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The Perception of Students and Instructors on the Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning of Foreign Languages: The Case of University of Ghana
No full textThe widespread use of technology tools for language learning has resulted in changes to the traditional learning classroom in countries around the world, including African countries like Ghana. The general perception about the importance of technology is that it has made language learning more enjoyable in the school setting. To understand perception on the use of technology in teaching and learning of foreign languages among students, questionnaires were administered to 14 foreign language students and 5 instructors at the University of Ghana. The results were analyzed using Qualtrics. The findings suggest that both instructors and students had a positive perception on the use of technology in teaching and learning foreign languages. On one hand, teachers indicated that the use of technology in language classes increased participation and productivity, enhanced communication, and improved linguistic skills of students. On another hand, students indicated that the use of technology in language learning increased collaboration and interaction in the target language. They explained that technology could be used as a teaser before the main lesson to enhance general learning experience, ease the stress of both teachers and instructors and help strengthen language acquisition in Africa. However, instructors encountered challenges such as lack of knowledge on the use of technological tools, interruption in internet connection, inadequate teaching time, and high cost of some technological tools. Students also experienced poor connectivity challenges, lack of knowledge of the use of tech tools, distraction, inaccuracy and limited explanations of some technology tools
Supporting Youth and Young Adults with Chronic Conditions
No full textAn estimated 20.8% of U.S. children have a special health care need (SHCN) that requires ongoing treatment via medication, counseling services, therapeutic supports, or assistance navigating functional limitations (Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, 2022). Such diagnoses often cause stress and demand change from diagnosed individuals, but also from close family members, including siblings (Hayden & Hastings, 2022). Well siblings, unfortunately, are sometimes excluded or neglected when parents quite reasonably seek to respond to crises of new (or ongoing) health challenges in one of their children (Hanvey et al., 2022). Though diagnoses can introduce distance and difficulty, there is also evidence that siblings can often be critical confidants, supports, and resources in the context of chronic illness (Avieli et al., 2019; Havey et al., 2022; Fullerton et al., 2016) This project seeks to examine what differentiates such experiences among siblings, and identify strategies for creating supportive, close, or beneficial sibling relationships in the context of chronic illness, whether mental, developmental, and/or physical. We are specifically examining how special healthcare needs can hold consequences for sibling relationships from childhood through emerging adulthood and uncover ways family members and health professionals can support positive sibling relationships within these contexts.
Overall, our primary research questions are: How do siblings navigate and experience chronic conditions during childhood through emerging adulthood? And how can siblings, caregivers, or other adults facilitate the creation or maintenance of supportive, close, or beneficial sibling relationships in the context of chronic conditions
Cultural Identity in Mental Health Services and Helpseeking Behaviours among African International Students
Get PDFAcculturation stress impacts international students’ psychological well-being and academic success, yet research on African students remains limited. For African international students, this stress is intensified by cultural stigma surrounding mental health services, deterring help-seeking due to fears of judgment and ostracization. This identity negotiation complicates their willingness to access support, reinforcing cultural barriers to mental health care. This study explores how cultural identity shapes the mental health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of African international students in the United States. Grounded in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), the research examines how acculturative stress, stigma, and institutional barriers influence students’ engagement with mental health resources. Findings revealed obstacles, including language barriers, financial constraints, and religious beliefs, shaping their conceptualization of mental health and coping strategies. The study highlighted a gap in institutional responses to African students’ mental health needs. While universities promote mental health awareness, existing initiatives often lack cultural responsiveness, limiting their effectiveness. Beyond academia, the study contributes to global mental health equity by advocating for inclusive, culturally sensitive interventions
Stimulating Focus and Calmness Through Soft Fabrication: A User-Centered Approach
Get PDFThis study explores the potential of active attention objects embedded with technologies such as LEDs to enhance focus and calmness in individuals with inattentive ADHD, particularly in classroom settings. Individuals with inattentive ADHD often struggle with irritability, stress, and panic attacks when exposed to external stimuli such as loud sounds, varying light intensities, strong smells, or physical sensations, which significantly hinders their ability to concentrate and remain composed. My literature review discovered a connection between an individual’s blinking pattern and their focus, and my work explores how to design active attention objects to engage with blinking as a focus tactic. The research utilized two participatory design methods: focus groups and prototyping. Conducted in two phases, the study first paired participants in groups of three, allowing them to sketch designs for active attention objects, highlighting where technologies such as blinking LEDs should be placed. Participants discussed their concepts collaboratively. In the second phase, participants constructed physical prototypes of their designs and used potentiometers to control the speed and patterns of the LEDs. Each group produced individual prototypes, with the LEDs intended to regulate participants\u27 blinking patterns. This was crucial, as individuals with inattentive ADHD either forget to blink when focusing or blink excessively when overwhelmed by external stimuli. The LEDs aimed to capture attention, stimulate blinking, and suggest appropriate blinking speeds. The study was effective as it empowered participants with agency in their care and unveiled unique patterns, processes, and associations pertinent to each participant\u27s experience. My findings indicate that active attention objects, such as LEDs blinking in specific patterns, can significantly improve focus and calmness in individuals with inattentive ADHD by promoting regulated blinking
Automorphism Groups of N-Graded Vertex Algebras associated with Cyclic Leibniz Algebras with Small Dimensions
Get PDFA fundamental problem in the study of vertex (operator) algebras V is the determination of the group of (grading-preserving) N-graded vertex algebras associated with cyclic Leibniz algebras of dimensions 2 and 3 that were classified by C. Barnes, E. Martin, J. Service, and G. Yamskulna in [1].
In each case examined, investigation of the automorphism group relies on the key fact that the action of an automorphism σ is determined solely by its value at a single basis element b. Furthermore, we employ a result in [19] by H. Li and G. Yamskulna which states that we can determine the automorphism groups of these N-graded vertex algebras in terms of the automorphism groups of the corresponding vertex algebroids
The Future of Democracy is at Risk as Declining Local Media Erodes Voter Turnout
Get PDFThe loss of local news sources has social and political consequences. The effects of media decline have been studied extensively at the national level and less so at the state level. However, this is only the second attempt to examine the effects of local media decline. This thesis argues that local media is in crisis, and its decline is correlated with another crisis: diminishing municipal voter turnout. This research examines losses in local newspapers in 45 Illinois counties and how that decline has affected voter turnout in municipal elections held from 2005 to 2023. Regression results suggest that voter turnout in local elections declines with the loss of each local newspaper
The Body Is On
Get PDFTHE BODY IS ON is a visual art exhibition that considers queer embodiment, pervert as political identity, the arriving climate catastrophe, and difficulty in artmaking. I make use of various concepts from Deleuze and Guattari to interconnect my own with the primary goal to ask: what does futurity look like or mean in these climates (in both a literal, warming sense and an increasingly fascistic, political one), and how do we actualize that future
Skin And Bones: Transgenerational Trauma, Experimental Storytelling, And The Texture Of Hope, A Creative Dissertation
Get PDFThis dissertation theorizes and enacts experimental storytelling as a method for engaging transgenerational trauma, highlighting how form shapes the ways histories are remembered, embodied, and reimagined across generations. Grounded in hope rehearsal as both a theoretical and creative framework, this project examines how BIPOC writers use experimental writing techniques to navigate the afterlives of historical trauma and reclaim storytelling as an act of meaning-making, communal care, and futurity. The dissertation begins with a critical chapter that explores these experimental techniques as strategies for recovery and resistance. The dissertations’ creative chapter, Andre Lyle: Skin and Bones, expands on these ideas through original experimental prose that interrogates memory’s instability, the echoes of transgenerational trauma, and the interwoven relationship between text, body, and archive. The dissertation concludes with considerations of how hope rehearsal can be applied to creative writing classrooms, fostering spaces where students engage experimental techniques to navigate identity, history, and collective healing
ENHANCING CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS IN CHILDREN THROUGH AUGMENTED REALITY: A STUDY ON EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT.
Get PDFAs the need to address climate change becomes more urgent, introducing children to environmental conservation has become increasingly important. This thesis explores how augmented reality (AR) technology can turn traditional storytelling into an exciting and educational experience to help children learn about climate change. Sam and Mia’s Earth-Saving Adventure, a 10-page graphic storybook enhanced with AR, allows children aged 3-10 to interact with the story through animations and sound effects that respond to their choices. Developed using Adobe Aero, the book creates an immersive and fun way for children to engage with environmental topics.
The study uses a combination of methods: ethnographic observations capture children\u27s engagement during AR interactions, and their performance in a quiz is quantitatively analyzed to measure comprehension and retention. Findings reveal that AR-infused storytelling not only captivates young learners but also deepens their understanding of climate concepts. Children demonstrated excitement and curiosity, with many showing improved recall and the ability to link the story’s lessons to real-world environmental actions.
By combining immersive technology with playful education, this study provides insights into innovative approaches for early childhood learning, emphasizing the potential of AR to inspire a generation of environmentally conscious individuals
