The first part of this study describes the synthesis of a research framework (known as the Transformation Framework) via the analysis of existing literature on technology-related transformation in learning and teaching. The Framework identified five Foundations that were desirable for any implementation of technology in an educational setting and also described three broad types of transformation that might be expected to occur (Institutional, Material and Behavioural). The remainder of the thesis contains a description of the application of the Framework to three science courses in the College of Science and Engineering at a large Scottish university at a point in time when they were attempting to initiate some transformation in learning and teaching, at least in part through the introduction of new technologies. The Framework was used to construct a series of specific interview questions that were designed to illuminate each possible area of transformation. Interviews were then conducted with the Undergraduate Deans who were responsible for the overall initiative of which these courses formed a part and the organisers of each of the three courses (Courses A, B and C). The interview questions were then used to construct an online survey that was used to poll the lecturers and teaching assistants involved in the delivery of each course. Finally, anonymised course marks were obtained for the three courses covering the years before, during and after the innovations were introduced. Using the Framework as a reference, the data sources were then analysed, primarily using NVivo (qualitative data) and SPSS (quantitative data), in order to identify where there may have been transformation perceived or observed, and the evidence supporting the existence of any such transformation was evaluated. Any identified transformations were then analysed further to ascertain any specific contribution that technology may have had to such change. The results provided broad support for the notion that the transformations that may occur are highly context-dependent, and are often influenced by the Foundations that are in place at the time. Course A could be described as “innovation-ready” and as such there was evidence to suggest that the technologies used had several Institutional, Material and Behavioural transformative effects. Course B was more cautious and perhaps less prepared, and yet some Institutional, Material and Behavioural transformations were observed, largely in those areas that were well attended at the Foundation stage. The Course C implementation was done at short notice, and hence with little preparation and as such was very low-key and only limited Material and Behavioural transformations were evident as a result. The research as described above highlights the fact that transformation is far more likely to occur if the proper Foundations have been put in place first, and the technology forms part of an implementation that is well thought-out by the organisers, well supported by the powers-that-be and well accepted by all those who will engage with it. The Framework itself has proved to be a useful and robust guide for this kind of study and it should have value in many different contexts in the future. Applications include not only the evaluation of existing implementations of technology in the classroom but also the planning and preparation of such implementations, informing both the design of a particular course and the choice of technology to achieve specific results.

For several years, microwave engineers have dreamed of using non-ionising electromagnetic waves in medical imaging applications. The rate of evolution of microwave techniques for medical application has been immense and shows no signs of relenting. Since the limitations of X-ray mammography are well reported, alternative techniques using microwaves for breast cancer detection are developed. Some of these techniques have progressed to the point where positive clinical experience has emerged.

A detailed review of literature reveals that although soil scientists have reported that soil is an excellent stabiliser of land applied waste, there is little evidence to assess the extremely complex reactions that occur when landfill leachate interacts with soil. In order to examine this, studies of mineralogical content, exchangeable cation status and chemical composition of soils were undertaken. Soil-leachate interactions were studied by column and batch techniques. When dealing with materials as variable and complex as soils, it is difficult to accurately identify the solid phase prior to contact. Owing to the large number and variety of concentrations of leachate constituents, it is considerably more difficult to quantitatively establish the results of interaction and assign alteration values to responsible mechanisms. However, this investigation did reveal the following: - 1. interaction does occur, but this interaction is not unlimited; 2. the degree of interaction is different for different soil types; 3. the relative influence of the mechanisms of interaction; 4. the influence of soil types, soil to leachate ratios and contact -times; and 5. soils previously thought to attenuate leachate have been found not to do so.

During the refill stage of a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) in Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) the effectiveness with which the emergency coolant penetrates to the lower plenum, and hence to the core, is of paramount importance. This thesis presents the results of experimental and theoretical work carried out at the University of Strathclyde on two-1/10 scale planar test sections of a PWR downcomer annulus. The experiments involved the countercurrent flows of air and water and the data were compared with existing flooding correlations for tubes. The comparison revealed the inadequacy of the existing correlations. In the Phase 1 test section arrangement, it was found experimentally that, as the inlet air flowed upwards against two opposing waterfalls, an increase in air flowrate caused the waterfalls to move closer together until a critical air flowrate was reached where the waterfalls collapsed. A theoretical model was also developed to define this collapse condition which was shown to be-analogous to the choked flow of air through a nozzle whose cross sectional area varied with pressure. Whilst this phenomenon was not directly related to the PWR refill problem, it was an interesting feature in its own right. Use was made of previous experimental results for steam-water mixtures on similar test sections, in conjunction with the present air-water data, to study condensation effects. Here the non-equilibrium effects were isolated and correlated against the dependent parameters of inlet water flowrate, inlet subcooling and downcomer wall temperature. A theoretical model for the condensation process was developed which gave good qualitative and quantitative agreement with experiment. Its superiority over a current BCL correlation is demonstrated.

<p> A qualitative multicase study utilizing content analysis and qualitative coding techniques was conducted to explore the influence of the use of digital backchannels on student interaction and reflection during an in-class discussion. Data were collected from six front channel transcripts and twenty backchannel transcripts, which resulted from six backchannel discussions that were conducted in three different teacher education courses. Additional data were gathered from participant interviews of seven students who were enrolled in the participating courses. The outcome of the research indicates two main themes developed in regards to the influence of digital backchannels on student interactivity: (1) The content chosen for backchannel discussions influenced student &ndash; content and student &ndash; student interaction and (2) The design of the backchannel activity affected all three types of interaction. The content analysis indicated there was limited variation in the amount of dialogue dedicated to discussing content. Interaction with content was apparent in all six class sessions, and the nature of the digital backchannel activity encouraged interaction with content at a relatively high level, with evidence of students building knowledge, drawing conclusions, and asking additional questions throughout the activity. The structure of the backchannel design also influenced student interactivity. Three factors were instrumental in determining how interaction was affected: (1) Whether or not the separate backchannel groups were connected digitally to the front channel group, (2) The role the instructor took throughout the activity, and (3) The seating arrangement and number of group members in the backchannel groups.</p><p> The following primary theme emerged in relation to the second research question, which considered the influence of digital backchanneling on reflection: (1) Student reflective thinking was present and supported throughout the activity. All twenty-six front and backchannel transcripts displayed evidence of reflective thinking as measured by Rodgers (2002) criteria for reflection in an educational setting. The seven students interviewed agreed this type of thinking took place during the activity, and the technique gave them the opportunity to reflect more as compared to a verbal in-class discussion. Additionally, all seven students felt they would utilize the educational technology in their future classrooms, directly connecting their experience with current situations and new ideas.</p><p> Lastly, the third research question was designed to explore the overall learning experience associated with backchannel discussions. Two primary themes resulted in relation to the third research question (1) Digital backchanneling resulted in a meaningful, positive, and focused learning experience, and (2) Millennials/digital natives seem to be less comfortable with technology and multi-tasking when used in an educational environment.</p>

<p> E-learning modality is a viable choice for higher educational students and due to many associated features with e learning methodologies, it has become a desirable business option tool for incorporating into educational and organizational training structures. Using e learning platforms is an effective way to manage training costs for employees, enhance organizational knowledge, update employee skills, remain competitive, and meet overall organizational goals. The problem is in a high tech, knowledge based society, in order for organizations and institutions to remain competitive and effective, it is important that management identify e learning technology factors and models that influence organizational training structures and examine how those e learning factors and models can be adopted, synergized, and strategized into the overall organizational strategic planning process. The purpose of this qualitative multi case study was to examine and gaining a deeper understanding of e learning modalities, factors, and technologies that influence organizational training models, adoption, and integration into overall institutional strategies for employee training at teaching and learning facilities. The participants of the study were from a Southwestern Community College institution, and included directors and operational staff members from two employee training facilities. Both purposeful and convenience sampling selections were used with a targeted sample size of 13 participants. Of the 13 participants for the study, three were excluded, which left a total of 10 participants. To gain relevant data to address the purpose of this study, data gathering consisted of participants&rsquo; responses to 17 open ended interview questions that addressed two overarching research questions. Through conducting a thematic analysis of the interview responses, eight respective categories emerged which aligned to the study&rsquo;s two research questions. Key findings noted in this research study were the cost and challenges to acquire and update e-learning resources and to be innovative. In conclusion, the participants from the different sites viewed the importance differently on how e learning should be a part of the overall organizational strategic plan and noted several e-learning factor similarities and differences. Future research is needed to examine factors affecting the adoption and integration of e learning training into business strategies from an in-house corporate training environment.</p>

<p> This study focused on the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the use of instructional technology in the classroom. Participants in this study were from three school districts with student populations between 500-1,000 students in the southwest region of Missouri. Students were given a survey to determine a self-assessment of their own abilities to use certain technologies for learning purposes. Their teachers were given a correlated survey; however, teachers were asked to assess their students&rsquo; abilities to use certain technologies for learning purposes. A Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> test was conducted on the results of the surveys to determine if there was a statistical difference between the students&rsquo; and teachers&rsquo; responses. No statistical difference was calculated between students&rsquo; perceptions and teachers&rsquo; perceptions of students&rsquo; abilities to use instructional technology. Further, interviews were conducted with teachers to determine their perceptions of many aspects of the use of instructional technology, including the following: perceptions of teacher training regarding instructional technology, including preservice teacher training and professional development; pedagogical models teachers employ when using instructional technology; and barriers to the effective implementation of instructional technology in their respective classrooms. Findings revealed, overall, teachers think training regarding the use of instructional technology needs to be strengthened at both the preservice level and the professional development level. Further, teachers reported barriers to effective use of technology include a lack of viable equipment. Teachers were generally unfamiliar with pedagogical models regarding instructional technology.</p>

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are carbon based nanostructures with extraordinary electronical and mechanical properties. They are used in a wide range of applications, usually embedded in polymer as fillers to form polymer based nanocomposites, in order to affect the electronic behavior of the polymer matrix. However, as the nanotubes properties are directly dependent on their intrinsic structure, it is necessary to select specific nanotubes depending on the application. In addition, as randomly oriented CNTs (as Filler) embedded in the polymer matrix show lower electrical conductivity than expected, alignment of CNTs in the polymer matrix can help to improve the nanocomposite electrical conductivity. In this thesis, focus is placed on the electrical properties of the produced SWCNTs/Polymer nanocomposites. A simple patterning method called nanoimprint lithography is presented which allows the use of extremely low amounts of nanotubes in order to increase the electrical conductivity of isolated polymers such as polystyrene (PS). In addition, a flexible mold to pattern nanocomposite films, leading to the creation of conducting nanotube networks, resulting in Alignment of SWCNTs (from the bottom of the film to the top of the imprinted patterns) inside the polymer matrix. The project further investigated the effect of different imprint temperatures and pressures on the electrical conductivity of produced nanocomposite and a trend is found due to the variation of parameters. Finally an optimum imprint condition based on maximum achieved conductivity is suggested. During different steps of sample preparations, the samples were characterized by different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), optical microscopy, Spectroscopic Ellipsometer, electrical measurements and Raman spectroscopy.

For interactive simulations using a physics engine, a fixed time step is often necessary in order to maintain real-time performance. Furthermore, collisions between the simulated geometric objects have to be detected by solving a computational problem called collision detection. In its discrete formulation, the geometric configurations of the bodies are evaluated at each simulation time step, whereas its continuous variant also considers the bodies’ motion in betweenthe time steps. A fixed simulation time step can lead to missed collisions if only discrete collision detection is performed. This problem arises especially when simulating thin objects such as wires, chains, or ropes for applications like heavy lifting or anchor handling. In order to be able to simulate wires interacting with each other in real-time simulations, continuous collision detection is therefore necessary.An existing simulation model for wires, chains, and ropes using adaptive wire resolution has been augmented using continuous collision detection. This addition has been integrated into the physics engine AGX Dynamics. Issues in existing methods for continuous collision detection of moving line segments caused by co-linearity and co-planarity have been identified, classified and addressed. Using this augmented approach to continuous collision detection allows for alarger fixed simulation step size compared to discrete collision detection, and thus decreases the total run time by up to 58.22% in relevant scenarios.

Contained in this paper is Caries, a comparative relationship visualizer. The systemoperates on tweets and attempts to find named entities and map the relationshipbetween them.The biggest contribution this system makes to the academic community is its uniqueapplication area where it could be used as a form of recommendation system forcustomers. It can also be used as a form of analysis tool for marketing expertsto see what kind of named entities are being compared with each other on socialmedia. These marketing experts can then act on the information to benefit thebusiness. The paper shows that this system is viable, but there is still room forimprovement. Several suggestions for future work is offered, which could likelyincrease the performance of the system significantly.