Voice assistants (VAs) (e.g., Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, etc.) offer considerable potential to users. The hands-free nature of these technologies, enables users to perform tasks which would otherwise be difficult to accomplish. As individuals who are blind are already familiar with spoken output through the use of screen readers,…

Inuit communities in Northern Quebec (Canada) are exposed to environmental contaminants, particularly to mercury, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Previous studies reported adverse associations between these neurotoxicants and memory performance. Here we aimed to determine the associations of pre- and postnatal exposures to mercury, lead…

It is a prevailing theoretical claim that path integration is the primary means of developing global spatial representations. However, this claim is at odds with reported difficulty to develop global spatial representations of a multiscale environment using path integration. The current study tested a new hypothesis that locally similar but…

This paper introduces a novel virtual method to conduct continuous distillation experiment in an undergraduate unit operation laboratory with the help of SPM 700 Distillation Column, one of the modules available in Simtronics, a commercial process operation simulator. Simtronics simulator is a powerful tool to teach process industry skills and it…

Six million Iraqis were displaced during the Iraq-Daesh War, and although many have returned to their communities, there remain approximately 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the country. Today, approximately 25% of IDP children in Iraq are out of school (REACH, 2020). This study foregrounds the voices and family histories of…

Over the past three decades, virtual tours have been used in many contexts. In educational settings, virtual tours have been used to replace on-site field trips, which can be difficult to execute due to a variety of logistical concerns. While virtual tours are widely used, there is limited research pertaining to their use in food and agricultural…

In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, women are increasingly taking center stage, reshaping the leadership narrative in higher education and K-12 institutions. The early female scholars and educators played a pivotal role in advancing women's education as they fought for equality resulting in an increasing number of women in administrative…

Purpose: This study investigated the integration of Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhenoBL) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance geo-literacy and student engagement among Grade 8 students in Thailand, addressing the gap in research on their combined impact in secondary geography teaching within the Thai educational context. Methods: The…

Scholarship on disability in higher education has unveiled the complications that students face in coming to terms with their disabilities and traversing college based on the ableist settings they inhabit. Nonetheless, the paths, priorities, and unique challenges depicted in the literature are often limited to one institutional setting. In this…

This book explores how first-generation college students negotiate the culture of higher education through an embrace of their multiple identities. Featuring contributors with multiple experiences and identities, this volume attempts to shed light on the creative approaches first-generation students use to succeed in college as well as help…

The aim of this case study was to examine how the life skills of high school students are affected by holistic learning via an experiential learning model. Extracurricular programs can help students gain communicate and cooperate with others, and cope with chaotic situations through holistic learning in school curricula. The students received…

This study examined functions of self-motion and visual cues in updating people's actual headings in multiscale spaces. In an immersive virtual environment, the participants learned objects' locations inside two misaligned rectangular rooms by locomoting within and between the rooms. In each testing trial, the participants locomoted to adopt an…

Purpose: This paper presents a reclassification of markers for mixed reality environments that is also applicable to the use of markers in robot navigation systems and 3D modelling. In the case of Augmented Reality (AR) mixed reality environments, markers are used to integrate computer generated (virtual) objects into a predominantly real world,…

We report on a playful introduction of optimization in a high school. The final event of this experience has been an orienteering competition, in which the decision-making component plays a central role. This type of event has been very involving, and it boosted the interest of the students toward operations research. After summarizing the…

A learning environment can either enhance or prevent access to information and social interaction for children and youth with deaf-blindness as well as impact their attention and engagement. The process of preparing learning spaces to optimize learning should consider: (1) How a child will navigate within those spaces; (2) How and where the child…