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The purpose of the study was to test an intrinsically-motivated interaction approach, designed to increase distance education support, for both content and motivation, in a cost-effective manner. The literature summarized shows that distance education students desire content and motivational support beyond course materials and are limited in their success without it. Further, while researchers explore increased interaction as a solution, professors usually do not have time for it and attempts to provide it are often restricted by institutions' limited resources. Very little has been published on the effects of distance education tutors and the need for more research in this area has been noted, especially with regards to cost-effective, scalable service models. Even when attempts to increase interaction are successful, they are usually achieved by requiring participation in online discussion boards, making them mechanical and frustrating to students. The proposed solution is an on-demand tutoring service to increase (a) achievement, (b) completion, (c) satisfaction and (d) cost-effectiveness. Participants included Brigham Young University Independent Study students enrolled in a college algebra (MATH 110) course. A quasi-experimental research design, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), graphing techniques, correlation, and chi square analyses were used to determine the effects of the on-demand tutoring intervention. No statistically significant differences were apparent in the midterm scores, final exam scores, satisfaction ratings, or completion rates. However, despite unexpectedly low usage, the tutor appears to have been an adequate substitute for the professor in answering students' questions, and the potential for providing cost-effective on-demand tutoring services seems attainable. A summary of the study's strengths and weaknesses provides insights for improved practice and future research.

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There are many different techniques to display 3D information. However, not many of them are able to provide sufficient depth cues to the observers to sense or feel the images as real three-dimensional objects. Volumetric three-dimensional displays generate images within a real 3D space, so they provide most of the depth cues automatically. This thesis discusses the basic notions required to understand three-dimensional displays. Also discussed are different techniques used to display 3D information and their advantages and disadvantages as well as their current limitations. Several rare-earth doped fluoride crystals that are excited to emit visible light by sequential two photon absorption have been investigated as display medium candidates for static volumetric three dimensional displays. A scalable display medium is suggested to enable large 3D displays. This medium is a dispersion of particles of the rare earth doped fluoride crystals in a refractive index-matched polymer matrix. Detailed experiments are described to prepare such a scalable display medium using a wide variety of polymers. The scattering problem in such a medium was greatly reduced by index-matching the polymer to the crystalline particles. An index-matching condition that optimizes the performance was identified and demonstrated. A potential near-future solution is demonstrated and improvements are suggested.

Yes / The continuous and scalable synthesis of a porous organic cage (CC3), obtained through a 10-component imine polycondensation between triformylbenzene and a vicinal diamine, was achieved using twin screw extrusion (TSE). Compared to both batch and flow syntheses, the use of TSE enabled the large scale synthesis of CC3 using minimal solvent and in short reaction times, with liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) also promoting window-to-window crystal packing to form a 3-D diamondoid pore network in the solid state. A new kinetically trapped [3+5] product was also observed alongside the formation of the targeted [4+6] cage species. Post-synthetic purification by Soxhlet extraction of the as-extruded ‘technical grade’ mixture of CC3 and [3+5] species rendered the material porous. / Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under the Grants EP/R005710/1 (AIC) and EP/R005540/1 (SLJ), and for an EPSRC Summer Vacation Bursary at the University of Liverpool (FG, RLG). We also thank the European Research Council under FP7, RobOT, ERC Grant Agreement No. 321156 (AIC), for financial support. RLG thanks the Royal Society for a University Research Fellowship.

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