Digital Commons Network^™

‘The Limits Of The Landscape: A Critical Examination Of Outdoor Learning, Self-Regulation, And Semh Within Neoliberal Schooling’, Nicola Clayton

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This doctoral thesis critically examines a specialised outdoor learning intervention for primary pupils with significant Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs who are at risk of exclusion. It assesses the intervention’s implementation and its efficacy in supporting these pupils' capacity for self-regulation and stress management.The study is situated amidst escalating global child mental health concerns and recent English educational policy shifts that mandate schools to actively foster pupil well-being. Exploring outdoor education as a widely cited approach for promoting positive mental health, this research engages with established social theories, particularly those of Bernstein and Bourdieu, to critique the wider …

Errors And Misconceptions In Mathematics Teacher Retraining: An Investigation Of Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course Results, Gabor Szalontai

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis investigates the subject knowledge capabilities and deficiencies of teachers who wished to enter or return to secondary mathematics teaching and took part in the Subject Knowledge Enhancement Plus programme. It focuses on the proportions, types and causes of their mistakes, as well as their potential for development and the possibility of increasing their awareness of errors.The study uses recorded responses of 1602 participants from the online assessment of the courses, which ran across England. The assessment, covering the entire secondary curriculum and consisting of 643 questions, provided an interactive, multiple-attempt design allowing the investigation of the participants’ results …

Reimagining Mathematics Education: A Practitioner Inquiry Into Critical Pedagogy, Lesson Study, And Teacher Agency In England, Derek Robinson

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

AbstractThis thesis investigates how mathematics educators can reclaim pedagogical agency within an English education system dominated by performativity, compliance, and examination-driven accountability. Grounded in critical pedagogy and drawing on six decades of professional experience, it offers a practitioner-led, reflexive inquiry into how pedagogical beliefs, professional identity, and teacher agency are formed, constrained, and reconstituted over time within particular institutional and policy contexts.The study adopts narrative inquiry as its overarching methodology, operationalised through personal memory work, critical-incident reflection, and historical policy analysis. Professional experience is treated not as anecdote but as analytic data, interrogated through multiple reflexive lenses to reveal how …

Navigating The Digital Shift In Mozambique: Teacher Agency And Digital Learning In Schools, Clive Ruraca

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The educational technology industry frequently promotes the idea of a significant paradigm shift, proposing that technology can supplant traditional, transmission-based pedagogies such as ‘tell and practice’ approaches. In theory, this perspective positions digital tools as catalysts for systemic educational reform, capable of replacing rote learning with dynamic, technology-supported models (Voogt et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2024; Casilli & Posada, 2019). Employing an interpretative, empirical methodology, involving questionnaires and interviews with secondary school teachers. Data from this study are used to explore teachers’ experiences with digital learning tools through the lens of Activity Theory. This study examines the digital shift …

The Impact Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Preference On The Performance Of Distance Learning Students, Christopher A. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Distance learning is a growing part of education. The transition to distance learning was underway at higher education institutions, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of all types to rapidly transition to distance learning. The technology that was adapted during this emergency distance learning remained in the classroom once normal instruction resumed. This quantitative study examined two aspects of distance learning technology in education. The study examined student preference for either synchronous or asynchronous instruction through the framework of expectancy theory. Students who were more familiar with the course material were hypothesized to have a higher expectation of success and …

Pab-Pif: A Hybrid Architecture To Evaluate Mutable And Immutable Blockchains In Iot–Fog Networks, Marco Scarpa, Mohammad Sadeghzadeh, Saeed Javanmardi, Bahareh Pahlevanzadeh, Mauro Iacono

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Blockchain provides secure and decentralized data storage. Normal blockchains permanently store data. Mutable blockchains allow users to change data, but this reduces tamper resistance. This paper tests both methods in PaB-PIF, a hybrid architecture for IoT-Fog networks. Our design uses an immutable mainchain in the cloud layer and mutable sidechains in the fog layer. We analyze throughput, latency, and tamper resistance using math models and simulations. Results show that blockchain greatly improves network security. Without blockchain, the network has zero tamper resistance. The mutable blockchain in the fog layer has a tamper resistance of 0.58. The immutable blockchain in the …

Encryption And Globalization 15 Years Later: End-To-End Encryption And The Third Round Of The "Going Dark" Debate, Peter Swire, Kenesa Ahmad, Michael Specter

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Access To Digital Health Technologies: Personalized Framework And Global Perspectives, Sanjiv M Narayan, Mina K Chung, Demilade Adedinsewo, Luisa C C Brant, Leslie L Davis, David Duncker, Jennifer L Hall, Janet K Han, Carolyn S P Lam, Eldrin Lewis, Joseph Loscalzo, Manlio F Márquez, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, Fatima Rodriguez, Prashanthan Sanders, Emma Svennberg, Kenneth Stein, Mintu Turakhia, Clyde Yancy, Antonis A Armoundas

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

The emergence and rapid adoption of digital health technologies (DHT) present unprecedented opportunities to democratize and reduce disparities in health care by monitoring health and disease at the point of care in all patients. However, limited access to DHT is becoming a major obstacle to realizing these goals. Access to DHT is influenced not only by well-recognized social determinants of health, but also by digital determinants of health, such as digital literacy and the need for broad access to digital infrastructure, as well as commercial and economic factors. Addressing these challenges and designing unbiased systems of care are essential to …

Quantifying The Response Of Bankfull Channel Width To Active Faulting In The Qianhe Graben On The Southwest Margin Of Ordos Block, China, Zhiheng Liu, Sarah Boulton, Suiping Zhou, Jianhua Guo, Tingting Wu, Wenjie Zhang, Ling Han

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

River longitudinal profiles have been widely used to quantify the transient landscape response to active faulting, but the fluvial cross-section is often ignored, yet width can also reveal river incision and tectonic activity. Channel width responds to tectonic forcing through flow concentration effects resulting in channel narrowing where vertical incision dominates during uplift acceleration. Here we employ a novel bankfull channel width extraction method using Landsat and ZY-3 satellite images, and SRTM DEM data to evaluate the cross-section landscape response to active faulting in the Qianhe Graben of southwest Ordos, China. Although some areas are difficult to access (e.g., thick …

Enhancing Offshore Wind Resource Assessment Through Neural Network-Based Hf Radar Data Analysis, Nikolas Martzikos, Matthew Craven, David Walker, Daniel Conley

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The increasing demand for offshore wind energy underscores the need for accurate wind speed estimation to support the design and operation of offshore wind farms. High-Frequency Radar (HFR), a widely used remote sensing technology in oceanographic research, offers promising potential for wind resource assessment, particularly in areas where conventional measurements are limited. This study explores the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for offshore wind speed prediction using HFR-derived data, addressing key challenges in model development and training. A key feature of this approach is the use of a decade-long dataset from the Celtic Sea, off the southwest UK coast, …

Next-Generation Virtual Environment Training For Cybersecurity In The Maritime Logistics Industry: A Position Paper, Tyler Cheng, Rory Hopcraft, Kimberly Tam, Ji-Jian Chin

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The maritime logistics industry is the most dependent on it in the modern world, yet it is not well protected against cyber risks. Recently, the maritime industry has been transitioning into industry-specific tech, and threats of cyberattacks are increasing as the adoption of technology and automation continues. One of the most effective methods to protect industries and ships from such security incidents, is to train seafarers to mitigate and handle such incidents. However, to the best of our knowledge, we did not find anything that addresses this gap. This article will present the idea and benefits of using virtual environments …

Fault Tolerant Adaptive Control Under Actuator Saturation For Robot Manipulators, D. J. López-Araujo, N. Alvarez-Jarquin, P. Borja, A. T. Becker

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

In practice, actuators inherently have natural limitations that are often overlooked by theoretical control strategies, such as bounded output and discrepancies between calculated and actual responses. Consequently, reliable control techniques must be employed to ensure safe and dependable operation. We propose an adaptive control law for global regulation in the case of partial loss of effectiveness due to input faults. The proposed control strategy maintains the system at the desired configuration while accounting for the physical limitations of the actuators. Additionally, it is suitable for dealing with unknown parameters in the vector of gravitational forces, making it robust to these …

Scope 3 Carbon Emissions Assessment For Manufacturing Smes, Kourosh Halat, Stephen Childe, Nick Golding, John Summerscales

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This paper addresses the challenges facing managers of Small-andMedium-Size Enterprises (SMEs) when conducting environmental sustainability assessment at the value chain level, particularly Scope 3 Greenhouse Gases GHG) emissions. The paper investigates issues related to data availability and data quality for Scope 3 assessment and identifies dimensions of Scope 3 reliability.Utilising a series of in-depth case study analyses with SMEs in the south-west of England, UK, the paper fills a gap in supply chain sustainability research by identifying practical challenges. The findings show that SMEs encounter persistent difficulties in assessing emissions associated with purchased goods and services and downstream activities linked …

Usable Authentication: Are We There Yet?, Nathan Clarke, Steven Furnell

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

With technology increasingly embedded in everyday life, the demand for secure and usable authentication methods has never been greater. Traditional password-based systems continue to dominate, despite well-known usability and security challenges. This paper explores the evolution of user authentication technologies, from secret knowledge and tokens to biometrics and emerging approaches such as Passkeys. It critically evaluates the extent to which usability has been achieved, identifying both successes—such as biometrics integrated into smartphones—and persistent issues, including inconsistent guidance, ecosystem dependence, and accessibility barriers. Drawing on academic and commercial developments, the discussion highlights the growing burden on users who must authenticate across …

Rapid Electrochemical Biosensor With Enhanced Accuracy And Repeatability Using Pyrene Nhs Ester Modified 3d Graphene Electrodes, S. Nazir, D. Jenkins, G. Pan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

A consistent and reproducible chemical modification of the transducer interface is essential to ensure effectiveimmobilization of bioreceptors, thereby improving the sensitivity and reproducibility of biosensors. Althoughnotable progress has been made in fabricating graphene-based biosensors, the effects of surface biofunctionalization on sensing performance remain not fully understood. This study shows that combining threedimensional (3D) graphene foam electrodes with a straightforward, single-step surface biofunctionalizationmethod is key to enhancing the performance of graphene-based biosensors. Specifically, it presents a single-stepapproach to functionalize the 3D graphene foam (Gii-Sens) with 1-pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimideester (Pyrene-NHS ester). Electrochemical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulsevoltammetry (DPV), confirmed …

Biocompatibility Of Silver And Hydroxyapatite Antimicrobial Nanocoatings On Titanium Alloy Dental Implants With Human Gingival Fibroblasts, S Morgan, R D Handy, V M Salih, R N Salaie, C J Tredwin, A Besinis

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

OBJECTIVES: Peri-implantitis compromises soft and hard tissues around dental implants, often leading to implant failure. Antibacterial nanocoatings offer a promising infection control strategy, but maintaining biocompatibility is essential. This study investigated, through a range of assays and analytical techniques, the biocompatibility of antimicrobial silver and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocoatings applied to titanium implants with human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs).

METHODS: Silver and hydroxyapatite nanocoatings were applied to the surface of titanium alloy specimens using electroplating, deposition and sintering techniques. The biocompatibility of the nanocoatings with HGFs was assessed by measuring cell metabolic activity (alamarBlue), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, collagen production (Sircol assay), …

Preparing For Long-Acting Technologies: A Multistate Analysis Of Prep Persistence And Hiv And Sti Lab Coverage Among Oral Prep Initiators In St. Louis, Missouri (2014-2021), Lindsey M Filiatreau, Rupa Patel, Kate Curoe, Ashley Underwood, Joseph Cherabie, Elvin H Geng, Aditi Ramakrishnan, Rachel Presti, Aaloke Mody

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Engagement in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care and routine screening for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is critical to realizing the full benefits of this HIV prevention strategy.

METHODS: We enrolled a cohort of individuals seeking PrEP services in two clinics in Missouri, an Ending the HIV Epidemic priority state, from June 2014 to November 2021. We used electronic health record and survey data to explore outcomes in the 2 years following linkage to care using multistate methods. We assessed transitions between eight mutually exclusive care states differentiated by receipt of a prescription, lab coverage status, and retention. We …

Effect Of Corn Processing Methods On Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, And Gastrointestinal Health In Ruminants Fed Finishing Diets, Reanna Rae Byrnes-Schoen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this work was to evaluate different feed processing techniques and their impacts on growth performance, carcass traits, and gastrointestinal health in ruminant animals fed in confinement during the finishing phase. Two studies were conducted. The first study evaluated the effect of kernel processing high moisture ear corn (HMEC) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef steers. The second study used feeder lambs to evaluate the effect of steam-flaking corn in a finishing diet on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) health. The results from the first study using steers demonstrated that feeding kernel …

Teaching Nature Of Science (Nos) Through Cultural Windows: A Framework For Latinx Preservice Science Teachers, Noushin Nouri, Maryam Saberi

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This chapter presents a comprehensive framework for teaching Nature of Science (NOS) to preservice science teachers through cultural windows, implemented through six targeted activities. The framework, developed through rigorous meta-synthesis of NOS literature and analysis of Latinx preservice teachers' autobiographies, integrates Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) and Rightful Presence (RP) theories with NOS curriculum elements. This theoretical foundation informs the design of activities: Dolores Huerta environmental justice, Tangram exploration, historical cases, cultural picture analysis, nixtamalization black box, and family-scientist interactions. Each activity systematically maps to curriculum elements while demonstrating how the framework enables cultural knowledge integration in NOS instruction for meaningful, …

Availability And Utilization Of School Library Resources And Its Impacts On The Academic Excellence Of Secondary School Students In Edo State., Iyobosa Ewere Mrs., Ben Asuquo, Glory Mbah Mrs.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examines availability, and utilization of school library resources and its impacts on the academic excellence in secondary school libraries in Edo state. The descriptive survey research was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 2162 senior secondary school students from Idia Girls’ College, Boiling Point Academy and UNIBEN Demonstration Secondary School. The sampling techniques used for the study was Random Sampling Technique, a total of 216 respondents was used as the sample size representing 10% of the total population. A well structured questionnaire was designed and distributed to respondents .A total of 216 copies of …

Heat Transfer From A Partially Buried Circular Cylinder In Oscillatory Flow, H. Thomas, R. Stuhlmeier, A. G.L. Borthwick, S. Michele

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

With the growing abundance of man-made cylindrical structures located on or close to the seabed, it is important to be able to assess their potential environmental impact. Herein, a model is presented of the viscous-thermal boundary layer in the vicinity of a circular cylinder resting on, or partially buried in, an otherwise flat seabed. To model the influence of wave-induced motions near such a cylinder, we assume oscillatory flow in which the water particle displacements are small with respect to the cylinder radius. A perturbation expansion is utilised to derive solutions of the boundary layer equations, leading to analytical solutions …

Diagnosing Long-Term Divergence In Build Back Better Outcomes In Low- And Lower-Middle-Income Communities, E. A. Opabola, M. Baiguera, A. Raby, T. Rossetto, A. Pomonis, E. Meilianda, Y. Idris, S. Nurdin, K. Adams, D. J. Mcgovern, N. Acikgoz, H. Mistry, F. Marafini

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Low-income communities in disaster-prone regions face persistent challenges in translating post-disaster recovery investments into sustained resilience, as they navigate trade-offs among engineering objectives, policy constraints, and evolving socio-economic needs. Despite the widespread adoption of Build Back Better (BBB) principles, evidence on the long-term sustainability of outcomes remains limited, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income contexts. This study examines the sustainability of BBB outcomes in two Indonesian case studies: Banda Aceh (approximately 18 years after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami) and Central Sulawesi (approximately 4 years after the 2018 earthquake, liquefaction, and tsunami). Drawing on structured housing assessments, household surveys, semi-structured interviews, …

Curriculum Approaches To Strengthening Student Employability And Improving Graduate Outcomes In The Stm Disciplines, Denise Jackson, Michael D. O’Connor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia and elsewhere, curriculum improvements are needed to improve the development of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) graduates for future work and careers. Several studies document significant STM student attrition, poor graduate preparedness for work, relatively weak employment rates post-graduation, and mismatched expectations of graduate capabilities by employers. The inclusion of work-integrated learning (WIL) activities within curricula can better prepare students for relevant employment by bridging discipline-specific teaching with work practices. Traditionally, access to WIL has been limited for STM Bachelor students and a better understanding of WIL’s benefits and impact is needed to refine and extend STM WIL …

Chronicles Of Film Tourism: An Integrative Review And Future Research Directions, Sangkyun Kim, Anton Klarin, Stijn Reijnders, Qijie Xiao, Nicky Van Es

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study triangulates historiographical and scientometric reviews to provide a systems perspective on film tourism. The three phases of historiographical analysis (exploration, growth, and maturity) correspond to the three clusters of scientometric analysis: (i) initial research exploring film tourism development and management, (ii) growing the field through studies on film tourists’ perceptions and practices, and (iii) reaching maturity through extending research into different cultural contexts and meaning-making processes. Based on the analysis, we offer a set of directions for future research, including the need to integrate sustainability research and film tourism studies in developing country contexts, as well as intertextuality …

A Comprehensive Review Of Cyber Security And Current Practices In Global Mining Critical Infrastructure, Abu Barkat Ullah, Wanli Ma, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Bazlur Rashid, Munir Ahmad Saeed, Omer Arshad, Utkarsh Raghav

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of the study is to explore the reasons behind the low uptake of Information Security Management Standards (ISMS), Asset Management, and Business Continuity Plans despite increasing cyber threats to the mining sector. Mining companies need to modernize and automate to keep up with the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, driven by disruptive technology, forcing systems and technologies to become more integrated, increasing cyber attack threats. To address this, we conducted a literature review analyzing the mining industry across various regions. The research is based on a qualitative analysis of diversified literature. The results highlighted factors behind the low uptake of …

Advancing Sustainable Tourism Behavioural Research: A Metacognitive Perspective, Arghavan Hadinejad, Kourosh Esfandiar, Liubov Skavronskaya

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The current scholarly inquiry on sustainable tourism behaviour research predominantly relies on cognitive behavioural approaches, particularly exemplified by the widespread application of the theory of planned behaviour among other theories. Given recent advancements in psychology underscoring the necessity to expand beyond conventional cognitive frameworks, the current research aims to integrate metacognitive perspectives in sustainable tourism behaviour scholarship. This perspective explores the reflective awareness and control individuals exert over their cognitive processes which can uncover nuanced factors shaping sustainable tourism behaviour that may be overlooked in traditional cognitive models. Using a critical review approach, this research proposes the adoption of alternative …

Stakeholder Co-Design Of Sustainable Urban Pest Management Strategies, Elizabeth C. Lowe, Nathan J. Butterworth, Alexander Austin, Cameron Webb, Tanya Latty

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The high levels of broad-spectrum insecticides used to manage invertebrates in many cities around the world has significant environmental and health impacts. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a framework for sustainable pest control practice, but uptake of IPM remains low in most cities. We used participatory action research with pest management industry stakeholders (practitioners, industry representatives, researchers and government employees) to identify key issues in urban pest management in Australia, set priorities for change and discuss collaborative solutions. Via an online survey and a face-to-face workshop, the participants identified the key themes of education and training, public awareness, environmental impacts …