In Canada there are increasing numbers of girls and women playing sport (Ifedi, 2005). In part, these opportunities are the result of earlier feminist efforts in the 1970s and 1980s and yet feminism itself is very rarely a part of the experiences of girls and women once they are involved in sport. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how this might be different and to create feminist politics around women’s high performance sport in Canada. This consciousness-raising qualitative writing project features three narratives written from a first-person perspective based on my experiences playing interuniversity sport. Chapters on methodology, second- and third-wave feminism and Canadian sport history provide a context for the narratives chapter. I urge other athletes to take up feminisms so that they might gain a different perspective to understand their experiences and see greater connections between themselves and other women. This might inspire women to change what they expect from and how they evaluate their experiences in sport in ways that align with feminist ideas. The project concludes with some thoughts on doing a qualitative writing project that might be helpful to other graduate students who are considering doing this type of research. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-05-04 23:43:53.475

The purpose of this study was to advance the discussion of collaboration between Canadian sport organizations beyond current levels of critical rhetoric and to (a) recommend improvements to the collaborative sport management processes specifically related to this particular case and (b) provide an analytical framework that will facilitate the application of this knowledge to others in similar interorganizational relationships. The purpose was achieved by collecting empirical evidence on the collaborative process through a theoretically guided case study of the relationship between Sport Canada and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), which were selected for the study due to their prominence in the Canadian sport system. Agency theory was chosen to provide the primary guiding framework for development of the research questions, and data collection and analysis. Data collection included three sources: my personal narrative, a selection of relevant documents, and personal interviews with thirteen key informants familiar with the two sport organizations. Data analysis was guided by the key concepts of agency theory to provide structure for the process. Consistent with the assumptions of agency theory, my findings indicated that the primary goals of Sport Canada and CIS are incongruent and that a managed contract is in place that includes financial incentives for CIS to collaborate with Sport Canada, but the incentives do not appear to work. Reporting and monitoring occur on an annual basis, but the relationship is essentially one of funding and accountability and not collaboration. The results of this research suggest that the current paradigmatic approach to understanding the Canadian sport system, based on the assumption that the federal government controls funding and national policy and thereby controls the sport system, is inappropriate and works directly against the espoused need for interorganizational collaboration. The opportunity for enhanced collaboration does exist, but intentional efforts to collaborate must be increased. The control paradigm should be rejected in favor of shared goal setting and decision-making and a negotiated contract between the organizations that identifies a measurable collaborative advantage. This research confirmed and explained the contribution that can be made by agency theory to the study and management of collaboration in sport organizations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development of student-athletes through interuniversity sport participation. More specifically, the ways in which coaches understand and facilitate athletes’ personal development were explored. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female head coaches of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) programs. A qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive analysis of the data revealed: coaches’ difficulty in defining personal development and articulating the ways in which they facilitate opportunities for athletes’ personal development through sport; a lack of clarity of the methods used to measure athletes’ personal development; and the ensuing ramifications of university sport model reviews which are moving towards a high performance model of sport on athletes’ personal development. Findings from this study contribute knowledge and understanding of a previously little studied phenomenon – the personal development of student-athletes – and the perspectives from a relatively un-explored population, university head coaches.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development of student-athletes through interuniversity sport participation. More specifically, the ways in which coaches understand and facilitate athletes’ personal development were explored. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female head coaches of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) programs. A qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive analysis of the data revealed: coaches’ difficulty in defining personal development and articulating the ways in which they facilitate opportunities for athletes’ personal development through sport; a lack of clarity of the methods used to measure athletes’ personal development; and the ensuing ramifications of university sport model reviews which are moving towards a high performance model of sport on athletes’ personal development. Findings from this study contribute knowledge and understanding of a previously little studied phenomenon – the personal development of student-athletes – and the perspectives from a relatively un-explored population, university head coaches.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / Title from PDF file main screen (viewed on May 27, 2010). A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main focus of this thesis is to document the formulation, extraction and validation of nonlinear models for the on-wafer gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility (HEMT) devices manufactured at the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in Leuven, Belgium. GaN semiconductor technology is fast emerging and it is expected that these devices will play an important role in RF and microwave power amplifier applications. One of the main advantages of the new GaN semiconductor technology is that it combines a very wide band-gap with high electron mobility, which amounts to higher levels of gain at very high frequencies. HEMT devices based on GaN, is a fairly new technology and not many nonlinear models have been proposed in literature. This thesis details the design of hardware and software used in the development of the nonlinear models. An intermodulation distortion (IMD) measurement setup was developed to measure the second and higher-order derivative of the nonlinear drain current. The derivatives are extracted directly from measurements and are required to improve the nonlinear model IMD predictions. Nonlinear model extraction software was developed to automate the modelling process, which was fundamental in the nonlinear model investigation. The models are implemented in Agilent’s Advanced Design System (ADS) and it is shown that the models are capable of accurately predicting the measured S-parameters, large-signal singletone and two-tone behaviour of the GaN devices. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van hierdie tesis is om die formulering, ontrekking en validasie van nie-lineêre modelle vir onverpakte gallium nitraat (GaN) hoë-elektronmobilisering transistors (HEMTs) te dokumenteer. Die transistors is vervaaardig by die Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in Leuven, België. GaN-halfgeleier tegnologie is besig om vinnig veld te wen en daar word voorspel dat hierdie transistors ʼn belangrike rol gaan speel in RF en mikrogolf kragversterker toepassings. Een van die hoof voordele van die nuwe GaN-halfgeleier tegnologie is dat dit 'n baie wyd band-gaping het met hoë-elektronmobilisering, wat lei tot hoë aanwins by mikrogolf frekwensies. GaN HEMTs is 'n redelik nuwe tegnologie en nie baie nie-lineêre modelle is al voorgestel in literatuur nie. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die ontwerp van die hardeware en sagteware soos gebruik in die ontwikkeling van nie-lineêre modelle. 'n Intermodulasie distorsie-opstelling (IMD-opstelling) is ontwikkel vir die meting van die tweede en hoër orde afgeleides van die nie-lineêre stroom. Die afgeleides is direk uit die metings onttrek en moet die nie-lineêre IMD-voorspellings te verbeter. Nie-lineêre onttrekking sagteware is ontwikkel om die modellerings proses te outomatiseer. Die modelle word geïmplementeer in Agilent se Advanced Design System (ADS) en bewys dat die modelle in staat is om akkurate afgemete S-parameters, grootsein enkeltoon en tweetoon gedrag van die GaN-transistors te kan voorspel.

Purpose – Since April 2014, the alliance of leading German Institutes of Technology (TU9) has been jointly producing and running massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the subject of engineering. On the one hand, the collaborative MOOC@TU9 project aims to combine the unique characteristics and strengths of the engineering courses offered by the TU9 universities, making inter-institute, cooperative, open learning both visible and accessible. This will enhance both local teaching and the national and international marketing of the universities. On the other hand, the project also aims to help build communal experience and develop quality and production standards for the use of different MOOC formats in digital higher education teaching. In this sense, the MOOC@TU9 project contributes to the vital development of sustainable digitalisation strategies at German universities in the form of a feasibility study, which can then be used in other contexts as a valuable example of best practice. Design/methodology/approach – The MOOC@TU9 project has a primarily practical approach. The focus of the collaboration between the TU9 universities is therefore the discussion, exchange and coordination of concrete actions in addition to the evaluation and assessment of the solutions reached and implemented. The collaboration within the TU9 network results in inter-organisation working and learning processes for the parties and institutions involved. These have a particular value, as this is how, through collaboration, we can build an effective, sustainable, multi-dimensional experience. Originality/value – MOOC@TU9 is a joint inter-university project with the aim of strategically testing the possibilities, parameters and benefits of using massive open online courses in higher education teaching, the like of which has never been seen before in Germany. There is, therefore, currently no systematic development of quality and production standards for MOOCs: a gap, which MOOC@TU9 is actively attempting to fill. Practical implications – Results and findings of the project are not only taken from specific practical work, they are also fed directly back into it. In this respect, it can and should provide valuable insights not only for course participants, but also for other universities and/or initiatives.