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Online hate and violence: a case analysis of incels and the alt-right
No full textDue to the increase in hate-motivated mass killing attacks being associated with the perpetrator’s involvement in online hate communities, concern has been growing in the media regarding the extent to which an individual’s online activity can radicalise them. These attacks can be motivated by a bias against race, gender, or religion, such as the 2021 Buffalo, New York shooting, where the shooter targeted the black community. They can also be gender-based, like the incel van attack in Toronto in 2018. This research project examines the connection between hate-motivated violence and social media. Using case examples of the Toronto Van Attack and the Tops supermarket shooting and a semi-systematic literature review, the findings suggest that social media, through design features, policies, memes, sense of belonging, and trolling, can influence individuals within these groups towards violence
The experiences of women in leadership roles in Catholic secondary schools
No full textThe study of leadership is a vast field within academic research; however, there is little research focused on the experiences of lay Catholic women in leadership. Most studies approach female leadership from a secular lens and exclude an appreciation of Catholic understandings of women. An examination of academic literature and Catholic teachings on women and leadership gave a foundation for exploring female leadership in this study. The central research question was: What are the experiences of women in leadership roles in Catholic secondary schools? Through in-depth open-ended interviews, three participants working in leadership roles in Catholic secondary schools expressed their experiences of leadership. The study was conducted through a phenomenological approach and used a Catholic lens to examine the data. The interview data was collected and coded. The results demonstrated how the three women of this study experienced a person-oriented stye of leadership through the four themes: relationship building, service focused, encouraging growth, and leading with heart. The four themes illustrated an overlap between the study of servant and transformational leadership and the Catholic teachings around the feminine genius. Based on the results of this study, women in Catholic contexts should be encouraged to pursue leadership roles and barriers to women’s leadership should be critically examined.female leadershipfeminine geniusCatholic schoolsservant leadershiptransformational leadershi
Middle school teachers’ perceptions of contributing factors to teacher wellness
No full textLiterature reports that teaching is considered a career with one of the highest levels of stress. This stress can impact teacher wellness, teacher attrition, and ultimately, student achievement. Despite knowing that teacher stress can lead to burnout, our school system continues to struggle to implement whole system reform that leads to healthy school cultures and teacher wellness. This study centered around the question: what do middle school teachers perceive to be the contributing factors to teacher wellness within a school? Four middle school teachers were interviewed to understand their perspectives on contributing factors to teacher wellness. Results discuss teacher wellness being related to workload, administration, team, reconfiguration, and school culture. This study provides practical strategies to improve teacher wellness through supportive administration, purposeful community building, and healthy school culture development. These practical strategies consider the use of servant leadership attributes to achieve healthy school cultures to improve teacher wellness.teacher wellnesscommunity building,servant leadershipschool cultureworkloadadministrationreconfiguratio
How to Reduce Anxiety
No full textIn this paper, we sought to understand how lifestyle choices can contribute to the overall reduction of anxiety, so that we could learn how to use this to our benefit. Previous research has found that anxiety can be reduced by music therapy, mindfulness, a dietary change, animal therapy and self-esteem enhancement. In our correlational study, we tested the strength of these relationships by examining naturalistic daily changes in their variables longitudinally over a period of one week. We measured music therapy by the amount of times we had music playing in our heads, mindfulness by time spent in a mindful state, vegan diet by how many vegetables were consumed, animal therapy by time spent exposed to animals, self-esteem enhancement by how many activities were exercised to help increase self-esteem, and anxiety on a subjective scale. Data pooled across participants in our correlational study showed that only mindfulness had a statistically significant correlation with anxiety. We found that although vegan diet and self-esteem enhancement showed a positive correlation with reduced anxiety, the strongest of all variables was increased mindfulness. A possible practical application of these findings could be the use of mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing and self-awareness, to reduce anxiety. A way to ease oneself from anxious moments.Supervising Instructor & Course Number: Michael Pollock, Psyc 110 (“Experimental Psychology”
Menstrual equity in Canada - Current knowledge and future research directions: Literature review
No full textThe following report, prepared for Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), provides a review of literature reflecting current knowledge about menstrual equity, the extent of period poverty in Canada and future research directions. The report also includes a summary overview of key terms and concepts, frameworks and context factors relevant to the present study. Analysis was guided by the PROGRESS-Plus approach (1), which serves to ensure an equity lens in research. The current report is one of three submitted to WAGE: Literature review, Qualitative research, and High-level environmental scan. Research examining menstruation, the menstrual cycle and the lived experiences of menstruators has been historically marginalized (2). Recent years have seen a proliferation of research and literature; however, primarily within global public health or countries outside Canada (3). Here in Canada, we are just beginning to understand the differential impacts of period poverty on vulnerable and marginalized groups, as well as the range of systemic factors that shape menstrual inequities. Existing Canadian scholarly and grey publications reflect the nascent character of menstrual equity knowledge in Canada, while acknowledging the importance of key frameworks for directing future research.Menstrual Research Grou
VR Kepler orbit simulation: VR Astronomy simulation
No full textFor this project, we developed an educational Virtual Reality (VR) experience that will expose students to an immersive simulation of planetary motion. While there are many Solar System simulations available online, none of them focus on visualizing apparent retrograde motion in an educational setting. This VR experience is intended to fill that gap. The objective of this research project was to develop and implement an efficient and accurate simulation of Kepler orbits in VR for educational settings with a focus on the visualization of apparent retrograde motion. In particular, our main focus is on the ability to view the apparent retrograde motion of planets from the perspective of planets other than Earth. Our VR application is created using Unreal Engine 5, with code written in C++, and is designed to be used with the Meta Quest 2 VR headset. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first attempts in post-secondary education at creating an immersive experience for planetary motion in VR with a focus on apparent retrograde motion. Report submission was sponsored by Dr. Shahriar Khosravi, (Computing Science Department) for course CMPT 2367 and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 12, 2023, for Student Research Days 2023.Not peer reviewe
The effects of footwear on isometric squat force
No full textWhen you google, squatting barefoot‚ you will find many websites claiming that squatting barefoot or in socks increases your mobility and squat max. The explanation for squatting barefoot is that famous bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno used to do it, so it must be better than squatting with shoes. Even some fitness influencers tell their followers to either squat with no shoes or certain shoes and claim all types of benefits without any scientific backing.
As researchers, we wondered if there was a significant difference in force production while performing an isometric front squat in an athlete's self-selected shoes vs in their socks.
This study will be conducted by participants recruited via convenient sampling. The participants will represent 12-16 healthy Douglas College students of any age or gender. These participants will be students in the BPEC program that have experience with squatting. Their training history does not have to be extensive, as long as they go to the gym and do not have any major health complications, they are eligible for this study. This study will be conducted in a quantitative, quasi-experimental design. Each participant will be asked to come to one of the labs in Douglas College and will be asked to bring with them the pair of shoes that they most commonly wear while working out at the gym.
The majority of findings show that barefoot squatting has little benefit. However, most research is focused on the deadl lift instead of the front squat.
Our hypothesis is that there will be slightly higher force production when barefoot compared to when wearing shoes.
Poster submission was sponsored by Dr.Ken Anderson, (Sports Science Department) for course SPSC 4256 and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 12, 2023, for Student Research Days 2023.Not peer reviewe
Can playing a videogame designed for drop foot rehabilitation translate into functional change in Gait?
No full textCurrent literature assesses effectiveness by measuring change in ankle range of motion and strength. Our study will look to assess functional changes in balance and gait performance scores and neural recruitment.
Research question: We want to find out if strength and ankle range of motion improvement in drop foot patients through a drop foot rehabilitation video game would translate to functional walking gait improvement. Research hypothesis: We hypothesize that the improvement in strength and range of motion will significantly improve participants' performance in walking gait.
After identifying that practicing ankle flexion movement in a seated position improves ankle flexion strength and range of motion in patients suffering from drop foot, we want to test if practicing ankle flexion movement will lead to improvement in walking gait. With the collaboration between engineering students and computer students at the college we have designed a functional foot pedal rehabilitation tool that uses flexion of the foot to move the cards in a solitaire game. We will be assessing gait speed and balance with the 10m walk test, timed up and go test .
We anticipate that our device improves strength and range of motion, which may potentially lead to improvement in walking gait (we are using the 10m walk test, timed up and go test to assess walking gait).
More convenient and more cost-efficient rehabilitation access for patients suffering from drop foot. Also, this will be a fun and encouraging alternative for the patients to perform the rehabilitation exercise, which will likely lead to greater adherence to the rehabilitation program.
Poster submission was sponsored by Karine Hamm, for Innovation Hub and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 12, 2023, for Student Research Days 2023.Not peer reviewe
Differential law enforcement practices to Indigenous rights disputes and protests
No full textColonial practices and violence have long been an issue for the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Particularly, the Canadian government and law enforcement have had ongoing problematic and forceful practices employed toward Indigenous Peoples and their rightful land and territories pertaining to the government’s desire to advance the Canadian economy. Extensive research has been conducted concerning Canada’s law enforcement practices toward Indigenous Peoples and how these practices have enabled neo-colonialism in Canada. Furthering on this theoretical paradigm, the research presented on the Wet’suwet’en protests and the Freedom Convoy is used to demonstrate neo-colonial and systemic racism enabled by law enforcement and the Canadian government. Using a case study design approach and a semi-systematic literature review, the findings highlight that law enforcement practices towards Indigenous Peoples in the Wet’suwet’en protests are highly reminiscent of racism and systemic discrimination and very evidently disparate from law enforcement practices seen with the Freedom Convoy, which primarily consisted of white, privileged Canadian citizens. The protests highlighted ongoing tensions between Indigenous land rights and the Canadian government and the need for greater communication between the two to address other underlying issues. The main findings point to the need for indigenization, reconciliation, and decolonization, as well as the need for Canada to work towards equality for Indigenous Peoples
Liberating structures: Including and unleashing everyone (Website)
No full textBeth references the Liberating Structures website in her presentation Imagining possibilities with liberating structures