda; Arlus, Feri; Jamsari, A; Campbell, James; Steinhaus, Norbert; Ong, Tan Kek; Winyayong, Panom

    2013-01-01

    PERARES is a four years funded project by the European Community's Seventh Framework Program which started in 2010. It brings together Science Shops, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Universities from 16 European countries. The PERARES project aims to strengthen public engagement in research

  9. Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning in Engineering and Medicine: Determinants of Students' Engagement and Persistence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bédard, Denis; Lison, Christelle; Dalle, Daniel; Côté, Daniel; Boutin, Noël

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents results of a study conducted with undergraduate students involved in either problem- or project-based curricula (Medicine and Engineering, respectively) at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. The objective of the present research was to measure the impact of these innovative curricula on students' engagement and persistence…

  10. Engaging Families to Support Students' Transition to High School: Evidence from the Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mac Iver, Martha Abele; Epstein, Joyce L.; Sheldon, Steven B.; Fonseca, Ean

    2015-01-01

    This exploratory study addresses the challenge of declining family engagement at the critical transition to high school. We use data from a survey of schools to examine whether and how middle grades and high schools engage families when their students transition to high school. Findings indicate that there is a significant negative relationship…

  11. Three cases of engaged research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Louise Ejgod

    2015-01-01

    frameworks for the way in which children and youngsters engage in creative practices emphasizing collective co-creation. Theoretically, the article is based on the concept of engaged scholarship (Van de Ven 2007), Practice as Research (Nelson 2013), and types of partnership (King 1998) all of which......The article is a case study of three different applied research projects analyzing and discussing the relationship between practice and research. The three projects are all arts projects occupied with participation in different forms: Theatre Talk is an audience development project conducted...... contribute to the analysis of the relationship, purpose, and outcomes of the relationship between practice and research....

  12. Reducing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Engagement: Working with Faith-Based Organizations (Project CHURCH)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorna H. McNeill, PhD, MPH, is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Disparities at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. McNeill's research is on the elimination of cancer-related health disparities in minority populations. Her research has particular emphasis on understanding the influence of social contextual determinants of cancer in minorities, with a special focus of the role of physical activity as a key preventive behavior and obesity as a major cancer determinant. Her research takes place in minority and underserved communities such as public housing developments, black churches, community-based clinics and low-income neighborhoods-communities with excess cancer death rates. She has been continuously funded, receiving grants from various funding agencies (i.e., National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, etc.), to better understand and design innovative solutions to address obesity in racial/ethnic minority communities. Dr. McNeill is PI of several community-based studies, primarily working with African American churches. One is a called Project CHURCH, an academic-faith-based partnership established to: 1) identify underlying reasons for health disparities in cancer and cancer risk factors (e.g., screening, diet) among AAs using a cohort study (N=2400), 2) engage AAs as partners in the research process, and 3) to ultimately eliminate disparities among AAs. In 2014 Dr. McNeill furthered her partnership through the Faith, Health, and Family (FHF) Collaborative. The goals of FHF are to enhance the Project CHURCH partnership to address family obesity in African Americans, strengthen the partnership by developing a larger coalition of organizations and stakeholders to address the problem, assess church and community interest in family obesity and develop an agenda to address obesity in faith settings. To date we have 50 churches as members. Dr. McNeill is also director of the Center for Community-Engaged

  13. Causal factors of low stakeholder engagement : A survey of expert opinions in the context of healthcare simulation projects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jahangirian, Mohsen; Borsci, Simone; Shah, Syed Ghulam Sarwar; Taylor, Simon J.E.

    2015-01-01

    While simulation methods have proved to be very effective in identifying efficiency gains, low stakeholder engagement creates a significant limitation on the achievement of simulation modeling projects in practice. This study reports causal factors—at two hierarchical levels (i.e., primary and

  14. Project NANO (nanoscience and nanotechnology outreach): a STEM training program that brings SEM's and stereoscopes into high-school and middle-school classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Sherry L.; Blok, Mikel; Grosse, Keith; Wells, Jennifer

    2014-09-01

    The program Project NANO (Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Outreach) enables middle and high school students to discover and research submicroscopic phenomena in a new and exciting way with the use of optical and scanning electron microscopes in the familiar surroundings of their middle or high school classrooms. Project NANO provides secondary level professional development workshops, support for classroom instruction and teacher curriculum development, and the means to deliver Project NANO toolkits (SEM, stereoscope, computer, supplies) to classrooms with Project NANO trained teachers. Evaluation surveys document the impact of the program on student's attitudes toward science and technology and on the learning outcomes for secondary level teachers. Project NANO workshops (offered for professional development credit) enable teachers to gain familiarity using and teaching with the SEM. Teachers also learn to integrate new content knowledge and skills into topic-driven, standards-based units of instruction specifically designed to support the development of students' higher order thinking skills that include problem solving and evidence-based thinking. The Project NANO management team includes a former university science faculty, two high school science teachers, and an educational researcher. To date, over 7500 students have experienced the impact of the Project NANO program, which provides an exciting and effective model for engaging students in the discovery of nanoscale phenomena and concepts in a fun and engaging way.

  15. ENGAGING YOUTH THROUGH SPATIAL SOCIO-TECHNICAL STORYTELLING, PARTICIPATORY GIS, AGENT-BASED MODELING, ONLINE GEOGAMES AND ACTION PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Poplin

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The main goal of this paper is to present the conceptual framework for engaging youth in urban planning activities that simultaneously create locally meaningful positive change. The framework for engaging youth interlinks the use of IT tools such as geographic information systems (GIS, agent-based modelling (ABM, online serious games, and mobile participatory geographic information systems with map-based storytelling and action projects. We summarize the elements of our framework and the first results gained in the program Community Growers established in a neighbourhood community of Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, USA. We conclude the paper with a discussion and future research directions.

  16. Engaging Youth Through Spatial Socio-Technical Storytelling, Participatory GIS, Agent-Based Modeling, Online Geogames and Action Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poplin, A.; Shenk, L.; Krejci, C.; Passe, U.

    2017-09-01

    The main goal of this paper is to present the conceptual framework for engaging youth in urban planning activities that simultaneously create locally meaningful positive change. The framework for engaging youth interlinks the use of IT tools such as geographic information systems (GIS), agent-based modelling (ABM), online serious games, and mobile participatory geographic information systems with map-based storytelling and action projects. We summarize the elements of our framework and the first results gained in the program Community Growers established in a neighbourhood community of Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, USA. We conclude the paper with a discussion and future research directions.

  17. Watershed Watch: Using undergraduate student-driven inquiry-based research projects as a means of engaging undeclared students in the biogeosciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rock, B. N.; Hale, S.; Graham, K.; Hayden, L. B.

    2009-12-01

    Watershed Watch (NSF 0525433) engages early undergraduate students from two-year and four-year colleges in student-driven full inquiry-based instruction in the biogeosciences. Program goals for Watershed Watch are to test if inquiry-rich student-driven projects sufficiently engage undeclared students (or noncommittal STEM majors) to declare a STEM major (or remain with their STEM major). The program is a partnership between two four-year campuses - the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and Elizabeth City State University (ECSU, in North Carolina); and two two-year campuses - Great Bay Community College (GBCC, in New Hampshire) and the College of the Albemarle (COA, in North Carolina). The program focuses on two watersheds: the Merrimack Ricer Watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and the Pasquotank River Watershed in Virginia and North Carolina. Both the terrestrial and aquatic components of both watersheds are evaluated using the student-driven projects. A significant component of this program is an intensive two-week Summer Research Institute (SRI), in which undeclared freshmen and sophomores investigate various aspects of their local watershed. Two Summer Research Institutes have been held on the UNH campus (2006 and 2008) and two on the ECSU campus (2007 and 2009). Students develop their own research questions and study design, collect and analyze data, and produce a scientific oral or poster presentation on the last day of the SRI. The course objectives, curriculum and schedule are presented as a model for dissemination for other institutions and programs seeking to develop inquiry-rich programs or courses designed to attract students into biogeoscience disciplines. Data from self-reported student feedback indicate the most important factors explaining high-levels of student motivation and research excellence in the program are: 1) working with committed, energetic, and enthusiastic faculty mentors, and 2) faculty mentors demonstrating high degrees of

  18. Communication network structure parameters and new knowledge generation capabilities in companies engaged in industry control system engineering projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Titov Sergei

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Engineering companies engaged in business of industry control systems need to manage the processes of generation of innovations within and across their projects. Generation and diffusion of innovations materialize through the communication networks of project teams. Therefore, it is possible to hypothesize that the characteristics of communication networks play role in generation of new knowledge. With the data from 14 industry control system projects of a Russian engineering company the communication network structure characteristics were calculated and the analysis of correlation between these characteristics and knowledge generation capabilities was performed. As a result correlation between centralization of communication and the number of new technical solutions developed in projects was discovered.

  19. Engagement Patterns of High and Low Academic Performers on Facebook Anatomy Pages

    OpenAIRE

    Jaffar, Akram Abood; Eladl, Mohamed Ahmed

    2016-01-01

    Only a few studies have investigated how students use and respond to social networks in the educational context as opposed to social use. In this study, the engagement of medical students on anatomy Facebook pages was evaluated in view of their academic performance. High performers contributed to most of the engagements. They also had a particular preference for higher levels of engagement. Although the students were deeply involved in the educational element of the pages, they continued to a...

  20. Valuing and Evaluating Community-Engaged Scholarship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shephard, Kerry; Brown, Kim; Guiney, Tess; Deaker, Lynley

    2018-01-01

    This article examines the nature of, and need for, evaluation of community-engaged university teaching and research. The research was conducted as part of a larger project aimed at improving institutional understanding of how to best support community-engaged university people. We interviewed 25 community-engaged colleagues, and used a general…

  1. Citizenship Engagement: Responses from High School Students

    OpenAIRE

    Martin, Leisa A.

    2017-01-01

    In the United States, the main mission of social studies education is to prepare students for citizenship. With this in mind, the following study examined 191 high school students’ views on how they demonstrated citizenship. Traditionally with this age group, personally responsible citizenship has been a common form of self-reported citizenship engagement. However, in this study, the students seemed to conceptualize citizenship differently. With the Akwesasne Mohawk students, the European Ame...

  2. Engagement enacted: Essentials of initiating an action research project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prof Tineke Abma; Dr Theo Niessen; Drs Miranda Snoeren

    2011-01-01

    Engagement is seen as an important characteristic of action research. The term is often used to refer to the participation and involvement of the research participants. Within this article we take another angle and explore the concept of engagement in relation to the main action researcher. Using an

  3. Engagement enacted: Essentials of initiating an action research project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Snoeren, M.M.W.C.; Niessen, T.J.H.; Abma, T.A.

    2012-01-01

    Engagement is seen as an important characteristic of action research. The term is often used to refer to the participation and involvement of the research participants. Within this article we take another angle and explore the concept of engagement in relation to the main action researcher. Using an

  4. Experience Corps Baltimore: Exploring the Stressors and Rewards of High-intensity Civic Engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varma, Vijay R; Carlson, Michelle C; Parisi, Jeanine M; Tanner, Elizabeth K; McGill, Sylvia; Fried, Linda P; Song, Linda H; Gruenewald, Tara L

    2015-12-01

    Experience Corps (EC) represents a high-intensity, intergenerational civic engagement activity where older adults serve as mentors and tutors in elementary schools. Although high-intensity volunteer opportunities are designed to enhance the health and well being of older adult volunteers, little is known about the negative and positive aspects of volunteering unique to intergenerational programs from the volunteer's perspective. Stressors and rewards associated with volunteering in EC were explored in 8 focus group discussions with 46 volunteers from EC Baltimore. Transcripts were coded for frequently expressed themes. Participants reported stressors and rewards within 5 key domains: intergenerational (children's problem behavior, working with and helping children, observing/facilitating improvement or transformation in a child, and developing a special connection with a child); external to EC (poor parenting and children's social stressors); interpersonal (challenges in working with teachers and bonding/making social connections); personal (enjoyment, self-enhancement/achievement, and being/feeling more active); and structural (satisfaction with the structural elements of the EC program). Volunteers experienced unique intergenerational stressors related to children's problem behavior and societal factors external to the EC program. Overall, intergenerational, interpersonal, and personal rewards from volunteering, as well as program structure may have balanced the stress associated with volunteering. A better understanding of stressors and rewards from high-intensity volunteer programs may enhance our understanding of how intergenerational civic engagement volunteering affects well being in later life and may inform project modifications to maximize such benefits for future volunteers and those they serve. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e

  5. Taking the Plunge: Next Steps in Engaged Learning: Project Kaleidoscope-Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges Conference for Science Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frederick, Jennifer

    2010-09-01

    College and university science educators from across Connecticut gathered at Yale's West Campus in April 2010 for a Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) program entitled "Taking the Plunge: Next Steps in Engaged Learning." Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and co-sponsored by the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC) and Yale's McDougal Graduate Teaching Center, the event was the latest in a PKAL series of one-day conferences aimed at equipping science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instructors with effective approaches to engaging students and training future scientists.

  6. Engaging Key Stakeholders in Climate Change: A Community-Based Project for Youth-Led Participatory Climate Action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trott, Carlie D.

    Few studies have examined how youth think about, and take action on climate change and far fewer have sought to facilitate their engagement using participatory methods. This dissertation evaluated the impacts of Science, Camera, Action! (SCA), a novel after-school program that combined climate change education with participatory action through photovoice. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) Evaluate the impacts of SCA on youth participants' climate change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; (2) Examine how SCA participation served to empower youth agency; and (3) Explore SCA's influence on youths' science engagement. Participants were 55 youths (ages 10 to 12) across three Boys and Girls Club sites in Northern Colorado. SCA's Science component used interactive activities to demonstrate the interrelationships between Earth's changing climate, ecosystems, and sustainable actions within communities. Photovoice, SCA's Camera component, was used to explore youths' climate change perspectives and to identify opportunities for their active engagement. Finally, SCA's Action component aimed to cultivate youth potential as agents of change in their families and communities through the development and implementation of youth-led action projects. Action projects included local policy advocacy, a tree-planting campaign, a photo gallery opening, development of a website, and the establishment of a Boys and Girls Club community garden. To evaluate SCA impacts, a combination of survey and focus group methods were used. Following the program, youth demonstrated increased knowledge of the scientific and social dimensions of the causes and consequences of climate change, as well as its solutions through human action. Though participants expressed a mix of positive (e.g., hope) and negative (e.g., sadness) emotions about climate change, they left the program with an increased sense of respect for nature, an enhanced sense of environmental responsibility, and a greater sense

  7. Navigating Evidence-Based Practice Projects: The Faculty Role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moch, Susan D; Quinn-Lee, Lisa; Gallegos, Cara; Sortedahl, Charlotte K

    : An innovative way to facilitate evidence-based practice (EBP) learning and to get evidence into practice is through academic-clinical agency projects involving faculty, undergraduate students, and agency staff. The central role of the faculty is key to successful academic-clinical agency partnerships. Faculty navigate the often difficult process of focusing students and engaging busy staff through initiating, maintaining, and evaluating projects. Students learn valuable EBP skills, staff become engaged in EBP, and the projects are rated highly by agency administrators.

  8. Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) - Engaging Underrepresented Minorities in Science through High School Internships at the National Museum of Natural History

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, G.; Cruz, E.; Selvans, M. M.

    2014-12-01

    The Smithsonian's Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) program at the National Museum of Natural History gives young people from the Washington, D.C. area the opportunity to engage in science out of school through 16-week internships. We will present the program's successful strategies and lessons learned around recruiting and engaging young people from underserved communities, and maintaining relationships that help to support their pursuit of STEM and other career paths. The YES! program connects Smithsonian collections, experts, and training with local DC youth from communities traditionally underrepresented in science careers. YES! is now in its fifth year and has directly served 122 students; demographics of alumni are 67% female, and 51% Latino, 31% African-American, 7% Asian, 5% Caucasian and 6% other. The program immerses students in science research by giving them the opportunity to work side-by-side with scientists and staff from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Gardens, and National Zoo. In addition to working on a research project, students have college preparatory courses, are trained in science communication, and apply their skills by interacting with the public on the exhibit floor.

  9. Impact of community engagement on public acceptance towards waste-to-energy incineration projects: Empirical evidence from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yong; Sun, Chenjunyan; Xia, Bo; Cui, Caiyun; Coffey, Vaughan

    2018-02-20

    As one of the most popular methods for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration offers effective solutions to deal with the MSW surge and globe energy issues. Nevertheless, the construction of WTE facilities faces considerable and strong opposition from local communities due to the perceived potential risks. The present study aims to understand whether, and how, community engagement improves local residents' public acceptance towards waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facilities using a questionnaire survey conducted with nearby residents of two selected WTE incineration plants located in Zhejiang province, China. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) reveal that firstly, a lower level of public acceptance exists among local residents of over the age of 35, of lower education levels, living within 3 km from the WTE Plant and from WTE incineration Plants which are under construction. Secondly, the public trust of local government and other authorities was positively associated with the public acceptance of the WTE incineration project, both directly and indirectly based on perceived risk. Thirdly, community engagement can effectively enhance public trust in local government and other authorities related to the WTE incineration project. The findings contribute to the literature on MSW treatment policy-making and potentially hazardous facility siting, by exploring the determinants of public acceptance towards WTE incineration projects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Implementing an authentic research project on eastern coyotes at an urban high school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David L. Eatough

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The need for inquiry oriented authentic activities is imperative to engage high school students in the active involvement and associated learning of science. Herein, we describe our experience of involving high school students in the process of studying wild coyotes in and around the communities where they live. We found that many became aware and familiar with the program but few participated to the point of being contributing members of the scientific community. To make this project sustainable in the long-run three important things must happen: one, there must be reliable point person (such as a graduate student who can focus on the ecology side of the coyote project while others can focus on the educational components of the collaboration; two, mechanisms must be put in place to provide incentives for participants; and three, funding must be reliable and substantial over time.

  11. Examining Behavioral, Relational, and Cognitive Engagement in Smaller Learning Communities: A Case Study of Reform in One Suburban District

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Heather A.; Chang, Mei-Lin; Andrzejewski, Carey E.; Poirier, Ryan R.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this project was to examine the impact of Smaller Learning Community reform on students' behavioral, relational, and cognitive engagement in a suburban school district experiencing urbanization. We describe a project in which we evaluated the engagement of a cohort of 8th grade students as they transitioned to high school (n = 605).…

  12. School Engagement for Academically At-Risk Students: A Participatory Research Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Toole, Nadia; Due, Clemence

    2015-01-01

    While past literature has explored school engagement in older students, there is less research for younger children specifically, and very little which engages children themselves in the research process. This paper provides insight into school engagement for academically at-risk students in the second year of school through a participatory…

  13. Toward a model of employee engagement in a public service organization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Mette Strange

    Employee engagement has long been capturing the attention of researchers and practitioners, (e.g. Bakker, Albrecht, & Leiter, 2011; Buckingham & Coffman, 1999) due to its positive impact on various measures of organizational performance (Gruman & Saks, 2011; Harter, Schmidt, & Hayes, 2002; Mone...... & London, 2010). To date, however, employee engagement has primarily been studied in private manufacturing firms leaving out a gap of research in a public service organization, such as eldercare organizations, although engagement according to Boselie (2010) is highly relevant in the specific context....... The purpose of the PhD project is to build a model explaining employee engagement in a public service organization. Research on work design theory (e.g. Hackman & Oldham, 1976) will be used, since it has often been applied to identify antecedents associated with engagement (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007; Kahn...

  14. Engaging Actors in Co-Designing Heterogeneous Innovations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Ulrik; Lindegaard, Hanne; Rosenqvist, Tanja Schultz

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we share and analyze our experiences staging a co-design process in which we through different interventions engage important actors in designing. Our experiences are taking from an innovation and research project about user-involvement in textile design processes. As the project...... in our project’s agenda by going through the different stages of translation. The paper is finalized with reflections on the difficulties in engaging actors in a co-design process and transporting results into the existing framed context of design and architectural work....... related to translating and transporting the results of these different events due to the institutional and professional framing of projects and design processes. We are analyzing these through an actor network approach and use the translation term to describe how the participants slowly became engaged...

  15. Incremental Theory of Intelligence Moderated the Relationship between Prior Achievement and School Engagement in Chinese High School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ping; Zhou, Nan; Zhang, Yuchi; Xiong, Qing; Nie, Ruihong; Fang, Xiaoyi

    2017-01-01

    School engagement plays a prominent role in promoting academic accomplishments. In contrast to the relative wealth of research that examined the impact of students' school engagement on their academic achievement, considerably less research has investigated the effect of high school students' prior achievement on their school engagement. The present study examined the relationship between prior achievement and school engagement among Chinese high school students. Based on the Dweck's social-cognitive theory of motivation, we further examined the moderating effect of students' theories of intelligence (TOIs) on this relationship. A total of 4036 (2066 girls) students from five public high school enrolled in grades 10 reported their high school entrance exam achievement in Chinese, Math and English, school engagement, and TOIs. Results showed that (a) students' prior achievement predicted their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, and (b) the association between prior achievement and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement is strong for students with an incremental theory but not for those with an entity theory in the emotional and cognitive engagement. These findings suggest that prior achievement and incremental theory were implicated in relation to adolescents' school engagement. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

  16. Incremental Theory of Intelligence Moderated the Relationship between Prior Achievement and School Engagement in Chinese High School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Li

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available School engagement plays a prominent role in promoting academic accomplishments. In contrast to the relative wealth of research that examined the impact of students’ school engagement on their academic achievement, considerably less research has investigated the effect of high school students’ prior achievement on their school engagement. The present study examined the relationship between prior achievement and school engagement among Chinese high school students. Based on the Dweck’s social-cognitive theory of motivation, we further examined the moderating effect of students’ theories of intelligence (TOIs on this relationship. A total of 4036 (2066 girls students from five public high school enrolled in grades 10 reported their high school entrance exam achievement in Chinese, Math and English, school engagement, and TOIs. Results showed that (a students’ prior achievement predicted their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, and (b the association between prior achievement and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement is strong for students with an incremental theory but not for those with an entity theory in the emotional and cognitive engagement. These findings suggest that prior achievement and incremental theory were implicated in relation to adolescents’ school engagement. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

  17. Community engagement and the social context of targeted malaria treatment: a qualitative study in Kayin (Karen) State, Myanmar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahan, Kate; Pell, Christopher; Smithuis, Frank; Phyo, Aung Kyaw; Maung, Sai Maung; Indrasuta, Chanida; Dondorp, Arjen M; White, Nicholas J; Day, Nicholas P J; von Seidlein, Lorenz; Cheah, Phaik Yeong

    2017-02-14

    The spread of artemisinin-resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is a threat to current global malaria control initiatives. Targeted malaria treatment (TMT), which combines mass anti-malarial administration with conventional malaria prevention and control measures, has been proposed as a strategy to tackle this problem. The effectiveness of TMT depends on high levels of population coverage and is influenced by accompanying community engagement activities and the local social context. The article explores how these factors influenced attitudes and behaviours towards TMT in Kayin (Karen) State, Myanmar. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with villagers from study villages (N = 31) and TMT project staff (N = 14) between March and July 2015. Community engagement consisted of a range of activities to communicate the local malaria situation (including anti-malarial drug resistance and asymptomatic malaria), the aims of the TMT project, and its potential benefits. Community engagement was seen by staff as integral to the TMT project as a whole and not a sub-set of activities. Attitudes towards TMT (including towards community engagement) showed that developing trusting relationships helped foster participation. After initial wariness, staff received hospitality and acceptance among villagers. Offering healthcare alongside TMT proved mutually beneficial for the study and villagers. A handful of more socially-mobile and wealthy community members were reluctant to participate. The challenges of community engagement included time constraints and the isolation of the community with its limited infrastructure and a history of conflict. Community engagement had to be responsive to the local community even though staff faced time constraints. Understanding the social context of engagement helped TMT to foster respectful and trusting relationships. The complex relationship between the local context and community engagement complicated evaluation of the community strategy

  18. Early data from project engage: a program to identify and transition medically hospitalized patients into addictions treatment

    OpenAIRE

    Pecoraro, Anna; Horton, Terry; Ewen, Edward; Becher, Julie; Wright, Patricia A; Silverman, Basha; McGraw, Patty; Woody, George E

    2012-01-01

    Background Patients with untreated substance use disorders (SUDs) are at risk for frequent emergency department visits and repeated hospitalizations. Project Engage, a US pilot program at Wilmington Hospital in Delaware, was conducted to facilitate entry of these patients to SUD treatment after discharge. Patients identified as having hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption based on results of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Primary Care (AUDIT-PC), administered to all patients...

  19. Reducing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Engagement: Working with Faith-Based Organizations (Project CHURCH) | Division of Cancer Prevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speaker | "Reducing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Engagement: Working with Faith-Based Organizations (Project CHURCH)" will be presented by Lorna H. McNeill, PhD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Health Disparities at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Date: 2/20/2018; Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm; Location: NCI Shady Grove Campus,

  20. High Touch and High Tech (HT2) Proposal: Transforming Patient Engagement Throughout the Continuum of Care by Engaging Patients with Portal Technology at the Bedside.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Sieck, Cynthia J; Hefner, Jennifer L; Aldrich, Alison M; Walker, Daniel M; Rizer, Milisa K; Moffatt-Bruce, Susan D; Huerta, Timothy R

    2016-11-29

    For patients with complex care needs, engagement in disease management activities is critical. Chronic illnesses touch almost every person in the United States. The costs are real, personal, and pervasive. In response, patients often seek tools to help them manage their health. Patient portals, personal health records tethered to an electronic health record, show promise as tools that patients value and that can improve health. Although patient portals currently focus on the outpatient experience, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) has deployed a portal designed specifically for the inpatient experience that is connected to the ambulatory patient portal available after discharge. While this inpatient technology is in active use at only one other hospital in the United States, health care facilities are currently investing in infrastructure necessary to support large-scale deployment. Times of acute crisis such as hospitalization may increase a patient's focus on his/her health. During this time, patients may be more engaged with their care and especially interested in using tools to manage their health after discharge. Evidence shows that enhanced patient self-management can lead to better control of chronic illness. Patient portals may serve as a mechanism to facilitate increased engagement. The specific aims of our study are (1) to investigate the independent effects of providing both High Tech and High Touch interventions on patient-reported outcomes at discharge, including patients' self-efficacy for managing chronic conditions and satisfaction with care; and (2) to conduct a mixed-methods analysis to determine how providing patients with access to MyChart Bedside (MCB, High Tech) and training/education on patient portals, and MyChart Ambulatory (MCA, High Touch) will influence engagement with the patient portal and relate to longer-term outcomes. Our proposed 4-year study uses a mixed-methods research (MMR) approach to evaluate a

  1. Student as producer: research-engaged teaching, an institutional strategy

    OpenAIRE

    Neary, Mike; Saunders, Gary; Hagyard, Andy; Derricott, Dan

    2014-01-01

    Student as Producer is a curriculum development project that has been ongoing at the University of Lincoln since 2007. The aim of the project has been to promote research-engaged teaching as the organising principle for teaching and learning across all subjects and all levels of taught provision at Lincoln. While there are many examples of research-engaged teaching in higher education what makes the curriculum distinctive at Lincoln is that research-engaged teaching is the default...

  2. Project-based learning in a high school engineering program: A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    France, Todd

    Generating greater student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been a major topic of discussion among educators, policymakers, and researchers in recent years, as increasing the number of graduates in these fields is widely considered a necessary step for sustaining the progress of today's society. Fostering this interest must occur before students reach college, and substantial efforts have been made to engage students at K-12 levels in STEM-focused learning. Attempts to involve students in engineering, a vital and growing profession, yet one in which students often have little experience, have frequently emphasized the design and construction of physical products, a practice supported by project-based learning. This thesis examines the environment of an engineering high school course that employed the project-based model. The course is part of a dedicated curricular program which aims to provide students with positive experiences in engineering-related activities while also preparing them for the rigors of college. A case study was conducted to provide insight into the benefits and drawbacks of the learning model. The study's outcomes are intended to provide guidance to educators participating in the design and/or facilitation of project-based activities, particularly those involved with engineering education. The research was performed using a qualitative approach. Long-term engagement with course participants was deemed critical to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interactions and events that transpired on a daily basis. Nine educators involved with the program were interviewed, as were nineteen of the course's thirty-nine students. A wealth of other relevant data -- including surveys, field notes, and evaluations of student work -- was compiled for analysis as well. The study findings suggest that experiences in problem solving and teamwork were the central benefits of the course. Limitations existed due to a

  3. TREsPASS Book 3: Creative Engagements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coles-Kemp, Lizzie; Hall, Peter

    2016-01-01

    In this book we examine the role that creative security engagements have played in the TREsPASS project. These engagements are part of a wider creative securities approach that explores the contributions that social practices make to protection of data and information. Our most popular creative

  4. Teachers’ Stories of Engaging Students in Controversial Action Projects on the Island of Ireland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majella McSharry

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE in the Republic of Ireland and Local and Global Citizenship (LGC in Northern Ireland keenly promote students’ active participation in society. However, the purpose of this participation is not necessarily to encourage students to campaign for change in the present but rather that ‘students are given opportunities to engage in actions and develop skills that will contribute to their becoming active participatory citizens in later life’ (NCCA (2005 CSPE Guidelines for Teachers, p. 59. This often gives rise to a culture of passive citizenship and a tendency to focus on ‘action projects’ that are safe and self-contained. This paper focuses on a five action projects carried out by a sample of teachers and students that may be considered ‘controversial’. In each case students actively campaign for equality and social justice, on local or global human rights issues and in ways that may be deemed controversial. It examines how the mainstream curriculum and school structures facilitate or impede this type of controversial action and explores the potential opportunities for greater engagement in such action through proposed curriculum reform.

  5. Concept mapping methodology and community-engaged research: A perfect pairing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Lisa M; Jones, Jennifer R; Booth, Emily; Burke, Jessica G

    2017-02-01

    Concept mapping methodology as refined by Trochim et al. is uniquely suited to engage communities in all aspects of research from project set-up to data collection to interpreting results to dissemination of results, and an increasing number of research studies have utilized the methodology for exploring complex health issues in communities. In the current manuscript, we present the results of a literature search of peer-reviewed articles in health-related research where concept mapping was used in collaboration with the community. A total of 103 articles met the inclusion criteria. We first address how community engagement was defined in the articles and then focus on the articles describing high community engagement and the associated community outcomes/benefits and methodological challenges. A majority (61%; n=63) of the articles were classified as low to moderate community engagement and participation while 38% (n=39) of the articles were classified as high community engagement and participation. The results of this literature review enhance our understanding of how concept mapping can be used in direct collaboration with communities and highlights the many potential benefits for both researchers and communities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project: Results of a Summer High-School Student, Teacher, University Scientist Partnership Using a Capstone Research Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shell, Duane F.; Snow, Gregory R.; Claes, Daniel R.

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports results from evaluation of the Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP), a student, teacher, scientist partnership to engage high-school students and teachers in school based cosmic ray research. Specifically, this study examined whether an intensive summer workshop experience could effectively prepare teacher-student teams to…

  7. Literacy education, reading engagement, and library use in multilingual classes

    OpenAIRE

    Tonne, Ingebjørg; Pihl, Joron

    2012-01-01

    The topic of this paper is literacy education and reading engagement in multilingual classes. What facilitates reading engagement in the language of instruction in multilingual classes? In this paper, we analyze reading engagement in a literature-based literacy program in Norway (2007–2011). The design was a research and development project in which teachers, researchers, and librarians collaborated within literacy education. We present pedagogical interventions within the project and analyze...

  8. Student Engagement in High-Performing Schools: Relationships to Mental and Physical Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conner, Jerusha O.; Pope, Denise

    2014-01-01

    This chapter examines how the three most common types of engagement found among adolescents attending high-performing high schools relate to indicators of mental and physical health. [This article originally appeared as NSSE Yearbook Vol. 113, No. 1.

  9. Collaborative Engagement Approaches For Delivering Sustainable Infrastructure Projects In The AEC Sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adetola, Alaba

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The public sector has traditionally financed and operated infrastructure projects using resources from taxes and various levies (e.g. fuel taxes, road user charges. However, the rapid increase in human population growth coupled with extended globalisation complexities and associated social/political/economic challenges have placed new demands on the purveyors and operators of infrastructure projects. The importance of delivering quality infrastructure has been underlined by the United Nations declaration of the Millennium Development Goals; as has the provision of ‘adequate’ basic structures and facilities necessary for the well-being of urban populations in developing countries. Thus, in an effort to finance developing countries’ infrastructure needs, most countries have adopted some form of public-private collaboration strategy. This paper critically reviews these collaborative engagement approaches, identifies and highlights 10 critical themes that need to be appropriately captured and aligned to existing business models in order to successfully deliver sustainable infrastructure projects. Research findings show that infrastructure services can be delivered in many ways, and through various routes. For example, a purely public approach can cause problems such as slow and ineffective decision-making, inefficient organisational and institutional augmentation, and lack of competition and inefficiency (collectively known as government failure. On the other hand, adopting a purely private approach can cause problems such as inequalities in the distribution of infrastructure services (known as market failure. Thus, to overcome both government and market failures, a collaborative approach is advocated which incorporates the strengths of both of these polarised positions.

  10. High school students' work engagement in practical teaching

    OpenAIRE

    Milanović-Dobrota Biljana Z.; Radić-Šestić Marina N.

    2017-01-01

    The current interest in introducing the dual education system into Serbian secondary education has drawn our attention to the question of students' self-perception in the process of practical teaching. The idea that underpins this paper is the supposition that students are affectively engaged with the work activities they perform. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Schaufeli et al., 2002) has been used for assessing students' work engagement in practical teaching. A study was conducted...

  11. Decoupling, re-engaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rose, Jeremy; Schlichter, Bjarne Rerup

    2013-01-01

    the life of a major project and the complex demands of managing those fluctuations. We investigate evolving trust relationships in a longitudinal case analysis of a large integrated hospital system implementation for the Faroe Islands. Trust relationships suffered various breakdowns, but the project...... was able to recover and eventually meet its goals. Based on concepts from Giddens’ later work on modernity, we develop two approaches for managing dynamic trust relationships in implementation projects: decoupling and re-engaging....... in the project is contingent upon many factors, is likely to vary over time and should not be taken for granted. Previous studies have identified the relationship between trust and project outcomes and suggested trust-building strategies but have largely ignored the dynamic quality of trust relations through...

  12. Education and public engagement in observatory operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabor, Pavel; Mayo, Louis; Zaritsky, Dennis

    2016-07-01

    Education and public engagement (EPE) is an essential part of astronomy's mission. New technologies, remote observing and robotic facilities are opening new possibilities for EPE. A number of projects (e.g., Telescopes In Education, MicroObservatory, Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope and UNC's Skynet) have developed new infrastructure, a number of observatories (e.g., University of Arizona's "full-engagement initiative" towards its astronomy majors, Vatican Observatory's collaboration with high-schools) have dedicated their resources to practical instruction and EPE. Some of the facilities are purpose built, others are legacy telescopes upgraded for remote or automated observing. Networking among institutions is most beneficial for EPE, and its implementation ranges from informal agreements between colleagues to advanced software packages with web interfaces. The deliverables range from reduced data to time and hands-on instruction while operating a telescope. EPE represents a set of tasks and challenges which is distinct from research applications of the new astronomical facilities and operation modes. In this paper we examine the experience with several EPE projects, and some lessons and challenges for observatory operation.

  13. High School Dropouts: Interactions between Social Context, Self-Perceptions, School Engagement, and Student Dropout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fall, Anna-Maria; Roberts, Greg

    2012-01-01

    Research suggests that contextual, self-system, and school engagement variables influence dropping out from school. However, it is not clear how different types of contextual and self-system variables interact to affect students' engagement or contribute to decisions to dropout from high school. The self-system model of motivational development…

  14. Blended Learning and Student Engagement in an Urban High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Courtney

    2017-01-01

    A metropolitan school district wanted to understand blended learning as it existed in one of their high schools. Blended learning had been school-wide for four years, and district administrators wanted to know how students, teachers, and school administrators perceived blended learning and its impact on student engagement. This was a…

  15. Work engagement and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels among Japanese workers: a 1-year prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Inoue, Akiomi; Nakata, Akinori; Tsutsumi, Akizumi

    2015-08-01

    Evidence on the association between psychological well-being and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels is limited. We carried out a prospective study to investigate the association between work engagement and hs-CRP levels in a group of Japanese workers. Our cohort included 1,857 men and 657 women aged 65 and under, and free from major illness, working at two manufacturing worksites in Japan. Baseline examinations were conducted from April to June 2011 to determine the demographic and lifestyle characteristics and levels of work engagement. Blood samples were obtained from participants at baseline and after 1 year. Participants were classified into tertiles of low, moderate, and high work engagement at baseline. Hs-CRP levels were split into low (≤3.0 mg/L) and high (>3.0 mg/L). We used multiple logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between work engagement at baseline and hs-CRP levels at follow-up, adjusting for hs-CRP at baseline and potential confounding factors. Participants reporting moderate and high levels of work engagement at baseline had significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) of having high hs-CRP levels at follow-up than those with low levels of work engagement at baseline [OR of moderate level 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.81; OR of high level 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.99; p for trend work engagement has beneficial effects on workers' cardiovascular health.

  16. Project Octo-Pills - A practice model engaging community pharmacists in the care of patients from a tertiary hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Kheng Yong; Chung, Wing Lam; Mamun, Kaysar; Chen, Li Li

    2017-10-13

    Even while pharmacy practice evolves to a more patient-centric mode of practice, local hospitals, due to high patient load as well as space and resource constraints, find it challenging to conduct thorough medication review and physical medication reconciliation for all patients. In light of this, optimizing the local current healthcare system to involve community pharmacists in the care of patients from public hospitals could potentially better cater to the healthcare needs of the older population. Due to easy accessibility, community pharmacies are often the first point of contact in the healthcare system. Project Octo-Pills aims to engage community pharmacists in the collaborative care of patients from a tertiary hospital, providing patients with quality medication reconciliation and review services from a more convenient location within their neighborhood. This paper describes the model for this pilot initiative. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Identifying factors which enhance capacity to engage in clinical education among podiatry practitioners: an action research project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abey, Sally; Lea, Susan; Callaghan, Lynne; Shaw, Steve; Cotton, Debbie

    2015-01-01

    Health profession students develop practical skills whilst integrating theory with practice in a real world environment as an important component of their training. Research in the area of practice placements has identified challenges and barriers to the delivery of effective placement learning. However, there has been little research in podiatry and the question of which factors impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the role remains an under-researched area. This paper presents the second phase of an action research project designed to determine the factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the mentorship role. An online survey was developed and podiatry clinical educators recruited through National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. The survey included socio-demographic items, and questions relating to the factors identified as possible variables influencing clinical educator capacity; the latter was assessed using the 'Clinical Educator Capacity to Engage' scale (CECE). Descriptive statistics were used to explore demographic data whilst the relationship between the CECE and socio-demographic factors were examined using inferential statistics in relation to academic profile, career profile and organisation of the placement. The survey response rate was 42 % (n = 66). Multiple linear regression identified four independent variables which explain a significant proportion of the variability of the dependent variable, 'capacity to engage with clinical education', with an adjusted R2 of 0.428. The four variables were: protected mentorship time, clinical educator relationship with university, sign-off responsibility, and volunteer status. The identification of factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage in mentoring of students has relevance for strategic planning and policy-making with the emphasis upon capacity-building at an individual level, so that the key attitudes and characteristics that are linked

  18. Public Engagement for the U.S. Rosetta Project using Interactive Multimedia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, H.; Graham, S.; Alexander, C. J.

    2009-12-01

    The U.S. Rosetta Project is NASA contribution to the International Rosetta Mission. The mission is a long-duration mission to explore a comet and escort the nucleus from deep space around the Sun and for a portion of its outbound trajectory. The Rosetta stone, the symbol of the mission, is the inspiration for the mission’s name. As stated on by the European Space Agency, Rosetta is expected to provide the keys to the primordial solar system the way the original Rosetta Stone provided a key to ancient language. Four interactives serve as key components of the website portion of the project's public engagement efforts. This first is a presentation of the mission timeline using an interactive that resembles an iTunes front page. The second is a presentation of the space between Earth (Jupiter) and the next star (Proxima Centauri), in which the comet home of the Kuiper Belt with several of the planet-sized object embedded there, the Heliosphere, the comet home of the Oort Cloud, and other interstellar clouds are presented. The third is a presentation of ancient languages (still under development) - space terminology translated into Native American languages as part of the project's outreach to the Native American community. In the fourth interactive we have taken the relatively sophisticated scientific comet environment model, one that was produced on a super computer, and worked the output into 'representations' of how a comet changes as it moves around the Sun, with definitions of the scientific regions that evolve. Still under development, this interactive is expected to be a key component of explaining to the public what the instruments expect to measure and encounter as the target changes in time. A fifth animated component is addressed to informal education with younger audience members in the form of cartoon characters and their adventures on a comet. In this talk we will showcase these pieces and discuss how these interactives are intended for teaching and

  19. Community-based participatory research projects and policy engagement to protect environmental health on St Lawrence Island, Alaska

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela K. Miller

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives . This article synthesizes discussion of collaborative research results, interventions and policy engagement for St Lawrence Island (SLI, Alaska, during the years 2000–2012. Methods . As part of on-going community-based participatory research (CBPR studies on SLI, 5 discrete exposure-assessment projects were conducted: (a a biomonitoring study of human blood serum; (b–d 3 investigations of levels of contaminants in environmental media at an abandoned military site at Northeast Cape – using sediment cores and plants, semi-permeable membrane devices and blackfish, respectively; and (e a study of traditional foods. Results . Blood serum in residents of SLI showed elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs with higher levels among those exposed to the military site at Northeast Cape, an important traditional subsistence-use area. Environmental studies at the military site demonstrated that the site is a continuing source of PCBs to a major watershed, and that clean-up operations at the military site generated PCB-contaminated dust on plants in the region. Important traditional foods eaten by the people of SLI showed elevated concentrations of PCBs, which are primarily derived from the long-range transport of persistent pollutants that are transported by atmospheric and marine currents from more southerly latitudes to the north. Interventions . An important task for all CBPR projects is to conduct intervention strategies as needed in response to research results. Because of the findings of the CBPR projects on SLI, the CBPR team and the people of the Island are actively engaging in interventions to ensure cleanup of the formerly used military sites; reform chemicals policy on a national level; and eliminate persistent pollutants internationally. The goal is to make the Island and other northern/Arctic communities safe for themselves and future generations. Conclusions . As part of the CBPR projects conducted from 2000 to 2012

  20. A systematic review of stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Concannon, Thomas W; Fuster, Melissa; Saunders, Tully; Patel, Kamal; Wong, John B; Leslie, Laurel K; Lau, Joseph

    2014-12-01

    We conducted a review of the peer-reviewed literature since 2003 to catalogue reported methods of stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research. We worked with stakeholders before, during and after the review was conducted to: define the primary and key research questions; conduct the literature search; screen titles, abstracts and articles; abstract data from the articles; and analyze the data. The literature search yielded 2,062 abstracts. The review was conducted on 70 articles that reported on stakeholder engagement in individual research projects or programs. Reports of stakeholder engagement are highly variable in content and quality. We found frequent engagement with patients, modestly frequent engagement with clinicians, and infrequent engagement with stakeholders in other key decision-making groups across the healthcare system. Stakeholder engagement was more common in earlier (prioritization) than in later (implementation and dissemination) stages of research. The roles and activities of stakeholders were highly variable across research and program reports. To improve on the quality and content of reporting, we developed a 7-Item Stakeholder Engagement Reporting Questionnaire. We recommend three directions for future research: 1) descriptive research on stakeholder-engagement in research; 2) evaluative research on the impact of stakeholder engagement on the relevance, transparency and adoption of research; and 3) development and validation of tools that can be used to support stakeholder engagement in future work.

  1. Listening to the Voices of Civically Engaged High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preus, Betty; Payne, Rachel; Wick, Carly; Glomski, Emily

    2016-01-01

    This study examines why a group of students representing two high schools became involved in an activist organization, the benefits they gained as a result, the impact they had on their school and community, and their recommendations for how school personnel can foster civic engagement in young people. The student-led group campaigned for a school…

  2. Proactive behaviour may lead to failure in virtual project-based collaborative learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørn, Pernille; Hertzum, Morten

    2005-01-01

    This paper argues that proactive behaviour, caused by high engagement and motivation of the learners, may lead to failure of collaborative learning. By examining empirical data from real-world text-only virtual negotiations between dispersed participants engaged in project-based collaborative...

  3. The Influence of the High School Classroom Environment on Learning as Mediated by Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shernoff, David J.; Ruzek, Erik A.; Sinha, Suparna

    2017-01-01

    Classroom learning environments are frequently assumed to exert their influence on learning indirectly, via student engagement. The present study examined the influence of environmental challenge and support on learning in high school classrooms, and the potential for student engagement to act as a mediator in this relationship. Data were…

  4. Experiences of project developers around CDM projects in South Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thurner, Thomas W.; Varughese, Arun

    2013-01-01

    Project developers in South Africa are puzzled with the long process of evaluating and registering their CDM projects. In addition to other obstacles, we find that South African big businesses are rather reluctant to engage in any new business activities such as CDM projects and municipalities often lack the necessary flexibility. This offers opportunities for small-scale project developers who spot the opportunities and find creative solutions to overcome these difficulties. - Highlights: • First paper analysing the experience of small project developers in South Africa. • Project developers in South Africa are puzzled with the long process. • South African big businesses are reluctant to engage in CDM projects. • Small-scale project developers spot opportunities and find creative solutions to overcome difficulties. • Also, we saw learning processes of South African administration in support of CDM projects

  5. Identifying High Performance ERP Projects

    OpenAIRE

    Stensrud, Erik; Myrtveit, Ingunn

    2002-01-01

    Learning from high performance projects is crucial for software process improvement. Therefore, we need to identify outstanding projects that may serve as role models. It is common to measure productivity as an indicator of performance. It is vital that productivity measurements deal correctly with variable returns to scale and multivariate data. Software projects generally exhibit variable returns to scale, and the output from ERP projects is multivariate. We propose to use Data Envelopment ...

  6. Design for Thinking: Engagement in an Innovation Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Joy; Dresdow, Sally

    2015-01-01

    This article discusses the use of design thinking in an undergraduate decision-making course. The spaces of design are linked to the dimensions of liberal learning in a way that allows students to engage in the design of an organization that supports a new product created in a collaborative team. The article provides an overview of how the…

  7. High Teas, High Collars and High Rise Buildings in a ‘High-Context’ Culture: The Semiotics of Japan’s Project of Modernity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Adam Cambridge

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses a paradigm shift in Japanese society during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – focusing on the encounters with Western culinary, sartorial and architectural practice experienced by a ‘high-context’ culture (Hall, 1976. The main discussion documents the differentiated reception of these changes – valorised by reformers for whom engaging with the outside world was key to their project of modernity, but treated with suspicion by members of the proletariat who feared for the purity of traditional Japanese values. The manner in which the resulting tensions were mediated through the print media and imagery of domestic visual culture is interrogated using a prism of semiotic analysis and the findings located within a contemporary context to suggest that Roland Barthes’ analytical approach to the country as an ‘empire of signs’ (Barthes, 1982 retains its original traction.

  8. High school dropouts: interactions between social context, self-perceptions, school engagement, and student dropout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fall, Anna-Mária; Roberts, Greg

    2012-08-01

    Research suggests that contextual, self-system, and school engagement variables influence dropping out from school. However, it is not clear how different types of contextual and self-system variables interact to affect students' engagement or contribute to decisions to dropout from high school. The self-system model of motivational development represents a promising theory for understanding this complex phenomenon. The self-system model acknowledges the interactive and iterative roles of social context, self-perceptions, school engagement, and academic achievement as antecedents to the decision to dropout of school. We analyzed data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002-2004 in the context of the self-system model, finding that perception of social context (teacher support and parent support) predicts students' self-perceptions (perception of control and identification with school), which in turn predict students' academic and behavioral engagement, and academic achievement. Further, students' academic and behavioral engagement and achievement in 10th grade were associated with decreased likelihood of dropping out of school in 12th grade. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. High school dropouts: Interactions between social context, self-perceptions, school engagement, and student dropout☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fall, Anna-Mária; Roberts, Greg

    2012-01-01

    Research suggests that contextual, self-system, and school engagement variables influence dropping out from school. However, it is not clear how different types of contextual and self-system variables interact to affect students’ engagement or contribute to decisions to dropout from high school. The self-system model of motivational development represents a promising theory for understanding this complex phenomenon. The self-system model acknowledges the interactive and iterative roles of social context, self-perceptions, school engagement, and academic achievement as antecedents to the decision to dropout of school. We analyzed data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002–2004 in the context of the self-system model, finding that perception of social context (teacher support and parent support) predicts students’ self-perceptions (perception of control and identification with school), which in turn predict students’ academic and behavioral engagement, and academic achievement. Further, students’ academic and behavioral engagement and achievement in 10th grade were associated with decreased likelihood of dropping out of school in 12th grade. PMID:22153483

  10. Forward-Looking Search Within Innovation Projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jissink, Tymen; Rohrbeck, René; Schweitzer, Fiona

    To develop highly-innovative projects, which are fraught with uncertainty and longer development times, one cannot solely rely on initial planning and budgeting to ensure the project’s outcome remains novel. This study posits that to develop innovative projects, project teams need to engage...... in forward-looking search during development to ensure the project’s outcome remains novel and relevant. We refer to forward-looking search as the search and evaluation of information on markets, customers, and technologies in terms of their future impact. Data on 159 unique innovation projects from...... the Danish manufacturing industry shows that forward-looking search significantly impacts innovativeness. The effect follows an inverted-U shape where the greatest positive effect on innovativeness occurs in moderately planned projects and significantly lower effects in low- and highly planned projects...

  11. The Indirect Effect of Ethnic Identity on Marijuana Use Through School Engagement: An African American High School Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsenault, Chelsea E; Fisher, Sycarah; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Barnes-Najor, Jessica

    2018-01-16

    African American marijuana use is associated with many negative social, emotional, and health-related consequences. Of significance, over recent years this population has shown an increase in use. In the literature, ethnic identity and school engagement are prominent protective factors against substance use. This study will examine how these protective factors are related, specifically whether ethnic identity mitigates risk through school engagement to reduce marijuana use. A path analysis was conducted with 437 African American high school students (41% male) from Midwestern schools to examine the role of school engagement in the relationship between ethnic identity and marijuana use. The results revealed that students high in ethnic identity have higher school engagement, which lessens their frequency of marijuana use. Therefore, ethnic identity reduces marijuana use by increasing student's school engagement. Conclusions/Importance: The results offer a clearer picture of how ethnic identity and school engagement protect against marijuana use. The results also present insight into how to protect students who are low in ethnic identity.

  12. Planning for high performance project teams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reed, W.; Keeney, J.; Westney, R.

    1997-01-01

    Both industry-wide research and corporate benchmarking studies confirm the significant savings in cost and time that result from early planning of a project. Amoco's Team Planning Workshop combines long-term strategic project planning and short-term tactical planning with team building to provide the basis for high performing project teams, better project planning, and effective implementation of the Amoco Common Process for managing projects

  13. Manager Perspectives on Communication and Public Engagement in Ecological Restoration Project Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    We argue that public engagement is crucial to achieving lasting ecological success in aquatic restoration efforts, and that the most effective public engagement mechanisms are what we term iterative mechanisms. Here we look to a particular social-ecological system – the restorati...

  14. Engaging stakeholder communities as body image intervention partners: The Body Project as a case example.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Carolyn Black; Perez, Marisol; Kilpela, Lisa Smith; Diedrichs, Phillippa C; Trujillo, Eva; Stice, Eric

    2017-04-01

    Despite recent advances in developing evidence-based psychological interventions, substantial changes are needed in the current system of intervention delivery to impact mental health on a global scale (Kazdin & Blase, 2011). Prevention offers one avenue for reaching large populations because prevention interventions often are amenable to scaling-up strategies, such as task-shifting to lay providers, which further facilitate community stakeholder partnerships. This paper discusses the dissemination and implementation of the Body Project, an evidence-based body image prevention program, across 6 diverse stakeholder partnerships that span academic, non-profit and business sectors at national and international levels. The paper details key elements of the Body Project that facilitated partnership development, dissemination and implementation, including use of community-based participatory research methods and a blended train-the-trainer and task-shifting approach. We observed consistent themes across partnerships, including: sharing decision making with community partners, engaging of community leaders as gatekeepers, emphasizing strengths of community partners, working within the community's structure, optimizing non-traditional and/or private financial resources, placing value on cost-effectiveness and sustainability, marketing the program, and supporting flexibility and creativity in developing strategies for evolution within the community and in research. Ideally, lessons learned with the Body Project can be generalized to implementation of other body image and eating disorder prevention programs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K-12 Community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westenberg, David J

    2016-03-01

    Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

  16. The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K–12 Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David J. Westenberg

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Exposing K–12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, “engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use.” This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K–12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K–12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom.

  17. Science Students Creating Hybrid Spaces when Engaging in an Expo Investigation Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramnarain, Umesh; de Beer, Josef

    2013-02-01

    In this paper, we report on the experiences of three 9th-grade South African students (13-14 years) in doing open science investigation projects for a science expo. A particular focus of this study was the manner in which these students merge the world of school science with their social world to create a hybrid space by appropriating knowledge and resources of the school and home. Within this hybrid space they experienced a deeper, more meaningful and authentic engagement in science practical work. This hybrid space redefined the landscape of the science learning experience for these students, as they could derive the twofold benefit of appropriating support when necessary and at the same time maintain their autonomy over the investigation. For South Africa and quite probably other countries; these findings serve as a guideline as to how opportunities can be created for students to do open science investigations, against prevailing school factors such as large classes, a lack of physical resources, the lack of time for practical work and the demands of syllabus coverage.

  18. Engaging Students in the Research Process: Comparing Approaches Used with Diverse Learners in Two Urban High School Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, Salika A.; Jefferson, Tiffany; Osborn, Nancy

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes instructional choices used by two high school teachers to engage students in the research process. Working with diverse learners in large urban high schools, the teachers used different approaches to support students' through the research process. The teachers' intentional teaching helped to engage students through structured…

  19. Engaging the broader community in biodiversity research: the concept of the COMBER pilot project for divers in ViBRANT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christos Arvanitidis

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the design and implementation of a citizen science pilot project, COMBER (Citizens’ Network for the Observation of Marine BiodivERsity, http://www.comber.hcmr.gr, which has been initiated under the ViBRANT EU e-infrastructure. It is designed and implemented for divers and snorkelers who are interested in participating in marine biodiversity citizen science projects. It shows the necessity of engaging the broader community in the marine biodiversity monitoring and research projects, networks and initiatives. It analyses the stakeholders, the industry and the relevant markets involved in diving activities and their potential to sustain these activities. The principles, including data policy and rewards for the participating divers through their own data, upon which this project is based are thoroughly discussed. The results of the users analysis and lessons learned so far are presented. Future plans include promotion, links with citizen science web developments, data publishing tools, and development of new scientific hypotheses to be tested by the data collected so far.

  20. Engagement in reading and hobbies and risk of incident dementia: the MoVIES project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Tiffany F; Chang, Chung-Chou H; Vander Bilt, Joni; Ganguli, Mary

    2010-08-01

    To examine whether there is an association between engagement in reading and hobbies and dementia risk in late life. A total of 942 members of a population-based, prospective cohort study were followed biennially to identify incident dementia cases. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of dementia in relation to baseline total number of activities and time commitment to reading and hobbies. A lower risk for dementia was found for a greater number of activities and for a high (about 1 hour each day) compared with low (less than 30 minutes each day) weekly time commitment to hobbies, independent of covariates. Only the protective effect of hobbies remained after methods were used to minimize bias due to potential preclinical dementia. Engaging in hobbies for 1 or more hours every day might be protective against dementia in late life.

  1. New Arenas of Engagement at the Water Governance-Climate Finance Nexus? An Analysis of the Boom and Bust of Hydropower CDM Projects in Vietnam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smits, M.; Middleton, C.

    2014-01-01

    This article explores whether new arenas of engagement for water governance have been created and utilised following the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in large hydropower projects in Vietnam. Initial optimism for climate finance – in particular amongst Northern aid

  2. The Science Advancement through Group Engagement Program: Leveling the Playing Field and Increasing Retention in Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Donna M.; Curtin-Soydan, Amanda J.; Canelas, Dorian A.

    2014-01-01

    How can colleges and universities keep an open gateway to the science disciplines for the least experienced first-year science students while also maintaining high standards that challenge the students with the strongest possible high school backgrounds? The Science Advancement through Group Engagement (SAGE) project targets cohorts of less…

  3. The Study of Relations between Life Satisfaction, Burnout, Work Engagement and Hopelessness of High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çapri, Burhan; Gündüz, Bülent; Akbay, Sinem Evin

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to determine the relations between high school students' life satisfaction, burnout, work engagement and hopelessness scores and examine the contribution of their burnout, work engagement and hopelessness scores in the prediction of their life satisfaction scores. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Maslach…

  4. Campus sustainable food projects: critique and engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barlett, Peggy F

    2011-01-01

    Campus sustainable food projects recently have expanded rapidly. A review of four components - purchasing goals, academic programs, direct marketing, and experiential learning - shows both intent and capacity to contribute to transformational change toward an alternative food system. The published rationales for campus projects and specific purchasing guidelines join curricular and cocurricular activities to evaluate, disseminate, and legitimize environmental, economic, social justice, and health concerns about conventional food. Emerging new metrics of food service practices mark a potential shift from rhetoric to market clout, and experiential learning builds new coalitions and can reshape relations with food and place. Campus projects are relatively new and their resilience is not assured, but leading projects have had regional, state, and national impact. The emergence of sustainability rankings in higher education and contract-based compliance around purchasing goals suggests that if support continues, higher education's leadership can extend to the broader agrifood system.

  5. Methodology of project management at implementation of projects of high-rise construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papelniuk, Oksana

    2018-03-01

    High-rise construction is the perspective direction in urban development. An opportunity to arrange on rather small land plot a huge number of the living and commercial space makes high-rise construction very attractive for developers. However investment projects of high-rise buildings' construction are very expensive and complex that sets a task of effective management of such projects for the company builder. The best tool in this area today is the methodology of project management, which becomes a key factor of efficiency.

  6. Engaging patients as partners in health research: Lessons from BC, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Bev J; Bryan, Stirling; Ho, Kendall; McGavin, Colleen

    2018-03-01

    Canada is seeing increased interest in engaging patients in health research, recognizing the potential to improve its relevance and quality. The momentum is promising, but there may be a tendency to ignore the challenges inherent when lay people and professionals collaborate. We address some of these challenges as they relate to recruitment, training, and support for patients at the British Columbia (BC) Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research Unit, part of Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research. A retrospective review of a telehealth project demonstrates that, as well as the practical elements of recruitment, training, and support, attention must be paid to issues of credibility, legitimacy, and power when engaging patients. We propose that all patient-oriented research projects would benefit from using a similar framework to guide patient engagement planning and implementation, helping to anticipate and mitigate challenges from the outset. Projects would ideally also include the study of patient engagement methods, to add to this important body of knowledge.

  7. Young Children Playing Together: A Choice of Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Babs

    2018-01-01

    This article highlights the findings of an empirical research project, using an ethnographic approach, taking place over one academic year. It investigates the different forms of engagement that children may present, when acting in free play situations in a nursery in NW England, without direct adult intervention. This range of engagement includes…

  8. Finding Futures: A Spatio-Visual Experiment In Participatory Engagement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Davies, Sarah Rachael; Selin, Cynthia; Gano, Gretchen

    2013-01-01

    The Finding Futures Project explores innovative ways of deliberating the future of cities through an emphasis on embodied spatio-visual engagement with urban landscapes. The first instantiation of the project - which took place in Lisbon in 2011 - is reported through a discussion of the project's...

  9. The High Luminosity LHC Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Lucio

    The High Luminosity LHC is one of the major scientific project of the next decade. It aims at increasing the luminosity reach of LHC by a factor five for peak luminosity and a factor ten in integrated luminosity. The project, now fully approved and funded, will be finished in ten years and will prolong the life of LHC until 2035-2040. It implies deep modifications of the LHC for about 1.2 km around the high luminosity insertions of ATLAS and CMS and relies on new cutting edge technologies. We are developing new advanced superconducting magnets capable of reaching 12 T field; superconducting RF crab cavities capable to rotate the beams with great accuracy; 100 kA and hundred meter long superconducting links for removing the power converter out of the tunnel; new collimator concepts, etc... Beside the important physics goals, the High Luminosity LHC project is an ideal test bed for new technologies for the next hadron collider for the post-LHC era.

  10. Project time boxing and milestones as drivers for open design projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tollestrup, Christian H. T.

    2015-01-01

    is very positive and that the structure, strict enforcement and rolling project management responsibility in a group work setting really helps them drive the project forward with high motivation. The main challenge lies in the balance between loading the teams with too many challenges and just providing......The Curriculums and programs in Problem Based Learning (PBL) utilizes the project-format in a team based setting for rehearsing the competencies of applying the design-oriented skills and knowledge learned in courses and workshops. If the project period is self-organised, there is a tendency......, because of the facilitated format where ‘disturbances’ are eliminated. If successful the state of creative flow is achieved. So how can we create a sense of urgency in longer project periods, not just workshop format, that would help a team of design students to engage and drive the project from the start...

  11. Science as Interests but Not for Career: Understanding High School Students' Engagement in Science in Abu Dhabi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Guang; Badri, Masood; Al-Mazroui, Karima; Al-Rashedi, Asma; Nai, Peng

    2017-01-01

    Understanding high school students' engagement in science is important for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Drawing on data from the ROSE Survey conducted in Abu Dhabi schools in 2013, this paper used a multi-dimensional framework to explore associations between high school students' engagement in science and a range of student psychosocial and…

  12. Engagement of nurses in their profession. Qualitative study on engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Sierra, Rosa; Fernández-Castro, Jordi; Martínez-Zaragoza, Fermín

    To identify common issues of nurses with high engagement to enable us to develop the construct as it applies to nursing in more depth. Based on the constructivist paradigm and with a phenomenological approach, a qualitative content analysis was conducted using an inductive approach. Participants were nurses working in direct care in different healthcare areas. The sample size was determined by data saturation and 15 participants were interviewed. The units of meaning were grouped into 11 subcategories, and then into 7 categories termed vigour, dedication, reward, autonomy, social support, conciliation and attributes of nurses. Then these categories were grouped into 3 major themes: job characteristics, characteristics of organizations, and individual characteristics. Having high engagement does not mean ignoring the negative aspects of work and organizations. Nurses who maintain high engagement are also affected by the negative aspects, however the assessment of positive aspects such as enjoying the work, the meaning of being a nurse, reward and autonomy enable the process of depletion of engagement to be overcome. In view of the findings, we propose reconceptualising the construct, taking the features of nursing into account. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Relationships between Parenting Practices, Social Engagement, Academic Competency, and High School Dropout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedrossian, Alfred

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between parenting practices, social engagement, academic competency, and high school dropout. The study revealed students whose parents practiced Reactive Communication along with students that exhibited Truancy and Disciplinary Issues were more likely to drop out. Conversely, students…

  14. How to engage end-users in smart energy behaviour?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valkering Pieter

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available End users will play a crucial role in up-coming smart grids that aim to link end-users and energy providers in a better balanced and more efficient electricity system. Within this context, this paper aims to deliver a coherent view on current good practice in end-user engagement in smart grid projects. It draws from a recent review of theoretical insights from sustainable consumption behaviour, social marketing and innovation systems and empirical insights from recent smart grid projects to create an inventory of common motivators, enablers and barriers of behavioural change, and the end-user engagement principles that can be derived from that. We conclude with identifying current research challenges as input for a research agenda on end-user engagement in smart grids.

  15. Measuring school climate in high schools: a focus on safety, engagement, and the environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradshaw, Catherine P; Waasdorp, Tracy E; Debnam, Katrina J; Johnson, Sarah Lindstrom

    2014-09-01

    School climate has been linked to multiple student behavioral, academic, health, and social-emotional outcomes. The US Department of Education (USDOE) developed a 3-factor model of school climate comprised of safety, engagement, and environment. This article examines the factor structure and measurement invariance of the USDOE model. Drawing upon 2 consecutive waves of data from over 25,000 high school students (46% minority), a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses examined the fit of the Maryland Safe and Supportive Schools Climate Survey with the USDOE model. The results indicated adequate model fit with the theorized 3-factor model of school climate, which included 13 subdomains: safety (perceived safety, bullying and aggression, and drug use); engagement (connection to teachers, student connectedness, academic engagement, school connectedness, equity, and parent engagement); environment (rules and consequences, physical comfort, and support, disorder). We also found consistent measurement invariance with regard to student sex, grade level, and ethnicity. School-level interclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.04 to .10 for the scales. Findings supported the USDOE 3-factor model of school climate and suggest measurement invariance and high internal consistency of the 3 scales and 13 subdomains. These results suggest the 56-item measure may be a potentially efficient, yet comprehensive measure of school climate. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  16. Gamification to Improve First Year Engagement

    OpenAIRE

    Colleran, John; Lloyd McKernan, Aoife; Naughton, Julie Ann; Vaughan, Brian

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this project was to examine the role of Gamification in increasing first year student engagement within the third level educational setting. A literature review was carried out in order to explore the teaching philosophy behind gamification in education and review the quantitative and qualitative evidence regarding its use. Gamification can be broadly described as the application of gaming methods and elements in non-gaming contexts in order to improve user engagement and user ...

  17. Managing radioactive waste safely. Engaging Scotland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elrick, D.; Boyes, L.; McCormick, J.

    2002-01-01

    Between January and May 2002 the Scottish Council Foundation undertook a research project to assess 1 the level of public awareness about and interest in engaging the public in decision-making on managing radioactive waste safely in Scotland. This paper presents the main findings from the research that involved 70 people from across Scotland, aged between 14 and over 65 years old, and a literature review of Scottish, UK and international experience in engaging the public

  18. NEDO project reports. High performance industrial furnace development project - High temperature air combustion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-21

    For the purpose of reducing energy consumption, a NEDO project 'Developmental research on high efficiency industrial furnaces' was carried out from FY 1993 to FY 1999 by The Japan Industrial Furnaces Manufacturers Association, and the paper outlined the details of the project. Industrial furnaces handled in this R and D can bring 30% reduction of the energy consumption and approximately 50% NOx reduction, and were given the 9th Nikkei global environmental technology prize. In the study of combustion phenomena of high temperature air combustion, the paper arranged characteristics of flame, the base of gaseous fuel flame, the base of liquid fuel flame, the base of solid fuel flame, etc. Concerning high temperature air combustion models for simulation, fluid dynamics and heat transfer models, and reaction and NOx models, etc. As to impacts of high temperature air combustion on performance of industrial furnaces, energy conservation, lowering of pollution, etc. In relation to a guide for the design of high efficiency industrial furnaces, flow charts, conceptual design, evaluation method for heat balance and efficiency using charts, combustion control system, applicability of high efficiency industrial furnaces, etc. (NEDO)

  19. NEDO project reports. High performance industrial furnace development project - High temperature air combustion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-21

    For the purpose of reducing energy consumption, a NEDO project 'Developmental research on high efficiency industrial furnaces' was carried out from FY 1993 to FY 1999 by The Japan Industrial Furnaces Manufacturers Association, and the paper outlined the details of the project. Industrial furnaces handled in this R and D can bring 30% reduction of the energy consumption and approximately 50% NOx reduction, and were given the 9th Nikkei global environmental technology prize. In the study of combustion phenomena of high temperature air combustion, the paper arranged characteristics of flame, the base of gaseous fuel flame, the base of liquid fuel flame, the base of solid fuel flame, etc. Concerning high temperature air combustion models for simulation, fluid dynamics and heat transfer models, and reaction and NOx models, etc. As to impacts of high temperature air combustion on performance of industrial furnaces, energy conservation, lowering of pollution, etc. In relation to a guide for the design of high efficiency industrial furnaces, flow charts, conceptual design, evaluation method for heat balance and efficiency using charts, combustion control system, applicability of high efficiency industrial furnaces, etc. (NEDO)

  20. Bullying victimization and student engagement in elementary, middle, and high schools: Moderating role of school climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chunyan; Sharkey, Jill D; Reed, Lauren A; Chen, Chun; Dowdy, Erin

    2018-03-01

    Bullying is the most common form of school violence and is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including traumatic responses. This study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the multilevel moderating effects of school climate and school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high schools) on the association between bullying victimization and student engagement. Participants included 25,896 students in 4th to 12th grades from 114 schools. Results indicated that, after controlling for student and school demographic factors, positive school climate was associated with higher behavioral/cognitive and emotional engagement of students across all grades. This highlights the critical and fundamental role of positive school climate in bullying prevention and intervention, among students across all grade levels, including those with frequent bullying victimization experience. Results also showed that negative associations between student-level bullying victimization and engagement were intensified in more positive school climates. This finding suggests that, in comparison with students in schools with less positive school climates, the engagement of bullying victims in schools with a more positive school climate might be more negatively influenced by their victimization experience. Additionally, the relation between student-level bullying victimization and emotional engagement was significantly different across middle and high schools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Infants’ Early Visual Attention and Social Engagement as Developmental Precursors to Joint Attention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salley, Brenda; Sheinkopf, Stephen J.; Neal-Beevers, A. Rebecca; Tenenbaum, Elena J.; Miller-Loncar, Cynthia L.; Tronick, Ed; Lagasse, Linda L.; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta; Bauer, Charles; Whitaker, Toni; Hammond, Jane; Lester, Barry M.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined infants’ early visual attention (at 1 month of age) and social engagement (4 months) as predictors of their later joint attention (12 and 18 months). The sample (n=325), drawn from the Maternal Lifestyle Study, a longitudinal multicenter project conducted at four centers of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network, included high-risk (cocaine exposed) and matched non-cocaine exposed infants. Hierarchical regressions revealed that infants’ attention orienting at 1 month significantly predicted more frequent initiating joint attention at 12 (but not 18) months of age. Social engagement at 4 months predicted initiating joint attention at 18 months. Results provide the first empirical evidence for the role of visual attention and social engagement behaviors as developmental precursors for later joint attention outcome. PMID:27786527

  2. From Project Management to Process Management - Effectively Organising Transdisciplinary Projects

    OpenAIRE

    Moschitz, Heidrun

    2013-01-01

    In transdisciplinary projects, the roles of researchers change. In addition to being a source of knowledge, they are required to engage in knowledge exchange processes. This results in an alteration at project level: researchers need to creatively manage projects as group processes.

  3. Private sector malaria RDT initiative in Nigeria: lessons from an end-of-project stakeholder engagement meeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odugbemi, Babatunde; Ezeudu, Chijioke; Ekanem, Anyiekere; Kolawole, Maxwell; Akanmu, Idowu; Olawole, Aderemi; Nglass, Nkabono; Nze, Chinwe; Idenu, Edward; Audu, Bala Mohammed; Ntadom, Godwin; Alemu, Wondimagegnehu; Mpazanje, Rex; Cunningham, Jane; Akubue, Augustine; Arowolo, Tolu; Babatunde, Seye

    2018-02-06

    The malaria rapid diagnosis testing (RDT) landscape is rapidly evolving in health care delivery in Nigeria with many stakeholders playing or having potential for critical roles. A recent UNITAID grant supported a pilot project on the deployment of quality-assured RDTs among formal and informal private service outlets in three states in Nigeria. This paper describes findings from a series of stakeholder engagement meetings held at the conclusion of the project. The agreed meeting structure was a combination of plenary presentations, structured facilitated discussions, and nominal group techniques to achieve consensus. Rapporteurs recorded the meeting proceeding and summaries of the major areas of discussion and consensus points through a retrospective thematic analysis of the submitted meeting reports. Key findings indicate that private providers were confident in the use of RDTs for malaria diagnosis and believed it has improved the quality of their services. However, concerns were raised about continued access to quality-assured RDT kits. Going forward, stakeholders recommended increasing client-driven demand, and continuous training and supervision of providers through integration with existing monitoring and supervision mechanisms.

  4. Triggers for the critical engagement with decision support systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hartmann, Timo; Javernick-Will, A.; Chinowsky, P.

    2012-01-01

    In previous work, we showed that the critical engagement with a decision sup- port system during its implementation by a project team is an important an- tecedent for the successful later use of the technology. However, the mechanisms that trigger such critical engagement are so far not well

  5. An Examination of High School Students' Online Engagement in Mathematics Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Woong; Son, Ji-Won; Gregson, Susan; Kim, Jihye

    2018-01-01

    This article examines high school students' engagement in a set of trigonometry problems. Students completed this task independently in an online environment with access to Internet search engines, online textbooks, and YouTube videos. The findings imply that students have the resourcefulness to solve procedure-based mathematics problems in an…

  6. What influences acceptability and engagement with a high intensity exercise programme for people with stroke? A qualitative descriptive study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Signal, Nada; McPherson, Kathryn; Lewis, Gwyn; Kayes, Nicola; Saywell, Nicola; Mudge, Suzie; Taylor, Denise

    2016-10-14

    Intensity refers to the amount of effort or rate of work undertaken during exercise. People receiving rehabilitation after stroke frequently do not reach the moderate to high intensity exercise recommended to maximise gains. To explore the factors that influence the acceptability of, and engagement with, a high intensity group-based exercise programme for people with stroke. This qualitative descriptive study included 14 people with stroke who had completed a 12-week, high intensity group-based exercise rehabilitation programme. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the acceptability of high intensity exercise and the barriers and facilitators to engagement. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The participants found high intensity exercise rehabilitation acceptable despite describing the exercise intensity as hard and reporting post-exercise fatigue. Participants accepted the fatigue as a normal response to exercise, and it did not appear to negatively influence engagement. The ease with which an individual engaged in high intensity exercise rehabilitation appeared to be mediated by inter-related factors, including: seeing progress, sourcing motivation, working hard, the people involved and the fit with the person and their life. Participants directly related the intensity of their effort to the gains that they made. In this study, people with stroke viewed training at higher intensities as a facilitator, not a barrier, to engagement in exercise rehabilitation. The findings may challenge assumptions about the influence of exercise intensity on engagement.

  7. Design principles for engaging and retaining virtual citizen scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wald, Dara M; Longo, Justin; Dobell, A R

    2016-06-01

    Citizen science initiatives encourage volunteer participants to collect and interpret data and contribute to formal scientific projects. The growth of virtual citizen science (VCS), facilitated through websites and mobile applications since the mid-2000s, has been driven by a combination of software innovations and mobile technologies, growing scientific data flows without commensurate increases in resources to handle them, and the desire of internet-connected participants to contribute to collective outputs. However, the increasing availability of internet-based activities requires individual VCS projects to compete for the attention of volunteers and promote their long-term retention. We examined program and platform design principles that might allow VCS initiatives to compete more effectively for volunteers, increase productivity of project participants, and retain contributors over time. We surveyed key personnel engaged in managing a sample of VCS projects to identify the principles and practices they pursued for these purposes and led a team in a heuristic evaluation of volunteer engagement, website or application usability, and participant retention. We received 40 completed survey responses (33% response rate) and completed a heuristic evaluation of 20 VCS program sites. The majority of the VCS programs focused on scientific outcomes, whereas the educational and social benefits of program participation, variables that are consistently ranked as important for volunteer engagement and retention, were incidental. Evaluators indicated usability, across most of the VCS program sites, was higher and less variable than the ratings for participant engagement and retention. In the context of growing competition for the attention of internet volunteers, increased attention to the motivations of virtual citizen scientists may help VCS programs sustain the necessary engagement and retention of their volunteers. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

  8. Business Unusual: Transforming Business School Curricula through Community Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrich, Kristine; Ceranic, Tara; Liu, Judith

    2014-01-01

    As part of a Community Service-Learning Faculty Scholars Program, University of San Diego business faculty members created community engagement projects that connected students with the local community, exposed them to the realities of a global business world and showed the inherent value of community engagement. By utilizing service-learning and…

  9. Civic Engagement in Adolescents: Engendering Civic Awareness Through a University Youth Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer S. Parker

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available A weeklong residential Youth Leadership Institute Project was conducted at USC Upstate to promote essential skills deemed necessary for future civic engagement and political identity. The program and curriculum followed a framework that suggests that underlying civic skills are necessary to foster civic engagement among youth. Building on this theory, this reported study illustrates that civic engagement requires a developmental and educational process. Adolescence is a primary time for identity exploration and formation, which makes this stage an optimal time to engender civic awareness. A diverse group of 49 youth ranging in age from 14 to 17 participated. Results from the project demonstrate that when evaluating the significance and success of youth civic engagement programs, an account must be made for both the developmental and educational capacities. In pursuing projects such as ours on university campuses and beyond, psychologists and political scientists should work together to measure their outcomes in terms of these variables.

  10. Community organizing and community health: piloting an innovative approach to community engagement applied to an early intervention project in south London.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, Matthew; Moore, Imogen; Ferreira, Ana; Day, Crispin; Bolton, Derek

    2016-03-01

    The importance of community engagement in health is widely recognized, and key themes in UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendations for enhancing community engagement are co-production and community control. This study reports an innovative approach to community engagement using the community-organizing methodology, applied in an intervention of social support to increase social capital, reduce stress and improve well-being in mothers who were pregnant and/or with infants aged 0-2 years. Professional community organizers in Citizens-UK worked with local member civic institutions in south London to facilitate social support to a group of 15 new mothers. Acceptability of the programme, adherence to principles of co-production and community control, and changes in the outcomes of interest were assessed quantitatively in a quasi-experimental design. The programme was found to be feasible and acceptable to participating mothers, and perceived by them to involve co-production and community control. There were no detected changes in subjective well-being, but there were important reductions in distress on a standard self-report measure (GHQ-12). There were increases in social capital of a circumscribed kind associated with the project. Community organizing provides a promising model and method of facilitating community engagement in health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

  11. Restoration Science in New York Harbor: It takes a (large, diverse and engaged) village

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton, R.; Birney, L.; Janis, S.; Groome, M.; Palmer, M.; Bone, E.; O'Neil, J. M.; Hill, J.; Dennison, W.; Malinowski, P.; Kohne, L.; Molina, M.; Moore, G.; Woods, N.

    2015-12-01

    The Curriculum + Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCE-RS) facilitates partnerships between scientists and middle school educators on ecological restoration and environmental monitoring projects. The educational model is designed to wrap around the student, including classroom instruction, field science, after-school programs and engagement with the student's community. Its pillars include: a teacher training fellowship at Pace University, student curriculum, a digital platform, afterschool and summer mentoring, and community exhibits. The digital platform includes a tablet app tailored to the project's field protocols and linked to a database shared across schools and partnering institutions. Through the digital platform, data is integrated into a single citizen-science monitoring project, teachers share curriculum and best practices, and students link directly to their peers at other schools. Curriculum development has been collaborative between scientists, science education specialists, and secondary school teachers. The CCE-RS is rooted in project-based learning: the New York Harbor School has engaged high school students in environmental monitoring and oyster restoration in the Harbor for about the last decade. The science partners (U. of Maryland and Columbia) have been working with students and other citizen scientists in outdoor science over about the last decade. Local partners in outside-the-classroom education include the New York Academy of Sciences, The River Project, which will provide field education services, and Good Shepherd Services, which provides after-school programming in schools serving primarily poor families. Scientists on the project engage directly with teachers and informal educators in curriculum development and citizen-science outreach. We present the lessons learned from our first cohort of Fellows, the pedagogical model, and the digital platform, which is extensible to other ecological restoration settings.

  12. Stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange in environmental research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillipson, Jeremy; Lowe, Philip; Proctor, Amy; Ruto, Eric

    2012-03-01

    It is commonly put forward that effective uptake of research in policy or practice must be built upon a foundation of active knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement during the research. However, what is often lacking is a systematic appreciation of the specific practices of knowledge exchange and their relative merits. The paper reports on a 2009 survey of 21 research projects within the UK Research Councils' Rural Economy and Land Use Programme regarding the involvement and perceived impact of over a thousand stakeholders in the research. The survey reveals that most stakeholders were involved as research subjects or as event participants. Large numbers were also engaged in the research process itself, including involvement in shaping the direction of research. Stakeholder engagement is perceived as bringing significant benefits to the process of knowledge production. A close relationship is found between mechanisms and approaches to knowledge exchange and the spread of benefits for researchers and stakeholders. Mutual benefits are gained from exchange of staff or where stakeholders are members of research advisory groups. Different stakeholder sectors are also associated with different patterns of engagement, which lead to contrasting impact patterns. Any efforts to alter knowledge exchange processes and outcomes must overcome these differing engagement tendencies. Overall, much greater attention should be given to early processes of knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement within the lifetime of research projects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Engaging Indigenous Students in the Australian SKA Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollow, Robert; Harvey-Smith, Lisa; Brooks, Kate; Boddington, Leonie

    2015-08-01

    The Murchison region of Western Australia is the site of the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) that includes the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and soon the SKA. This is also traditional land of the Wajarri Yamatji people. As part of its development in the region CSIRO has extensive engagement with the Wajarri Yamatji people. This includes educational, cultural, training and commercial opportunities. We outline the Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) between the Wajarri Yamatji and CSIRO, focusing on the educational and training aspects. Starting with "Wildflowers in the Sky" program in 2006 we have made extensive tours to all schools in the region providing teacher training and student engagement. More recently we have implemented a program where CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science staff visit the Pia Wadjarri Remote Community School, the closest school to the MRO, to mentor students. Students and staff from the school visit the MRO annually to explore the ASKAP telescope and see what is involved in its operation. An educational resource about ASKAP and astronomy that also incorporates traditional sky stories and local ecology is being trialled and developed. A cadetship and trainee program supporting Indigenous students has been implemented with the goal of providing employment opportunities and work skills in a diverse range of areas.

  14. The science of stakeholder engagement in research: classification, implementation, and evaluation

    OpenAIRE

    Goodman, Melody S.; Sanders Thompson, Vetta L.

    2017-01-01

    In this commentary, we discuss the science of stakeholder engagement in research. We propose a classification system with definitions to determine where projects lie on the stakeholder engagement continuum. We discuss the key elements of implementation and evaluation of stakeholder engagement in research posing key questions to consider when doing this work. We commend and critique the work of Hamilton et al. in their multilevel stakeholder engagement in a VA implementation trial of evidence-...

  15. Setting research priorities in tobacco control: a stakeholder engagement project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindson, Nicola; Richards-Doran, Dan; Heath, Laura; Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie

    2017-12-01

    The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (TAG) conducts systematic reviews of the evidence for tobacco cessation and prevention interventions. In 2016 TAG conducted a priority-setting, stakeholder engagement project to identify where further research is needed in the areas of tobacco control and smoking cessation. The project comprised two surveys and a workshop. A range of stakeholders participated, including members of the public (smokers and ex-smokers), clinicians, researchers, research funders, health-care commissioners and public health organizations. The first survey phase identified unanswered research questions in the field of tobacco control. The second phase asked participants to rank these, with overall rankings calculated by combining scores across participants. The workshop allowed attendees to discuss prioritization of topics and questions in more depth. Workshop discussions were transcribed and analysed thematically, and a final voting activity at the close of the workshop allowed participants to choose topics to prioritize and to de-prioritize. A total of 304 stakeholders (researchers, health professionals, smokers and ex-smokers, guideline developers, research funders and policymakers, representing 28 countries) identified 183 unanswered research questions. These were categorized into 15 research categories. A total of 175 participants prioritized categories and questions in the second survey phase, with 'electronic cigarettes'; 'addressing inequalities'; and 'mental health and other substance abuse' prioritized as the top three categories. Forty-three stakeholders attended the workshop and discussed reasons for and against category prioritization. Prioritized research categories largely mirrored those in the survey stage, although 'treatment delivery' also emerged as a key category. Five cross-cutting themes emerged: efficacy; relative efficacy; cost effectiveness; addressing inequalities; and different types of evidence. There are many unanswered

  16. Engaging Students' Learning Through Active Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margaret Fitzsimons

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses a project carried out with thirty six final year undergraduate students, studying the Bachelor of Science in Business and Management and taking the module Small Business Management during the academic year 2012 and 2013 in Dublin Institute of Technology. The research had two separate objectives, 1 to engage in active learning by having students work on a consulting project in groups for a real life business and 2 to improve student learning. The Small Business Management previously had a group assignment that was to choose an article related to entrepreneurship and critic it and present it to the class. Anecdotally, from student feedback, it was felt that this process did not engage students and also did not contribute to the key competencies necessary in order to be an entrepreneur. The desire was for students on successful completion of this module to have better understood how business is conducted and equip them with core skills such as innovation, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making .Student buy in was achieved by getting the students to select their own groups and also work out between each group from a one page brief provided by the businesses which business they would like to work with. It was important for the businesses to also feel their time spent with students was worthwhile so they were presented with a report from the students at the end of the twelve weeks and invited into the College to hear the presentations from students. Students were asked to provide a reflection on their three key learning points from the assignment and to answer specific questions designed to understand what they learnt and how and their strengths and weaknesses. A survey was sent to the businesses that took part to understand their experiences. The results were positive with student engagement and learning rating very highly and feedback from the businesses demonstrated an appreciation of having a different

  17. Nuclear energy and Indian society: Public engagement, risk assessment and legal frameworks - Summary of the proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kini, Els Reynaers; Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, I.; Kanwar, Bhanudey

    2014-01-01

    The Nuclear Law Association (NLA) has organised its 3. Annual Meeting with the specific aim to deliberate on public engagement, consultation and acceptance of nuclear energy projects. The meeting further aimed to seek a better understanding of the necessary legal framework for a safe nuclear energy program in India. The themes covered by the conference were: Public engagement, consultation and acceptance; Nuclear energy safety and public discourse; Case studies from India on public engagement; Land acquisition and EIA in India; Safety regulations and its enforcement; Nuclear regulatory institutions; Siting, consent and project execution; Nuclear liability and compensation. The meeting was organised in 3 sessions dealing with: 1 - Public engagement, consultation and acceptance of nuclear projects: - Sociological context of public engagement and consultation, - Current state of affairs and new approaches to public consultation, - Case studies from new green field nuclear project sites, - Public opinion and acceptability for nuclear energy projects, - Role of State, NGOs and Public; 2 - Vales, Attitudes and Acceptability - Lessons from other countries: - Fukushima and nuclear energy choices, - Social dimensions of nuclear power, - Public engagement, acceptance and regulatory process, - Management of HLW. 3 - Legal Framework for a Safe and Secure Nuclear Energy Program: - Safety regulations and its enforcement, - Nuclear regulatory institutions, - Siting, consent and project execution, - Environmental impact assessments and plans, - Nuclear liability and compensation. Several of the papers presented will be published in the Journal of Risk Research in early 2015 as part of the Special Issue on Nuclear Energy and Indian Society: Public Engagement, Risk Assessment and Legal Frameworks. This article is the summary of the proceedings

  18. Assessing participatory practices in community-based natural resource management: experiences in community engagement from southern Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyer, J; Stringer, L C; Dougill, A J; Leventon, J; Nshimbi, M; Chama, F; Kafwifwi, A; Muledi, J I; Kaumbu, J-M K; Falcao, M; Muhorro, S; Munyemba, F; Kalaba, G M; Syampungani, S

    2014-05-01

    The emphasis on participatory environmental management within international development has started to overcome critiques of traditional exclusionary environmental policy, aligning with shifts towards decentralisation and community empowerment. However, questions are raised regarding the extent to which participation in project design and implementation is meaningful and really engages communities in the process. Calls have been made for further local-level (project and community-scale) research to identify practices that can increase the likelihood of meaningful community engagement within externally initiated projects. This paper presents data from three community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) project case studies from southern Africa, which promote Joint Forest Management (JFM), tree planting for carbon and conservation agriculture. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, community-level meetings, focus groups and interviews. We find that an important first step for a meaningful community engagement process is to define 'community' in an open and participatory manner. Two-way communication at all stages of the community engagement process is shown to be critical, and charismatic leadership based on mutual respect and clarity of roles and responsibilities is vital to improve the likelihood of participants developing understanding of project aims and philosophy. This can lead to successful project outcomes through community ownership of the project goals and empowerment in project implementation. Specific engagement methods are found to be less important than the contextual and environmental factors associated with each project, but consideration should be given to identifying appropriate methods to ensure community representation. Our findings extend current thinking on the evaluation of participation by making explicit links between the community engagement process and project outcomes, and by

  19. Why would firms engage in urban regeneration projects?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Jacob Norvig; Jensen, Jesper Ole

    mainly on case studies in selected inner-district urban neighbourhoods. It combines a number of different data sets. Official statistical data and planning documents and analyses are used to get a general profile of businesses in selected neighbourhoods. Primary data are collected by means of individual...... social responsibility is very often a matter of self-interest whereas local engagement is often considered irrelevant or a matter for public authority. Finally, there is a significant gap of knowledge of the other part between planners and local companies respectively....

  20. The HESP (High Energy Solar Physics) project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kai, K.

    1986-01-01

    A project for space observations of solar flares for the coming solar maximum phase is briefly described. The main objective is to make a comprehensive study of high energy phenomena of flares through simultaneous imagings in both hard and soft X-rays. The project will be performed with collaboration from US scientists. The HESP (High Energy Solar Physics) WG of ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences) has extensively discussed future aspects of space observations of high energy phenomena of solar flares based on successful results of the Hinotori mission, and proposed a comprehensive research program for the next solar maximum, called the HESP (SOLAR-A) project. The objective of the HESP project is to make a comprehensive study of both high energy phenomena of flares and quiet structures including pre-flare states, which have been left uncovered by SMM and Hinotori. For such a study simultaneous imagings with better resolutions in space and time in a wide range of energy will be extremely important.

  1. Student Motivations as Predictors of High-Level Cognitions in Project-Based Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolk, Jonathan; Harari, Janie

    2014-01-01

    It is well established that active learning helps students engage in high-level thinking strategies and develop improved cognitive skills. Motivation and self-regulated learning research, however, illustrates that cognitive engagement is an effortful process that is related to students' valuing of the learning tasks, adoption of internalized goal…

  2. A new approach to cost effective projects: High performance project teams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chambers, N.C.

    1994-01-01

    In low oil price environment in which environmental conditions are more challenging, reservoir characteristics less favourable and political risk increasing, successful projects are required in such cases. The present paper deals with the visionary process of establishing high performance project teams. According to the author, such project teams embody dynamic recognition of holism. Holism is achieved as an output from the process of establishing the drivers and enablers for success on a project. They are given birth during the unfolding of the operators development plans and contracting strategy. The paper discusses the main drivers of project teams comprising purpose and performance goals, selection, common approach, commitment and accountability, and financial alignment

  3. A new approach to cost effective projects: High performance project teams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chambers, N.C. [Brown and Root Energy Services (United Kingdom)

    1994-12-31

    In low oil price environment in which environmental conditions are more challenging, reservoir characteristics less favourable and political risk increasing, successful projects are required in such cases. The present paper deals with the visionary process of establishing high performance project teams. According to the author, such project teams embody dynamic recognition of holism. Holism is achieved as an output from the process of establishing the drivers and enablers for success on a project. They are given birth during the unfolding of the operators development plans and contracting strategy. The paper discusses the main drivers of project teams comprising purpose and performance goals, selection, common approach, commitment and accountability, and financial alignment

  4. [Earth Science Technology Office's Computational Technologies Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, James (Technical Monitor); Merkey, Phillip

    2005-01-01

    This grant supported the effort to characterize the problem domain of the Earth Science Technology Office's Computational Technologies Project, to engage the Beowulf Cluster Computing Community as well as the High Performance Computing Research Community so that we can predict the applicability of said technologies to the scientific community represented by the CT project and formulate long term strategies to provide the computational resources necessary to attain the anticipated scientific objectives of the CT project. Specifically, the goal of the evaluation effort is to use the information gathered over the course of the Round-3 investigations to quantify the trends in scientific expectations, the algorithmic requirements and capabilities of high-performance computers to satisfy this anticipated need.

  5. Civic Engagement and Gentrification Issues in Metropolitan Baltimore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durington, Matthew; Maddox, Camee; Ruhf, Adrienne; Gass, Shana; Schwermer, Justin

    2009-01-01

    Since the fall of 2006 a number of Towson University students concentrating in the discipline of anthropology have been part of a civic engagement and service-learning project focusing on an historic African-American community in Baltimore. While the focus of the research project concentrates on the processes of gentrification, individual student…

  6. Engaging cultural resources to promote mental health in Dutch LSES neighborhoods: study of a community-based participatory media project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knibbe, Mare; de Vries, Marten; Horstman, Klasien

    2017-06-01

    Community-based participatory media projects form a promising new strategy for mental health promotion that can help address the mental health-gap identified by the World Health Organization. (2008b) mhGAP, Mental Health Gap Action Programme: Scaling Up Care for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders. World Health Organization, Geneva. In this article we present an ethnographic study about a participatory media project that was developed to promote mental health in selected Dutch low socio-economic status neighborhoods. Through narrowcastings (group film viewings), participant observation and interviews we mapped the ways in which the media project effected and facilitated the collective sense-making process of the audience with regard to sources of stress impacting mental health and opportunities for action. These determinants of mental health are shaped by cultural dimensions, since the cultural context shapes everyday experiences of stress as well as the resources and skills to manage them. Our analysis shows that the media project engaged cultural resources to challenge stressful social scripts. We conclude that more attention should be paid to cultural narratives in a community to understand how health promotion strategies can support social resilience. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Promoting climate literacy through social engagement: the Green Ninja Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordero, E. C.; Todd, A.

    2012-12-01

    One of the challenges of communicating climate change to younger audiences is the disconnect between global issues and local impacts. The Green Ninja is a climate-action superhero that aims to energize young people about climate science through media and social engagement tools. In this presentation, we'll highlight two of the tools designed to help K-12 students implement appropriate local mitigation strategies. A mobile phone application builds and supports a social community around taking action at local businesses regarding themes such as food, packaging and energy efficiency. An energy efficiency contest in local schools utilizes smart meter technology to provide feedback on household energy use and conservation. These tools are supported by films and lesson plans that link formal and informal education channels. The effectiveness of these methodologies as tools to engage young people in climate science and action will be discussed.

  8. Developing a Conceptual Framework for Student Learning during International Community Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pink, Matthew A.; Taouk, Youssef; Guinea, Stephen; Bunch, Katie; Flowers, Karen; Nightingale, Karen

    2016-01-01

    University-community engagement often involves students engaging with people who experience multiple forms of disadvantage or marginalization. This is particularly true when universities work with communities in developing nations. Participation in these projects can be challenging for students. Assumptions about themselves, their professional…

  9. High Luminosity LHC Project Description

    CERN Document Server

    Apollinari, Giorgio; Rossi, Lucio

    2014-01-01

    The High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is a novel configuration of the Large Hadron Collider, aiming at increasing the luminosity by a factor five or more above the nominal LHC design, to allow increasing the integrated luminosity, in the high luminosity experiments ATLAS and CMS, from the 300 fb-1 of the LHC original design up to 3000 fb-1 or more. This paper contains a short description of the main machine parameters and of the main equipment that need to be developed and installed. The preliminary cost evaluation and the time plan are presented, too. Finally, the international collaboration that is supporting the project, the governance and the project structure are discussed, too.

  10. The science of stakeholder engagement in research: classification, implementation, and evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Melody S; Sanders Thompson, Vetta L

    2017-09-01

    In this commentary, we discuss the science of stakeholder engagement in research. We propose a classification system with definitions to determine where projects lie on the stakeholder engagement continuum. We discuss the key elements of implementation and evaluation of stakeholder engagement in research posing key questions to consider when doing this work. We commend and critique the work of Hamilton et al. in their multilevel stakeholder engagement in a VA implementation trial of evidence-based quality improvement in women's health primary care. We also discuss the need for more work in this area to enhance the science of stakeholder engagement in research.

  11. Evaluating Engagement Models for a Citizen Science Project: Lessons Learned From Four Years of Nature's Notebook

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crimmins, T. M.; Rosemartin, A.

    2012-12-01

    The success of citizen science programs hinges on their abilities to recruit and maintain active participants. The USA National Phenology Network's plant and animal phenology observation program, Nature's Notebook, has been active since 2009. This program engages thousands of citizen scientists in tracking plant and animal life cycle activity over the course of the year. We embarked on an evaluation of the various observer recruitment and retention tactics that we have employed over the ~4-year life of this program to better inform future outreach efforts specific to Nature's Notebook and for the broader citizen science community. Participants in Nature's Notebook may become engaged via one of three pathways: individuals may join Nature's Notebook directly, they may be invited to join through a USA-NPN partner organization, or they may engage through a group with local, site-based leadership. The level and type of recruitment tactics, training, and retention efforts that are employed varies markedly among these three models. In this evaluation, we compared the efficacy of these three engagement models using several metrics: number of individuals recruited, number of individuals that go on to submit at least one data point, retention rates over time, duration of activity, and quantity of data points submitted. We also qualitatively considered the differences in costs the three models require to support. In terms of recruitment, direct engagement yielded 20-100 times more registrants than other two models. In contrast, rates of participation were highest for site-based leadership (>35%, versus 20-30% for direct engagement; rates for partner organizations were highly variable due to small sample sizes). Individuals participating through partners with site-based leadership showed a much higher rate of retention (41% of participants remained active for two+ years) than those participating directly in Nature's Notebook (27% of participants remained active for two+ years

  12. Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Members' Engagement with Sex Education in Canadian High Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapointe, Alicia

    2014-01-01

    This paper offers an examination of gay-straight alliance (GSA) members' engagement with sex education, sexual health, and prejudice and discrimination in Canadian public high schools. It explores how five students' (four straight and one gay-identifying) participation in GSAs served as a springboard for learning about and challenging stereotypes;…

  13. Further Evidence of an Engagement-Achievement Paradox among U.S. High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shernoff, David J.; Schmidt, Jennifer A.

    2008-01-01

    Achievement, engagement, and students' quality of experience were compared by racial and ethnic group in a sample of students (N = 586) drawn from 13 high schools with diverse ethnic and socioeconomic student populations. Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), 3,529 samples of classroom experiences were analyzed along with self-reported…

  14. Stakeholder Engagement/Capacity Building Pilot Opportunity FAQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the pilot opportunity for stakeholder engagement/capacity building. EPA is offering an opportunity for community stakeholders and ports to participate in a pilot project to test and refine capacity building tools.

  15. A developmental evaluation to enhance stakeholder engagement in a wide-scale interactive project disseminating quality improvement data: study protocol for a mixed-methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laycock, Alison; Bailie, Jodie; Matthews, Veronica; Cunningham, Frances; Harvey, Gillian; Percival, Nikki; Bailie, Ross

    2017-07-13

    Bringing together continuous quality improvement (CQI) data from multiple health services offers opportunities to identify common improvement priorities and to develop interventions at various system levels to achieve large-scale improvement in care. An important principle of CQI is practitioner participation in interpreting data and planning evidence-based change. This study will contribute knowledge about engaging diverse stakeholders in collaborative and theoretically informed processes to identify and address priority evidence-practice gaps in care delivery. This paper describes a developmental evaluation to support and refine a novel interactive dissemination project using aggregated CQI data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare centres in Australia. The project aims to effect multilevel system improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare. Data will be gathered using document analysis, online surveys, interviews with participants and iterative analytical processes with the research team. These methods will enable real-time feedback to guide refinements to the design, reports, tools and processes as the interactive dissemination project is implemented. Qualitative data from interviews and surveys will be analysed and interpreted to provide in-depth understanding of factors that influence engagement and stakeholder perspectives about use of the aggregated data and generated improvement strategies. Sources of data will be triangulated to build up a comprehensive, contextualised perspective and integrated understanding of the project's development, implementation and findings. The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the Northern Territory Department of Health and Menzies School of Health Research (Project 2015-2329), the Central Australian HREC (Project 15-288) and the Charles Darwin University HREC (Project H15030) approved the study. Dissemination will include articles in peer-reviewed journals, policy

  16. Variables that impact the implementation of project-based learning in high school science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Kellie

    --12, were also used in the data collection process. The results of the study indicated that the use of PBL increased student engagement, ability to problem-solve, and to some extent academic performance. The results also revealed several factors that impacted the implementation of project-based learning: (a) Student attributes such as high student absenteeism, lack of motivation, and poor behavior prevented teachers from completing the PBL unit in a timely fashion. (b) Certain school and district policies and requirements were not conducive to PBL implementation. Policies and practices impacting instructional time and teaching supplies acquisition made it difficult for teachers to plan lessons and obtain necessary supplies. (c) Teachers did not receive PBL training in a timely fashion. Teachers received training approximately two months prior to implementation. (d) Teacher collaboration influenced PBL implementation as it enabled teachers to share and discuss ideas, resources, and lessons. Implications for practice include: (a) School and district leaders must create and follow policies and procedures that support conditions that support inquiry learning, (b) Teachers need resources to overcome the challenges associated with project-based learning, (c) Teachers must have the freedom to have a vision for the implementation of PBL that fits their particular classroom context, and (d) Steps should be taken to ensure students have the prior knowledge and skills to successfully engage in PBL.

  17. Staying on Track for High School Graduation: Promoting Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stout, Karen E.; Christenson, Sandra L.

    2009-01-01

    Students' engagement at school has emerged as a critical factor across hundreds of dropout prevention and recovery programs in the United States. By supporting and improving academic, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement, we can mitigate the risk of dropping out. This article describes the history of school dropout, predictors of…

  18. Knowledge Creation Through Development Projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Erik

    2010-01-01

    The focus of the paper is set on efforts to produce and manage organizational learning and development through engagement in organizational development projects, involving the implementation of new methods, new technologies and new ways of organizing the work processes. The issues discussed...... study of four organizational development projects (covering the organizations as a whole) held by four Danish High Schools (“gymnasium”). The study included questionnaires as well as interviews with the management and staff, plus a survey of selected written materials and documents. The purpose...... of the paper is to describe the activities, actually organized by the projects., as well as the various ways in which different groupings among the staff and the management are relating to the project. A special focus is set on the different perspectives on the projects established by the staff...

  19. Embedded Assessment as an Essential Method for Understanding Public Engagement in Citizen Science

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Becker-Klein

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Citizen science is an important way of engaging a broad range of audiences in science inquiry by participating in research that asks novel questions and unearths new knowledge and new questioning. Though citizen science projects are quite diverse in their scientific pursuits, all projects share the common element of involving volunteers directly in some aspect of science inquiry. Thus, it is essential for citizen science projects to determine their participants’ capacity to learn and successfully perform science inquiry skills, such as making scientific observations, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing findings. Such skill gains are essential to (a ensure high quality data that can be used in meaningful scientific research, and (b achieve broader goals such as developing a participant’s identity as a contributor to science. However, we do not yet fully understand how improvement in participants’ inquiry skills through citizen science advances our knowledge of public engagement with science. In this essay, we offer embedded assessment as an effective method to capture participant skill gains, and encourage citizen science leaders, evaluators, and researchers to develop authentic methods that address the complexities of measuring skill development within the context of citizen science.

  20. Correlates of High School Freshman Girls' Reported Reasons for Engaging in Sexual Intercourse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Matthew Lee; Wilson, Kelly; Menn, Mindy; Pulczinski, Jairus C.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Intrapersonal and external factors, including social pressures and the desire for acceptance from peers, influence sexual activity among adolescents. This study examined how personal characteristics, risky behaviors, normative beliefs, household factors, and engagement in extracurricular activities were related to high school freshman…

  1. Rocky flats closure project - lessons learned in worker stakeholder engagement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sweeney, Laura; Mazur, Robert E.; Edelson, Martin

    2013-01-01

    The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (EPA Superfund site near Denver, Colorado) produced plutonium components for nuclear weapons for the U.S. defense program. The facility shut down in 1989 and clean up began in 1992. To ensure safe remediation of inactive nuclear sites, site owners have begun to consult stakeholders more widely in recent years. The closure of Rocky Flats aimed to set the standard for stakeholder involvement in doing the work safely, complying with regulations/standards, in a cost-effective manner. We have studied, using ethnographic methods, the extent to which workers at Rocky Flats were involved in communication and decision making strategies. Our results point out that workers can have perceptions of the site remediation process that differ from management and even other workers and that a significant number of workers questioned the commitment by management to engage the worker as stakeholder. The most effective remediation efforts should involve careful consideration of the insights and observations of all workers, particularly those who face immediate and high-level health and safety risks. (authors)

  2. Rocky flats closure project - lessons learned in worker stakeholder engagement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sweeney, Laura [Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, Iowa (United States); Mazur, Robert E. [Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa (United States); Edelson, Martin [Ames Laboratory-USDOE (Retired), Ames, Iowa (United States)

    2013-07-01

    The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (EPA Superfund site near Denver, Colorado) produced plutonium components for nuclear weapons for the U.S. defense program. The facility shut down in 1989 and clean up began in 1992. To ensure safe remediation of inactive nuclear sites, site owners have begun to consult stakeholders more widely in recent years. The closure of Rocky Flats aimed to set the standard for stakeholder involvement in doing the work safely, complying with regulations/standards, in a cost-effective manner. We have studied, using ethnographic methods, the extent to which workers at Rocky Flats were involved in communication and decision making strategies. Our results point out that workers can have perceptions of the site remediation process that differ from management and even other workers and that a significant number of workers questioned the commitment by management to engage the worker as stakeholder. The most effective remediation efforts should involve careful consideration of the insights and observations of all workers, particularly those who face immediate and high-level health and safety risks. (authors)

  3. High engagement, high quality: A guiding framework for developing empirically informed asynchronous e-learning programs for health professional educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinclair, Peter M; Levett-Jones, Tracey; Morris, Amanda; Carter, Ben; Bennett, Paul N; Kable, Ashley

    2017-03-01

    E-learning involves the transfer of skills and knowledge via technology so that learners can access meaningful and authentic educational materials. While learner engagement is important, in the context of healthcare education, pedagogy must not be sacrificed for edu-tainment style instructional design. Consequently, health professional educators need to be competent in the use of current web-based educational technologies so that learners are able to access relevant and engaging e-learning materials without restriction. The increasing popularity of asynchronous e-learning programs developed for use outside of formal education institutions has made this need more relevant. In these contexts, educators must balance design and functionality to deliver relevant, cost-effective, sustainable, and accessible programs that overcome scheduling and geographic barriers for learners. This paper presents 10 guiding design principles and their application in the development of an e-learning program for general practice nurses focused on behavior change. Consideration of these principles will assist educators to develop high quality, pedagogically sound, engaging, and interactive e-learning resources. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  4. The joint project for high-intensity proton accelerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-08-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) agreed to promote the joint project integrating both the Neutron Science Project (NSP) of JAERI and the Japan Hadron Facility Project (JHF) of KEK for comprehensive studies on basic science and technology using high-intensity proton accelerator. This document describes the joint proposal prepared by the Joint Project Team of JAERI and KEK to construct accelerators and research facilities necessary both for the NSP and the JHF at the site of JAERI Tokai Establishment. (author)

  5. Community Engagement Studios: A Structured Approach to Obtaining Meaningful Input From Stakeholders to Inform Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joosten, Yvonne A; Israel, Tiffany L; Williams, Neely A; Boone, Leslie R; Schlundt, David G; Mouton, Charles P; Dittus, Robert S; Bernard, Gordon R; Wilkins, Consuelo H

    2015-12-01

    Engaging communities in research increases its relevance and may speed the translation of discoveries into improved health outcomes. Many researchers lack training to effectively engage stakeholders, whereas academic institutions lack infrastructure to support community engagement. In 2009, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community-Engaged Research Core began testing new approaches for community engagement, which led to the development of the Community Engagement Studio (CE Studio). This structured program facilitates project-specific input from community and patient stakeholders to enhance research design, implementation, and dissemination. Developers used a team approach to recruit and train stakeholders, prepare researchers to engage with stakeholders, and facilitate an in-person meeting with both. The research core has implemented 28 CE Studios that engaged 152 community stakeholders. Participating researchers, representing a broad range of faculty ranks and disciplines, reported that input from stakeholders was valuable and that the CE Studio helped determine project feasibility and enhanced research design and implementation. Stakeholders found the CE Studio to be an acceptable method of engagement and reported a better understanding of research in general. A tool kit was developed to replicate this model and to disseminate this approach. The research core will collect data to better understand the impact of CE Studios on research proposal submissions, funding, research outcomes, patient and stakeholder engagement in projects, and dissemination of results. They will also collect data to determine whether CE Studios increase patient-centered approaches in research and whether stakeholders who participate have more trust and willingness to participate in research.

  6. Engaging Montana high school students in optical sciences with a polarization photo contest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauc, Martin Jan; Boger, James K.; Hohne, Andrew; Dahl, Laura M.; Nugent, Paul W.; Riesland, David W.; Moon, Benjamin; Baumbauer, Carol L.; Boese, Orrin; Shaw, Joseph A.; Nakagawa, Wataru

    2017-08-01

    Getting students interested in science, specifically in optics and photonics, is a worthwhile challenge. We developed and implemented an outreach campaign that sought to engage high school students in the science of polarized light. We traveled to Montana high schools and presented on the physics of light, the ways that it becomes polarized, how polarization is useful, and how to take pictures with linear polarizers to see polarization. Students took pictures that showed polarization in either a natural setting or a contrived scene. We visited 13 high schools, and presented live to approximately 450 students.

  7. Lessons Learned from Developing a Patient Engagement Panel: An OCHIN Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkind, Jill; Likumahuwa-Ackman, Sonja; Warren, Nate; Dickerson, Kay; Robbins, Lynn; Norman, Kathy; DeVoe, Jennifer E

    2015-01-01

    There is renewed interest in patient engagement in clinical and research settings, creating a need for documenting and publishing lessons learned from efforts to meaningfully engage patients. This article describes early lessons learned from the development of OCHIN's Patient Engagement Panel (PEP). OCHIN supports a national network of more than 300 community health centers (CHCs) and other primary care settings that serve over 1.5 million patients annually across nearly 20 states. The PEP was conceived in 2009 to harness the CHC tradition of patient engagement in this new era of patient-centered outcomes research and to ensure that patients were engaged throughout the life cycle of our research projects, from conception to dissemination. Developed by clinicians and researchers within our practice-based research network, recruitment of patients to serve as PEP members began in early 2012. The PEP currently has a membership of 18 patients from 3 states. Over the past 24 months, the PEP has been involved with 12 projects. We describe developing the PEP and challenges and lessons learned (eg, recruitment, funding model, creating value for patient partners, compensation). These lessons learned are relevant not only for research but also for patient engagement in quality improvement efforts and other clinical initiatives. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  8. SDC Supplier Obligation project : household energy from 2011 : final report

    OpenAIRE

    Sustainable Development Commission

    2008-01-01

    This report is based on 'SDC Supplier Obligation engagement project : process plan'. Evaluation of the engagement process used in this report can be found in 'SDC Supplier Obligation project : an evaluation of the Sustainable Development Commission's stakeholder and public engagement process'. This report presents the findings of the Sustainable Development Commission’s stakeholder and public engagement process and informs the development of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Af...

  9. Earth System Science Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutherford, Sandra; Coffman, Margaret

    2004-01-01

    For several decades, science teachers have used bottles for classroom projects designed to teach students about biology. Bottle projects do not have to just focus on biology, however. These projects can also be used to engage students in Earth science topics. This article describes the Earth System Science Project, which was adapted and developed…

  10. The NASA CSTI High Capacity Power Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winter, J.; Dudenhoefer, J.; Juhasz, A.; Schwarze, G.; Patterson, R.; Ferguson, D.; Schmitz, P.; Vandersande, J.

    1992-01-01

    This paper describes the elements of NASA's CSTI High Capacity Power Project which include Systems Analysis, Stirling Power Conversion, Thermoelectric Power Conversion, Thermal Management, Power Management, Systems Diagnostics, Environmental Interactions, and Material/Structural Development. Technology advancement in all elements is required to provide the growth capability, high reliability and 7 to 10 year lifetime demanded for future space nuclear power systems. The overall project will develop and demonstrate the technology base required to provide a wide range of modular power systems compatible with the SP-100 reactor which facilitates operation during lunar and planetary day/night cycles as well as allowing spacecraft operation at any attitude or distance from the sun. Significant accomplishments in all of the project elements will be presented, along with revised goals and project timeliness recently developed

  11. Project Management in Real Time: A Service-Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Erik; Drexler, John A., Jr.

    2010-01-01

    This article describes a service-learning assignment for a project management course. It is designed to facilitate hands-on student learning of both the technical and the interpersonal aspects of project management, and it involves student engagement with real customers and real stakeholders in the creation of real events with real outcomes. As…

  12. The Canada Goose Project: A First Project with Children under 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Ruth A.

    2010-01-01

    This project report describes how five children (an infant, three toddlers, and a preschooler) enrolled at a private day care home engaged in their first journey into project work through a study of Canada geese living on a nearby body of water. Prior to the experience described in this paper, the author had used the Project Approach only with…

  13. Space Culture: Innovative Cultural Approaches To Public Engagement With Astronomy, Space Science And Astronautics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malina, Roger F.

    2012-01-01

    In recent years a number of cultural organizations have established ongoing programs of public engagement with astronomy, space science and astronautics. Many involve elements of citizen science initiatives, artists’ residencies in scientific laboratories and agencies, art and science festivals, and social network projects as well as more traditional exhibition venues. Recognizing these programs several agencies and organizations have established mechanisms for facilitating public engagement with astronomy and space science through cultural activities. The International Astronautics Federation has established an Technical Activities Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Space. Over the past year the NSF and NEA have organized disciplinary workshops to develop recommendations relating to art-science interaction and community building efforts. Rationales for encouraging public engagement via cultural projects range from theory of creativity, innovation and invention to cultural appropriation in the context of `socially robust science’ as advocated by Helga Nowotny of the European Research Council. Public engagement with science, as opposed to science education and outreach initiatives, require different approaches. Just as organizations have employed education professionals to lead education activities, so they must employ cultural professionals if they wish to develop public engagement projects via arts and culture. One outcome of the NSF and NEA workshops has been development of a rationale for converting STEM to STEAM by including the arts in STEM methodologies, particularly for K-12 where students can access science via arts and cultural contexts. Often these require new kinds of informal education approaches that exploit locative media, gaming platforms, artists projects and citizen science. Incorporating astronomy and space science content in art and cultural projects requires new skills in `cultural translation’ and `trans-mediation’ and new kinds

  14. The Storytelling Project: Innovating to Engage Students in Their Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miley, Frances

    2009-01-01

    This research explores the development of issues surrounding and reactions to the use of non-accounting stories in accounting to engage and motivate first-year students. The stories were drawn from the students' main areas of study. Students were challenged to draw analogies between a story and accounting. This process allowed them to create…

  15. Tools for Citizen-Science Recruitment and Student Engagement in Your Research and in Your Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah E. Council

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The field of citizen science is exploding and offers not only a great way to engage the general public in science literacy through primary research, but also an avenue for teaching professionals to engage their students in meaningful community research experiences. Though this field is expanding, there are many hurdles for researchers and participants, as well as challenges for teaching professionals who want to engage their students. Here we highlight one of our projects that engaged many citizens in Raleigh, NC, and across the world, and we use this as a case study to highlight ways to engage citizens in all kinds of research. Through the use of numerous tools to engage the public, we gathered citizen scientists to study skin microbes and their associated odors, and we offer valuable ideas for teachers to tap into resources for their own students and potential citizen-science projects.

  16. Moving Beyond Concepts: Getting Urban High School Students Engaged in Science through Cognitive Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Renu

    In order to maintain its global position, the United States needs to increase the number of students opting for science careers. Science teachers face a formidable challenge. Students are not choosing science because they do not think coursework is interesting or applies to their lives. These problems often compound for adolescents in urban areas. This action research investigated an innovation aimed at engaging a group of adolescents in the science learning process through cognitive processes and conceptual understanding. It was hoped that this combination would increase students' engagement in the classroom and proficiency in science. The study was conducted with 28 juniors and sophomores in an Environmental Science class in an urban high school with a student body of 97% minority students and 86% students receiving free and reduced lunch. The study used a mixed-methods design. Instruments included a pre- and post-test, Thinking Maps, transcripts of student discourse, and a two-part Engagement Observation Instrument. Data analysis included basic descriptives and a grounded theory approach. Findings show students became engaged in activities when cognitive processes were taught prior to content. Furthermore it was discovered that Thinking Maps were perceived to be an easy tool to use to organize students' thinking and processing. Finally there was a significant increase in student achievement. From these findings implications for future practice and research are offered.

  17. Students in Action: Engaging Students with Destination Stakeholders

    OpenAIRE

    Craggs, Ruth; Gorman, Catherine; Griffin, Kevin; mottiar, ziene; Quinn, Deirdre; Quinn, Bernadette; Ryan, Theresa

    2015-01-01

    The Students in Action Project in the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism was established in 2012 as a way of engaging students and working with stakeholders in a destination. The overall aim of the project was to immerse students in an active collaborative learning environment within the destination to identify ways in which tourism could be enhanced. In the 2014/2015 academic year the project involved over 300 students from a variety of programmes and modules working with local sta...

  18. JAERI-KEK joint project on high intensity proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagamiya, Shoji

    2000-01-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the High Energy Accelerator Organization (KEK) are promoting the joint project integrating both the Neutron Science Project (NSP) of JAERI and the Japan Hadron Facility Project (JHF) of KEK for comprehensive studies on basic science and technology using high-intensity proton accelerator. This paper describes the joint project prepared by the Joint Project Team of JAERI and KEK to construct accelerators and research facilities necessary both for the NSP and the JHF at the site of JAERI Tokai Establishment. (author)

  19. A Pedagogy of Civic Engagement for the Undergraduate Political Science Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLaet, Debra L.

    2016-01-01

    This article provides an overview of a classroom project, titled the Priorities Project, which is designed to promote responsible and informed civic engagement on the part of students in upper level political science courses at Drake University. It provides an overview of the Priorities Project, a brief summary highlighting the process and results…

  20. High School Students' Reasons for Their Science Dispositions: Community-Based Innovative Technology-Embedded Environmental Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebenezer, Jazlin; Kaya, Osman Nafiz; Kasab, Dimma

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to qualitatively describe high school students' reasons for their science dispositions (attitude, perception, and self-confidence) based on their long-term experience with innovative technology-embedded environmental research projects. Students in small groups conducted research projects in and out of school with the help of their teachers and community experts (scientists and engineers). During the 3-year period of this nationally funded project, a total of 135 students from five schools in a mid-west State participated in research activities. Of the 135 students, 53 students were individually interviewed to explore reasons for their science dispositions. Students' reasons for each disposition were grouped into categories, and corresponding frequency was converted to a percentage. The categories of reasons were not only attributed to the use of innovative technologies in environmental research but also the contexts and events that surrounded it. The reasons that influenced students' science dispositions positively were because engaging in environmental research projects with technology contributed to easing fear and difficulty, building a research team, disseminating findings, communicating with the community, researching with scientists, training by teachers, and acknowledging teachers' knowledge. These results advanced how and why students develop science dispositions in the positive direction, which are as follows: building science teacher capacity, developing a community of inquirers, and committing to improve pedagogical practices.

  1. EFFECTS OF A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON BEHAVIORAL ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL

    Science.gov (United States)

    GREGORY, ANNE; ALLEN, JOSEPH P.; MIKAMI, AMORI Y.; HAFEN, CHRISTOPHER A.; PIANTA, ROBERT C.

    2017-01-01

    Student behavioral engagement is a key condition supporting academic achievement, yet student disengagement in middle and high schools is all too common. The current study used a randomized controlled design to test the efficacy of the My Teaching Partner-Secondary program to increase behavioral engagement. The program offers teachers personalized coaching and systematic feedback on teachers’ interactions with students, based on systematic observation of videorecordings of teacher-student interactions in the classroom. The study found that intervention teachers had significantly higher increases, albeit to a modest degree, in student behavioral engagement in their classrooms after 1 year of involvement with the program compared to the teachers in the control group (explaining 4% of variance). In exploratory analyses, two dimensions of teachers’ interactions with students—their focus on analysis and problem solving during instruction and their use of diverse instructional learning formats—acted as mediators of increased student engagement. The findings offer implications for new directions in teacher professional development and for understanding the classroom as a setting for adolescent development. PMID:28232767

  2. Pragmatic epistemology and the community of engaged actors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prodanović Srđan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I will explore the relation between engagement and social science. I will try to argue that positivist epistemology found in the early days of social sciences still greatly influences our understanding of social engagement. In the first part of the paper, I will analyze the epistemology of social sciences advocated by Fourier and Saint-Simon and try to show that, for them, scientific method was primarily the means for taming social change, as well as projecting private desires and plans onto the public sphere. In the second part, I will offer an alternative account of social engagement using the epistemic role of the community found in pragmatism.

  3. High Job Demands, Still Engaged and Not Burned Out? The Role of Job Crafting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hakanen, Jari J; Seppälä, Piia; Peeters, Maria C W

    2017-08-01

    Traditionally, employee well-being has been considered as resulting from decent working conditions arranged by the organization. Much less is known about whether employees themselves can make self-initiated changes to their work, i.e., craft their jobs, in order to stay well, even in highly demanding work situations. The aim of this study was to use the job demands-resources (JD-R model) to investigate whether job crafting buffers the negative impacts of four types of job demands (workload, emotional dissonance, work contents, and physical demands) on burnout and work engagement. A questionnaire study was designed to examine the buffering role of job crafting among 470 Finnish dentists. All in all, 11 out of 16 possible interaction effects of job demands and job crafting on employee well-being were significant. Job crafting particularly buffered the negative effects of job demands on burnout (7/8 significant interactions) and to a somewhat lesser extent also on work engagement (4/8 significant interactions). Applying job crafting techniques appeared to be particularly effective in mitigating the negative effects of quantitative workload (4/4 significant interactions). By demonstrating that job crafting can also buffer the negative impacts of high job demands on employee well-being, this study contributed to the JD-R model as it suggests that job crafting may even be possible under high work demands, and not only in resourceful jobs, as most previous studies have indicated. In addition to the top-down initiatives for improving employee well-being, bottom-up approaches such as job crafting may also be efficient in preventing burnout and enhancing work engagement.

  4. How employee engagement matters for hospital performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Graham

    2012-01-01

    Managers increasingly understand that employee engagement is a prerequisite for high performance. This article examines how job, work environment, management and organizational factors influence levels of engagement among healthcare employees. Original data come from the Ontario Hospital Association-NRC Picker Employee Experience Survey, involving over 10,000 employees in 16 Ontario hospitals. The article provides a clear definition and measure of engagement relevant to healthcare. In addition to identifying the main drivers of engagement, findings shows that a high level of employee engagement is related to retention, patient-centred care, patient safety culture and employees' positive assessments of the quality of care or services provided by their team. Implications of these findings for healthcare leaders are briefly considered.

  5. [Earth and Space Sciences Project Services for NASA HPCC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merkey, Phillip

    2002-01-01

    This grant supported the effort to characterize the problem domain of the Earth Science Technology Office's Computational Technologies Project, to engage the Beowulf Cluster Computing Community as well as the High Performance Computing Research Community so that we can predict the applicability of said technologies to the scientific community represented by the CT project and formulate long term strategies to provide the computational resources necessary to attain the anticipated scientific objectives of the CT project. Specifically, the goal of the evaluation effort is to use the information gathered over the course of the Round-3 investigations to quantify the trends in scientific expectations, the algorithmic requirements and capabilities of high-performance computers to satisfy this anticipated need.

  6. Examining Relational Engagement across the Transition to High Schools in Three US High Schools Reformed to Improve Relationship Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Heather A.; Chang, Mei-Lin; Andrzejewski, Carey E.; Poirier, Ryan R.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine changes in students' relational engagement across the transition to high school in three schools reformed to improve the quality of student-teacher relationships. In order to analyze this data we employed latent growth curve (LGC) modeling techniques (n = 637). We ran three LGC models on three…

  7. Assessing Motivations and Use of Online Citizen Science Astronomy Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nona Bakerman, Maya; Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Gugliucci, Nicole

    2018-01-01

    The exponential proliferation of astronomy data has resulted in the need to develop new ways to analyze data. Recent efforts to engage the public in the discussion of the importance of science has led to projects that are aimed at letting them have hands-on experiences. Citizen science in astronomy, which has followed the model of citizen science in other scientific fields, has increased in the number and type of projects in the last few years and poses captivating ways to engage the public in science.The primary feature of this study was citizen science users’ motivations and activities related to engaging in astronomy citizen science projects. We report on participants’ interview responses related to their motivations, length and frequency of engagement, and reasons for leaving the project. From May to October 2014, 32 adults were interviewed to assess their motivations and experiences with citizen science. In particular, we looked at if and how motivations have changed for those who have engaged in the projects in order to develop support for and understandparticipants of citizen science. The predominant reasons participants took part in citizen science were: interest, helping, learning or teaching, and being part of science. Everyone interviewed demonstrated an intrinsic motivation to do citizen science projects.Participants’ reasons for ending their engagement on any given day were: having to do other things, physical effects of the computer, scheduled event that ended, attention span or tired, computer or program issues. A small fraction of the participants also indicated experiencing negative feedback. Out of the participants who no longer took part in citizen science projects, some indicated that receiving negative feedback was their primary reason and others reported the program to be frustrating.Our work is helping us to understand participants who engage in online citizen science projects so that researchers can better design projects to meet their

  8. Engaging the aging workforce: the relationship between perceived age similarity, satisfaction with coworkers, and employee engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avery, Derek R; McKay, Patrick F; Wilson, David C

    2007-11-01

    Business publications and the popular press have stressed the importance of creating conditions for meaningful employee expression in work roles, also known as engagement. Few empirical studies, however, have examined how individual or situational factors relate to engagement. Consequently, this study examines the interplay between employee age, perceived coworker age composition, and satisfaction with older (older than 55) and younger (younger than 40) coworkers on engagement using a sample of 901 individuals employed in the United Kingdom. Results indicated that satisfaction with one's coworkers related significantly to engagement. Moreover, perceived age similarity was associated with higher levels of engagement among older workers when they were highly satisfied with their coworkers over 55 and lower levels of engagement when they were not. (c) 2007 APA

  9. The Developmental Characteristics of Engagement in Service-Learning for Chinese College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Fangfang; Yao, Meilin; Zong, Xiaoli; Yan, Wenfan

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the development characteristics of Chinese college students' engagement during a service-learning project with a case study method: 273 reflective journals from 31 college students who participated in service-learning were analyzed. Results indicated that students' overall engagement showed 4…

  10. Creating and sustaining an academic-practice Partnership Engagement Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaffer, Marjorie A; Schoon, Patricia M; Brueshoff, Bonnie L

    2017-11-01

    Public health clinical educators and practicing public health nurses (PHNs) are experiencing challenges in creating meaningful clinical learning experiences for nursing students due to an increase in nursing programs and greater workload responsibilities for both nursing faculty and PHNs. The Henry Street Consortium (HSC), a collaborative group of PHNs and nursing faculty, conducted a project to identify best practices for public health nursing student clinical learning experiences. Project leaders surveyed HSC members about preferences for teaching-learning strategies, facilitated development of resources and tools to guide learning, organized faculty/PHN pilot teams to test resources and tools with students, and evaluated the pilot team experiences through two focus groups. The analysis of the outcomes of the partnership engagement project led to the development of the Partnership Engagement Model (PEM), which may be used by nursing faculty and their public health practice partners to guide building relationships and sustainable partnerships for educating nursing students. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. High order modes in Project-X linac

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sukhanov, A., E-mail: ais@fnal.gov; Lunin, A.; Yakovlev, V.; Awida, M.; Champion, M.; Ginsburg, C.; Gonin, I.; Grimm, C.; Khabiboulline, T.; Nicol, T.; Orlov, Yu.; Saini, A.; Sergatskov, D.; Solyak, N.; Vostrikov, A.

    2014-01-11

    Project-X, a multi-MW proton source, is now under development at Fermilab. In this paper we present study of high order modes (HOM) excited in continues-wave (CW) superconducting linac of Project-X. We investigate effects of cryogenic losses caused by HOMs and influence of HOMs on beam dynamics. We find that these effects are small. We conclude that HOM couplers/dampers are not needed in the Project-X SC RF cavities.

  12. Dual-track CCS stakeholder engagement: Lessons learned from FutureGen in Illinois

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hund, G.; Greenberg, S.E.

    2011-01-01

    FutureGen, as originally planned, was to be the world's first coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant with fully integrated, 90% carbon capture and storage (CCS). From conception through siting and design, it enjoyed strong support from multiple stakeholder groups, which benefited the overall project. Understanding the stakeholder engagement process for this project provides valuable insights into the design of stakeholder programs for future CCS projects. FutureGen is one of few projects worldwide that used open competition for siting both the power plant and storage reservoir. Most site proposals were coordinated by State governments. It was unique in this and other respects relative to the site selection method used on other DOE-supported projects. At the time of site selection, FutureGen was the largest proposed facility designed to combine an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal-fueled power plant with a CCS system. Stakeholder engagement by states and the industry consortium responsible for siting, designing, building, and operating the facility took place simultaneously and on parallel tracks. On one track were states spearheading state-wide site assessments to identify candidate sites that they wanted to propose for consideration. On the other track was a public-private partnership between an industry consortium of thirteen coal companies and electric utilities that comprised the FutureGen Alliance (Alliance) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The partnership was based on a cooperative agreement signed by both parties, which assigned the lead for siting to the Alliance. This paper describes the stakeholder engagement strategies used on both of these tracks and provides examples from the engagement process using the Illinois semi-finalist sites. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Engaged Service Learning--Implications for Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Tony; Burgin, Shelley

    2009-01-01

    Dwindling resources for tertiary education, has resulted in reduced emphasis on intensive, small group, staff-student collaborative project-based service learning. However, training scientists to manage significant issues, such as sustainable water use, requires an ability to engage both industry and community stakeholders. This paper describes…

  14. Career/Education Plans and Student Engagement in Secondary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plasman, Jay Stratte

    2018-01-01

    Student engagement in education is key to ensuring successful learning. Engagement becomes crucial as students progress through high school and transition into young adulthood; however, engaging them in high school can be an arduous task. A career/education plan can help students make strong connections between their work in high school and their…

  15. Opening inquiry mathematics to parents: Can they be engaged as teachers’ partners in mathematical work?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioannis Papadopoulos

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a two-stage project designed to develop the partnership between teacher and parents. The project began with a workshop constructed to motivate parents to be interested in doing mathematics in a way that is different from the one they experienced as students and, as a result, to be eager to become involved in the co-production of didactic materials for classroom use. Parents were engaged in real, collaborative, high-level mathematical work as a first step in engaging them as partners in mathematical work with their children.  During this first stage, parents were familiarized with inquiry mathematics tasks to provide them with the foundation necessary to become partners and co-producers during the second. The findings give evidence that the learning of reform math tasks and their co-creation supported teacher and parents’ partnership and that parents were moved mathematically and personally by the experience.

  16. Creating a culture where employee engagement Thrives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Don Groover, C.S.P.

    2007-01-01

    Safety leaders across industries face a critical challenge: engaging employees. While engagement of a few people may be easy in short-term projects, it is significantly more difficult with long-term processes. In this session we show leaders how they can create a culture where workers are more open and even eager to be involved in safety efforts. Our experience with safety leaders in the nuclear industry has verified that when the factors that drive organizational functioning are understood, leaders are enabled to augment employee engagement and attain significant improvement in safety outcomes. The underlying factors that influence employee engagement, performance, outcomes, and organizational culture are the same the world over. We will also show how safety is capable, by its intrinsic value, of winning profound support and direct engagement of employees. In this session, we will examine how leaders can leverage their decisions and actions to win over employees to safety and support them in their endeavors to promote it. Using the safety leadership best practices Vision, Credibility, Accountability, Communication, Collaboration, Action Orientation, and Recognition and Feedback, leaders increase their impact on their organization in favor of a culture that supports safety and employee engagement. Leaders that create a climate and culture where employee engagement thrives, realize better safety results. Leadership is not exclusively an inborn talent; it can be developed and enhanced. To this end, we will also show the advantages of transformational leadership style by comparing it to more classical transactional leadership

  17. Creating a culture where employee engagement Thrives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Don Groover, C.S.P. [Behavioral Science Technology, Ojai, CA (United States)

    2007-07-01

    Safety leaders across industries face a critical challenge: engaging employees. While engagement of a few people may be easy in short-term projects, it is significantly more difficult with long-term processes. In this session we show leaders how they can create a culture where workers are more open and even eager to be involved in safety efforts. Our experience with safety leaders in the nuclear industry has verified that when the factors that drive organizational functioning are understood, leaders are enabled to augment employee engagement and attain significant improvement in safety outcomes. The underlying factors that influence employee engagement, performance, outcomes, and organizational culture are the same the world over. We will also show how safety is capable, by its intrinsic value, of winning profound support and direct engagement of employees. In this session, we will examine how leaders can leverage their decisions and actions to win over employees to safety and support them in their endeavors to promote it. Using the safety leadership best practices Vision, Credibility, Accountability, Communication, Collaboration, Action Orientation, and Recognition and Feedback, leaders increase their impact on their organization in favor of a culture that supports safety and employee engagement. Leaders that create a climate and culture where employee engagement thrives, realize better safety results. Leadership is not exclusively an inborn talent; it can be developed and enhanced. To this end, we will also show the advantages of transformational leadership style by comparing it to more classical transactional leadership.

  18. Positive Emotional Engagement and Autism Risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert-Brown, Brittany L.; McDonald, Nicole M.; Mattson, Whitney I.; Martin, Katherine B.; Ibañez, Lisa V.; Stone, Wendy L.; Messinger, Daniel S.

    2015-01-01

    Positive emotional engagement develops in the context of face-to-face interactions during the first 6 months of life. Deficits in emotional engagement are characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and may characterize the younger siblings of children with ASD (high-risk siblings). High-risk siblings are likely to exhibit a broad range of…

  19. Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance: an IPY television series using community engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine L. Carry

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The three-part television broadcast Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance was an International Polar Year communications and outreach project concerning Inuit health and wellness. The goal of this project was to engage the Inuit public and others in “real-time” dialogue about health and wellness issues and health research, and to deliver key messages. It was aired live in the Inuit language (with English captions/sub-titles from Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, in May 2009 and simultaneously webcast. Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance used an Inuit communications model for remote communities that was developed in the Arctic in 1994 by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation/Inuit Communications. In Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance more than 250 people were engaged through the use of a diverse range of methods, including content working groups, stakeholder input, music recordings, pre-recorded community programme videos, live and public screening of the broadcasts, live panels, live audiences, public phone-ins, Skype video-conferencing and real-time online chat, focus groups and e-mail. This article examines the project in light of the principles of “community engagement”, demonstrating that Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance exemplifies community engagement in a number of significant ways, including heavily involving community members in the selection of the health theme content of the televised programmes and through the formation of focus groups. Based on challenges encountered during the Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance project, the article offers recommendations for future projects.

  20. Class Participation in an Aboriginal Theatre Project: An Exemplar of Undergraduate Student Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ginny R. Ratsoy

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available In the 21st Century, Canadian universities are increasingly emphasizing the importance of student engagement. This research paper, by analyzing the reflections of undergraduate students on their experiences in a co-curricular service learning assignment – integrated into a course that included more traditional assignments -in the context of situated learning theory, advocates for a community-focused assignment as a component in a “traditional” lecture-and-discussion based course as a tool for enhanced engagement through active, collaborative learning. While the case study explored is a drama course, the anticipated audience is pan-disciplinary, as the article casts more broadly by providing brief, general guidelines on implementing an experiential learning assignment and encouraging all professors to reflect on their classroom theory and praxis to the end of augmenting student engagement.Au 21e siècle, les universités canadiennes accordent une place de plus en plus importante à l’engagement des étudiants. Les auteurs de ce rapport de recherche analysent les réflexions des étudiants de premier cycle à propos d’un travail pratique (TP qu’ils ont effectué dans le cadre de l’apprentissage par le service communautaire– intégré à un cours qui comprenait des TP plus traditionnels – dans le contexte de la théorie de l’apprentissage situé. Les auteurs préconisent des TP axés sur la collectivité en tant que composants d’un cours « traditionnel » comportant des exposés magistraux et des discussions. Ce type de TP est un outil permettant d’améliorer l’engagement grâce à l’apprentissage actif et collaboratif. L’étude de cas porte sur un cours d’art dramatique, mais le public visé par le présent article est multidisciplinaire. En effet, les auteurs de l’article considèrent les choses plus largement en fournissant de brèves directives générales sur la mise en œuvre d’un devoir dans le cadre de

  1. Engaging Diverse Students in Statistical Inquiry: A Comparison of Learning Experiences and Outcomes of Under-Represented and Non-Underrepresented Students Enrolled in a Multidisciplinary Project-Based Statistics Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dierker, Lisa; Alexander, Jalen; Cooper, Jennifer L.; Selya, Arielle; Rose, Jennifer; Dasgupta, Nilanjana

    2016-01-01

    Introductory statistics needs innovative, evidence-based teaching practices that support and engage diverse students. To evaluate the success of a multidisciplinary, project-based course, we compared experiences of under-represented (URM) and non-underrepresented students in 4 years of the course. While URM students considered the material more…

  2. The Role of Challenge in Students' Engagement and Competence in High School Science Classrooms: Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Whites Compared

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Jennifer A.; Kackar-Cam, Hayal Z.; Strati, Anna D.; Shumow, Lee

    2015-01-01

    This study explores the associations of ethnicity and perceived challenge with high-school students' academic engagement and perceived competence in science. Data were collected through a variant of the Experience Sampling Method in which participants reported on their levels of engagement, perceived competence, and challenge while in science…

  3. [Academic achievement, engagement and burnout among first year medical students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez H, Paula; Pérez V, Cristhian; Parra P, Paula; Ortiz M, Liliana; Matus B, Olga; McColl C, Peter; Torres A, Graciela; Meyer K, Andrea

    2015-07-01

    Stress may affect the sense of wellbeing and academic achievement of university students. To assess the relationship of academic engagement and burnout with academic achievement among first year medical students. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student and Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS) were applied to 277 first year medical students of four universities. Their results were correlated with the grades obtained in the different courses. Moderately high engagement and low burnout levels were detected. There was a high level of satisfaction with studies and a moderate exhaustion level. Academic achievement was associated with the degree of engagement with studies but not with burnout. Conglomerate analysis detected a group of students with high levels of wellbeing, characterized by high levels of academic engagement and low burnout. Other group had moderate levels of engagement and lack of personal fulfilment. Other group, identified as extenuated, had high levels of personal exhaustion and depersonalization. Finally the disassociated group had a low academic engagement, low emotional exhaustion, high levels of depersonalization and lack of personal fulfillment. Academic achievement is associated with the level of engagement with studies but not with burnout.

  4. Diasporas, Transnationalism and Global Engagement : Tamils and ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Diasporas, Transnationalism and Global Engagement : Tamils and Sinhalese in Canada and their links to Sri Lanka. This project will examine the role of diaspora funding and networking in ethno-political conflict in Sri Lanka by examining Tamil and Sinhala transnational community networks in Canada and their nexus in ...

  5. It’s a Process: Reactions to HIV Diagnosis and Engagement in HIV Care among High-Risk Heterosexuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra H. Kutnick

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available After HIV diagnosis, heterosexuals in high-poverty urban areas evidence delays in linkage to care and antiretroviral therapy initiation compared to other groups. Yet barriers to/facilitators of HIV care among these high-risk heterosexuals are understudied. Under the theory of triadic influence, putative barriers to HIV care engagement include individual/attitudinal-level (e.g., fear, medical distrust, social-level (e.g., stigma, and structural-level influences (e.g., poor access. Participants were African-American/Black and Hispanic adults found newly diagnosed with HIV (N = 25 as part of a community-based HIV testing study with heterosexuals in a high-poverty, high-HIV-incidence urban area. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. We described linkage to HIV care and clinical outcomes [CD4 counts, viral load (VL levels] over 1 year, and then addressed qualitative research questions about the experience of receiving a new HIV diagnosis, its effects on timely engagement in HIV care, and other barriers and facilitators. Participants were assessed five times, receiving a structured interview battery, laboratory tests, data extraction from the medical record, a post-test counseling session, and in-person/phone contacts to foster linkage to care. Participants were randomly selected for qualitative interviews (N = 15/25 that were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed using systematic content analysis. Participants were 50 years old, on average (SD = 7.2 years, mostly male (80%, primarily African-American/Black (88%, and low socioeconomic status. At the first follow-up, rates of engagement in care were high (78%, but viral suppression was modest (39%. Rates improved by the final follow-up (96% engaged, 62% virally suppressed. Two-thirds (69% were adequately retained in care over 1 year. Qualitative results revealed multi-faceted responses to receiving an HIV diagnosis. Problems accepting and internalizing one

  6. Educating Engaged Citizens: Four Projects from Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Flaherty, Joanne; Liddy, Mags; Tansey, Lorraine; Roche, Cathy

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to describe the four education projects that demonstrate how Irish education provision is adapting to meet social and economic changes: Ubuntu Network working to integrate education for sustainable development (ESD) into teacher education; Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) facilitating service learning modules at higher…

  7. The Effects of Rewarding User Engagement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Claussen, Jörg; Kretschmer, Tobias; Mayrhofer, Philip

    2013-01-01

    We study the market for apps on Facebook, the dominant social networking platform, and make use of a rule change by Facebook by which highly engaging apps were rewarded with further opportunities to engage users. The rule change led to new applications with significantly higher user ratings being...... declined less rapidly with age. Our results show that social media channels do not necessarily have to be managed through hard exclusion of participants but can also be steered through “softer” changes in reward and incentive systems.......We study the market for apps on Facebook, the dominant social networking platform, and make use of a rule change by Facebook by which highly engaging apps were rewarded with further opportunities to engage users. The rule change led to new applications with significantly higher user ratings being...

  8. NASA Astrophysics EPO Resources For Engaging Girls in Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, M.; Mendoza, D.; Smith, D.; Hasan, H.

    2011-09-01

    A new collaboration among the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO community is to engage girls in science who do not self-select as being interested in science, through the library setting. The collaboration seeks to (i) improve how girls view themselves as someone who knows about, uses, and sometimes contributes to science, and (ii) increase the capacity of EPO practitioners and librarians (both school and public) to engage girls in science. As part of this collaboration, we are collating the research on audience needs and best practices, and SMD EPO resources, activities and projects that focus on or can be recast toward engaging girls in science. This ASP article highlights several available resources and individual projects, such as: (i) Afterschool Universe, an out-of-school hands-on astronomy curriculum targeted at middle school students and an approved Great Science for Girls curriculum; (ii) Big Explosions and Strong Gravity, a Girl Scout patch-earning event for middle school aged girls to learn astronomy through hands-on activities and interaction with actual astronomers; and (iii) the JWST-NIRCAM Train the Trainer workshops and activities for Girl Scouts of USA leaders; etc. The NASA Astrophysics EPO community welcomes the broader EPO community to discuss with us how best to engage non-science-attentive girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and to explore further collaborations on this theme.

  9. Leveraging Interactive Patient Care Technology to Improve Pain Management Engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao-Gupta, Suma; Kruger, David; Leak, Lonna D; Tieman, Lisa A; Manworren, Renee C B

    2017-12-15

    Most children experience pain in hospitals; and their parents report dissatisfaction with how well pain was managed. Engaging patients and families in the development and evaluation of pain treatment plans may improve perceptions of pain management and hospital experiences. The aim of this performance improvement project was to engage patients and families to address hospitalized pediatric patients' pain using interactive patient care technology. The goal was to stimulate conversations about pain management expectations and perceptions of treatment plan effectiveness among patients, parents, and health care teams. Plan-Do-Study-Act was used to design, develop, test, and pilot new workflows to integrate the interactive patient care technology system with the automated medication dispensing system and document actions from both systems into the electronic health record. The pediatric surgical unit and hematology/oncology unit of a free-standing, university-affiliated, urban children's hospital were selected to pilot this performance improvement project because of the high prevalence of pain from surgeries and hematologic and oncologic diseases, treatments, and invasive procedures. Documentation of pain assessments, nonpharmacologic interventions, and evaluation of treatment effectiveness increased. The proportion of positive family satisfaction responses for pain management significantly increased from fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2016 (p = .006). By leveraging interactive patient care technologies, patients and families were engaged to take an active role in pain treatment plans and evaluation of treatment outcomes. Improved active communication and partnership with patients and families can effectively change organizational culture to be more sensitive to patients' pain and patients' and families' hospital experiences. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Preparing engineers for the challenges of community engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harsh, Matthew; Bernstein, Michael J.; Wetmore, Jameson; Cozzens, Susan; Woodson, Thomas; Castillo, Rafael

    2017-11-01

    Despite calls to address global challenges through community engagement, engineers are not formally prepared to engage with communities. Little research has been done on means to address this 'engagement gap' in engineering education. We examine the efficacy of an intensive, two-day Community Engagement Workshop for engineers, designed to help engineers better look beyond technology, listen to and learn from people, and empower communities. We assessed the efficacy of the workshop in a non-experimental pre-post design using a questionnaire and a concept map. Questionnaire results indicate participants came away better able to ask questions more broadly inclusive of non-technological dimensions of engineering projects. Concept map results indicate participants have a greater understanding of ways social factors shape complex material systems after completing the programme. Based on the workshop's strengths and weaknesses, we discuss the potential of expanding and supplementing the programme to help engineers account for social aspects central to engineered systems.

  11. Anticipation of high arousal aversive and positive movie clips engages common and distinct neural substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberg, Tsafrir; Carlson, Joshua M; Rubin, Denis; Cha, Jiook; Mujica-Parodi, Lilianne

    2015-04-01

    The neural correlates of anxious anticipation have been primarily studied with aversive and neutral stimuli. In this study, we examined the effect of valence on anticipation by using high arousal aversive and positive stimuli and a condition of uncertainty (i.e. either positive or aversive). The task consisted of predetermined cues warning participants of upcoming aversive, positive, 'uncertain' (either aversive or positive) and neutral movie clips. Anticipation of all affective clips engaged common regions including the anterior insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, caudate, inferior parietal and prefrontal cortex that are associated with emotional experience, sustained attention and appraisal. In contrast, the nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex, regions implicated in reward processing, were selectively engaged during anticipation of positive clips (depicting sexually explicit content) and the mid-insula, which has been linked to processing aversive stimuli, was selectively engaged during anticipation of aversive clips (depicting graphic medical procedures); these three areas were also activated during anticipation of 'uncertain' clips reflecting a broad preparatory response for both aversive and positive stimuli. These results suggest that a common circuitry is recruited in anticipation of affective clips regardless of valence, with additional areas preferentially engaged depending on whether expected stimuli are negative or positive. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. INFORMATION MODELING OF LIFE CYCLE OF HIGH-RISE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gusakova Elena Aleksandrovna

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available To date, many years’ experience in the construction and operation of high-rise buildings has been accumulated. Its analysis reveals not only the engineering and organizational-technological specifics of such projects, but also systemic gaps in the field of management. In the implementation of large-scale and unique projects for high-rise buildings, the problems and tasks of improving approaches to managing the full life cycle of projects and methods, which will improve their competitiveness, become topical. The systems being used have largely exhausted their resource efficiency, which is associated with automation of traditional “inherited” processes and management structures, as well as development of IT-systems focused on digitalization of the activities of construction company, rather than the project. To solve these problems, it is proposed to carry out: reengineering of the schemes of information interaction between the project’s participants; formation of integrated digital environment for the life cycle of the project; development of systems for integrating data management and project management. Subject: problems, approaches and methods of digitalization of project’s life cycle management in relation to the specifics and features of high-rise buildings. Research objectives: substantiation of the most perspective approaches and methods of information modeling of high-rise construction as the basis for managing the full life cycle of the given project. Materials and methods: the experience of digitalization of design, construction, operation and development of high-rise buildings, presented in specialized literature, is analyzed. The methods for integrating information models of various stages of project’s life cycle and for information interaction of project’s participants are considered. Results: the concept of forming a single digital environment for the project is proposed, taking into account the features of the life

  13. VIP visit of LHC Computing Grid Project

    CERN Multimedia

    Krajewski, Yann Tadeusz

    2015-01-01

    VIP visit of LHC Computing Grid Project with Dr -.Ing. Tarek Kamel [Senior Advisor to the President for Government Engagement, ICANN Geneva Office] and Dr Nigel Hickson [VP, IGO Engagement, ICANN Geneva Office

  14. Fostering Sustained Climate Engagement and Collaborative Leadership through Creativity and Science-Informed Arts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothballer, K.; Sturges, M. J.

    2016-12-01

    Join veteran artist/activist Molly Sturges for a presentation on FIREROCK: PASS THE SPARK performances and engagement processes that foster personal and collective creativity for sustained climate engagement and collaborative leadership. FIREROCK: PASS THE ROCK opens in San Francisco in October 2016. This project is an evolving, long-term, social innovation project that has been developed with faith, Indigenous and directly impacted communities as well as schools, towns and universities. Informed by science, social justice, Indigenous knowledge, and grassroots activism FIREROCK includes performances that are accompanied by a series of activities designed to build community and engineer creative spaces for dialogue and response. The FIREROCK team has found that people are excited to engage around climate when there are venues available for expressivity and meaningful exchange. FIREROCK supports us in moving from our current stance in which we are paralyzed— often not knowing what to do or how to act—to seeing ourselves as part of the solution. FIREROCK is a family-friendly catalytic musical journey inviting people into the complexity of climate change and sparking an inspired response to the mythic challenges of our time. Through story, song and unique engagement experiences, FIREROCK builds community towards action and solutions. FIREROCK provides partners with everything they need to make the project their own, including a comprehensive toolkit to assist groups in learning how to develop community partnerships, convene FIREROCK engagement activities and facilitate dialogue and skill sharing. This dynamic storytelling project is scalable and can be employed, adapted and localized by groups and communities nationwide as a powerful catalyst for climate engagement work. Molly Sturges is a national leader in arts, ecology and social change work. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Littleglobe, a diverse arts cooperative made up of artistic and cultural workers

  15. A Case Study: Motivational Attributes of 4-H Participants Engaged in Robotics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Mariah Lea

    2013-01-01

    Robotics has gained a great deal of popularity across the United States as a means to engage youth in science, technology, engineering, and math. Understanding what motivates youth and adults to participate in a robotics project is critical to understanding how to engage others. By developing a robotics program built on a proper understanding of…

  16. Peer interactions and academic engagement of youth with developmental disabilities in inclusive middle and high school classrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Erik W; Sisco, Lynn G; Brown, Lissa; Brickham, Dana; Al-Khabbaz, Zainab A

    2008-11-01

    We examined the peer interactions and academic engagement of 23 middle and high school students with developmental disabilities within inclusive academic and elective classrooms. The extent to which students with and without disabilities interacted socially was highly variable and influenced by instructional format, the proximity of general and special educators, and curricular area. Peer interactions occurred more often within small group instructional formats, when students were not receiving direct support from a paraprofessional or special educator, and in elective courses. Academic engagement also varied, with higher levels evidenced during one-to-one or small group instruction and when in proximity of general or special educators. Implications for designing effective support strategies for students with autism and/or intellectual disability within general education classrooms are discussed.

  17. Examining Thai high school students' developing STEM projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teenoi, Kultida; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai

    2018-01-01

    Like others, Thailand education strongly focused on STEM education. This paper aimed to examine existing Thai high school students' integrated knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their developing science project. The participants included 49 high school students were studying the subject of individual study (IS) in Khon Kaen wittayayon school, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The IS was provided to gradually enhance students to know how to do science project starting from getting start to do science projects, They enrolled to study the individual study of science project for three year in roll. Methodology was qualitative research. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM were interpreted through participant observation, interview, and students' science projects. The first author as participant observation has taught this group of students for 3 years. It found that 16 science projects were developed. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM could be categorized into three categories. These included (1) completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, (2) partial indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and (3) no integration. The findings revealed that majority of science projects could be categorized as completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The paper suggested some ideas of enhancing students to applying STEM for developing science projects.

  18. Solar public engagement: the prospective study on FELDA community in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamiah Tun Jamil, Siti; Azfahani Ahmad, Nur

    2017-05-01

    Malaysia Energy Outlook 2016 has highlighted that Malaysia's electricity generation mix has always been highly dependent on fossil fuels. There is a concern on energy security for Malaysia recently, since the depletion of fossil fuel occurs and its effect increases the price of electricity tariff. Nevertheless, the energy demand continues to increase, which make the non-fossil renewable energy sources is back on demand. Malaysia's highest potential for renewable energy comes from solar energy and the large roofs of rural houses offer potential to contribute solar electricity for the people. Indeed, the engagement of solar energy to the public is very important in allowing this energy to be accepted by the locals. The paper will review the related literature on public engagement for solar energy project. This paper also tries to prospect the potential of implementing solar electricity for a well-known rural organization in Malaysia, known as FELDA.

  19. The State High Biodiesel Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heasley, Paul L.; Van Der Sluys, William G.

    2009-01-01

    Through a collaborative project in Pennsylvania, high school students developed a method for converting batches of their cafeteria's waste fryer oil into biodiesel using a 190 L (50 gal) reactor. While the biodiesel is used to supplement the school district's heating and transportation energy needs, the byproduct--glycerol--is used to make hand…

  20. Exploring the Effectiveness of Engagement in a Broad Range of Disciplinary Practices on Learning of Turkish High-School Chemistry Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seda Cetin, Pinar; Eymur, Guluzar; Southerland, Sherry A.; Walker, Joi; Whittington, Kirby

    2018-01-01

    This study examines the influence of laboratory instruction that engages students in a wide range of the practices of science on Turkish high-school students' chemistry learning. In this mixed methods study, student learning in two different laboratory settings was compared, one that featured an instruction that engaged students in a wide range of…

  1. Student engagement in the school : interpersonal and inter-center differences.

    OpenAIRE

    Ros Martínez de Lahidalga, Iker

    2012-01-01

    This research project aim to identify differences in students’ engagement in school life, in terms of both sociopersonal characteristics (sex and educational stage) and type of school (state, private with some state funding and cooperative). Participants were 1229 students aged between 9 and 17 (598 from a worker cooperative and 631 from state and private stated-funded schools of the Basque Country and Catalonia). Three components were distinguished in engagement (emotional, behavioural and ...

  2. Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimazu, Akihito; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Miyanaka, Daisuke; Iwata, Noboru

    2010-11-05

    With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees.

  3. The use of high-frequency data to engage students in quantitative reasoning and scientific discourse

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Reilly, C.; Meixner, T.; Bader, N.; Carey, C.; Castendyk, D.; Gougis-Darner, R.; Fuller, R.; Gibson, C.; Klug, J.; Richardson, D.; Stomberg, J.

    2014-12-01

    Scientists are increasingly using sensor-collected, high-frequency datasets to study environmental processes. To expose undergraduate students to similar experiences, our team has developed six classroom modules that utilize large, long-term, and sensor-based, datasets for science courses designed to: 1) Improve quantitative skills and reasoning; 2) Develop scientific discourse and argumentation; and 3) Increase student engagement in science. A team of ten interdisciplinary faculty from both private and public research universities and undergraduate institutions have developed flexible modules suitable for a variety of undergraduate courses. These modules meet a series of pedagogical goals that include: 1) Developing skills required to manipulate large datasets at different scales to conduct inquiry-based investigations; 2) Developing students' reasoning about statistical variation; and 3) Fostering desirable conceptions about the nature of environmental science. Six modules on the following topics are being piloted during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years prior to broad dissemination: 1) Temporal stream discharge evaluation using USGS data; 2) Temporal stream nutrient loads and eutrophication risk using USGS and MCM-LTER data; 3) Climate change using NOAA weather and Vostok ice core data; 4) Lake ice-off dates using GLEON data; 5) Thermal dynamics in lakes using GLEON data; and 6) Lake metabolism dynamics using GLEON data. To assess achievement of the pedagogical goals, we will use pre/post questionnaires and video-recordings of students working on modules. Questionnaires will contain modified items from the Experimental Design Ability Test (Sirum & Humberg 2011), the Views on the Nature of Science questionnaire (Lederman et al. 2001), and a validated instrument to measure students' ideas about variation (Watson et al. 2003). Information gained from these assessments and recordings will allow us to determine whether our modules are effective at engaging

  4. Using a "Makerspace" Approach to Engage Indonesian Primary Students with STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackley, Susan; Rahmawati, Yuli; Fitriani, Ella; Sheffield, Rachel; Koul, Rekha

    2018-01-01

    This paper examines the learning experiences of 291 Year 5 and 6 Indonesian primary school students, across four schools in North Jakarta, who participated in an integrated STEM project that used a 3-phase "Makerspace" approach: exposure, engagement and experimentation, and evaluation and extension. The Wiggle Bots project involved these…

  5. Householder engagement with energy consumption feedback: the role of community action and communications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burchell, Kevin; Rettie, Ruth; Roberts, Tom C.

    2016-01-01

    The provision of energy consumption feedback on in-home displays (IHDs) has a prominent role in government strategies for domestic energy demand reduction. Research suggests that IHDs can support energy consumption reduction, but also that engagement with IHDs can be limited to men and is often short-term. In this paper, we draw on research carried out in Smart Communities, a two-year project in which electricity and gas consumption feedback played a key role. This study was distinctive because it was accompanied by a weekly email communications programme and was provided within the context of community action. Project findings suggest that, although by no means panaceas, approaches such as these can support long-term engagement with energy consumption feedback, including by women, and can support behaviour change. - Highlights: • We examine the challenge of householder engagement with energy consumption feedback. • The potential of ‘community action’ and ‘communications’ is explored. • These approaches are shown to support long-term engagement by householders. • These approaches are also shown to support greater engagement by women. • Recommendations for future IHD platforms and smart meter roll-outs are presented.

  6. Rules of engagement: perspectives on stakeholder engagement for genomic biobanking research in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staunton, Ciara; Tindana, Paulina; Hendricks, Melany; Moodley, Keymanthri

    2018-02-27

    Genomic biobanking research is undergoing exponential growth in Africa raising a host of legal, ethical and social issues. Given the scientific complexity associated with genomics, there is a growing recognition globally of the importance of science translation and community engagement (CE) for this type of research, as it creates the potential to build relationships, increase trust, improve consent processes and empower local communities. Despite this level of recognition, there is a lack of empirical evidence of the practise and processes for effective CE in genomic biobanking in Africa. To begin to address this vacuum, 17 in-depth face to face interviews were conducted with South African experts in genomic biobanking research and CE to provide insight into the process, benefits and challenges of CE in South Africa. Emerging themes were analysed using a contextualised thematic approach. Several themes emerged concerning the conduct of CE in genomic biobanking research in Africa. Although the literature tends to focus on the local community in CE, respondents in this study described three different layers of stakeholder engagement: community level, peer level and high level. Community level engagement includes potential participants, community advisory boards (CAB) and field workers; peer level engagement includes researchers, biobankers and scientists, while high level engagement includes government officials, funders and policy makers. Although education of each stakeholder layer is important, education of the community layer can be most challenging, due to the complexity of the research and educational levels of stakeholders in this layer. CE is time-consuming and often requires an interdisciplinary research team approach. However careful planning of the engagement strategy, including an understanding of the differing layers of stakeholder engagement, and the specific educational needs at each layer, can help in the development of a relationship based on trust

  7. Healthcare professionals' work engagement in Finnish university hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lepistö, Sari; Alanen, Seija; Aalto, Pirjo; Järvinen, Päivi; Leino, Kaija; Mattila, Elina; Kaunonen, Marja

    2017-10-10

    Concerns about the sufficiency and dedication of the healthcare workforce have arisen as the baby boomer generation is retiring and the generation Y might have different working environment demands. To describe the association between work engagement of healthcare professionals' and its background factors at five Finnish university hospitals. Survey data were collected from nurses, physicians and administrative staff (n = 561) at all five university hospitals in Finland. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire that comprised the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9 items) and 13 questions regarding the respondents' backgrounds. Descriptive and correlational analyses were used to examine the data. Most respondents were female (85%) and nursing staff (72%). Baby boomers (49%) were the largest generational cohort. The work engagement composite mean for the total sample was 5.0, indicating high work engagement. Significant differences in work engagement existed only among sex and age groups. The highest work engagement scores were among administrative staff. Work engagement among healthcare professionals in Finnish university hospitals is high. High work engagement might be explained by suitable job resources and challenges, as well as opportunities provided by a frontline care environment. Attention should especially be paid to meeting the needs of young people entering the workforce to strengthen their dedication and absorption. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  8. High Altitude Clear Air Turbulence Project

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory conducted the High Altitude Clear Air Turbulence Project in the mid 1960s with the intention of better understanding air...

  9. Improvement of the cost-benefit analysis algorithm for high-rise construction projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gafurov Andrey

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The specific nature of high-rise investment projects entailing long-term construction, high risks, etc. implies a need to improve the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis. An improved algorithm is described in the article. For development of the improved algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects, the following methods were used: weighted average cost of capital, dynamic cost-benefit analysis of investment projects, risk mapping, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis of critical ratios, etc. This comprehensive approach helped to adapt the original algorithm to feasibility objectives in high-rise construction. The authors put together the algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects on the basis of risk mapping and sensitivity analysis of critical ratios. The suggested project risk management algorithms greatly expand the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis in investment projects, namely: the “Project analysis scenario” flowchart, improving quality and reliability of forecasting reports in investment projects; the main stages of cash flow adjustment based on risk mapping for better cost-benefit project analysis provided the broad range of risks in high-rise construction; analysis of dynamic cost-benefit values considering project sensitivity to crucial variables, improving flexibility in implementation of high-rise projects.

  10. Improvement of the cost-benefit analysis algorithm for high-rise construction projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gafurov, Andrey; Skotarenko, Oksana; Plotnikov, Vladimir

    2018-03-01

    The specific nature of high-rise investment projects entailing long-term construction, high risks, etc. implies a need to improve the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis. An improved algorithm is described in the article. For development of the improved algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects, the following methods were used: weighted average cost of capital, dynamic cost-benefit analysis of investment projects, risk mapping, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis of critical ratios, etc. This comprehensive approach helped to adapt the original algorithm to feasibility objectives in high-rise construction. The authors put together the algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects on the basis of risk mapping and sensitivity analysis of critical ratios. The suggested project risk management algorithms greatly expand the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis in investment projects, namely: the "Project analysis scenario" flowchart, improving quality and reliability of forecasting reports in investment projects; the main stages of cash flow adjustment based on risk mapping for better cost-benefit project analysis provided the broad range of risks in high-rise construction; analysis of dynamic cost-benefit values considering project sensitivity to crucial variables, improving flexibility in implementation of high-rise projects.

  11. Midwestern High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    On February 17,1989, the Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments and the US Department of Energy entered into a cooperative agreement authorizing the initiation of the Midwestern High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Project. The transportation project continued to receive funding from DOE through amendments to the original cooperative agreement, with December 31, 1993, marking the end of the initial 5-year period. This progress report reflects the work completed by the Midwestern Office from February 17,1989, through December 31,1993. In accordance with the scopes of work governing the period covered by this report, the Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments has worked closely with the Midwestern High-Level Radioactive Waste Committee. Project staff have facilitated all eight of the committee's meetings and have represented the committee at meetings of DOE's Transportation Coordination Group (TCG) and Transportation External Coordination Working Group (TEC/WG). Staff have also prepared and submitted comments on DOE activities on behalf of the committee. In addition to working with the committee, project staff have prepared and distributed 20 reports, including some revised reports (see Attachment 1). Staff have also developed a library of reference materials for the benefit of committee members, state officials, and other interested parties. To publicize the library, and to make it more accessible to potential users, project staff have prepared and distributed regular notices of resource availability

  12. Motivation and Engagement across the Academic Life Span: A Developmental Construct Validity Study of Elementary School, High School, and University/College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Andrew J.

    2009-01-01

    From a developmental construct validity perspective, this study examines motivation and engagement across elementary school, high school, and university/college, with particular focus on the Motivation and Engagement Scale (comprising adaptive, impeding/maladaptive, and maladaptive factors). Findings demonstrated developmental construct validity…

  13. Evaluation of nurse engagement in evidence-based practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Judy E; Brown, Caroline

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this project was to explore nurses' willingness to question and change practice. Nurses were invited to report practice improvement opportunities, and participants were supported through the process of a practice change. The project leader engaged to the extent desired by the participant. Meetings proceeded until the participant no longer wished to continue, progress was blocked, or practice was changed. Evaluation of the evidence-based practice change process occurred. Fifteen nurses reported 23 practice improvement opportunities. The majority (12 of 15) preferred to have the project leader review the evidence. Fourteen projects changed practice; 4 were presented at conferences. Multiple barriers were identified throughout the process and included loss of momentum, the proposed change involved other disciplines, and low level or controversial evidence. Practice issues were linked to quality metrics, cost of care, patient satisfaction, regulatory compliance, and patient safety. Active engagement by nurse leaders was needed for a practice change to occur. Participants identified important problems previously unknown to hospital administrators. The majority of nurses preferred involvement in practice change based on clinical problem solving when supported by others to provide literature review and manage the process through committees. Recommendations include supporting a culture that encourages employees to report practice improvement opportunities and provide resources to assist in navigating the identified practice change.

  14. Student Engagement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Conduit, Jodie; Karpen, Ingo; Farrelly, Francis

    2017-01-01

    system (the university), the narrow service system (the course), and the individual dyadic level of engagement (the student-lecturer interaction). These findings could be further considered and empirically tested in other engagement contexts (e.g. employee engagement, customer engagement).......Universities are seeking to actively and strategically manage student engagement through providing opportunities for students to interact and engage with the institution on a range of levels and in different ways. However, this increasingly complex and multi-layered nature of student engagement...... within a tertiary education environment is not well understood. Through qualitative focus groups and a series of interviews with undergraduate and postgraduate students, this study explores and articulates the cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social dimensions of engagement that depict the nature...

  15. The Relationship between Student Motivation and Class Engagement Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayir, Funda

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Student engagement and interest in class are important conditions for active learning. For this they must be highly motivated. In other words, students who have high motivation make an effort to be engaged in class. Thus, knowing students' motivation level is important for active engagement in class. The aim of the present study is to…

  16. Engaging with Underserved Urban Communities on Climate Resilience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akerlof, K.; Moser, F. C.; Baja, K.; Dindinger, J. M.; Chanse, V.; Rowan, K. E.; Rohring, B.

    2016-12-01

    Meeting the needs of urban high-risk/low-resource communities is one of the most critical challenges in improving climate resilience nationally, but little tailored information exists to guide community engagement efforts specifically for these contexts. This case study describes a collaboration between universities, local governments, and community members working in underserved neighborhoods of the City of Baltimore and Prince George's County, Maryland. In service of current and developing community programs, the team surveyed residents door-to-door about their perceptions of the socio-environmental risks they face, their priorities for change, and the ways in which communication may build protective social capital. We highlight theoretical, applied, and pedagogical aspects of the study that inform both the promise and limitations of these collaborations. These include: 1) the role of citizen participation in climate adaptation decision-making; 2) the meaning, use, and potential impact of community data; 3) balancing differing organizational priorities, timelines, and cultures within community-based projects; and 4) research participation of undergraduate students. The results of the survey illuminate climate risk perceptions in neighborhoods facing complex stressors with lessons for communication and engagement in other urban areas facing similar adaptation challenges.

  17. Student Engagement and Completion in Precalculus Precalculus Mega Section: Efficiently Assisting Student Engagement and Completion with Communications and Information Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brusi, Rima; Portnoy, Arturo; Toro, Nilsa

    2013-01-01

    The Precalculus Mega Section project was developed with the main purpose of improving the overall performance of the student body in Precalculus, an important gatekeeper course that affects student engagement and completion, with typical drop/failure rates of over 50 percent. Strategies such as integration of technology and additional practice…

  18. Engaging Nursing Students: Integrating Evidence-Based Inquiry, Informatics, and Clinical Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiffer, Melanie R

    2017-12-05

    The nursing research class requires faculty to create a spirit of inquiry while integrating technology, flexibility, and responsiveness to student needs. This article discusses new pedagogies to actively engage students in the evidence-based nursing process and the achievement of course learning outcomes. Through course exemplar, the author demonstrates a creative method to engage traditional baccalaureate nursing students in a nursing project that links evidence to improved patient outcomes.

  19. Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iwata Noboru

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9 and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339 and the Netherlands (N = 13,406. Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement based the test information function (TIF and the standard error of measurement (SEM. The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees.

  20. Project studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Geraldi, Joana; Söderlund, Jonas

    2018-01-01

    Project organising is a growing field of scholarly inquiry and management practice. In recent years, two important developments have influenced this field: (1) the study and practice of projects have extended their level of analysis from mainly focussing on individual projects to focussing on micro......, and of the explanations of project practices they could offer. To discuss avenues for future research on projects and project practice, this paper suggests the notion of project studies to better grasp the status of our field. We combine these two sets of ideas to analyse the status and future options for advancing...... project research: (1) levels of analysis; and (2) type of research. Analysing recent developments within project studies, we observe the emergence of what we refer to as type 3 research, which reconciles the need for theoretical development and engagement with practice. Type 3 research suggests pragmatic...

  1. Modeling Community Engagement in an Undergraduate Course in Psychology at an HBCU

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Dawn X.

    2017-01-01

    This article describes an undergraduate course in community psychology at an Historically Black University. The course integrated community engagement using a local neighborhood revitalization project as a platform for students to volunteer, prepare a historical analysis, and sense of community project. The course aims to fulfill a requirement…

  2. Should Students Engaged to Their Study? (Academic Burnout and School-Engagement among Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fitri Arlinkasari

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Inability to deal with lectures efficiently leads students vulnerable to academic burnout. Burnout contributes to the high dropout rate among students, and this phenomenon has occurred on several universities in Indonesia. To overcome these problems, students should generate the feelings, attitudes and positive attitude towards the academic demands, or known as school engagement. School involvement is a predictor of students’ dropout rate. This study aims to analyze the dropout problem in many private universities in Jakarta by examining the psychological variables: academic burnout and school engagement. 208 students from some private university in Jakarta participated and fulfilled two questionnaires: academic burnout and school engagement that has been modified to suit the college setting. Correlation of the variables showed r= - 0.399 (p = 0.000. This means that school engagement plays a role in reducing academic burnout among students. These findings contribute a reference for academic counseling to support the decreasing of students’ dropout rate.

  3. High School Science Teachers' Perceptions of the Effects of Oneto- one Computing Devices on Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bocchino, Herbert S., III

    The identified problem of practice for the present action research study centers on ways in which teacher-participants in a working class poor, rural, southern high school can use the iPads in daily science classroom activities to more effectively to engage these students in their classrooms and make the curriculum meaningful. Data in the form of classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and teacher in-service seminars was collected over a six week period. The results of the present action research study indicate a need for more professional development for incorporating iPads into science coursework for these teacher-participants at RHS despite their claim that they are well prepared to use the iPads in their science curriculum and pedagogy. The Action Plan that resulted from the present study is in the form of professional development for teachers that focuses on how iPads can be used in a constructivist pedagogy to enable better equity of historically marginalized groups of students such as young women, people of color, rural people, and working class poor people to access higher level science courses and post-secondary careers. The Action Plan details tools for iPad use with project-based learning that lends itself to student discovery, the creation of products, and personal meaning-making.

  4. Staying Engaged: Knowledge and Research Needs in Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we review knowledge about student engagement and look ahead to the future of study in this area. We begin by describing how researchers in the field define and study student engagement. In particular, we describe the levels, contexts, and dimensions that constitute the measurement of engagement, summarize the contexts that shape engagement and the outcomes that result from it, and articulate person-centered approaches for analyzing engagement. We conclude by addressing limitations to the research and providing recommendations for study. Specifically, we point to the importance of incorporating more work on how learning-related emotions, personality characteristics, prior learning experiences, shared values across contexts, and engagement in nonacademic activities influence individual differences in student engagement. We also stress the need to improve our understanding of the nuances involved in developing engagement over time by incorporating more extensive longitudinal analyses, intervention trials, research on affective neuroscience, and interactions among levels and dimensions of engagement. PMID:27087833

  5. Doing emotion work in museums: reconceptualising the role of community engagement practitioners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ealasaid Munro

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I investigate the practice of community engagement, and suggest that ideas around emotion work and emotional labour might offer new ways of thinking about the role of museum staff in community engagement settings. Through material gathered as part of an ethnographic research project conducted with Glasgow Museums - the city of Glasgow’s municipal museums service - I show that community engagement practitioners routinely utilize emotional performances as part of their work. I argue that, often, the emotion work that is done in these settings is under-valued, and suggest that both scholars of museums and museum professionals need to pay more attention to the interpersonal relationships that might be forged within community engagement settings.

  6. Engaged scholarship in construction management research: the adoption of information and communications technology in construction projects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voordijk, Johannes T.; Adriaanse, Adriaan Maria

    2016-01-01

    The objective is to explore what engaged scholarship (ES) could mean for construction management research in facilitating interactions between practice and theory. ES aims to develop knowledge that advances both science and practice through engagement of scholars with practice. Three types of ES are

  7. The Roland Maze Project - school-based extensive air shower network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feder, J.; Jedrzejczak, K.; Karczmarczyk, J.; Lewandowski, R.; Swarzynski, J.; Szabelska, B.; Szabelski, J.; Wibig, T.

    2006-01-01

    We plan to construct the large area network of extensive air shower detectors placed on the roofs of high school buildings in the city of Lodz. Detection points will be connected by INTERNET to the central server and their work will be synchronized by GPS. The main scientific goal of the project are studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays. Using existing town infrastructure (INTERNET, power supply, etc.) will significantly reduce the cost of the experiment. Engaging high school students in the research program should significantly increase their knowledge of science and modern technologies, and can be a very efficient way of science popularisation. We performed simulations of the projected network capabilities of registering Extensive Air Showers and reconstructing energies of primary particles. Results of the simulations and the current status of project realisation will be presented

  8. Is a Transdisciplinary Theory of Engagement in Organized Settings Possible? A Concept Analysis of the Literature on Employee Engagement, Consumer Engagement and Patient Engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graffigna, Guendalina

    2017-01-01

    Organizations are experiencing increased competition, disruptive innovation, and continuous changes in their social and economic context. Furthermore, the decrease of resources (economic and human) in such a demanding context make it imperative for organizations to find new models and strategies to make their service delivery more sustainable at the economic, environmental and psychological levels. In such a complex scenario the concept of engagement of the individuals involved in organized settings (either as service providers or as final receivers) is a promising lever for innovation. However, despite the number of studies on the matter, the debate on engagement is still very fragmented because the corpus of literature addressing the different areas of engagement is divided and diverse in its nature. In this paper, we discuss the results of a conceptual analysis of the literature conducted in order to investigate overlapping features and areas of divergence among three different areas of investigation and application of the engagement phenomenon in organized settings: the domains of employee engagement, consumer engagement, and patient engagement. These are deliberately selected as prototypical of the phenomenon of engagement along the "inside/outside" of organizational settings. The analysis consisted in a qualitative conceptual survey? Of the scholarly literature indexed with the key terms "employee engagement," "consumer engagement," and "patient engagement." We performed a key-word based survey? Of the literature in the Scopus database. A total of 163 articles were selected and analyzed. The analysis cast light on the following areas of conceptual overlap among employee, consumer and patient engagement: (1) engagement is different from empowerment and activation; (2) engagement is a multi-componential psychological experience; (3) engagement is a self-transformative experience; (4) engagement develops within a relational context; (5) engagement is a systemic

  9. Is a Transdisciplinary Theory of Engagement in Organized Settings Possible? A Concept Analysis of the Literature on Employee Engagement, Consumer Engagement and Patient Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guendalina Graffigna

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Organizations are experiencing increased competition, disruptive innovation, and continuous changes in their social and economic context. Furthermore, the decrease of resources (economic and human in such a demanding context make it imperative for organizations to find new models and strategies to make their service delivery more sustainable at the economic, environmental and psychological levels. In such a complex scenario the concept of engagement of the individuals involved in organized settings (either as service providers or as final receivers is a promising lever for innovation. However, despite the number of studies on the matter, the debate on engagement is still very fragmented because the corpus of literature addressing the different areas of engagement is divided and diverse in its nature. In this paper, we discuss the results of a conceptual analysis of the literature conducted in order to investigate overlapping features and areas of divergence among three different areas of investigation and application of the engagement phenomenon in organized settings: the domains of employee engagement, consumer engagement, and patient engagement. These are deliberately selected as prototypical of the phenomenon of engagement along the “inside/outside” of organizational settings. The analysis consisted in a qualitative conceptual survey? Of the scholarly literature indexed with the key terms “employee engagement,” “consumer engagement,” and “patient engagement.” We performed a key-word based survey? Of the literature in the Scopus database. A total of 163 articles were selected and analyzed. The analysis cast light on the following areas of conceptual overlap among employee, consumer and patient engagement: (1 engagement is different from empowerment and activation; (2 engagement is a multi-componential psychological experience; (3 engagement is a self-transformative experience; (4 engagement develops within a relational context

  10. Redesigning a Large Lecture Course for Student Engagement: Process and Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie F. Reid

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Using an action-research approach, a large-lecture science course (240 students was redesigned to improve student engagement in the areas of active and collaborative learning, faculty-student interaction and level of academic challenge. This was mainly achieved through the addition of a half-semester long group project, which replaced half of the lectures and the final exam. The course redesign did not result in more hours spent on teaching and teaching-related activities (grading, assessment preparation, lecturing, lecture preparation for the instructor – although the redesigned course requires the support of teaching assistants for the project component. Data on students’ perceptions of the modified course and the frequency to which they participated in the engagement activities were collected using the Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE. The majority of students reported high levels of engagement in most of the intended areas and were comfortable with the new class design. The CLASSE data also helped identify areas where intended engagement levels were not met. These areas are the focus for future course development and action research questions.Utilisant une approche de type recherche-action, un cours de science offert dans un grand auditorium (240 étudiants a été reconfiguré afin d’amener les étudiants à s’engager davantage dans un apprentissage actif et collaboratif ainsi que dans leur interaction professeur-étudiants et à relever un défi de nature académique. Pour ce faire, la moitié des cours magistraux ainsi que l’examen final ont été remplacés par un projet de groupe. La reconfiguration du cours ne s’est pas traduite par une augmentation des heures d’enseignement ou des activités liées à l’enseignement (notation, préparation des évaluations, exposé magistral, préparation de l’exposé magistral – bien qu’elle ait nécessité le soutien des assistants à l’enseignement pour la

  11. Considering the Role of Tutoring in Student Engagement ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Student engagement has been defined as the extent to which students are engaged in activities that higher education research has shown to be linked with high-quality learning outcomes. The ubiquitous influence of the term 'student engagement' has been felt throughout the higher education landscape. This is especially ...

  12. Uniting Hispanic Film Studies with Civic Engagement: A Chance for Personal Transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Kajsa C.

    2015-01-01

    This current study presents a unique approach to the examination of Hispanic film through the incorporation of a civic engagement project, the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project (MSPP), into the curriculum. Students examined and assessed important global issues, and how they are portrayed in films from several Spanish-speaking countries, while…

  13. Strengthening stakeholder-engaged research and research on stakeholder engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Kristin N; Miller, Elizabeth

    2017-06-01

    Stakeholder engagement is an emerging field with little evidence to inform best practices. Guidelines are needed to improve the quality of research on stakeholder engagement through more intentional planning, evaluation and reporting. We developed a preliminary framework for planning, evaluating and reporting stakeholder engagement, informed by published conceptual models and recommendations and then refined through our own stakeholder engagement experience. Our proposed exploratory framework highlights contexts and processes to be addressed in planning stakeholder engagement, and potential immediate, intermediate and long-term outcomes that warrant evaluation. We use this framework to illustrate both the minimum information needed for reporting stakeholder-engaged research and the comprehensive detail needed for reporting research on stakeholder engagement.

  14. Increasing Social Media Engagement through a Digital Marketing Plan. Case: Plootu

    OpenAIRE

    Koskinen, Saku

    2016-01-01

    The importance of mastering digital marketing in companies’ marketing mix is increasing and expertise in the field is still developing. Digital marketing provides tools to facilitate more targeted and cost-efficient marketing. Not only can marketing teams reach customers all over the world but they can also communicate, interact and engage with them. The objective of this project-based thesis was to increase social media engagement, brand awareness and reach new audiences in social media ...

  15. Sexual Minority and Employee Engagement: Implications for Job Satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myung H. Jin

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Despite the increasing attention given to the construct of work engagement in the workplace, it remains under-researched in the academic literature. Using Kahn’s conceptual foundation of work engagement, this study examines whether high levels of work engagement lead to equally satisfying work experiences for members of the workforce regardless of their sexual orientation. Using the 2012 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS, authors find that while active engagement at work had positive influence on employee job satisfaction regardless of one’s sexual orientation, high level of engagement at work among LGBT employees was less strongly associated with job satisfaction than it was for those non-LGBT employees. Implications are discussed.

  16. Creating engagement with old research videos

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caglio, Agnese; Buur, Jacob

    User-centred design projects that utilize ethnographic research tend to produce hours and hours of contextual video footage that seldom gets used again once the project is complete. The richness of such research video could, however, make it attractive for other project teams or researchers...... as source of inspiration or knowledge of a particular context or user group -- if it were practically feasible to engage with the material later on. In this paper we explore the potentials of using old research footage to stimulate reflection, conversations and creativity by presenting it on pervasive...... screens to colleague designers and researchers. The setup we designed included large and small screens placed in a social space of a research environment, the communal kitchen. Through screenings of ten different 'old' research videos accompanied by various prompt questions and activities we built...

  17. HIV, breast cancer and vaccines: what do high-profile cases reveal about stakeholder engagement in research?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morain, Stephanie R; Concannon, Thomas W; Wittenberg, Eve

    2017-01-01

    Substantially engaging stakeholders in research involves making extensive changes to the full life cycle of research, from the initial stage of selecting research priorities to the final stages of dissemination and implementation. Recent scholarship has explored logistical and methodological challenges, including the time, training and resources required for engagement. However, inadequate attention has been given to the intended ends or goals of engagement - what do we want engagement to achieve? An examination of historical case studies can yield important insights regarding engagement and its intended ends. Using historical perspective methods, we explore how clarity about the ends of engagement can inform the design of engagement efforts and lead to better outcomes. We present several lessons for improving stakeholder-engaged research.

  18. Why do employees have better family lives when they are highly engaged at work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilies, Remus; Liu, Xiao-Yu; Liu, Yukun; Zheng, Xiaoming

    2017-06-01

    Past research on the effects of work engagement on the family has demonstrated contrasting effects, with some suggesting that work engagement is beneficial for family life whereas others suggesting that it may be detrimental. In this research, using a sample of 125 employees who responded to daily surveys both at work and at home for 2 consecutive weeks, the authors present a multilevel examination of the relationships of work engagement to family outcomes aimed at elucidating such work-family effects. Their findings revealed that employees' daily work engagement experiences related positively, within individuals, to work-family interpersonal capitalization, which in turn, related positively to daily family satisfaction and to daily work-family balance. The findings also indicate that both the relationship between daily work engagement and work-family interpersonal capitalization and the indirect effects of daily work engagement on the family outcomes were stronger for employees with higher intrinsic motivation than for those with lower intrinsic motivation. The authors discuss theoretical and practical implications of the findings and offer directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. High luminance LCD projection TV, 40ZIP; Kokido ekisho projection terebi 40ZIP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    A 40 type LCD projection TV was commercialized which utilized the characteristics of a `large screen`, `saved space` and `light weight` incident to an LCD projection system and which succeeded `a television benign to people`, the concept of a flat wide television FACE{sub TM}. The main features are as follows:(1) A bright-in-every-corner and high-definition picture realized by employing a 2.7 type low temperature polysilicon LCD panel, high performance optical unit, wide angle of visibility, and high contrast screen. (2) A slim design for a 40 type large screen (compared with conventional models at Toshiba) having a depth comparable to that of 14 type and a mass equivalent to that of 25 type.(3) A PC input terminal most suitable for presentation. (translated by NEDO)

  20. Enhancing Mental and Physical Health of Women through Engagement and Retention (EMPOWER): a protocol for a program of research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Alison B; Farmer, Melissa M; Moin, Tannaz; Finley, Erin P; Lang, Ariel J; Oishi, Sabine M; Huynh, Alexis K; Zuchowski, Jessica; Haskell, Sally G; Bean-Mayberry, Bevanne

    2017-11-07

    The Enhancing Mental and Physical health of Women through Engagement and Retention or EMPOWER program represents a partnership with the US Department of Veterans Health Administration (VA) Health Service Research and Development investigators and the VA Office of Women's Health, National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Primary Care-Mental Health Integration Program Office, Women's Mental Health Services, and the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. EMPOWER includes three projects designed to improve women Veterans' engagement and retention in evidence-based care for high-priority health conditions, i.e., prediabetes, cardiovascular, and mental health. The three proposed projects will be conducted in VA primary care clinics that serve women Veterans including general primary care and women's health clinics. The first project is a 1-year quality improvement project targeting diabetes prevention. Two multi-site research implementation studies will focus on cardiovascular risk prevention and collaborative care to address women Veterans' mental health treatment needs respectively. All projects will use the evidence-based Replicating Effective Programs (REP) implementation strategy, enhanced with multi-stakeholder engagement and complexity theory. Mixed methods implementation evaluations will focus on investigating primary implementation outcomes of adoption, acceptability, feasibility, and reach. Program-wide organizational-, provider-, and patient-level measures and tools will be utilized to enhance synergy, productivity, and impact. Both implementation research studies will use a non-randomized stepped wedge design. EMPOWER represents a coherent program of women's health implementation research and quality improvement that utilizes cross-project implementation strategies and evaluation methodology. The EMPOWER Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) will constitute a major milestone for realizing women Veterans

  1. Proyecto MercadoFRESCO: a multi-level, community-engaged corner store intervention in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortega, Alexander N; Albert, Stephanie L; Sharif, Mienah Z; Langellier, Brent A; Garcia, Rosa Elena; Glik, Deborah C; Brookmeyer, Ron; Chan-Golston, Alec M; Friedlander, Scott; Prelip, Michael L

    2015-04-01

    Urban food swamps are typically situated in low-income, minority communities and contribute to overweight and obesity. Changing the food landscape in low income and underserved communities is one strategy to combat the negative health consequences associated with the lack of access to healthy food resources and an abundance of unhealthy food venues. In this paper, we describe Proyecto MercadoFRESCO (Fresh Market Project), a corner store intervention project in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights in California that used a multi-level approach with a broad range of community, business, and academic partners. These are two neighboring, predominantly Latino communities that have high rates of overweight and obesity. Located in these two communities are approximately 150 corner stores. The project used a community-engaged approach to select, recruit, and convert four corner stores, so that they could become healthy community assets in order to improve residents' access to and awareness of fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables in their immediate neighborhoods. We describe the study framework for the multi-level intervention, which includes having multiple stakeholders, expertise in corner store operations, community and youth engagement strategies, and social marketing campaigns. We also describe the evaluation and survey methodology to determine community and patron impact of the intervention. This paper provides a framework useful to a variety of public health stakeholders for implementing a community-engaged corner store conversion, particularly in an urban food swamp.

  2. Institutional Infrastructure for Broader Impacts Engagement - Showcasing Effective Strategies and Approaches from a Large Research Institute

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gold, A. U.; Sullivan, S. B.; Smith, L. K.; Lynds, S. E.

    2014-12-01

    The need for robust scientific and especially climate literacy is increasing. Funding agencies mandate that scientists make their findings and data publically available. Ideally, this mandate is achieved by scientists and educators working together to translate research findings into common knowledge. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) is the largest research institute at the University of Colorado and home institute to over 500 scientists. CIRES provides an effective organizational infrastructure to support its scientists in broadening their research impact. Education specialists provide the necessary experience, connections, logistical support, and evaluation expertise to develop and conduct impactful education and outreach efforts. Outreach efforts are tailored to the project needs and the scientists' interests. They span from deep engagement efforts with a high time commitment by the scientist thus a high dosage to short presentations by the scientists that reach many people without stimulating a deep engagement and have therefore a low dosage. We use three examples of current successful programs to showcase these different engagement levels and report on their impact: i) deep transformative and time-intensive engagement through a Research Experience for Community College students program, ii) direct engagement during a teacher professional development workshop centered around a newly developed curriculum bringing authentic climate data into secondary classrooms, iii) short-time engagement through a virtual panel discussion about the state of recent climate science topics, the recordings of which were repurposed in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). In this presentation, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of broader impacts work. We discuss successful strategies that we developed, stress the importance of robust impact evaluation, and summarize different avenues of funding outreach efforts.

  3. True or False Customer Engagement Behaviour

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haurum, Helle; Beckmann, Suzanne C.

    2014-01-01

    Customers’ engagement behaviours are considered an important source of value to the company. So far, the discussion has mainly been conceptual and focused on the company’s perspective. By adopting the customer’s perspective we investigated how customers perceive their service relationship...... encounters with a company, using in-depth interviews. We found the following key factors driving and explaining customers’ engagement behaviours: (1) transactions matter and inconsistent engagement behaviours are a reality, (2) mundane products and services are still highly relevant for customers, and (3......) different degrees of customer experience alignment with services and products exist. Moreover, the distinction between true and false engagement behaviours we suggest indeed is relevant and we could establish their mediating capabilities....

  4. Connected to TV series: Quantifying series watching engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tóth-Király, István; Bőthe, Beáta; Tóth-Fáber, Eszter; Hága, Győző; Orosz, Gábor

    2017-12-01

    Background and aims Television series watching stepped into a new golden age with the appearance of online series. Being highly involved in series could potentially lead to negative outcomes, but the distinction between highly engaged and problematic viewers should be distinguished. As no appropriate measure is available for identifying such differences, a short and valid measure was constructed in a multistudy investigation: the Series Watching Engagement Scale (SWES). Methods In Study 1 (N Sample1  = 740 and N Sample2  = 740), exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used to identify the most important facets of series watching engagement. In Study 2 (N = 944), measurement invariance of the SWES was investigated between males and females. In Study 3 (N = 1,520), latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify subgroups of viewers. Results Five factors of engagement were identified in Study 1 that are of major relevance: persistence, identification, social interaction, overuse, and self-development. Study 2 supported the high levels of equivalence between males and females. In Study 3, three groups of viewers (low-, medium-, and high-engagement viewers) were identified. The highly engaged at-risk group can be differentiated from the other two along key variables of watching time and personality. Discussion The present findings support the overall validity, reliability, and usefulness of the SWES and the results of the LPA showed that it might be useful to identify at-risk viewers before the development of problematic use.

  5. Unusual conversations: A reflection on the mechanics of internationally engaged public scholarship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Damiani

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This article analyses the civic engagement pathways of researchers from the Asia-Pacific and the United States in an effort to see how the principles of what American  scholars consider publicly engaged research and creative practice are being enacted in research sites across the globe. The purpose of this ongoing project is to focus on finding ways of connecting American scholars with a network of higher education and research institutions that hold a commitment and passion for social responsibility and civic engagement as it impacts education, research and service for community development overseas. The narrative includes the voices and perspectives of colleagues dedicated to engaged scholarship from across the new region in which I work (the Asia-Pacific, alongside the voices of some of Imagining America’s (IA 2014 National Conference participants. These conversations serve as a critical reflection on the mechanics of doing public scholarship overseas and frame a new model of internationally engaged scholarship. Keywords: Internationally engaged public scholarship, unusual conversations

  6. Community Engagement using World Café: The Well London Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheridan, Kevin; Adams-Eaton, Faye; Trimble, Allison; Renton, Adrian; Bertotti, Marcello

    2010-01-01

    The Well London programme was launched across twenty boroughs in London during late 2007 to improve the health and well-being of residents living in some of the most deprived communities in London. Well London employed a multi-stage community engagement process which informed the overall project strategy for each intervention area. In this article we establish and describe the key principles that guided the design of this innovative community engagement process. Principles included building collaborative partnerships, working with whole-systems, privileging community knowledge and working with the deficit of experience in each area. The article then describes in detail how these principles were operationalised throughout the preparation and delivery of forty World Cafes, which were the first open community activities of the Well London community engagement process. Finally, this article reflects on and summarises the lessons learned when employing innovative, inclusive and transparent community engagement for health promotion.

  7. Exploring Social Learning through Upstream Engagement in Science and Technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Jonas Egmose

    This discussion paper deliberates on how the concept of social learning can be used for evaluating upstream engagement initiatives in science and technology.  The paper briefly introduces to the concept of upstream engagement and a concrete case, the UK Citizen Science for Sustainability project...... (SuScit), as an outset for discussing how the concept of social learning can be used for analysing and understanding relations between citizen participation, Science and research, and sustainability. A number of relevant research questions and methodological considerations are distilled...

  8. The engaged Shareholder : The definition of an engaged shareholder from the perspectives of national legislators, the EU, Dutch listed companies and Eumedion participants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heller, Kilian

    2014-01-01

    The Benchmark study of the Eumedion best practices on engaged share-ownership is a student research project undertaken under the umbrella of Maastricht University’s PREMIUM Programme. The research assignment is constructed by Eumedion and revolves around four parts. In part one various corporate

  9. Teaching Small Group Communication: The Do Good Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minei, Elizabeth M.

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on the parameters of a semester-long project called the "Do Good" project, geared towards developing small group communication skills in undergraduate students. This project highlights participation in a social engagement project that allows students to bridge concepts learned in small group communication lectures…

  10. Project Engage: Snowball Sampling and Direct Recruitment to Identify and Link Hard-to-Reach HIV-Infected Persons Who Are Out of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohl, Amy Rock; Ludwig-Barron, Natasha; Dierst-Davies, Rhodri; Kulkarni, Sonali; Bendetson, Jesse; Jordan, Wilbert; Bolan, Robert; Smith, Terry; Cunningham, William; Pérez, Mario J

    2017-06-01

    Innovative strategies are needed to identify and link hard-to-find persons living with HIV (PLWH) who are out of care (OOC). Project Engage, a health department-based project in Los Angeles County, used a mixed-methods approach to locate and provide linkage for PLWH who have limited contact with HIV medical and nonmedical services. Incentivized social network recruitment (SNR) and direct recruitment (DR) was used to identify eligible OOC alters for a linkage intervention that included HIV clinic selection, appointment and transportation support, reminder calls/texts, and clinic navigation. Between 2012 and 2015, 112 alters were identified using SNR (n = 74) and DR (n = 38). Most alters were male (80%), African American (38%), and gay (60%). Sizable percentages were homeless (78%), had engaged in sex work (32%) in the previous 6 months, had injected drugs (47%), were incarcerated in the previous 12 months (50%), and had only received HIV care during the previous 5 years while incarcerated (24%). SNR alters were more likely than DR alters to be African American, uninsured, unemployed, homeless, sex workers, injection drug users, recently incarcerated, and have unmet service needs. Alters linked to care within 3 (69%), 4-6 (5%), and 7-12 months (8%), and 72% were retained at 6-12 months. The percent virally suppressed increased (27% vs. 41%) and the median viral load decreased (P = 0.003) between linkage and follow-up at 6-12 months. The alternative approaches presented were effective at locating marginalized HIV-positive persons who are OOC for linkage and retention. The SNR approach was most successful at identifying alters with serious social challenges and gaps in needed medical/ancillary services.

  11. High Interspecimen Variability in Engagement of the Anterolateral Ligament: An In Vitro Cadaveric Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kent, Robert N; Boorman-Padgett, James F; Thein, Ran; van der List, Jelle P; Nawabi, Danyal H; Wickiewicz, Thomas L; Imhauser, Carl W; Pearle, Andrew D

    2017-10-01

    Anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction as an adjunct to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains a subject of clinical debate. This uncertainty may be driven in part by a lack of knowledge regarding where, within the range of knee motion, the ALL begins to carry force (engages). (1) Does the ALL engage in the ACL-intact knee; and (2) where within the range of anterior tibial translation occurring in the ACL-sectioned knee does the ALL engage? A robotic manipulator was used to measure anterior tibial translation, ACL forces, and ALL forces in 10 fresh-frozen cadaveric knees (10 donors; mean age, 41 ± 16 years; range, 20-64 years; eight male) in response to applied multiplanar torques. The engagement point of the ALL was defined as the anterior tibial translation at which the ALL began to carry at least 15% of the force carried by the native ACL; a threshold of 15% minimized the sensitivity of the engagement point of the ALL. This engagement point was compared with the maximum anterior tibial translation permitted in the ACL-intact condition using a paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test (p position and tension at which lateral extraarticular grafts and tenodeses are fixed might be able to be tuned to control where within the range of knee motion the graft tissue is engaged to restrain joint motion on a patient-specific basis.

  12. Nurse manager engagement: a concept analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Linda R

    2012-01-01

    This concept analysis examines the visibility of nurse manager engagement in the healthcare work environment. The term employee engagement was derived from studies of morale or the willingness of a group to accomplish objectives in the 1920s. "Following World War II group morale scores were used as predictors of speed, quality, and militancy by US Army researchers. The goal was to identify star, or high performers. A term was needed to describe emotional attachment of an individual to the organization, fellow associates, and the job" ("Employee engagement origins," 2010, p. 1). The CINAHL, MEDLINE, ABI INFORM, PsycINFO, and Ovid databases and the Internet were searched for the period of 2005-2010 for literature published in English with a focus on peer-reviewed journals from disciplines of health sciences, health administration, business, and psychology. The Walker and Avant method was used for this analysis. The experience of the author as a current and previous nurse manager was also used for this analysis. Nurse manager engagement was assumed to be present based indirectly on empirical referents and consequences, such as low or high vacancy rates for staff nurses. Further research is needed to explore the identity of the nurse serving in the role of manager/leader who is able to demonstrate the skills and talents necessary to visibly demonstrate engagement and facilitate a culture of engaged nurse managers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. The Aeolus project: Science outreach through art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drumm, Ian A; Belantara, Amanda; Dorney, Steve; Waters, Timothy P; Peris, Eulalia

    2015-04-01

    With a general decline in people's choosing to pursue science and engineering degrees there has never been a greater need to raise the awareness of lesser known fields such as acoustics. Given this context, a large-scale public engagement project, the 'Aeolus project', was created to raise awareness of acoustics science through a major collaboration between an acclaimed artist and acoustics researchers. It centred on touring the large singing sculpture Aeolus during 2011/12, though the project also included an extensive outreach programme of talks, exhibitions, community workshops and resources for schools. Described here are the motivations behind the project and the artwork itself, the ways in which scientists and an artist collaborated, and the public engagement activities designed as part of the project. Evaluation results suggest that the project achieved its goal of inspiring interest in the discipline of acoustics through the exploration of an other-worldly work of art. © The Author(s) 2013.

  14. Engagement in community music classes sparks neuroplasticity and language development in children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraus, Nina; Hornickel, Jane; Strait, Dana L; Slater, Jessica; Thompson, Elaine

    2014-01-01

    Children from disadvantaged backgrounds often face impoverished auditory environments, such as greater exposure to ambient noise and fewer opportunities to participate in complex language interactions during development. These circumstances increase their risk for academic failure and dropout. Given the academic and neural benefits associated with musicianship, music training may be one method for providing auditory enrichment to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We followed a group of primary-school students from gang reduction zones in Los Angeles, CA, USA for 2 years as they participated in Harmony Project. By providing free community music instruction for disadvantaged children, Harmony Project promotes the healthy development of children as learners, the development of children as ambassadors of peace and understanding, and the development of stronger communities. Children who were more engaged in the music program-as defined by better attendance and classroom participation-developed stronger brain encoding of speech after 2 years than their less-engaged peers in the program. Additionally, children who were more engaged in the program showed increases in reading scores, while those less engaged did not show improvements. The neural gains accompanying music engagement were seen in the very measures of neural speech processing that are weaker in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our results suggest that community music programs such as Harmony Project provide a form of auditory enrichment that counteracts some of the biological adversities of growing up in poverty, and can further support community-based interventions aimed at improving child health and wellness.

  15. A scientist's guide to engaging decision makers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vano, J. A.

    2015-12-01

    Being trained as a scientist provides many valuable tools needed to address society's most pressing environmental issues. It does not, however, provide training on one of the most critical for translating science into action: the ability to engage decision makers. Engagement means different things to different people and what is appropriate for one project might not be for another. However, recent reports have emphasized that for research to be most useful to decision making, engagement should happen at the beginning and throughout the research process. There are an increasing number of boundary organizations (e.g., NOAA's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment program, U.S. Department of the Interior's Climate Science Centers) where engagement is encouraged and rewarded, and scientists are learning, often through trial and error, how to effectively include decision makers (a.k.a. stakeholders, practitioners, resource managers) in their research process. This presentation highlights best practices and practices to avoid when scientists engage decision makers, a list compiled through the personal experiences of both scientists and decision makers and a literature review, and how this collective knowledge could be shared, such as through a recent session and role-playing exercise given at the Northwest Climate Science Center's Climate Boot Camp. These ideas are presented in an effort to facilitate conversations about how the science community (e.g., AGU researchers) can become better prepared for effective collaborations with decision makers that will ultimately result in more actionable science.

  16. Engaging stakeholder networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Svendsen, A. [CoreRelation Consulting Inc., Delta, BC (Canada)]|[Simon Fraser Univ., Burnaby, BC (Canada); Laberge, M. [Simon Fraser Univ., Burnaby, BC (Canada)

    2004-07-01

    Management philosophies concerning stakeholder engagement were reviewed. This presentation provided guidelines for managers working from a sustainability value creation framework who wish to develop more effective ways to engage with stakeholders and high stakes issues that cross political, social and organizational boundaries. It was suggested that conflicts over resources, the demand for participation and the increasing power of Non-Governmental Organizations have all contributed to the increased need for stakeholder engagement. A review of different types of stakeholders was provided. Earlier strategies of managing stakeholders were examined, in which externalities such as environmental cost were not accounted for. By contrast, the emerging management philosophy presented here stressed a recognition that long term survival relied on the good health of external and internal environments. Core business strategies were discussed with reference to core values. It was suggested that a longer term focus, inclusiveness, and integration were beneficial to businesses as a whole. A case study of Clayoquot Sound was presented. The concept of social capital was examined. Individual and collective learning were evaluated. A model for engaging stakeholder networks was presented as well as a step by step procedural guide, which included the creation of a solid foundation; organizational alignment; strategy; the importance of asking questions; trust building; evaluation; and renewal. Challenges to stakeholder engagement included finding resources; ensuring consistency; patience; a tendency in business to measure success in short term payoffs; and maintaining a stakeholder perspective. It was concluded that the benefits of a sustainability value creation framework for businesses far outweighed any initial disadvantages. refs., tabs., figs.

  17. Windpower opposition : notify, consult, engage or partnership?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prier, P.G. [Stantec Consulting, Guelph, ON (Canada)

    2010-07-01

    This PowerPoint presentation discussed some of the methods that can be used to understand and defuse opposition to wind power projects. The presentation discussed the actual empowerment of communities and citizens as opposed to the token gestures often used by large organizations to placate and manipulate stakeholders. Stakeholders were defined as regulatory authorities, directly and indirectly affected landowners, non-government organizations, First Nations groups, and anyone in or outside the study area with an interest in the prospective development. The consultation scope should reflect the significance of potential effects and be conducted early in the decision-making process. The design of the project and its implementation should be transparent, and operators should be responsive to all concerns and questions. A range of consultation techniques should be used to reflect the nature of different stakeholders. Community engagement should support mutual respect of values in order to create an authentic decision-making partnership. Communities should be notified when routine operational or maintenance activities are being conducted. Consultations are required for increases in nameplate capacity of less than 25 percent. Community engagement is required for the development of greenfield wind farms greater than 20 MW. tabs., figs.

  18. Promoting sales of online games through customer engagement.

    OpenAIRE

    Cheung, C. M. K.; Shen, A. X. L.; Lee, Z. W. Y.; Chan, T. K. H.

    2015-01-01

    With keen competition in the online game industry, game developers and publishers are finding new ways to induce players’ to spend money on subscriptions and virtual items. As the online game itself provides a highly engaging environment, this study examines online sales from the perspective of customer engagement. We propose a research model that examines why game players actively engage in playing online games, and how such engagement can contribute to sales of online games, empirically tes...

  19. The CORMAN project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bregnballe, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    The CORMAN project (‘Sustainable Management of Cormorant Populations’) is now in its final year. The main goals have been (1) to collaborate with the CRG in order to assess the number and distribution of Cormorants in Europe during breeding and wintertime, and (2) to create the EU Cormorant...... Platform in order to disseminate information. The project has also engaged with key European stakeholder groups and formed a Stakeholders Liaison Group to support information exchange and discuss relevant issues. The project is carried out on behalf of DG Environment under the European Commission....

  20. KEK/JAERI joint project on high intensity proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagamiya, Shoji

    2002-01-01

    From JFY01, which started on April 1, 2001, a new accelerator project to provide high-intensity proton beams proceeded into a construction phase. This project is conducted under a cooperation of two institutions, KEK and JAERI. The accelerator complex will provide 1 MW proton beams at 3 GeV and 0.75 MW beams at 50 GeV. The project will be completed within six years. In this article I will describe a) the project itself, b) sciences to be pursued at this new accelerator complex and c) the present status and future plans of the project. (author)

  1. KEK/JAERI Joint Project on high-intensity proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagamiya, Shoji

    2003-01-01

    From JFY01, which started on April 1, 2001, a new accelerator project to provide high-intensity proton beams proceeded into a construction phase. This project is conducted under a cooperation of two institutions, KEK and JAERI. The accelerator complex will provide 1 MW proton beams at 3 GeV and 0.75 MW beams at 50 GeV. The project will be completed within 6 years. In this article I will describe (a) the project itself, (b) sciences to be pursued at this new accelerator complex and (c) the present status and future plans of the project

  2. A survey of work engagement and psychological capital levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonner, Lynda

    2016-08-11

    To evaluate the relationship between work engagement and psychological capital (PsyCap) levels reported by registered nurses. PsyCap is a developable human resource. Research on PsyCap as an antecedent to work engagement in nurses is needed. A convenience sample of 137 registered nurses participated in this quantitative cross-sectional survey. Questionnaires measured self-reported levels of work engagement and psychological capital. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. There was a statistically significant correlation between work engagement and PsyCap scores (r=0.633, pworking at band 5 level reported statistically significantly lower PsyCap scores compared with nurses working at band 6 and 7 levels. Nurses reporting high levels of work engagement also reported high levels of PsyCap. Band 5 nurses might benefit most from interventions to increase their PsyCap. This study supports PsyCap as an antecedent to work engagement.

  3. Factors Affecting Burnout and School Engagement among High School Students: Study Habits, Self- Efficacy Beliefs, and Academic Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilge, Filiz; Tuzgol Dost, Meliha; Cetin, Bayram

    2014-01-01

    This study examines high school students' levels of burnout and school engagement with respect to academic success, study habits, and self-efficacy beliefs. The data were gathered during the 2011-2012 school year from 633 students attending six high schools located in Ankara, Turkey. The analyses were conducted on responses from 605 students. The…

  4. Dialoguing, Cultural Capital, and Student Engagement: Toward a Hip Hop Pedagogy in the High School and University Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Louie F.

    2009-01-01

    Hip hop culture is typically excluded from conventional educational spaces within the U.S. Drawing on the experiences of an educator who works with urban high school students and university level pre- and in-service educators, this article examines the role of hip hop culture for student engagement in two settings--an alternative high school…

  5. Innovation management based on proactive engagement of customers: A case study on LEGO Group. Part II: Challenge of engaging the digital customer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avasilcăi, S.; Rusu, G.

    2015-11-01

    To foster the development of innovative products and new technologies, nowadays companies use an open innovation system, encouraging stakeholders to contribute, using the companies’ online platforms for open innovation or social media, bringing and sharing creative solutions and ideas in order to respond to challenging needs the company directly expresses. Accordingly, the current research continues the analysis of the LEGO Group innovation efforts, aiming to provide a case study approach based on describing the most important projects and online instruments company uses to interact with customers and other external stakeholders. Thus, by analysing the experience of the company in developing projects of involving stakeholders in the innovation processes, the article emphasizes the objective of these past projects developed by LEGO Group, outlining their objectives regarding the focus on the product or process innovation, the team management and stakeholders involved in the innovation actions and the results they obtained. Moreover, the case study highlights the features of the most important online instruments LEGO Group uses at the moment for engaging LEGO fans, children, parents, and other external stakeholders in developing new LEGO sets. Thus, LEGO online instruments provide the opportunity for customers to be creative and to respond to LEGO management team challenges. Accordingly, LEGO involve customers in bringing innovative ideas for LEGO sets through LEGO Ideas instrument, which aims to engage customers in submitting projects, voting and supporting ideas and also sharing them on social media. Also, the research emphasizes the role of supporting the open dialogue and interaction with customers and other external stakeholders through LEGO.com Create & Share Galleries instrument, using their creativity to upload innovative models in the public galleries. The continuous challenges LEGO launches for their fans create a long-term connection between company and

  6. SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT, WORK VALUES AND STUDENTS’ TRAINING FOR THE LABOR MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saveanu Tomina Gabriela

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper reflects theoretical and empirical interrogations regarding concepts which gain interest in recent research in relation to school results and school-to-work transition of high education graduates: school-engagement, valorization of work, work ethics and school social capital. The initiative of such approach is linked to the identification of the obstacles and implicitly the mechanisms which facilitate an easier school-to-work transition of high education graduates of economic studies. In the current research we followed which are the motivations regarding work, and the measures of school engagement, identifying that students with higher academic engagement present greater interest in general criteria related to work and are less intrinsically motivated. The research findings in this area on the one hand confirm the importance of school-engagement for the students from tertiary education. On the other hand, it suggests, besides the mediated effect on school results on the successful insertion on the labor market, also a direct impact on their work engagement of these graduates. In addition to these aspects less visible and less studied, research in this field revealed other obstacles that occur in the successful integration of graduates in the workplace. It was found that both employers and young graduates’ employees assigned increased importance for the success in the workplace to transversal skills that are considered less developed through tertiary educational system. In addition, experience at the workplace, the practical training and voluntary involvement in different actions can also be useful tools in preparing students for the labor market. The data, both qualitative and quantitative, analyzed in this paper were collected within the project "Practical training of economists students. Inter-regional partnership in the labor market between universities and the business environment”. PRACTeam project is coordinated by

  7. Civic-Political Engagement: Developmental Science Comes of Age. Commentary on the Thematic Issue "The Development of Civic Engagement: Results from Longitudinal Studies"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youniss, James

    2014-01-01

    In this commentary, the author states that a major step in bringing developmental studies into correspondence with other disciplines that give civic and political engagement central importance has taken place. The projects reported in this issue represent an important historical development within the discipline of developmental studies. Seen is a…

  8. Youth engagement in eMental health literacy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlene King

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available There is growing recognition of the important role that eHealth Literacy strategies play in promoting mental health among youth populations. At the same time, youth engagement in mental health literacy initiatives is increasingly seen as a promising practice for improving health literacy and reducing stigma. The Health Literacy Team at BC Children’s Hospital uses a variety of strategies to engage youth in the development, implementation and dissemination of eMental Health Literacy resources. This paper reviews the evidence that supports the use of eHealth strategies for youth mental health promotion; describes the methods used by the Team to meaningfully engage youth in these processes; and evaluates them against three popular frameworks for youth participation and empowerment. The findings suggest that the Team is successfully offering opportunities for independent youth involvement, positively impacting project outcomes, and fostering youth empowerment. The Team could further contribute to the positive development of youth by creating more opportunities for youth-adult collaboration on eHealth Literacy initiatives.

  9. Engaging in cultural activities compensates for educational differences in cognitive abilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soubelet, Andrea

    2011-09-01

    The goal of the current project was to examine whether engagement in intellectual/cultural activities explains the long-term effects of education on cognitive abilities throughout adulthood, and whether it compensates for educational differences in cognitive abilities throughout adulthood. Participants between 18 and 96 years of age completed a comprehensive questionnaire about intellectual/cultural activities that they participated in and performed a wide variety of cognitive tests. There were no mediation effects of engagement in intellectual/cultural activities on the relationship between education and cognitive functioning. In contrast, engagement in intellectual/cultural activities was found to moderate the relations between education and the level of fluid ability, working memory, speed of processing, and episodic memory. Findings suggest that the risk of cognitive decline in people with less education can be reduced via engagement in intellectual and cultural activities throughout adulthood.

  10. Work engagement in the public service context

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noesgaard, Mette Strange; Hansen, Jesper Rosenberg

    2016-01-01

    Work engagement has increasingly captured the attention of researchers and practitioners due to its positive impact on employee level outcomes and overall organizational performance (e.g. Bakker and Bal, 2010, Hallberg and Schaufeli, 2006). Therefore, several studies have been conducted in variou...... investigates the role of public service motivation (PSM) in relation to engagement and how it may be used to enhance engagement in a challenging public context characterized by high levels of emotional labor, control and increasing demands for efficiency....... contexts although the vast majority focus on private organizations. Yet there are limitations in the understanding of work engagement in public sector context (Lavigna, 2011) and in particular knowledge of how PSM influence work engagement (Bakker, 2015). To address this gap, this qualitative study...

  11. Implementing a Project-Based Learning Model in a Pre-Service Leadership Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albritton, Shelly; Stacks, Jamie

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes two instructors' efforts to more authentically engage students in a preservice leadership program's course called Program Planning and Evaluation by using a project-based learning approach. Markham, Larmer, and Ravitz (2003) describe project-based learning (PjBL) as "a systematic teaching method that engages students in…

  12. Critical Assessment of Video Production in Teacher Education: Can Video Production Foster Community-Engaged Scholarship?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kyung-Hwa

    2014-01-01

    In the theoretical framework of production pedagogy, I reflect on a video production project conducted in a teacher education program and discuss the potential of video production to foster community-engaged scholarship among pre-service teachers. While the importance of engaging learners in creating media has been emphasized, studies show little…

  13. Measuring work engagement among community health workers in Sierra Leone: Validating the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frédérique Vallières

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the concept of volunteer work engagement in a sample of 334 community health workers in Bonthe District, Sierra Leone. Structural equation modelling was used to validate both the 9-item and the 17-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9 and UWES-17, respectively. Results assessing the UWES-17 invalidated the three-factor structure within this cohort of community health workers, as high correlations were found between latent factors. Findings for the validity of the UWES-9 were largely consistent with those of the UWES-17. Model fit for the UWES-9 were generally equivalent for the one-factor, three-factor, and bifactor solutions, however the three-factor model was once again rejected due to high factor correlations. Based on these results, the current sample provides evidence that work engagement is best represented as a unidimensional construct in this context. Findings are considered alongside previous research to offer support for the utilization of the shortened UWES-9 in this context, as it appears to provide a good representation of work engagement and possess a parsimonious unidimensional scoring scheme.

  14. Career Engagement: Bridging Career Counseling and Employee Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neault, Roberta A.; Pickerell, Deirdre A.

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the authors present a model of career engagement that helps bridge the gap between career counselors' focus on supporting individuals to find meaningful work and employers' desire for an engaged, productive, and committed workforce. They briefly review highlights of the employee engagement literature, introduce the Career…

  15. Cognitive abilities and motivational processes in high school students' science achievement and engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Shun

    The dissertation presents two analytic approaches, a variable-centered and person-centered approach, to investigating holistic patterns of the cognitive, motivational, and affective correlates of science achievement and engagement in a sample of 491 10th and 11th grade high-school students. Building on Snow's (1989) idea of two pathways to achievement outcomes, Study 1 adopted a variable-centered approach to examining how cognitive and motivational factors associated with the performance and commitment pathways, respectively, contributed to the prediction of achievement outcomes in science. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that (a) students' cognitive abilities were the strongest predictors of their performance in science as measured by standardized test scores; (b) motivational processes enhanced the predictive validity for science test scores and grades beyond the variance accounted for by ability and demography; (c) motivational processes were the strongest predictors of students' commitment to science in the form of situational engagement and anticipated choices of science-related college majors and careers; and (d) competence beliefs served as a point of contact between the performance and commitment pathways. These results are consistent with Snow's (1989) conjecture that both performance and commitment pathway-related factors are necessary for understanding the full range of person-level inputs to achievement outcomes. Study 2 adopted a person-centered approach to examining holistic organizations of psychological factors within individuals and their relations to science achievement and engagement. Four types of students characterized by unique configurations of cognitive, motivational, and affective attributes were identified in both the male and female subsamples using inverse factor analysis. Type membership was found to distinguish students in various indicators of science achievement and engagement. Two of the four types were also found

  16. Study engagement and burnout profiles among Finnish higher education students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katariina Salmela-Aro

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A person-oriented approach was applied to identify profiles of study engagement and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, inadequacy in higher education in a large and representative sample of 12,394 higher education students at different phases of their studies in universities and polytechnics in Finland. Four profiles were identified: Engaged (44%, engaged-exhausted (30% inefficacious (19% and burned-out (7%. The engaged students had the most positive engagement accompanied with the least burnout symptoms compared to other groups. The engaged-exhausted students experienced emotional exhaustion simultaneously with academic engagement. The inefficacious group had heightened experience of inadequacy as a student. The burned-out students showed very high cynicism and inadequacy and very low academic engagement compared to the other groups. Of these groups, the engaged students tended to be in the earlier stages in their studies, whereas the burned-out and inefficacious students had been studying the longest. The pattern suggests that students starting out with high engagement and that burnout becomes more common later in the academic career. Supporting demands-resources model, the covariates reflecting the demands were higher and those reflecting resources were lower among the burned-out and inefficacious students compared to the engaged students.

  17. The Savannah River Site Replacement High Level Radioactive Waste Evaporator Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Presgrove, S.B.

    1992-01-01

    The Replacement High Level Waste Evaporator Project was conceived in 1985 to reduce the volume of the high level radioactive waste Process of the high level waste has been accomplished up to this time using Bent Tube type evaporators and therefore, that type evaporator was selected for this project. The Title I Design of the project was 70% completed in late 1990. The Department of Energy at that time hired an independent consulting firm to perform a complete review of the project. The DOE placed a STOP ORDER on purchasing the evaporator in January 1991. Essentially, no construction was to be done on this project until all findings and concerns dealing with the type and design of the evaporator are resolved. This report addresses two aspects of the DOE design review; (1) Comparing the Bent Tube Evaporator with the Forced Circulation Evaporator, (2) The design portion of the DOE Project Review - concentrated on the mechanical design properties of the evaporator. 1 ref

  18. Stone Soup Projects: Using real-time resources and creative partnering to meet multiple needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLean, S.; Searle, R.; Zala, K.

    2010-12-01

    Ocean Networks Canada oversees the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada undersea cabled observatories. Its Centre for Enterprise and Engagement communicates the scientific discoveries and technological innovations happening at the two systems. Not surprisingly, funders in ocean science are interested in seeing evidence of increased recruitment of Highly Qualified Personnel into marine science and industry. This demand creates a series of opportunities for inspiring students, ranging from graduate school down to middle school, to pursue studies in chemistry, biology, physics, geology, engineering, and beyond. As the Engagement section is a small operation, we partner with others to produce educational assets incorporating real-time data from VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada observatories that enable frontline educators to create exciting ocean science experiences for students and the public. In one project, the lab component of an entire undergraduate course lets students conduct their own investigations into marine oxygen levels by using VENUS data. In another, Fine Arts graduate and undergraduate students are using high-tech tools to create a series of webisodes that map the principles of Ocean Literacy onto the science themes of VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada. In a third project, we hosted a website for a collaborative expedition to small coastal towns that focused on the marine science happening in the Salish Sea, British Columbia. Our projects and challenges for engaging students and the public with ocean science using real-time and other data offer strategies for outreach and education sections of similar organizations.

  19. The Development of an Instrument to Measure the Project Competences of College Students in Online Project-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chien-Liang

    2018-01-01

    This study sought to develop a self-report instrument to be used in the assessment of the project competences of college students engaged in online project-based learning. Three scales of the KIPSSE instrument developed for this study, namely, the knowledge integration, project skills, and self-efficacy scales, were based on related theories and…

  20. International Barcode of Life Project : Engaging Developing Nations ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    But, there is growing interest in barcoding on the part of diverse countries from around the world, as demonstrated at the Third International Barcode of Life conference held in Mexico, November 2009. This project will allow iBOL to expand the application of barcoding to developing countries. This will involve establishing ...

  1. Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care and Brief Solution-Focused Therapy: A Quality Improvement Project Aimed at Increasing Engagement on an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aremu, Babatunde; Hill, Pamela D; McNeal, Joanne M; Petersen, Mary A; Swanberg, Debbie; Delaney, Kathleen R

    2018-03-14

    Addressing tense and escalating situations with noncoercive measures is an important element of inpatient psychiatric treatment. Although restraint rates are frequently monitored, the use of pro re nata (PRN) intramuscular (IM) injections to address agitation is also an important indicator. In 2015, at the current study site, a significant increase was noted in PRN IM medication use despite unit leadership's efforts to build a culture of trauma-informed care (TIC). The purpose of the current quality improvement project was to educate staff on methods to incorporate TIC into daily practice and the use of brief solution-focused therapy techniques in escalating situations. Measurement of attitudes toward patient aggression and engagement with patients followed two waves of staff education. Upon completion of the project, a decrease in PRN IM medications, improvement in staff attitudes toward patient aggression, and improved sense of staff competency in handling tense situations were noted. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(x), xx-xx.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  2. The evolution of the project management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catalin Drob

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Project management has appeared and developed based on scientific management theory during the '50s-'60s of the last century. After the 1990s of the last century, we can say that project management has truly become an independent discipline, which has a huge impact on the success or failure of companies which are engaged in major projects.

  3. Daily Autonomy Supporting or Thwarting and Students' Motivation and Engagement in the High School Science Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patall, Erika A.; Steingut, Rebecca R.; Vasquez, Ariana C.; Trimble, Scott S.; Pituch, Keenan A.; Freeman, Jen L.

    2018-01-01

    This diary study provided the first classroom-based empirical test of the relations between student perceptions of high school science teachers' various autonomy supporting and thwarting practices and students' motivation and engagement on a daily basis over the course of an instructional unit. Perceived autonomy supporting practices were…

  4. A desk evaluation review of project MYA/6/015 hormonal studies on pituitary adrenal disorders. Project desk evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    Snake-bite is one of the high priority health problems in Myanmar, causing high mortality and mobility rates among the rural population. In 1982 the Department of Medical Research (DMR) of the Ministry of Health launched a research programme for the comprehensive studies of snake (Russell's viper) bites and since then various research divisions of the DMR have been actively engaged in both basic and clinical studies aimed at obtaining adequate knowledge of the biochemical, clinical and pathophysiological mechanisms to guide rational management of snake-bite cases. Also, a clinical research unit has been established in a particular area where the incidence of Russell's viper bite is quite high. Project MYA/6/015 was initiated in 1989 with the objective of determining the incidence, facilitating early diagnosis and assessing the value of therapy in hypopituitarism following snake bite, through the measurements of pituitary and adreno-cortical hormones in serum and their changes in response to dynamic tests. The project was completed in July 1993. The review was undertaken upon request by the Asia and Pacific Section, to assess the overall performance of the project

  5. A desk evaluation review of project MYA/6/015 hormonal studies on pituitary adrenal disorders. Project desk evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-03-09

    Snake-bite is one of the high priority health problems in Myanmar, causing high mortality and mobility rates among the rural population. In 1982 the Department of Medical Research (DMR) of the Ministry of Health launched a research programme for the comprehensive studies of snake (Russell`s viper) bites and since then various research divisions of the DMR have been actively engaged in both basic and clinical studies aimed at obtaining adequate knowledge of the biochemical, clinical and pathophysiological mechanisms to guide rational management of snake-bite cases. Also, a clinical research unit has been established in a particular area where the incidence of Russell`s viper bite is quite high. Project MYA/6/015 was initiated in 1989 with the objective of determining the incidence, facilitating early diagnosis and assessing the value of therapy in hypopituitarism following snake bite, through the measurements of pituitary and adreno-cortical hormones in serum and their changes in response to dynamic tests. The project was completed in July 1993. The review was undertaken upon request by the Asia and Pacific Section, to assess the overall performance of the project.

  6. CosmoQuest: Training Educators and Engaging Classrooms in Citizen Science through a Virtual Research Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Summer, Theresa; Cobb, Whitney; Gay, Pamela L.; Finkelstein, Keely D.; Gurton, Suzanne; Felix-Strishock, Lisa; Kruse, Brian; Lebofsky, Larry A.; Jones, Andrea J.; Tweed, Ann; Graff, Paige; Runco, Susan; Noel-Storr, Jacob; CosmoQuest Team

    2016-10-01

    CosmoQuest is a Citizen Science Virtual Research Facility that engages scientists, educators, students, and the public in analyzing NASA images. Often, these types of citizen science activities target enthusiastic members of the public, and additionally engage students in K-12 and college classrooms. To support educational engagement, we are developing a pipeline in which formal and informal educators and facilitators use the virtual research facility to engage students in real image analysis that is framed to provide meaningful science learning. This work also contributes to the larger project to produce publishable results. Community scientists are being solicited to propose CosmoQuest Science Projects take advantage of the virtual research facility capabilities. Each CosmoQuest Science Project will result in formal education materials, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards including the 3-dimensions of science learning; core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. Participating scientists will contribute to companion educational materials with support from the CosmoQuest staff of data specialists and education specialists. Educators will be trained through in person and virtual workshops, and classrooms will have the opportunity to not only work with NASA data, but interface with NASA scientists. Through this project, we are bringing together subject matter experts, classrooms, and informal science organizations to share the excitement of NASA SMD science with future citizen scientists. CosmoQuest is funded through individual donations, through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AC68A, and through additional grants and contracts that are listed on our website, cosmoquest.org.

  7. Surviving the Lead Reliability Engineer Role in High Unit Value Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, Reinaldo J.

    2011-01-01

    A project with a very high unit value within a company is defined as a project where a) the project constitutes one of a kind (or two-of-a-kind) national asset type of project, b) very large cost, and c) a mission failure would be a very public event that will hurt the company's image. The Lead Reliability engineer in a high visibility project is by default involved in all phases of the project, from conceptual design to manufacture and testing. This paper explores a series of lessons learned, over a period of ten years of practical industrial experience by a Lead Reliability Engineer. We expand on the concepts outlined by these lessons learned via examples. The lessons learned are applicable to all industries.

  8. Best Practices in NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, H.; Smith, D.

    2015-11-01

    NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program has partnered scientists and educators since its inception almost twenty years ago, leading to authentic STEM experiences and products widely used by the education and outreach community. We present examples of best practices and representative projects. Keys to success include effective use of unique mission science/technology, attention to audience needs, coordination of effort, robust partnerships and publicly accessible repositories of EPO products. Projects are broadly targeted towards audiences in formal education, informal education, and community engagement. All NASA programs are evaluated for quality and impact. New technology is incorporated to engage young students being raised in the digital age. All projects focus on conveying the excitement of scientific discoveries from NASA's Astrophysics missions, advancing scientific literacy, and engaging students in science and technology careers.

  9. Doing What we Know we Should: Engaged scholarship and community development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruce Muirhead

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available In Australia, engaged scholarship oriented towards community development objectives has yet to be recognised in funding regimes as being inherently beneficial in terms of scholarly excellence and university rankings. While the civic role of universities is acknowledged by individual universities, higher education management and at the Federal policy level, they are most often framed as funding problems related to ‘community service’ rather than as research opportunities which can raise the university’s profile by providing the basis for excellent research outputs and community enrichment. Community engagement has become a familiar term in the Australian higher education lexicon in recent years but there is still little institutional infrastructure that directly embodies the principles and sentiment of community engagement evident in current Australian universities. In this paper, the inaugural Director and Research Manager of the University of Queensland’s Community Service and Research Centre reflect on their five years leading a Centre that was/has been privileged to enjoy significant institutional support and the lessons learnt in forging into unknown territories. The reflections focus on the Centre’s seminal project, the Goodna Service Integration Project.

  10. Engagement in community music classes sparks neuroplasticity and language development in children from disadvantaged backgrounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina eKraus

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Children from disadvantaged backgrounds often face impoverished auditory environments, such as greater exposure to ambient noise and fewer opportunities to participate in complex language interactions during development. These circumstances increase their risk for academic failure and dropout. Given the academic and neural benefits associated with musicianship, music training may be one method for providing auditory enrichment to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We followed a group of disadvantaged primary-school students from gang reduction zones in Los Angeles, CA for two years as they participated in the Harmony Project. By providing free community music instruction for disadvantaged children, the Harmony Project promotes the healthy development of children as learners, the development of children as ambassadors of peace and understanding, and the development of stronger communities. Children who were more engaged in the music program—as defined by better attendance and classroom participation—developed stronger brain encoding of speech after two years than their less-engaged peers in the program. Additionally, children who were more engaged in the program showed increases in reading scores, while those less engaged did not show improvements. The neural gains accompanying music engagement were seen in the very measures of neural speech processing that are weaker in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our results suggest that community music programs such as Harmony Project provide a form of auditory enrichment that counteracts some of the biological adversities of growing up in poverty, and can further support for community-based interventions aimed at improving child health and wellness.

  11. Life satisfaction and student engagement in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Ashley D; Huebner, E Scott; Malone, Patrick S; Valois, Robert F

    2011-03-01

    Situated within a positive psychology perspective, this study explored linkages between adolescent students' positive subjective well-being and their levels of engagement in schooling. Specifically, using structural equation modeling techniques, we evaluated the nature and directionality of longitudinal relationships between life satisfaction and student engagement variables. It was hypothesized that adolescents' life satisfaction and student engagement variables would show bidirectional relationships. To test this hypothesis, 779 students (53% female, 62% Caucasian) in a Southeastern US middle school completed a measure of global life satisfaction and measures of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement at two time points, 5 months apart. A statistically significant bidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and cognitive engagement was found; however, non-significant relationships were found between life satisfaction and emotional and behavioral student engagement. The findings provide important evidence of the role of early adolescents' life satisfaction in their engagement in schooling during the important transition grades between elementary and high school. The findings also help extend the positive psychology perspective to the relatively neglected context of education.

  12. Heard and valued: the development of a model to meaningfully engage marginalized populations in health services planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snow, M Elizabeth; Tweedie, Katherine; Pederson, Ann

    2018-03-15

    Recently, patient engagement has been identified as a promising strategy for supporting healthcare planning. However, the context and structure of universalistic, "one-size-fits-all" approaches often used for patient engagement may not enable diverse patients to participate in decision-making about programs intended to meet their needs. Specifically, standard patient engagement approaches are gender-blind and might not facilitate the engagement of those marginalized by, for example, substance use, low income, experiences of violence, homelessness, and/or mental health challenges-highly gendered health and social experiences. The project's purpose was to develop a heuristic model to assist planners to engage patients who are not traditionally included in healthcare planning. Using a qualitative research approach, we reviewed literature and conducted interviews with patients and healthcare planners regarding engaging marginalized populations in health services planning. From these inputs, we created a model and planning manual to assist healthcare planners to engage marginalized patients in health services planning, which we piloted in two clinical programs undergoing health services design. The findings from the pilots were used to refine the model. The analysis of the interviews and literature identified power and gender as barriers to participation, and generated suggestions to support diverse populations both to attend patient engagement events and to participate meaningfully. Engaging marginalized populations cannot be reduced to a single defined process, but instead needs to be understood as an iterative process of fitting engagement methods to a particular situation. Underlying this process are principles for meaningfully engaging marginalized people in healthcare planning. A one-size-fits-all approach to patient engagement is not appropriate given patients' diverse barriers to meaningful participation in healthcare planning. Instead, planners need a

  13. Civic Engagement Patterns of Undocumented Mexican Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, William; Espinoza, Roberta; Ramos, Karina; Coronado, Heidi; Cortes, Richard

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the civic engagement of undocumented Mexican students. Civic engagement was defined as providing a social service, activism, tutoring, and functionary work. Survey data results (n = 126) suggest that despite high feelings of rejection because of their undocumented status, part-time employment, and household responsibilities,…

  14. Analysis Of Employee Engagement And Company Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Mekel, Peggy A.; Saerang, David P.E.; Silalahi, Immanuel Maradopan

    2014-01-01

    Employee could be a competitive advantage of a company if company manages its employees well. The success of a company could be seen from how a company manages their employees and engages their employees. Most of big companies put their employees in top priority in order to keep their top performance. These big companies manage their employees and try to engage their employees so that their employees could generate high performance. In this study, employee engagement is the factor to examine ...

  15. An Investigation into Student Engagement in Higher Education Classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Witkowski, PhD

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article reports on a one-year research project that used peer coaching and collaboration between two reading professors to study the effects of collaborative classroom activities on student engagement. In order to address professors’ concerns about student participation, two undergraduate reading-methods classes were revised through the inclusion of more collaborative learning activities. Classroom observations were conducted to take notes on both pedagogical methods and student response to these methods. Students were also asked to self-assess their engagement in behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains. The results of this research were then used to revise pedagogical techniques in these and other classes.

  16. Reflexivity in performative science shop projects

    OpenAIRE

    Beunen, R.; Duineveld, M.; During, R.; Straver, G.H.M.B.; Aalvanger, A.

    2012-01-01

    Science shop research projects offer possibilities for universities to engage with communities. Many science shop projects directly or indirectly intend to empower certain marginalised groups or interests within a decision-making process. In this article we argue that it is important to reflect on the role and position the researchers have in these projects. We present three science shop projects to illustrate some of the dilemmas that may arise in relation to citizen empowerment, democracy, ...

  17. Opportunities for Engaging Patients in Kidney Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam N. Demian

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of the rationale for engaging patients in research as well as to review the established and envisioned advantages and strategies for patient-researcher partnerships. The authors of this article, which include a patient and 4 researchers in kidney disease, discuss the expected benefits and opportunities for patient engagement in their respective research programs. The 4 research programs span the spectrum of kidney disease and focus on enhancing bone health, increasing living donor kidney transplants, improving medication adherence, and preventing kidney transplant rejection. Sources of Information: The sources of information for this review include published studies on the topics of patient engagement and the 4 research programs of the new investigators. Key Findings: (1 Patient, health care provider, and researcher partnerships can contribute useful insights capable of enhancing research in kidney disease. (2 Regardless of the research program, there are various strategies and opportunities for engagement of patients with lived experience across the various stages of research in kidney disease. (3 Envisioned advantages of patient-researcher partnerships include: targeting patient-identified research priorities, integrating patients’ experiential knowledge, improving study design and feasibility through patient-researcher input, facilitating dissemination of research findings to other patients, effectively responding to patient concerns about studies, and inspiring researchers to conduct their research. Limitations: The limitations of the current review include the relative scarcity of literature on patient engagement within the field of kidney disease. Implications: The findings of the current review suggest that it will be important for future studies to identify optimal strategies for patient engagement in setting research priorities, study design, participant recruitment

  18. Strategies for Engaging Men as Anti-Violence Allies: Implications for Ally Movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin Casey

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available As ally movements become an increasingly prevalent element of social justice efforts, research is needed that illuminates effective strategies to initially engage members of privileged social groups in anti-oppression work. This study presents descriptive findings regarding ally engagement strategies and barriers from a qualitative study of a particular ally movement – male anti-violence against women activism. Twenty-seven men who recently initiated involvement in an organization or event dedicated to ending sexual or domestic violence were interviewed regarding their perceptions of effective approaches to reaching and engaging other men in anti-violence work. Participants viewed tailored engagement strategies that tap into existing social networks, that allow men to see themselves reflected in anti-violence movements, and that help men make personal, emotional connections to the issue of violence as most effective. Implications for engaging men in the project of ending violence against women, and for ally movements more generally are discussed.

  19. Counterbalancing work-related stress? Work engagement among intensive care professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Mol, Margo M C; Nijkamp, Marjan D; Bakker, Jan; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Kompanje, Erwin J O

    2018-07-01

    Working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is increasingly complex and is also physically, cognitively and emotionally demanding. Although the negative emotions of work-related stress have been well studied, the opposite perspective of work engagement might also provide valuable insight into how these emotional demands may be countered. This study focused on the work engagement of ICU professionals and explored the complex relationship between work engagement, job demands and advantageous personal resources. This was a cross-sectional survey study among ICU professionals in a single-centre university hospital. Work engagement was measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, which included items about opinions related to the respondent's work environment. Additionally, 14 items based on the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy were included to measure empathic ability. A digital link to the questionnaire was sent in October 2015 to a population of 262 ICU nurses and 53 intensivists. The overall response rate was 61% (n=193). Work engagement was negatively related both to cognitive demands among intensivists and to emotional demands among ICU nurses. No significant relationship was found between work engagement and empathic ability; however, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were highly correlated with work engagement. Only the number of hours worked per week remained as a confounding factor, with a negative effect of workload on work engagement after controlling for the effect of weekly working hours. Work engagement counterbalances work-related stress reactions. The relatively high workload in ICUs, coupled with an especially heavy emotional burden, may be acknowledged as an integral part of ICU work. This workload does not affect the level of work engagement, which was high for both intensivists and nurses despite the known high job demands. Specific factors that contribute to a healthy and successful work life among ICU professionals need

  20. The affective shift model of work engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bledow, Ronald; Schmitt, Antje; Frese, Michael; Kühnel, Jana

    2011-11-01

    On the basis of self-regulation theories, the authors develop an affective shift model of work engagement according to which work engagement emerges from the dynamic interplay of positive and negative affect. The affective shift model posits that negative affect is positively related to work engagement if negative affect is followed by positive affect. The authors applied experience sampling methodology to test the model. Data on affective events, mood, and work engagement was collected twice a day over 9 working days among 55 software developers. In support of the affective shift model, negative mood and negative events experienced in the morning of a working day were positively related to work engagement in the afternoon if positive mood in the time interval between morning and afternoon was high. Individual differences in positive affectivity moderated within-person relationships. The authors discuss how work engagement can be fostered through affect regulation. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

  1. One Hen: Teaching Elementary-Level Economics for Civic Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitlock, Annie McMahon

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation is a qualitative case study focused on describing and analyzing the student and teacher experience with One Hen, a project-based learning unit specifically designed to teach civic engagement. In this study I address three questions: 1) Do fifth-grade students' knowledge and skills in economics change after participating in a…

  2. Reflexive project management in high-abition projects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Loeber, Anne; Vermeulen, T.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose
    The Aristotelian notion of phronèsis inspired innovative work in the realm of project management as well as in literature on sustainability and societal transformations. We argue that both literatures may benefit from a dialogue between the two, especially in view of outlining project

  3. Major projects for the use of high power linacs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prome, M.

    1996-01-01

    A review of the major projects for high power linacs is given. The field covers the projects aiming at the transmutation of nuclear waste or the production of tritium, as well as the production of neutrons for hybrid reactors or basic research with neutron sources. The technologies which arc common to all the projects are discussed. Comments are made on the technical difficulties encountered by all the projects, and the special problems of the pulsed linacs are mentioned. Elements for a comparison of normal conducting linacs versus superconducting ones are given. Finally the technical developments being made in various laboratories are reviewed. (author)

  4. Project Stakeholder Management: A Case Study of a Brazilian Science Park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antônio Carlos Pacagnella Júnior

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The stakeholder management has been a topic increasingly discussed in the literature about project management, though still existing, large gaps to be filled, especially in complex projects such as the implementation of science parks. Thus, in this paper is presented a case of a Brazilian Science Park which shows how the management team of the project identified key stakeholders and established strategies for engagement and collaboration that sought to increase their engagement, get resources and make use of specific capabilities that were required during the lifecycle of the project to the reaching of its goals.

  5. The enhancement of environmental literacy of High School students within the Sparkling Science project "Traisen w3"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poppe, Michaela; Zitek, Andreas; Böck, Kerstin; Scheikl, Sigrid; Heidenreich, Andrea; Kurz-Aigner, Roman; Schrittwieser, Martin; Muhar, Susanne

    2015-04-01

    Environmental literacy is the knowledge necessary to understand the environment as an ecological system. It comprises the insight in the impact of human behaviour on the natural world and the disposition and motivation to apply ones knowledge, skills and insight in order to make environmentally beneficial decisions as rational citizen. The United Nations Environmental Programme states that young people will face major challenges in providing sufficient water and food, generating energy and adapting to climate change in future. Dealing with these challenges will require a major contribution from science and technology. But even more important, it is an issue of education to transfer the required system understanding as a basis to take informed decisions. In this way an education towards environmental literacy contributes significantly to the personal, social, and professional lives of young people, plays therefore a central role in young person`s "preparedness for life", and is a major prerequisite for sustainable development. For the purpose of developing new and engaging forms of learning, "Sparkling Science" projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy in Austria. These projects target at integrating science with school learning by involving young people into scientific research. Within the Sparkling Science Projects "FlussAu:WOW" and" "Traisen.w3" scientists work together with 15-18-year-old students of an Austrian High School over four years. The projects aim to assess and evaluate crucial functions and processes of riverine landscapes particularly considering the floodplain area in near natural and anthropogenically changed landscapes. Within the first project "FlussAu:WOW" (2012-2014), students and scientists elaborated on indicators for assessing and evaluating the ecological functionality of floodplains and rivers. In a case study in the "Traisen.w3" project (2014-2016), scientists and students will focus at the catchment

  6. The Savannah River Site Replacement High Level Radioactive Waste Evaporator Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brock Presgrove, S.

    1992-01-01

    The Replacement High Level Waste Evaporator Project was conceived in 1985 to reduce the volume of the high level radioactive waste currently stored at the DOE Savannah River Site Tank Farm. Process of the high level waste has been accomplished up to this time using Bent Tube type evaporators and therefore, that type evaporator was selected for this project. The Title I Design of the project was 70% completed in late 1990. The Department of Energy at that time hired an independent consulting firm to perform a complete review of the project. The DOE placed a STOP ORDER on purchasing the evaporator in January 1991. Essentially, no construction was to be done on the project until all findings and concerns dealing with the type and design of the evaporator are resolved. This report addresses two aspects of the DOE design review: Comparing the Bent Tube Evaporator with the Forced Circulation Evaporator; The design portion of the DOE Project Review - concentrated on the mechanical design properties of the evaporator. (author)

  7. Why do firms engage in forward-looking search?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jissink, Tymen; Rohrbeck, René; Huizingh, Eelko K.R.E.

    firms with a low level of slack resources engage to a much lower extent into forward-looking search, if they operate in high-competitive-intensity environments. Our findings not only carry important implications for predicting a firm’s engagement in forward-looking search, but also potentially...... performed below aspirations are less likely to engage in forward-looking search, suggesting that forward-looking search is not a form of problemistic search. In contrast, firms that have abundant uncommitted (slack) resources as well as firms expecting to outperform in the near future are engaging more...... into forward-looking search. We also find interaction effect between performance feedback and environmental characteristics. Interestingly firms with a high level of slack resources are only surpassing their less rich peers in forward-looking search, if they are in technologically turbulent environments. Also...

  8. Creation of the Naturalistic Engagement in Secondary Tasks (NEST) distracted driving dataset.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Justin M; Angell, Linda; Hankey, Jonathan M; Foley, James; Ebe, Kazutoshi

    2015-09-01

    Distracted driving has become a topic of critical importance to driving safety research over the past several decades. Naturalistic driving data offer a unique opportunity to study how drivers engage with secondary tasks in real-world driving; however, the complexities involved with identifying and coding relevant epochs of naturalistic data have limited its accessibility to the general research community. This project was developed to help address this problem by creating an accessible dataset of driver behavior and situational factors observed during distraction-related safety-critical events and baseline driving epochs, using the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) naturalistic dataset. The new NEST (Naturalistic Engagement in Secondary Tasks) dataset was created using crashes and near-crashes from the SHRP2 dataset that were identified as including secondary task engagement as a potential contributing factor. Data coding included frame-by-frame video analysis of secondary task and hands-on-wheel activity, as well as summary event information. In addition, information about each secondary task engagement within the trip prior to the crash/near-crash was coded at a higher level. Data were also coded for four baseline epochs and trips per safety-critical event. 1,180 events and baseline epochs were coded, and a dataset was constructed. The project team is currently working to determine the most useful way to allow broad public access to the dataset. We anticipate that the NEST dataset will be extraordinarily useful in allowing qualified researchers access to timely, real-world data concerning how drivers interact with secondary tasks during safety-critical events and baseline driving. The coded dataset developed for this project will allow future researchers to have access to detailed data on driver secondary task engagement in the real world. It will be useful for standalone research, as well as for integration with additional SHRP2 data to enable the

  9. Development of a large-screen high-definition laser video projection system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clynick, Tony J.

    1991-08-01

    A prototype laser video projector which uses electronic, optical, and mechanical means to project a television picture is described. With the primary goal of commercial viability, the price/performance ratio of the chosen means is critical. The fundamental requirement has been to achieve high brightness, high definition images of at least movie-theater size, at a cost comparable with other existing large-screen video projection technologies, while having the opportunity of developing and exploiting the unique properties of the laser projected image, such as its infinite depth-of-field. Two argon lasers are used in combination with a dye laser to achieve a range of colors which, despite not being identical to those of a CRT, prove to be subjectively acceptable. Acousto-optic modulation in combination with a rotary polygon scanner, digital video line stores, novel specialized electro-optics, and a galvanometric frame scanner form the basis of the projection technique achieving a 30 MHz video bandwidth, high- definition scan rates (1125/60 and 1250/50), high contrast ratio, and good optical efficiency. Auditorium projection of HDTV pictures wider than 20 meters are possible. Applications including 360 degree(s) projection and 3-D video provide further scope for exploitation of the HD laser video projector.

  10. Finding the community in sustainable online community engagement: Not-for-profit organisation websites, service-learning and research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alice Dodd

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This article explores the use of action research (2008–2014 based on a case study of the Sustainable Online Community Engagement (SOCE Project, a service-learning project in which University of South Australia students build websites for not-for-profit (NFP organisations, to demonstrate that effective teaching, public service and research are interdependent. A significant problem experienced in the SOCE project was that, despite some training and ongoing assistance, the community organisations reported that they found it difficult to make effective use of their websites. One of the proposed solutions was to develop an online community of the participating organisations that would be self-supporting, member-driven and collaborative, and enable the organisations to share information about web-based technology. The research reported here explored the usefulness of developing such an online community for the organisations involved and sought alternative ways to assist the organisations to maintain an effective and sustainable web presence. The research used a three-phase ethnographic action research approach. The first phase was a content analysis and review of the editing records of 135 organisational websites hosted by the SOCE project. The second phase was an online survey sent to 145 community organisation members responsible for the management of these websites, resulting in 48 responses. The third phase consisted of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 18 of the website managers from 12 of these organisations. The research revealed the extent to which organisations were unable to manage their websites and found that the proposed solution of an online community would not be useful. More importantly, it suggested other useful strategies which have been implemented. In Furco’s (2010 model of the engaged campus, public engagement can be used to advance the public service, teaching and research components of higher education’s tripartite

  11. NuclearFACTS: public engagement about the impacts of nuclear research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dalzell, M.T.J.; Alexander, R.N.; Main, M.G., E-mail: matthew.dalzell@fedorukcentre.ca [Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, Saskatoon, SK, (Canada)

    2015-07-01

    The Forum for Accountability and Communities Talking nuclear Science - nuclearFACTS - is a cornerstone of the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation's efforts to engage the people of Saskatchewan in evidence-based conversations about the impacts of the nuclear research, development and training activities supported by the Fedoruk Centre. The second annual nuclearFACTS public colloquium was held 20 November 2014, and featured the participation of 16 research projects. This paper discusses the continued development of the nuclearFACTS concept and its role in the Fedoruk Centre's upstream engagement efforts. (author)

  12. Exploring and Improving Student Engagement in an Accelerated Undergraduate Nursing Program through a Mentoring Partnership: An Action Research Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bramble, Marguerite; Maxwell, Hazel; Einboden, Rochelle; Farington, Sally; Say, Richard; Beh, Chin Liang; Stankiewicz, Grace; Munro, Graham; Marembo, Esther; Rickard, Greg

    2018-05-30

    This Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed to engage students from an accelerated 'fast track' nursing program in a mentoring collaboration, using an interdisciplinary partnership intervention with a group of academics. Student participants represented the disciplines of nursing and paramedicine with a high proportion of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students. Nine student mentors were recruited and paired with academics for a three-month 'mentorship partnership' intervention. Data from two pre-intervention workshops and a post-intervention workshop were coded in NVivo11 using thematic analysis. Drawing on social inclusion theory, a qualitative analysis explored an iteration of themes across each action cycle. Emergent themes were: 1) 'building relationships for active engagement', 2) 'voicing cultural and social hierarchies', and 3) 'enacting collegiate community'. The study offers insights into issues for contemporary accelerated course delivery with a diverse student population and highlights future strategies to foster effective student engagement.

  13. Project-Based Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krajcik, Joe

    2015-01-01

    Project-based science is an exciting way to teach science that aligns with the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"). By focusing on core ideas along with practices and crosscutting concepts, classrooms become learning environments where teachers and students engage in science by designing and carrying out…

  14. Engaged anthropology and corporate volunteering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natália Blahová

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present engaged anthropology and its methodological tools with a specific perspective of the research field and the position of the researcher with regard to research subjects. The study focuses on corporate volunteering as one of the forms of collaboration between the non-profit and the private sectors seeking solutions to social problems and community development. Volunteering projects contribute to the interlinking of the knowledge, skills, experience and resources of corporate employees and the representatives of the non-profit or the public sector. It is a part of the philanthropic strategy of companies which are willing to present themselves as entities responsible towards the environment in which they run their business, and towards their employees, partners and customers. Engaged anthropology can bring, through its methodological tools, a new perspective of corporate volunteering. Community-based participatory research on the process of knowledge creation includes all partners on an equal basis and identifies their unique contribution to problem solution and community development.

  15. Opening Lab Doors to High School Students: Keys to a Successful Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slayton, Rebecca M.; Nelson, Keith A.

    2005-01-01

    A project to invite high school students into research laboratories to plan and carry out an investigation over several weeks, using the sophisticated equipment available there, can help to break down social barriers and enhance outreach activities.

  16. Burnout and Work Engagement Among US Dentists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo, Jean Marie; Kwatra, Japneet; Yansane, Alfa; Tokede, Oluwabunmi; Gorter, Ronald C; Kalenderian, Elsbeth

    2017-06-30

    Burnout is a threat to patient safety. It relates to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Work engagement conversely composed of levels of vigor, dedication, and absorption in one's profession. The aim of this study was to examine burnout and work engagement among US dentists. This study used the extensively validated Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale to measure burnout in a self-administered survey of 167 US dentists who attended continuing education courses held in Boston, Pittsburg, Iowa City, and Las Vegas. The mean scores on the 3 subscales of Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were computed. The interscale correlations between the components of burnout and work engagement were assessed using Pearson correlations. We used 1-way analysis of variance and independent 2 sample t tests to examine the relationship between burnout and work engagement across sex and various age categories. Prevalence of burnout in our study population was also computed. We observed that 13.2% of our study population experienced burnout and 16.2% of our study population was highly work engaged. There was a statistically significant, unadjusted association between burnout risk and work engagement (χ = 22.51, P work engagement. In this preliminary study, we observed some evidence of burnout among practicing US dentists. It is imperative that the dental profession understands this and works to promote professional practices that increase work engagement and decrease burnout.

  17. An adaptive approach to family-centered intervention in schools: linking intervention engagement to academic outcomes in middle and high school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stormshak, Elizabeth A; Connell, Arin; Dishion, Thomas J

    2009-09-01

    This study examined the impact of an adaptive approach to family intervention in public schools on academic outcomes from age 11 to 17. Students were randomly assigned to the three-session Family Check-Up (FCU), which is designed to motivate change in parenting practices by using an assessment-driven approach and strengths-based feedback. All services were voluntary, and approximately 25% of the families engaged in the FCU. Compared with matched controls, adolescents whose parents received the FCU maintained a satisfactory GPA into high school, and intervention engagement was associated with improved attendance. The highest-risk families were the most likely to engage in the family-centered intervention, suggesting the efficacy of integrating supportive services to families in the context of other schoolwide approaches to promote the success and achievement of vulnerable students.

  18. Individual Learning in Construction Projects: Professions and their Approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingeborg Wasif

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available New materials, use of sophisticated technologies and increased customer demands, in combination with growing competition among construction companies, have led to a high organizational boundaries. The results indicate that personal networks are the most common source of learning for all professions. While clients, architects, and designers also engage in reading and attending courses, site managers and workers are less engaged in these activities. Experimenting and organizing for learning appear to be underutilized strategies by all professions. This leads to the conclusion that attempts to increase learning have to address the differences in learning behaviours of the various groups. Further, focus on experimenting and organizing for learning is a possibility to change the learning behaviour from learning as a consequence of problems to learning for future improvement.degree of specialization. For successful integration of the different professional specialists, there is a need for shared learning between project co-workers. Based on twenty eight interviews in six different Swedish construction projects, this paper illustrates strategies for individual and shared learning, among different actors and across various

  19. Achieving Teaching, Scholarship, and Service through Community Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carole K. Ivey

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Occupational therapy faculty currently face enormous challenges in meeting teaching load expectations, while also under pressure to participate in scholarly projects and to make administrative and service contributions. Community engagement projects may provide opportunities for faculty to effectively and efficiently meet the goals in each of these areas while imparting benefits to students and community partners as well. Faculty at the Department of Occupational Therapy (OT at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU embraced this idea as consistent with the university’s mission and strategic plan, and recognized its benefits in assisting faculty to meet workload demands. Four community partnerships reflecting the range and diversity of populations currently involved are highlighted: the Children’s Museum of Richmond, Rebuilding TogetherRichmond, the William Nelson Bland Literacy Center, and Gateway Homes of Richmond. The developmental process and resulting benefits are described for each of these partnerships, and the paper concludes with lessons learned from these collaborative efforts. From these examples, it appears important to be proactive about developing community partnerships and realistic about the challenges of collaboration, but also to be aware of the role community engagement plays in creatively blending the potentially conflicting demands on faculty time.

  20. iUTAH Summer Research Institutes: Supporting the STEM Pipeline Through Engagement of High School, Undergraduate and Graduate Students, Secondary Teachers, and University Faculty in Authentic, Joint Research Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, L. A.; Malone, M.

    2015-12-01

    Multiple types of programs are needed to support the STEM workforce pipeline from pre-college through graduate school and beyond. Short-term, intensive programs provide opportunities to participate in authentic scientific research for students who may not be sure of their interest in science and for teachers who may be unable to devote an entire summer to a research experience. The iUTAH (innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-Systainability) Summer Research Institute utilizes an innovative approach for a 5-day program that engages high school and undergraduate students as well as middle and high school teachers in conducting research projects led by graduate students and faculty members. Each Institute involves 3-4 half to full-day research projects. Participants collect (usually in the field) and analyze data for use in on-going research or that is related to a current research project. The participants work in groups with the graduate students to create a poster about each research project. They present their posters on the last day of the Institute at the state-wide meeting of all researchers and involved in this EPSCoR-funded program. In addition to introducing participants to research, one of the Institute's goals is to provide opportunities for meaningful near-peer interactions with students along the STEM pipeline from high school to undergraduate to graduate school. On the end-of-Institute evaluations, almost all students have reported that their discussions with other participants and with graduate students and faculty were a "Highly effective" or "Effective" part of the Institute. In response to a question about how the Institute will impact their course choices or their plans to pursue a career in science, many high school and undergraduate students have noted that they plan to take more science courses. Each year several undergraduates who were previously unsure about a career in science have indicated that they now intend to pursue a

  1. The Global Lives Project: Making New Media Matter in a Global World

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasse Jørgensen, Stina

    2010-01-01

    Computing has infiltrated the everyday life of people all over the world. It is no longer merely a tool for communication and interaction, but also something-to-think-with, a medium that can give us new dimensions in the way we experience and engage with the world.Critical computing evokes...... in the user new ways of thinking and interacting with a globalized world. The Global Lives Project is a compelling example of this usage of computing technology. The GLP archive, which contains visual documentation of the lives of different people from around the world on a digital platform on the Internet......, enables users to actively engage with global cultures. As a critical computing project, the Global Lives Project hopes to bring a critical awareness of how culture is categorized and transformed by engaging users in a collaborative new media project....

  2. Researching the Professional-Development Needs of Community-Engaged Scholars in a New Zealand University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerry Shephard

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available We explored the processes adopted by university teachers who engage with communities with a focus on asking how and why they became community-engaged, and an interest in what promotes and limits their engagement and how limitations may be addressed. As part of year-long research project we interviewed 25 community-engaged colleagues and used a general inductive approach to identify recurring themes within interview transcripts. We found three coexisting and re-occurring themes within our interviews. Community-engaged scholars in our institution tended to emphasise the importance of building enduring relationships between our institution and the wider community; have personal ambitions to change aspects of our institution, our communities, or the interactions between them and identified community engagement as a fruitful process to achieve these changes; and identified the powerful nature of the learning that comes from community engagement in comparison with other more traditional means of teaching. Underlying these themes was a sense that community engagement requires those involved to take risks. Our three themes and this underlying sense of risk-taking suggest potential support processes for the professional development of community-engaged colleagues institutionally.

  3. Using M-learning as a Means to Promote Self-direction and Engagement in Apprenticeship Theoretical Lessons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alan O'Donnell

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available An exploratory case study was carried out to investigate if the use of mobile phones as a tool for learning could address concerns over the current learning of the carpentry and joinery apprentices in the Dublin Institute of Technology. The concerns are regarding a lack of learner self-direction and engagement with the learning content. A high level of mobile phone usage was apparent among the apprentice cohort. It was decided to take advantage of the potential learning opportunity offered by mobile technologies to promote the learning and engagement of the apprentices. Towards this goal, a compatible resource was developed, hosting presentations, course content, videos and questions. This study explored the views of the learners in the carpentry and joinery trade apprenticeship and their attitudes towards developing an m-learning resource. The aim of the research was to explore if this m-learning resource encouraged self-direction and engagement. Further objectives of this study were to establish a start point for further research projects and resource development.

  4. Engaged to Learn Ways of Engaging ESL Learners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Tomlinson

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I am going to argue that our most important role as language teachers is to provide potentially engaging materials for our learners and then to make use of them in optimally engaging ways. If we do not engage our learners most of the time no amount of exposure, teaching, practice or use of the language will help them to achieve sufficient language acquisition and development.

  5. Stakeholders' Engagement Methods for the Mining Social Responsibility Practice: Determination of Local Issues and Concerns Related to the Mines Operations in Northwest of the US.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masaitis, A.

    2014-12-01

    Every year, all around the world, global environmental change affects the human habitat. This is effect enhanced by the mining operation, and creates new challenges in relationship between the mining and local community. The purpose of this project are developed the Stakeholders engagement evaluation plan which is currently developed in University of Nevada, Reno for the Emigrant mining project, located in the central Nevada, USA, and belong to the Newmont Mining Corporation, one of the gold production leader worldwide. The needs for this project is to create the open dialog between Newmont mining company and all interested parties which have social or environmental impacts from the Emigrant mine. Identification of the stakeholders list is first and one of the most difficult steps in the developing of mine social responsibility. Stakeholders' engagement evaluation plan must be based on the timing and available resources of the mining company, understanding the goals for the engagement, and on analyzes of the possible risks from engagement. In conclusion, the Stakeholders engagement evaluation plan includes: first, determinations of the stakeholders list, which must include any interested or effected by the mine projects groups, for example: state and local government representatives, people from local communities, business partners, environmental NGOs, indigenous people, and academic groups. The contacts and availability for communication is critical for Stakeholders engagement. Next, is to analyze characteristics of all these parties and determinate the level of interest and level of their influence on the project. The next step includes the Stakeholders matrix and mapping development, where all these information will be put together.After that, must be chosen the methods for stakeholders' engagement. The methods usually depends from the goals of engagement (create the dialog lines, collect the data, determinations of the local issues and concerns, or establish

  6. City of Huntsville Public Housing Areas STEM Initiative Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colon, Tomeka; Smith, Cydale; Pugh, Marcus; Budak, Satilmis; Muntele, Claudiu

    2012-02-01

    Students in high-poverty and high-minority schools are entering the classroom without the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. In order to bridge the gaps in opportunity and achievement that separate low-income students and students of color from other young Americans, we have introduced elementary and middle school students to the basic concepts of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Within the project, we have provided students with excellent learning opportunities, engaging hands-on experiences, and outstanding advising and mentoring. We have assessed student development and impact before, during, and after the program.

  7. Children’s Civic Engagement in the Scratch Online Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricarose Roque

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In public discourse, and in the governance of online communities, young people are often denied agency. Children are frequently considered objects to protect, safeguard, and manage. Yet as children go online from very early ages, they develop emergent forms of civic and political engagement. Children appropriate the affordances of digital platforms in order to discuss, connect, and act with their peers and in their communities. In this paper, we analyze civic engagement in Scratch Online, a creative community where children from around the world learn programming by designing and sharing interactive media projects. We explore the ways that young Scratch community members connect with issues of global importance, as well as with local topics and questions of community governance. We develop a typology of the strategies they use to express themselves, engage with their peers, and call for action. We then analyze the reaction of the community, including other Scratch members and adult moderators, and draw key lessons from these examples in order to describe guidelines for educators and designers who would like to support children’s rights to civic engagement in online learning environments.

  8. Engaging teenagers productively in service design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Simon; Sustar, Helena; Wolstenholme, Daniel; Dearden, Andy

    2013-09-01

    Engaging young people in participatory design can be challenging, particularly in health-related projects. In a study co-designing diabetes support and information services with teenagers, we found framing activities using popular culture was a useful strategy. Various cultural references helped us stage activities that were productive for the design process, and were engaging for our young participants (e.g. exploring practical implications through discussions in a 'Dragons' Den'). Some activities were more effective than others and the idea of language-games , which has been widely explored in participatory design, explains why our strategy was successful when there was a clear 'family resemblance' between the popular cultural references and certain essential stages of designing. However, attention is required in selecting appropriate cultural references if this strategy is adopted elsewhere, and design facilitators should focus first on devising accessible language-games, rather than expecting popular cultural references to provide complete solutions to the challenge of staging participatory design.

  9. Project outline of high quality electron beam generation at Waseda University

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Washio, M.; Hama, Y.; Kashiwagi, S.; Kuroda, R.; Kobuki, T. [Waseda Univ., Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Shinjuku, Tokyo (Japan); Hirose, T. [Tokyo Metropolitan Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Physics

    2000-03-01

    High quality electron beam generation project has been started at Waseda University under the grant of Ministry of Education, named High-Tech Research Center Project. In the project, we will install a laser photo-cathode RF Gun system with 1.6 accelerating structure cells of s-band and a stabilized RF power source. This RF Gun is expected to produce single electron bunch up to 1 or 2nC with around 10ps pulse duration. (author)

  10. Project outline of high quality electron beam generation at Waseda University

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Washio, M.; Hama, Y.; Kashiwagi, S.; Kuroda, R.; Kobuki, T.; Hirose, T.

    2000-01-01

    High quality electron beam generation project has been started at Waseda University under the grant of Ministry of Education, named High-Tech Research Center Project. In the project, we will install a laser photo-cathode RF Gun system with 1.6 accelerating structure cells of s-band and a stabilized RF power source. This RF Gun is expected to produce single electron bunch up to 1 or 2nC with around 10ps pulse duration. (author)

  11. Engaging Undergraduates in Feminist Classrooms: An Exploration of Professors' Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spencer, Leland G.

    2015-01-01

    This article reports the results of a feminist action research project that sought to ascertain professors' best practices for engaging undergraduates in feminist classrooms. In semi-structured interviews, professors recommended assigning readings from a variety of positionalities; creating a safe space for class discussion; relying on data to…

  12. Alternative Education Engaging Indigenous Young People: Flexi Schooling in Queensland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shay, Marnee; Heck, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    This article will discuss some of the findings from a qualitative research project that explored the connections between alternative education and Indigenous learners. This study investigated how flexi school leaders reported they were supporting Indigenous young people to remain engaged in education. The results of the survey provide demographic…

  13. Engaging Communities in their Heritage: Collaboration between Higher Education and the Voluntary Sector in Wales and Ireland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex Bell

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The paper focuses on an Interreg funded pilot project entitled ‘Heritage and Culture for Learning, Empowerment and Sustainable Tourism’.  The project was a collaborative development between a Higher Education Institution in Wales and a Voluntary Sector Organisation in Ireland and adopted an innovative approach to engaging communities in their heritage.  The central aim of the project was to develop and promote joint opportunities for the creation of sustainable tourism products which build on the natural assets (people and landscape, built assets, culture and heritage of the Wales Ireland cross border region.  In practice this was achieved through an innovative approach combining research, lifelong learning, higher level skills development, networking, marketing and business development through active engagement of local communities. The pilot project ended in July 2013, and the focus of this presentation is an evaluation of the project outcomes and experiences.

  14. Engaging Scientists with the CosmoQuest Citizen Science Virtual Research Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grier, Jennifer A.; Gay, Pamela L.; Buxner, Sanlyn; Noel-Storr, Jacob; CosmoQuest Team

    2016-10-01

    NASA Science Mission Directorate missions and research return more data than subject matter experts (SMEs - scientists and engineers) can effectively utilize. Citizen scientist volunteers represent a robust pool of energy and talent that SMEs can draw upon to advance projects that require the processing of large quantities of images, and other data. The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility has developed roles and pathways to engage SMEs in ways that advance the education of the general public while producing science results publishable in peer-reviewed journals, including through the CosmoQuest Facility Small Grants Program and CosmoAcademy. Our Facility Small Grants Program is open to SMEs to fund them to work with CosmoQuest and engage the public in analysis. Ideal projects have a specific and well-defined need for additional eyes and minds to conduct basic analysis and data collection (such as crater counting, identifying lineaments, etc.) Projects selected will undergo design and implementation as Citizen Science Portals, and citizen scientists will be recruited and trained to complete the project. Users regularly receive feedback on the quality of their data. Data returned will be analyzed by the SME and the CQ Science Team for joint publication in a peer-reviewed journal. SMEs are also invited to consider presenting virtual learning courses in the subjects of their choice in CosmoAcademy. The audience for CosmoAcademy are lifelong-learners and education professionals. Classes are capped at 10, 15, or 20 students. CosmoAcademy can also produce video material to archive seminars long-term. SMEs function as advisors in many other areas of CosmoQuest, including the Educator's Zone (curricular materials for K-12 teachers), Science Fair Projects, and programs that partner to produce material for podcasts and planetaria. Visit the CosmoQuest website at cosmoquest.org to learn more, and to investigate current opportunities to engage with us. CosmoQuest is funded

  15. Is knowledge translation without patient or community engagement flawed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsden, Vivian R; Rabbitskin, Norma; Westfall, John M; Felzien, Maret; Braden, Janice; Sand, Jessica

    2017-06-01

    The engagement of patients/individuals and/or communities has become increasingly important in all aspects of the research process. The aim of this manuscript is to begin the discussion about the use and implementation of authentic engagement in the development of presentations and manuscripts which evolve from research that has engaged patients/individuals and/or communities. Community-Based Participatory Research; Transformative Action Research. In Canada, the framework for engaging patients/individuals and/or communities is clearly outlined in Chapter 9 of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans which indicates that when research projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, the peoples in these communities are to have a role in shaping/co-creating the research that affects them. It is increasingly important that presentations and manuscripts that evolve from results/findings which have engaged patients/individuals and/or communities be co-presented/co-published. Presentations are often done without patients/individuals and/or communities and manuscripts published with only academic authors. Frequently, grants submitted and subsequently funded do not consider this aspect of the process in the budget which makes integrated and outcome knowledge translation, dissemination and distribution by and with patients/individuals and/or communities difficult to facilitate. This manuscript was designed to begin the discussion at various levels related to authentic engagement in the development of presentations and manuscripts which evolve from research that has engaged patients/individuals and/or communities. How will you include patients/individuals and/or communities in your presentations and publications? © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. An exploration in kitchen blender interactions aimed at designing for high levels of engagement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rheden, V.; Hengeveld, B.J.

    2015-01-01

    This paper illustrates three novel kitchen blender interactions aimed at bringing about a higher level of engagement with interactive products, as a response to current, seemingly un-engaging interactions. We describe our starting points and approach after which we present the designed blender

  17. Measuring work engagement among community health workers in Sierra Leone: Validating the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale

    OpenAIRE

    Vallières, Frédérique; McAuliffe, Eilish; Hyland, Philip; Galligan, Marie; Ghee, Annette

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the concept of volunteer work engagement in a sample of 334 community health workers in Bonthe District, Sierra Leone. Structural equation modelling was used to validate both the 9-item and the 17-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9 and UWES-17, respectively). Results assessing the UWES-17 invalidated the three-factor structure within this cohort of community health workers, as high correlations were found between latent factors. Findings for the validity of the UWE...

  18. Workplace spirituality, work engagement and thriving at work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Freda van der Walt

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: In order to create competitive advantage in an increasingly turbulent economic environment, sustainability of high performance is crucial. Only a few individuals have the drive, mindset, discipline and ability to sustain high performance on a daily basis. Thus, it is necessary to consider what can be done so that employees can sustain high performance over the long term. Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish whether spiritual workplaces will enhance employees’ work engagement and thriving at work. Motivation for the study: Two important mechanisms for understanding the human dimension of sustainability are thriving at work and work engagement. However, because work engagement and thriving are affective-motivational states, it is necessary to consider contextual factors that promote these positive states. As work engagement and thriving at work move beyond mere energy, to a sense of connectedness, it seems important that spiritual workplaces are created. Research approach, design and method: The study was quantitative in nature, and data were collected from employees working at small, medium and macro enterprises (SMMEs in one geographical area in South Africa. The final sample consisted of 259 employees. A survey that was cross-sectional in nature was conducted by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Main findings: The findings of the study show that there is a positive and significant relationship between workplace spirituality, work engagement and thriving at work. Furthermore, workplace spirituality significantly influences the variance in both work engagement and thriving at work. Practical or managerial implications: In order for SMMEs to promote work engagement and thriving at work, spiritual workplaces need to be created. Furthermore, emphasis needs to be placed on the work experience, rather than on work outcomes. It is also important that SMMEs develop employees holistically, that they create

  19. High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor Projected Markets and Scoping Economics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larry Demick

    2010-08-01

    The NGNP Project has the objective of developing the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology to supply high temperature process heat to industrial processes as a substitute for burning of fossil fuels, such as natural gas. Applications of the HTGR technology that have been evaluated by the NGNP Project for supply of process heat include supply of electricity, steam and high-temperature gas to a wide range of industrial processes, and production of hydrogen and oxygen for use in petrochemical, refining, coal to liquid fuels, chemical, and fertilizer plants.

  20. Building work engagement: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Caroline; Patterson, Malcolm; Dawson, Jeremy

    2017-07-01

    Low work engagement may contribute towards decreased well-being and work performance. Evaluating, boosting and sustaining work engagement are therefore of interest to many organisations. However, the evidence on which to base interventions has not yet been synthesised. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to assess the evidence for the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. A systematic literature search identified controlled workplace interventions employing a validated measure of work engagement. Most used the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Studies containing the relevant quantitative data underwent random-effects meta-analyses. Results were assessed for homogeneity, systematic sampling error, publication bias and quality. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria and were categorised into four types of interventions: (i) personal resource building; (ii) job resource building; (iii) leadership training; and (iv) health promotion. The overall effect on work engagement was small, but positive, k  = 14, Hedges g  = 0.29, 95%-CI = 0.12-0.46. Moderator analyses revealed a significant result for intervention style, with a medium to large effect for group interventions. Heterogeneity between the studies was high, and the success of implementation varied. More studies are needed, and researchers are encouraged to collaborate closely with organisations to design interventions appropriate to individual contexts and settings, and include evaluations of intervention implementation. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Organizational Behavior published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Environmental Aesthetics, Social Engagement and Aesthetic Experiences in Central Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breed, Amanda

    2015-01-01

    In this essay, I explore the Youth Theatre for Peace (YTP) project in relation to environmental aesthetics and engaged participatory practices towards tolerance building in Central Asia. My main argument is that cultural histories of storytelling, "manas" (an oral and now literary Kyrgyz epic) and trickster tales incorporate ideas and…

  2. Measuring Engagement in Fourth to Twelfth Grade Classrooms: The Classroom Engagement Inventory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ze; Bergin, Christi; Bergin, David A.

    2014-01-01

    Research on factors that may promote engagement is hampered by the absence of a measure of classroom-level engagement. Literature has suggested that engagement may have 3 dimensions--affective, behavioral, and cognitive. No existing engagement scales measure all 3 dimensions at the classroom level. The Classroom Engagement Inventory (CEI) was…

  3. Sexual health promotion on social networking sites: a process evaluation of The FaceSpace Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Phuong; Gold, Judy; Pedrana, Alisa; Chang, Shanton; Howard, Steve; Ilic, Olivia; Hellard, Margaret; Stoove, Mark

    2013-07-01

    This article reports findings from an evaluation of reach and engagement of The FaceSpace Project, a novel sexual health promotion project delivered through social networking sites that targeted young people aged 16-29 years. Multiple methods were used to evaluate project reach and engagement. The evaluation focussed on quantitative data (online usage statistics, online surveys), complemented by available qualitative data (project team meeting notes). The project reached 900 fans who were mostly between 18 and 34 years of age. The most successful ways of increasing audience reach were via Facebook advertisements and tagging photos of young people attending a music festival on the project Facebook page. Peaks in Facebook page interactions (comments and "likes") coincided with recruitment peaks and when videos were posted. However, video views varied greatly between postings. Feedback from the project team for increasing engagement in future social networking site interventions included having one centralized Facebook page and using episodic videos. This evaluation is among the first to assess the use of social networking sites for sexual health promotion and provides information to inform the implementation and evaluation of future projects using new media. Social networking sites offer great potential to reach and engage young people for sexual health promotion. However, further work is required to improve implementation and promote audience reach and engagement as well as to determine effectiveness of social networking sites in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Medical Signbank as a Model for Sign Language Planning? A Review of Community Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Napier, Jemina; Major, George; Ferrara, Lindsay; Johnston, Trevor

    2015-01-01

    This paper reviews a sign language planning project conducted in Australia with deaf Auslan users. The Medical Signbank project utilised a cooperative language planning process to engage with the Deaf community and sign language interpreters to develop an online interactive resource of health-related signs, in order to address a gap in the health…

  5. Engaging Students in Learning: Findings from a Study of Project-Led Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Sandra; Mesquita, Diana; Flores, Maria Assunção; Lima, Rui M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on findings from a three-year study of project-based learning implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme, at the University of Minho, Portugal. This particular model was inspired on project-led education (PLE), following Powell and Weenk's [2003. "Project-Led Engineering…

  6. Leadership education in Singapore's high schools: its roles in school-business engagement to develop future leaders

    OpenAIRE

    Yew, Ker Ling

    2017-01-01

    Educators recognise the need to develop Leadership Education Programs (LEPs) that prepare students to deal with the complex and rapid changes in a globalised world. Business organizations, with their emphasis on anticipating and managing multifaceted changes, are a natural partner for high schools to work with to cultivate leadership qualities among students. School practitioners are fully cognizant of the benefits of engaging business organizations to provide greater exposure and authentic...

  7. Partnering with insiders: A review of peer models across community-engaged research, education and social care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Lisa M; Whetstone, Crystal; Boards, Alicia; Busch, Melida D; Magnusson, Maria; Määttä, Sylvia

    2018-03-07

    Within community-engaged research, education and social care, peer models that partner with local "insiders" are increasingly common. Peer models are composed of insider "lay" community members who often share similarities or background with a project's target population. Peers are not academically trained, but work alongside researchers and professionals to carry out specific tasks within a project, or in the truest sense of partnership, peers collaborate throughout the project from start to finish as an equal member of the team. Although peer models are used widely, the literature lacks consistency and clarity. This systematic review of literature used a qualitative thematic synthesis to examine and report how, where and why peer models have been used in research, education and social care. We examined the language and titles used to describe the peers, details of their involvement in community-engaged projects, the setting, content/topic of study, level of engagement and related benefits/outcomes of such models. Focusing on the last 10 years, we conducted a comprehensive literature search twice between September 2016 and June 2017. The search resulted in 814 articles which were assessed for eligibility. Overall, 251 articles met our inclusion criteria and were categorised into three categories: empirical (n = 115); process/descriptive (n = 93); and "about" peers (n = 43). Findings suggest that there is a wide variety of peers, titles and terminology associated with peer models. There is inconsistency in how these models are used and implemented in research studies and projects. The majority of articles used an employment peer model, while only a handful involved peers in all phases of the project. The results of this literature review contribute to understanding the use, development and evolution of peer models. We highlight potential benefits of peer models for peers, their communities and community-engaged work, and we offer recommendations for future

  8. Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) casts from the USS ENGAGE in the South China Sea in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from 1966-08-08 to 1966-10-11 (NODC Accession 6600265)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — MBT data were collected from the USS ENGAGE in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of...

  9. Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) casts from the USS ENGAGE in the North Pacific Ocean in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from 1966-10-24 to 1966-12-12 (NODC Accession 6600267)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — MBT data were collected from the USS ENGAGE in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of...

  10. Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) casts from the USS ENGAGE in the North Pacific Ocean in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from 1964-05-08 to 1964-05-18 (NODC Accession 6400425)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — MBT data were collected from the USS ENGAGE in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of...

  11. High-Efficiency Klystron Design for the CLIC Project

    CERN Document Server

    Mollard, Antoine; Peauger, Franck; Plouin, Juliette; Beunas, Armel; Marchesin, Rodolphe

    2017-01-01

    The CLIC project requests new type of RF sources for the high power conditioning of the accelerating cavities. We are working on the development of a new kind of high-efficiency klystron to fulfill this need. This work is performed under the EuCARD-2 European program and involves theoretical and experimental study of a brand new klystron concept.

  12. Patient engagement in clinical trials: The Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative's leadership from theory to practical implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patrick-Lake, Bray

    2018-02-01

    Patient engagement is an increasingly important aspect of successful clinical trials. Over the past decade, as patient group involvement in clinical trials has continued to increase and diversify, the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative has not only recognized the crucial role patients play in improving the clinical trial enterprise but also made a deep commitment to help grow and shape the emerging field of patient engagement. This article describes the evolution of patient engagement including the origins of the patient engagement movement; barriers to successful engagement and remaining challenges to full and valuable collaboration between patient groups and trial sponsors; and Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative's role in influencing the field through organizational practices, formal project work and resulting recommendations, and external advocacy efforts.

  13. VirtualTable: a projection augmented reality game

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dal Corso, Alessandro; Olsen, Mikkel Damgaard; Steenstrup, Kasper Hornbak

    2015-01-01

    VirtualTable is a projection augmented reality installation where users are engaged in an interactive tower defense game. The installation runs continuously and is designed to attract people to a table, which the game is projected onto. Any number of players can join the game for an optional period...

  14. Organizational roles and the work and organizational engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borkowska Anna

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose - The article aims to attempt to define the work and organization engagement of the employees of one of the exclusive hotel spa in Poland. The present paper proposes that organizational roles taken by employees differentiate symptoms of their engagement. The research aims to test the hypothesis and to show the differences at the level of concepts and behaviors. Design/methodology/approach - The following study is an attempt to define the work and organizational engagement of employees of one of the exclusive SPA (sanus per aquam hotels in Poland. The study was conducted using qualitative methods in the form of individual interviews and a group interview. The study described is part of a bigger project implemented in a Hotel. One department within the hotel, the kitchen of the main restaurant, was chosen for analysis. As such, opinions of two managers of various ranks (the Chef and the Deputy Manager of the Hotel and seven persons from the aforementioned department are presented in this paper. Findings - Data analysis allowed us to conclude that organizational roles performed by employees may, in an influential way, shape the level and mental representation of the work and organizational engagement. Our results show that the higher position an employee has in the organizational hierarchy, the better is his/her understanding and the bigger is level of engagement both in work and in the organisation. What’s more, higher organizational role is conducive to mixing these two perspectives, and the lower role makes them clearly separated.

  15. Engaging Indigenous Youth to Revitalize Cree Culture through Participatory Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Durdana; Zurba, Melanie; Rogalski, Amy; Berkes, Fikret

    2017-01-01

    Traditional food harvesting is an integral part of culture and food security for Indigenous people in Canada and elsewhere. However, new generations are more inclined to consuming market foods rather than traditional foods. We report on a project in Norway House Cree Nation, northern Manitoba, Canada, to engage youth to express their thoughts…

  16. Designing Feedback in an Immersive Videogame: Supporting Student Mathematical Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gresalfi, Melissa Sommerfeld; Barnes, Jacqueline

    2016-01-01

    This paper draws from and contributes to two bodies of research: how particular elements of game design support learning; and how particular characteristics of feedback impact student engagement. This paper reports findings from two rounds of a design-based research project that focuses on better understanding how feedback is integrated into, and…

  17. Closing the Civic Engagement Gap: The Potential of Action Civics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pope, Alexander; Stolte, Laurel; Cohen, Alison K.

    2011-01-01

    When taught in an engaging manner, civic education can help stimulate and motivate students to excel in other academic areas, while simultaneously preparing them to be active citizens in the democracy. As an initial attempt to more systematically analyze civic education practice, this article presents four case studies of projects in one action…

  18. International Civic Engagement: From Development Studies and Service-Learning, to Miami University-Dominica Partnerships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Klak

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available During the past four years, faculty, students, and staff from Miami University have been cultivating civic engagement relationships with citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica, in the Eastern Caribbean. For members of the Miami University community, this has been an effort to create opportunities for learning and scholarship through partnerships with people in the Global South who are working for community empowerment, progressive change, and sustainable development. For our Dominican counterparts, benefits include financial inputs, manual labor, relevant research projects, and an outside interest in contributing positively to ameliorating their community challenges. We work to base the Miami University-Dominica relationships on trust, long-term commitment, and mutuality, so that the benefits go back and forth in myriad ways. The result has been a set of relationships across international borders and cultural differences that is more fulfilling for both sides than typical study abroad, research, or ecotourism encounters in the Global South. This paper describes the conceptual underpinnings of this international civic engagement, and recounts three examples of the kinds of community groups and activities that the partnerships involve. We also note where the project has encountered constraints and limitations, and our next steps in the effort. We hope this example can serve as a template and motivation for other university groups to commit to cultivating civic engagement relationships with people and communities in the Global South. KEYWORDScivic engagement; community engagement; community partnerships; sustainability

  19. Researcher-driven Campaigns Engage Nature's Notebook Participants in Scientific Data Collection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crimmins, Theresa M.; Elmore, Andrew J.; Huete, Alfredo; Keller, Stephen; Levetin, Estelle; Luvall, Jeffrey; Meyers, Orrin; Stylinski, Cathlyn D.; Van De Water, Peter K.; Vukovic, Ana

    2013-01-01

    One of the many benefits of citizen science projects is the capacity they hold for facilitating data collection on a grand scale and thereby enabling scientists to answer questions they would otherwise not been able to address. Nature's Notebook, the plant and animal phenology observing program of the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) suitable for scientists and non-scientists alike, offers scientifically-vetted data collection protocols and infrastructure and mechanisms to quickly reach out to hundreds to thousands of potential contributors. The USA-NPN has recently partnered with several research teams to engage participants in contributing to specific studies. In one example, a team of scientists from NASA, the New Mexico Department of Health, and universities in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and California are using juniper phenology observations submitted by Nature's Notebookparticipants to improve predictions of pollen release and inform asthma and allergy alerts. In a second effort, researchers from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science are engaging Nature's Notebookparticipants in tracking leafing phenophases of poplars across the U.S. These observations will be compared to information acquired via satellite imagery and used to determine geographic areas where the tree species are most and least adapted to predicted climate change. Researchers in these partnerships receive benefits primarily in the form of ground observations. Launched in 2010, the juniper pollen effort has engaged participants in several western states and has yielded thousands of observations that can play a role in model ground validation. Periodic evaluation of these observations has prompted the team to improve and enhance the materials that participants receive, in an effort to boost data quality. The poplar project is formally launching in spring of 2013 and will run for three years; preliminary findings from 2013 will be presented. Participants in these

  20. Project BudBurst: Continental-scale citizen science for all seasons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, S.; Newman, S. J.; Ward, D.; Havens-Young, K.; Alaback, P.; Meymaris, K.

    2011-12-01

    Project BudBurst's (budburst.org) recent move to the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) has benefitted both programs. NEON has been able to use Project BudBurst as a testbed to learn best practices, network with experts in the field, and prototype potential tools for engaging people in continental-scale ecology as NEON develops its citizen science program. Participation in Project BudBurst has grown significantly since the move to NEON. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch in February, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst and will report on the results of the 2010 field campaign and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst in 2012 including the use of mobile phones applications for data collection and reporting from the field. Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago

  1. The Pumpkin Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardman, Bonnie

    2005-01-01

    Ms. Hardman's group of special education students were supposed to be "difficult." But their engagement in a novel interdisciplinary project had a transformative effect -- on them, on their teachers, and even on individuals far beyond their school. This article describes children and their experiences in a special education class and how they…

  2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING: INTERSECTIONS FOR STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT IN PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronielton Rezende Oliveira

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Projects development is essential for organizations. Among the factors originated in projects that influence performance is quality. This variable must be managed to meet the expectations of the stakeholders and this can only be achieved through effective monitoring and control. It can be seen that relationship marketing is relevant to the competitive reality of contemporary organizations. With the purpose of contributing to organizational studies, this theoretical essay proposes to approach project management in relationship marketing. In the context of integrated management, it is discussed how management action can be applied to engage and involve stakeholders in projects, in order to create value and achieve the expectations sustained by the execution of the projects. Based on the reflection, the quality of relationship management is pointed out as a construct of higher order, composed of at least two dimensions: trust and satisfaction.

  3. Programmes and projects for high-temperature reactor development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogusch, Edgar; Hittner, Dominique

    2009-01-01

    An increasing attention has to be recognised worldwide on the development of High-Temperature Reactors (HTR) which has started in Germany and other countries in the 1970ies. While pebble bed reactors with spherical fuel elements have been developed and constructed in Germany, countries such as France, the US and Russia investigated HTR concepts with prismatic block-type fuel elements. The concept of a modular HTR formerly developed by Areva NP was an essential basis for the HTR-10 in China. A pebble bed HTR for electricity production is developed in South Africa. The construction is planned after the completion of the licensing procedure. Also the US is planning an HTR under the NGNP (Next Generation Nuclear Plant) Project. Due to the high temperature level of the helium coolant, the HTR can be used not only for electricity production but also for supply of process heat. Including its inherent safety features the HTR is an attractive candidate for heat supply to various types of plants e.g. for hydrogen production or coal liquefactions. The conceptual design of an HTR with prismatic fuel elements for the cogeneration of electricity and process heat has been developed by Areva NP. On the European scale the HTR development is promoted by the RAPHAEL (ReActor for Process heat, Hydrogen And ELectricity generation) project. RAPHAEL is an Integrated Project of the Euratom 6th Framework Programme for the development of technologies towards a Very High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) for the production of electricity and heat. It is financed jointly by the European Commission and the partners of the HTR Technology Network (HTR-TN) and coordinated by Areva NP. The RAPHAEL project not only promotes HTR development but also the cooperation with other European projects such as the material programme EXTREMAT. Furthermore HTR technology is investigated in the frame of Generation IV International Forum (GIF). The development of a VHTR with helium temperatures above 900 C for the

  4. Sarah J. Hale High School-Project SABER.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenblatt, Harold

    Project SABER, which operated in Sarah J. Hale High School in South Brooklyn, New York, consisted of bilingual instructional and supportive services to 9th and 10th grade Spanish language students. Students received bilingual instruction in social studies, science, math, and Spanish. All the SABER students received English as a second language…

  5. A successful model for longitudinal community-engaged health research: the 2040 Partners for Health Student Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redman, Romany M; Reinsvold, Magdalena C; Reddy, Anireddy; Bennett, Paige E; Hoerauf, Janine M; Puls, Kristina M; Ovrutsky, Alida R; Ly, Alexandra R; White, Gregory; McNeil, Owetta; Meredith, Janet J

    2017-06-01

    Community-based participatory research [CBPR] is an emerging approach to collaborative research aimed at creating locally effective and sustainable interventions. The 2040 Partners for Health student program was developed as a unique model of longitudinal CBPR. Analysis of this program and its components illuminates both the challenges and the opportunities inherent in community engagement. The program rests on a foundation of a community-based, non-profit organization and a supportive academic university centre. Inter-professional health students and community members of underserved populations work together on different health projects by employing an adapted CBPR methodology. Three successful examples of sustainable CBPR projects are briefly described. The three projects are presented as primary outcomes resulting from this model. Benefits and challenges of the model as an approach to community-engaged research are discussed as well as secondary benefits of student participation. The 2040 Partners for Health student program represents a successful model of CBPR, illuminating common challenges and reiterating the profound value of community-engaged research. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Building work engagement: A systematic review and meta‐analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Malcolm; Dawson, Jeremy

    2016-01-01

    Summary Low work engagement may contribute towards decreased well‐being and work performance. Evaluating, boosting and sustaining work engagement are therefore of interest to many organisations. However, the evidence on which to base interventions has not yet been synthesised. A systematic review with meta‐analysis was conducted to assess the evidence for the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. A systematic literature search identified controlled workplace interventions employing a validated measure of work engagement. Most used the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Studies containing the relevant quantitative data underwent random‐effects meta‐analyses. Results were assessed for homogeneity, systematic sampling error, publication bias and quality. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria and were categorised into four types of interventions: (i) personal resource building; (ii) job resource building; (iii) leadership training; and (iv) health promotion. The overall effect on work engagement was small, but positive, k = 14, Hedges g = 0.29, 95%‐CI = 0.12–0.46. Moderator analyses revealed a significant result for intervention style, with a medium to large effect for group interventions. Heterogeneity between the studies was high, and the success of implementation varied. More studies are needed, and researchers are encouraged to collaborate closely with organisations to design interventions appropriate to individual contexts and settings, and include evaluations of intervention implementation. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Organizational Behavior published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:28781428

  7. Project Management Life Cycle Models to Improve Management in High-rise Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burmistrov, Andrey; Siniavina, Maria; Iliashenko, Oksana

    2018-03-01

    The paper describes a possibility to improve project management in high-rise buildings construction through the use of various Project Management Life Cycle Models (PMLC models) based on traditional and agile project management approaches. Moreover, the paper describes, how the split the whole large-scale project to the "project chain" will create the factor for better manageability of the large-scale buildings project and increase the efficiency of the activities of all participants in such projects.

  8. Project Management Life Cycle Models to Improve Management in High-rise Construction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burmistrov Andrey

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes a possibility to improve project management in high-rise buildings construction through the use of various Project Management Life Cycle Models (PMLC models based on traditional and agile project management approaches. Moreover, the paper describes, how the split the whole large-scale project to the "project chain" will create the factor for better manageability of the large-scale buildings project and increase the efficiency of the activities of all participants in such projects.

  9. Linking research, education and public engagement in geoscience: Leadership and strategic partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, L. H.

    2017-12-01

    Cloud and aerosol feedbacks remain the largest source of uncertainty in understanding and predicting Earth's climate (IPCC, 2013), and are the focus of multiple ongoing research studies. Clouds are a challenge because of their extreme variability and diversity. This is also what makes them interesting to people. Clouds may be the only essential climate variable with an Appreciation Society (https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/). As a result, clouds led me into a multi-decade effort to engage a wider public in observing and understanding our planet. A series of experiences in the mid-1990's led to a meeting with educators that resulted in the creation of the Students' Cloud Observations On-Line Project (S'COOL), which I directed for about 2 decades, and which engaged students around the world in ground truth observation and data analysis for the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite instruments. Beginning around 2003, I developed a contrail observation protocol for the GLOBE Program to serve a similar function for additional audiences. Starting in 2004, I worked with an interdisciplinary team to launch the MY NASA DATA Project, an effort to make the vast trove of NASA Earth Science data actually usable in K-12 classrooms and student projects. Later I gained key experiences around strategic partnerships as I worked from 2008 onward with tri-agency partners at NOAA and NSF to integrate activities around climate change education. Currently I serve as Program Scientist for Education & Communication in the Earth Science Division at NASA, where I have the privilege to oversee and guide these and related activities in education and public engagement around Earth system science. As someone who completed advanced degrees in aerospace engineering without ever taking an Earth science class, this ongoing engagement is very important to me. Understanding Earth processes should be integral to how all people choose to live on our planet. In my experience

  10. Stakeholder participation in comparative effectiveness research: defining a framework for effective engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deverka, Patricia A; Lavallee, Danielle C; Desai, Priyanka J; Esmail, Laura C; Ramsey, Scott D; Veenstra, David L; Tunis, Sean R

    2012-03-01

    AIMS: Stakeholder engagement is fundamental to comparative effectiveness research (CER), but lacks consistent terminology. This paper aims to define stakeholder engagement and present a conceptual model for involving stakeholders in CER. MATERIALS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; METHODS: The definitions and model were developed from a literature search, expert input and experience with the Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Genomics, a proof-of-concept platform for stakeholder involvement in priority setting and CER study design. RESULTS: Definitions for stakeholder and stakeholder engagement reflect the target constituencies and their role in CER. The 'analytic-deliberative' conceptual model for stakeholder engagement illustrates the inputs, methods and outputs relevant to CER. The model differentiates methods at each stage of the project; depicts the relationship between components; and identifies outcome measures for evaluation of the process. CONCLUSION: While the definitions and model require testing before being broadly adopted, they are an important foundational step and will be useful for investigators, funders and stakeholder groups interested in contributing to CER.

  11. Body Image of Highly Trained Female Athletes Engaged in Different Types of Sport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glapa, Agata; Banio, Adrianna; Firek, Wiesław; Ingarden, Anna; Malchrowicz-Mośko, Ewa; Markiewicz, Paweł; Płoszaj, Katarzyna; Ingarden, Mateusz; Maćkowiak, Zuzanna

    2018-01-01

    Background The aim of the study was to evaluate differences in body image across different types of sports in highly trained female athletes. Methods 242 female individuals, aged 13–30 years (M = 20.0, SD = 4.5), representing aesthetic sports (n = 56) and nonaesthetic sports (n = 186), were recruited from different sports clubs in Poland. Body image, BMI, age, the level of competition attained, and the training background of participants were recorded. Results One-way ANOVA showed differences in the body image of athletes engaged in different types of sport (F(11,230) = 4.10, p sport explained 7.1% (β = –0.263, p sporting activities at an early stage. PMID:29662894

  12. Meaningfully incorporating staff input to enhance frontline engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strumwasser, Sarah; Virkstis, Katherine

    2015-04-01

    Nurses play a critical role in care transformation. To achieve transformation, frontline staff must be engaged in their work, committed to their organization's mission, and capable of delivering high-quality care. Data from the Advisory Board Survey Solutions show that nurses are both the least engaged and most disengaged among all frontline staff. To identify the most promising opportunities for driving engagement, researchers from The Advisory Board Company analyzed engagement survey responses from more than 343,000 employees at 575 healthcare organizations. This article describes 3 strategies for addressing 1 of the greatest opportunities identified from the data: ensuring that nurses feel that their ideas and suggestions are valued by the organization.

  13. Strategies for Positive Engagement with the Public in the Geosciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, R.

    2017-12-01

    Strategies for engaging with the public about the geosciences are abundant. Whether engaging in these endeavors through professional opportunties associated with their research activities, or in their personal lives, scientists have numerous ways in which they can share the science they care so much about with the public. While participating in tried and true well-designed "outreach" activities associated with research projects has become a classic approach over the past 20 years, this is not the only way to reach "the public". Indeed, as we have recently learned, such approaches depend on the availability of funding for research projects and outreach components. With potentially large research funding cuts looming at federal agencies, and the future of "education and outreach" associated with funded projects in question, we need to think hard about approaches that are not so closely tied to the federal government. Engaging with the public through involvement in the K-12 educational arena provides another avenue to reach people - not only students and teachers, but also the parents of the students. Furthermore, engagement in local communities - on school boards as a member or regular attendee, in civic groups, in museums on their boards or as volunteers, in congregations, and in more informal local associations are additional opportunities. Indeed, one of the most important resources we have, as geoscientists, is ourselves. While many of us may be involved with groups in our communities, our willingness to openly talk about our science in ways that are accessible to members of the public is less clear. Indeed, some of us may intentionally avoid discussing our research with neighbors and friends for any number of reasons. But by doing so, we have effectively allowed scientists to be framed as "the other" - rather than the neighbor with a kid on the soccer team who occasionally hosts a sleepover for the team, or who really knows how to grill a nice steak, or who

  14. Digital Storytelling: A Method for Engaging Students and Increasing Cultural Competency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Natalie S.; Bolin, Brien L.

    2016-01-01

    Digital storytelling is explored as a method of engaging students in the development of media literacy and cultural competency. This paper describes the perceptions and experiences of 96 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university, after completing a digital storytelling project in a semester-long diversity course. Digital storytelling…

  15. HARD - The High Assurance Remote Authentication Device Project

    OpenAIRE

    2006-01-01

    The HARD project will build and evaluate a high assurance network access device. The purpose of this device is to provide an unforgeable trusted path with which network clients can securely interact with security-enabled remote servers.

  16. Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) casts from the USS ENGAGE in the Coastal Waters of California in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from 1963-12-01 to 1963-12-03 (NODC Accession 6300449)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — MBT data were collected from the USS ENGAGE in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of...

  17. Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) casts from the USS ENGAGE in the South and East China Seas in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from 30 April to 1966-07-23 (NODC Accession 6600817)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — MBT data were collected from the USS ENGAGE in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of...

  18. Harvard Personal Genome Project: lessons from participatory public research

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Since its initiation in 2005, the Harvard Personal Genome Project has enrolled thousands of volunteers interested in publicly sharing their genome, health and trait data. Because these data are highly identifiable, we use an ‘open consent’ framework that purposefully excludes promises about privacy and requires participants to demonstrate comprehension prior to enrollment. Discussion Our model of non-anonymous, public genomes has led us to a highly participatory model of researcher-participant communication and interaction. The participants, who are highly committed volunteers, self-pursue and donate research-relevant datasets, and are actively engaged in conversations with both our staff and other Personal Genome Project participants. We have quantitatively assessed these communications and donations, and report our experiences with returning research-grade whole genome data to participants. We also observe some of the community growth and discussion that has occurred related to our project. Summary We find that public non-anonymous data is valuable and leads to a participatory research model, which we encourage others to consider. The implementation of this model is greatly facilitated by web-based tools and methods and participant education. Project results are long-term proactive participant involvement and the growth of a community that benefits both researchers and participants. PMID:24713084

  19. Harvard Personal Genome Project: lessons from participatory public research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ball, Madeleine P; Bobe, Jason R; Chou, Michael F; Clegg, Tom; Estep, Preston W; Lunshof, Jeantine E; Vandewege, Ward; Zaranek, Alexander; Church, George M

    2014-02-28

    Since its initiation in 2005, the Harvard Personal Genome Project has enrolled thousands of volunteers interested in publicly sharing their genome, health and trait data. Because these data are highly identifiable, we use an 'open consent' framework that purposefully excludes promises about privacy and requires participants to demonstrate comprehension prior to enrollment. Our model of non-anonymous, public genomes has led us to a highly participatory model of researcher-participant communication and interaction. The participants, who are highly committed volunteers, self-pursue and donate research-relevant datasets, and are actively engaged in conversations with both our staff and other Personal Genome Project participants. We have quantitatively assessed these communications and donations, and report our experiences with returning research-grade whole genome data to participants. We also observe some of the community growth and discussion that has occurred related to our project. We find that public non-anonymous data is valuable and leads to a participatory research model, which we encourage others to consider. The implementation of this model is greatly facilitated by web-based tools and methods and participant education. Project results are long-term proactive participant involvement and the growth of a community that benefits both researchers and participants.

  20. Medical engagement and organizational characteristics in general practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahnfeldt-Mollerup, Peder; dePont Christensen, René; Halling, Anders; Kristensen, Troels; Lykkegaard, Jesper; Nexøe, Jørgen; Barwell, Fred; Spurgeon, Peter; Søndergaard, Jens

    2016-02-01

    Medical engagement is a mutual concept of the active and positive contribution of doctors to maintaining and enhancing the performance of their health care organization, which itself recognizes this commitment in supporting and encouraging high quality care. A Medical Engagement Scale (MES) was developed by Applied Research Ltd (2008) on the basis of emerging evidence that medical engagement is critical for implementing radical improvements. To study the importance of medical engagement in general practice and to analyse patterns of association with individual and organizational characteristics. A cross-sectional study using a sampled survey questionnaire and the official register from the Danish General Practitioners' Organization comprising all registered Danish GPs. The Danish version of the MES Questionnaire was distributed and the survey results were analysed in conjunction with the GP register data. Statistically adjusted analyses revealed that the GPs' medical engagement varied substantially. GPs working in collaboration with colleagues were more engaged than GPs from single-handed practices, older GPs were less engaged than younger GPs and female GPs had higher medical engagement than their male colleagues. Furthermore, GPs participating in vocational training of junior doctors were more engaged than GPs not participating in vocational training. Medical engagement in general practice varies a great deal and this is determined by a complex interaction between both individual and organizational characteristics. Working in collaboration, having staff and being engaged in vocational training of junior doctors are all associated with enhanced levels of medical engagement among GPs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Rules of engagement: predictors of Black Caribbean immigrants' engagement with African American culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Nancy; Watson, Natalie N; Wang, Zhenni; Case, Andrew D; Hunter, Carla D

    2013-10-01

    The cultural context in the United States is racialized and influences Black Caribbean immigrants' acculturation processes, but what role it plays in Black Caribbean immigrants' acculturation into specific facets of American society (e.g., African American culture) has been understudied in the field of psychology. The present study extends research on Black Caribbean immigrants' acculturative process by assessing how this group's experience of the racial context (racial public regard, ethnic public regard, and cultural race-related stress) influences its engagement in African American culture (i.e., adoption of values and behavioral involvement). Data were collected from 93 Black participants of Caribbean descent, ranging in age from 13 to 45 and analyzed using a stepwise hierarchical regression. The findings highlighted that when Black Caribbean-descended participants perceived that the public held a favorable view of their racial group they were more likely to engage in African American culture. In contrast, when participants perceived that the public held a favorable view of their ethnic group (e.g., Haitian) they were less likely to engage in African American culture. Furthermore, among participants experiencing low levels of cultural race-related stress, the associations between racial public regard and engagement with African American culture were amplified. However, for participants experiencing high cultural race-related stress, their engagement in African American culture did not change as a function of racial public regard. These findings may suggest that, for Black Caribbean immigrants, the experience of the racial context influences strategies that serve to preserve or bolster their overall social status and psychological well-being in the United States. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  2. Science Center Public Forums: Engaging Lay-Publics in Resilience Deliberations Through Informal Science Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sittenfeld, D.; Choi, F.; Farooque, M.; Helmuth, B.

    2017-12-01

    Because climate hazards present a range of potential impacts and considerations for different kinds of stakeholders, community responses to increase resilience are best considered through the inclusion of diverse, informed perspectives. The Science Center Public Forums project has created multifaceted modules to engage diverse publics in substantive deliberations around four hazards: heat waves, drought, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise. Using a suite of background materials including visualization and narrative components, each of these daylong dialogues engage varied groups of lay-participants at eight US science centers in learning about hazard vulnerabilities and tradeoffs of proposed strategies for building resilience. Participants listen to and consider the priorities and perspectives of fellow residents and stakeholders, and work together to formulate detailed resilience plans reflecting both current science and informed public values. Deliverables for the project include visualizations of hazard vulnerabilities and strategies through immersive planetarium graphics and Google Earth, stakeholder perspective narratives, and detailed background materials for each project hazard. This session will: communicate the process for developing the hazard modules with input from subject matter experts, outline the process for iterative revisions based upon findings from formative focus groups, share results generated by participants of the project's first two pilot forums, and describe plans for broader implementation. These activities and outcomes could help to increase the capacity of informal science education institutions as trusted conveners for informed community dialogue by educating residents about vulnerabilities and engaging them in critical thinking about potential policy responses to critical climate hazards while sharing usable public values and priorities with civic planners.

  3. Chapter 11: Dinkey north and south project

    Science.gov (United States)

    M North; R. Rojas

    2012-01-01

    Designing and implementing vegetation treatments that can move a forest landscape toward a desired future condition is often challenging. Faced with diverse stakeholder interests and the unknown effects of changing climate conditions, managers need to engage and build collaborative projects. One such effort is the Dinkey project designed to help restore a healthy,...

  4. Children’s comprehension of informational text: Reading, engaging, and learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda BAKER

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The Reading, Engaging, and Learning project (REAL investigated whether a classroom intervention that enhanced young children's experience with informational books would increase reading achievement and engagement. Participants attended schools serving low income neighborhoods with 86% African American enrollment. The longitudinal study spanned second through fourth grades. Treatment conditions were: (1 Text Infusion/Reading for Learning Instruction -- students were given greater access to informational books in their classroom libraries and in reading instruction; (2 Text Infusion Alone -- the same books were provided but teachers were not asked to alter their instruction; (3 Traditional Instruction -- students experienced business as usual in the classroom. Children were assessed each year on measures of reading and reading engagement, and classroom instructional practices were observed. On most measures, the informational text infusion intervention did not yield differential growth over time. However, the results inform efforts to increase children’s facility with informational text in the early years in order to improve reading comprehension.

  5. Exploring the impact of resilience, self-efficacy, optimism and organizational resources on work engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mache, Stefanie; Vitzthum, Karin; Wanke, Eileen; Klapp, Burghard F; Danzer, Gerhard

    2014-01-01

    The German health care system has undergone radical changes in the last decades. These days health care professionals have to face economic demands, high performance pressure as well as high expectations from patients. To ensure high quality medicine and care, highly intrinsic motivated and work engaged health care professionals are strongly needed. The aim of this study was to examine relations between personal and organizational resources as essential predictors for work engagement of German health care professionals. This investigation has a cross-sectional questionnaire study design. Participants were a sample of hospital doctors. Personal strengths, working conditions and work engagement were measured by using the SWOPE-K9, COPE Brief Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, COPSOQ and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Significant relations between physicians' personal strengths (e.g. resilience, optimism) and work engagement were evaluated. Work related factors showed to have a significant influence on work engagement. Differences in work engagement were also found with regard to socio-demographic variables. Results demonstrated important relationships between personal and organizational resources and work engagement. Health care management needs to use this information to maintain or develop work engaging job conditions in hospitals as one key factor to ensure quality health care service.

  6. The Deep River Science Academy: a unique and innovative program for engaging students in science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, C.W.; Didsbury, R.; Ingram, M.

    2014-01-01

    For 28 years, the Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) has been offering high school students the opportunity to engage in the excitement and challenge of professional scientific research to help nurture their passion for science and to provide them with the experience and the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding possible future careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The venue for the DRSA program has been a six-week summer science camp where students, working in pairs under the guidance of a university undergraduate tutor, contribute directly to an on-going research program under the supervision of a professional scientist or engineer. This concept has been expanded in recent years to reach students in classrooms year round by engaging students via the internet over a 12-week term in a series of interactive teaching sessions based on an on-going research project. Although the research projects for the summer program are offered primarily from the laboratories of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited at its Chalk River Laboratories site, projects for the year-round program can be based, in principle, in laboratories at universities and other research institutes located anywhere in Canada. This paper will describe the program in more detail using examples illustrating how the students become engaged in the research and the sorts of contributions they have been able to make over the years. The impact of the program on the students and the degree to which the DRSA has been able to meet its objective of encouraging students to choose careers in the fields of STEM and equipping them with the skills and experience to be successful will be assessed based on feedback from the students themselves. Finally, we will examine the program in the context of how well it helps to address the challenges faced by educators today in meeting the demands of students in a world where the internet provides instant access to information. (author)

  7. The Deep River Science Academy: a unique and innovative program for engaging students in science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turner, C.W., E-mail: carlrhonda.turner@sympatico.ca [Deep River Science Academy, Deep River, Ontario (Canada); Didsbury, R. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Ingram, M. [Deep River Science Academy, Deep River, Ontario (Canada)

    2014-06-15

    For 28 years, the Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) has been offering high school students the opportunity to engage in the excitement and challenge of professional scientific research to help nurture their passion for science and to provide them with the experience and the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding possible future careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The venue for the DRSA program has been a six-week summer science camp where students, working in pairs under the guidance of a university undergraduate tutor, contribute directly to an on-going research program under the supervision of a professional scientist or engineer. This concept has been expanded in recent years to reach students in classrooms year round by engaging students via the internet over a 12-week term in a series of interactive teaching sessions based on an on-going research project. Although the research projects for the summer program are offered primarily from the laboratories of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited at its Chalk River Laboratories site, projects for the year-round program can be based, in principle, in laboratories at universities and other research institutes located anywhere in Canada. This paper will describe the program in more detail using examples illustrating how the students become engaged in the research and the sorts of contributions they have been able to make over the years. The impact of the program on the students and the degree to which the DRSA has been able to meet its objective of encouraging students to choose careers in the fields of STEM and equipping them with the skills and experience to be successful will be assessed based on feedback from the students themselves. Finally, we will examine the program in the context of how well it helps to address the challenges faced by educators today in meeting the demands of students in a world where the internet provides instant access to information. (author)

  8. Engaging creative communities in an industrial city setting: A question of enclosure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Gibson

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses the politics and practicalities of research process in a major government-funded, academic/community collaborative research project on cultural assets in Wollongong, a regional industrial city 85 km south of Sydney, Australia. It does so through the theoretical concept of ‘enclosure’, which helps illuminate how policy discourses are framed, and reveals capacities to challenge and reframe policy imaginations through research. The setting is pivotal: Wollongong has a legacy of steel and coal industries that dominates contemporary discourses about the city’s future prosperity. Cultural industries such as music, film, art, circus and theatre have at various times been either marginalised as insignificant to economic futures or, when they have been noticed, have been worked into city planning in very particular ways – as cultural pastimes, as prospects for economic diversification or as means to renew socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Such visions have rested on notions of what constitutes ‘culture’ and ‘creativity’, with a focus on the performing arts, while other forms of vernacular creativity have remained largely unnoticed. Our research project has sought to respond to this, identifying and engaging with people involved in forms of vernacular creativity outside the arts orthodoxy among Wollongong’s blue-collar and youth populations (including surfboard shapers, Aboriginal rappers, custom car designers and alternative music subcultures. Our hope is that such engagement can better inform future planning for cultural industries in Wollongong. However, engaging with such creative communities is complicated, and in different times and places research strategies confronted apathy, suspicion, absence of representative organisation and ‘consultation fatigue’. We discuss our efforts at engagement with creative communities beyond the arts orthodoxy, and appraise some of the prospects and

  9. Scientist-Practitioner Engagement to Inform Regional Hydroclimate Model Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A. D.; Jagannathan, K. A.; Ullrich, P. A.

    2017-12-01

    Water mangers face significant challenges in planning for the coming decades as previously stationary aspects of the regional hydroclimate shift in response to global climate change. Providing scientific insights that enable appropriate use of regional hydroclimate projections for planning is a non-trivial problem. The system of data, models, and methods used to produce regional hydroclimate projections is subject to multiple interacting uncertainties and biases, including uncertainties that arise from general circulation models, re-analysis data products, regional climate models, hydrologic models, and statistical downscaling methods. Moreover, many components of this system were not designed with the information needs of water managers in mind. To address this problem and provide actionable insights into the sources of uncertainty present in regional hydroclimate data products, Project Hyperion has undertaken a stakeholder engagement process in four case study water basins across the US. Teams of water managers and scientists are interacting in a structured manner to identify decision-relevant metrics of model performance. These metrics are in turn being used to drive scientific investigations to uncover the sources of uncertainty in these quantities. Thus far, we have found that identification of climate phenomena of interest to stakeholders is relatively easy, but translating these into specific quantifiable metrics and prioritizing metrics is more challenging. Iterative feedback among scientists and stakeholders has proven critical in resolving these challenges, as has the roles played by boundary spanners who understand and can speak to the perspectives of multiple professional communities. Here we describe the structured format of our engagement process and the lessons learned so far, as we aim to improve the decision-relevance of hydroclimate projections through a collaborative process.

  10. First year university student engagement using digital curation and career goal setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy Antonio

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The engagement of students is one of the most pressing issues facing higher education in the 21st century. Around the world, participation rates in tertiary education are on the rise and one of the key challenges facing educators is finding ways to engage these students. We present the results of a project that assesses the impact of an engagement strategy in which a cohort of students entering their first year of university (1 establish and maintain a clear goal of their ideal future career and (2 make use of a web-based digital curation tool to research and present their findings. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategy, which could arguably be applied to a broad range of disciplines given that the majority of students today are technologically literate.

  11. Exploring the effectiveness of engagement in a broad range of disciplinary practices on learning of Turkish high-school chemistry students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seda Cetin, Pinar; Eymur, Guluzar; Southerland, Sherry A.; Walker, Joi; Whittington, Kirby

    2018-03-01

    This study examines the influence of laboratory instruction that engages students in a wide range of the practices of science on Turkish high-school students' chemistry learning. In this mixed methods study, student learning in two different laboratory settings was compared, one that featured an instruction that engaged students in a wide range of disciplinary practices (through Argument-driven Inquiry - ADI) and similar laboratories in which a more traditional Structured Inquiry (SI) approach was employed. The data sources included a Chemistry Concept test, an Argumentative Writing Assessment, and Semi-structured interviews. After seven weeks of chemistry instruction, students experiencing ADI instruction scored higher on the Chemistry Concept test and the Argumentative Writing Assessment than students experiencing SI instruction. Furthermore, girls who experienced ADI instruction scored higher on the assessments than their majority peers in the same class. The results suggest that Turkish students can substantially improve their chemistry proficiency if they have an opportunity to engage in instruction featuring a broad array of the practices of science.

  12. High-resolution projections of surface water availability for Tasmania, Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. C. Bennett

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Changes to streamflows caused by climate change may have major impacts on the management of water for hydro-electricity generation and agriculture in Tasmania, Australia. We describe changes to Tasmanian surface water availability from 1961–1990 to 2070–2099 using high-resolution simulations. Six fine-scale (∼10 km2 simulations of daily rainfall and potential evapotranspiration are generated with the CSIRO Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM, a variable-resolution regional climate model (RCM. These variables are bias-corrected with quantile mapping and used as direct inputs to the hydrological models AWBM, IHACRES, Sacramento, SIMHYD and SMAR-G to project streamflows.

    The performance of the hydrological models is assessed against 86 streamflow gauges across Tasmania. The SIMHYD model is the least biased (median bias = −3% while IHACRES has the largest bias (median bias = −22%. We find the hydrological models that best simulate observed streamflows produce similar streamflow projections.

    There is much greater variation in projections between RCM simulations than between hydrological models. Marked decreases of up to 30% are projected for annual runoff in central Tasmania, while runoff is generally projected to increase in the east. Daily streamflow variability is projected to increase for most of Tasmania, consistent with increases in rainfall intensity. Inter-annual variability of streamflows is projected to increase across most of Tasmania.

    This is the first major Australian study to use high-resolution bias-corrected rainfall and potential evapotranspiration projections as direct inputs to hydrological models. Our study shows that these simulations are capable of producing realistic streamflows, allowing for increased confidence in assessing future changes to surface water variability.

  13. What constitutes meaningful engagement for patients and families as partners on research teams?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, Agnes; Strain, Kimberly; Wallsworth, Christine; Charlton, Sara-Grey; Chang, Wilma; McNamee, Kate; Hamilton, Clayon

    2018-01-01

    Objective There is growing emphasis on health care organizations to ensure that lay people are meaningfully engaged as partners on research teams. Our aim was to explore the perspectives of patients, family members and informal caregivers who have been involved on health care research teams in Canada and elicit their recommendations for meaningful engagement. Methods We conducted a qualitative study guided by thematic analysis of transcripts of focus groups and interviews of 19 experienced patient research partners in Canada. Results We identified four main themes: research environment, expectations, support and value, which highlight participants' combined perspectives on important factors to ensure their engagement in research is meaningful. Conclusions Our findings add to the evolving evidence base on the perspectives of lay people involved in health care research and their recommendations for research leaders on meaningful engagement. Our study suggests that research leaders should provide a welcoming research environment, outline appropriate expectations for patient research partners on research teams, support patient research partners' engagement in projects and recognize the value patient research partners bring to health research.

  14. High School Geography Project. Legacy for the Seventies. An Analysis of the High School Geography Project in Relation to New Developments in Geographic Education Worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunn, Angus M., Ed.

    Nine articles by geographers and educators analyze the High School Geography Project (HSGP). A project overview by Angus Gunn presents essential ideas and content of six units and several preliminary reactions. The question of "HSGP exportability" to France and Germany is examined in articles by Maurice Saint-Yves and Robert Geipel…

  15. Medical engagement and organizational characteristics in general practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahnfeldt-Mollerup, Peder; dePont Christensen, René; Halling, Anders

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Medical engagement is a mutual concept of the active and positive contribution of doctors to maintaining and enhancing the performance of their health care organization, which itself recognizes this commitment in supporting and encouraging high quality care. A Medical Engagement Scale...... and organizational characteristics. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional study using a sampled survey questionnaire and the official register from the Danish General Practitioners' Organization comprising all registered Danish GPs. METHOD: The Danish version of the MES Questionnaire was distributed and the survey...... and this is determined by a complex interaction between both individual and organizational characteristics. Working in collaboration, having staff and being engaged in vocational training of junior doctors are all associated with enhanced levels of medical engagement among GPs....

  16. Archetypes for Engaged Scholarship in Information Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schubert, Petra; Bjørn-Andersen, Niels; Kilian, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    This article addresses the topic of university-industry collaboration (UIC), a term that is used to describe the active engagement of a company (or companies) in a joint research project with academics. The objectives and motivations of UIC have been discussed widely in the literature and are sum...... present typical forms of collaboration, which we call archetypes, with their defining characteristics and argue that UIC is a valuable research strategy, which we as IS researchers should pursue in order to obtain relevance in our research....

  17. Medial Temporal Lobe Contributions to Episodic Future Thinking: Scene Construction or Future Projection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palombo, D J; Hayes, S M; Peterson, K M; Keane, M M; Verfaellie, M

    2018-02-01

    Previous research has shown that the medial temporal lobes (MTL) are more strongly engaged when individuals think about the future than about the present, leading to the suggestion that future projection drives MTL engagement. However, future thinking tasks often involve scene processing, leaving open the alternative possibility that scene-construction demands, rather than future projection, are responsible for the MTL differences observed in prior work. This study explores this alternative account. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we directly contrasted MTL activity in 1) high scene-construction and low scene-construction imagination conditions matched in future thinking demands and 2) future-oriented and present-oriented imagination conditions matched in scene-construction demands. Consistent with the alternative account, the MTL was more active for the high versus low scene-construction condition. By contrast, MTL differences were not observed when comparing the future versus present conditions. Moreover, the magnitude of MTL activation was associated with the extent to which participants imagined a scene but was not associated with the extent to which participants thought about the future. These findings help disambiguate which component processes of imagination specifically involve the MTL. Published by Oxford University Press 2016.

  18. Integrating consumer engagement in health and medical research - an Australian framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Caroline L; Mott, Kathy; Cousins, Michael; Miller, Stephanie; Johnson, Anne; Lawson, Tony; Wesselingh, Steve

    2017-02-10

    Quality practice of consumer engagement is still in its infancy in many sectors of medical research. The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) identified, early in its development, the opportunity to integrate evidence-driven consumer and community engagement into its operations. SAHMRI partnered with Health Consumers Alliance and consumers in evidence generation. A Partnership Steering Committee of researchers and consumers was formed for the project. An iterative mixed-method qualitative process was used to generate a framework for consumer engagement. This process included a literature review followed by semi-structured interviews with experts in consumer engagement and lead medical researchers, group discussions and a consensus workshop with the Partnership Steering Committee, facilitated by Health Consumer Alliance. The literature revealed a dearth of evidence about effective consumer engagement methodologies. Four organisational dimensions are reported to contribute to success, namely governance, infrastructure, capacity and advocacy. Key themes identified through the stakeholder interviews included sustained leadership, tangible benefits, engagement strategies should be varied, resourcing, a moral dimension, and challenges. The consensus workshop produced a framework and tangible strategies. Comprehensive examples of consumer participation in health and medical research are limited. There are few documented studies of what techniques are effective. This evidence-driven framework, developed in collaboration with consumers, is being integrated in a health and medical research institute with diverse programs of research. This framework is offered as a contribution to the evidence base around meaningful consumer engagement and as a template for other research institutions to utilise.

  19. Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) casts from the USS ENGAGE in the North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from 1966-02-10 to 1966-03-26 (NODC Accession 6600545)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — MBT data were collected from the USS ENGAGE in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of...

  20. Project Circuits in a Basic Electric Circuits Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, James P.; Plumb, Carolyn; Revia, Richard A.

    2014-01-01

    The use of project circuits (a photoplethysmograph circuit and a simple audio amplifier), introduced in a sophomore-level electric circuits course utilizing active learning and inquiry-based methods, is described. The development of the project circuits was initiated to promote enhanced engagement and deeper understanding of course content among…

  1. Locating and Building Knowledges outside of the Academy: Approaches to Engaged Teaching at the University of Sheffield

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udall, Julia; Forrest, David; Stewart, Katie

    2015-01-01

    This article draws on three case studies, which illuminate a number of practical, ethical and intellectual issues that arise from "engaged" teaching activities within the curriculum. Projects from the disciplines of Architecture, English and Journalism Studies illustrate the possibilities offered by learning and teaching projects which…

  2. Antecedents and consequences of work engagement among nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohrabizadeh, Sanaz; Sayfouri, Nasrin

    2014-11-01

    Engaged nurses have high levels of energy and are enthusiastic about their work which impacts quality of health care services. However, in the context of Iran, due to observed burnout, work engagement among nurses necessitates immediate exploration. This investigation aimed to identify a suitable work engagement model in nursing profession in hospitals according to the hypothesized model and to determine antecedents and consequences related to work engagement among nurses. In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was given to 279 randomly-selected nurses working in two general teaching hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Shiraz, Iran) to measure antecedents and consequences of work engagement using the Saks's (2005) model. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the model fitness. Two paths were added using LISREL software. The resulting model showed good fitness indices (χ(2) = 23.62, AGFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.07) and all the coefficients of the paths were significant (t ≥ 2, t ≤ -2). A significant correlation was found between work engagement and model variables. Paying adequate attention to the antecedents of work engagement can enhance the quality of performance among nurses. Additionally, rewards, organizational and supervisory supports, and job characteristics should be taken into consideration to establish work engagement among nurses. Further researches are required to identify other probable antecedents and consequences of nursing work engagement, which might be related to specific cultural settings.

  3. Methods and impact of engagement in research, from theory to practice and back again: early findings from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsythe, Laura; Heckert, Andrea; Margolis, Mary Kay; Schrandt, Suzanne; Frank, Lori

    2018-01-01

    Since 2012, PCORI has been funding patient-centered comparative effectiveness research with a requirement for engaging patients and other stakeholders in the research, a requirement that is unique among the US funders of clinical research. This paper presents PCORI's evaluation framework for assessing the short- and long-term impacts of engagement; describes engagement in PCORI projects (types of stakeholders engaged, when in the research process they are engaged and how they are engaged, contributions of their engagement); and identifies the effects of engagement on study design, processes, and outcomes selection, as reported by both PCORI-funded investigators and patient and other stakeholder research partners. Detailed quantitative and qualitative information collected annually from investigators and their partners was analyzed via descriptive statistics and cross-sectional qualitative content and thematic analysis, and compared against the outcomes expected from the evaluation framework and its underlying conceptual model. The data support the role of engaged research partners in refinements to the research questions, selection of interventions to compare, choice of study outcomes and how they are measured, contributions to strategies for recruitment, and ensuring studies are patient-centered. The evaluation framework and the underlying conceptual model are supported by results to date. PCORI will continue to assess the effects of engagement as the funded projects progress toward completion, dissemination, and uptake into clinical decision making.

  4. An Agile Constructionist Mentoring Methodology for Software Projects in the High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meerbaum-Salant, Orni; Hazzan, Orit

    2010-01-01

    This article describes the construction process and evaluation of the Agile Constructionist Mentoring Methodology (ACMM), a mentoring method for guiding software development projects in the high school. The need for such a methodology has arisen due to the complexity of mentoring software project development in the high school. We introduce the…

  5. E-engagement in Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Živa Humer

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In recent decades, many studies confirm the growing phenomenon of populism, racism and discrimination in Europe as well as Slovenia. Digital media and social networks are also a means of disseminating populism and hatred towards “the others”. It is therefore crucial to raise awareness among young people about media violence and at the same time to enable training for them regarding civic engagement. This was also one of the goals of international project “E-engagement against violence”, which addressed young people by participatory approach to actively co-develop a more open society. In the article, the authors reflect on the experience gained with the implementation of an educational module “Online activism and networking”, in which 111 pupils from three upper secondary schools took part. At the same time, there were 31 teachers involved in online testing of a digital platform, in which different materials are available, covering content tested in classrooms. The article confirms the need to promote cooperation between schools, national institutions related to the education system and non-governmental organizations in Slovenia, which deal with issues relevant to education. Experience from secondary schools confirmed the need for materials to reach young people more effectively, the need for training and critical thinking about populism, and encourage them to act against stereotypes.

  6. Algorithm for evaluating the effectiveness of a high-rise development project based on current yield

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soboleva, Elena

    2018-03-01

    The article is aimed at the issues of operational evaluation of development project efficiency in high-rise construction under the current economic conditions in Russia. The author touches the following issues: problems of implementing development projects, the influence of the operational evaluation quality of high-rise construction projects on general efficiency, assessing the influence of the project's external environment on the effectiveness of project activities under crisis conditions and the quality of project management. The article proposes the algorithm and the methodological approach to the quality management of the developer project efficiency based on operational evaluation of the current yield efficiency. The methodology for calculating the current efficiency of a development project for high-rise construction has been updated.

  7. A strategy to assist management in workforce engagement and employee retention in the high tech engineering environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Elizabeth; Daim, Tugrul U

    2010-11-01

    Many companies use survey methods in an attempt to gauge employees' attitudes and opinions toward the company. These attitudes and opinions are directly related to an employee's engagement within the company. In many instances, employees wait in vain for the survey response and the subsequent employer actions, but the truth is sometimes management does not know what to do with the results. For this reason, we theorize that this type of survey, typically utilizing the Likert-scale, is not adequately assisting management in addressing employee engagement and retention issues. For instance, in many occasions, once the survey results are tabulated, companies are doing little or nothing to address the issues. In fact, far too many companies make the mistake of conducting employee engagement surveys, and then ignore the answers. Thus, we propose that a company should take advantage of the survey results, and utilize them to provide data to bridge employees' needs and goals with stakeholders' responsibilities and goals by refining and incorporating them into a hierarchical decision model (HDM). Thus, this would essentially be utilizing the quantitative data to determine what to measure qualitatively. We use a case from the high tech industry, specifically focusing on the engineering environment. Engineering environments are known to be more creative and such approaches would be more beneficial. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. New Orleans Capacity Building Pilot Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    A series of meetings involving the Port of New Orleans and near-port community organizations were convened for a community capacity building pilot project. Technical assistance is being provided by EPA to support effective engagement.

  9. Motivational Factors of Employee Retention and Engagement in Organizations

    OpenAIRE

    Benjamin Balbuena Aguenza; Ahmad Puad Mat Som

    2012-01-01

    Retention is the process of physically keeping employee members in an organization as it is one of the key fundamentals that are necessary for organizational success. In a globalized environment, retention and engagement of high prospective employees are a huge challenge to organizations especially in times of high turnover rates. In many cases, even engaged employees are sometimes dissatisfied with the outcomes of organizational performance which may lead them to look elsewhere. ...

  10. Mapping Civic Engagement: A Case Study of Service-Learning in Appalachia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Jessica; Casebeer, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    This study uses social cartography to map student perceptions of a co-curricular service-learning project in an impoverished rural community. As a complement to narrative discourse, mapping provides an opportunity to visualize not only the spatial nature of the educational experience but also, in this case, the benefits of civic engagement. The…

  11. A Novel Approach for Engaging Academia in Collaborative Projects with NASA through the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Tracy R.; Gattuso, Kelly J.

    2015-01-01

    The X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge, currently in its sixth year of execution, provides university students with the opportunity to be on the forefront of innovation. The X-Hab Challenge, for short, is designed to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). NASA identifies necessary technologies and studies for deep space missions and invites universities from around the country to develop concepts, prototypes, and lessons learned that will help shape future space missions and awards seed funds to design and produce functional products of interest as proposed by university teams according to their interests and expertise. Universities propose on a variety of projects suggested by NASA and are then judged on technical merit, academic integration, leveraged funding, and outreach. The universities assemble a multi-discipline team of students and advisors that invest months working together, developing concepts, and frequently producing working prototypes. Not only are students able to gain quality experience, working real world problems that have the possibility of be implemented, but they work closely with subject matter experts from NASA who guide them through an official engineering development process.

  12. Sustaining Engagement and Interest in the Classroom: Effects of the EngageALL Instructional Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Sue C.

    2014-01-01

    This chapter describes an empirical study that tests the motivational and learning effects of an intervention designed to initiate and sustain interest and engagement in high school biology classrooms. Positive effects were demonstrated for conceptual understanding, vocabulary acquisition, and perceptions of the learning experiences. [This article…

  13. Social activism: Engaging millennials in social causes

    OpenAIRE

    Seelig, Michelle I.

    2018-01-01

    Given that young adults consume and interact with digital technologies not only a daily basis, but extensively throughout the day, it stands to reason they are more actively involved in advocating social change particularly through social media. However, national surveys of civic engagement indicate civic and community engagement drops-off after high school and while millennials attend college. While past research has compiled evidence about young adults’ social media use and some social medi...

  14. The Microbiological@mind project: a public engagement initiative of Turin University bringing microbiology and health education into primary schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scalas, Daniela; Roana, Janira; Mandras, Narcisa; Cuccu, Sonia; Banche, Giuliana; Marra, Elisa Simona; Collino, Nicoletta; Piersigilli, Giorgia; Allizond, Valeria; Tullio, Vivian; Cuffini, Anna Maria

    2017-10-01

    Despite ongoing global efforts, antimicrobial resistance continues to threaten the treatment of an ever-increasing range of bacterial infections. There is substantial evidence that public education programs that foster microbial literacy amongst young school audiences may improve correct knowledge of specific health issues, such as prevention of microbial infections and responsible use of antibiotics. The aim of the Microbiological@mind project was to engage primary school students with the subject of microbiology, to promote both scientific interest and awareness towards correct behaviors that may ensure a safer lifestyle. Interactive workshops based on a full ''hands-on'' approach were carried out by an expert team from the University of Turin to over 1200 children aged 9-11 years at primary schools in Turin. A questionnaire (pre- and post-activity test) on the main topic (i.e. antibiotics) was used to assess project effectiveness. The workshops provided a useful means to strengthen the understanding of basic microbiology concepts amongst students. Students' baseline knowledge of antibiotics was quite low, as low percentages of correct answers on antibiotic action and use (5.0% and 12.1%, respectively) were found in the pre-activity tests. A significant increase (P teaching activity. Our findings support the idea that microbial literacy in early childhood through hands-on educational programs is of great importance to foster children's interest in science learning, and to provide young people with information about general and specific health-related issues, such as prudent antibiotic use, for a more responsible citizenship. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  15. Public perceptions of opportunities for community-based renewable energy projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, J.C.; Simmons, E.A.; Convery, I.; Weatherall, A.

    2008-01-01

    It now widely acknowledged that the UK needs to increase renewable energy capacity and it has been claimed that community-based renewable energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are more likely to be accepted by the public than top-down development of large-scale schemes and may bring additional benefits such as increased engagement with sustainable energy issues. However, little research has investigated public expectations of how people would like to participate in such projects and why. The aim of this study was to explore one rural community's response to a proposed sustainable energy project. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews provided quantitative and qualitative data. There was widespread support for local generation and use of renewable energy, with respondents expecting benefits from a project in terms of increased community spirit and conservation of natural resources. However, desire for active involvement was lower and residents viewed themselves participating as consultees, rather than project leaders. We suggest community renewable energy projects are likely to gain public acceptance but are unlikely to become widespread without greater institutional support

  16. Modeling the Relations among Parental Involvement, School Engagement and Academic Performance of High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Alwan, Ahmed F.

    2014-01-01

    The author proposed a model to explain how parental involvement and school engagement related to academic performance. Participants were (671) 9th and 10th graders students who completed two scales of "parental involvement" and "school engagement" in their regular classrooms. Results of the path analysis suggested that the…

  17. Strategic project selection based on evidential reasoning approach for high-end equipment manufacturing industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Guangyan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available With the rapid development of science and technology, emerging information technologies have significantly changed the daily life of people. In such context, strategic project selection for high-end equipment manufacturing industries faces more and more complexities and uncertainties with the consideration of several complex criteria. For example, a group of experts rather than a single expert should be invited to select strategic project for high-end equipment manufacturing industries and the experts may feel difficulty to express their preferences towards different strategic projects due to their limited cognitive capabilities. In order to handle these complexities and uncertainties, the criteria framework of strategic project selection is firstly constructed based on the characteristics of high-end equipment manufacturing industries and then evidential reasoning (ER approach is introduced in this paper to help experts express their uncertain preferences and aggregate these preferences to generate an appropriate strategic project. A real case of strategic project selection in a high-speed train manufacturing enterprise is investigated to demonstrate the validity of the ER approach in solving strategic project selection problem.

  18. 2015 Summary Report on Industrial and Regulatory Engagement Activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, Kenneth David [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-09-01

    The Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control (II&C) Systems Technologies pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability(LWRS) Program conducts a vigorous engagement strategy with the U.S. nuclear power industry, including the nuclear operating companies, major support organizations, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and suppliers. The goal of this engagement strategy is to develop a shared vision and common understanding across the nuclear industry of the need for II&C modernization, the performance improvement that can be obtained, and the opportunities for collaboration to enact this vision. The primary means of engaging the nuclear operating companies is through a Utility Working Group (UWG), composed of utility representatives that participate in formal meetings and bi-monthly phone calls to provide input on nuclear plant needs and priorities for II&C technologies. Two working groups were initiated during FY 2015 to provide a means for UWG members to focus on particular technologies of interest. The Outage Improvement Working Group consists of eight utilities that participate in periodic conference calls and have access to a share-point web page for acccess to project materials developed in the Advanced Outage Control Center pilot project. In the area of computer-based procedures and automated work packages, the II&C Pathway has worked with the Nuclear Information Technology Strategic Leadership (NITSL) to set up a monthly conference call with interested utility members to discuss various aspects of mobile worker technologies. Twenty one technical and project reports were delivered to the UWG during FY 2015, reflecting the work of the II&C Pathway pilot projects during the year. Distribution of these reports is one of the primary means of transferring to the nuclear industry the knowledge and experience gained during the development of advanced II&C technologies in support of LWR sustainability. Site visits to discuss pilot project

  19. 2015 Summary Report on Industrial and Regulatory Engagement Activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, Kenneth David

    2015-01-01

    The Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control (II&C) Systems Technologies pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability(LWRS) Program conducts a vigorous engagement strategy with the U.S. nuclear power industry, including the nuclear operating companies, major support organizations, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and suppliers. The goal of this engagement strategy is to develop a shared vision and common understanding across the nuclear industry of the need for II&C modernization, the performance improvement that can be obtained, and the opportunities for collaboration to enact this vision. The primary means of engaging the nuclear operating companies is through a Utility Working Group (UWG), composed of utility representatives that participate in formal meetings and bi-monthly phone calls to provide input on nuclear plant needs and priorities for II&C technologies. Two working groups were initiated during FY 2015 to provide a means for UWG members to focus on particular technologies of interest. The Outage Improvement Working Group consists of eight utilities that participate in periodic conference calls and have access to a share-point web page for acccess to project materials developed in the Advanced Outage Control Center pilot project. In the area of computer-based procedures and automated work packages, the II&C Pathway has worked with the Nuclear Information Technology Strategic Leadership (NITSL) to set up a monthly conference call with interested utility members to discuss various aspects of mobile worker technologies. Twenty one technical and project reports were delivered to the UWG during FY 2015, reflecting the work of the II&C Pathway pilot projects during the year. Distribution of these reports is one of the primary means of transferring to the nuclear industry the knowledge and experience gained during the development of advanced II&C technologies in support of LWR sustainability. Site visits to discuss pilot project

  20. The Language of Engagement: "Aha!" Moments from Engaging Patients and Community Partners in Two Pilot Projects of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai-Seale, Ming; Sullivan, Greer; Cheney, Ann; Thomas, Kathleen; Frosch, Dominick

    2016-01-01

    Compared with people living in the community, researchers often have different frameworks or paradigms for thinking about health and wellness. These differing frameworks are often accompanied by differences in terminology or language. The purpose of this commentary is to describe some of our "Aha!" moments from conducting two pilot studies funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Over time, we came to understand how our language and word choices may have been acting as a wedge between ourselves and our community research partners. We learned that fruitful collaborative work must attend to the creation of a common language, which we refer to as the language of engagement. Such patient-centered language can effectively build a bridge between researchers and community partners. We encourage other researchers to think critically about their cultural competency, to be mindful of the social power dynamics between patient and physician, to reflect on how their understanding might differ from those of their patient partners, and to find ways to use a common language that engages patients and other community partners.

  1. Employee engagement and management standards: a concurrent evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravalier, J M; Dandil, Y; Limehouse, H

    2015-08-01

    The UK Health & Safety Executive's Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT) has been used to assess areas of work design, which may act as psychosocial hazards leading to burnout. These have not been assessed as predictors of employee engagement. To determine the utility of the MSIT in evaluating employee engagement as measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). A cross-sectional survey of employees from two sales organizations in London was performed using the MSIT and UWES. MSIT scores were analysed stratifying medium-high versus low engagement. Multivariate linear regression evaluated the association of all MSIT scores with UWES factors. Control, managerial support, peer support and employee role differed by engagement level. Demands, peer support and role exceeded MSIT benchmark guidance that would warrant urgent improvement. Role ambiguity was the only factor significantly associated with all subdomains of engagement. Role appears to play a major part in determining employee engagement. Assessment of the relationship between factors measured by the MSIT and UWES requires further investigation in wider organizational settings, particularly the influence of employee role on positive psychological outcomes. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Engaging youth in post-disaster research: Lessons learned from a creative methods approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lori Peek

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Children and youth often demonstrate resilience and capacity in the face of disasters. Yet, they are typically not given the opportunities to engage in youth-driven research and lack access to official channels through which to contribute their perspectives to policy and practice during the recovery process. To begin to fill this void in research and action, this multi-site research project engaged youth from disaster-affected communities in Canada and the United States. This article presents a flexible youth-centric workshop methodology that uses participatory and arts-based methods to elicit and explore youth’s disaster and recovery experiences. The opportunities and challenges associated with initiating and maintaining partnerships, reciprocity and youth-adult power differentials using arts-based methods, and sustaining engagement in post-disaster settings, are discussed. Ultimately, this work contributes to further understanding of the methods being used to conduct research for, with, and about youth. Keywords: youth, disaster recovery, engagement, resilience, arts-based methods, participatory research

  3. Undergraduate Research in Earth Science Classes: Engaging Students in the First Two Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mogk, D. W.; Wysession, M. E.; Beauregard, A.; Reinen, L. A.; Surpless, K.; O'Connell, K.; McDaris, J. R.

    2014-12-01

    The recent PCAST report (2012), Engage to Excel, calls for a major shift in instructional modes in introductory (geo)science courses by "replacing standard laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses". An increased emphasis is recommended to engage students in experiments with the possibility of true discovery and expanded use of scientific research courses in the first two years. To address this challenge, the On the Cutting Edge program convened a workshop of geoscience faculty to explore the many ways that true research experiences can be built into introductory geoscience courses. The workshop goals included: consideration of the opportunities, strategies and methods used to provide research experiences for students in lower division geoscience courses; examination of ways to develop students' "geoscience habits of mind" through participation in authentic research activities; exploration of ways that student research projects can be designed to contribute to public science literacy with applications to a range of issues facing humanity; and development of strategies to obtain funding for these research projects, to make these programs sustainable in departments and institutions, and to scale-up these programs so that all students may participate. Access to Earth data, information technology, lab and field-based instrumentation, and field experiences provide unprecedented opportunities for students to engage in authentic research at early stages in their careers. Early exposure to research experiences has proven to be effective in the recruitment of students to the geoscience disciplines, improved retention and persistence in degree programs, motivation for students to learn and increase self-efficacy, improved attitudes and values about science, and overall increased student success. Workshop outcomes include an online collection of tested research projects currently being used in geoscience classes, resources related to effective design

  4. Overcoming Barriers to Public Engagement through a Multi-Institution Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, K. F.; Weiss, M.; Garlick, S.

    2016-12-01

    A growing body of evidence suggests that public engagement with science (PES) can enhance the relevance and impact of science on society. At the same time, advances in our understanding of public engagement suggest that greater skills, resources, and time horizons are often required to create effective programs. Consequently, despite a proliferation of training programs, many scientists still face the challenge of balancing the demands of public engagement with the requirements of their disciplinary research. Novel institutions are emerging that bring together interdisciplinary networks of principle investigators with PES practitioners to overcome barriers to effective and sustained public engagement in the environmental sciences. We will use the Science Policy Exchange (SPE), a consortium housed at the Harvard Forest, Harvard University, to illustrate how PIs and PES practitioners can collaborate to design public engagement processes, conduct policy-relevant scientific syntheses, and implement science communication strategies. Results from two SPE case studies demonstrate how multi-institutional consortia can help scientists overcome barriers such as lack of knowledge of evidence-based PES approaches, limits on time and funding to implement PES projects, and the need to integrate PES activities with research. The case studies also show how SPE strives to achieve credibility, saliency, and legitimacy in different public policy contexts: (1) engagement between scientists and local stakeholders to develop scenarios of landscape change; and (2) engagement between scientists and policy makers to understand the relationship between power plant emission standards, and air quality, human health and ecosystem function. The presentation will conclude with examples of how SPE programs have led to institutional change (staffing and budget), cultural change (attitudes and expectations of senior leaders), and research change (development of research questions, funding proposals

  5. Fostering Student Engagement with the Flip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Amanda J.; Gillett, Matthew R.; Steele, Michael D.

    2014-01-01

    The Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (CCSSI 2010) and NCTM's "Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making" (2009) present a vision of high school classrooms in which the majority of the activity involves students working on rich mathematical problems and engaging in mathematical discourse. This model…

  6. Social Site Characterisation for CO2 storage operations to inform public engagement in Poland and Scotland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brunsting, S.; Pol, M.; Mastop, J. [Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Policy Studies, Petten (Netherlands); Kaiser, M.; Zimmer, R. [UfU - Independent Institute for Environmental Issues, Berlin (Germany); Shackley, S.; Mabon, L.; Howell, R. [The University of Edinburgh - School of Geosciences, Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom); Hepplewhite, F.; Loveridge, R. [Scottish Government, Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom); Mazurowski, M. [PGNiG - Polskie Gornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA, Warszawa (Poland); Rybicki, C. [AGH - University of Science and Technology, Krakow (Poland)

    2013-05-01

    Public support has proven crucial to the implementation of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects. Whereas no method exists to guarantee local public acceptability of any project, a constructive stakeholder engagement process does increase the likelihood thereof. Social site characterisation can be used as an instrument to plan and evaluate an approach for actively engaging local stakeholders. Social site characterisation is the process of repeatedly investigating local public awareness and opinions of a specific CCS project, changes therein over time, and underlying factors shaping public opinion as a parallel activity to technical site characterization. This paper presents results from the EU FP7 SiteChar project in which social site characterisation (a.o. surveys) and public participation activities (focus conferences) were conducted by a multidisciplinary team at two prospective CCS sites in in Poland (onshore) and Scotland (offshore). Results demonstrate that social site characterization and focus conferences are powerful tools to raise public awareness about complex issues such as CCS and to initiate local discussion and planning processes with the appropriate type of information, through appropriate media, and involving all relevant stakeholders. Application and the duration of effects in real-life project settings will be discussed.

  7. Burnout and study engagement among medical students at Sun Yat-sen University, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongchun; Yansane, Alfa Ibrahim; Zhang, Yurong; Fu, Haijun; Hong, Nanrui; Kalenderian, Elsbeth

    2018-01-01

    Abstract This study aims to investigate burnout and study engagement among medical students at Sun Yat-sen University, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students of Sun Yat-sen University, China. A total of 453 undergraduate students completed a self-administered, structured questionnaire between January and February, 2016. Burnout and study engagement were measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) and the UTRECHT Work Engagement Scale-Students (UWES-S), respectively. Subjects who scored high in emotional exhaustion subscale, high in cynicism subscale, and low in professional efficacy subscale simultaneously were graded as having high risk of burnout. Independent sample t tests and chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in burnout and work engagement between genders, majors, and grade levels. The means (standard deviations) of the MBI-SS subscales were 3.42 (1.45) for emotional exhaustion, 2.34 (1.64) for cynicism, and 3.04 (1.30) for professional efficacy. The means (standard deviations) of the UWES-S subscales were 3.13 (1.49) for vigor, 3.44 (1.47) for dedication and 3.00 (1.51) for absorption. Approximately 1 in 11 students experienced a high risk of burnout. There were no statistically significant gender differences in burnout and study engagement. There were also no statistically significant differences in burnout and study engagement subscales according to student major. Students in higher grades displayed increased burnout risk, higher mean burnout subscale score of cynicism, lower mean burnout subscale score of professional efficacy, and decreased mean study engagement subscale scores of dedication and absorption. There were strong correlations within study engagement subscales. Chinese medical students in this university experience a high level of burnout. Students at higher-grade level experience more burnout and decreased study engagement compared with students in lower

  8. Workaholic and work engaged employees: dead ringers or worlds apart?

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Beek, Ilona; Taris, Toon W; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

    2011-10-01

    Building on Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory and Meijman and Mulder's Effort-Recovery Model, the present study examined the nature, antecedents, and consequences of working hard (i.e., workaholism and work engagement) in a Dutch convenience sample of 1,246 employees. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that workaholism and work engagement were two largely independent concepts. Crossing these two concepts yielded four types of workers: workaholic employees, engaged employees, engaged workaholics, and nonworkaholic/nonengaged employees. MANOVA and subsequent ANOVAs were used to compare these four groups regarding their motivation, working hours, and levels of burnout. As expected, study results revealed that workaholic employees were driven by controlled motivation, whereas engaged employees were driven by autonomous motivation. Engaged workaholics were driven by both controlled and autonomous motivation. In addition, the results revealed that engaged workaholics spent most time on working. Unlike workaholic employees, engaged workaholics did not experience the highest levels of burnout, suggesting that high engagement may buffer the adverse consequences of workaholism. The present study emphasizes the importance of differentiating among at least three categories of employees who work hard: workaholic employees, engaged employees, and-for the first time-engaged workaholics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Project risk management in the construction of high-rise buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Titarenko, Boris; Hasnaoui, Amir; Titarenko, Roman; Buzuk, Liliya

    2018-03-01

    This paper shows the project risk management methods, which allow to better identify risks in the construction of high-rise buildings and to manage them throughout the life cycle of the project. One of the project risk management processes is a quantitative analysis of risks. The quantitative analysis usually includes the assessment of the potential impact of project risks and their probabilities. This paper shows the most popular methods of risk probability assessment and tries to indicate the advantages of the robust approach over the traditional methods. Within the framework of the project risk management model a robust approach of P. Huber is applied and expanded for the tasks of regression analysis of project data. The suggested algorithms used to assess the parameters in statistical models allow to obtain reliable estimates. A review of the theoretical problems of the development of robust models built on the methodology of the minimax estimates was done and the algorithm for the situation of asymmetric "contamination" was developed.

  10. Navigating Earthquake Physics with High-Resolution Array Back-Projection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Lingsen

    Understanding earthquake source dynamics is a fundamental goal of geophysics. Progress toward this goal has been slow due to the gap between state-of-art earthquake simulations and the limited source imaging techniques based on conventional low-frequency finite fault inversions. Seismic array processing is an alternative source imaging technique that employs the higher frequency content of the earthquakes and provides finer detail of the source process with few prior assumptions. While the back-projection provides key observations of previous large earthquakes, the standard beamforming back-projection suffers from low resolution and severe artifacts. This thesis introduces the MUSIC technique, a high-resolution array processing method that aims to narrow the gap between the seismic observations and earthquake simulations. The MUSIC is a high-resolution method taking advantage of the higher order signal statistics. The method has not been widely used in seismology yet because of the nonstationary and incoherent nature of the seismic signal. We adapt MUSIC to transient seismic signal by incorporating the Multitaper cross-spectrum estimates. We also adopt a "reference window" strategy that mitigates the "swimming artifact," a systematic drift effect in back projection. The improved MUSIC back projections allow the imaging of recent large earthquakes in finer details which give rise to new perspectives on dynamic simulations. In the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, we observe frequency-dependent rupture behaviors which relate to the material variation along the dip of the subduction interface. In the 2012 off-Sumatra earthquake, we image the complicated ruptures involving orthogonal fault system and an usual branching direction. This result along with our complementary dynamic simulations probes the pressure-insensitive strength of the deep oceanic lithosphere. In another example, back projection is applied to the 2010 M7 Haiti earthquake recorded at regional distance. The

  11. Increasing Student Engagement by Using Morrowind to Analyze Choices and Consequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadakia, Maya

    2005-01-01

    During the 2004-2005 school year, Maya Kadakia conducted a pilot study of her master's project which focuses on how student engagement is affected by a curriculum that incorporates popular culture. She created a Language Arts unit which incorporates the video game Morrowhid. Maya teaches seventh grade Language Arts and Social Studies at a diverse…

  12. Conducting a fully mobile and randomised clinical trial for depression: access, engagement and expense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anguera, Joaquin A; Jordan, Joshua T; Castaneda, Diego; Gazzaley, Adam; Areán, Patricia A

    2016-01-01

    Advances in mobile technology have resulted in federal and industry-level initiatives to facilitate large-scale clinical research using smart devices. Although the benefits of technology to expand data collection are obvious, assumptions about the reach of mobile research methods ( access ), participant willingness to engage in mobile research protocols ( engagement ), and the cost of this research ( cost ) remain untested. To assess the feasibility of a fully mobile randomised controlled trial using assessments and treatments delivered entirely through mobile devices to depressed individuals. Using a web-based research portal, adult participants with depression who also owned a smart device were screened, consented and randomised to 1 of 3 mental health apps for treatment. Assessments of self-reported mood and cognitive function were conducted at baseline, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Physical and social activity was monitored daily using passively collected phone use data. All treatment and assessment tools were housed on each participant's smart phone or tablet. A cognitive training application, an application based on problem-solving therapy, and a mobile-sensing application promoting daily activities. Access : We screened 2923 people and enrolled 1098 participants in 5 months. The sample characteristics were comparable to the 2013 US census data. Recruitment via Craigslist.org yielded the largest sample. Engagement : Study engagement was high during the first 2 weeks of treatment, falling to 44% adherence by the 4th week. Cost : The total amount spent on for this project, including staff costs and β testing, was $314 264 over 2 years. These findings suggest that mobile randomised control trials can recruit large numbers of participants in a short period of time and with minimal cost, but study engagement remains challenging. NCT00540865.

  13. Children's Task Engagement during Challenging Puzzle Tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feihong; Algina, James; Snyder, Patricia; Cox, Martha

    2017-01-01

    We examined children's task engagement during a challenging puzzle task in the presence of their primary caregivers by using a representative sample of rural children from six high-poverty counties across two states. Weighted longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to identify a task engagement factor…

  14. Social interaction anxiety and personality traits predicting engagement in health risk sexual behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahm-Knigge, Ryan L; Prince, Mark A; Conner, Bradley T

    2018-06-01

    Individuals with social interaction anxiety, a facet of social anxiety disorder, withdraw from or avoid social encounters and generally avoid risks. However, a subset engages in health risk sexual behavior (HRSB). Because sensation seeking, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity predict engagement in HRSB among adolescents and young adults, the present study hypothesized that latent classes of social interaction anxiety and these personality traits would differentially predict likelihood of engagement in HRSB. Finite mixture modeling was used to discern four classes: two low social interaction anxiety classes distinguished by facets of emotion dysregulation, positive urgency, and negative urgency (Low SIAS High Urgency and Low SIAS Low Urgency) and two high social interaction anxiety classes distinguished by positive urgency, negative urgency, risk seeking, and facets of emotion dysregulation (High SIAS High Urgency and High SIAS Low Urgency). HRSB were entered into the model as auxiliary distal outcomes. Of importance to this study were findings that the High SIAS High Urgency class was more likely to engage in most identified HRSB than the High SIAS Low Urgency class. This study extends previous findings on the heterogeneity of social interaction anxiety by identifying the effects of social interaction anxiety and personality on engagement in HRSB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. High Performance Walls in Hot-Dry Climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoeschele, Marc [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Springer, David [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Dakin, Bill [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); German, Alea [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States)

    2015-01-01

    High performance walls represent a high priority measure for moving the next generation of new homes to the Zero Net Energy performance level. The primary goal in improving wall thermal performance revolves around increasing the wall framing from 2x4 to 2x6, adding more cavity and exterior rigid insulation, achieving insulation installation criteria meeting ENERGY STAR's thermal bypass checklist. To support this activity, in 2013 the Pacific Gas & Electric Company initiated a project with Davis Energy Group (lead for the Building America team, Alliance for Residential Building Innovation) to solicit builder involvement in California to participate in field demonstrations of high performance wall systems. Builders were given incentives and design support in exchange for providing site access for construction observation, cost information, and builder survey feedback. Information from the project was designed to feed into the 2016 Title 24 process, but also to serve as an initial mechanism to engage builders in more high performance construction strategies. This Building America project utilized information collected in the California project.

  16. Designing for user engagement

    CERN Document Server

    Geisler, Cheryl

    2013-01-01

    Designing for User Engagement on the Web: 10 Basic Principles is concerned with making user experience engaging. The cascade of social web applications we are now familiar with - blogs, consumer reviews, wikis, and social networking - are all engaging experiences. But engagement is an increasingly common goal in business and productivity environments as well. This book provides a foundation for all those seeking to design engaging user experiences rich in communication and interaction. Combining a handbook on basic principles with case studies, it provides readers with a ric

  17. Carbon Monitoring System Applications Framework: Lessons Learned from Stakeholder Engagement Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepulveda Carlo, E.; Escobar, V. M.; Delgado Arias, S.; Forgotson, C.

    2017-12-01

    The NASA Carbon Monitoring System initiated by U.S. Congress in 2010 is developing products that characterize and quantify carbon sources and sinks in the United States and the global tropics. In 2013, an applications effort was selected to engage potential end users and gather feedback about their data needs. For the past four years the CMS applications efforts has expanded and implemented a number of strategies to connect carbon scientists to decision-makers, contributing to the societal benefits of CMS data products. The applications efforts use crowd sourcing to collects feedback from stakeholders on challenges and lessons learned in the use of CMS data products. Some of the most common data needs from engaged organizations include above and below-ground biomass and fluxes in forestlands and wetlands, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all land use/cover and land use changes. Stakeholder organizations' needs for CMS data products support national GHG inventories following the Paris Agreement, carbon markets, and sub-national natural resources management and policies. The lessons learned report presents stakeholder specific applications, challenges, and successes from using CMS data products. To date, the most common uses of CMS products include: conservation efforts, emissions inventory, forestry and land cover applications, and carbon offset projects. The most common challenges include: the need for familiar and consistent products over time, budget constraints, and concern with uncertainty of modeled results. Recurrent recommendations from stakeholder indicate that CMS should provide high resolution (30m) and frequent data products updates (annually). The applications efforts have also helped identified success stories from different CMS projects, including the development of the GHG emissions inventory from Providence, RI, the improvement of the U.S. GHG Inventory though the use of satellite data, and the use of high resolution canopy cover maps for

  18. Not just robo-students: why full engagement matters and how schools can promote it.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conner, Jerusha O; Pope, Denise C

    2013-09-01

    Research has long linked academic engagement to positive social, psychological, and physical developmental outcomes; however, qualitative studies in high-performing schools find that some students who work hard in school may be compromising their mental and physical health in the pursuit of top grades. Such research calls for closer and more contextualized examinations of the concept of engagement. This study examines academic engagement in a sample of 6,294 students (54 % female; 44 % White, 34 % Asian, and 22 % other racial or ethnic background) attending 15 high-achieving schools. Findings show that two-thirds of students at these schools are not regularly "fully engaged" in their academic schoolwork; that is, they do not regularly report high levels of affective, behavioral and cognitive engagement. Although most students report working hard, few enjoy their schoolwork and find it valuable. This lack of full engagement, particularly the absence of affective and cognitive engagement, is associated with more frequent school stress, higher rates of cheating, and greater internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms of stress. The study also finds that full engagement is strongly related to positive teacher-student relationships. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

  19. Engaging Citizens In Discussions of Coastal Climate ChangeTwo examples of place-based research that engaged community members will be presented. Lessons learned in how to engage community members and working with high school students and hands-on learning across generations can provide insights into social and ecosystem change will be shared.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruger, L. E.; Johnson, A. C.

    2017-12-01

    By engaging community members as research partners, people become not just the subject of the story, they become storytellers as well. Participatory community-based research that engages community residents in gathering and sharing their lived experiences is instrumental in connecting people to each other and their forests and forest science and helpful when confronted by change. Two examples of place-based research that engaged community members as researchers will be presented. What factors led to collaborative outcomes that integrated citizen-informed knowledge with scientific knowledge? What lessons were learned in how best to engage community members? How did working with high school students draw even hesitant members of the community to participate? By strengthening bonds between students and their communities, both natural and social environments, we can provide young people with opportunities to better understand how they fit into the greater community and their natural environment. Hands-on learning that explores experiences in nature across generations can benefit communities, especially youth, and can provide insights into social and ecosystem change.

  20. MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS FOR SECOND YEAR CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARWAN M. SHAMEL

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In the second semester of the second year of a Mechanical Engineering course, students are supposed to take a Module Outside the Main Discipline (MOMD. This module is chosen to be “Product Design Exercise” a module that is offered to Chemical Engineering students at the same stage. The aim was to expose students from both disciplines to an environment in which they are encouraged to interact with and engage team members with a relatively different background. The students were divided into eight groups all comprised of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering students, and they were offered different open-ended projects that were selected to exploit the knowledge developed by the students thus far and they were slightly skewed towards Chemical Engineering. The students demonstrated a high level of cooperation and motivation throughout the period of the project. Effective communication and closing of knowledge gaps were prevalent. At the end of the project period, students produced a journal paper in lieu of the project report.