VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
City of Libraries: The Impact of the Urban Reform Movement on the Toronto Public Library

This research explores the impact of Toronto’s urban reform movement of the 1970s on the Toronto Public Library (TPL) system. The TPL is the largest public library system in Canada, with 98 branches located in neighbourhoods across the city. These highly visible, accessible, and dynamic local branches promote social inclusion and community engagement through the provision of a range of programs and services. Public participation in the library planning process through citizens’ advisory groups resulted in the “equalization” of library services across the city, a renewal of the local branch system, and the restructuring of programs and services to meet community needs as defined by communities themselves. This research also discusses the possibility of creating new opportunities for patron participation at the TPL in the context of the recent resurgence in civic engagement on library issues.

Keywords: Urban Reform Movement
Toronto Public Library
Advisor: Quarter, Jack
Teacher Reactions to the Implementation of Full Day Kindergarten

Traditionally, kindergarten programs have been offered in various ways across the province of Ontario (e.g., half day every day; all day, alternate day). Starting in 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education began implementing full day, every day kindergarten in all publically funded schools. This large-scale innovation has resulted in a number of important changes. The kindergarten teacher is experiencing a variety of these changes. This qualitative study focuses on reactions and concerns of kindergarten teachers as they begin to implement full day kindergarten. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with five kindergarten teachers provide information about these reactions and concerns. The Stages of Concern framework, one aspect of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), will be used to discuss these findings and how full day kindergarten has impacted the kindergarten teacher.

Keywords: Kindergarten
Educational Change
CBAM
Advisor: Bennett, Barrie
You have Nothing to Lose! Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Secondary Education to Make Space for Body Acceptance

Schools are sites of great power and influence where the “obesity” discourse is often taken uncritically as truth and reproduced, to the detriment of young people. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how theories of fatness can inform theories of culturally relevant pedagogy with the goal of helping teachers create spaces where increased size acceptance is possible for secondary students. Literature from both these areas of study was reviewed and applied to the Ontario secondary curriculum documents for science and physical education. This analysis demonstrated a body acceptance orientation in teaching these disciplines, and that doing so can mitigate many of the negative effects of living in a fat hating world.

Keywords: fat studies
secondary education
fat acceptance
body acceptance
culturally relevant pedagogy
Advisor: McCready, Lance T.
Development of Be(x)Zn(1−x)O Nanowires for Radiation Detection

Scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements were conducted on Be(x)Zn(1−x)O nanowires prepared by electrochemical and hydrothermal deposition to study their morphology, structure and optical properties. The bowing parameter for nanowires prepared by electrochemical and hydrothermal deposition was found to be 4.8 eV and 3.6 eV, respectively. It was observed that for electrochemical deposition, it is more difficult for Be(2+) to incorporate in the crystal lattice than Zn(2+). The electrochemical deposited samples exhibited stronger deep level emissions, indicating a higher density of deep level states. A home-made Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) system was successfully constructed and calibrated with Al2O3:C and BeO. The OSL lifetime measurements on electrochemical deposited samples showed there were measurable OSL signals even on 500 nm long Be(x)Zn(1−x)O nanowires. The lifetimes of these OSL signals were found to decrease with increasing Be concentration. Be(x)Zn(1−x)O nanowires show considerable promise as new OSL materials.

Keywords: BeZnO
nanowires
radiation
OSL
Advisor: Ruda, Harry E.
Worthy Worlds: A Case Study of the Pedagogy, Design, and Execution of Two University Courses in Second Life

With increasing access to powerful computer processing and broadband Internet connectivity, persistent immersive worlds like Second Life are being adopted for use as virtual learning environments. The flexibility of these spaces, however, offers little innate direction for educators in terms of design and pedagogy considerations, creating a space for research, shared experience, and possibly the development of “best practices” literature. This multiple-case study explores the unique affordances of immersive environments for distance education with reference to the design, pedagogy, and student experience of two university-accredited courses taught entirely “in-world” on the Second Life platform.

Keywords: Second Life
Immersive
Virtual
Post-Secondary
Classroom Design
Pedagogy
Information Technology
CSCL
VLE
Virtual Learning Environments
Advisor: Brett, Clare
High-stakes Standardized Testing in Nigeria and the Erosion of a Critical African Worldview

This thesis investigates the practice of high-stakes standardized testing in Nigeria. Examining its colonial histories, its philosophical incongruities with African indigenous education, and its neocolonial foundations, it argues that high-stakes testing in Nigeria facilitates the erosion of a critical African worldview. It demonstrates that through high-stakes testing’s reproduction of social and regional inequalities, the unethicality of its systems and practices as well as its exemplification of Freire’s concept of normative and non liberatory education as the “practice of domination”; high-stakes standardized testing in Nigeria seamlessly fits into the neo-colonial and neoliberal logic of education as a site of psychological colonization and the material exploitation of the people by the ruling elite.

Keywords: Standardized Testing
African consciousness
Indigenous African Education
Nigerian Education
critical education
colonial education
Advisor: Portelli, John P.
Neoliberal Policy in Action: A Critical Analysis of the Global Food Safety Initiative and Food Safety Governance

Using a political economy analysis, this thesis examines the Global Food Safety Initiative and its effects on food safety governance. It begins with a discussion of food safety, an important component of food production systems, which attempts to ensure that food will not induce foodborne illness in the consumer. After outlining how neoliberalism is the current political economy environment in which the Global North operates, it argues that within this environment the Global Food Safety Initiative is rapidly becoming the predominant expression of neoliberalism to promote food safety. A political economic analysis of the Global Food Safety Initiative reveals that it is an indicator of the current neoliberal food regime and has significant consequences for the governance of both Canadian and international food safety.

Keywords: Neoliberal
Food Safety
Advisor: Sumner, Jennifer
The Impact of End-user Support on Electronic Medical Record Success in Ontario Primary Care: A Critical Case Study

Although end-user support is an important aspect of EMR implementation, it is not known in what ways it affects EMR success. To investigate this topic, a case study of end-user support for an open-source EMR was conducted in an Ontario Family Health Organization using 7 semistructured interviews based on the DeLone and McLean Model of Information System Success. Second, documentation for an open-source and proprietary EMR was analyzed using Carroll’s Minimalism as a theoretical framework. Finally, themes from this thesis were compared and contrasted with a multiple case study that examined support for a commercial EMR in 4 Ontario family health teams. Main findings include the role of informal support, which was important for ensuring that data are documented consistently, which in turn enabled information retrieval for providing better preventive care services. Also, formal support was important for mitigating problems of system quality, which had potential implications for patient safety.

Keywords: Electronic Medical Records
End-user support
Primary care
Advisor: Shachak, Aviv
Riboflavin Transporters and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein: Cimetidine-Riboflavin Interactions in the Mammary Gland

Mother's milk provides multiple benefits to the offspring. However, xenobiotics transferred into breast milk may pose a risk to the nursing infant. The breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) actively transports xenobiotics into breast milk. BCRP also transports nutrients, like riboflavin, and together with recently identified riboflavin transporters (RFT), may provide a mechanism for riboflavin secretion into breast milk. Expression of RFT in the mammary gland remained unknown. Our objective was to characterize Bcrp and Rft mRNA expression in the mammary gland of FVB/N mice, and investigate a strategy to decrease excretion of BCRP-transported xenobiotics into the milk using riboflavin intervention. Rft and Bcrp mRNA were upregulated in the mammary gland of lactating mice. An intravenous riboflavin administration significantly reduced the levels of BCRP-transported cimetidine in milk. This study demonstrates the use of riboflavin to exploit the function of mammary BCRP in order to reduce xenobiotic secretion into breast milk.

Keywords: Pharmacology
Toxicology
Riboflavin
Cimetidine
Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)
Riboflavin transporters
Breast milk
Mammary Gland
Lactation
Advisor: Ito, Shinya
Youth Leadership Development From the Grade 8 Perspective: A Case Study of a School-based Program

This study examined the leadership development experiences of adolescents participating in a school-based leadership program. A case study of ten Grade 8 students is described based on qualitative data from student response journals, field notes, and program documentation. Evidence from the study suggests that adolescents value and benefit from leadership development experiences and opportunities. Leadership development experiences that adolescents find meaningful are those where they are: (1) actively engaged in experiential learning opportunities; (2) granted freedom and increased responsibility; (3) able to work in educational groups; (4) given interesting learning experiences; (5) supported by positive role models; and (6) long-term participants. Leadership experiences benefit students by: (1) allowing adolescents to feel like they can make a positive impact on their world; (2) giving adolescents an improved sense of self; (3) teaching students essential skills; and (10) giving adolescents the opportunity to build relationships with like-minded individuals.

Keywords: student leadership
leadership development
youth leadership development
adolescent leadership
Advisor: McDougall, Douglas Emerson
Patterns of Diagnostic Imaging and Cumulative Effective Radiation Dose among Long-term Survivors of Malignancies

Introduction: This study described patterns of imaging and cumulative effective dose (CED) from diagnostic radiation in young adult survivors (YAS) of malignancies and cancer-free controls in Ontario. Methods: Persons aged 20-44 diagnosed with malignancy between 1992 and 1999 who lived at least 5 years without recurrent disease were matched to controls without a prior cancer diagnosis. The rate at which YAS received diagnostic studies and associated CED was compared to controls using multivariable regression techniques. Results: 20,911 YAS and 104,524 controls were included. YAS received CT scanning at a significantly higher rate than controls (rate ratio = 3.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.37 – 3.62. YAS received a 4.57-fold higher CED than controls (95% CI: 4.20 – 4.57). Conclusions: YAS are exposed to diagnostic radiation at significantly higher rates than controls even after 5 years of recurrence-free survival. Alternative imaging techniques not associated with radiation should be considered for these patients.

Keywords: malignancy
Advisor: Urbach, David Robert
Towards a Diasporic Epistemology: How Filipino Canadian Young Men Make Sense of Educational Success and Failure

This thesis forwards the concept of “diasporic epistemology” in order to better understand how Filipino Canadian young males make sense of their educational success and failure. Diasporic epistemology means a dual frame of reference created by the intersection of both structural and cultural conditions specific to a particular diaspora. To investigate this concept, I examined the interview transcripts of six Filipino Canadian young men using the constructivist approach to grounded theory. My research reveals that school structure and Filipino consciousness play a significant role in educational success and failure. Situating my thesis within the academic fields of epistemology, intersectionality, and student achievement, I contend that understanding the diasporic epistemology of racialized minority and immigrant students challenges certain truism in educational research, such as current belief that family’s socio-economic status and parental education are predictors of students’ academic success. The implications for education are greater teacher-student-home relationships and alternative schooling methods

Keywords: Diaspora
Filipino Canadians
Young Men
Secondary School
Educational Success
Educational Failure
Immigration
Cultural Factors
Advisor: Coloma, Roland Sintos
The Role of Aggregate Representations in Scaffolding Collective Inquiry

This study explores how aggregate representations of student-contributed content were used in whole-class discussions to scaffold scientific inquiry in two middle school science classrooms. Working together as a knowledge community, students contribute scaffolded observations concerning HelioRoom and WallCology, room-sized “Embedded Phenomena” simulations, using tablet computers. These observations are collected and represented in aggregate form, and are the focus of teacher-led whole-class discussions. This thesis examines the efficacy of these aggregate designs for advancing students’ and teachers’ engagement in and understanding of the object of scientific inquiry, their usefulness for constructing relational models, and the interaction patterns that arise from their use. Findings suggest that aggregate representations of binary relationships that use tallies are well-suited for learning activities that have directed outcomes, such as constructing a relationship network. Aggregate representations that highlight gaps in data, and areas of agreement and disagreement in the data can be effective tools fostering productive discourse in classrooms.

Keywords: Technology
Science
Knowledge Community
Aggregate Representations
Advisor: Slotta, James D.
Microfluidic Analysis for Carbon Management

This thesis focuses on applying microfluidic techniques to analyze two carbon management methods; underground carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery. The small scale nature of microfluidic methods enables direct visualization of relevant pore-scale phenomena, enabling elucidation of parameters such as diffusion coefficients and critical compositions. In this work, a microfluidic platform was developed to control a two-phase carbon dioxide (CO2)-water interface for diffusive quantification with fluorescent techniques. It was found that the diffusion coefficient of CO2 in pure water was constant (1.86 [± 0.26] x10-9 m2/s) over a range of pressures. The effects of salinity on diffusivity were also measured in solutions, it was found that the diffusion coefficient varied up to 3 times. A microfluidic technique able to determine the critical composition of a model ternary mixture was also successfully implemented. Results indicate potential application of this approach to minimum miscibility pressure measurements used in enhanced oil recovery.

Keywords: Diffusion
Enhanced Oil Recovery
Carbon Management
Sequestration
Miscibility
Carbon Dioxide
Microfluidic
MMP
Advisor: Sinton, David
"I feel like a bag lady": Personal Interstices, Self-Disclosures and Empathetic Affiliation during Workplace Meetings

While an extensive body of research exploring professional discourse exists, research investigating off-task talk within workplaces has been relatively side-lined. To better understand the possible functions of personal interstices layered between institutional goal-oriented talk, this study examines instances of self-disclosure that emerged from 34 hours of authentic interactions recorded at three Canadian workplaces. Using conversation analysis, 87 self-reference, self-disclosure declaratives were identified. Of those, 21 occurred within reciprocal sequences between two participants. Similar to a second story telling found in ordinary conversation (Sacks, 1992a), the second speaker’s self-disclosure reflects the first speaker’s, both in content and form, and is often an upgraded version of the initial disclosure. This pattern and in-meeting placement suggest that these types of personal interstices may be a mechanism for displaying co-worker empathetic affiliation. Additionally, hierarchical role relations and institution goals may be temporarily suspended or back-grounded during these sequences.

Keywords: personal interstice
reciprocal sequence
conversation analysis
self-disclosure
empathy
second story
affiliation
alignment
workplace
business meeting
social talk
relational
small talk
off-task talk
self-reference
exchange sequence
institutional talk
English as a second language
Advisor: Kerekes, Julie
Who is Wilhelmsburg? Race and Space in Internationale Bauaustellung Hamburg

The Wilhelmsburg neighbourhood of Hamburg, Germany is characterized in local media as a problem neighbourhood. Many of its residents are racialized people struggling with low incomes, unemployment, and less formal education than average in the city as a whole, exemplifying what Razack (2002, p. 6) calls the “spatiality of the racial order in which we live.” Wilhelmsburg is also the focus of a massive urban planning and architectural project, the Internationale Bauaustellung (International Building Exhibition, or IBA) Hamburg 2007-2012, comprising 50 building projects that aim to transform the neighbourhood. In this thesis I use Foucauldian discourse analysis to explore IBA Hamburg’s public education materials, arguing that IBA Hamburg produces Wilhelmsburg and its residents as racialized, problematic, and in need of intervention to bring them into the future metropolis. Residents are targeted for integration through education, the effects of which are disciplinary and reproduce an unequal racial order of citizenship.

Keywords: discourse
race
space
Foucault
Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg
urban planning
IBA Hamburg
integration
Germany
Advisor: Razack, Sherene
Developing Book Clubs in High School English Classrooms

The focus of this research is to examine the book club as a social context for literacy development. Students in book clubs perceive literature authentically in ways of reading, writing and talking through a variety of interactions. Meanwhile, teachers, by observing students’ learning in book clubs, reflect on their language teaching and lead to an innovation of literacy instruction in schools, which can bridge to a community instructional change for language teachers. In this research, I observed, videotaped, audio-taped, and interviewed high school students and the teacher in an urban Canadian high school, who were involved in English classroom book clubs which replaced the traditional instructional mode of teaching literature, trying to figure out a structure for a classroom book club by comparing to an extracurricular book club and by analyzing the diverse reading experiences of students both in and outside of school.

Keywords: BOOK CLUB
READING
LITERATURE
LITERACY
Advisor: Kooy, Mary
Reading Instruction on YouTube: Insights from Searches on Five Key Reading Topics

The recognition that YouTube, a free-access video sharing website, is being widely used as a source of public information has lead medical researchers to conduct studies on health-related videos. However, it appears that educational researchers have not explored YouTube videos about reading instruction, given that no published studies could be located on this topic. The current study conducted controlled searches related to the “big five” areas of early elementary reading instruction as identified by the National Reading Panel (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension). Search results were recorded and the top 40 “most relevant” videos on each topic were analyzed to determine information about viewership, format, content, and creators of the videos. Results indicated that while YouTube videos addressing all five areas of reading instruction were prolific and highly viewed, users would need to be critical, informed, and tech-savvy in order to find relevant videos from credible sources.

Keywords: YouTube
Web 2.0
reading instruction
phonics
phonemic awareness
fluency
comprehension
vocabulary
content analysis
Advisor: Willows, Dale
How Good is the Good Food Market: An Exploration of Community Food Security

Community food security (CFS) is a new, community-based, collaborative approach to achieving food security. CFS seeks to merge social justice and environmental sustainability goals in the pursuit of food-secure communities. The Good Food Market (GFM) is a new CFS initiative wherein a subsidized community food market operates in a food desert. Through a qualitative case study approach, I examine and evaluate the programmatic design of The Stop’s Good Food Market, and explore its contribution to community food security. The research is framed within a larger study of food security. Research findings are based on semi-structured and structured interviews with GFM coordinators and customers, as well as participant observation and literature reviews.

Keywords: Food security
Food studies
Community food security
Good food market program
Food desert
Advisor: Sumner, Jennifer
Koç, Mustafa
"All Our Work is Political": Men's Experience in Pro-feminist Organizing

This research project examines the personal and political experiences of five men engaged in pro-feminist organizing. Their experiences are explored in the context of the emergence of anti- feminist groups, and an increasingly volatile funding environment whereby women’s rights organizations are seeing their financial resources threatened. Using a critical and sociological approach to masculinities, significant challenges at the personal level for these pro-feminist men are examined and are shown to compound engagement with women feminists, and the potential of cross gender partnerships. A people-oriented qualitative approach is employed to capture men’s personal journeys and how they self- identify with the feminist movement. This research adds to the prevalent “Man Question”, contesting men’s engagement in the feminist movement. Ultimately, however, the thesis concludes that men’s engagement in the feminist movement needs to be clearly positioned as a political project with an explicit commitment to building alliances with women’s rights networks.

Keywords: pro-feminist organizing
masculinity
feminism
Advisor: Miles, Angela