How pre-service teachers navigate trade-offs of food systems across time scales: a lens for exploring understandings of sustainability

In response to the increasing recognition of the need for sustainable food systems, research on students’ and educators’ knowledge of food systems and sustainability more broadly has grown but has generally focused on what people ‘fail’ to understand. Moving away from this deficit approach, the present study used semi-structured interviews to explore how 12 pre-service teachers (PSTs) in the US consider sustainability in terms of the trade-offs – or concurrent costs and benefits – associated with using different agricultural resources over short, medium, and long terms. Drawing upon the constructs of framing, metacognition, and complex causality, the study found that the majority of PSTs referred to indirect experiences of seeing or hearing about agricultural resources to demonstrate stable knowledge of short-term trade-offs and construct tentative knowledge about medium-term trade-offs. Few described long-term trade-offs. Most participants also acknowledged some gaps in their knowledge in discussing trade-offs across the different time scales. Findings suggest the importance of leveraging and building upon educators’ (and ultimately students’) prior experiences to build their understanding of complex trade-offs that underlie food systems. The study also illustrates the value of using the concept of trade-offs across time scales to explore people’s conceptions and understandings of sustainability.     

Methods for assessing higher education research team collaboration: comparing research outputs and participant perceptions across four collaborative research teams

ABSTRACT

This article suggests that situations in which multiple research teams are convened under similar conditions present an opportunity to discover factors that lead to productive collaboration. It argues that social network analysis of research team outputs becomes more valuable when paired with data about research participant perceptions; and that any variables used as indicators of collaboration need to be calibrated using datasets from multiple studies with cross-team comparisons. The article provides an example of the kind of methodology needed to achieve this, describing a study with data from four research teams based at an Australian university campus, reporting their research performance over four years under conditions in which many variables were controlled and with results augmented by a survey of participant perceptions. Findings from the study indicate that there were exceptions to hypothesized associations between participant perceptions of collaboration and specific social network analysis measures over co-authorship data. The article suggests that, given the methodological challenges of studying research teams in the field, multiple datasets combining findings such as those in the present study are a path towards the development of indicators of productive higher education research collaboration.     

Technological Study of the Decoration on an Erard Harp from 1818

ABSTRACT

Historical pedal harps from the early nineteenth century are highly adorned objects, decorated with various techniques such as polychromy, gilding, decoupage, and gilt composition ornaments. Even though a large number of such instruments are kept in private and public collections, until now their decorative features have not been examined systematically. Moreover, little has been written about the motives behind the choice of various decorative techniques by harp makers. This article presents results from the investigation of a double-action harp made in 1818 by Erard, the leading manufacturer of harps in Regency London, focusing on the technological aspects of its decorative features. Various analytical methods, such as visual examination, microscopy, SEM-EDX, FTIR, and Py-GC-MS, were used to identify the inorganic and organic components in the coating of the harp and to analyse its stratigraphy. Inspection with ultraviolet light revealed details of the original layers and of later additions, while radiography made the internal structure as well as damaged areas and repairs visible. The outcome of this object-based examination was complemented by archival research on the Erard firm, providing new insight into Erard’s production and marketing strategies.     

Simulation framework for teaching in modeling and simulation areas

Simulation is the process of executing a model that describes a system with enough detail; this model has its entities, an internal state, some input and output variables and a list of processes bound to these variables. Teaching a simulation language such as general purpose simulation system (GPSS) is always a challenge, because of the way it executes the models and the abstraction level it can achieve, very different compared with most well-known programming languages. This article presents an open source simulation framework that implements a subset of entities of GPSS, which could help students to improve the understanding of this language. This tool also stores all entities of simulations in every single simulation time, which is very useful for debugging simulations, but also for getting a detailed history of all entities in the simulations, knowing exactly how they have behaved in every simulation time.     

EVALUATION OF A TRUANCY DIVERSION PROGRAM AT NINE AT‐RISK MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Many schools are faced with the prospect of soaring absenteeism rates, despite the use of traditional truancy courts and other legal interventions. A recent trend in the literature has been to explore alternative, hybrid, and multidisciplinary approaches to address the underlying obstacles to school attendance. These programs are often integrated into schools to reduce stigma and transportation burdens on families. The present study involved an evaluation of a truancy diversion program in nine at‐risk middle schools in an ethnically diverse sample. Graduates from the program demonstrated significant declines in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. In addition, participants and their parents expressed high levels of perceived improvement in academic performance. Academic tutoring was found to differentiate program graduates from nongraduates. Results are preliminary but discussed within the context of the role of school attachment in truancy diversion programs.     

Relationship between prior knowledge,destination reputation,and loyalty among sport tourists

ABSTRACT

Sport tourism is anticipated as one of the key industries that can vitalize a community with a wide variety of attractive natural resources. This research focusses on the relationship between tourists’ prior knowledge of the destination, destination reputation, and destination loyalty. Data were collected from domestic sport tourists who visited Niseko Adventure Centre during August, 2018 (N?=?221). Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, the results showed a significant relationship between prior knowledge, reputation, and loyalty, which explained 34% of the model. Sport tourism is expected to be one of the key elements to stimulate rural areas by utilizing their potential natural resources. In this research, we observed Niseko district to clarify the relationship between destination prior knowledge, reputation, and loyalty. As a result, we were able to conclude that, by focusing attention on information search processes, marketers can develop effective marketing strategies.     

Ultrasonic phased array technology for the non-destructive testing of marble sculptures

The medical ultrasonic phased array technology was modified for the non-destructive testing of marble sculptures and the feasibility of the approach was evaluated. For this purpose, 1?MHz, 64-channel phased array electronic and phased array transducers were developed. The specifications of the electronics and the transducers are presented and discussed. Ultrasound images of inner structures of a marble sculpture are presented. The problem of the acoustic matching layers for different states of deterioration is discussed and the developments in view of a suitable matching layer solution are presented. This matching layer is combined with a new coupling technique that protects the marble surface. The results of experiments on ultrasound phantoms and on a marble sculpture are presented.     

The Hecht vault performed at the 1995 World Gymnastics Championships: deterministic model and judges' scores

The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical variables that govern success of the Hecht vault. The participants were 122 male gymnasts from 30 countries performing the vault at the 1995 World Gymnastics Championships. The vaults were filmed using a Photosonics 16-mm motion picture camera operating at 100 Hz. Approximately 80 frames were digitized for each vault analysed. The method of Hay and Reid was used to develop a theoretical model to identify the mechanical and physical variables that determine linear and angular motions of the vault. Correlational analysis was used to establish the strength of the relationship between the causal mechanical variables identified in the model and the judges' scores. Significant correlations (P < 0.005) indicated that the following were important determinants of success: large horizontal and vertical velocities at take-off from the board and the horse; large vertical and angular distances of pre-flight; large vertical impulses of high force and short duration exerted on the horse and the resulting large changes in vertical velocity on the horse; and large horizontal and vertical distances and long times of post-flight. Of the 18 significant variables identified in the present study, the angular distance of pre- and post-flights, the horizontal velocity and angular momentum at take-off from the horse, and the average moment of inertia and duration of post-flight collectively accounted for 57% of the variation in the judges' scores.