abstract: ABSTRACT Research literature relating to the use of humor as a teaching method or curricula specifically designed to include humor was reviewed to investigate the effects of humor on student learning in various environments from elementary schools to post-secondary classrooms. In this multi-method study, four instruments and a humor treatment were selected to test the hypothesis that students who receive humor-embedded instruction would perform better on assessments than students who did not receive humor instruction. These assessments were analyzed to show student growth in achievement and memory retention as a result of humor-embedded instruction. Gain scores between a pre- test and two post-tests determined student growth in achievement and memory retention. Gain scores were triangulated with student responses to open-ended interview questions about their experiences with humor in the classroom. The gain score data were not statistically significant between the humor and non- humor groups. For the short-term memory gain scores, the non-humor group received slightly higher gain scores. For long-term memory gain scores, the humor group received higher gain scores. However, the interview data was consistent with the findings of humor research from the last 20 years that humor improves learning directly and indirectly. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2011

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) promises to meet the growing needs of gerontological and neurobehavioral research by possessing highly conserved anatomy and physiology with all other vertebrates, while having low maintenance costs and requiring only simple care. The neurological and physiological bases of learning, memory formation, and memory retention have been studied in a variety of model organisms, such as the rat, mouse, sheep, and several teleost fishes, the notable example being the zebrafish. Unfortunately, most of these animals are poorly suited to senescence research due to costs, care requirements, or long life spans. My research expands upon our rapidly growing understanding of zebrafish neurobiology, learning processes, sensory modalities, and memory retention. Two pairs of distinct aversive conditioning experiments using classic shuttlebox designs compared the effects of sensory modality and conditioned-unconditioned stimulus (CS-US) intervals, the time delay between application of conditioned sensory stimulus and delivery of the stressful unconditioned stimulus in the event of failure to avoid it, upon memory formation and retention. These studies yielded a general spectrum of results against which future conditioning studies may be compared. Both visual and olfactory stimuli were tested, as were 10 second and 15 second CS-US intervals. Successes were scored when the fish crossed the shuttlebox hurtle within the CS-US interval, thereby avoiding the negative unconditioned stimulus. After a three-month delay, ten additional trials were conducted to compare the long-term memory retention resulting from each protocol. When testing a 15s CS-US interval, olfactory conditioning was significantly more likely (39%) to produce a successful outcome (memory formation) than visual conditioning. Grouped results reveal that the second pair of experiments, each with a 10s CS-US interval, yielded significantly more successful memory formation than a 15s CS-US interval. A significant difference was found when comparing the results of any two experiments, except between the results of the visual and olfactory 10s interval experiments). Only the olfactory experiment using a 15s CS-US interval yielded memory retention results significantly higher than the mean of memory retention results from the four experiments. These findings offer inconclusive evidence supporting olfaction’s strong role in memory formation and retention in zebrafish. The results expand our understanding of the relationship between the olfactory and visual senses and memory in the zebrafish and indicate the olfactory sense’s key role in vertebrate neurobiology, warranting further research into the effects of aging on the olfactory-memory modality.

We report on the retention properties of double-layer hafnium zirconium oxide (Hf₀.₅Zr₀.₅O₂; HZO) based ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJ). Utilizing HZO as the ferroelectric layer and aluminum oxide (Al₂ O₃) as the tunneling barrier a scalable FTJ memory operation with good endurance and an on/off ratio of about 10 was achieved. Due to inherent depolarization fields from the double layer structure, the device suffers from strong retention loss over time. An extrapolation to 10 years at room temperature shows vanishing differences between the on and off state currents. We propose a way to avert this retention loss by using a constant bias that can be built-in by a work function difference from the metal electrode. This leads to more stable on-current retention and only small off-current increase, giving rise to an improved retention behavior of the FTJ.

The increasing use of 3D user interface elements, particularly 3D menus, demonstrates the need to expand research in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) as it pertains to 3D user interfaces. The results of this thesis contribute to the understanding of the cognitive impacts of using 3D menus. Multiple application areas for 3D menus have been identified where memory retention is a critical success factor, but little research has been done in the area of memory retention for 3D menus. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if the use of 3D carousel menus increases retention of information over 2D menus and if is there a gender effect with these results. A three factor split-plot (one-between subject factor and two-within subject factors) experiment was designed to test if menu dimension, content type, and gender are significant factors in memory retention and to determine if there are any interactions between these factors. The results of the experiment revealed that dimension and gender are not significant factors in the retention of information and none of the interactions of dimension (2D vs. 3D), gender, and content were significant. Several subjects’ questionnaire responses demonstrated that the menu dimension they perceived to better aid retention was 3D; however these results were not statistically significant. While these results showed that within the boundaries chosen the use of a 3D menu neither promotes nor degrades memory retention, there are still a number of questions that need to be answered regarding the use of 3D menus and their effect on other cognitive processes.

Kärnkraftsindustrin är en bransch som präglas av avancerad teknik och omfattande säkerhetskrav. För att säkerställa en trygg arbetsmiljö krävs därför kontinuerlig fortbildning av medarbetarna. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka en strålskyddsutbildning på ett svenskt kärnkraftverk och bidra med förslag på hur utbildningen kan förbättras för att minska kunskapsbortfallet över tid hos medarbetarna. För att utvärdera kunskapsbortfallet genomfördes en enkätundersökning med frågeformulär innehållandes kunskapsprov. Som grund för förbättringsförslagen intervjuades lärare som undervisar den utvalda kursen. Enkätsvaren analyserades statistiskt och intervjuerna behandlades med tematisk analys. En svag korrelation mellan kunskapsnivå och tid uppmättes men undersökningen visade även att medarbetarna hade goda teoretiska kunskaper om kursinnehållet även lång tid efter kurstillfället. Förbättringsförslag som presenteras inkluderar bland annat mer stöttning till lärarna för att säkerställa fysikalisk förståelse och bra exempel på erfarenhetsåterföring, samt utveckling av lokalerna för att stimulera samtal och mer autenticitet i det praktiska momentet. Det goda kunskapsresultatet styrker lärarnas bild av att radiologiska tillbud på kärnkraftverket förmodligen inte i första hand beror på kunskapsbrist utan snarare på andra faktorer så som attityd, stress och slarv. / The nuclear power industry is characterized by advanced technology and extensive safety requirements. Continuous training of employees must therefore ensure a safe working environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate a radiation protection training at a Swedish nuclear power plant and contribute suggestions on how the course can be improved to reduce knowledge loss over time among employees. Surveys containing a knowledge test were used to evaluate memory retention. As a basis for improvement suggestions, teachers who teach the selected course were interviewed. The surveys were statistically analyzed, and the interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. A weak correlation between knowledge level and time was measured, but the study also showed that employees had good theoretical knowledge of the course content even long after the course. Improvement suggestions presented include, among other things, more support to teachers to ensure physical understanding and good examples of experience feedback, as well as development of facilities to stimulate discussions and more authenticity in practical activities. The demonstrated proficiency level support the teachers' perception that radiological incidents at the nuclear power plant probably do not primarily result from lack of knowledge but rather from other factors such as attitude, stress, and negligence.

The desire to enhance and make ourselves better is not a new one and it has continued to intrigue throughout the ages. Individuals have continued to seek ways to improve and enhance their well-being for example through nutrition, physical exercise, education and so on. Crucial to this improvement of their well-being is improving their ability to remember. Hence, people interested in improving their well-being, are often interested in memory as well. The rationale being that memory is crucial to our well-being. The desire to improve one’s memory then is almost certainly as old as the desire to improve one’s well-being. Traditionally, people have used different means in an attempt to enhance their memories: for example in learning through storytelling, studying, and apprenticeship. In remembering through practices like mnemonics, repetition, singing, and drumming. In retaining, storing and consolidating memories through nutrition and stimulants like coffee to help keep awake; and by external aids like notepads and computers. In forgetting through rituals and rites. Recent scientific advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and information technologies, present a wide variety of technologies to enhance many different aspects of human functioning. Thus, some commentators have identified human enhancement as central and one of the most fascinating subject in bioethics in the last two decades. Within, this period, most of the commentators have addressed the Ethical, Social, Legal and Policy (ESLP) issues in human enhancements as a whole as opposed to specific enhancements. However, this is problematic and recently various commentators have found this to be deficient and called for a contextualized case-by-case analysis to human enhancements for example genetic enhancement, moral enhancement, and in my case memory enhancement (ME). The rationale being that the reasons for accepting/rejecting a particular enhancement vary depending on the enhancement itself. Given this enormous variation, moral and legal generalizations about all enhancement processes and technologies are unwise and they should instead be evaluated individually. Taking this as a point of departure, this research will focus specifically on making a case for ME and in doing so assessing the ESLP implications arising from ME. My analysis will draw on the already existing literature for and against enhancement, especially in part two of this thesis; but it will be novel in providing a much more in-depth analysis of ME. From this perspective, I will contribute to the ME debate through two reviews that address the question how we enhance the memory, and through four original papers discussed in part three of this thesis, where I examine and evaluate critically specific ESLP issues that arise with the use of ME. In the conclusion, I will amalgamate all my contribution to the ME debate and suggest the future direction for the ME debate.