A pedagogy of belonging: troubling encounters with ethnic and religious difference

Understanding the construction of belonging, and how unbelonging might be troubled, is critical work. For schools in many parts of the world one of the many challenges of globalisation is the task of teaching with, and for, ethnic and cultural diversity. This paper examines the exclusionary practices of teaching that construct ethnic and religious minority students in states of unbelonging. These practices are due, in part, to teachers’ failure to really know their students. Alongside this argument, discourses of belonging in rural schools that speak to possibilities for everyday place-sharing for ethnic and religious minority students are examined. Simple and common moments of mutual recognition and understanding speak to the possibilities for belonging that are opened up in everyday relations of knowing. The implications of these ideas for teachers and teacher education in what is framed as a ‘pedagogy of belonging’ are considered.     

The Challenges of Interdisciplinary Epistemology in Neuroaesthetics

Neuroaesthetics is a burgeoning new interdisciplinary research space in which cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy intersect in order to better inform our understanding of aesthetic experience. The purpose of this study is to analyze high‐profile work in neuroaesthetics in the light of recent research into interdisciplinary epistemology, asking “Do current attempts to use neuroscience to explore art meet rigorous interdisciplinary quality criteria?” I suggest that current approaches in neuroaesthetics frequently fail in a number of ways: they fail to meet disciplinary standards in either aesthetics or neuroscience, they fail to blend disciplines in a generative way, and they add little new that could not be investigated more fruitfully at other levels of analysis. In response to these potential pitfalls, I recommend that future researchers embrace a form of “problem‐focused epistemological pluralism” in their neuroaesthetic endeavors. I end with a consideration of the educational implications of these issues.     

Striving 2.0: Faculty Collaboration and Advocacy as Strategies for Overcoming Post-Striving Organizational Priorities

Innovative Higher Education - A case study at a large, public research university was conducted to understand how post-striving environments, defined by those universities that achieved very high...     

The Science of Pizza: The Molecular Origins of Cheese,Bread, and Digestion Using Interactive Activities for the General Public

Abstract: We describe a presentation on the science of pizza, which is designed for the general public including children ages 6 and older. The presentation focuses on the science of making and digesting cheese and bread. We highlight 4 major scientific themes: (1) how macromolecules such as carbohydrates and proteins are composed of atoms and small molecules; (2) how macromolecules interact to form networks in bread and cheese; (3) how microbes contribute to the texture of bread; and (4) how enzymes break down macromolecules during digestion. Using live demonstrations and interactive exercises with children in the audience, we provide simple explanations of the scientific principles related to these themes that are essential for understanding how to make pizza, and what happens when we eat it. This general approach can be adapted to a variety of informal and classroom settings focused on sharing the excitement of scientific discovery and understanding with students and the public.     

Announcing the Engagement of Sudoku: An In‐Class Genetic Algorithm Game

This teaching brief describes an engaging, in‐class exercise that introduces genetic algorithms as well as advanced Excel functions and capabilities by modeling the familiar Sudoku puzzle. Student groups are first asked to manually solve a given puzzle and then translate that solution methodology to a spreadsheet model. This exercise can be used to build classroom community and as a launching point for the content area of genetic algorithms and the use of Evolutionary Solver.     

School board decision-making and the elimination of sport participation fees

Public schools in the US are increasingly charging ‘pay-to-play’ fees for participating in sports. Although these fees can cause reductions in participation, particularly for children from lower-income families, pay-to-play has become a legitimate practice within the field of public education. This study examines what leads some school districts to abandon sport participation fees, despite the trend in adoption. In particular, using a qualitative, case study approach, we investigate why and how school districts eliminate pay-to-play. We found that the decision to terminate pay-to-play in the ‘Ellis’ district was shaped by the community culture and district leadership. Our findings are supported by data on surrounding school districts. This study contributes to the literatures on institutional change; privatization of health, sport and physical education; and school board decision-making. The findings also shed light on the local context of pay-to-play—a policy that has implications for social equity and youth health and wellness.     

Detailed description of Division I ice hockey concussions: Findings from the NCAA and Department of Defense CARE Consortium

Objective:Since concussion is the most common injury in ice hockey,the objective of the current study was to elucidate risk factors,specific mechanisms,and clinical presentations of concussion in men’s and women’s ice hockey.Methods:Ice hockey players from 5 institutions participating in the Concussion Assessment,Research,and Education Consortium were eligible for the current study.Participants who sustained a concussion outside of this sport were excluded.There were 332(250 males,82 females)athletes who participated in ice hockey,and 47(36 males,11 females)who sustained a concussion.Results:Previous concussion(odds ratio(OR)=2.00;95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.02‒3.91)was associated with increased incident concussion odds,while wearing a mouthguard was protective against incident concussion(OR=0.43;95%CI:0.22‒0.85).Overall,concussion mechanisms did not significantly differ between sexes.There were specific differences in how concussions presented clinically across male and female ice hockey players,however.Females(9.09%)were less likely than males(41.67%)to have a delayed symptom onset(p=0.045).Additionally,females took significantly longer to reach asymptomatic(p=0.015)and return-to-play clearance(p=0.005).Within the first 2 weeks post-concussion,86.11%of males reached asymptomatic,while only 45.50%of females reached the same phase of recovery.Most males(91.67%)were cleared for return to play within 3 weeks of their concussion,compared to less than half(45.50%)of females.Conclusion:The current study proposes possible risk factors,mechanisms,and clinical profiles to be validated in future concussions studies with larger female sample sizes.Understanding specific risk factors,concussion mechanisms,and clinical profiles of concussion in collegiate ice hockey may generate ideas for future concussion prevention or intervention studies.     

Formative Evaluation of Computer‐Based Training For a University Financial System

This article describes a formative evaluation of a one‐day introductory computer‐based training (CBT) course for a new on‐line financial and purchasing system at a large public university. The purposes of the evaluation were to evaluate the effectiveness of the training and to identify appropriate revisions and incorporate them into the training program. Participants were 78 university employees who were likely future users of the financial and purchasing system. The mean score on an on‐line performance posttest that simulated real‐work tasks was 94%, and the mean on a 40‐item knowledge posttest covering the CBT content was 74%. Learner attitudes toward the course were positive, averaging 4.4 on a 5‐point scale. Formative evaluation of the program resulted in revisions that had the potential to improve its effectiveness and provided evidence of the value of ongoing formative evaluation of workplace training.