Key to designing instruction for situated learning is ensuring the ability of learners to transfer acquired knowledge to a variety of situations. Common to models of instruction and frameworks for situated learning is the importance of including activities for promoting reflection within the design of the learning environment. However, these models currently do not include detailed support for reflective practice that will help instructional designers prepare learners to meet the demands of situated learning. One method to meet the demand of the ill-structured nature of situated learning and provide adaptability for instructional design is through reflection-in-action and mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to apply design and development research methodologies to develop a conceptual model of reflection that incorporates mindfulness to enhance reflection-in-action within a situated learning environment. This model illustrates the relationship of incorporating mindfulness to help learners increase and direct attention to the present moment in order to improve performance through reflection-in-action. Based on the results of the study, mindfulness and reflection strategies are incorporated before, during, and after the learning experience to enhance reflection-in-action. / Ph. D.

An electrophysiology research laboratory at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in the Physiology/Pharmacology Department currently carries out memory research by recording neural signals from laboratory animals with a wire tethering the animal to nearby signal conditioning and recording equipment. A wireless neural signal recording system is desirable because it removes the cumbersome wires from the animal, allowing it to roam more freely. The result is an animal that is more able to behave as it would in its natural habitat, thus opening the possibility of testing procedures that are not possible with wired recording systems. While there are wireless neural recording systems in existence, this thesis presents a new approach to recording neural signals wirelessly. The firings of neurons in the hippocampus are manifested as action potentials or voltage "spikes" on the order of 100 to 400uV in magnitude. Though the information content of the neural signal is riding on these action potentials, the spikes comprise a small fraction of the complete neural signal. A unique feature of the neural signal transceiver presented in this thesis is its ability to digitally isolate and transmit the action potentials, leaving out the remaining, unimportant part of the neural signal. This approach to recording neural signals makes efficient use of the limited bandwidth available with portable short range wireless devices. This thesis will present the spike isolating neural transmitter, which was built using commercially available electronic components. Then, the proper function of assembly language code written for a PIC18F458 microcontroller will be demonstrated. Finally, a discussion of the performance of the neural signal transmitter will be provided. / Master of Science

Organizations have recognized usability engineering as a needed step in the development process to ensure the success of any product. As is the case in all competitive settings areas for improvement are scouted and always welcomed. In the case of usability engineering a lot of time, money, equipment, and other resources are spent to gather usability data to identify and resolve usability problems in order to improve their product. The usability data gained from the expenditure of resources is often only applied to the development effort at hand and not reused across projects and across different development groups within the organization. More over, the usability data are often used at a level that forces the organization to only apply the data to that specific development effort. However, if usability data can be abstracted from the specific development effort and analyzed in relation to the process that created and identified the data; the data can then be used and applied over multiple development efforts. The User Action Framework (UAF) is a hierarchical framework of usability concepts that ensures consistency through completeness and precision. The UAF by its nature classifies usability problems at a high level. This high level classification affords usability engineers to not only apply the knowledge gained to the current development effort but to apply the knowledge across multiple development efforts. This author presents a mechanism and a process to allow usability engineers to find insights in their usability data to identify both strengths and weaknesses in their process. In return usability practitioners and companies can increase their return on investment by extending the usefulness of usability data over multiple development efforts. / Master of Science

This study explores the potential differences in attitudes that Asian American ethnic groups, and men and women within those groups, have toward Affirmative Action policies in the United States. My research question was: How do ethnicity and gender effect Asian American attitudes toward Affirmative Action? Using the Pilot National Asian American Political Survey (PNAAPS), 2000-2001, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews, I found that there are differences in attitudes toward Affirmative Action between Asian ethnic groups. In comparison to Chinese respondents, Vietnamese respondents were consistently more favorable toward Affirmative Action policies than South Asian and Filipino respondents were. Gender was significant in a few regressions, particularly as a control variable — indicating the importance of considering gender when examining Asian American attitudes toward Affirmative Action. In conducting interviews, respondents suggested that Affirmative Action policies be amended to assist people of lower socioeconomic status as well as recent immigrants to the United States. An implication of this study is the importance of disaggregating Asian Americans by ethnic group. The consistent support for Affirmative Action policies by Vietnamese respondents, in comparison to Chinese respondents, supports this need. / Master of Science

The brown stink bug, Euchistus servus (Say), is a polyphagous pest of multiple cultivated hosts in Virginia. It recently emerged as a potentially devastating pest of maize, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), in eastern Virginia where small grain (e.g., wheat, rye) production is common. In order to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) plan, research is needed to determine if brown stink bug feeding causes economic damage in maize at different growth stages and levels of infestations. Experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 to determine: 1) effectiveness of seed applied and in-furrow chemical control methods, 2) infestation levels in seedling and reproductive growth stages that cause economic damage, and 3) the effect, if any, of E. servus feeding on grain quality and mycotoxin contamination. Results of these experiments demonstrated that infestation levels (i.e., number of bugs divided by number of plants) of 11% and 15% in seedling and late vegetative maize, respectively, can cause measurable yield reduction at harvest. Seedling damage from E. servus is significantly mitigated by neonicotinoid seed treatments which are applied to nearly all commercial maize seed. Further, experiments indicated that maize quality can be affected by E. servus feeding in late reproductive stages of development. Results of these experiments will help to inform Virginia maize producers of the need to manage E. servus throughout the growing season. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / The brown stink bug, Euschistus servus, has emerged as a potential economic pest of maize (commonly referred to as "corn" or "field corn") in Virginia following reduced broad-spectrum insecticide use and increased adoption of no-tillage or reduced-tillage crop production systems. Stink bug infestations in maize frequently occur at two times in the growing season: following cover crop termination and following small grain harvest. We need to determine the effects of brown stink bug infestations on maize yield and quality, as well as the effectiveness of chemical management options, to help minimize yield losses and input costs for maize producers in our region. Experiments were conducted to determine: 1) the control provided by insecticidal seed treatments and in-furrow insecticide applications, 2) the level of brown stink bug infestations that cause economic damage at different growth stages of maize, and 3) the effect of brown stink bug feeding and a Fusarium fungal pathogen on grain yield and quality. Results of these experiments determined economic injury levels in seedling corn and late vegetative stages. Additionally, we found that universally applied neonicotinoid seed treatments mitigated early damage. Further, stink bug feeding through reproductive stages of development can reduce grain quality. Our results will help Virginia maize producers to make informed pest management decisions throughout the season.

No / Managers today increasingly find themselves facing unexpected problems, needing to learn how to cope with complex environments and to take action in an often chaotic flow of events. This paper discusses how researchers can engage managers in a form of dialogical action research, capable of nurturing meaningful knowledge and facilitating change. This is achieved by creating space for collaborative dialogue between managers and researchers, and supplementing it with the integration of a reflexive writing practice that can be used to create ‘generative moments’ for learning within experience. The paper first presents methodological reflections related to the challenges of sustaining management practice through action research. Second, we explicate dialogical action research and illustrate the reflexive writing practice through two vignettes, which provide opportunities to reflexively explore “how things work” in managers’ organizational contexts. This forms the basis for sustaining participation and learning at individual and collective levels. Finally, we identify and discuss the specific conditions and limits of such an approach.

America is diverse in its culture of ideas and ways of life. This makes for a complex negotiation of issue positions and justifications when attempting to resolve public issues. It is essential therefore, that organizations not only understand but also cater to and adapt to the variety of cultural expectations and interpretations that may guide their various stakeholder publics when creating messages about controversial issues. One of the most controversial issues our society faces today is affirmative action. The rationales for the different stances people take on this topic vary greatly, revealing both opportunities and barriers to resolve a long-standing, contentious political issue. This thesis describes and analyzes reactions to two 2003 Supreme Court cases that examined the University of Michigan's affirmative action admissions policies: Gratz, et al. v. Bollinger, et al. and Grutter et al v. Bollinger, et al. The cases were the first time the Supreme Court had addressed affirmative action since the 1978 Bakke case. It was also the first time that the Court would debate whether or not diversity is truly a compelling state interest and what constitutes a fair and legal process by which to achieve it. Mediated accounts of the debate were examined in order to offer insight into contemporary interpretations of a recurring issue. By looking at how the media framed the issue, policymakers, politically-involved citizens, public relations practitioners can better understand the political climate in which they work, and thereby allowing them to better craft their communication efforts. Cultural Topoi, developed from Cultural Theory was used as a lens through which to examine the complexity of American political principles in these cases and values in this changing landscape of social expectations and public policy. / Master of Arts

Within the past few years, the question of the constitutionality of affirmative action has undeniably become one of the most widely debated public issues in the United States. Accusations of "reverse discrimination" have become more and more frequent, particularly by white students who believe they have been denied admission to public universities because of their race. Consequently, this question has been addressed in courts of all levels across the nation. However, due to the differing circumstances and legal issues of each case, the courts have not been able to agree on one acceptable standard and have consistently produced conflicting results and contradictory reasoning. On Monday, June 23, 2003, the Supreme Court of the United States released a historical opinion to the public in the case of Grutter v. Bollinger. From the information reviewed, a critique of the decision has been developed and an analytic approach has been taken to understand the effects of such a powerful decision.

When deciding between action alternatives, we use information about the relative costs and rewards of each action to choose an appropriate plan. Participants of a recent study by Curioni et al. (2022) showed strong preferences for completing a virtual box-clearing task cooperatively with a partner rather than alone, despite it being more costly. Participants completed the task standing beside each other in close proximity which may have created a social pressure to cooperate through a need to manage one’s reputation or a sense of commitment. Here, 50 human pairs, each composed of a "Decision-maker" and "Helper", completed a box- clearing task modelled after Curioni et al. while seated farther away and out of view of one another. In 50% of trials, Decision-makers were forced to complete the task alone or with the Helper. In the remaining 50% of trials, Decision-makers chose to work alone or cooperatively. When working together, participants were required to synchronize their movements without communication nor feedback of their partner’s movements. Decision-makers answered open-ended questions regarding why and when they chose to complete the task alone and together. Contrary to the model experiment, participants demonstrated a slight preference for individual action over costly joint action, although these preferences were not significantly different from chance. Inductive thematic analysis revealed two dominant themes: "chose actions with greater instrumental utility" and "chose actions with greater social value". The identified themes suggest that preferences to cooperate are highly individualized, and that cooperative action seems to provide additional social rewards which may drive preferences for costly cooperation. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / When deciding how to move or complete a task, we assume people choose actions that are the most rewarding and least costly. Yet, people repeatedly choose to work cooperatively with others despite it being less time-consuming and equally or more rewarding to do the same task alone. This thesis uses quantitative and qualitative analytical techniques to assess the replicability of previous findings and reveal the factors motivating decisions to cooperate. Unlike previous findings, while some people strongly preferred to complete a task in the more costly, cooperative manner, most either preferred to work alone or did not have a preference for either action. Individuals prioritized energetically-focused and social aspects of the task, and to varying degrees. These results suggest that preferences for cooperative action are not random, but are rather highly individualized. While many people want to maximize their instrumental gains, for some, the most valuable reward is simply the friends they make along the way.

No description available.