Theory for incompressible fluid turbulence

The functional integral representation for the space-time Hopf characteristic functional associated with boundary-free incompressible fluid turbulence is evaluated accurately to order R^-2, where R is the dimensionless Reynolds number in the theory. This work extends the results obtained previously for C-dominant turbulence to the regime of experimentally accessible large Reynolds numbers. We obtain a characteristic functional of non-Gaussian form as an asymptotically exact solution to the theory for large values of R. Two-point and three-point velocity correlation tensors of physical interest are derived from the characteristic functional.     

An analysis of friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, and satisfaction levels of international students

International students continue to grow in number worldwide, prompting researchers to look for ways to make the study abroad experience more fruitful. One avenue of research has focused on friendship formation, the significant role it plays in the study abroad experience, and the unique friendship combinations made possible by the study abroad experience. International students form friendships with individuals from their own country, from other countries, and from the host country. Research has found that international students often have more friends from their home country; however, research has also demonstrated a relationship between having more host country friends and satisfaction, contentment, decreased homesickness, and social connectedness. The current study looks to further explore these relationships through a social network lens by examining friendship network ratios, strength, and variability of the three friendship groups. A friendship network grid was developed to assess where international students’ friends are from and how strong those friendships are. Eighty four international students completed a survey examining the relationship between friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, contentment, and satisfaction. Contrary to prior research, international students did not report having a higher ratio of individuals from their home country in their friendship networks. However, international students with a higher ratio of individuals from the host country in their network claimed to be more satisfied, content, and less homesick. Furthermore, participants who reported more friendship variability with host country individuals described themselves as more satisfied, content, and more socially connected. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Improving Reading Comprehension through Holistic Intervening and Tutoring During After-School with High Risk Minority Elementary School Students

The current study took a quasi-experimental approach investigating the effect of a holistic after-school intervention, on reading comprehension measured by the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)-4 on at-risk students in Grade 2 through Grade 5. Analysis of Variance was used to investigate the relationship between pre- and post-intervention scores. The study showed encouraging results. The 91 student participants showed gains in their GORT-4 total scores after the intervention. Results of after-school tutoring lend support to the use of peer-tutoring in afterschool in the elementary schools. Due to the exploratory nature of the study in a single school, there are constraints on generalizability and utility of findings to other schools across the board.     

SURVEY OF JEWISH EDUCATION IN NEW YORK CITY

This case study examines the contours of culturally relevant pedagogy in an undergraduate preservice teacher education program for Jewish women. The case describes how the assigned reading of Albarelli’s (2000) narrative of teaching in a Hasidic Jewish school, Teacha! Stories from a Yeshiva, disrupts the classroom community, diminishes student engagement with the course, and undermines student confidence in the instructor. This research explores what happens when “respect for” challenges “reflection about.” The study finds that differential cultural understandings surrounding the concept of “respect” mediate the discourse. The author raises questions about the ethics of social justice in religious teacher education, probes the poverty of educational reform in a landscape of nondiscussables, and offers strategies for navigating this tender terrain.     

Bloom's Six Cognitive Levels Represent Two Levels of Performance

Abstract Two experiments were designed to further examine the levels of processing analysis of Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain proposed by Kunen, Cohen & Solman (1981). In the first experiment six groups of secondary school students processed 20 principles at the levels of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation respectively. The percentages of correctly recalled principle names, were adjusted for the fact that increasingly fewer students successfully completed the taxonomic orienting questions as their level increased from knowledge to evaluation. After adjustment these measures of incidental memory demonstrated a dichotomy of performance, with students who successfully synthesised or evaluated the material being superior. Also recorded in this experiment were measures of working memory and field dependence/independence. These scores proved to be better predictors of student performance on the taxonomic orienting tasks at the higher levels of the taxonomy, and they correctly ordered the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. It was suggested that they provided some independent support for Bloom's contention that the complexity of the cognitive operations required to complete the taxonomic tasks increases with their level. The second experiment manipulated the six taxonomic orienting tasks in a repeated measures design, which required all students to process principles at each of the six levels in order from knowledge to evaluation. While there were minor differences in performance between the Year 7 and the Year 11 students who participated in this study, the adjusted incidental memory data again revealed a performance dichotomy with synthesis and evaluation forming the superior category. That the students demonstrated superior performance after synthesising and evaluating material, was interpreted as support for the continued practice of teaching them to operate at the higher taxonomic levels. This support was qualified, however, by noting that the benefits were confined to those who successfully completed the higher tasks.     

Dynamic behavior of a hydraulic crane operating a freely suspended payload

We describe an investigation of the dynamic behavior of a hydraulically driven crane with a freely suspended payload during luffing and slewing motions. To simplify the task, the two movements are considered separately. Taking into account only one motion at a time, the crane is regarded as a three-link kinematic chain with revolute joints. The forward dynamics problem is solved for a crane with three rotational degrees of freedom, two of which describe the load swinging. In both the cases studied, the links are driven by a torque applied via a hydraulic drive, i.e., a linear actuator for the luffing case and a rack and pinion mechanism for the slewing motion. To compose the set of differential equations for the forward dynamics problem, a method based on a general Newton-Euler algorithm is used. From these simulations the time histories of various parameters, namely the swinging angles, hydraulic pressures, and joint forces, are determined. The results obtained via simulations are confirmed experimentally and a good agreement between the two outputs is observed. The results also show that a hydraulic drive system using fast opening flow direction control valves increases the load swing and imposes extensive inertial forces and problems of fatigue and reliability.     

Name Writing: A Window into the Emergent Literacy Skills of Young Children

This article discusses the potential significance of name writing skills in addressing many important questions about the development of early literacy skills. Young children are inherently interested in producing their own names in print. Furthermore, young children appear to construct their understandings of name writing skills in a predictable, sequential pattern. Questions raised include whether the development of name writing skills mirrors the development of other important cognitive skills, the potential of name writing skills to offer insight as to how young children learn important literacy concepts, the use of name writing as a developmental indicator for children that may be at risk for reading difficulties, and the potential for structured activities using name writing to facilitate the development of emergent literacy skills.