Transactional distance in a blended learning environment

This paper presents a case study that describes and discusses the problems encountered during the design and implementation of a blended learning course, largely taught online through a web-based learning environment. Based on Moore's theory of transactional distance, the course was explicitly designed to have dialogue at its heart. However, the reality of systemic behaviours caused by delivering such a course within a group of conventional further and higher educational institutions has led to an entirely unanticipated reversion to structure, with unpleasant consequences for both quality and quantity of dialogue. The paper looks at some of the reasons for this drift, and suggests that some of the disappointing results (in particular in terms of the quality of the students' experience and associated poor retention) can be attributed to the lack of dialogue, and consequent increase in transactional distance. It concludes with a description and evaluation of steps currently being taken to correct this behaviour

The economic sustainability of cropping systems in Indian Punjab: A farmers' perspective

Food for all continues to be a key issue, especially in the developing world where every fifth person is chronically undernourished. India, a fast growing developing country has also experienced serious food shortages for example in the mid 1960s. Punjab, a small northern Indian state has developed, particularly since the Green Revolution in the mid 1960s, to be a key agricultural area producing 13% of the food grains of India. Increased productivity brought economic benefits to farmers and led to the establishment of Wheat-Rice Cropping Pattern (WRCP) as the main agricultural system of Punjab which more recently has become reliant on underground water resources, agricultural machinery, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. More recently stagnating yields and increased cost of cultivation of WRCP have squeezed the net farm profitability. However, the WRCP has been, and remains the first choice of farmers, because of its comparative economic advantage, assured marketing and stable productivity level. This paper compares the economic sustainability of WRCP to that of other alternative cropping patterns in Punjab and answers the question “Why farmers continue with the WRCP despite various crop diversification efforts in the past”. Interviews with 120 farmers across Punjab illustrated the economic and risk advantages of WRCP over other potential cropping patterns and concludes that if cropping systems in Punjab are to become more environmentally sustainable then policy makers will need to put mechanisms in place which either encourage a more sustainable WRCP or provide the basis for the growth of alternative, less environmentally damaging cropping systems.agriculture, cropping systems, Punjab, sustainability, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management,

Study on the Selection of Waste Streams for End-of-waste Assessment- Final Report

The revised Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) introduces the possibility that certain waste streams that have undergone a recovery operation can cease to be waste, if they fulfil certain criteria - so-called End-of-waste (EoW) criteria. These criteria have to be developed, and they are to ensure that the waste streams fulfil a number of conditions spelled out in teh Directive, including existence of a commonly used specific applications, existence of a market or a demand, fulfilment of technical requirements for the specific applications, meeting existing legislation and standards applicable to the products the waste streams substitute, and absence of any overall adverse environmental or human health impacts. This report is a contribution to the development and implementation of the concept of End-of-waste (EoW) in EU legislation. The report presents a list of waste streams currently traded in the EU27 that are suitable candidates for a detailed assessment of EoW criteria. Suitability has been evaluated against a number of operational and transparent, mainly quantitative selection criteria, which have been developed to reflect to the extent possible the fulfilment of the conditions of market, specific applications, legislation and standard compliance and environment required by the Waste Framework Directive.JRC.DDG.J.6 - Sustainable production and consumptio

End-of-Waste Criteria

The report includes a methodology for the development of end-of-waste criteria for specific types of waste according to Article 6 of the Waste Framework Directive as well as three pilot case studies (on compost, aggregates and metal scrap) in which the methodology was tested.JRC.J.6-Sustainable production and consumptio

Hydrolysable tannin-based diet rich in gallotannins has a minimal impact on pig performance but significantly reduces salivary and bulbo-urethral gland size

Tannins have long been considered ‘anti-nutritional’ factors in monogastric nutrition, shown to reduce feed intake and palatability. However, recent studies revealed that compared to condensed tannins, hydrolysable tannins (HT) appear to have far less impact on growth performance but may be inhibitory to the total activity of caecal bacteria. This in turn could reduce microbial synthesis of skatole and indole in the hindgut of entire males (EM). Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the impact of a group of dietary HT on growth performance, carcass traits and boar taint compounds of group housed EM. For the study, 36 Swiss Large White boars were assigned within litter to three treatment groups. Boars were offered ad libitum one of three finisher diets supplemented with 0 (C), 15 (T15) or 30 g/kg (T30) of HT from d 105 to 165 of age. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, boar taint compounds in the adipose tissue and CYP2E1, CYP1A2, and CYP2A19 gene expression in the liver was assessed. Compared to C, feed efficiency but not daily gain and daily feed intake was lower (P < 0.05) in T15 and T30 boars. Except for the percent carcass weight loss during cooling, which tended (P < 0.10) to be greater in T30 than C and T15, carcass characteristics were not affected by the diets. In line with the numerically lower androstenone level, bulbo-urethral and salivary glands of T30 boars were lighter (P < 0.05) than of T15 with intermediate values for C. Indole level was lower (P < 0.05) in the adipose tissue of T30 than C pigs with intermediate levels in T15. Skatole levels tended (P < 0.10) to be lower in T30 and C than T15 pigs. Hepatic gene expression of CYP isoenzymes did not differ between treatment groups but was negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with androstenone (CYP2E1 and CYP1A2), skatole (CYP2E1, CYP2A) and indole (CYP2A) level. In line with the numerically highest androstenone and skatole concentrations, boar taint odour but not flavour was detected by the panelists in loins from T15 compared with loins from C and T30 boars. These results provide evidence that HT affected metabolism of indolic compounds and androstenone and that they affected the development of accessory sex glands. However, the effects were too small to be detected by sensory evaluation

PROGRAMMING MAINTENANCE FOR THE MYSTERY STUDENT INTERVENTION

The current study evaluated the effects of the Mystery Student Intervention (MSI) in university and community-based preschool settings on the appropriate and disruptive behaviors in the classroom utilizing a randomized independent group contingency. This study extended the literature base of the MSI, which was previously conducted in Head Start classrooms by Pasqua (2019), and Pasqua and colleagues (2021) which determined the MSI to be effective at reducing disruptive behaviors in the classroom setting. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across three classrooms was used. This study also sought to further extend the literature by evaluating programmed maintenance using a partial sequential withdrawal method. The results of this study indicate that the MSI may be effective, consistent with Pasqua (2019) and Pasqua and colleagues (2021), but issues with baseline data limits internal validity. Based on the results, the effects of the MSI also generalized to other classroom activities in which the intervention was not being implemented for all classrooms. Additionally, in regards to maintenance, the results suggest that partial sequential withdrawal of the intervention may maintain the effects of the intervention over time. All classroom teachers found the MSI to be an acceptable and effective classroom intervention to a degree. This study adds to the literature base for group contingency interventions that are at least moderately effective in the preschool setting. Additionally, this study also contributes to the literature surrounding the maintenance of interventions and effective withdrawal methods

Wine Sampler

Quality testing is an important part of the wine industry. Without proper quality control, thousands of dollars could be wasted on bottling and recalling hundreds of gallons of wine. Due to this, labs are set up that collect wine samples from the tanks in a wine production plant and test them. A big part of this testing is determining exactly what tanks need to be tested and what tanks are at risk. My project aims to help automate this task by collecting data from the tanks wirelessly and keeping track of simple indicators such as pH and temperature. Automating this process will result in less time being spent on climbing up ladders and retrieving samples daily from tanks that do not need it thereby saving the industry time and money

運動感覚的指導と発音

This paper reviews the use of teaching suprasegmentals to aid in the teaching of pronunciation to Japanese speakers as previous research has shown them to be more advantageous for communicative language teaching. Most primary and secondary education programs in Japan focus on the teaching of segmentals, if at all. A case study was conducted with one Japanese female English language learner using kinesthetic reinforcement in conjunction with pronunciation teaching. The goal of the research was to make aspects of English pronunciation more salient to Japanese learners and test for what gains could be made. This research shows that some gains are possible through more physical demonstrations of suprasegmentals but ultimately more research needs to be conducted in this area of English language pronunciation research.本稿は、日本語の話者に英語の発音を教授する上で、超分節的要素について教えることの有用性を検討するものである。このような教授法が、コミュニケーションに重点を置く言語教育において有益であることは、先行研究によって明らかにされている。しかし、日本における初等・中等教育プログラムは、分節的要素を教えることに注力しがちである。本研究では、一名の日本人女性英語学習者を対象とし、発音指導を運動感覚的に補強するケース・スタディを実施した。その目的は、英語の発音の諸相を日本人学習者により分かりやすく示し、そのことにどのような利点があるかを見極めることであった。その結果、超分節的要素をより身体的に実演することの効果が確認できたが、英語発音分野におけるさらなる研究の蓄積が求められる