This article presents a new technique for performing most well-known demonstrations of wave optics. Demonstrations which are normally very hard to show to more than a few people can be presented easily to very large audiences with excellent visibility for everyone. The proposed setup is easy to put together and use and can be very useful for…

This paper explores the convergence of technology and the arts within the context of aurality in the twenty-first century. Jenkins argued this is taking place within a cultural convergence, whereby a vernacular culture focused upon participation, creation, performance, and migratory behaviour of media audiences has emerged. The developing changes…

This paper outlines the use of item analysis to assist examiners in evaluating the quality and validity of their MCQ exam questions. The generation of item analysis, particularly discrimination index, has long been established practice in professional testing and credentialing organisations and some disciplines in tertiary education, but its use…

The architect for the Mauritius Auditorium project sat in his office at Larsen & Toubro's headquarters in Chennai, India, pondering the phone call he had just received from the vice president, Mr. K.P. Raghavan. The polyvalent hall of the conference center was about to be used to host its first rock concert in February 2005, but during a…

This paper recounts the investigative journey of a small group of faculty and graduate students at the University of British Columbia who extensively employed research-based theatre methods to collaboratively and performatively explore three distinct but related contexts that represent critical "moments" in the professional lives of…

This article explores the use of audiences in preparation for public presentation by an urban youth organization in Camden, New Jersey (U.S.). Camden is an impoverished city with few opportunities for youth. The organization, a hybrid of youth development, technology, business, and college preparation, prepared youth for good jobs or college.…

Being up front with students about Standard English as "the language of power" allows them to learn valuable lessons about Standard and non-Standard English dialects. In this article, the author describes an eighth-grade language unit that helps students understand the value of dialects and standardized English. The author concludes that the…

Israeli-Palestinian peace is promoted through political and diplomatic channels, as well as indirect channels such as conferences, lectures, meetings, workshops and political journalism. However, there is less awareness of the extensive artistic activity in Israel surrounding peace and its implications for society, or of the uniqueness of the…

This article presents the findings from the 2009 "Education Next" and Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) survey which asks if information changes minds about school reform. The authors fielded the survey in March of 2009, when newly elected president Barack Obama enjoyed public approval ratings above 60 percent.…

Studies of classroom behavior and learning outcomes have demonstrated that student discussion leads to better learner outcomes. Do these effects, which are based on studies of face-to-face interaction, transfer to the virtual classroom? Existing studies of online postings in asynchronous discussion forums have primarily studied the effects on the…

Little empirical research exists in terms of how colleges and universities create their institutional image and brand. In this chapter, the author explores the notion of branding within the context of higher education--and how intercollegiate athletics contributes to it--analyzing the messages universities conveyed during nationally televised bowl…

In this article, the author attempts to develop a definition of "interactivity" that meets two sometimes incompatible goals: the definition should be in accord with the best intuitions on how the term should be used, and it should usefully differentiate interactivity from related but incompatible concepts with which it is often confused. The…

Communication strategies emphasize concerns for "content" (what is said) and "process" (the way things are said). Scientists have a responsibility to communicate the findings of their research, enhancing prospects that their insights can meaningfully inform management practice. When used effectively, principles from geomorphology provide critical…

Lenka Clayton, a British artist and documentary filmmaker, did not leave London and cross the Atlantic Ocean intending to paint tiny, precise numbers on 7,000 loose stones--that idea didn't come to her until later. By the time she began numbering, she had already started a class of freshmen at Alfred University mapping hard-to-map things (like…

Communication is an important input in development. The role of communication is socio-economic and cultural development at national and international levels. Development is considered an important component of progress. The progressive change is described as alterations in awareness, motivation and participation of the individuals. With the…