Assessment is the primary means of feedback between students and instructors. However, to effectively use assessment, the ability to interpret collected information is essential. We present insights into three unique, important avenues of assessment in the physics classroom and laboratory. First, we examine students’ performance on conceptual surveys. The goal of this research project is to better utilize the information collected by instructors when they administer the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) to students as a pre-test and post-test of their conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. We find that ambiguities in the use of the normalized gain, g, may influence comparisons among individual classes. Therefore, we propose using stratagrams, graphical summaries of the fraction of students who exhibit “Newtonian thinking,” as a clearer, more informative method of both assessing a single class and comparing performance among classes. Next, we examine students’ expressions of confusion when they initially encounter new material. The goal of this research project is to better understand what such confusion actually conveys to instructors about students’ performance and engagement. We investigate the relationship between students’ self-assessment of their confusion over material and their performance, confidence in reasoning, pre-course self-efficacy and several other measurable characteristics of engagement. We find that students’ expressions of confusion are negatively related to initial performance, confidence and self-efficacy, but positively related to final performance when all factors are considered together. Finally, we examine students’ exhibition of scientific reasoning abilities in the instructional laboratory. The goal of this research project is to explore two inquiry-based curricula, each of which proposes a different degree of scaffolding. Students engage in sequences of these laboratory activities during one semester of an introductory physics course. We find that students who participate in the less scaffolded activities exhibit marginally stronger scientific reasoning abilities in distinct exercises throughout the semester, but exhibit no differences in the final, common exercises. Overall, we find that, although students demonstrate some enhanced scientific reasoning skills, they fail to exhibit or retain even some of the most strongly emphasized skills. / Physics

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Stars are one of the most frequently covered topics in introductory astronomy classes. From a constructivist framework, one must know what conceptions students bring with them to the classroom in order to effectively facilitate deep conceptual learning about stars. This study investigated the beliefs about stars that students hold when they enter an introductory astronomy course, and used that information to develop a concept inventory that can be used to assess those beliefs pre- and postinstruction.First, students' preinstructional beliefs were investigated through the use of student-supplied-response (SSR) surveys, which asked students to describe their ideas about topics such as what is a star, how is starlight created, how are stars formed, are all stars the same, and more. More than 2,200 students participated in this portion of the study during four semesters. Responses were inductively analyzed in an iterative process and coded for themes. Calculated frequencies show that although many students (80%) understand that stars are made of gas, a third to half of the participants (32-44%, depending upon the question) believe that starlight is created (or energy otherwise emitted) as a result of the star burning. Nuclear fusion, the true energy source in stars, is identified by fewer than 10% of the students. Interviews with seven volunteers confirmed that the responses seen on the SSR surveys were consistent with verbal explanations.The second portion of the study involved the design and testing of the Star Properties Concept Inventory. After item development and testing on Versions 1 and 2, interviews with 18 participants about their responses to Version 1, and an expert review by 26 volunteer astronomy instructors, Version 3 was created and tested during the Fall 2005 semester. Results from approximately 2,000 students who took Version 3 show that those students in an introductory astronomy course for nonscience majors increased their scores significantly over the semester, whereas a control group (students in an introductory earth science course for nonscience majors) showed no increase. These results support the purpose of this concept inventory to investigate the effectiveness of instruction on the topic of star properties and formation.

Any decentralized retail or wholesale system of competing entities requires a benefit sharing arrangement when competing entities collaborate after their demands are realized. For instance, consider a distribution system similar to the observed behavior of independent car dealerships. If a dealership does not have in stock the car requested by a customer, it might consider acquiring it from a competing dealer. Such behavior raises questions about competitive procurement strategies that achieve system optimal outcomes. This dissertation consists of three main bodies of work contained respectively in chapters 2, 3, and 4. In the first work -- chapter 2, we examine a decentralized system that adopts an ex-post agreed transfer payment approach proposed by Anupindi et al. (Manuf. Serv. Oper.Manag. 4(3):349-368, 2001). In particular, we state a set of conditions on cost parameters and distributions that guarantee uniqueness of pure strategy Nash equilibrium. In the second work -- chapter 3, we introduce a multilevel graph framework that links decentralized inventory distribution models as a network of stochastic programming with recourse problems. This framework depicts independent retailers who maximize their individual expected profits, with each retailer independently procuring inventory in the ex-ante stage in response to forecasted demand and anticipated cooperative recourse action of all retailers in the system. The graph framework clarifies the modeling connection between problems in a taxonomy of decentralized inventory distribution models. This unifying perspective links the past work and shades light on future research directions. In the last work -- chapter 4, we examine and recast the biform games modeling framework as two-stage stochastic programming with recourse. Biform games modeling framework addresses two-stage games with competitive first stage and cooperative second stage without ex-ante agreement on profit sharing scheme. The two-stage stochastic programming view of biform games is demonstrated on examples from all the known examples regarding operational decision problems of competing firms from the literature. It allows an “old” mathematical methodology to showcase its versatility in modeling combined competitive and cooperative game options. In short, this dissertation provides important insights, clarifications, and strategic limitations regarding collaborations in decentralized distribution system.

Dokumentavimas - duomenų apie paveldo objektą pagrindimas dokumentais, siekiant juridiškai įteisinti objekto apsaugą, išryškinti vertes ir pateikti apsaugos siūlymus. Dokumentavimo, apskaitos ir tuo pačiu paveldo apsaugos pirminis žingsnis yra inventorizavimas – išsamus ir sisteminis duomenų apie paveldo objektą kaupimas, neteikiant vertinimo. Šio darbo tikslas – atskleisti ir įvertinti šių dienų Lietuvos nekilnojamojo kultūros paveldo dokumentavimo, o pirmiausia – inventorizavimo, metodus bei vykdymą, remiantis kitų šalių (Italijos, Lenkijos, Japonijos) praktika. Pasirinktos šalys – Italija, Lenkija, Japonija – yra skirtinguose regionuose, turi skirtingą istorinę patirtį, skirtingas kultūras, tuo pačiu skiriasi ir dokumentacijos, bei apskritai paveldosaugos sampratos. Visgi, jos visos turi metodų ir dokumentavimo principų panašumų, kuriuos galbūt derėtų pritaikyti ir Lietuvoje: Nustatyti taisyklingas inventorizavimo ir dokumentavimo definicijas bei jų vartojimą. Pradėti de facto rengti inventorizavimą, kaip būtiną ir pirminį paveldo apsaugos žingsnį. Paveldo objektų identifikavimo, inventorizavimo ir monitoringo vykdymą pavesti teritoriniams padaliniams. Kultūros paveldo centras, kuruojamas KPD Apskaitos skyriaus, galėtų ir toliau vykdyti dokumentaciją. Perimti teritorinio dokumentavimo idėją – teritorinis padalinys renką informaciją apie visą (tiek materialų, tiek ne, tiek kilnojamąjį, tiek ir nekilnojamąjį ir t.t.) ir tik vėliau išskirti objektus, kuriems reikalinga... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Documentation is a process which validates information about an object of heritage using documentary evidence in order to announce its protection de jure, to highlight the values and give recommendations on conservation. The first step of documentation, account same as heritage protection is inventorization which defines a process of systemic and thorough accumulation of information about particular object without giving evaluation. The aim of this work is to display and evaluate the administration and methods of documentation and uppermost – inventory in Lithuania on the authority of Italian, Polish and Japanese practice. These countries not only differ in their geographical position, historical experience and cultural context but also obvious differences are noticeable in documentation and even conception of conservation. However, there are similarities between some effective methods and principles of documentation to be adapted and used in Lithuanian system. We should: set the correct definitions of inventorization and documentation and their usage start the process of inventorization de facto as the first and foremost action of heritage protection. assign identification, inventorization and monitoring of objects of heritage importance to territorial departments. The Centre of Cultural Heritage should pursue the policy of documentation under the supervision of Account unit of Department of Cultural Heritage. adapt the idea of territorial documentation: territorial... [to full text]

Peatlands provide a variety of ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and increased biodiversity, and are thus an important Canadian natural resource. Mountain peatlands, including those in the foothill region of the Canadian Rockies are particularly important due to their proximity to headwater streams which supply the Prairie Provinces with water. Yet, distribution of peatlands in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is unknown. There is also a lack of understanding of the form of these peatlands and the processes influencing them. The purpose of this research is to improve our understanding of Canadian mountain peatlands in terms of their abundance, distribution and subsurface form. Specific objectives are to: determine the distribution of beaver impacted wetlands in the study area; quantify the proportion of these which are peatlands; determine the impact beaver have on one hydrological variable, the area of open water and; describe the stratigraphy of peatlands with beaver at their surface. Beaver impacted wetland distribution was assessed through manual analysis of georeferenced aerial photographs. Combining these data with an existing GIS layer provided the basis of a wetland inventory of the region, allowing wetlands to be separately inventoried by physiographic location (Mountain and Foothills) and jurisdiction (Alberta Parks, Municipal Districts, Improvement Districts and First Nations Reserve). Approximately 75% of wetlands are located in the Foothills and Municipal District areas. Beaver impact is evident in 30% of the 529 wetlands inventoried, with the highest number in protected areas. Area of open water on wetlands, as assessed by manual analysis of aerial photographs, indicated that beaver impacted sites have on average approximately ten times more open surface water area than non- beaver impacted sites. In total, 81 wetlands were ground-truthed of which 77% were peat-forming wetlands or peatlands. Ground penetrating radar surveys and soil coring performed at 9 peatlands with beaver activity at their surface showed structural differences from those peatlands for which ecosystem services are described in the literature in that they are stratigraphically complex. Little is known about the factors affecting how this form develops, and this requires further study. The distribution of peatlands in the study area highlights them as important landscape units, and that in order to best manage them, further research is required into the various influences on their hydrological and ecological function.

A distinction between ruminative and reflective forms of dispositional self-focus is introduced and the theoretical utility of this distinction is evaluated in a program of eight studies. Study 1 examined for the presence of this distinction among natural language trait descriptors. Study 2 evaluated whether this distinction provided a sufficient summary of relations between the Fenigstein, Scheier and Buss (1975) Self-Consciousness scales and the Five Factor Model of personality (FFM). In Study 3, two brief questionnaire measures of ruminative and reflective tendencies were developed, and their convergent and discriminant validity evaluated with respect to the FFM, and the Fenigstein et al. (1975) Public Self- Consciousness (PUSC) and Private Self-Consciousness (PRSC) scales. Study 4 investigated the extent to which rumination and reflection separately account for PRSC associations with measures of psychological distress (e.g., Beck Depression scale) and intellective dispositions (e.g., Need for Cognition scale), respectively. Study 5 evaluated, using a sample of dormitory roommates, the extent to which self-estimates of ruminativeness and reflectiveness correspond with the judgments of a knowledgeable observer. Studies 6, 7, and 8 evaluated the extent to which the traits of rumination and reflection separately account for previously reported PRSC associations with three theoretically relevant criteria of private self-consciousness: state indices of self-focused attention (Study 6), the asymmetry effect in self-other similarity judgments (Study 7), and research volunteerism (Study 8). Findings suggest that the PRSC scale confounds two relatively independent, and motivationally distinct dispositions, rumination and reflection, and that latent ruminative and reflective components of PRSC scores separately and fully account for PRSC correlates and effects. These findings provide a straight forward explanation of the "self-absorption" paradox implicit in the PRSC research literature, i.e., the consistent but apparently contradictory finding of more accurate and extensive self-knowledge, yet higher levels of subjective psychological distress, among persons high in private self-consciousness. It is likely that the PRSC's associations with psychological distress are uniquely due to its neurotic component (rumination), and that the PRSC's self-knowledge effects are uniquely due its intellective component (reflection). It is argued that rumination and reflection represent statistically and functionally independent self-focusing tendencies. Their strong and unique associations with the FFM dimensions of neuroticism and openness, respectively, imply a basic dichotomy of self-attentive motives: anxiety/fear and curiosity/exploration: rumination represents a useful summary conception of self-attentiveness motivated by perceived threats, losses, or injustices to the self; reflection represents a useful summary conception of self-attentiveness motivated by intrinsic curiosity, or epistemic interest in the self. It is concluded that the spatial metaphor of "direction" may not be an appropriate basis for a useful scientific conception of dispositional self-consciousness. The concept of a purely cognitive tendency to have attention chronically directed toward the self versus away from the self, construed independently of the emotional and motivational determinants of such a tendency, is probably untenable.

<p>Firms' inventory or production decisions are influenced by a variety of factors, including both the selling price of the end products and the purchasing cost of raw materials. In most cases, there is a strong connection between purchasing costs and selling prices. In my dissertation, I study the impact of prices on a firm's inventory</p><p>decisions, particularly in systems with delivery lead time and environmental concerns. The findings are reported in three studies. The first study analyzes the joint inventory and pricing problem with lead time, which is known to be difficult to solve due to its computational complexity. We develop a simple heuristic to resolve</p><p>the computational issue and reveal the impact of lead time on the joint decisions. In the second study, we extend the heuristic approach in the previous study to systems with both positive lead time and fixed ordering costs. The effectiveness of the heuristic in both studies are verified through both theoretical bounds and numerical experiments. In the third study, we examine the effect of the procurement cost and its volatility on a firm's profit. This allows us to study under what conditions a firm can profitably operate an eco-friendly supply chain. Our study also helps the firms to understand what type of products would better absorb the higher costs associated with an eco-friendly production system.</p> / Dissertation

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