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2026 Nominee Bookmarks: 6th - 8th Grade
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Integration of Design Thinking and Educational Technology into Science Education: A Conceptual Framework for the Development of Sustainability Competencies
No full textThis study presents a conceptual framework that integrates Educational Technology (EdTech) and Design Thinking (DT) to develop sustainability competencies among secondary school science students. Grounded in UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), the framework promotes systems thinking, strategic action, collaboration, and critical problem-solving. It blends Design-Based Learning (DBL) principles with the iterative stages of the Design Thinking process—Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test—supporting curriculum-aligned, competency-based learning. By incorporating advanced EdTech tools such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gamification, and learning analytics, the framework enhances student engagement and enables comprehensive assessment practices. Teachers act as facilitators of active, problem-based learning, equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to address sustainability challenges. This structured and scalable framework bridges the gap between theory and practice, offering valuable insights for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers. By integrating DT and EdTech, the framework empowers students with the essential competencies required for sustainable development, advancing educational innovation and contributing to global sustainability goals
Topological Characterization of Amorphous Silicon Structures Using Voronoi-Volume Analysis
No full textWe studied the structural properties of amorphous silicon (a-Si) through Voronoi volume analysis. Amorphous silicon exhibits a lack of long-range ordering, which leads to topological disorder, and it affects the atomic structure. Voronoi volumes of different a-Si structures have been measured by using Monte Carlo simulations, and the distribution of Voronoi volume is approximately Gaussian, which becomes smoother with increasing model size. It is well known from different studies that the average bond angle of amorphous Si is about 109.4°, which corresponds to the ideal tetrahedral angle. In our work, we calculated the bond angle distribution for the different amorphous structures we studied. Our find- ings demonstrate that the Voronoi volume of a specific site diminishes as the average bond angle approaches the ideal tetrahedral angle. Furthermore, if the average bond length of a particular site increases, the Voronoi volume correspondingly increases. Which suggests a correlation between local atomic arrangements and the atomic packing density. Additionally, the influence of minimum and maximum bond angles and bond lengths on Voronoi volume was analyzed. Moreover, we studied the impact of thermal disturbance on Voronoi volume. Distribution analysis was used to study how thermal disturbances affect the Voronoi volume
“Sugar-Baited Words : Diabetic Themes in Christina Rossetti\u27s Goblin Market
No full textWritten in 1859 and published in 1862, Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” follows two sisters who are tempted by goblins to eat their fruit. I read the younger sister, Laura, who gets ill after eating the goblin’s sugary fruits, through a diabetic framework because Victorian medicine did acknowledge diabetes as an illness. In Victorian physician Henri Bell’s work, An Essay on Diabetes (1842), he provides the working definition of diabetes, stating that diabetes is “a disease characterized by an excretion of urine, generally excessive, and variously modified in its composition, by extreme thirst, voracious appetite, dryness of skin, and progressive emaciation” (3). Prior scholars have approached the goblin fruit in different ways, most closely resembling my own argument are those of Rebecca Stern and Paula Marantz Cohen’s arguments of Laura as being anorexic as they focus on the connection between the female body and the fruits. I also use the work of Talia Schaffer to explore the relationship between the sisters and their daughters to offer a reading of the ending of the poem that focuses on care communities as what saves Laura. Using both the knowledge of diabetes in the Victorian period and modern disability theory to consider how language is used to describe the fruits and symptoms the characters possess, this reading of “Goblin Market” explores the social attitude towards diabetes and examines the importance of care communities for those with disabilities
Implementing the STEADI Fall Risk Screening Initiative within a Primary Care Setting to Improve Patient Safety
No full textFalls among older adults are a significant public health issue and the leading cause of injury-related illness and death in people aged 65 and older. While evidence-based guidelines exist and awareness of fall risks has increased, many primary care settings do not use standardized fall risk screening protocols. This gap results in missed opportunities for early identification and prevention. To address this need, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019) created the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) Toolkit, which offers healthcare providers a structured approach to assess, manage, and reduce fall risk.
This doctoral project aims to implement the STEADI Toolkit in a primary care clinic serving community-dwelling older adults. The objectives are to increase the number of fall risk screenings, improve provider adherence to evidence-based fall prevention practices, and enhance the quality of care for older adults at risk of falls. The doctoral project will use the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement model to measure the impact of the toolkit on workflow, provider engagement, and patient safety outcomes during a six-week intervention period.
Through staff education and structured implementation, this doctoral project seeks to make fall prevention a routine part of geriatric care. The goal is to reduce falls, prevent related injuries, and support healthier aging by equipping providers with practical tools and strategies to address fall risk in primary care