Aim: The aim of this study was to examine a way to measure students’ knowledge development by using a self-made measure instrument based on William Doll’s postmodern curriculum. Question: Is it suitable to use an self-made measure instrument based on William Doll’s post-modern curriculum theory to measure development of knowledge? Methods: The study was based on process-hermeneutics and was focused on analysingcollege students’ written and oral reflective thoughts. The data was collected over three lessons, where six students’ written reflective thoughts were handed in. An observation was carried out each lesson for an extra control of validity. A group of nine students was taken as a control of the measure instrument’s reliability. The measure instrument was built from Doll’s categories: Richness, Recursion, Relations and Rigor. Each category was divided by three levels of thinking. Each reflective task was judged by two judges. An extra text analysing was done to control whether there was a knowledge development outside the measure instrument. Results: The results of the judged reflective tasks was tested with both Cohen’s Kappa and Cronbach’s alpha. Cohen’s Kappa revealed the accordance of k= -0.047 n=9 for the control group and k= 0.364 n=14 (reflective tasks) for the test group. Cronbach’s alpha revealed a consistency of 0.645 n=9 (students) in the control group and 0.351 n=6 in the test group. After three lessons, judge one considered 66%, judge two 33% of the students demonstrated acquired development of knowledge. One criteria, Rigor, showed a low rate of acquired knowledge development. The reason behind that could be in the nature of the theory behind Rigor itself, and the students’ understandings of it. Conclusion: The results does not support the premises of this study. The tests of reliability fail to support the claim that the measure instrument should be reliable enoughto be used to measure knowledge. The instrument needs to be altered to be able toserve as a reliable tool for measurement. Further research is needed in order to reveal if the instrument and Doll’s 4R theory are useful as curriculum and measuring tool for knowledge development.

This project explores my relationship with elements of Japanese culture. Central to the project will be the Japanese practice of cosplay (dressing in costume), otaku (geek) subculture and their influences in the worlds of Japanese manga comic books and animated films. It will focus on the importance of kawaii (cute) in Japanese culture. The artworks will explore notions of identity and the ‘space between’. I shall do this through the gathering of Japanese objects which will be fused with my own image. I shall use photography, print and digital manipulation finishing in a sculptural installation referencing pop culture and commercial display. This project will constitute 80% practical work to be presented in a final exhibition piece accompanied by 20% written exegesis.

This project explores my relationship with elements of Japanese culture. Central to the project will be the Japanese practice of cosplay (dressing in costume), otaku (geek) subculture and their influences in the worlds of Japanese manga comic books and animated films. It will focus on the importance of kawaii (cute) in Japanese culture. The artworks will explore notions of identity and the ‘space between’. I shall do this through the gathering of Japanese objects which will be fused with my own image. I shall use photography, print and digital manipulation finishing in a sculptural installation referencing pop culture and commercial display. This project will constitute 80% practical work to be presented in a final exhibition piece accompanied by 20% written exegesis.

Thesis (Sc.D.)--University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2007. / Adviser: Kenneth Geiser. Includes bibliographical references.

Over the last fifteen years, the sex doll industry has grown from producing inexpensive novelty items to creating a multimillion-dollar global industry featuring high- quality, realistic love dolls. These dolls are designed and advertised for sexual stimulation, companionship, artistic representations of human fantasy, and other creative pursuits, such as photography. Made of flesh-like silicone, modern sex dolls sell from $3,500-$10,000. The use of human simulacra for sexual stimulation is an enduring practice. However, the psychological community has said little on the subject. Early sexologists briefly reference Agalmatophilia or Statuphilia, a rare sexual attachment to statues. Today, the sex doll phenomenon appears increasingly prevalent across the globe. Media coverage of this phenomenon has been featured in online magazines, television programs, music, documentaries and major motion pictures. More often than not, sex doll-ownership is portrayed as pathological. Sex doll-owners are members of a marginalized population, and accessing the population is challenging as many members of the community wish to remain anonymous for fear of judgment, persecution, and psychiatric labeling. The purpose of this study was to increase psychology’s understanding of this interesting and growing population. Specifically, a 45-item online survey addressing demographics was constructed and assessed. Additionally, participants were asked to describe their relationship status, doll-ownership status, and satisfaction with human and sex doll partners, including sexual satisfaction and performance. Quality of life was also assessed via the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Sixty-one participants were recruited from an online doll-owner community forum. It was hypothesized that most doll-owners sampled would be middle-aged, White, single, heterosexual males who are neither significantly better nor worse in terms of psycho-sexual functioning and life satisfaction than the general population. Descriptive data and statistical analysis partially supported the hypotheses. Implications and future direction are discussed, as are methodological considerations.

Rust Belt and Other Stories is a collection of stories exploring characters in the bleak moments when social oppression challenge the perceived meaning of their lives. The disenchantments are influenced by distinctive settings, which set the tone for the stories. Place is an active force shaping the protagonists and adding to the nuance of character relationships, dialogue and philosophical outlooks.

El chorro plano es una configuración resultante de la interacción de dos capas de corte simétricas, paralelas y de diferente signo de vorticidad. Se trata de un flujo de gran interés práctico por sus aplicaciones directas en procesos industriales y medioambientales.Este trabajo que se presenta analiza la interacción entre las estructuras de flujo y el transporte de materia en el chorro plano. El estudio realizado demuestra que el flujo aguas abajo está determinado por las condiciones en la región de entrada del chorro. Así, mediante perturbaciones artificiales en la entrada se puede determinar la posterior evolución de las estructuras características del flujo. Este control permite aumentar y disminuir el consumo de especies químicas en un sistema reactivo en el chorro. Escogiendo las perturbaciones adecuadas en la entrada del dominio, se puede conseguir influenciar en desarrollo de la reacción química a lo largo del chorro y obtener una conversión deseada lejos del punto donde el flujo ha sido perturbado.Para realizar este trabajo, se ha desarrollado un código de simulación de dinámica de fluidos con el lenguaje de programación Fortran 90 y bajo la interficie de envío de mensajes (MPI) entre procesadores. Este programa informático resuelve numéricamente las ecuaciones de transporte de cantidad de movimiento, energía y materia en un dominio computacional rectangular y abierto. Con las condiciones de contorno implementadas se puede incorporar fluido externo y las recirculaciones del flujo pueden salir del dominio, reproduciendo el comportamiento físico real del chorro en un dominio infinito.Las ecuaciones están discretizadas mediante diferentes esquemas: en los términos convectivos se ha utilizado un esquema QUICK de segundo orden, para los difusivos un esquema centrado y para los temporales un esquema Adams-Bashfort. Para el transporte de materia y energía se ha utilizado un esquema centrado con la corrección ULTIMATE de Leonard para los términos convectivos, ya que este esquema corrige las inestabilidades y falsas oscilaciones del transporte altamente convectivo cuando existen fuertes gradientes.El código ha sido paralelizado para poder ejecutarse en máquinas multicomputadoras.El dominio computacional se divide entre los procesadores y cada uno resuelve las 1 ecuaciones discretizadas sobre los nodos de una región determinada. Para intercambiar datos entre los diferentes procesadores se utilizan los comandos de la librería MPI (Message Passing Interface). Los resultados demuestran que hay una gran mejora en el tiempo de cálculo y que se puede conseguir una buena eficiencia si se compara con un código secuencial optimizado.Para evaluar los efectos de las perturbaciones artificiales sobre el campo de velocidades y caracterizar las estructuras coherentes se han realizado una serie de simulaciones bidimensionales a Reynolds 7000. En estos casos se han considerando chorros planos débiles, es decir, con una velocidad de flujo co-corriente alto. De esta manera la zona de autosimilitud se aleja de la entrada y se puede centrar el análisis sobre la región inicial del chorro. Con las simulaciones computacionales realizadas se ha evaluado detalladamente la influencia de las perturbaciones sobre el flujo, demostrando que las estructuras coherentes son periódicas en el tiempo.En estos casos también se ha estudiado el efecto que producen el número de Schmidt, Strouhal y Damk®ohler sobre la conversión de la reacción química en chorros con y sin premezcla de reactivos. Se ha comprobado que determinadas frecuencias de perturbaciones facilitan la formación de estructuras coherentes que mejoran la mezcla y aumentan la conversión de la reacción. También se ha demostrado la poca influencia del término difusivo ya que el flujo está fuertemente dominado por el transporte convectivo. Implementado en el código la técnica de simulación de grandes escalas con el modelo de Smagorinsky, se ha estudiado un chorro plano tridimensional turbulento a Reynolds 3000. En este caso la velocidad del _flujo co-corriente se ha escogido pequeña para obtener la región de autosimilitud cerca de la entrada y dentro del dominio computacional.Además, el chorro se ha inestabilizado aplicando un pequeño ruido en la entrada. Los resultados obtenidos para el campo dinámico presentan gran concordancia con los experimentales disponibles en la bibliografía y siguen el patrón de la zona de autosimilitud.Se ha analizado el sistema reactivo bajo estas condiciones, estudiando la evolución de la conversión en las regiones de régimen de transición y turbulento. Se ha demostrado que el gran número de estructuras existentes en la región turbulenta del campo instantáneo facilita la mezcla entre las especies químicas aumentado la conversión de los reactivos.

Magistro baigiamojo darbo tema – apeiginės lėlės naudojamos magijoje, religiniuose ritualuose pasaulyje. Šiame darbe surinktą informacija naudojama kaip atrama kūrybinio darbo idėjai įgyvendinti. Rašto darbe apžvelgiama apeiginių lėlių gamyba, medžiagiškumas, panaudojimas pasaulio kontekste. „Lėlė“ buvo ne vien kaip žmogaus modelis religinių apeigų metu, bet ir vaikų žaislas. Domėtasi lėlių reikšme, dekoro detalėmis bei atlikimo technikomis skirtingose kultūrose: Afrikoje-Vudu, Amerikoje-Kachina ir Lietuvoje-Morė. Šiandien lėlė yra tapusi daugiau pramogos ar žaidimo įrankiu. Primiršta jos pirmapradė ritualinė reikšmė, tačiau pati lėlė kaip objektas, vis dar naudojama šiuolaikinių apeigų metu. Gilinamasi kokias lėles naudojo tam tikroms apeigoms atlikti. Ši tema pasirinkta neatsitiktinai, kadangi praktiniame darbe kuriamos „lėlės“, kaip žmogaus „išnaros“, kurios bus pateiktos pasikeitusioms asmeninėms vertybėms išreikšti. Todėl sukaupta informacija pagelbės meninio darbo eigoje. Rašto darbe domimasi apeiginėmis lėlėmis, tradicijomis jas kuriant, jų panaudojimu, funkcionalumu, medžiagiškumu. Pagrindinė tiriamojo darbo problema yra tai, kad nėra ištirta kokį poveikį sakraliniam objektui turi medžiagiškumas, šiuo atveju sakralinei lėlei. Ar jos medžiagiškumas turi įtakos atliekamai funkcijai. Ši problema svarbi kūrėjams, žmonėms giliau besidomintiems kultūra ir tradicijomis. Surinkta informacija padės tikslingai pasirinkti medžiagas kūrybiniam meninio projekto įgyvendinimui... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Master's thesis topic - dolls were used in magic, religious, playing rituals in all over the world. Collected information in this paper is used as a support for the implementation of the idea of creative work (object-doll). The paper provides an overview of ritual dolls making technology, multiplicity of fabrics used in the global context. "The doll was not only used as a human model in religion rituals but also as a children toy. In this Significant interest fields are: dolls value, decor details and performance techniques in different cultures: African-Wood, America-Kachina and Lithuania-More. Gloves are chosen according to the following aspects: reflecting different cultures, importantance for the continent religious context, similar materials in the production processes. This allows to compare and analyze them. Today, the doll has become more entertainment or pawn, forgotten the primordial ritual significance. Puppets are used in certain rites recently. This theme was chosen purposefully. Practical work developed a "doll" as a man's "slough," which will be submitted to the personal values expression. Therefore, gained information helpped at arts workflow. The survey of various sources revealed dolls performance in rituals and traditions, the main development stages, their usage, functionality, materiality. The main papper work problem is that, it is not known how materiality effects sacred object, in this case - sacred doll. Do they affect the materiality functions, at... [to full text]

Studiens syfte var att undersöka kunskaper som medverkat till att utveckla förmågan att analysera dockspelets användning dels som redskap, dels som hjälpmedel i den sociala praktiken och vidareutveckla engagemang för barns lärande. Forskningsfrågorna var vägledande i studien och hade följande formuleringar: - Vilka kommunikativa värden medför användningen av dockor i förskolans pedagogiska verksamhet? - Vilka kommunikativa utmaningar och kulturella situationer synliggör användningen av dockan i förskolan när barnen erbjöds delaktighet och inflytande? Via användandet av dockan skapades en möjlighet att utveckla kommunikation och samspel med barnen, dockan och pedagoger i förskoleverksamheten. I denna etnografiska fältstudie bestod datainsamlingsmetoden av film, foton, intervjuer och berättelser av pedagoger. Datainsamlingsmaterialet analyserades och sammanställdes utifrån studiens syfte och forskningsfrågor. Resultatet visade att kommunikationen med dockan i aktiviteter och samspelssituationer utvecklades i takt med att pedagogernas fokus förändrades. Då synliggjordes det att pedagogerna i sitt agerande tillsammans med dockan som medierande redskap bjöd in barnen till kommunikation som uppmuntrade till delaktighet. Därigenom utvecklade barnen förmågan att ta egna initiativ där de tillsammans med dockan tränade upp sin kommunikationsförmåga. Barnens språkliga medvetenhet och ordförråd synliggjordes i barnens identitetsutveckling då emotionella handlingar och tankar användes i vardagliga situationer, både tillsammans med pedagogernas och deras egna dockor vilket tydligt påverkade barn som tidigare inte kommunicerat i så stor utsträckning. Via analysen kunde pedagogerna se att barnen fått ett större talutrymme i samlingar och gemensamma aktiviteter. Dockan hade genom olika samspelssituationer förstärkt deras språkliga förmåga. Dockan på förskolan skapade ett lustfyllt lärande och fick därigenom ett kommunikativt värde. / The study's purpose was to investigate the knowledge that helped to develop the ability to analyze the doll performance, however, use both as tools and as aids in the social practice and further develop the commitment to children's learning. The research questions guided the study: - What communicative values, the use of dolls in the preschool educational activities? - What communication challenges and cultural situations, reveals the use of the dock in kindergarten when the children were offered participation and influence?   The use of the doll created an opportunity to develop communication and interaction with the children, doll and educators in early childhood education. This ethnographic field study consisted of data collection of video recordings, photos and interviews with educators. The data was analyzed in relation to the study objectives and research questions. The results showed that the communication with the doll in activities and interaction situations developed in pace with a change in the educators' focus. This was made visible to teachers in their performance with the doll as mediating tools which afforded the children to communicate and encouraged participation. Thereby, the children developed the ability to take initiative when they trained their communication skills together with the doll. The children's awareness of language and vocabulary was shown in the use of language. It was made visible in the children's identity development as emotional actions and thoughts used in everyday situations, both with the educators and their own dolls which clearly affected the children who did not previously communicate to a great extent. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the children have a greater opportunity to speak in groups and common activities. The use of the doll had through various interactive situations strengthened their linguistic ability. The doll on the preschool created a pleasurable learning and thus gained a communicative value.

[pt] Esta dissertação aborda o design vernacular na confecção das bonecas negras de pano sem cola ou costura da Cooperativa Abayomi. Uma cooperativa do Rio de Janeiro, composta por mulheres que desenvolveu uma linguagem visual na criação das peças, baseada na fé e no poder das imagens, transformando as artesãs mestres de sua própria realidade. Cada boneca nasce envolvida numa história e sentimentos, caracterizando-se em padrões estabelecidos por princípios Abayomi na cor e na forma; na sugestão de movimentos e gestos, que a individualiza. Utilizando refugos da indústria têxtil e o mínimo de ferramentas em seu processo construtivo, as artesãs aproximam os meios de produção: matéria-prima, processo e produto final. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir da convivência com Lena Martins, artesã fundadora da cooperativa, no movimento da Arte Abayomi, reconhecendo-se o universo material e a produção de sentidos no fazer do grupo. Este estudo é um relato de um design participativo no processo de tradução de linguagem visual de uma ilustração com personagens Abayomi e suas temáticas, desenvolvidas a partir da tradição oral, gestual e tridimensional da cooperativa, reforçadas perante as questões estéticas que a criação das peças suscitam. / [en] This dissertation deals with the design vernacular of the Abayomi Cooperative black fabric dolls, which are created without any glue or stitches. The Abayomi Cooperative is from Rio de Janeiro; composed of women who designed a visual language in the dolls creation based on faith and power of images, wherein the artists are considered masters of their own craft. Each element used to build a doll has an important meaning for these women. The poses, colors and shapes reinforce what the doll is intended to express by the Abayomi as each one represents a unique story. The creative process excludes textile industrial elements, using a minimum of tools in the design process; therefore the artists approach the manner of production: raw material, process and product. This research was developed from the relationship with Lena Martins, cooperative artist founder, recognizing the Abayomi design, the general material wrought and the senses produced by the group perform. This essay is a participated design project report in the visual language translation, processed with illustration from Abayomi characters and their themes, the cooperative oral, gesture and three- dimensional traditions in face on esthetics matter those pieces make appear.