No / This paper provides an analysis of the socio-economic impacts of river restoration schemes, and is novel in considering how a wide range of socio-economic variables can be used to understand impacts on the entire resident population within an area. A control-impacted approach was applied to explore differences in socio-economic characteristics of areas within which a restoration scheme had been carried out compared to areas without such a scheme. The results show that significant differences exist between control and impacted areas for a range of socio-economic variables. However, due to constraints in the methods and the data available, there are currently limitations in the extent to which socio-economic impacts of river restoration schemes can be fully explored. Additional datasets that become available in the future may increase the ability to detect associations between improvements in the water environment and socio-economic benefits. However, whilst the secondary data used in this paper are potentially powerful, they should be used alongside other techniques for assessing the impacts of decisions as part of future frameworks to deliver sustainable water management.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

Current research suggests that a high level of confidence and a low level of anxiety are predictive of higher math achievement. Compared to students from other provinces, previous research has found that Saskatchewan students have a higher level of confidence and a lower level of anxiety for learning math, but still tend to achieve lower math scores compared to students in other provinces. The data suggest that there may be unique factors effecting math learning for students in Saskatchewan. The purpose of the study is to determine the factors that may affect Saskatchewan students math achievement. Exploratory factor analyses and regression methods were employed to investigate possible traits that aid students in achieving higher math scores. Results from a 2007 math assessment administered to grade 5 students in Saskatchewan were used for the current study. The goal of the study was to provide a better understanding of the factors and trends unique to students for mathematic achievements in Saskatchewan.<p> Using results from a province-wide math assessment and an accompanying questionnaire administered to students in grade five across public school in Saskatchewan (n=11,279), the present study found statistical significance in three factors that have been supported by previous studies to influence math achievement differences, specifically in (1) confidence in math, (2) parental involvement in math and (3) extracurricular participation in math. The three aforementioned factors were found to be related to math achievement as predicted by the Assessment for Learning (AFL) program in Saskatchewan, although there were reservations to the findings due to a weak amount of variances accounted for in the regression model (r2 =.084). Furthermore, a multivariate analysis of variance indicated gender and locations of schools to have effects on students math achievement scores. Although a high amount of measurement errors in the questionnaire (and subsequently a low variance accounted for by the regression model) limited the scope and implications of the model, future implications and improvements are discussed

Current research suggests that a high level of confidence and a low level of anxiety are predictive of higher math achievement. Compared to students from other provinces, previous research has found that Saskatchewan students have a higher level of confidence and a lower level of anxiety for learning math, but still tend to achieve lower math scores compared to students in other provinces. The data suggest that there may be unique factors effecting math learning for students in Saskatchewan. The purpose of the study is to determine the factors that may affect Saskatchewan students math achievement. Exploratory factor analyses and regression methods were employed to investigate possible traits that aid students in achieving higher math scores. Results from a 2007 math assessment administered to grade 5 students in Saskatchewan were used for the current study. The goal of the study was to provide a better understanding of the factors and trends unique to students for mathematic achievements in Saskatchewan.<p> Using results from a province-wide math assessment and an accompanying questionnaire administered to students in grade five across public school in Saskatchewan (n=11,279), the present study found statistical significance in three factors that have been supported by previous studies to influence math achievement differences, specifically in (1) confidence in math, (2) parental involvement in math and (3) extracurricular participation in math. The three aforementioned factors were found to be related to math achievement as predicted by the Assessment for Learning (AFL) program in Saskatchewan, although there were reservations to the findings due to a weak amount of variances accounted for in the regression model (r2 =.084). Furthermore, a multivariate analysis of variance indicated gender and locations of schools to have effects on students math achievement scores. Although a high amount of measurement errors in the questionnaire (and subsequently a low variance accounted for by the regression model) limited the scope and implications of the model, future implications and improvements are discussed

The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of using sports supplements, from a risk theory perspective. Thematic analysis was used to conduct a secondary data analysis on 18 interviews done with young men who were interested in supplements. Participants were recruited from Guelph area commercial gyms and campus athletic centres. Participants used supplements because they worked out and wanted to gain muscle. Supplements, and especially protein, were part of a common knowledge among people who worked out. Participants evaluated whether supplements were ‘worth it’ by evaluating the cost, efficacy, and safety of supplements. Participants altered their behaviour in response to their perception of the riskiness of supplements, in order to feel safe. Many participants valued information from health professionals but found it lacking. Most information was available from sources that participants did not feel were credible.

This research investigated the impact of "embedded teaching" and "learner-controlled" instruction on student learning of algebra in a controlled computer-tutoring environment. Three versions of a computer tutor were developed to establish three experimental conditions. Condition 1 corresponds to a conventional "lecture-demonstration-practice" in which conceptual knowledge is presented by the computer tutor as a coherent entity prior to engagement in problem-solving activities (Lecture-Demonstration-Practice). Condition 2 reflects "embedded teaching" in which before students begin practice, the computer tutor uses examples to demonstrate problem-solving processes, introducing concepts and principles, as they become relevant (Embedded-Teaching Condition). Condition 3 is a "learner-controlled" instruction in which students engage directly in problem-solving activities without receiving any prior formal instruction, but in which they are provided with instructional assistance and demonstrations upon request (Learner-Controlled Instruction). / Twenty-seven high-school students participated in the experiment over a 1-month period. Students were divided into three groups based on their pre-test scores, each group was then assigned randomly to one of the three experimental conditions. The computer tutor was used as the sole source of instruction. Pre- and posttests were administered to measure the changes in students' algebraic abilities. A multivariate analysis of the pre- and posttest results indicates that overall student performance in all three conditions improved significantly over time, as measured by the ability to construct algebraic representations and the ability to made estimates using the various representations ( F (2, 23) = 46.6, p < 0.01). In particular, students in Lecture-Demonstration-Practice Condition demonstrated a higher level of accuracy (89.51%) than students in the Embedded-Teaching and Learner-Controlled Instruction did (61.1% and 63.3% respectively). Moreover, all students in Lecture-Demonstration-Practice Condition completed the posttest successfully, whereas only 56% of students in the other two conditions passed the posttest. / This research demonstrates that students learn more effectively from instruction that emphasizes the coherent representations of the symbol system of algebra. It is postulated that such coherent representations enable students to make sense of the subsequent examples to be studied and the problems to be solved thus leading to better problem-solving performance. This research has implications for the development of instructional theories and educational computer applications.

The purpose of the study was to identify the use of microcomputers for student instruction in Indiana public high schools. An additional purpose was to identify the number and brand of microcomputers in Indiana public high schools. To accomplish the purposes, 363 public high school principals were requested to give questionnaires to eleven department chairpersons. Questionnaires were returned by 282, 78 percent, of the principals. Data were tabulated for raw scores and percentages.Findings1. Microcomputers were used in 84 percent of Indiana public high schools.2. APPLES or TRS-80s constituted 71 percent of 2332 microcomputers located in 286 high schools.3. Students in 2 percent of the art departments used microcomputers for problem solving, programming, simulation, and tutorial.4. Students in 40 percent of the business departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, simulation, tutorial, and word processing.5. Students in 9 percent of the English departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, tutorial, and word processing.6. Students in 7 percent of the foreign language departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, simulation, and tutorial.7. Students in 2 percent of the home economics departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving, and simulation.8. Students in 7 percent of the industrial arts departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving programming, repair and maintenance, simulation, and tutorial.9. Students in 62 percent of the mathematics departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, simulation, and tutorial.10. Students in 3 percent of the music departments used microcomputers for drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, and tutorial.11. Microcomputers were not used in the physical education departments.12. Students in 30 percent of the science departments used microcomputers for computer literacy, drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, simulation, and tutorial.13. Students in 5 percent of the social studies departments used microcomputers for drill and practice, games, problem solving, programming, simulation, and tutorial.

This half-thesis gives an overview of the influence of the microcomputer on the way in which mathematics is done, taught and learnt. The nature of mathematics and the nature of the tutor, tool and tutee modes of microcomputer usage are discussed as background. A case is made for the use of action research methods and a classroom-based curriculum development model to facilitate innovation and the integration of the microcomputer into the mathematics classroom. A curriculum development cycle of situation analysis. planning, trial and evaluation is advocated. This approach is used to develop a microcomputer-based course aimed at enhancing the reasoning skills of standard 7 pupils. Pupils, working in groups of three, interact with the PROLOG system to build up databases of facts and rules. The microcomputer is used in tutee mode. In "teaching" this tutee, pupils discover the need for formal language and logical reasoning. Active learning is promoted by pupils' interaction with the PROLOG system and by discussions within groups. In this environment the teacher becomes a consultant and constructive critic rather than a lecturer. Findings suggest that the microcomputer plays an important role in terms of pupil motivation and that the microcomputer-based course enables pupils to experience formal language usage and logical reasoning·as relevant activities. Pupil databases provide evidence of the pupils' ability to make appropriate use of rules and to distinguish between and-conditions and or-conditions. The objective of making pupils think was largely achieved. It is recommended that the course be incorporated in the standard 1 or standard 8 curriculum to complement or replace parts of the Euclidean geometry sections as a vehicle for developing logical reasoning skills. Suggestions for the further use of the microcomputer as an investigative tool in mathematics classes and for further microcomputer-inspired courses are also made. The provision of appropriate training to enable teachers to make effective and innovative use of the microcomputer in mathematics lessons is advocated.