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Experiences of Dungeons & Dragons Players
Get PDFThis was a qualitative study of the experiences of Dungeons & Dragons players at the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) club at a private university in the Western United States. Previous research has shown that the benefits of playing Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) include developing social skills, developing empathy, and finding respite from reality. The goal of this research was to identify how role-players perceive they are affected by TTRPGs and what is appealing about TTRPGs. The participants in this study identified that, as a result of playing TTRPGs, they learned to develop better social skills and empathy. Their top reasons for playing were engaging in prosocial behaviors, finding respite from reality, being able to express themselves and find acceptance, and finding personal enjoyment engaging in the game.
The majority of these results followed the already existing research into the effects of TTRPGs. Areas that were not as readily represented in the literature were the prosocial behaviors that role-players engaged in that motivated them to play, finding respite from reality, and finding personal enjoyment with the game.
Further research could continue to identify the effects that role-players experience over time, a longitudinal study to see what personal material role-players bring to their games, and any negative effects that come from TTRPGs
The Experiences of Siblings of Incarcerated Individuals: Clinical Recommendations
No full textSiblings of incarcerated individuals are a neglected and poorly understood population impacted by mass incarceration. The children and adolescents experiencing an incarcerated sibling may be at increased risk of mental health concerns, flying under the radar of professionals in contact with this population. The aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of individuals that navigated the incarceration of a sibling during childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood to better understand what supports and interventions can be utilized to increase adjustment and mental wellness. Through qualitative data obtained through survey, this case study describes the perspective of sisters with an incarcerated brother and how having a legally involved sibling affected various aspects of their life. The results highlighted issues in family and non-family relationships, self-esteem and identity development, stigma, and lack of mental health resources. Suggestions and recommendations are provided for mental health and non-mental health professionals who may be working with this population
Cognitive, Psychosocial, and Legal Vulnerabilities of Violent Versus Nonviolent Traumatic Brain Injury Among Justice-Involved Individuals
No full textThe present study investigated differences in cognitive, psychosocial, and legal outcomes among justice-involved individuals with a history of violent compared to nonviolent TBI. Data from 189 justice-involved individuals were analyzed. Individuals were grouped by mechanism of injury (motor vehicle accident [MVA], violence, or fall) and compared on a cognitive assessment battery, three comorbid psychosocial variables, and total length of time incarcerated (in months). Results revealed persons with TBI from violence were more likely to have a history of mental illness than persons with TBI due to MVAs or falls. Understanding the psychosocial vulnerabilities associated with mechanisms of TBI, particularly violence, informs targets of primary and tertiary prevention efforts aimed at reducing incidence of violent brain injury and mitigating the negative outcomes associated with these injuries
Biophysical Characterization of the ALS-Linked Protein TDP-43; and Genetic and Small Molecule Rescues from Its Cytotoxicity
No full textHuman trans-active response DNA binding protein 43 kDa (hTDP-43) is a protein necessary to the trafficking and processing of messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNA) in human cells but is also aggregation prone and has been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The structure of this multi-domain protein remains unknown, as each domain is linked by a disordered linker region. The C-terminal domain (CTD) is largely disordered, and the protein is 43 kDa and thus too large for many imaging techniques. hTDP-43 has been observed, both in vivo and in vitro, to form a native homodimer, but the precise interface of dimerization is unknown. The mechanism of aggregation is also unknown. As ALS is a disease currently without cure, anti-aggregation and dis-aggregase therapeutics are needed. This thesis sought to probe the structure of hTDP-43 with a battery of techniques to determine the structure of full-length hTDP-43 as well as to identify putative therapeutics to combat the aggregation of hTDP-43
Opportunities and Challenges Facing Civic Teachers in Public Schools: A Case Study of Elementary Teachers in Saudi Arabia
No full textIn Saudi Arabia, teaching is one of the earliest and most respected vocations for females, demanding continuous growth and adaptation. This study explores the role of civics education (CE) teachers at the primary school level in Saudi Arabian public schools, specifically focusing on the opportunities and challenges they face. By examining the experiences of female educators within this unique context, the study aims to provide insights into the broader educational landscape, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to foster a transformative educational system. A qualitative multiple case-study approach is employed, involving classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and analysis of lesson plans and curricular documents across three primary classrooms. This method facilitates an in-depth understanding of the factors impacting CE teachers, encompassing personal, institutional, and systemic levels. Findings indicate that CE teachers face numerous challenges, including a lack of time and support to stay current with evolving curricula, sporadic professional development opportunities, and limited exposure to innovative pedagogies. These issues highlight systemic and institutional gaps that hinder professional growth and effective teaching. Additionally, administrative interactions significantly influence teachers\u27 self-efficacy and job satisfaction, while disparities in school facilities and the absence of guidance and counseling resources exacerbate inequalities. Despite these challenges, the study identifies several opportunities for improvement. Enhancing collaboration between educators and administrators, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and providing tailored professional development can significantly enhance teacher experiences and promote professional growth. The study underscores the need for comprehensive solutions to address systemic issues within the Saudi education system and improve civics education. By contextualizing the challenges within the ecological systems framework, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted nature of teaching and learning processes. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of leveraging opportunities to enhance civics education and align with the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030
Incremental Quantities Based Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip Scheme for Protecting Inverter-Based Renewable Resources
Get PDFThe power generation landscape evolves, with the increase of inverter-based resources (IBRs) such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines, providing sustainable and clean energy sources. The shift towards IBRs mitigates climate change, creating considerable challenges to traditional power system protection due to their low fault current. Conventional protection schemes are designed around the internal dynamic of synchronous generators where they can supply an elevated fault current. This thesis explores a protection scheme designed to enhance the security of IBRs. The incremental characteristics of voltage and current coupled with the Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip scheme (POTT) provide a remarkable ability to detect a spectrum of fault conditions with a marginal fault current. A spectrum of simulation studies is conducted to test the proposed protection scheme’s effectiveness under various fault conditions and transient change. The proposed solution affirms security during external faults and normal transient conditions. During extensive testing, the proposed protection solution proved its efficacy, utilizing the incremental quantity-based POTT scheme in protecting IBRs. The findings and the analyses ensure that there is a critical need for advanced protection with the IBRs penetration
An Exploration of Rural Advanced Placement Differentiation
Get PDFAdvanced Placement classes are introductory college courses taught in high school. Over 60% of all secondary gifted programs report utilizing AP classes as part of their program offerings (Callahan et al., 2017). Despite the prevalence of AP courses, there is no exact match between this particular type of programming and the needs of gifted learners (Gallagher, 2008). The use and occurrence of AP programs across the United States have not been equal, with subsequent underrepresentation of underserved groups, including rural students (Gagnon & Mattingly, 2016) in AP classes. Rural gifted students benefit from all the same classroom differentiation techniques that other gifted students do, including critical thinking and problem-solving, advanced content, inquiry, independent learning, project or problem-based learning, and internship and mentoring programs (VanTassel-Baska & Hubbard, 2016). There is little published research concerning the differentiation practices for gifted students enrolled in AP classes. The purpose of this qualitative educational criticism was to describe, interpret, and evaluate the differentiation practices that are presented by rural Advanced Placement teachers to gifted students. Five rural teachers engaged in virtual observations, artifact submission, and semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using Tomlinson’s differentiation model (2018) and the instructional arc (Uhrmacher et al., 2017). Each of the five teachers observed demonstrated similar classroom pedagogy that aims to meet the unique needs of gifted students. Rural AP teachers form positive student-teacher relationships and establish positive classroom communities, although they may fail to provide specific differentiation modifications known to benefit gifted students. All participants reported being supported by their administrators, but face barriers due to poor student preparation and the threat of concurrent enrollment. As rural AP teachers occupy pivotal roles in their respective buildings, administrators and gifted program coordinators should work to establish Pre-AP or vertical preparation programs to ensure adequately prepared students enrolling in these courses. College Board, parent organization of Advanced Placement, should encourage frequent training of AP students and modify existing training to increase knowledge of specific curricular modifications required by rural gifted students. An appropriate guidebook on teaching AP classes in rural areas is necessary to improve instruction in these particular communities. Lastly, differentiation in rural areas should be modified to include place based learning to increase critical thinking and problem solving skills for rural gifted learners. Rural AP teachers engage in rigorous work within their AP classes that ensures that rural students have strong foundations for success in the future
Working with Emotions in Existential–Humanistic Psychotherapy
No full textEmotion is a central focus of psychotherapy and successful emotional processing has repeatedly been associated with positive treatment outcomes and change across therapeutic modalities; however, the controversy surrounding the definition, understanding, and place of emotion is as long as the history of the field itself. Furthermore, there has historically been a lack of research surrounding specific change processes, therapeutic factors, and therapist and client characteristics that contribute to working with emotions. In this chapter, we begin with a brief generalist overview of emotion before detailing an existential-humanistic understanding of emotion. In considering research on emotion, we focus on qualitative and quantitative research that supports the existential-humanistic approach to emotion in psychotherapy. As the understanding, expression, and valuing of emotion is strongly influenced by culture, we next give consideration to multicultural perspectives before concluding with consideration of future research needs
#DUSomething! A Qualitative Exploratory Study to Identify Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement in DU\u27s Response to Sexual Harassment and Assault
Get PDFThe purpose of this course-based research project was to identify where DU has made progress in its response to sexual harassment, identifying challenges and opportunities for improvement, with the hope that the results will support the DU community’s efforts to prevent, address, and eradicate sexual harassment