<p>Network and system management has always been of concern for telecommunication and computer system operators. The need for standardization was recognised already 20 years ago, hence several standards for network management exist today. However, the ever-increasing number of units connected to networks and the ever-increasing number of services being provided results in significant increased complexity of average network environments. This challenges current management systems. In addition to the general increase in complexity the trend among network owners and operators of merging several single service networks into larger, heterogeneous and complex full service networks challenges current management systems even further. The full service networks will require management systems more powerful than what is possible to realize basing systems purely on todays management standards. This thesis presents a distributed stochastic optimization algorithm which enables implementations of highly robust and efficient management tools. These tools may be integrated into management systems and potentially make the systems more powerful and better prepared for management of full service networks.</p><p>Emergent behavior is common in nature and easily observable in colonies of social insects and animals. Even an old oak tree can be viewed as an emergent system with its collection of interacting cells. Characteristic for any emergent system is how the overall behavior of the system emerge from many relatively simple, restricted behaviors interacting, e.g. a thousand ants building a trail, a flock of birds flying south or millions of cells making a tree grow. No centralized control exist, i.e. no single unit is in charge making global decisions. Despite distributed control, high work redundancy and stochastic behavior components, emergent systems tend to be very efficient problem solvers. In fact emergent systems tend to be both efficient, adaptive and robust which are three properties indeed desirable for a network management system. The algorithm presented in this thesis relates to a class of emergent behavior based systems known as swarm intelligence systems, i.e. the algorithm is potentially efficient, adaptive and robust.</p><p>On the contrary to other related swarm intelligence algorithms, the algorithm presented has a thorough formal foundation. This enables a better understanding of the algorithm’s potentials and limitations, and hence enables better adaptation of the algorithm to new problem areas without loss of efficiency, adaptability or robustness. The formal foundations are based on work by Reuven Rubinstein on cross entropy driven optimization. The transition from Ruinstein’s centralized and synchronous algorithm to a distributed and asynchronous algorithm is described, and the distributed algorithm’s ability to solve complex problems (NP-complete) efficiently is demonstrated.</p><p>Four examples of how the distributed algorithm may be applied in a network management context are presented. A system for finding near optimal patterns of primary/backup paths together with a system for finding cyclic protection paths in mesh networks demonstrate the algorithm’s ability to act as a tool helping management system to ensure quality of service. The algorithm’s potential as a management policy implementation mechanism is also demonstrated. The algorithm’s adaptability is shown to enable resolution of policy conflicts in a soft manner causing as little loss as possible. Finally, the algorithm’s ability to find near optimal paths (i.e. sequences) of resources in networks of large scale is demonstrated.</p>

Network and system management has always been of concern for telecommunication and computer system operators. The need for standardization was recognised already 20 years ago, hence several standards for network management exist today. However, the ever-increasing number of units connected to networks and the ever-increasing number of services being provided results in significant increased complexity of average network environments. This challenges current management systems. In addition to the general increase in complexity the trend among network owners and operators of merging several single service networks into larger, heterogeneous and complex full service networks challenges current management systems even further. The full service networks will require management systems more powerful than what is possible to realize basing systems purely on todays management standards. This thesis presents a distributed stochastic optimization algorithm which enables implementations of highly robust and efficient management tools. These tools may be integrated into management systems and potentially make the systems more powerful and better prepared for management of full service networks. Emergent behavior is common in nature and easily observable in colonies of social insects and animals. Even an old oak tree can be viewed as an emergent system with its collection of interacting cells. Characteristic for any emergent system is how the overall behavior of the system emerge from many relatively simple, restricted behaviors interacting, e.g. a thousand ants building a trail, a flock of birds flying south or millions of cells making a tree grow. No centralized control exist, i.e. no single unit is in charge making global decisions. Despite distributed control, high work redundancy and stochastic behavior components, emergent systems tend to be very efficient problem solvers. In fact emergent systems tend to be both efficient, adaptive and robust which are three properties indeed desirable for a network management system. The algorithm presented in this thesis relates to a class of emergent behavior based systems known as swarm intelligence systems, i.e. the algorithm is potentially efficient, adaptive and robust. On the contrary to other related swarm intelligence algorithms, the algorithm presented has a thorough formal foundation. This enables a better understanding of the algorithm’s potentials and limitations, and hence enables better adaptation of the algorithm to new problem areas without loss of efficiency, adaptability or robustness. The formal foundations are based on work by Reuven Rubinstein on cross entropy driven optimization. The transition from Ruinstein’s centralized and synchronous algorithm to a distributed and asynchronous algorithm is described, and the distributed algorithm’s ability to solve complex problems (NP-complete) efficiently is demonstrated. Four examples of how the distributed algorithm may be applied in a network management context are presented. A system for finding near optimal patterns of primary/backup paths together with a system for finding cyclic protection paths in mesh networks demonstrate the algorithm’s ability to act as a tool helping management system to ensure quality of service. The algorithm’s potential as a management policy implementation mechanism is also demonstrated. The algorithm’s adaptability is shown to enable resolution of policy conflicts in a soft manner causing as little loss as possible. Finally, the algorithm’s ability to find near optimal paths (i.e. sequences) of resources in networks of large scale is demonstrated.

Den kunskap som ett barns föräldrar och förskolepersonal besitter om dess språk är värdefull att tillvarata, särskilt då formaliserade språkbedömningar kan vara svåradministrerade med små barn. Detta kan exempelvis göras via föräldraenkäter. Studiens syfte var att undersöka vilka likheter och skillnader som förelåg mellan bedömningar av språklig förmåga hos barn, gjorda dels av föräldrar och förskolepersonal via en enkät, dels av logopedstudenter via en logopedisk bedömning. Studiedeltagarna utgjordes av 20 barn i åldrarna 2 ½ - 3 år, 20 föräldrar och 14 förskolepersonal. Föräldrar och förskolepersonal besvarade 18 frågor ur föräldraenkäten Receptive Expressive Emergent Language Test - 2 (REEL-2) och barnen testades av logopedstudenterna på uppgifter motsvarande dessa frågor. Resultatet visade bland annat att de genomsnittliga procentuella överensstämmelserna mellan bedömargrupperna var goda. Ingen kombination av bedömargrupper var signifikant mer överens än någon annan. Vissa tendenser till skillnader framkom när materialet analyserades med avseende på språkliga domäner och enskilda frågor. Slutsatsen var att bedömargrupperna föreföll kunna ge likvärdig, men inte identisk, information om barnens språkliga förmåga. Av den anledningen anses inhämtande av information från olika källor vara betydelsefull. Föräldraenkäter kan vara ett värdefullt verktyg i kontakten mellan logopeder, föräldrar och förskolepersonal och ökad användning av föräldraenkäter tros kunna förbättra samarbetet mellan dessa parter. / Parents’ knowledge about their children’s language is valuable to consider, particularly when formal tests can be difficult to administer with young children. The aim of this study was to examine similarities and differences between parents and preschool teacher’s reports on a questionnaire concerning children’s linguistic development and direct assessment by speech language pathology students. In the study 20 children aged 2 ½ - 3 years, 20 parents and 14 preschool teachers participated. The parents and preschool teachers answered 18 questions from the questionnaire Receptive Expressive Emergent Language Test - 2 (REEL-2) and the children were tested on items based on these questions. The results showed that the interjudge agreement between the groups was high. Some tendencies emerged when the material was analyzed with reference to language domains and individual questions. In conclusion, parents and preschool teachers seemed to be able to give similar information about the children’s linguistic abilities as provided by the direct assessment. The results also indicate that it is important to obtain information about a child’s language from different sources and that parental reports might be beneficial in the collaboration between speech language pathologists, parents and preschool teachers. Increased use of parental reports can facilitate the cooperation between these groups.

<p>Den kunskap som ett barns föräldrar och förskolepersonal besitter om dess språk är värdefull att tillvarata, särskilt då formaliserade språkbedömningar kan vara svåradministrerade med små barn. Detta kan exempelvis göras via föräldraenkäter. Studiens syfte var att undersöka vilka likheter och skillnader som förelåg mellan bedömningar av språklig förmåga hos barn, gjorda dels av föräldrar och förskolepersonal via en enkät, dels av logopedstudenter via en logopedisk bedömning. Studiedeltagarna utgjordes av 20 barn i åldrarna 2 ½ - 3 år, 20 föräldrar och 14 förskolepersonal. Föräldrar och förskolepersonal besvarade 18 frågor ur föräldraenkäten Receptive Expressive Emergent Language Test - 2 (REEL-2) och barnen testades av logopedstudenterna på uppgifter motsvarande dessa frågor.</p><p>Resultatet visade bland annat att de genomsnittliga procentuella överensstämmelserna mellan bedömargrupperna var goda. Ingen kombination av bedömargrupper var signifikant mer överens än någon annan. Vissa tendenser till skillnader framkom när materialet analyserades med avseende på språkliga domäner och enskilda frågor. Slutsatsen var att bedömargrupperna föreföll kunna ge likvärdig, men inte identisk, information om barnens språkliga förmåga. Av den anledningen anses inhämtande av information från olika källor vara betydelsefull. Föräldraenkäter kan vara ett värdefullt verktyg i kontakten mellan logopeder, föräldrar och förskolepersonal och ökad användning av föräldraenkäter tros kunna förbättra samarbetet mellan dessa parter.</p> / <p>Parents’ knowledge about their children’s language is valuable to consider, particularly when formal tests can be difficult to administer with young children. The aim of this study was to examine similarities and differences between parents and preschool teacher’s reports on a questionnaire concerning children’s linguistic development and direct assessment by speech language pathology students. In the study 20 children aged 2 ½ - 3 years, 20 parents and 14 preschool teachers participated. The parents and preschool teachers answered 18 questions from the questionnaire Receptive Expressive Emergent Language Test - 2 (REEL-2) and the children were tested on items based on these questions. </p><p>The results showed that the interjudge agreement between the groups was high. Some tendencies emerged when the material was analyzed with reference to language domains and individual questions. In conclusion, parents and preschool teachers seemed to be able to give similar information about the children’s linguistic abilities as provided by the direct assessment. The results also indicate that it is important to obtain information about a child’s language from different sources and that parental reports might be beneficial in the collaboration between speech language pathologists, parents and preschool teachers. Increased use of parental reports can facilitate the cooperation between these groups.</p>

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work evaluated, throught techniques of Remote Sensing and geoprocessing, the influence of hydrological conditions in the dynamics of emergent aquatic macrophytes in Taim Wetland (TW), important wet area in Rio Grande do Sul. The TW covers about 53% of the entire area of Taim s Ecological Station, a Federal Protected Area, which has its uses shared, mainly between biodiversity protection and irrigation. The irrigation is an important economical activity for the region, however, it changes the hydrological regime of TW, a fundamental feature for the maintenance of local biodiversity. Thus, the understanding of how the hydrological regime impacts TW s biodiversity is an important tool for the management of water resources in the region. In this context, three species of emergent aquatic macrophytes (EAM), Z.bonariensis, S. californicus and S. giganteus, were selected, both considered as biological indicators of TW. In order to evaluate how the water levels impact the three EAM, some analyses on the relationship among the hydrological condition, maps of vegetation occurrence, index for normalized difference (IND) and index of habitat suitability (IHS) were carried out. For the identification of the occurrence areas and determination of IND of EAM, Landsat images from TM and ETM sensors were used, comprising the period between 1984 and 2003, while the IHS and the hydrological regime were obtained from previous studies (Tassi, 2008; Xavier, 2015). The employed methodology showed that the EAM Z.bonariensis and S. californicus are more sensitive to larger water levels (representatives of flood conditions); in this situation, reductions in the occurrence areas of these species were indentified. For smaller water levels (drought conditions), there was an increasing in the occurrence areas of the three species. The IND showed an effective index for the understanding of EAM s response to the hydrological conditions, although in many cases there was so much difficulty in the differentiation of vegetation and water. Generally, good coefficients of determination were found between the IND and the average IHS of three months (month of image + two months previous to the image date), and between the IND and the hydrological condition (water level) of two months previous to the image date. These results are the evidence that the effects of hydrological conditions on the studied EAM are not readily detected, and that anthropic actions can produce long-term effects. / O presente trabalho avaliou, por meio de técnicas de Sensoriamento Remoto e geoprocessamento, a influência das condições hidrológicas na dinâmica de macrófitas aquáticas emergentes no Banhado do Taim (BT), importante área úmida do Rio Grande do Sul. O BT ocupa cerca de 53% da área total da Estação Ecológica do Taim, uma Unidade de Conservação Federal, que tem seus usos compartilhados, principalmente entre conservação da biodiversidade e irrigação. A irrigação é uma importante atividade econômica para a região, no entanto, altera o regime hidrológico do BT, característica fundamental para a manutenção da biodiversidade local. Assim, o entendimento de como o regime hidrológico impacta a biodiversidade do BT constitui-se em uma importante ferramenta para o gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos da região. Neste contexto, foram selecionadas três espécies de macrófitas aquáticas emergentes (MAE), Z. bonariensis, S. californicus e S. giganteus, consideradas indicadores biológicos do BT. Para avaliar como os níveis de água impactam as três MAE, foram realizadas análises da relação entre condição hidrológica, mapas de ocorrência da vegetação, índice por diferença normalizada (NDVI) e índice de adequabilidade de habitat (IAH). Para a identificação das áreas de ocorrência e determinação do NDVI das MAE, foram utilizadas imagens Landsat dos sensores TM e ETM, compreendidas entre os anos de 1984 e 2003, enquanto o IAH e o regime hidrológico foram obtidos a partir de estudos prévios (Tassi, 2008; Xavier, 2015). A metodologia empregada mostrou que as MAE Z. bonariensis, S. californicus são mais sensíveis a níveis d água maiores (representativos de condições de cheia); nesta situação, foram identificadas reduções nas áreas de ocorrência destas espécies. Para níveis de água menores (condições de seca), houve um aumento nas áreas de ocorrência das três espécies. O NDVI se mostrou um índice eficaz no entendimento da resposta das MAE às condições hidrológicas, mesmo apresentando muita dificuldade na diferenciação de vegetação e água sob condições de cheia. De modo geral, foram encontrados bons coeficientes de determinação entre o NDVI e o IAH médio de três meses (mês da imagem + dois meses anteriores à data da imagem), e entre o NDVI e a condição hidrológica (nível d água) de dois meses anteriores à data da imagem. Esses resultados são indícios de que os efeitos das condições hidrológicas sobre as MAE estudadas não são prontamente detectados, e que ações antrópicas podem produzir efeitos a longo prazo.

Text in Afrikaans / Learners who struggle to read from the start, will stay behind. But the earlier intervention can start, the greater the chances of success. But what type of intervention is needed? Nowadays researchers overseas use phonemic awareness as a criteria to predict reading success. About 80% of pre-school children will have no trouble grasping the phonological structure of their home language, provided that they are thoroughly immersed in literacy. It is these same 80% who will not have any trouble learning to read. But literacy is a continuous process that starts at birth and there is no magical moment in a child's life that he will all of a sudden be ready to receive literacy instruction. Experience and practice will ensure that the hierarchy of phonemic awareness skills will develop. Those preschoolers who do not have that advantage, must develop phonemic awareness skills while learning to read or else face reading problems. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Special Needs Education)

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The church in the West is facing a crisis of identity. Who are we as the church and what is our purpose in the world today? The recovery of a missional ecclesiology in the West is an urgent task. The aim of this study is to contribute to this work on a missional ecclesiology by focusing on the need for the church to grow its capacity to discern missional vocation. This study‘s central question: ―How can the church in the West discern its missional vocation?‖ The first chapter considers how global realities are forcing the church to re-examine its missional identity and vocation. In addition, the local realities in which this study is situated are highlighted, with particular emphasis on the realities that demand discernment. The chapter concludes with consideration of historical developments in hermeneutics, in particular the development of a missional hermeneutic. The emergence of a missional hermeneutic is important in the church‘s discernment. The second chapter ―puts on‖ a missional hermeneutic to aid in this discernment of missional vocation. Dwelling in the biblical story with this lens, and so allowing the story to renew our understanding of the role and identity of God‘s people, will shape our missional discernment. The third chapter focuses on the contemporary cultural context in its North American expression, in which the church must forge its missional identity. A retelling of the cultural story of the West demonstrates the challenges, both old and new, facing the church. Two important movements are already seeking to answer the question of how the church discerns missional vocation. The fourth chapter engages the important conversations that are happening within both the Emergent and Missional Church movements. These conversations encompass a wide diversity of theological traditions and backgrounds, but are held together by a common desire to discern what a missional ecclesiology means for the West. Particular themes that are important for discernment are highlighted as these conversations are engaged. Finally, the questions of the early chapters converge on the crux of this study: a framework for discernment, articulated in detail in the fifth chapter. Building on important examples, both Western and African, this affirmative-antithetical model of discernment is offered as a broad ―lens‖ for reflective churches seeking to discern their missional vocation. The final chapter then practices discernment in six key areas facing the church in the West today, at times using for illustration the local context in which this study is situated. These parting thoughts seek to both recognize the challenge facing missional churches, and point to encouraging dialogue already happening among those seeking to do the same. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kerk in die Weste beleef ʼn identiteitskrisis. Wie of wat is die kerk en wat is haar doel vandag? ʼn Misssionale ekklesiologie is in die lig hiervan ʼn noodsaaklikheid. Die studie beoog om ʼn bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn missionale ekklesiolgie. Dit wil fokus op die kerk se behoefte om geloofsonderskeidend missionale roeping beter te verstaan. Vandaar die sentrale vraag wat die studie stel: ―Hoe kan die kerk in die Weste sy missionale roeping onderskei?‖ Die eerste hoofstuk kyk hoe globale werklikhede die kerk tans forseer om sy missionale identiteit en roeping in heroorweging te neem. Die konteks waarin die studie plaasvind word beskryf met die oog op die vraag watter geloofsonderskeidende uitdagings hulle stel. Die hoofstuk hanteer ook hermeneutiese ontwikkelinge wat bygedra het tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn missionale hermeneutiek. ʼn Missionale hermeneutiek is belangrik vir geloofsonderskeiding. Die tweede hoofstuk werk met ʼn missionale hermeneutiek as dit geloofsonderskeidend die kerk se huidige roeping en uitdagings wil formuleer. As sodanig wandel dit in die Bybel se verhaal om die identiteit van die volk van God te verstaan. Laasgenoemde is ʼn voorwaarde vir enige missionale onderskeidingsproses. Die derde hoofstuk fokus op die huidige konteks van die Noord-Amerikaanse kultuur en die uitdaging wat dit vir missionale identiteit stel. ʼn Oorsig oor die verhaal van die Westerse kultuur demonstreer die ou en nuwe uitdagings waarvoor die kerk gestel word. Twee belangrike bewegings probeer antwoorde op dié uitdagings vind. Die vierde hoofstuk hanteer die gesprekke in die Ontluikende (Emergent) en Gestuurde Gemeente (Missional Church) bewegings. Die gesprekke vind plaas teen die agtergrond van ʼn wye verskeidenheid teologiese tradisies maar het in gemeen dat hulle probeer onderskei wat ʼn missionale ekklesiologie in die Weste behels. Belangrike temas in die proses van geloofsonderskeiding word belig in die bespreking van die twee bewegings. Ten slotte vloei die vrae van die vorige hoofstukke saam om die fokus van die studie aan die orde te stel: ʼn raamwerk vir geloofsonderskeiding. Hoofstuk vyf. Belangrike voorbeelde uit die Weste en uit Afrika word gebruik as ʼn lens om ʼn bevestigende-antitetiese geloofsonderskeidings-model voor te stel wat kerke kan help om hulle missionale roeping te ontdek. Die laaste hoofstuk pas geloofsonderskeidende beginsels toe op ses sleutelareas wat die kerk in die Weste moet aanspreek. Praktiese voorbeelde uit die konteks waar die studie gedoen is illustreer wat bedoel word. Met dié voorbeelde en gedagtes word die uitdagings waarvoor missionale gemeentes staan op die spits gedryf en word almal wat reeds deel is van die dialoog, uitgenooi om dit voort te sit.

Salt marshes provide critical ecosystem services, such as shoreline stabilization, biogeochemical cycling and habitat for wildlife, to much of the world's population living on the coasts. Emergent vascular plants are a critical component of these ecosystems. This study was a comprehensive effort to gain a better understanding of the ecology of salt marsh plants in the Nueces River delta on the south Texas coast. This knowledge is essential to understand the potential anthropogenic impacts on salt marshes, including sea-level rise, global warming, reduced freshwater inflow and coastal erosion. A combination of remote sensing analysis, field studies and experiments were used to allow analysis across spatial scales ranging from landscape patterns of vegetation to leaf level measurements of the dominant species. A novel method of image classification was developed using high-resolution multi-spectral imagery integrated with ancillary data to map the major plant communities at a landscape scale. This included a high marsh assemblage composed primarily of Spartina spartinae and a low marsh community dominated by Borrichia frutescens and Salicornia virginica. Geospatial analysis determined that the location of these plant communities was related to the distance from the tidal creek network and elevation. The B. frutescens and S. virginica assemblage was more abundant at lower elevations along the waters edge, making it vulnerable to loss from shoreline erosion. At a finer spatial scale, gradient analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between elevation, which creates environmental gradients in salt marshes, and species distribution. I discovered that elevation differences of less than 5 cm can influence both individual species and plant community distribution. One interesting finding was that the two dominant species, B. frutescens and S. virginica, share similar responses along an elevation gradient yet are observed growing in monotypic adjacent zones. I constructed a large reciprocal transplant experiment, using 160 plants at 4 sites throughout the marsh, to determine what causes the zonation between these two species. The results of this study found that S. virginica fared well wherever it was transplanted but was a weak competitor. B. frutescens survival was significantly lower in the S. virginica zone than in its own zone suggesting that abiotic factors are important in determining the zonation of this species. However, high spatial and temporal variability existed in environmental parameters such as salinity. This variability may have been caused by the semi-arid climate and irregular flooding typical in the Nueces Marsh. Therefore, I utilized a greenhouse experiment to directly test the importance of the two dominant physical factors in salt marshes, flooding and salinity. The results found that for B. frutescens the effects of flooding were not significant, however salinity at 30% reduced growth. Salinity did not influence growth of S. virginica. The greater ability of S. virginica to tolerate salinity stress has important implications because reduced freshwater inflow or climate change can increase porewater salinity, thus favoring the expansion of S. virginica, and altering the plant community structure. / text

<p>Detta examensarbete lyfter fram sju olika lärares kunskap om högläsning och på vilket sätt de medvetet använder sig av högläsning i sin undervisning. Avsikten är att lyfta fram hur pedagoger som undervisar yngre barn arbetar med att läsa högt för sina elever.</p><p> </p><p>Aktuell forskning kring grundläggandet av läs- och skrivutvecklingen påvisar betydelsen av att läsa högt för små barn. Undersökningens resultat visar att lärare upplever högläsning som ett bra och mångsidigt pedagogiskt redskap. Det framgår dock att de pedagoger med längst yrkeserfarenhet och högst utbildning är de som använder sig av högläsning på ett mer medvetet och komplext sätt. Därigenom synliggörs vikten av att pedagoger har kunskap om högläsningens användningsområden.</p><p>Pedagogernas insikter som kom fram under undersökningen har relaterats till forskning i ett jämförande perspektiv. I arbetet bearbetas egna hypoteser kring vad det är man kanske kan förbättra i undervisningen med högläsning som redskap i förhållande till forskningsrelaterade aspekter.</p><p>Läsaren kan ta del av litteraturstudien och undersökningsresultaten för att skapa sig en bild kring vilka av forskningsresultaten som fått genomslag i pedagogernas arbete.</p><p> </p> / <p>This examination project illustrates the knowledge and consciousness of seven separate teachers' concerning how to adopt reading aloud when teaching. The teachers results are related to research made in a comparative prospect.</p><p>Reading research stresses the importance of reading aloud to young children not only for pleasure but for a variety of reasons. The aim of this study is to learn how and why teachers read aloud to young children and if they are aware of the fact that reading aloud can be used for stimulating the development of word, language and reading comprehension. The result show that the most experienced and well educated teachers are those who use reading aloud not only for pleasure, but for above reasons, compared with less experienced and less educated teachers. Thus, this highlights the importance of having a deep understanding of how children can benefit from teachers' reading aloud.</p><p>The reader may take part of the compilation to get a deeper insight and deeper understanding of the result of this examination.</p> / Uppsatsen skrevs ursprungligen vid Institutionen för individ, omvärld och lärande (IOL) men har efter Lärarhögskolans sammanslagning med Stockholms universitet flyttats till Institutionen för utbildningsvetenskap med inriktning mot språk och språkutveckling (USOS).

Children have the intrinsic drive to play and be outdoors, as well as the curiosity to explore the world around them (Louv, 2008). Connections and interactions with nature tend to be beneficial for children’s cognitive development, with outcomes ranging from improved cognitive functioning (Wells, 2000) to the development of important academic skills (Miller, 2007). Perhaps more significant though are the positive outcomes among nature, health, and wellbeing (e.g., Taylor & Kuo, 2009), along with the cultivation of environmental appreciation, empathy, and stewardship (e.g., Ewert et al., 2005). Many nature-based early years programs have been developed and adopted around the world, placing emphasis on fostering children’s experiences, interactions, and connections with the natural world. As this global early years phenomenon continues to build momentum, the need to investigate how children are experiencing these nature-based early years programs becomes more pertinent. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of four children’s experiences at a nature-based early years program located in a small town on the outskirts of an Eastern Ontario urban centre. Data were collected using qualitative methodology (observations, photographs, semi-structured interviews, and photo elicitation) and took place over a five-week period in the winter term. Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative means, through open coding and identifying categories and overarching themes (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010). Using Place-Based Education as the theoretical guide, data were explored using three main themes: lived experience; connections to place and to community; and learning, growth, and development. The findings from this research not only illuminate the children’s experiences at a nature-based early years program, but also provide the fertile ground upon which further examination and discussion can grow—an examination and discussion of the significance of nature-based learning as it relates to contemporary education. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-30 10:33:49.614