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This case study of two combined grade 7 and 8 classrooms investigated the qualities of student engagement during a modified Four Blocks (Cunningham, Hall & Defee, 1998) literacy blocks intervention. The teachers’ experiences with implementing and engaging their students in literacy blocks were also examined. Qualities of student engagement were described across four domains: affective, behavioural, cognitive and social. Participant interviews, professional development meetings and classroom observations were analyzed to describe instructional context and teacher experiences during the implementation of literacy blocks. Teacher involvement and opportunities for choice seemed to positively impact student engagement. Findings suggest that student engagement may be increased through the effective use of collaborative learning strategies and the explicit teaching of strategies and skills leading to the gradual release of responsibility. Data provided insight into the teacher experiences of implementing literacy blocks and suggests that further research into teacher professional development to support implementation is needed.

This case study of two combined grade 7 and 8 classrooms investigated the qualities of student engagement during a modified Four Blocks (Cunningham, Hall & Defee, 1998) literacy blocks intervention. The teachers’ experiences with implementing and engaging their students in literacy blocks were also examined. Qualities of student engagement were described across four domains: affective, behavioural, cognitive and social. Participant interviews, professional development meetings and classroom observations were analyzed to describe instructional context and teacher experiences during the implementation of literacy blocks. Teacher involvement and opportunities for choice seemed to positively impact student engagement. Findings suggest that student engagement may be increased through the effective use of collaborative learning strategies and the explicit teaching of strategies and skills leading to the gradual release of responsibility. Data provided insight into the teacher experiences of implementing literacy blocks and suggests that further research into teacher professional development to support implementation is needed.

This dissertation aims to investigate the origins of Internet voting, analyze several deployments of Internet voting technology in Austria and identify - based on these accumulated experiences - building blocks that can be useful in decision-making on and planning of future uses of Internet voting technology within Austria and throughout the world. In line with the goals of this thesis, it will address the following research questions: - How did Internet voting originate? - What experiences were noted in the process of implementing Internet voting in Austria? - What building blocks can be identified for developing future Internet voting both inside and outside Austria? Internet voting is part of a transformational movement that applies information and communication technologies to daily business activities. It is only logical that elections are also considered for applying electronic (remote) communication technologies. While early efforts were driven by the belief that elections could make easy use of the Internet, it was shown that while the principles have to be interpreted and consequently applied in a different way, the same principles can still be derived for Internet voting, like integrity, secrecy, transparency, accountability and public confidence. The need to have forms of decision making in electronic networks has been identified in its beginnings and has received continuous attention throughout its development. At the height of the excitement about the possibilities of the Internet, countries raced to become the first to run a legally binding election using electronic voting systems. While several candidates emerged (e.g., Costa Rica, Bosnia Herzegovina, Germany, United States), Estonia was victorious in 2005. To date, Estonia is the only country that has introduced this form of voting without any preconditions or other limitations. In Austria, the intentions to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in elections concentrated on parliamentary affairs. Spurred by the efforts around student elections in Germany, Austria sought to conduct Internet voting in 2000. In the years thereafter, considerable progress was made at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), and this progress spearheaded the debate in the early 2000s. At the beginning in the years 2001-2003, technical solutions were sought to verify voter eligibility and maintain voter privacy. Later, more sophisticated algorithms were developed, and functionalities like quotas in election commissions were added. The Federation of Students' elections in 2009 were a remarkable event that demonstrated highly contentious political debate around the topic. This debate continued after the elections, which were held in May 2009 and suffered from the intense debate and protests and consequential organizational shortcomings. The experiences also showed that accurate legal regulations are needed to show interaction with the constitutional legal texts and to ensure accountability to a remote electronic voting channel through legal means. International standards were a first step, but regulations based on actual experience were needed to show how remote electronic voting channels could be realized and how to avoid problems identified in pilot implementations. This practical knowledge also shows that sophisticated algorithms are not always the key to success. Rather, several key implementations make use of very basic technical means to realize the tasks given by law. One should not forget about the voters. They not only need to use such systems, but they also need to understand the processes in order to build trust. The constitutional court ruling lifted the election and ruled that the respective ordinance was not in line with the requirements of the law. Hereby, the court established higher requirements resulting barriers for offering Internet voting channels in future elections. While the election administration system, which was a pre-requisite for the Internet voting system, was discontinued in the election thereafter, it returned in recent elections where postal voting was offered. On the basis of the aforementioned experiences, twelve building blocks were compiled discovered. These include design decisions, such as the following: the form of electronic voting, adaptations of the legal base, the technical means for identification and secrecy, observation, control functions for the electoral commission, evaluation processes, transparency functions, ballot sheet designs, controlling the organizational context as well as providing options for planning and implementation. This framework therefore facilitates and eases the generation of feasibility studies and other analyses and decision making ahead of using Internet voting in an election. With little adaption it can also be used for the use of other voting technologies. This work utilizes theoretical work and knowledge from adaptations of legal texts. These texts cover a wide range of topics, including methods for implementing identification and anonymity functions in remote electronic voting as well as testing and certifying systems that require transparent procedures. The findings also show that implementing remote an electronic voting system is a complex topic. It requires trust in the election administration; otherwise, suspicion will arise when more technology is introduced and implemented in an election process. Remote electronic voting is one of the most challenging information technology (IT) projects.

With the increase in the number of functions in the modern age, it has become quite a challenge for an architect to satisfy the requirements and still have an appropriate architectural expression for the materials and the underlying structure. Such challenges may be found both in nature and man made machines, giving rise to elements with multiple functions. This thesis attempts to explore such precedents offered in both architecture and other areas, and apply the ideas and principles in the design of a primary school. / Master of Architecture

Thesis (M.S.H.P.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 30, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-72).

Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 158-162. / by Hing Man Chan. / M.Arch.

Many countries in the Third World are faced with the grave problem of providing adequate housing in sufficient quantity at a low cost in line with their economies and the resources of the people. From early ages soil has been used as a major building material for low cost dwellings and more recently, by using cement or lime as a soil stabiliser, reasonable building blocks have been produced. These blocks have been produced using a relatively low compacting pressure and have proved to be of limited satisfaction. Stabilised blocks are weak in the 'wet state' after dernoulding, and prone to damage whilst 'green'; however, after controlled curing, the undamaged blocks are generally usable. From experience it has been observed that the lime stabilised blocks deteriorate rapidly in a hot/wet climate whereas there is hardly any deterioration in a hot/dry climate. Manually operated block making machines have used a compacting pressure of around 2 MN/rn 2 and research has demonstrated that with a machine operating with a compacting pressure of 10 MN/rn2 good quality, durable stabilised soil building elements could be produced.

The aim of this study was to break through current limits with cement substitutes in concrete paving block and introduce high levels of cementitious constituents. As well as meeting the current strength and durability requirements stated in BS EN 1338:2003 the study reported on the effect of materials variability and leaching properties. The cementitous materials used to replace Portland cement (PC) were Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA also known as Fly Ash), Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), Metakaolin (MK), Silica fume (SF), Glass Powder (GP), Basic Oxygen Slag (BOS) and By Pass Dust (BPD). The first phase of the study analysed 11 groups of ternary cement paste blends using Minitab, a statistical programme to help determine mix designs and optimised mix. Analysis of ternary cement pastes in the first phase concluded that mixes containing GGBS over PFA produced greater strengths at early ages. Mixes confirmed that PC-GGBS-GP provided good strengths due to the SiO2 content within GP providing secondary CSH gel. PC-GGBS-BPD provided good strengths due to SO3 within BPD activating the GGBS through sulphates. The best results in forms of strength were found in PC-GGBS-SF and PC-GGBS-BOS ternary pastes. The fine particles along with the high SiO2 content of SF provided greater pozzolanic reactivity and a greater matrix densification. Fourteen of the best mixes were then taken into the second phase. This is when concrete paving blocks were made from these mixes with the method that was developed at Coventry University. The two mixes with the greatest splitting tensile strength consisted of varying levels of PC-GGBS-SF and were known as the candidate mixes. The durability criteria set out in BS EN 1338:2003 was met, however the minimum strength requirement was not. The candidate mixes were still chosen to be produced in the factory as the manufacturing and curing procedure in the factory was more effective and efficient in comparison to the laboratory procedure. The site trial successfully achieved the minimum requirements for the mechanical properties and durability performance stated in BS EN 1338:2003 and reduced the cement content of concrete paving blocks by 40% wt of PC, with a ternary blend consisting of 60% PC, 25% GGBS and 15%SF. Analysis of material variability was conducted on PFA (regulated commercially available replacement) and BPD (replacement waste material). Results showed that when using regulated commercially available cementitious constituents the chemical composition of the material should be within a given range (For replacement by weight of 10%, 20%, 30%, difference in main oxide should be no greater than 1%, 2.5% and 3.5% respectively) and for the waste material the chemical composition (Limits as stated for regulated commercially available material) as well as fineness (Replacement by weight of 5% and 10% should not have a variability in average particle size of more than 15μm) should be within a range. The two candidate mixes were finally tested for their leaching properties against a leachate that was derived from used oil concentrations. The increase in permeability with the use of GGBS and SF lead to the block absorbing less of the leachate in comparison to the control mix. The study set out to introduce high levels of cementitious constituents in concrete paving blocks. Although it is known that high levels of replacement would cause deterioration, this was done in order for the study to create a database in which the company could refer to and determine which constituents performed well and what the maximum level of replacement could be. The study successfully replaced PC by 40% with 25% GGBS and 15% SF. With blocks actually producing greater strengths than the control mix (100% PC) at 28 days and meeting all the minimum requirements that were set out in BS EN 1338:2003.