Critical thinking is a skill that school systems are trying to develop in their student populations. Numerous studies have been conducted on developing critical thinking skills such as self-regulation, interpretation, and analysis. However, available data on the use of learning management systems (LMS) as a means to develop critical-thinking skills have been opaque. This study examined the perceptions of local stakeholders and the impact of confidence-based assessment (CBA) on secondary students at one high school. The conceptual framework guiding the study represented a synthesis of theoretical perspectives on critical thinking and its development with the current research on the pedagogical foundations of LMS applications. This qualitative case study project was designed to understand the perceptions of teachers, administrators, and content developers regarding the viability of a LMS with CBA embedded to increase students' critical-thinking skills. The research question focused on the use of Moodle, an LMS option, modified to use CBA to measure, improve, and enhance critical thinking skills. Qualitative data from open-ended questionnaires and interviews were gathered from teachers, administrators, and content developers who had taken a CBA within Moodle, and then coded using typological analysis to explore the respondents' perspectives. Since compelling evidence was found that a cost-effective LMS with embedded CBA may provide a positive benefit to students, a project consisting of a detailed program implementation plan was proposed to the school district. If implemented, the program can be replicated by educational institutions, potentially contributing to social change by democratizing access to a testing methodology that increases students' background knowledge while measuring their critical thinking skills.

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By manipulating constraints and goals, this study had generated some ill-posed problems in "Fractions" which were packed into 2 mathematical tasks for teacher uses in an intended exploration of their perceived effectiveness of teaching mathematical problem-solving against their student responses through the lens of the theory of formative assessment. Each ill-posed problem was characterized by certain descriptive "instability" that users would have to define own sets of mathematical assumptions for problem-solving inquiries. 3 highly qualified, experienced, and trained mathematics teachers were purposefully recruited, and instructed to acquire and mark student responses without any prior teaching and intervention. Each of these teachers' perceptions of ill-posed problems was acquired through a semi-structured clinical case-interview. All teachers in common demonstrated only individual singular mathematical problem-solving inquiries as major instructional adjustments during evaluation, even though individuals had ample opportunities in manipulating the described intention of each problem. Although some could realize inquiries from students being alternative to own used, not all would intend to change initial instructional plans of each problem and could design dedicated tasks in extending given problem-solving contexts for subsequent teaching and maintaining the described problem-solving intentions merely because of evaluation purposes. The resulting thick teacher perceptions were then analyzed by the Mayring's (2015) Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) method for exploring particularly those who could intend to influence and get influenced by students' used mathematical assumptions in interviews. Certain unanticipated uses of assumptions of student individuals and groups were evidently found to have influenced cognitively some teachers' further problem-solving inquiries at some interview instants and stimulated their perception changes. In the lack of subject implementation in mathematics education for the theory of "formative" assessment (Black & Wiliam, 2009), based on its definition, these instants should be put as their potential creations of and/or capitalizations upon certain asynchronous moments of contingency according to their planning of instructional adjustments for more comprehensive learning and definite growths of mathematical inquiries of students according to individuals' needs of problem-solving. Due to QCA, these perception changes might be characterized by four certain inductively formed categories of scenarios of perceptions, which were summarized as 1) Evaluation Perception, 2) Assumption Expansion Perception, 3) Assumption Collection Perception, and 4) Intention Indecision Perception. These scenarios of perceptions might be used to explore teachers' intentions, actions, and coherency in accounting for students' used assumptions in mathematical inquiries for given problem-solving contexts and extensions of given intentions of mathematical inquiries, particularly in their designs of mathematical tasks. Teacher uses of ill-posed problems were shown to have provided certain evidences in implementing formative assessments which should substantiate a subject implementation of its theory in the discipline of mathematics education. Methodologically, the current study also substantiate how theory-guided designs of ill-posed problems as well as generic plain text analysis through QCA have facilitate effectiveness comparisons of instructional adjustments within a teacher, across different teachers, decided prior knowledge, students of prior mathematical learning experiences, and students in different levels of schooling and class size.

The performance and safety assessment of geo-structures is strongly affected by uncertainty; that is, both due a subjective lack of knowledge as well as objectively present and irreducible unknowns. Due to uncertainty in the non-linear variation of the matric suction induced effective stress as a function of the transient soil-atmosphere boundary conditions, the unsaturated state of the subsoil is generally not accounted for in a deterministic slope stability assessment. Probability theory, accounting for uncertainties quantitatively rather than using "cautious estimates" on loads and resistances, may aid to partly bridge the gap between unsaturated soil mechanics and engineering practice. This research investigates the effect of uncertainty in soil property values on the stability of unsaturated soil slopes. Two 2D Finite Element (FE) programs have been developed and implemented into a parallelised Reliability-Based Design (RBD) framework, which allows for the assessment of the failure probability, failure consequence and parameter sensitivity, rather than a deterministic factor of safety. Utilising the Random Finite Element Method (RFEM), within a Monte Carlo framework, multivariate cross-correlated random property fields have been mapped onto the FE mesh to assess the effect of isotropic and anisotropic moderate heterogeneity on the transient slope response, and thus performance. The framework has been applied to a generic slope subjected to different rainfall scenarios. The performance was found to be sensitive to the uncertainty in the effective shear strength parameters, as well as the parameters governing the unsaturated soil behaviour. The failure probability was found to increase most during prolonged rainfall events with a low precipitation rate. Nevertheless, accounting for the unsaturated state resulted in a higher slope reliability than when not considering suction effects. In a heterogeneous deposit failure is attracted to local zones of low shear strength, which, for an unsaturated soil, are a function of both the spatial variability of soil property values, as well as of the soil-water dynamics, leading to a significant increase in the failure probability near the end of the main rainfall event.

This diploma thesis is focused on design and assessement of the road bridge in Příbor city, where road I/58 crosses road I/48. There are 3 possible of solution of designed structure which are slab construction, beam construction and prefabricated structure. Each solution includes the design and assessment of individual structures, including drawings and economic evaluation. In conclusion, the three solutions have been evaluated against all of the given criteria.

Second-generation biofuels could provide renewable energy while reducing the globaleconomy dependence on oil and mitigating climate change. However, their greenhouse gasemission balances, as well as their energy and environmental balances, are discussed,especially when they are produced from agricultural feedstock. The use of agriculturalfeedstock for energy purposes also raises the issue of competition with food production. Inthis context, this work contributes to the assessment of the sustainability of Miscanthus xgiganteus, a perennial C4 crop candidate to the production of second-generation ethanol. Theobjectives of this work are (i) to achieve a multicriteria evaluation of cropping systems basedon M. Giganteus using data collected in farmers’ fields and (ii) to compare these croppingsystems with cropping systems including other resources Agricultural candidates for biofuelproduction. The main contributions of this work are (i) the study of the variability of yieldsand winter nitrate losses in a network of commercial fields located in Burgundy (France), (ii)the characterization by modeling of M. giganteus long-term yield evolution and (iii) theintegration of these findings in a process of cropping systems design and assessment aimingat comparing M. giganteus with other feedstock candidate to the production of bioethanol.The study of M. giganteus in farmers’ fields shows that the high variability of yields andnitrate losses is linked to (i) crop age, (ii) soil type and (iii) the type of field (i.e. culturalhistory, size, shape, and environment). Contrasting yield scenarios, built by combining datacollected in commercial fields with a long-term yield evolution model, show that thesensitivity of assessment results regarding yields depends on the assessment field. Theinsertion of M. giganteus in a cropping system can significantly improve the greenhouse gasemission balance as well as the environmental balance, compared with a cropping systembased on a short cropping sequence. Economic results depend strongly on M. giganteus yield.Other agricultural feedstocks are also interesting, especially on soils where the yield potentialof M. giganteus is low: this is particularly the case of alfalfa stems, which can be used forsecond-generation ethanol production. / Second-generation biofuels could provide renewable energy while reducing the globaleconomy dependence on oil and mitigating climate change. However, their greenhouse gasemission balances, as well as their energy and environmental balances, are discussed,especially when they are produced from agricultural feedstock. The use of agriculturalfeedstock for energy purposes also raises the issue of competition with food production. Inthis context, this work contributes to the assessment of the sustainability of Miscanthus xgiganteus, a perennial C4 crop candidate to the production of second-generation ethanol. Theobjectives of this work are (i) to achieve a multicriteria evaluation of cropping systems basedon M. Giganteus using data collected in farmers’ fields and (ii) to compare these croppingsystems with cropping systems including other resources Agricultural candidates for biofuelproduction. The main contributions of this work are (i) the study of the variability of yieldsand winter nitrate losses in a network of commercial fields located in Burgundy (France), (ii)the characterization by modeling of M. giganteus long-term yield evolution and (iii) theintegration of these findings in a process of cropping systems design and assessment aimingat comparing M. giganteus with other feedstock candidate to the production of bioethanol.The study of M. giganteus in farmers’ fields shows that the high variability of yields andnitrate losses is linked to (i) crop age, (ii) soil type and (iii) the type of field (i.e. culturalhistory, size, shape, and environment). Contrasting yield scenarios, built by combining datacollected in commercial fields with a long-term yield evolution model, show that thesensitivity of assessment results regarding yields depends on the assessment field. Theinsertion of M. giganteus in a cropping system can significantly improve the greenhouse gasemission balance as well as the environmental balance, compared with a cropping systembased on a short cropping sequence. Economic results depend strongly on M. giganteus yield.Other agricultural feedstocks are also interesting, especially on soils where the yield potentialof M. giganteus is low: this is particularly the case of alfalfa stems, which can be used forsecond-generation ethanol production.

Computer-based testing (CBT) in education is on the rise; however, researchers question the interchangeability of CBT and pencil-based testing (PBT). Educators and leaders need to consider test mode interchangeability and student assessment preference prior to adopting CBT in K-8 schools. Following the new literacies theory, this mixed methods study examined test mode preference, the effect on achievement, and factors that influenced student preferences. Research questions investigated participants' computer attitudes and use to determine test mode preference, the impact of test mode and test mode preference on achievement, and factors that influence testing preferences. This sequential explanatory within-group design included 2 online surveys and 2 reading tests in CBT and PBT formats. Paired-sample t tests were used to analyze reading test data preferred and nonpreferred test modes and across CBT and PBT test modes. Qualitative themes were generated and coded using an inductive approach, and patterns among data were analyzed. Findings revealed that all participants used technology regularly at home and at school, and most students preferred CBT over PBT. Quantitatively, there were no significant differences in reading achievement between students' preferred and nonpreferred test modes or between CBT and PBT test formats. Qualitative analysis indicated that students who chose PBT as their preferred test mode did so due to their familiarity with the format. Overall, results supported the idea that CBT and PBT were interchangeable. Implications for positive social change include increasing teachers' effective use of testing modes to improve student confidence, which may translate into improved student achievement.

This dissertation is a participant observer’s account of implementing a multisite, randomised controlled trial within Her Majesty’s Prison Service. It adds to a scarce literature detailing the steps involved in implementing experiments in custodial settings by providing a candid account of the route from planning to successful implementation. The randomised controlled trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Sycamore Tree Programme. This programme’s goal is to teach prisoners the wider harm of crime and includes a face-to-face meeting between a victim of crime and the participating offenders. It derives its rehabilitative potential from restorative justice and seeks to foster hope that change is possible for offenders, thus aiding them to desist from crime. Its development and theoretical basis are described for the first time. In an in-depth narrative the dissertation details how at every stage strategies were developed to manage participant procurement, random assignment, maintaining treatment integrity, and preparing for final outcome measurements. The randomised controlled trial was designed to produce an individual experiment in eight prisons. These will be combined in a meta-analysis as well as analysed as a pooled sample. Overall the implementation process took close to two years and involved a charitable body, Her Majesty’s Prison Service, the National Offender Management Service, and two police forces. This work has demonstrated how the unstable nature of English prison populations and the risk-averse climate must be addressed when conducting experiments in that environment. It has also illustrated the gap between the rhetoric of evidence-based policy and the facilitation of research designed to seek that evidence. Nevertheless, developing trusting relationships and combining rapidly learnt skills with inherent abilities ensured that the evaluation methodology was supported and protected through the various challenges it met. Finally, the dissertation suggests conditions for closer collaboration between government executive bodies and researchers that might increase the number of experiments undertaken in prisons. It also aims to encourage researchers that prison experiments, although not easy, are feasible, defendable, and, above all, worthwhile.

Die Bedeutung von Leistungshalbleitern mit großem Bandabstand (Wide Band Gap, WBG) nahm in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten kontinuierlich zu. Diese Bauelemente haben das Potenzial, Silizium (Si) - Bauelemente in bestimmten Anwendungen sowie Leistungs- und Frequenzbereichen zu ersetzen. Siliziumkarbid (SiC)-Leistungshalbleiter sind die gegenwärtig am Weitesten entwickelten WBG-Leistungshalbleiter. Dank besonderer Materialeigenschaften zeichnen sich SiC-Leistungshalbleiter im Vergleich zu Si-Bauelementen durch einen geringeren spezifischen Widerstand, eine höhere Schaltgeschwindigkeit, geringere schaltverluste sowie eine höhere maximale Sperrschichttemperatur aus. Die deutlich erhöhten Herstellungskosten limitieren den Einsatz von SiC-Leistungshalbleitern auf Anwendungen, in denen die Vorteile dieser Bauelemente die höheren Kosten überkompensieren und Systemvorteile ermöglichen. Heute werden SiC-Leistungshalbleiter z.B. in Solarwechselrichtern oder in Elektrofahrzeugen verwendet. Für Stromrichter industrieller elektrischer Antriebe ist die Kosten-Nutzen-Bilanz des Einsatzes von SiC-Leistungshalbleitern gegenwärtig nicht bekannt. Diese Fragestellung motiviert diese Arbeit. Die Auslegung sowie die daraus resultierenden Vor- und Nachteile eines Stromrichters mit SiC-Leistungshalbleitern für elektrische Industrieantriebe ist der Untersuchungsgegenstand dieser Arbeit. Zu diesem Zweck wurde unter Einhaltung industrieller Auslegungskriterien ein 240 kVA SiC-basierter Stromrichterdemonstrator als aktiver Gleichrichter am dreiphasigen 690 V Niederspannungsnetz untersucht. Auf der Basis einer Stromrichterauslegung für SiC- und Si-Leistungshalbleiter wurde ein theoretischer Vergleich von Kosten, Effizienz, Größe und Gewicht durchgeführt. Die Arbeit stellt zunächst den Stand der Technik für SiC-Leistungshalbleiter dar. Anschließend wird ein geeignetes SiC-MOSFET Module für den industriellen Stromrichter ausgewählt und bezüglich des Schaltverhaltens sowie der Parallelschaltung charakterisiert. Der Auslegung des Stromrichterleistungsteils liegen industrielle Anforderungen zu Grunde. Ein realisierter Demonstrator für einen netzseitigen Stromrichter (Active Front End) ist durch eine symmetrische Parallelschaltung von zwei SiC-Modulen, geeignete Ansteuerschaltungen (Gate Drive Units), eine niedrige Streuinduktivität im Kommutierungskreis sowie ein LCL-Filter mit Standard-Kernmaterialien gekennzeichnet. Der Stromrichtervergleich zeigt, dass der betrachtete Stromrichter mit SiC-Leistungshalbleitern im gesamten Betriebsbereich geringere Verluste verursacht als ein vergleichbarer Stromrichter mit Si-Leistungshalbleitern. Der SiC - basierte Stromichter ermöglicht auch eine deutliche Gewichtsreduktion bei ca. 89% der Systemkosten. Somit stellen SiC-Leistungshalbleiter eine attraktive technische Lösung für die untersuchte Anwendung eines aktiven Gleichrichters für industrielle elektrische Antriebe dar. / Wide bandgap (WBG) power semiconductors have drawn steadily increasing interest in power electronics in the last three decades. These devices have shown the potential of replacing silicon as the default semiconductor solution for several applications in determined power and frequency ranges. Among them the most mature WBG semiconductor material is silicon carbide (SiC), which presents several characteristics at the crystal level that translate in the potential of presenting lower resistivity, be able to switch faster with lower switching loss, and present both higher characteristics to tolerate and dissipate heat when com pared with silicon. However, the same characteristics that make it great also present a different set of drawbacks to be considered, which aligned with its increased cost make it challenging to assess if its advantages are justified for a particular application. Applications that highly value efficiency and/or power density are the most benefited, and converter solutions featuring the technology have already breached into these application markets. However in other applica tions, the line from which silicon carbide starts making sense in the cost/benefits/drawbacks balance is not clear. This is typically the case of industrial applications, which were the main focus and motivation of this work. Hence, in this work the main goal has been to determine the basic characteristics, advantages and limitations that SiC technology designs for industrial low voltage high power grid connected converters present. To that end, a 690 V, 240 kVA SiC-based grid-tied converter demonstrator following industrial design criteria has been developed. Then, based on this design procedure a theoretical comparison between a 690 V, 190 kVA SiC-based converter against a silicon-based converter designed for the same power output has been performed to compare them regarding cost, efficiency, size and weight. This work also comprises a thorough revision of the state of art of SiC devices, which led to the selection of the switching device. Additionally, a characterization of both single and parallel-connected operation of the semiconductor modules was performed, to determine the module characteristics and its suitability to build the SiC converter demonstrator. Results show that the converter demonstrator operates as designed, proving that is possible with the corresponding precautions to achieve: a low inductive power loop, balanced parallel connection of SiC modules, adequate driving circuits for the parallel-connected modules and an adequate filtering solution in compliance with grid-codes based on standard core materials for the selected switching frequency. Finally, the theoretical comparison between the two designed power converters shows that, attained to the conditions of the comparison, the SiC converter solution presents efficiency gains over the whole operating range, while presenting substantial weight savings at 89% of the costs of the Si-IGBT design, presenting itself as the cost-effective solution for the presented application requirements under the given design constraints.

While research supports that formative assessment can improve student learning, it is rarely used and difficult to implement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the use of student handheld response systems (SRS) as a tool for formative assessment in high school classes as well as teachers' attitudes towards this emerging technology. Self-efficacy and motivation theories provide the theoretical framework for this study. To explore this phenomenon, data were collected via an online interview from high school teachers (n=11) and were analyzed using inductive coding. Three themes emerged from this analysis and served as a basis for a professional development plan that school districts may use to incorporate formative assessment via SRS into their curriculums. These themes included strong teacher and student satisfaction, improved formative assessment, and improved pace of instruction. This project study will contribute to the existing literature on formative assessment and student response systems. Additionally, it will also initiate social change by giving school districts a framework for how to implement the broader use of these devices in classrooms and may impact how these teachers use assessment. Shifting the focus of classroom assessment from simply measuring student learning to improving instruction can in turn increase student learning.