20413 research outputs found
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Transforming Student Coaching to support students\u27 personal, academic, and professional success: Insights from the Student Success Coaching Programme
Get PDFThe University of Galway introduced Student Success Coaching (SSC), a core commitment of an institution-wide innovation programme, Designing Futures. Designing Futures received significant government funding of €7.57m in 2020 to enhance the student experience through enterprise-engaged education, research-led learning, and cross-faculty teaching. An integral part of Designing Futures, SSC constitutes the holistic development element of the wider university programme, applying design thinking principles to support students’ personal, academic, and professional success. It encourages students to recognize their strengths and natural talents and navigate successful transitions into university life and community. Firstly, this paper outlines how design thinking theories and principles have oriented the coaching service and its implemented activities. Second, it reports on its impact by gathering evidence from students and staff. The students\u27 feedback includes an analysis of service experiences gathered from a program feedback form and insights from a focus group with student ambassadors involved in the coaching program. The third part of the evaluation focuses on staff feedback. It begins with an overview of five case vignettes that illustrate the various issues the coaching team addresses. Finally, the reflections of cross-university stakeholder groups who had engaged with the SSC program are presented, focusing on its successes and challenges. The analysis highlights best practice for successful coaching in the university context: an integrated approach to coaching that combines one-to-one individual coaching and themed workshops; student-led co-creation through ambassador\u27s programmes; and positioning the coaching programme in connection with wider university initiatives
F3) From Religious Sites to Cinematographic Sets. The Symbolism of Religious Cultural Heritage in the Italian Serie “Lolita Lo Bosco”.
Get PDFReligious cultural heritage is a fundamental pillar of territorial identity, especially in regions with a deep historical heritage such as Apulia, in the South of Italy. In addition, it has historically been a key element in the construction of audiovisual narratives, providing symbolic depth to the stories and enriching their aesthetics. The Italian series Lolita Lo Bosco, A Tv series set in Apulia (Italy), takes advantage of these sacred spaces not only as physical scenarios, but also as vehicles of cultural and symbolic significance, historical memory, traditions and tensions between modernity and cultural heritage.
This presentation analyzes the use of churches, monasteries and other religious places in the series, exploring how these spaces configure the identity of the characters and reinforce narrative tensions. Religion, sacred art and historical architecture dialogue with contemporary dynamics shaping the present landscape. Beyond its scenographic function, these places transmit values, historical memory and elements of the Apulian territorial identity, establishing a dialogue between the sacred and the profane.
The research will examine how religious architecture, and its artistic elements contribute to the construction of a visual imaginary that reinforces the police plot and the moral dilemmas of the characters. Likewise, the relationship between religious symbolism and the representation of crime, justice and redemption in the series will be addressed.
Finally, this presentation proposes a reflection on the impact of the use of religious cultural heritage on television fiction and its role in the preservation and reinterpretation of the historical legacy and territorial identity. It will highlight how Lolita Lo Bosco offers a contemporary vision of religious heritage, fusing tradition and modernity in a narrative that transcends the purely visual to generate deep meanings in the viewer
Snack Time
Get PDF\u27I\u27ll never get through everything in the grocery store,\u27 I said to my classmate Rebekah, \u27could you curate some of your favourite Irish snacks for us international students?\u27 This little request grew into a beloved class ritual..
The Modern Pilgrimage of Umrah: The Convergence of Spiritual Devotion and Pop-Consumer Culture in Indonesia
Get PDFThis study explores Umrah’s significant growth as a religious tourism model in Indonesian Muslim society. The discussion examines factors that influence that growth, from the increased income levels of Indonesian middle-class Muslims to the Umrah propaganda generated by the wave of social media. This study will also capture Umrah as a solution for Indonesian Muslims to the long waiting queue for Hajj quota in Indonesia, as it is seen as a good opportunity for religious commodification through the touristic market being exercised by stakeholders such as policymakers and travel agencies. As the Umrah tourist market will be analysed in this study from the perspective of capitalism, Umrah in Indonesia is also seen as a set of rituals that offer opportunities for commerciality; in fact, Umrah propaganda is also complemented by popular culture and consumption trends. This finding will highlight how Umrah has transcended the boundaries of traditional religious rituals and entered the realm of Muslim popular culture, which may also be seen as a convergence between aspects of spirituality and aspects of materialistic consumerism. This phenomenological research will employ literature to understand Umrah through its different sociological layers and dimensions and how this particular ritual reflects a blend of Indonesian Muslim spirituality and pop-consumption culture in Indonesia
The Impact of Teaching Practice on Student Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate STEM Classrooms
Get PDFThis quantitative study examined the impact of teaching practice on students’ self-efficacy at the outset of their undergraduate STEM programmes, considering prior academic performance and class setting. Data were collected through a self-efficacy survey (n = 483) and 15 non-participatory classroom observations at a large, modern university in Ireland. Observed classes included lectures, laboratories, and tutorials across physics (n = 3), computing and digital skills (n = 3), engineering (n = 2), biology (n = 3), chemistry (n = 2), and mathematics (n = 2). Statistically significant connections were identified between students’ past academic performance, the week of instruction, and their self-efficacy. Didactic teaching methods were linked to a higher prevalence of students with low confidence levels, both within lectures and practical classes, although this tendency was less pronounced in the case of lectures. Classification and Regression Tree (CRT) analysis indicated that optimal time management and engagement in active learning exercises were the strongest predictors of higher student confidence in lecture settings. The study’s findings hold significant implications for instructional strategies and practices, and these are briefly explored
Highly Sensitive Diffractive Optical Structures for Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
Get PDFFrom aerospace to agriculture, sensors play a fundamental role in many aspects of modern life. Sensors form an integral part of the complex systems and devices required for the continued functioning and development of services and industries across society. The use of sensors is paramount in areas affecting human health, one such area being the monitoring of indoor air quality, in particular the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Human contact with VOCs has been associated with many health complications, including skin and eye irritation, cardiovascular damage, and cancers. Optical, electrical, gravimetric, and chemical sensors have been developed for VOC detection, but significant challenges remain present, in particular with obtaining high sensitivity and selectivity with a low-cost, simple-to-use device. The primary objective of this work was to develop holographic-based optomechanical sensors for VOCs. Holographic sensors have been demonstrated previously to be effective in the detection of many analytes, including VOCs. While presenting many advantages, such as low cost, simple fabrication and readout techniques, and electromagnetic insensitivity, further work is required to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of these devices to compete with the detection limits of the current state-of-the-art commercial VOC detectors. This work aims to enhance the sensitivity of holographic sensing devices by examining the coupling of a holographic sensor with a mechanical transducer – initially through a bilayer cantilever structure and ultimately using a holographic membrane, and by varying the holographic structure – diffraction grating and lens. Such an approach could lead to low-cost, easy-tooperate, highly sensitive devices for indoor air monitoring. The work presented can be summarised in three main sections: 1) modelling, design, and fabrication of a bilayer optomechanical holographic cantilever sensor – the model representing a novel step in simulating the optomechanical coupling; 2) testing of the cantilever device for sensitivity ii to VOCs and comparison with traditional fixed holographic sensors and 3) design, fabrication and testing of a holographic lens membrane for enhanced VOC sensitivity. The sensors are primarily tested for their response to ethanol, but butanol, xylene and toluene are also examined to assess the selectivity of the devices. The work demonstrates, through several novel steps, the benefits of optomechanical coupling, which results in an approximately 10-fold increase in sensitivity. While further steps are required to achieve improved selectivity through functionalizing the photopolymer material with zeolite and metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles, likely necessitating the use of a sensing array, in sum, the work represents a significant step forward in the development of holographic sensors for VOCs and their implementation in day-to-day real-world applications
TechMate: A Toolkit for Advancing Gender Equality in Computing Education
Get PDFTo address the issue of gender inequality in computing education.
To inspire and guide institutions to implement change and track progress with easy to follow guidance.
To provide champions with useful and easy to access resources.https://arrow.tudublin.ie/cddpos/1036/thumbnail.jp
Mechanical Engineering Virtual Reality Lab
Get PDFStudents perform multiple engineering lab experiments within the Critical Utilities 1 module. The ‘Pump Laboratory’ experiment involves interaction with a fluid power training rig to record pressure and flow readings from a variety of system states. The recorded data from multiple pumping experiments is used to create pump and system characteristic curves and charts. This experiment is very appropriate to industrial practice and design. The typical cohort size is 10+ and the availability of only one training rig introduces a ‘pinch-point’ in the interaction capacity of the students; there is insufficient time for all students to perform all the separate lab experiments independently, within the timeframe of the single laboratory session. Lecturer demonstration to the class is used to facilitate a selection of the pumping experiments. It is too costly and prohibitive to purchase multiple physical rigs to facilitate all student interactions
Detection of radiosensitive subpopulations ex-vivo with Raman microspectroscopy
Get PDFAlthough significant advances in understanding the molecular drivers of acquired and inherited radiosensitivity have occurred in recent decades, a single analytical method which can detect and classify radiosensitivity remains elusive. Raman microspectroscopy has demonstrated capabilities in the objective classification of various diseases, and more recently in the detection and modelling of radiobiological effect. In this study, Raman spectroscopy is presented as a potential tool for the detection of radiosensitivity subpopulations represented by four lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from individuals with ataxia telangiectasia (2 lines), non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and Turner\u27s syndrome. These are classified with respect to a population with mixed radiosensitivity, represented by lymphocytes drawn from both healthy controls, and prostate cancer patients. Raman spectroscopic measurements were made ex-vivo after exposure to X-ray doses of 0 Gy, 50 mGy and 500 mGy, in parallel to radiation-induced G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity scores, for all samples. Support vector machine models developed on the basis of the spectral data were capable of discrimination of radiosensitive populations before and after irradiation, with superior discrimination when spectra were subjected to a non-linear dimensionality reduction (UMAP) as opposed to a linear (PCA) approach. Models developed on spectral data acquired on samples irradiated in-vitro with a dose of 0Gy were found to provide the highest level of performance in discriminating between classes, with performances of F1 = 0.92 ± 0.06 achieved on a held-out test set. Overall, this study suggests that Raman spectroscopy may have potential as a tool for the detection of intrinsic radiosensitivity using liquid biopsies
Is Therapeutic Lying Ethically Justifiable If It Leads To Improved Care?
Get PDFProblem statement
Although therapeutic lying is used extensively as an intervention in dementia care, its use is ethically controversial, firstly, because lying is usually viewed negatively, and secondly, because people with dementia are an especially vulnerable cohort. It is claimed that therapeutic lying improves wellbeing and supports a person-centred approach to dementia care.
Research Question
Is lying to people with dementia ethically justifiable if it leads to improved care?
Aim
To investigate whether care can be improved using therapeutic lies, to explore the ongoing ethical debate around its justification and to examine whether therapeutic lies support person-centred interventions.
Method
This research is a narrative literature review that examined the use of therapeutic lies in dementia care and the ethical dilemmas. It investigated whether using therapeutic lies could improve delivery of person-centred interventions. The databases searched included JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO and Wiley. It included peer reviewed journal articles, books and information from websites supporting people with dementia.
Results
Many caregivers believe that therapeutic lying is justifiable if it is in the best interest of people with dementia. However, there are potential negative consequences as well as beneficial outcomes. Ethical debate is ongoing and unlikely to be resolved, resulting in a reluctance from management and professional bodies to support caregivers and provide guidance on the use of therapeutic lies. The practice has potential to be person-centred, but implementation is inhibited by reluctance to document interventions using therapeutic lies, lack of time and inconsistent team-based care