Two new online products are available to the international tree-ring community. The Bibliography of Dendrochronology (published online in February 2003) currently has 10,000 references and is the world’s largest online bibliography specializing in tree-ring research. In March 2004, the Glossary of Dendrochronology was made available and is a searchable database of 351 terms and definitions in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Both databases result from the collaboration of numerous tree-ring scientists worldwide.

The study looks at how the library users at Zamukulungisa Campus of the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Eastern Cape in South Africa perceive the print media versus electronic media as sources of information for their requirements. The study is aimed at investigating the extent of use of these media by the users of the institution under study and their reaction to print versus electronic media. It is understood that the Zamukulungisa Campus of the WSU users come from different backgrounds. Some come from underdeveloped rural areas where there are no basic amenities available such as running water, toilets, telephones or even electricity and libraries. These types of users depended on information from text books and from their teachers only. The rationale for the study is to examine the students‟ use of print and electronic materials available in the library of the institution under study with the view to identifying the gaps that need to be addressed in order to make recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the service provision of information to the users by the librarians. With this purpose in mind, the study looks at: the frequency of library use; the nature of the media available in the library; the tools utilized by the users to access the media in the library; the preference of the library users for media usage; the users‟ perceptions and reactions to print and electronic media; the effects on users and; the background to the use of print and electronic media. A questionnaire was used to collect data for this research study from sampled students at Zamukulungisa Campus of the WSU. The findings may lead to potential solutions based on the users‟ reactions to the recommendations of their use of the print and electronic media. The references used are shown in the bibliography. Keywords: print media, electronic media, library users, different backgrounds, underdeveloped rural areas, basic needs, recommendation of the use of print and electronic media, service provision, provision of information, media usage, users‟ perceptions, users‟ reactions, study operations, presentation of findings, analysis of data, discussion of results, levels of study.

This thesis addresses the need for more accessible, high-quality early childhood STEM resources for early childhood educators, caregivers, and parents of young children to use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. As the primary researcher, I assisted a team of educators and researchers with creating STEM learning experiences which are freely available on Pinterest and our website (www.STEMintheEarlyYears.com). To ensure the team is producing high-quality resources, I explored users' perceptions of our resources' pedagogical quality, technical/design quality, and user satisfaction with a questionnaire that I created which included closed-and open-ended questions. Statistical analyses results suggested that respondents (who used our resources) perceived our resources to have good pedagogical and technical/design quality and were satisfied. However, respondents perceived our resources' pedagogical quality to be significantly better than the technical/design quality. Furthermore, respondents' perceptions about the pedagogical and technical/design quality influenced their satisfaction with our resources; with technical/design quality having a stronger influence on their satisfaction. The reflexive thematic analysis results also indicated that respondents perceived our resources to be of good pedagogical and technical/design quality and were satisfied; however, I captured respondents' recommendations on how the resources' quality may improve within the generated themes. The STEM in the Early Years' team will use the results to reflect on our resources' successes and will consider modifying the resources according to the areas that respondents suggested needed improvement.

This scale-up study investigated the impact of a teacher technology tool (Curriculum Customization Service, CCS), curriculum, and online resources on earth science teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices and on students’ achievement and engagement with science learning. Participants included 73 teachers and over 2,000 ninth-grade students within five public school districts in the western U.S. To assess the impact on teachers, changes between pre- and postsurveys were examined. Results suggest that the CCS tool appeared to significantly increase both teachers’ awareness of other earth science teachers’ practices and teachers’ frequency of using interactive resources in their lesson planning and classroom teaching. A standard multiple regression model was developed. In addition to “District,” “Training condition”(whether or not teachers received CCS training) appeared to predict teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Teachers who received CCS training tended to have lower postsurvey scores than their peers who had no CCS training. Overall, usage of the CCS tool tended to be low, and there were differences among school districts. To assess the impact on students, changes were examined between pre- and postsurveys of (1) knowledge assessment and (2) students’ engagement with science learning. Students showed pre- to postsurvey improvements in knowledge assessment, with small to medium effect sizes. A nesting effect (students clustered within teachers) in the Earth’s Dynamic Geosphere (EDG) knowledge assessment was identified and addressed by fitting a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM). In addition, significant school district differences existed for student post-knowledge assessment scores. On the student engagement questionnaire, students tended to be neutral or to slightly disagree that science learning was important in terms of using science in daily life, stimulating their thinking, discovering science concepts, and satisfying their own curiosity. Students did not appear to change their self-reported engagement level after the intervention. Additionally, three multiple regression models were developed. Factors from the district, teacher, and student levels were identified to predict student post-knowledge assessments and their engagement with science learning. The results provide information to both the research community and practitioners.

This qualitative descriptive case study investigates four Chinese international students’ use of online resources for academic writing in a western Canadian university. This study has direct implications for English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language writing instruction as well as international students’ use of university library. Methodological triangulation was used to collect data. This included a semi-structured interview, a computer-based writing task, and a think-aloud activity. Data was coded and analyzed within cases and re-analyzed across the four cases. The salient themes that emerged from this analysis include: indispensable role of online resources in academic writing; a solution to language problems; ability of evaluation; a solution to plagiarism; influences of search habits; concerns about graduate students; and the importance of professors. Four major findings of the study include: important uses of online resources for solving language problems; students’ search skills in online databases; students’ use of the UVic library; and the importance of professors’ instruction. These findings will be helpful for educators to consider as they work to integrate online resources for international students’ writing instruction; and for academic libraries to consider as they offer services to assist EFL/ESL learners. / Graduate / 2017-12-05 / 0727 / 0399 / 0515 / ketien0421@gmail.com

U.S. military members and their families relocate from one duty station to another on average once every 3 years. Children in military families change schools often, introducing potential problems such as struggling to make new friends, having trouble adjusting to new teaching styles, and losing academic credits due to the transition from one school to the next. Homeschooling that incorporates online resources can provide instructional continuity, social interaction opportunities, and submission of required periodic assessments. The primary purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of military parents involved in homeschooling their children using online resources. The research questions were designed to explore these experiences and to create recommendations for other military families. A conceptual framework based on a constructivist learning approach and change theory informed this study. Data were collected from 9 parents with many years of experience homeschooling. The parents were interviewed via phone, e-mail, and Skype. Data were analyzed using open coding, axial coding, and hierarchical coding. Parent participants chose homeschooling due to dissatisfaction with available schools, family location, and flexibility. Online resources were described as making it easier and more engaging for students to learn and as simplifying the parents' instructional and management tasks. These alternative methods replaced or augmented traditional educational methods. Parent participants encouraged other parents to reach out and seek help early in the process. This study promotes positive social change by providing resources for alternative ways children can be educated while one or more military parent is serving and defending the United States of America.

Because many websites claim to provide information about evidence-based practices (EBPs), consumers must know the information and practices are based upon quality research. Practitioners may intend to locate trustworthy online sources providing EBPs, but if those sources are not easy to navigate and lack implementation resources (i.e., are accessible), then practitioners may be more likely to access less trustworthy sources for instructional strategies and materials. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate websites, identified as trust or trust with caution, to determine whether they demonstrate a level of usefulness for practitioners. Thirty websites, classified as trust and trust with caution, were reviewed for usefulness and results indicated 14 (46.7%) websites were found to be useful, nine (30%) websites were categorized as somewhat useful, and seven (23.3%) websites were determined to be not useful. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are provided.

The Center for Teaching and Learning, Independent Study, and the Department of French and Italian at Brigham Young University collaborated to develop the French 202 Website to be used with the French 202 course. Currently, the French 202 Website is used with the French 202 Independent Study course and with the traditional face-to-face course. This evaluation focused on the French 202 Website as it is used with the traditional face-to-face course. This evaluation was conducted in conjunction with the Center for Teaching and Learning at Brigham Young University (BYU). Based on the information collected, the evaluator found that (a) faculty used the website to supplement the face-to-face French 202 course, (b) students indicated that the website appears to function according to the criteria for this evaluation, and (c) students felt that because they used the website they were better able to achieve the learning outcomes of the course.

M. Tech. (Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology| / The lack of electricity in off-grid rural communities in South Africa (SA) and Africa as well as the budget constraints on these communities restrict these communities from connecting to any online resources (internet and e-books) for educational purposes, thus creating a major contributor to the global digital divide. Renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy and biomass were presented as potential alternatives to grid-connected electricity for remote rural locations. Solar energy was identified as the amply available alternative energy resource in SA. Solar radiation was converted by photovoltaic technology to electricity. National power grid isolation (off-grid) was achieved by using a stand-alone photovoltaic system. Photovoltaic technology classification, material categorisation and system sizing for an e-learning centre was presented. Practical set-ups were utilised to determine the most cost-effective equipment mix of power utilization, power management/storage and ICT equipment to build a pilot e-learning centre. It was established that one photovoltaic panel can be employed to fully recharge a battery of a pilot e-learning centre with an operational period of 7 hours using the available sunlight hours. Owing to the susceptibility of the Vaal Triangle region to thunderstorms causing overcast conditions for days, a ratio of back-up battery capacity (Ah) to number of days (seven hours per day) without sunlight was determined. An algorithm was also derived for sizing the pilot e-learning centre for full scale implementation. Future research recommendations based on this study for a reduced system costs of an off-grid e-learning for rural communities powered by a renewable energy resource were presented. This will increase access to basic education in SA and reduce the global digital divide.

An experiment was conducted using forty-one Bonsmara steers (age ± 7 months) to determine the effect of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics. The trial was structured using a completely randomized design with two treatments, control and ZH group. The steers were fed ZH for 28 consecutive days at the end of the finishing period and ZH was withdrawn from the diet 2 days prior to slaughter of the animals. The steers were placed in individual pens and weighed fortnightly throughout the 4 months trial. Zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) was included in the diet at a rate of 8.3 mg/kg of DM. Feeding of ZH increased (P< 0.05) body weight (BW) gain and ADG (1.102 vs. 1.444) and tended to increase (P = 0.067) feed efficiency (F:G) during the last month of the finishing period. There were no significant differences (P> 0.05) in daily dry matter intakes (DMI). For the control group, high treatment weight gains were significantly associated with high initial weight (r = 0.424, P = 0.049) and also high pre-treatment body weight (r = 0.678, P= 0.001). Treatment weight gain increased as the initial and pre-treatment weight gain increased in the control group. For the steers that were fed ZH, there was no significant correlation between the treatment body weight gain with initial weight (r = 0.097, P = 0.694) and also pre- treatment live weight (r = 0.393, P = 0.096). Supplementation of ZH significantly increased (P < 0.0001) the dressing percentage (56.4% vs. 58.4%) and had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the carcass weight. The outcome of the study suggest that supplementation of ZH in the diet during the last month of the finishing period enhances growth performance and shows the repartitioning capacity of the feed additive as a beta- agonist. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M. Sc. (Agriculture (Animal Science)