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Den rådande föreställningen om naturvetenskap i förskolan handlar oftast om att pedagoger ska ta tag i, möta och lyfta fram barns frågor, för att naturvetenskap på så vis ska bli en naturlig del av vardagen i verksamheten. Syftet med min undersökning är att belysa de didaktiska möjligheter som finns i den oplanerade uteverksamheten i förskolan, och att öka förståelsen för hur interaktionsprocesser mellan pedagoger och barn kan påverka lärande och kunskap inom området naturvetenskap. Med hjälp av observationer av pedagoger har jag jämfört om det är någon skillnad mellan utedagar i skogen eller på förskolegården under oplanerade verksamhetstiden. För att få svar på hur pedagogerna kan använda sig av de spontana händelser och upptäckter barn gör till ett lärande kring natur har jag även utfört intervjuer. Resultatet visar att pedagogerna tar till stor del vara på de tillfällen som uppstår i den oplanerade tiden till ett lärande och kunskap om naturen. Än tydligare är resultatet i skogen då hela miljön är en inspirationskälla och inga lekredskap pockar på barnens uppmärksamhet med sin närvaro. / The prevailing notion about natural-science in preschool often involves that a teacher should show, lift and highlight children’s questions for thereby become a natural part in the everyday activity. The intention with this study was to illustrate the didactic opportunities which are available in the unplanned time outdoors in preschool, and to increase understanding of how the processes of interaction between teachers and children can affect learning and knowledge in the subject of natural science. By using observations of teachers in preschool, I have compared whether there is any difference between days out in the woods or in the preschool yard during unplanned activity time. I also conducted interviews to find out how teachers can use the spontaneous experience and discoveries children make to learn about natural science. The results show that teachers in preschool take the opportunities that occur in the unplanned time to learning and to give knowledge of nature. Even clearer is the result at activities in the forest where the whole environment become a source of inspiration and when no play equipment attracts the children's attention with their presence.

The purpose of this study was to compare scores students received on the eighth grade EXPLORE test in math and English to scores received in English 9 and Algebra I on both the End-of-Course (EOC) test and the final average in those courses. These scores were taken from a rural East Tennessee High School and the middle schools that feed into the high school. Data were collected over a 2-year period (2012 – 2014). Students who had a score in eighth grade and a corresponding score in ninth grade were included. All others were omitted. A series of Pearson correlations were conducted between EXPLORE scores in Math and English with final averages in English 9 and Algebra I and EOC scores in English 9 and Algebra I. An independent samples t test was conducted to determine whether the mean scores on the EXPLORE English and math test, mean scores for English 9 and Algebra I final averages and mean scores for EOC exams in English 9 and Algebra 1 differ between female and male students. Based on the findings of this study, the score received on the eighth grade EXPLORE in English has a strong positive correlation to the score received on the English 9 EOC and the final average in English 9. The same was true for the score on the EXPLORE in math, it also had a strong positive correlation to the score received on the Algebra I EOC and the final average in Algebra I. Additionally gender has an impact upon English 9 final averages, English 9 EOC scores, Algebra I final averages and EXPLORE scores in English, with female students scoring higher than male students in those categories. Conversely gender did not have an effect on Algebra I EOC scores or EXPLORE scores in math.

Assessing the attachment between a child and caregiver is an important task within the social worker's professional domain. This is mostly restricted due to a lack of training and expertise with regard to methods and techniques used in assessing attachment. The identified problem led to the implementation of a descriptive study aimed at exploring effectiveness of scales for the assessment of attachment between the child in the middle childhood years and his/her caregiver. The goal was achieved by studying and exploring available practices derived from an extensive literature review and empirical study. Seven social workers in Bloemfontein participated in the study. Target-sampling was undertaken to ensure that participants represented different areas in the work-field that employ the assessment of attachment. Social workers in South Africa show preference to qualitative assessment procedures, including an assessment of the child, an assessment of the caregiver, observation and a collateral investigation. Although such an approach is generally consistent with literature, the present study highlighted an additional need for the standardization of assessment scales for attachment in middle childhood to be utilized in conjunction with qualitative methods of assessment. The literature review confirmed the availability of a range of reliable scales, though not validated thoroughly, but thus far unexplored by social workers in South Africa. A qualitative approach within the Developmental and Utilization Model enabled the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of the existing problem. Information was gathered with regard to relevant aspects of attachment in middle childhood in a successful attempt to formulate guidelines for the development of an effective model for the assessment of attachment between the child in middle childhood years and his caregiver. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Assessing the attachment between a child and caregiver is an important task within the social worker's professional domain. This is mostly restricted due to a lack of training and expertise with regard to methods and techniques used in assessing attachment. The identified problem led to the implementation of a descriptive study aimed at exploring effectiveness of scales for the assessment of attachment between the child in the middle childhood years and his/her caregiver. The goal was achieved by studying and exploring available practices derived from an extensive literature review and empirical study. Seven social workers in Bloemfontein participated in the study. Target-sampling was undertaken to ensure that participants represented different areas in the work-field that employ the assessment of attachment. Social workers in South Africa show preference to qualitative assessment procedures, including an assessment of the child, an assessment of the caregiver, observation and a collateral investigation. Although such an approach is generally consistent with literature, the present study highlighted an additional need for the standardization of assessment scales for attachment in middle childhood to be utilized in conjunction with qualitative methods of assessment. The literature review confirmed the availability of a range of reliable scales, though not validated thoroughly, but thus far unexplored by social workers in South Africa. A qualitative approach within the Developmental and Utilization Model enabled the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of the existing problem. Information was gathered with regard to relevant aspects of attachment in middle childhood in a successful attempt to formulate guidelines for the development of an effective model for the assessment of attachment between the child in middle childhood years and his caregiver. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Educators need clear, actionable data to help them understand students' current levels of performance and students' probable trajectory toward college- and career-readiness in math if they are to make informed programmatic decisions to shape that trajectory. This study explored the relation between CBM-math in Grade 7 as a one-point, teacher accessible measure of student math skill and the students' performance on the Grade 8 EXPLORE-math test, a large-scale achievement test linked to one set of college- and career-readiness benchmarks. Results indicated that a moderate positive correlation and predictive relation exist between CBM-math and EXPLORE-math. Information was disaggregated by gender and for subgroups, including students eligible for special education, free or reduced meals, and English language development services. No difference in means for male and female students on either measure was identified, but eligibility for special education or for free or reduced lunch was associated with lower performance on both measures. Insufficient numbers of ELD students hindered detailed analysis, but none of the ELD students included in the study achieved the EXPLORE benchmark or the CBM normalized cut score based on the 40th percentile. An ROC analysis showed that easyCBM consistently predicted students who did not meet the EXPLORE benchmark, although results indicated that a higher cut score on easyCBM may be a more consistent predictor. The study adds to validity research on CBM and may be useful for educators seeking to identify students at risk of missing achievement benchmarks and make programmatic decisions to ensure students are on track to be college- and career-ready in math.

When humans are faced with multiple options, they must decide whether to choose a novel or less certain option (explore) or stick with what they know (exploit). Exploration is a fundamental cognitive process. Importantly, when humans attempt to solve the explore-exploit dilemma, they must effectively incorporate both feedback and uncertainty to guide their actions. While prior work has shown that both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) stress can disrupt how humans solve the explore-exploit dilemma, the mechanisms of how this occurs are unclear. For example, does stress disrupt how people integrate feedback to guide their decisions to explore or exploit, or does stress disrupt computations of uncertainty regarding their choices? Importantly, the use of electroencephalography as a tool can help reveal the impact of stress on explore-exploit decision making by measuring neural signals sensitive to feedback learning and uncertainty. In the present dissertation, I provide evidence from a series of experiments where I examined the impact of both acute and chronic stress on the explore-exploit dilemma while electroencephalographic data was collected. In experiment 1, I exposed participants to an acute stressor and then examined their decisions to switch or stay – as a proxy for explore and exploit decisions – in a multi-arm bandit paradigm. I found tentative evidence that the acute stress response disrupted both the feedback learning signal (the reward positivity) and the uncertainty signal (the switch P300). In experiment 2 I adopted a computational neuroscience approach and directly classified participants decisions as explorations or exploitations using reinforcement learning models. There was only an effect of the acute stress response on feedback signals, in this case, the feedback P300. In experiments 1 and 2, I used contextual bandit tasks where the reward probabilities of the options shifted throughout, and there was no behavioural effect of acute stress on task performance or exploration rate. However, in experiment 3, I examined a learnable bandit where one option was preferred. Again, using computational modelling and electroencephalography, I found tentative evidence that the acute stress response disrupted the feedback learning signals (the feedback P300) and stronger evidence that acute stress disrupted the uncertainty signal (the exploration P300). As well, I observed that the acute stress response reduced task performance and increased exploration rate. Lastly, in experiment 4, I examined the impact of chronic stress exposure on explore-exploit decision making and electrophysiology – while I found no effects of chronic stress, I believe future research is necessary. Taken together, these findings provide novel evidence for the neural mechanisms of how the acute stress response impacts the explore-exploit dilemma through disruptions to feedback learning and assessments of uncertainty. These findings also highlight how theories of the P300 signal may not be properly capturing the varied role of the P300 in cognition. / Graduate

Abstract The purpose of the study is to contribute with knowledge about what happens to childrens experience of mixing and separatingwhen an activity is carried out twice. The method we used in the stady is a qualitative interview method whit semi-stuctured interwiews with cdildren in preschool. Variation theory was used to ananlyze the childrens way to express their experience. The problem that has chosen to highlight and examine is if children are not allowed to share their thoughts and experiences whit others so no new experience is created. The result shows that children express their experience of mixing and separating, more so when get to explore from their own thought and idea in interaction. In the case, there is a deeper exploration of the children, which also lead to greater experience when the activity is carried out a second time. The conclusion of the study is that staff in preschool must dare and give premission to let the children try to explore chemistry. Children do not only explore from the perspective of their owm experience, but must, together with others, create their experiences in a permissive environment based on a child`s perpective. / Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskaper om vad som händer med barns erfarande av att blanda och separera när en aktivitet genomförs två gånger. Den metod vi använt i studien är den kvalitativa intervju metoden med en semistrukturerade intervju för barn i förskolan. Variationsteorin användes för att analysera barnens sätt att uttrycka sitt erfarande. Det problem som studien har valt att lyfta fram och undersöka är om barn inte får dela sina tankar och erfarenheter med andra så skapas inget nytt erfarande. Resultatet visar att barn uttrycker sitt erfarande om att blanda och separera, mer när de får utforska från sin egen tanke och idé i samspel med andra. Det sker då ett djupare utforskande hos barnen, som också leder till större erfarande när aktiviteten genomförs en andra gång. Slutsatsen av studien är personal inom förskolan måste våga och ge tillåtelse till att låta barnen få prova att utforska kemi. Barnen utforskar inte bara utifrån sitt eget erfarande utan måste tillsammans med andra skapa sina erfarenheter i en tillåtande miljö med utgångspunkt ur ett barns perspektiv

The Joys of Gardening is a virtual experience in which the viewers are invited to roam and explore a garden maze scattered with features including a greenhouse, a fountain, a gazebo, and a variety of personal gardening videos. One of the main attractions includes an opportunity to interact with a tomato plant and observe different stages of its growth. These elements combined are essential to the piece's purpose: to spread the passion and joys of gardening. There are many therapeutic effects to gardening such as: the sun helps people be happy, working with the soil allows a sense of giving life, and watching a plant grow can inspire the joy of gardening and the joy of discovery. As the viewer inhabits the space, they are engulfed into a world of butterflies, birds chirping, and serene lighting. This experience has a set aesthetic, narrative, and user interaction. By utilizing these elements, they are able to enjoy a relaxing stroll through the maze. This paper will discuss the influence behind the experience, stylistic choices, and user interactions. This experience continues to explore the potentials of blending the physical landscape and the digital landscape. / Master of Fine Arts / The Joys of Gardening is a virtual experience that provides the viewer an opportunity to explore a garden maze. The maze is filled with different elements with which they can interact. These include videos of my personal garden, a greenhouse with an interactive tomato plant, and a gazebo and a pond filled with koi fish. The project offers a digital space for viewers to escape into a world filled with butterflies, flowers, and the sounds of birds chirping. The purpose of this piece is to inspire and spread the joys of gardening to anyone and everyone. This paper will discuss the style, audio, and interaction choices to create the full project.

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