362 research outputs found
The effects of Direct Instruction Reading on the Behavior Referral Rates of Rural Elementary Students
Get PDFWhat exactly is effective instruction? This heavily debated question is still at forefront of educational reform. Many factors contribute to effective instruction in the classroom, but it is critical to define effective instruction prior to describing its components. To understand the concept of effective instruction we must operationally define effective instruction as summarized by Rosenshine and Berliner (1978). they viewed effective instruction as those teacher characteristics that had a positive relationship on student achievement. We know that providing students with the most effective instruction will lead to an increase in student academic achievement. We also know these characteristics can be found in instructional programs such as Direct Instruction (DI). One area of concern is the effects that effective instruction has on the student school behavior
Social network analysis and festival relationships: personal, organisational and strategic connections
Get PDFIn the world of festivals and creative communities, relationships matter. Festival managers and producers understand the overlapping links, both professional and private, amongst their colleagues. Freelancers and graduates developing their careers appreciate that opportunities can come by way of personal connections. The future success of entire festival organisations can depend on forging, maintaining and exploiting associations with collaborators, suppliers and allies. Academic literature in the field of festival studies has sought to better understand the interpersonal dimension of these events, from different conceptual standpoints, in a range of contexts. However, in this festival environment there remains an opportunity, if not a need, to establish the place of network-based research methods and perspectives in the development of academic and industry understandings of social relationships. Networks underpin these connections and communities, from simple ties between pairs of people, to complex webs spanning hundreds of individuals, venues, performing companies, supply chains and audience members. The body of published work in Chapter 4 of this book presents a variety of projects that support a network focused approach, using social network analysis (SNA) methodologies. The accompanying commentary has built upon these publications in the other chapters below, to explore the implications and opportunities of a network- orientated mindset.This thesis contributes to the field of festival and event studies by applying SNA to a variety of case studies and environments, highlighting interpersonal relationships both within festival organisations, and as connections to their host communities of creative individuals. Much of the empirical work was located in Edinburgh, Scotland, with its thriving and well-established festival sector. A festivals strategy for the City of Edinburgh Council recognised, at the turn of the century, that “The impression is of an integrated culture (or industry) with people, ideas and skills moving between different festivals” (Graham Devlin Associates, 2001, p. 14). This chimes with an understanding of SNA that priorities its interest in “Relational data... [that] concern the contacts, ties and connections, and the group attachments and meetings that relate one agent to another and that cannot be reduced to the properties of the individual agents themselves” (Scott, 2017, p. 4). This appreciation of the primacy of networks is reflected in the reviews of existing academic festival and event literature below, in Chapter 2 and the various publications themselves. Though network themes are generally most prominent in these discussions, other considerations include the roles of stakeholder analysis, social capital theory, and the significance of place. On such foundations, previous research from a variety of authors has considered the management, experience, evaluation and sustainable development of festivals and events. However, these approaches can lack detail, often fail to consider individual people as a vital unit of analysis, and achieve limited engagement with the dynamism of festivals and creative communities. In response, the overall aim of the current research (as set out in Chapter 1’s Introduction) is to critically analyse social relationships within festival and creative communities, and examine the potential contribution of social network analysis in supporting and developing understanding of these relationships, from a network-orientated perspective.Social network analysis methods underpin the overall research methodology set out in Chapter 3. This part of the book examines how and why different forms of SNA have been used: these include whole network, ego network, and two mode network analyses. Each approach offers its own research tools and insights, which has proved appropriate to the development of discrete projects, and a range of publications (listed in Table 1.1, and in Figure 3.1). A motivating factor in compiling this PhD has been showing the applicability of SNA in a range of festival and creative community contexts. In this way, the work has sometimes been exploratory in nature. This has proven rewarding to those involved in each project, but it has also contributed to a general narrative in support of SNA’s value to festival studies. Chapter 3 also explores critical realism as the principal research philosophy to have informed the thesis, as expressed most clearly in the commentary below. Critical realism has encouraged the incorporation of fundamental themes in social research, such as the relationship between structure and agency, and the emergent properties of phenomena. The work in this book has raised the profile and the potential of both SNA and critical realism in festival, events and creative communities research.In Chapter 5, the book’s chief contributions to knowledge are set out. The twin foundations for these contributions are the adoption of a network-orientated perspective to the study of festival and creative communities, and the application of SNA in this context. This combination of outlook and empirical analysis has provided novel insights and interpretations, to the benefit of both this thesis and also future work. Interpersonal relationships have been shown as vitally important to the development and management of festivals, and the organisations that deliver them. Connections between such organisations, and other stakeholder groupings, are then presented here as being facilitated and maintained by ties between individuals. For these people, networks shape access to information, resources and opportunities, both in the immediate term and with reference to longer term career development. A “network theory of festivals” has been introduced below as a realistic and recommended ambition, building on the work here to inform the future description, analysis, management and sustainable delivery of festivals. The aforementioned contribution of critical realism is also examined in Chapter 5, as an under-utilised lens and philosophical framework through which new research themes can be identified and pursued in festival and event studies.The concluding chapter to the book, Chapter 6, sets out important limitations in the production of both the empirical research projects and the overall narrative commentary. These limitations are framed around four categories: methods and methodologies; approaches and objectives; applications of the work; and exemplars of good practice. Across these categories, consideration is given to limitations that are potentially applicable to all SNA projects, such as how to manage incomplete data sets. Attention is also focused on themes more specific to festival and creative communities, including recognition that this book is not intended as a guide to successful social networking in such environments. Nor are the case studies examined necessarily exemplars of best practice in this regard. Limitations are present in all research, to some extent, and they often provide inspiration for future work. Key recommendations from this thesis include the need to incorporate a broad network approach to festivals and creative communities research, supplementing an otherwise rather limited outlook from event studies that is based on stakeholder groupings and single events. It is also noted in Chapter 6 that empirical SNA’s emphasis on relational data can inform other perspectives on social relationships, such as actor network theory, the political market square, and communities of interest. Additional research is recommended to learn more about flows in festival networks, to better understand the meaning of networks alongside their structure, and ideally through longitudinal investigations. Finally, in relation to primary research, there are significant opportunities to expand the range of data sources used in the study of festival networks, including social media connections and other digital information. Recommendations are also made to producers, employees, freelancers, funders and policy makers in the festival and creative sectors, including the development of a formalised appreciation of the role of networks in the planning, delivery, management and experience of events. Further analysis will shine an increasingly revealing light on festival life in the network society.In this book, festivals on the one hand are shown to be inextricably linked to the creative communities that support and nurture them on the other. Connections between the two take the form of personal ties, with the people involved fulfilling multiple roles, in both contexts, over a period of time. A network-orientated perspective recognises this recursiveness, and provides means of investigating and analysing it. Relationships that are forged, strengthened, forgotten and later resurrected in one context, can be relevant and influential in another. A festival can also incorporate pre-existing interpersonal networks, and will often outlive them. Communities are represented by their festivals, and those festivals are here shown to be networked communities in their own right, shaping and shaped by the individuals they connect
Festival to festival: networked relationships between Fringe festivals
Get PDFThis article aims to demonstrate the importance and value of collaboration between members of a formalised network of Fringe festivals. The research was informed by Castells (the network society; space of flows and space of places) and Richards (network-centric eventfulness; pulsar and iterative events), as well as publications that critique their work. The paper combines theoretical and conceptual frameworks with primary evidence, thus responding to prominent criticisms of the foundation texts. Primary research was focused around an innovative case study, utilising two-mode social network analysis (SNA), documentary evidence and interview data. The history and characteristics of the Fringe network in question were found to be influential in the nature and characteristics of its member festivals. A policy of collaboration is in the network’s DNA, and was therefore inherited by those festivals established under its supervision (the majority of those in the network). This collaboration has taken the form of shared projects, integrated administrative and management functions, and coordinated touring opportunities between the festivals. The paper finds that the network itself is now in a pre-eminent position in terms of its influence on the member festivals. This has positive implications for the network’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. Further research may reveal additional benefits and disadvantages for the member festivals, and their various stakeholders. Replicating the research with other Fringe networks would also be revealing, as each such network has a number of unique characteristics. This is primarily an explorative paper of value to critical event studies researchers, it complements existing applications of SNA techniques and approaches to events, and contains additional references to festival communities and places. The paper also has practical value for Fringe festival producers in terms of strategic management and inter-Fringe collaborations
Social network analysis and festival cities: an exploration of concepts, literature and methods
Get PDFSocial network analysis (SNA) is an under-utilised framework for research into festivals and events. This paper reflects upon the history of SNA, and explores its key concepts, in order that they might be applied to festivals and their environments. Secondary material from the literature of SNA, tourism studies and the festival industry underpins the paper. The analysis argues that festival cities offer dynamic environments in which to investigate the workings of social networks. The importance of such networks has long been recognised within the industry, yet there is scant reflection of this in the event studies literature. Uses of SNA in tourism studies publications offer some precedents. This paper emphasises the importance of relationships between people in a festival economy, complementing and perhaps undermining stakeholder analyses. A research method is proposed, suitable for application across a diverse range of festivals and events
Live imaging of Drosophila gonad formation reveals roles for Six4 in regulating germline and somatic cell migration
Get PDF<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Movement of cells, either as amoeboid individuals or in organised groups, is a key feature of organ formation. Both modes of migration occur during <it>Drosophila </it>embryonic gonad development, which therefore provides a paradigm for understanding the contribution of these processes to organ morphogenesis. Gonads of Drosophila are formed from three distinct cell types: primordial germ cells (PGCs), somatic gonadal precursors (SGPs), and in males, male-specific somatic gonadal precursors (msSGPs). These originate in distinct locations and migrate to associate in two intermingled clusters which then compact to form the spherical primitive gonads. PGC movements are well studied, but much less is known of the migratory events and other interactions undergone by their somatic partners. These appear to move in organised groups like, for example, lateral line cells in zebra fish or <it>Drosophila </it>ovarian border cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have used time-lapse fluorescence imaging to characterise gonadal cell behaviour in wild type and mutant embryos. We show that the homeodomain transcription factor Six4 is required for the migration of the PGCs and the msSGPs towards the SGPs. We have identified a likely cause of this in the case of PGCs as we have found that Six4 is required for expression of <it>Hmgcr </it>which codes for HMGCoA reductase and is necessary for attraction of PGCs by SGPs. Six4 affects msSGP migration by a different pathway as these move normally in <it>Hmgcr </it>mutant embryos. Additionally, embryos lacking fully functional Six4 show a novel phenotype in which the SGPs, which originate in distinct clusters, fail to coalesce to form unified gonads.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our work establishes the <it>Drosophila </it>gonad as a model system for the analysis of coordinated cell migrations and morphogenesis using live imaging and demonstrates that Six4 is a key regulator of somatic cell function during gonadogenesis. Our data suggest that the initial association of SGP clusters is under distinct control from the movements that drive gonad compaction.</p
SB 2063, Relating to Land Use, Senate Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs, Senate Committee on Economic Development, Joint Public Hearing - February 2, 1998, 1:00 P.M., Room 229, State Capitol
Get PDFImprovements in vortex flow control design to increase sewer network flood resistance
Get PDFCopyright © 2013 IWA7th International Conference on Sewer Processes and Networks (SPN7), Sheffield, UK, 28-30 August 2013Flow controls are used within the water industry to manage the flow through sewer
networks by attenuating flows at convenient or critical locations. Many sewer networks, regardless
whether the systems have a flow control installed, are predicted to become stressed in the future
due to the effects of climate change, population growth and urbanisation. This issue is compounded
by the age of the Britain’s sewerage infrastructure as well as the cost and difficulty of replacing
and upgrading the infrastructure. Statutory ‘Catchment Flood Management Plans’ have been
introduced within the United Kingdom to tackle this issue by better understanding the flow path of
flood water on a catchment scale. This paper discusses a method to maximise the use of the current
sewerage infrastructure by installing flow controls, meaning a greater volume of the sewer network
can be used for stormwater storage. This paper continues by describing a method of increasing a
sewer network’s flood resistance by using vortex flow controls with a lower design flow-rate
compared to an orifice plate. This paper then concludes by describing three case studies
demonstrating the use vortex flow controls when retrofitting sewer networks as well as the impact
of implementing the retrofit design method.EPSRCSTREAM IDCHydro Internationa
Events As Platforms, Networks, and Communities
Get PDFThis introduction to the special issue on events as platforms, networks, and communities reviews recent research on these subjects. It outlines the previous work of the ATLAS Events Group in developing a "network approach to events," as well as conceptualizing the differences between event networks and platforms
Computational fluid dynamics as a tool for urban drainage system analysis: a review of applications and best practice
Get PDFComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be applied to gain insights into most fluid processes and associated phenomena and so presents potential to add value in the analysis of urban drainage systems. This paper presents a review of CFD studies carried out in this field, with the objective of developing an appreciation of how and where it can be applied. Existing work has tended to focus around the analysis of four types of urban drainage structure, including Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), storage and attenuation systems, stormwater sediment interceptors and sewerage conveyance structures. Within the respective studies, the prediction of flowfields, particulate behaviour, water surface profiles and Residence Time
Distributions (RTDs) are found to form the main focus, and as such, these are considered in most detail in the paper. It is concluded that CFD presents a number of opportunities in urban drainage system analysis, and that the scope of this opportunity will further develop as both computational hardware and software resources become more advanced
- …
