VIURRSpace (Royal Roads University and Vancouver Island University)
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The effects of literacy supports and interventions for primary students with delayed reading development
No full textThe purpose of this case study was to investigate the efficacy of the implementation of the reading/writing program “Explode the Code” and to explore student opinions on book selection for grade 1 students with perceived delayed reading development. It is essential that reading instruction is based on research. Therefore, this was an exploration on how to improve the phonics/phonemic awareness-based instruction support offered to struggling readers. Ten students were chosen from a grade 1 population at a school on Vancouver Island. These students were identified as showing delayed reading development through the administration of two assessments: DIBELS and PM Benchmarks. Participants were split into two groups, corresponding to the classroom they were already assigned. One group, the comparison group, was given standard interventions. The second group, the variable group, was exposed to the program Explode the Code in addition to the standard interventions. The intervention sessions lasted for seven weeks, ending with a second administration of the same assessments. The average gains made on all of the subtests of the assessments were higher for the variable group which received Explode the Code as part of the intervention. The gains, however, were not statistically significant. In addition, a short survey revealed that students were most commonly using the sounding out method to figure out unknown words and they preferred coloured text as opposed to black and white. This feedback suggests further research of Explode the Code and similar programs would be valuable.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27350/Blazakow.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=
Emission ambition: the roles institutional investors are playing to mitigate climate change
No full textReporting can be a decision-making tool for institutional investors around the issue of climate change. Reporting can demonstrate how organizations tie capital allocation to environmental impacts, climate change risks, and sustainability, thereby providing information that could include or exclude organizations from investment portfolios. This research uses qualitative methods to examine how decision making, risks, and influences may support and challenge the effectiveness of reporting strategies and how institutional investors have impacted reporting. Findings, specific to Alberta and the oil and gas sector, demonstrate the direct and indirect influences institutional investors have on reporting as well as their meaningful contributions towards reporting standards and frameworks. Favourable research results could improve climate action
Predicting current and future potential geographic distribution of the invasive dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum) in North America
No full textV. rossicum has become increasingly invasive in North America and is particularly difficult to eradicate once introduced. A suitability model that assessed the likelihood of new invasions through analysis of predictive variables was necessary to interpret how the invasive vine’s potential distribution might change over time. The aim of this research was to create a species distribution model using MaxEnt software to estimate current and future potential geographic distribution of V. rossicum using actual site-specific observations of the invasive plant and predictive variables. The purpose of this work was to provide support for early detection of V. rossicum to be able to help reduce the economic impact of new invasions.
The results showed that the AUC values for each time-period asses were greater than 0.89 when cross-validation was applied, and greater than 0.91 when bootstrapping was applied, indicating the results are accurate. The greatest area of relatively suitable habitat for the vine was found to be under current circumstances, and suitable habitat areas decreased under future climate change scenarios. The main environmental factors that affected the distribution of V. rossicum according to percent contribution and percent permutation importance were: BIO1 (annual mean temperature), BIO8 (mean temperature of wettest quarter), BIO15 (precipitation seasonality), BIO18 (precipitation of warmest quarter), nightlights, and pH. The main environmental factors that affected the distribution of V. rossicum according to the Jackknife test were: BIO1 (annual mean temperature), BIO8 (mean temperature of wettest quarter), BIO15 (precipitation seasonality), BIO18 (precipitation of coldest quarter), and pH. Future climate was predicted to be less ideal for the survival of V. rossicum, this maybe beneficial for invasive plant management. However, for local plants that share similar habitat distributions and characteristics as V. rossicum, this might indicate a future risk under climate change pressure and pressure from V. rossicum.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26360/Fishbein-OuimetteReport.pdf?sequence=
Health promotion: strategies for supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities
No full textThe health of today's youth is a growing concern and students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) are at greater risk due to sensory issues and pre-existing health issues that impact food related behaviours. Home Economics teachers face many challenges when it comes to supporting health promotion efforts in their schools and classrooms yet their role in these efforts is crucial in order to effectively foster and promote healthy eating and healthy habits. This study explored the question: What do Home Economics teachers know and need to know about supporting health promotion for students with IDD? Using a needs assessment methodology, I explored participants' current practice and compared the results with knowledge about 'best practice' from current literature in the field in order to investigate what could be done to improve health promotion for students with IDD. Themes investigated through coding and descriptive statistics were knowledge about students with IDD, the role of health and healthy food choices, long term health outcomes, teaching strategies and lessons, food literacy and essential skills, challenges and barriers to health promotion, and curriculum and guidelines related to food and health. One of the study's key findings is that in order to implement effective health promotion strategies and interventions, Home Economics teachers need more opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, families, and the community, as well as more professional development specific to addressing health, healthy eating, and cooking skills for students with IDD through the use of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs).https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26893/Perry.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=
Millennials as second-person witnesses of the Holocaust : a case study on the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
No full textThe future of Holocaust remembrance is brittle as we navigate transgenerational interpretations of memory. Understanding this trend is important, given a revival in far-right radicalism worldwide and a growing disconnect between the past and future learnings of the Holocaust. As the number of first-hand narratives of the Holocaust dwindles, the next generation must instead rely on vectors of memory and a constellation of media to (re)shape a new form of transitional memory. Drawing on a qualitative grounded theory study of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Germany, this research explored the impact on Millennial visitors by understanding the relationship between Holocaust remembrance, collective memory, and the Dachau Memorial Site. Specifically, the study investigated how Millennial visitors make sense of Holocaust remembrance and come to terms with the past. Research participants included Millennials, tour guides, and the administration team at the site. Ethnographic-informed methods were used, including field observation, journaling, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and surveys. My research findings speak to how Millennial visitors move within a new form of memory – the zone of transitional memory of the Holocaust.
Keywords: Zone of transitional memory, Holocaust remembrance, Millennials, Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, heritage force field, symbolic interactionism, reflexivity, looking glass self, generalized othe
Strategies and tools for applying the community of inquiry to support adult learners in online professional development programs
No full textProfessional Development training programs for adult learners are enhanced by applying leadership strategies and using digital tools to help build community in online and blended learning environments. Learning organizations that design and deliver informal and non-credit Professional Development training programs to adults may benefit by applying leadership strategies such as the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle model. This Project addresses the Critical Challenge Question (CCQ): What are the strategies and tools that Professional Development leaders can employ for engaging adult learners in online learning environments? Through the research, I developed a conceptual adaptation to the CoI Framework for adult learning training through Connection, Leadership, and Lifelong Learning. The research enabled a thoughtful conclusion to the Project package consisting of a website, a downloadable Facilitator’s Guide, and a Gamified Digital Adventure, “The Facilitator’s Way.” The intended audience for this research are instructional designers, facilitators, trainers, and learning organizations that deliver informal and non-credit training to adults online or via blended learning.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27452/Massicotte.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=
Monstrous pregnancy, queer bodies, and male anxiety: “Bloodchild” and other pregnant men of speculative horror
Get PDFWinning essay - English Department Competition 2022-2023Winning essay - ENGL 33
Supporting meaningful inclusion: key factors for middle school inclusive education teams
No full textSupporting meaningful inclusion for all students is an area of focus today in educational contexts around the world. Inclusive education teams are teams within a school that can be made up of support teachers, counsellors, and administration and play an important role in supporting this shift to inclusive practices. There has been much research in the field looking at strategies to support inclusion, however, studies in the BC middle school context are missing. It has also been difficult to find literature that puts strategies together in a cohesive way that shows how they can be supported by inclusive education teams in collaboration with staff within a school. The aim of this qualitative study was to look at my own middle school context and discover ways in which our inclusive education team has been successful in supporting meaningful inclusion through semi-structured interviews with school staff from various roles. Finding out what we are doing well gives our team a good starting point for moving forward with meaningful inclusion at our school and reveals areas we need to work on. As context is so important in setting up for meaningful inclusion my hope is this study will add another example to build on the current body of research.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27348/Alford.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=
Caregiver burden and burnout and the role physical activity and exercise play
No full textCaregivers, the unpaid family, and friends who provide care to their loved ones are integral to Canada’s social fabric and healthcare system. Around the world, the number of caregivers is growing as older adults live longer, have more complex healthcare needs, and the older population is growing faster than the replacement fertility rate. This study examined the health, burden, burnout, physical activity, and exercise levels of caregivers (N = 163) in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada, using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design with two phases. The quantitative data gathered in the first phase were analyzed and used to inform the qualitative data collection in the second phase. The qualitative data were analyzed by thematic analysis of 12 semi-structured interviews and a narrative inquiry of a selected caregiver. Results from the Caregiver Burden Inventory and the Zarit Burden Interview suggest that approximately 77.5% of the caregivers were experiencing burden, while 23.7% were suffering burnout (as measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory) from their caregiving responsibilities. Caregivers who were physically active or exercised regularly were less burdened and burned out from their caregiving responsibilities, and their self-perceived health was better. There were no significant differences between rural and urban caregivers in this sample. Sandwich caregivers were similar to their counterparts who were not also caring for their children at home. Caregivers suggested that they require additional support including, but not limited to, increased access to Adult Day Care programs; enhanced Respite Care Services; changes to Home Care that are responsive to the needs of the care recipient, in addition to the caregivers; and additional staffing in long-term care facilities
Exploring universal design for learning and co-teaching for inclusive education
No full textSocial and academic inclusion in schools may improve with knowledgeable professionals who support, collaborate, and encourage and model the inclusive frameworks Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and co-teaching. This thesis describes the necessity for Universal Design for Learning implementation and methods of collaboration, with a focus on co-teaching practices. An action research methodology was employed to discover methods to collaborate with colleagues in the researcher’s small, rural Saskatchewan school with the aim of improving her own practice as a student services teacher to encourage the implementation of Universal Design for Learning. Findings from the study generated themes related to eight topics: intentional and assertive communication, creating a knowledge base, initiation of change-based opportunities, advocacy, feedback and interactions with colleagues, and transformation of oneself. An overall theme of the study is recognition that to improve collaboration with colleagues, and to encourage UDL for meaningful inclusion, it is necessary to challenge the status quo, take risks, and lean into uncomfortable feelings. The study offers researchers and other professionals tangible UDL recommendations for their own practice, UDL strategies, implications for action research in student support teacher practice, and recommendations for further research.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26913/Neuls.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=