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abstract: This dissertation explores the nature of collaborative writing in an interdisciplinary research context beyond classrooms. Most of the current studies in collaborative writing in second language contexts are based on collaborative writing in classroom-based contexts such as English as a Second Language courses with undergraduate students. Collaborative writing tasks are getting its popularity both in classrooms and beyond classrooms with various purposes and objectives. Thus, it is more likely that multilingual writers encounter some kinds of collaborative writing tasks in various contexts. For writing instructors and writing curriculum developers, it is important to understand various types of collaborative writing tasks and their writing practices. The current study investigates the nature of collaborative writing in an interdisciplinary collaborative research project. The study examines the processes of a multilingual writer’s literacy development in collaborative writing tasks. Based on a qualitative case study, the study focuses on identifying what literate activities were involved in, what effects from the writing collaboration were observed, and what factors influenced this multilingual writer’s writing development. I analyzed various sources of data such as writing samples, writing journal notes, observation fieldnotes, project documents, and the interviews from the focal participant, the graduate student, and two other co-authors as informants in the study. Based on a multilingual writer’s perspective, the findings show what the collaborative writing practices look like in an interdisciplinary research setting. The findings indicate that a multilingual writer’s writing skills were constantly evolving while interacting with collaborators through various phases of collaborative writing. Particularly tasks in collaborative revision process such as mediating the gaps between co-authors and responding to research members were crucial in developing awareness for audience and content organization. Drawing on a naturalistic qualitative study, this dissertation discusses that studies of collaborative writing in second language learning contexts needs to provide broader perspective and aspects of collaborative writing in various settings that multilingual writers engage in. The research concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications, limitations of the study and future research. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2019

Higher student enrollment rates and evolving student expectations are current challenges for many universities.Today’s students expect teaching pedagogy that integrates technology and offers flexibility. Blended course designs provide both of these things because they include both face-to-face and online learning opportunities.Utilizing web-based learning platforms, now offered by many college textbook publishers, can also enhance a student’s online learning experience and performance. This research focuses on a blended-design general education nutrition course offered at Utah State University(USU). Prior to Fall 2015, “Mastering” (Pearson Publishing)was the web-based learning platform being used in this course.A separate study, completed in 2015, assessed the efficacy of Mastery over two consecutive semester periods and concluded that it was ineffective in increasing students’ final letter grade or improving knowledge retention. As a result, Mastering was replaced by anew web-based learning platform,called “Connect” (McGraw Hill Publishing). One of the purposes of this study was to evaluate Connect.Students who used Connect earned higher final grades and showed increased knowledge retention rates at the end of the semester compared to students who had used the old platform (Mastering). When below-average and above-average pre-test score groups were compared, there was no statistical difference between Mastering andConnect on students' knowledge retention rates on a post-test administered 4 months after course completion. We also found that, like Mastering, the knowledge retention rate for students who used Connect increased the most among the students who scored the lowest on an initial assessment of nutrition-related knowledge. One complaint of blended courses that students often report is a feeling of disconnection or decreased engagement.A second part of this research measured self-reported rates of student satisfaction and engagement to determine the effect, if any, of additional technological tools (Google+, for example) and greater interaction and support from a graduate-level teaching assistant(TA). Compared to the class without the additional tools and TA support, final grade, course satisfaction level,and student attendance rate improved in the classes that did incorporate these things. A student engagement survey was given at the beginning and end of the semester to measure the change in the engagement level during the semester.Interestingly, freshman students earned higher final grades than upper classmen and student engagement rates decreased as the semester progressed. Overall, the Connect platform and the additional tools and TA support had desirable effects, including greater student-reported levels of course satisfaction and improved academic performance. Also, it appears that these additional components helped at-risk students the most–especially freshmen students and students who scored low on the pre-test that measured existing nutrition knowledge at the beginning of the course.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T18:39:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Erica Posch de Carvalho Correa.pdf: 6417504 bytes, checksum: 5567a0a340ea2edd2f3b9f337749ba6b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-03 / This study aims at evaluating the hypothesis of market efficiency for the private education sector in Brazil. This analysis is based on an evaluation of the return that stocks have over the disclosures of material facts and quarterly results, using the hypothesis of semi-strong informational efficiency of the market, developed by Fama (1970). From historical data of stock prices of four companies listed on the Bovespa Index, it is possible to assess whether this market meets the specific market efficiency requirements of the theory, or on the other hand, it has inefficiencies that market players could use to obtain abnormal returns. We evaluated acquisitions and releases of quarterly results, in order to have an overview of corporate information. The conclusion is that one cannot reject the efficient market hypothesis, as the market reacted to new information published, and the reaction was absorbed by the price of assets, after the event window / Este trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar a hipótese de eficiência de mercado para o setor de educação privada brasileiro. Esta análise está fundamentada na avaliação do retorno que as ações tiveram durante as divulgações de fatos relevantes e resultados trimestrais, utilizando a hipótese semi-forte de eficiência informacional do mercado, elaborada por Fama (1970). A partir de dados históricos do preço das ações de quatro companhias listadas na BOVESPA, é possível avaliar se este mercado em específico atende aos requisitos de eficiência da teoria, ou se, por outro lado, possui ineficiências que os agentes de mercado poderiam se utilizar para obter retornos anormais. Foram avaliadas divulgações de aquisições e de resultados trimestrais, de modo que se tenha um panorama geral de informações das empresas. A conclusão é que não se pode rejeitar a hipótese de mercado eficiente, uma vez que o mercado reagiu às novas informações publicadas, e a reação foi absorvida pelo preço dos ativos, após a janela do evento

Les savoirs expérientiels représentent des connaissances issues de l’expérience. Il s’agit d’une source de savoir controversée pour les intervenant.e.s en travail social, bien que de plus en plus considérée pertinente. Toutefois, leurs impacts sur le cheminement académique des futur.e.s travailleuses sociales et travailleurs sociaux (T.S.) demeurent méconnus. Ce projet de mémoire vise donc à explorer les connexions entre les savoirs expérientiels des étudiant.e.s et leur parcours de formation pratique. Toutes les personnes rencontrées étudient ou étudiaient au programme de deuxième cycle en travail social de l’Université de Montréal (UdeM). Ce projet s’inscrit au cœur de la vaste recherche « Dans quelle mesure la maîtrise en travail social peut promouvoir les apprentissages transformationnels : possibilités et limites » menée par Edward Ou Jin Lee à Montréal. Nous avons conduit des entretiens qualitatifs semi-dirigés, deux (2) de groupe et quatre (4) individuels, pour un échantillon final de treize (13) personnes. Un cadre théorique anti-oppressif et l’analyse thématique de Braun et Clarke ont guidé l’analyse. Trois thématiques principales ont été identifiées lors de cette recherche : (1) le profil sociodémographique largement privilégié des étudiant.e.s en travail social ; (2) la nature complexe, identitaire, intersectionnelle et interrelationnelle de leurs savoirs expérientiels ; (3) leurs perceptions critiques de la formation pratique, notamment sur les enjeux d’adéquation entre le programme et le terrain, l’importance d’offrir des espaces d’échange entre étudiant.e.s et la place de la justice sociale dans la formation. Ces perceptions s’appuient fortement sur les savoirs expérientiels des participant.e.s, particulièrement ceux liés à une expérience professionnelle d’intervention. / Experiential knowledge is knowledge derived from experience. Although a perceived controversial source of knowledge, it is increasingly considered relevant in the field of social work. However, its impact on the education of future social workers remains largely unknown. Thus, this project aims to explore the connexions between the students' experiential knowledge and their field education journey. All the people interviewed are or were graduate students in the social work program at the Université de Montréal (UdeM). This project is part of the larger research project " Social work graduate field education: exploring the potential for transformative learning and institutional change " conducted by Edward Ou Jin Lee at UdeM. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews, two (2) focus groups and four (4) individual interviews, resulting in a final sample of thirteen (13) participants. An anti-oppressive theoretical framework and Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis guided the analysis. Three main themes were identified during this research: (1) the largely privileged socio-demographic profile of social work students, (2) the complex influence of identity, along with the intersectional and interrelational nature of their experiential knowledge, and, (3) their critical perceptions of field education, especially on the issues of the inadequacy between the program and the field, the importance to provide spaces for informational exchange between students, and the place of social justice within the graduate program. These perceptions are strongly based on the experiential knowledge of the students, particularly experiences related to professional intervention.