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What Are the Biological Mechanisms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD)?
Get PDFIn this paper, we sought to understand what are the biological mechanisms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders so that we could learn how to be aware of our obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Previous research has found that obsessive-compulsive disorder correlates with brain dysfunctions such as with frontal-parietal communication, brain activity in the right frontal pole, and levels of dopamine. In our first (correlational) study, we tested the strength of these relationships by examining naturalistic daily changes in their variables longitudinally over a one-week period. We measured parietal cortex functioning by performance in the Spatial Cueing Task, frontal cortex functioning by performance in the Berg’s Card Sorting Test, levels of dopamine by number of eye blinks in one minute, and OCD by number of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour in a day. Based on the strength of correlation found between parietal cortex functioning and levels of OCD symptoms in our correlational study, we then conducted a second (experimental) study to test for a causal relationship between these two variables. Over a one-week period, we randomly assigned participants each day to either a high parietal cortex functioning experimental condition or a low parietal cortex functioning control condition and measured the effect this manipulation had upon the levels of OCD symptoms. Data pooled across participants in our correlational study showed significant correlations of levels of OCD symptoms with parietal cortex functioning, but not with frontal cortex functioning or with levels of dopamine. However, the results of our experimental study failed to establish a causal role of the parietal cortex functioning upon levels of OCD symptoms. Therefore, the influences of specific brain structures and neurotransmitters on levels of OCD symptoms remains uncertain.Supervising Instructor & Course Number: Michael Pollock, Psyc 215 (“Biological Psychology”
Heritage for the 21st Century: Increasing Student Engagement using Digital Tools
Get PDFHeritage is relevant for everyone, yet it is something that we need to engage with to fully understand and appreciate. This research aimed to increase student engagement with cultural heritage in exciting, modern, and relevant ways by providing opportunities for students to use augmented and virtual realities to explore heritage objects and sites
Cannabis Client Care: Dental and Health Implications
No full textCannabis became legal across Canada in 2018. That's only 3 years ago! It was reported by Canada Health that twenty-seven percent (27%) of people reported having used cannabis in the past 12 months, an increase from 25% in the previous cycle. That's around 9 million people! Especially now that cannabis is legalized in Canada, it is pertinent that, as dental hygienists, we make sure we are able to effectively identify signs and symptoms of cannabis in our clients and be able to alter treatment.
Presented at Vancouver Community College Teaching, Learning and Research Symposium, March 10-11, 2022Dental hygieneCannabisClient Car
Cultural permanency planning : colonization and its legislative impacts on historical and current trends in Indigenous Child welfare practice
Get PDFChild protection services in British Columbia play a large role in supporting children and families and are governed by the Child, Family, and Community Services Act (CFCSA) that is intended to ensure children are protected from harm through permanency planning. For Indigenous communities, the idea of permanency requires social workers to look at culturally relevant permanency plans. This concept of cultural permanency focuses on a child or youth’s right to continue to experience meaningful relationships with their community and culture, which includes family and extended family (Bennett, 2015). The CFCSA includes legislation that references ensuring Indigenous youth, families, and communities are included in permanency planning that takes into consideration Indigenous cultures. The need for culturally relevant permanency planning and the factors that influence it can be viewed through the Socio-ecological systems theory (SST) to develop an understanding of the worldviews, history, legislation, and current practices that impact a social worker’s ability to deliver culturally relevant permanency plans. The literature reveals that a lack of funding, training, and resources, along with large caseloads, continue to provide substantial challenges in delivering effective services to Indigenous communities and is essentially a modern extension of colonial child welfare practice
Discrimination and resilience at the margins of gender diversity
Get PDFGender diverse people commonly have experiences of trauma and stories of resilience. This paper presents a thematic summary of recent academic journal articles to better understand how people experience gender diversity, discrimination, and resilience. The literature is reviewed with the intention of discovering best practices for social workers who work with gender diverse adults particularly in counselling or community settings, including people with non-binary identities. Using anti-oppressive theory, minority stress theory, and red intersectionality, various multiple marginalities are explored. These various identities include the intersections of gender diversity with race, culture, poverty, neurodivergence, older adults, and religion. Non-binary identities are also considered. Health impacts of discrimination against gender diverse people are discussed, including the important role of inclusive community. Implications for social work practice and policy are explored.gender diversitynon-binaryintersectionalitydiscriminationresilienc
Professional learning communities: A means to support quality teaching and student learning
No full textThis capstone paper is set within the context of my role as a teacher and educational leader in
Fort McMurray, Alberta and a student in the Master of Education program at Thompson Rivers
University. Within my career, I have been lucky to be surrounded by colleagues who value
collaboration and engage in ongoing learning to meet the evolving needs of their students.
Through my experience and learning, I now understand the role professional learning
communities play in improving educational practices and outcomes through enhanced
communication and collaboration among teachers. As a result, I claim that well-structured
professional learning communities lead to quality teaching and optimal learning for students.
This is due to the focus on learning, collaborative culture, and a results orientation that
professional learning communities are based (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Hord, 1997), resulting in
increased collective efficacy and student achievement. Evidence will be presented through a
review of the literature and an analysis of a real-world example of professional learning
communities within the Fort McMurray Public School Division. The resulting implication is that
professional learning communities positively impact teaching and learning and schools should
take the steps necessary to incorporate them into their practice.Not peer reviewedCapstoneProfessional learning communitiesQuality teachingStudent learningCollaborative cultureCollective efficac
Thesis support paper
No full textThis thesis support paper is about the journey of my development in art and illustration during the MFA program. The paper includes an introduction of my identity and background that is influential to my artistic practice. The focus of my practice centers around my experience as a Chinese immigrant in the west and the idea of the co-existence of eastern and western culture, identity, and ideology.
I will introduce my artworks from the year 2016 to the most recent ones in chronological order to show how my works evolved over time. There will be an in-depth explanation about the techniques, creative intentions, and the concepts behind works, as well as a list of artists who inspired me visually and conceptually, and an analysis of their practice
Caring for students experiencing poor mental health and well-being from social media use
No full textAs a secondary school teacher, I have observed the increase in social media use that has continually been occurring in the classrooms. Even in Grade 8, it is now more likely that each student owns a smartphone than not. It is becoming a social norm to possess a smartphone at younger ages. This paper combines Nel Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care in the context of present children who would be considered late Generation Z and early Generation Alpha. These individuals are growing up in a different world, immersed in social media. With this paper, I claim that educators need to revise and adapt the way we care for children in schools growing up in a heavily social media influenced world. Additions to scholarly writers such as Noddings are thus needed: caring for self, caring in the inner circle, and caring for ideas. Three main elements are discussed in combination with the literature with regards to mental health and well-being: mood and anxiety disorders, addiction behaviours, cyberbullying and harmful content. These additional challenges to care in schools in our present context and understanding how social media has changed the children we teach will ultimately help educators serve their needs. Considerations towards the classroom, the educational system, further research, and personal implications are discussed to reduce the negative impacts of social media use towards the mental health and well-being of adolescents.Not peer reviewedcapstoneNoddingsethics of caresocial mediaFOMOmental healthadolescent
How does a Menopausal body navigate a phallocentric world? (Menopause is the penultimate death in the many deaths of the female body)
No full textThis research began with the body, however nobody (no-body) is the location where this practice presently exists. To be clear, this research is developed through symptoms that develop within a body and then exist outside of a body as material. Currently, these symptom-materials are formed by the conditions of Menopause. Formerly, these symptom-materials were determined by annals of failing fertility.PhallocentrismMaterialsInstitutional critiqu
How western culture can create healthier teenagers: Re-evaluating the storm & stress of adolescence
No full textWhen I tell people how much I am enjoying motherhood, I am so often met with the response “oh just wait until they’re teenagers”. There seems to be a cultural fear that our perfect little babies will transform into monsters on their 13thbirthday and that all we can do is batten the hatches and wait out the storm. In this paper, I will claim that the view of adolescents that we promote is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If Western society starts to view the period in a more positive light, we can elicit better outcomes for our youth. I have worked with so many teenagers who are lovely and conscientious. They want to make the world a better place and want to make their families proud. Statistics echo my beliefs. Drug use, delinquency, and criminal activity has decreased amongst youth, while volunteering and involvement in climate & social justice movements has increased.The perception of teenagers being moody and rebellious is not ubiquitous. In cultures where this view is not promoted, teenagers have low rates of embodying these characteristics. This demonstrates that our negative cultural view of adolescents is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If Western culture begins to promote a more positive view of adolescents, we can improve the health and well-being of the youth we work with.Not peer reviewedCapstoneAdolescentDevelopmentTeenagersWestern cultureCanadaHealthyPsycholog