This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy (SEEL) intervention method to improve consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) reading in four students receiving Tier 3 services. The SEEL intervention method was also combined with the use of digital books on an iPad to investigate the effects of using technology in reading intervention sessions. Previous research indicates effectiveness for the foundational principles of SEEL, which include instruction in engaging, meaningful contexts that provide frequent and intense opportunities to practice. This research involved 4 kindergarten students who qualified for Tier 3 services based on their performance on an index of difficulty in early literacy skills. The study contrasted trained with untrained literacy targets of comparable difficulty and was conducted as a single-subject multiple-baseline-across-behaviors design. Intervention was delivered three times a week for 15-20 minutes, depending on the engagement of the participants. An analysis of the results showed improvement in three out of four participants in their reading ability of the target CVC words. It gave mixed results as to the effects of using technology in combination with the reading intervention. The analysis also looked at student engagement during both the hands-on manipulation of the materials and the reading and writing tasks performed on the iPad. It found that the engagement between these two parts of each session was similar; if a student had poor engagement for the SEEL intervention, he or she also had poor engagement for the iPad portion, and vice versa. This study provides further insight into the efficacy of SEEL and the use of technology; it also provides suggestions for future research in the area of reading intervention.

Ground engaging tools are very important components of machinery for agricultural applications, such as soil tillage. Ploughshare points serve as the first point of contact between ploughs and the hard minerals in the soil. One of the biggest problems that these tools encounter is abrasive wear, which decreases tillage quality, causes frequent tillage stops, increases fuel consumption of the tractor, and results in soil erosion. During this investigation, wear measurement, surface profiling and microscopic analysis were performed on three share point samples running in silica and granite sand – two points were commercial ones made of steel EN 22MnB5 and hardened. They served as commercial references. A third share point was also a commercial EN 22MnB5 one, but not hardened and laser cladded by a Ni-base + 50% carbide powder mix (Höganäs 1559–40 + 50% 4590). The abrasive wear testing was performed in an especially designed carousel tribometer. The laser cladded sample suffered only 30% of the wear shown in the EN 22MnB5 reference sample running under the same conditions. / Jordbearbetningsverktyg är väldigt viktiga komponenter i maskiner för jordbruksapplikationer, såsom jordbearbetning. Det är skärbladet på plogen, den så kallade plogbillen, som står för kontakten mellan plogen och de hårda mineralerna i jorden. Ett av de största problemen som dessa verktyg möter är abrasivnötning, som gör att verktygen efter en tid blir ineffektiva och bland annat orsakar frekventa stopp, erosion av marken och låg jordkvalité på grund av den försämrade jordbearbetningen samt ökar traktorns bränsleförbrukning. I denna undersökning testades provbitar av två olika slags stål runt i kvarts- respektive granitsand, och därefter utfördes mätningar på den nötning som skett samt även ytprofilering och mikroskopi gjordes. Testerna utfördes i kvartsand och i granitsand. Provbitar var två kommerciellt tillverkad härdade skärblad gjorda i stål EN 22MnB5. Ett tredje skärblad var också en komerciellt gjord i EN 22MnB5 stål men ohärdad och laserpåsvetsad med Ni-bas + 50% karbid pulverblandning (Höganäs 1559-40 +50% 4590). Provkörningarna utfördes i en speciellt utvecklad karusell-tribometer. Resultatet från provningarna visade att i fallet med laserpåsvetsade bitarna så var nötningen endast 30% relativt nötningen som EN 22MnB5-provet uppvisade under samma förutsättningar.

Gamification in formal education aims at increasing students’ engagement, motivation, and interaction in educational platforms. Gamification promotes desired learning behaviors by integrating personal and social elements to create an immersive learning environment. Despite the large number of gamified platforms in the education field, and the potential of gamification, the success is still limited because gamifying formal learning platforms is a challenging process. The success of gamification is largely rooted in the motivational framework of flow experiences. To implement a motivational framework for flow experiences in a formal gamify learning environment, the right guidelines must be implemented. A problem faced by most gamify platforms is the lack of coherent gamification guidelines that educational institutions can employ to enhance student engagement. The purpose of this thesis is to develop comprehensive gamification guidelines covering all pertinent topics to make gamify learning environments engaging for students. The goal of this thesis is to provide a basis for the diversification of education. The results of this thesis will highlight key elements that support student engagement in formal gamify learning environments and this is attained by performing qualitative research studies, reviewing literature on gamification, and refining the research questions into guidelines pertinent to the subject. / Spelifiering inom utbildningen syftar till att öka studenters engagemang, motivation och interaktion på utbildningsplattformar. Spelifiering främjar önskvärda inlärningsbeteenden genom att integrera personliga och sociala element för att skapa en fördjupande lärandemiljö. Trots det stora antalet spelifierade plattformar inom utbildningsområdet och potentialen hos spelifiering är framgången fortfarande begränsad eftersom spelifiera lärande är en utmanande process. Spelifiering har sina rötter i motivationsramverket för flödesupplevelser. Problemet som spelifieringsplattformar står inför är bristen på enhetliga spelifieringsriktlinjer som utbildningsinstitutioner eller spelifieringsdesigners kan använda som modell för att förbättra studenters motivation, engagemang och interaktion. Syftet med denna avhandling är att utveckla en omfattande guide som täcker alla relevanta ämnen för att göra lärandet motiverande, interaktivt och engagerande för studenterna. Att förbättra utbildningen är målet, och detta lägger grunden för utbildningsmångfald. Resultatet av denna avhandling kommer att belysa avgörande element som stöder studenters motivation, deltagande och interaktion. Genom att genomföra kvalitativ forskning, granska litteraturen och förädla forskningsfrågan till riktlinjer som är relevanta för ämnet kommer de önskade resultaten att uppnås.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Business leaders of today agree that people are the greatest asset of their enterprises, but they struggle to live up to the requirements the knowledge specialists of today dictate. This study investigates the method of storytelling as a leadership tool to engage people in businesses and to contribute to such businesses in becoming an Employer of Choice. In the present day knowledge era the way we communicate has changed completely and knowledge has become the single most important factor within businesses. The latter, in conjunction with the technology boom, has led to an extremely fast paced business environment worldwide, leaving the knowledge experts feeling somehow alienated. Business leaders need to understand this phenomenon and incorporate a culture of care within the business. It is easy to overlook the least troublesome, uncomplicated and inexpensive ways of communications, such as storytelling, to add value in creating a business environment of such a nature. South African businesses should tap into the wisdom of the Ubuntu culture that has its roots deep in storytelling as a method of knowledge sharing and to foster development. The objective of this research document is to illustrate the relationship between storytelling and engaging employees and retaining talent by means of which management could gain a better overview of how their implementation of a storytelling culture in the business could affect their customer retention in the relevant business. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Eietydse sakeleiers stem saam dat mense die grootste bate in hul ondernemings is, maar hulle vind dit moeilik om aan die vereistes te voldoen wat die kennisspesialiste deesdae voorskryf. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na die metode van storievertel as 'n bestuurswerktuig om mense binne ondernemings te betrek en om by te dra dat sulke ondernemings 'n voorkeurwerkverskaffer kan word. In die hedendaagse kennis-era het die manier waarop ons kommunikeer, heeltemal verander en het kennis die enkel belangrikste faktor in ondernemings geword. Gepaardgaande met die ontploffing in tegnologie, het ondernemings tot 'n uiters vinnige pas in die wêreldwye sake-omgewing gelei, wat die kennisspesialiste ietwat vervreemd gelaat het. Sakeleiers behoort hierdie verskynsel te verstaan en 'n omgee kultuur in hul ondernemings in te voer. Dit is maklik om die mees probleemvrye, ongekompliseerde en goedkoopste kommunikasie maniere mis te kyk, soos die vertel van stories, om waarde toe te voeg tot die skepping van 'n sake-omgewing van so 'n aard. Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings behoort die wysheid in die Ubuntu-kultuur te ontgin met sy wortels diep in storievertel as 'n manier om kennis te deel en om te ontwikkel. Die doel van hierdie opdrag is om die verhouding tussen storievertel en die betrokkenheid van werknemers toe te lig en om hul talent te behou waardeur die bestuur 'n beter oorsig kan verkry van hoe die implementering van 'n strorievertel kultuur in die onderneming die behoud van kliënte in die betrokke onderneming kan beïnvloed.

Come join the Military Families Learning Network Early Intervention team on Wed., June 29, from 12:30-1:30 ET for an interactive discussion related to the webinar "Engaging Families to Focus on Intervention Strategies" held on June 23. We want to hear your thoughts, opinions, and experiences related to interactions you have had with families of young children with disabilities and how those interactions strengthen the family’s ability to support their child’s learning. Were you not able to participate in the webinar on the 23rd? No worries! We would still love to hear from you! And if you want, you can go to the archived webinar and listen to it before the Lunch & Learn. Come share your expertise and learn from others during this interactive forum.

Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats var att undersöka organisationer och volontärer som arbetar eller frivilligt engagerar sig med att hjälpa barn runt om i världen på olika sätt. Jag vill veta vad det är som driver dem i sitt arbete och hur de själva hanterar de tankar och känslor som kan uppstå då de kommer i kontakt med barn som saknar många av de rättigheter som barn enligt svensk lag ska ha rätt till. De valda organisationerna är bara en liten del av det enorma engagemang som finns bland människor som strävar för att alla barn ska få rätt till en god barndom. / The purpose of this bachelor`s thesis was to investigate organizations and volunteers that work or volunteer to help children around the world in different ways. I want to know what it is that drives them in their work and how they handle the thoughts and feelings that may arise when they come into contact with children who lack the rights that children according to Swedish law should have. The chosen organizations are just a small part of the enormous commitment among people who strive for all children to have the right to a good childhood.

In order to reach sustainability, all parts of the system “individuals within organisations within society within the biosphere” must change. Individuals are major leverage points, and being more efficient in engaging them to act strategically towards sustainability is and will be of critical importance. To explore how to help the engager improve this engagement process, the authors did a broad transdisciplinary literature review; structured their information in a “Five Elements Guide – Structured information to help engage individuals to act strategically towards sustainability”; and used three brief examples to illustrate how to use their results. Based upon a deeper awareness about determinants of human behaviour and about how individuals change and become engaged, the results are structured into five interdependent elements: - ‘The Fifth Element’ – Think ‘Systems’. - ‘Earth’ – Understand yourself and what you want to achieve. - ‘Water’ – Understand the other’s behaviour and the influence of context. - ‘Air’ – Understand how change happens. - ‘Fire’ – Design an approach and perform it. This structure also allows for the addition of further findings that might be helpful for engaging individuals to act strategically towards sustainability. / För att nå ett hållbart samhälle måste alla delar av systemet "individer, inom organisationer, inom samhället, inom biosfären" förändras. Individen är mycket viktig i detta avseende och därför är det extremt viktigt att man blir bättre på engagera individer till att agera strategiskt för en hållbar utveckling. För att öka kunskapen om hur detta kan göras så har författarna av den här rapporten genomfört en transdisciplinär litteraturstudie, strukturerat informationen i guiden ”the Five Elements Guide” och använt tre exempel för att illustrera resultatet. Resultatets struktur är baserat på en förståelse av olika faktorer som påverkar mänskligt beteende, hur individer förändras och hur individer blir engagerade. Strukturen består av fem sammankopplade och av varandra beroende element: - ‘Det Femte Elementet’ – Tänk ‘System’. - ‘Jord’ – Förstå dig själv och vad du vill åstadkomma. - ‘Vatten’ – Förstå den andres beteende och kontextens inflytande. - ‘Luft’ – Förstå hur förändringar sker. - ‘Eld’ – Forma en plan och genomför den. Den här strukturen tillåter även att framtida upptäckter som kan vara hjälpsamma för att engagera individer att agera strategiskt för ett hållbart samhälle kan adderas till guiden. / <p>renaud@systeme-change.fr  kristoffer.lundholm@gmail.com</p>

No description available.

Reinforced concrete buildings built prior to the enactment of modern seismic codes are often seismically deficient. These buildings may have inadequate strength and ductility to withstand strong earthquakes. Conventional retrofit techniques for such frame buildings involve adding reinforced concrete shear walls or structural bracing systems to the existing bays. These techniques can be intrusive and result in lengthy down times and expensive structural interventions. An alternative to conventional techniques is the use of high-strength prestressing strands or cables, diagonally placed as tension elements. This technique was researched and used in a limited manner after the 1985 Mexico City Earthquake. It has since been further investigated at the University of Ottawa through experimental and analytical research (Shalouf and Saatcioglu (2006), Carrière (2008), Molaei (2014)). While the use of steel strands as tension bracing elements proves to be an effective technique, the resulting stiffening effects on the frames lead to increased seismic force demands and higher based shear, as well as increased axial forces on the attached columns, potentially generating net tension, foundation uplift and excessive compression. Relatively low elongation characteristics of high-strength cables and slack caused by yielding strands and associated pinching of hysteresis curves reduce potential energy dissipation capacity. The current research aims to improve the previously observed deficiencies of the system. One of the improvements involve the use of shape memory alloys (SMA) in the middle of the cables, which reduce/eliminate residual deformations upon yielding and associated pinching of the hysteresis curves. SMA allows energy dissipation in the system while forcing the structure to recover from its inelastic deformations because of the flag-shape hysteretic characteristics of the material. The feasibility of the cable-SMA assembly as tension brace elements is illustrated through dynamic analyses of selected prototype buildings. The other improvement is the development of progressively engaging, initially loose multiple strands as tension cables. These cables are placed loosely to engage in seismic resistance at pre-determined drift levels, thereby eliminating premature increase in seismic force demands until their participation is required as the frame capacity is reached. Tests of a large-scale reinforced concrete frame, designed following the requirements of the 1965 National Building Code of Canada NRC (1965) as representative of existing older frame buildings in Canada, are conducted under simulated seismic loading to assess the effectiveness of the proposed system. The verification of the concept is extended analytically to prototype buildings and the effectiveness of the system is demonstrated for mid-rise and low-rise frame buildings.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.