This is an exploratory research study aimed toward steadying attendance across a semester of higher education video game development labs with attention to cooperation as a co-factor. Following the observation of unusually strong attendance in a highly cooperative game development lab class which aligns with these theories, this paper seeks to explore whether subfactors of positive social interdependence are co-factors with lab attendance. Sparked by previous case data, this exploratory study examines data from the Fall 2019 iteration of the introductory video game development course, defining and measuring potential co-factor variables during an individual-focused half of the course supplemented with group activity, and a fully group-focused half of the semester, with future interest in investigating a correlation between attendance and positive interdependence. Empirical studies of both the performance impact of attendance, and the financial reliance of residential higher education institutions on student attendance and retention suggest that understanding how to operationalize students’ motivation to attend class is epistemically and fiscally valuable. Studies of positive interdependence raise interest as a co-factor contextually through high commitment, joint efficacy, and mutual benefit, strongly overlapping with empirical antecedents of higher education retention and seminal social psychological frameworks. Therefore, the author began an intended extensive analysis of consecutive semesters. All students enrolled in the Fall 2019 introductory game development course (n=56 for students with matched data sets, 59 retained participant students total) were engaged in cooperatively-designed lectures and lab activities, with the first half of the semester’s lighter collaborative activity and independent assigned work to be compared to the second half’s full-time group project work. Between these designed halves, two null hypotheses were assessed: 1) lab attendance in the first half of the semester is equivalent to the second half, and 2) subfactors of positive interdependence in the first half of the semester are equivalent to the second half. Attendance proportions and surveyed positive interdependence measures for the Fall 2019 semester were analyzed using paired sample t-tests. Attendance, and a majority of positive interdependence subfactors were not significantly different across halves of the semester, suggesting that collaboration had evened results across the whole, but not all effects reached their target results. The Classroom Life Instrument was used to formally measure the presence of a positive interdependent context before and after group project work.

No description available.

A seizure is defined as an abnormal electrical discharge from the brain that results in the affected area losing its normal function and reacting uncontrollably. A particular subset of seizures, known as absence seizures, are characterized by brief, paroxysmal losses of consciousness that are associated with bilaterally synchronous 3 Hz spike and wave discharges (SWDs) on electroencephalography (EEG). The optimal way to understand any disease state is to study it within the human. Unfortunately, well controlled experiments in humans are difficult due to small patient populations, treatment medications which alter the seizure, and the ethical problems associated with invasive experimental procedures. Animal models of absence seizures provide a means of avoiding the above difficulties but the model should mimic, as closely as possible, the human condition. The goal of this thesis was to develop an animal model of absence epilepsy that could be used to explore, non-invasively, the underlying mechanisms of absence seizures. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to non-invasively monitor brain activity during absence seizures in various animal models. In this dissertation I report the development of a pharmacological rat model of absence seizures for use in fMRI investigations. Imaging was performed after absence seizure induction using γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and it was found that the cortico-thalamic circuitry, critical for the formation of SWDs, showed robust signal changes consistent with electroencephalographic recordings in the same animals. Since a major disadvantage of the GBL rat model is that it produces acute, drug-induced seizures, a genetic rat model with spontaneous absence seizures was subsequently developed for fMRI. EEG-triggered fMRI was used to identify areas of brain activation during spontaneous SWDs in the epileptic WAG/Rij rat strain under awake conditions. Significant signal changes were apparent in several areas of the cortex and several important nuclei of the thalamus. These results draw an anatomical correlation between areas in which there is increased fMRI signal and those where SWDs have been previously recorded using electrophysiologic techniques. One way in which absences differ between humans and both of these rat models is that the SWD frequency in humans is classically 3 Hz while in rats it varies from 7 to 11 Hz. Marmoset monkeys were found to model the human absence seizure condition better than other animals because GBL administration in these non-human primates results in the formation of 3 Hz SWDs. This monkey model was developed for awake functional imaging and changes in signal intensity in the thalamus and sensorimotor cortex correlated with the onset of 3 Hz SWDs. The change in BOLD signal intensity was bilateral but heterogeneous, affecting some brain areas more than others.

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Walter R. Schumm / Fathers, once deemed as “forgotten contributors to child development” (Lamb, 1975, p. 246), may provide more than just a bread winning role for their children. More studies have examined the effects of a father’s absence and involvement on his children, specifically among adolescents’ early sexual activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of father absence on young adults’ choices of cohabitation, marriage and divorce. The data for this analysis came from The February-March 2007 Social Trends Survey by the Pew Research Center, a nationally representative sample in the United States. This analysis selected 802 young adult respondents (ages 18-40 year old). Results support previous research that the two key factors leading to father absence are children whose parent never married or whose parents divorced. Father absence was associated with children's future cohabitation rates for the whole sample, but not when examined individually by gender, race or ethnicity. Higher marriage rates were associated with father-present homes among men and in the overall sample, but not for women or according to race or ethnicity. No associations were found between father absence and children's future divorce rates. Tracking young adults’ rates of marriage and divorce according to father absence and cohabitation (tables 4.4 through 4.9) found that young adults who had the combination of a father-present and did not cohabit had the lowest divorce rates. Future research should investigate the disparity in father-present homes between those who did and did not cohabit, father and child religiosity, and father involvement. Implications for family life education were also presented.

This study focuses on the way in which learners living with epilepsy, who attend mainstream schools in the rural areas of the Limpopo Province, experience epilepsy. The results of the study indicate that the needs of learners with epilepsy are not well-catered for in mainstream schools. They often experience fear, anxiety, humiliation, ostracisation, name-calling, scape-goating, blaming and suspicion. Recommendations were made regarding the measures which should be taken to address the needs of rural children living with epilepsy. These recommendations could be used by teachers and the Department of Education. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Councelling)

As the literature on work–family conflict grows and absenteeism increasingly comes into the spotlight, one cannot help but ask the question: “What is an acceptable absenteeism rate and how can an organisation control and manage absenteeism?” With current absenteeism rates as high as 12% and with an estimated R12 million lost per annum because of absenteeism, the idea of an on-site employer-sponsored childcare facility seems viable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between absenteeism and on-site employer- sponsored childcare. The following dimensions of absenteeism will be examined over a period of a year: absence frequency, absence intensity, attitudinal absence and medical absence. The results of two companies, one with a facility and one without, will then be compared in order to establish the relationship between absenteeism and an on-site facility. To date, evidence remains mixed and the ongoing challenge of establishing real return on equity remains a major barrier to the support of on-site employer-sponsored childcare. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify patterns in the absence due to illness at a distribution center with higher absence due to illness compared to other companies in the same industry, and to investigate how managers work with routines for absence due to illness. To achieve the purpose, it has been divided into two research questions: Which patterns in absence due to illness can be found at a distribution center with higher sick leave compared to other companies in the same industry? How do managers work with routines regarding the absence due to illness at a distribution center with higher sick leave compared to other companies in the same industry? Method – Theories about sick leave, work environment, psychosocial health, motivation, organization and leadership were collected to fulfil the purpose of the study. A case study was carried out to collect empirical data on the basis of interviews and document studies which then were compared with the theory for further analysis. Findings – The study identifies patterns that were found after mapping the statistics of the absence due to illness on the case company. The result shows that women have higher absence due to illness than men, mostly younger women and older men. Permanent and temporary employees have more absence due to illness than workers on deputy posts and that employees who have worked one to three years have more absence due to illness than other groups. The mapping also shows that employees have the highest sick leave in the fall, on Mondays and only one day is most prevalent. There are clear routines regarding sick leave and rehabilitation at the case company. Improvements can be made with the documentation in the web-portal for sick leave, how the first day reporting sick should be done, and that a comprehensive action plan could be designed for managers to use. The study shows that the managers who are committed and have a higher focus on creating a good group dynamic through activities generally have lower absence due to illness. By creating a satisfying work environment where employees have the opportunity to participate, influence, take responsibility, develop and be seen and heard can therefore improve productivity, motivation and workplace health. Implications – A mapping of absence due to illness can improve the same work on other companies and create a greater understanding of why some groups have higher absence due to illness in the workplace than others. This case study also shows that the work environment, motivation and leadership are essential to encourage health in the workplace which can be applied on companies in several sectors. Limitations – Deviation may have occurred as a large amount of data during the study was processed. To do a mapping is considered generalizable but the result may differ between companies, therefore is the study not applicable in all contexts. The authors consider however that the study could be applied in general to other businesses as work environment and absence due to illness is an issue in all industries. / Syfte – Syftet med studien är att kartlägga mönster i sjukfrånvaro på en distributionscentral vars sjukfrånvaro är högre än liknande aktörer inom samma bransch samt att undersöka hur chefer arbetar med rutiner kring sjukfrånvaro. För att uppnå syftet har det brutits ned i två frågeställningar: Vilka mönster kring sjukfrånvaro kan hittas på en distributionscentral vars sjukfrånvaro är högre än liknande aktörer inom samma bransch? Hur arbetar chefer med rutiner kring sjukfrånvaro på en distributionscentral vars sjukfrånvaro är högre än liknande aktörer inom samma bransch? Metod – Teorier om sjukfrånvaro, arbetsmiljöarbete, psykosocial hälsa, motivation, organisation och ledarskap samlades in för att uppfylla studiens syfte. En fallstudie genomfördes för att samla in empiri utifrån intervjuer och dokumentstudier som sedan jämfördes med teori för vidare analys. Resultat – Studien identifierar mönster som framkom efter kartläggningen av sjukfrånvarostatistiken på fallföretaget. Resultatet visar att kvinnor har högre sjukfrånvaro än män, främst yngre kvinnor och äldre män. Tillsvidareanställda och visstidsanställda har högre sjukfrånvaro än anställda på vikariat samt att medarbetare som varit anställda ett till tre år har högre sjukfrånvaro än övriga grupper. Kartläggningen visar dessutom att anställda har högst sjukfrånvaro på hösten, måndagar och att en dag är mest förekommande. Det finns tydliga rutiner kring sjukfrånvaro och rehabilitering på fallföretaget. Förbättringar kan göras med dokumentation i fallföretagets webbportal för sjukfrånvaro, hur första sjukanmälan ska gå till samt att en åtgärdsplan på gruppnivå skulle kunna utformas för chefer att använda. Studien visar att de chefer som är engagerade och har högre fokus på att skapa gemenskap genom aktiviteter generellt har lägre sjukfrånvaro. Genom att skapa en tillfredsställande arbetsmiljö där medarbetare har möjlighet att delta, påverka, ta ansvar, utvecklas samt bli sedda och hörda kan därmed produktiviteten, motivationen och hälsan på arbetsplatsen förbättras. Implikationer – En kartläggning av sjukfrånvaro kan underlätta arbetet med sjukfrånvaro på andra företag och skapa en större förståelse kring varför vissa grupper har högre sjukfrånvaro än andra på arbetsplatsen. I studien framgår dessutom att arbetsmiljöarbete, motivation och ledarskap är viktigt för att främja hälsan på arbetsplatsen vilket kan appliceras på företag inom flera branscher. Begränsningar – Avvikelser kan förekomma då en stor mängd statistik under studien har bearbetats. Metoden att göra en kartläggning anses generaliserbar men resultatet kan skilja sig mellan olika företag, därför kan inte hela studien tillämpas i alla sammanhang. Författarna anser däremot att studien bör kunna appliceras på andra verksamheter då frågor om arbetsmiljö och sjukfrånvaro är aktuellt i alla branscher.

Interkommunal samverkan är framhållen som en lösning på små kommuners utmaningar med att uppfylla sina åtaganden och tillgodose medborgarnas behov med begränsade resurser. Urbanisering och demografisk utveckling bidrar till att interkommunal samverkan blir ett allt mer ökande fenomen bland små kommuner i Sverige. Interkommunal samverkan är ett förhållandevis ostuderat område, syftet med studien är därför att öka förståelsen för interkommunal samverkan och de faktorer som kan påverka samarbetet mellan kommunerna. Genom en induktiv forskningsansats och kvalitativ fallstudie har vi studerat fenomenet interkommunal samverkan mellan två små kommuner i södra Sverige som ingått samverkan genom avtal. Det empiriska insamlade materialet har vi sedan sammanställt och utifrån resultatet valt teorier för att öka förståelsen för fenomenet.   Utfallet av studien har visat att samverkan är komplext och de svårigheter som har identifierats kan relateras till följande områden: otydliga ansvarsområden och arbetsfördelning i avtalet, brist på kommunikation och information till medarbetarna, kommunernas olika förutsättningar samt medarbetarnas avsaknad av en närvarande chef och ledare. Vidare har vi formulerat förslag på åtgärder som kan förhindra svårigheterna. Innan samverkan ingås bör en konsekvensbedömning utföras för att kartlägga kommunernas syfte och mål med samverkan samt vilka resurstillgångar och förutsättningar kommunerna har för att samverka. Ansvarsfördelningen och specifika arbetsuppgifter bör tydligt beskrivas i avtalet för att undvika missförstånd och osäkerhet. Medarbetarna har en betydande roll i samverkan, och eftersom interkommunal samverkan ofta är ett top down-beslut är det viktigt att ledningen tar hänsyn till deras behovs och involverar medarbetarna i hela processen. / Collaboration between small municipals have become a solution and necessity to overcome the challenges small municipals are experiencing and to fulfil their obligations. Due to urbanisation and demographical change, collaboration is an increasing phenomenon among small municipals in Sweden. The area is not particularly researched and the purpose of this study is to create a greater understanding of inter-municipal collaboration and identify factors that can affect the cooperation between the municipals. We have studied the phenomenon with an inductive research method and qualitative case study of two small municipals in Southern Sweden collaborating by a contract agreement. Everyone directly involved in the collaboration on different hierarchical levels in both organisations have been included in the research. Based on the result of our collected empirical material we have used with theories in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon. The result of our research has proven that inter-municipal collaboration is complex and the main difficulties we have identified can be related to following areas: unclear division of responsibilities and tasks in the agreement, lack of communication and information to the co-workers, the municipals’ different assumptions and the absence of a manager and leader. We have composed suggestions to action that may prevent and avoid the difficulties. An impact assessment should be conducted before the collaboration is initiated in order to identify the purpose, objectives, resources and assumptions each municipal have. The division of responsibilities and tasks should be clearly specified in the agreement in order to avoid misunderstandings and uncertainty. The co-workers have a significant role in the collaboration and as inter-municipal collaboration often is a top down decision, it is important that the management take the co-workers' needs into consideration and involve the employees in the entire process.

The intent of this thesis is to clarify my artistic working process as well as the resulting thesis exhibition, Only the lull I like, the hum of your valved voice. I will provide explanations and descriptions of my exhibition (comprising a select placement of objects) as well as offer antecedents, informants, and the evolution of my art practice as a whole during my graduate studies. Specifically the work is discussed through the lenses of situational aesthetics, conceptual relationships, and perceptual absence to argue for the complicated semantics of the viewer within an ontology of object-hood and pre-established conditions.