Category: Academic Interests

Academic sources, also called scholarly sources, are sources which can embrace books, educational journal articles, and printed knowledgeable reports. The content in educational sources has typically been peer-reviewed, which suggest that it has been reviewed by consultants on its topic for accuracy and quality before being printed. While building the assignments it is basic to recollect strong hotspots to consider on to conclude the work. Without reliable sources, readers may examine the authenticity of the substance and the assignments won’t achieve its inspiration.

Types of academic resources are full courses, course materials, modules, learning objects, open reading material, recordings, tests, programming, and different devices, materials, or systems used to help access to information.

In this presentation, I would like to acquaint you with the Library Resources, broadly utilized in an educational environment.

Firstly, the definition of a Library: a library is a curated assortment of information of data and comparable assets, chose by specialists and made available to a characterized network for reference or acquiring. It gives physical or advanced access to material and might be a physical area or a virtual space, or both. The Library provides service to government agencies, different libraries, scholars, and therefore the general public.

Like some other assets, we have upsides and downsides about the point.

Positives about Library

• A library is a significant source of information to youthful minds in schools and universities.
• Academic libraries help to impact decidedly on the scholastic accomplishment of the pupils, developing the habit of silent reading and developing problem-solving attitude among students.
• Students can perform better during assignments by reading different books and elevating comprehension.
• Many libraries offer multilingual books that are designed to help new English learners master the language in a fun and engaging way.
• Libraries preserve history, and more importantly, truth. True information is vital, and the library is a defender in the fight against misinformation.

Negatives about Library

• Information is widely available on the Internet, therefore a lot of individuals are using this as a source of information.
• The rise of volunteer librarians in the UK is closely linked to the decline in funding for traditionally paid staff. It is also linked with a decline of usage, tied in with changing on social attitudes and, above all, the rise of internet and e-books.
• Students use personal knowledge and common sense and cross-referencing other sites to judge if electronic information is trustworthy. They use other Web sites with similar information and their teachers/lecturers to validate the information.
• Opening hours in many branches is not suitable for a large audience.

In a world where the sources of information and the tools of discovery continue to proliferate and increase in relevance to online information consumers, the brand differentiation of the library is still books. Libraries must work collectively to ‘rejuvenate’ the brand. It is not simply about educating students about the library and its physical and electronic resources. The challenge for libraries is to clearly define and market their relevant place in that infosphere—their services and collections both physical and virtual.

References

1. https://study.com/academy/lesson/academic-sources-definition-examples-quiz.html

Over the last decade there has been a major resurgence of interest in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). In the public domain there have been many recent high-profile demonstrations of AI – with significant progress being made in fields as diverse as self-driving cars [1], game-playing machines [2,3,4] and virtual assistants [5]. Alongside these impressive and often high-profile successes, academic interest in AI has also undergone a significant surge over the last ten years. Since 2010, the number of academic papers on AI has increased 8-fold [6], with some subfields such as machine learning (ML) having even greater increases. This academic interest has led to a number of major new AI approaches, as well as incremental improvements in earlier techniques.

However, despite these advances, many AI application areas are still fairly immature and, in some cases, have failed to fully meet expectations and early hype. As early as 1965, Herbert Simon predicted that “machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work that a man can do” [7]. Now some 60 years later, AI remains unable to assist in the majority of human tasks. More recently, even in narrow, applied AI fields, many AI predictions have proven overly optimistic, and the challenges more significant than initially appreciated. This has been the case even where there has been some technological success, and significant resources have been applied. For instance, in 2015, based on significant developments in self-driving car technology, The Guardian reported that “from 2020 you will be a permanent backseat driver” [8]. However, while advances have been made in autonomous vehicles, most now agree that the challenges of full autonomy are still significant and it is likely that fully autonomous vehicles are some time away [9]. However, despite the lack of breakthroughs in some areas, in other areas of AI research, significant advances have been made that occurred well ahead of predictions. In 2016, for instance, Google’s AlphaGo agent successfully beat the world’s best Go player [10], despite predictions only a year or two earlier that this achievement was well over a decade away [11].

In this report, we discuss some of the recent breakthroughs in AI research, and explore some of the opportunities these provide in the context of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Rather than examine the entire field of AI, we focus on five significant areas that have seen rapid advances during the last decade, and discuss the drivers for these developments and prospects for future successes. In this report, we attempt to provide a balanced perspective, reflecting on both the potential strengths of AI as well as its weaknesses and current limitations. We present an outline of some of the technological breakthroughs that have led to the current growth in AI research for the non-specialist reader and we also discuss some of the requirements for applying these technologies in the context of the ADF. This report is intended to inform Australian military and Defence civilian staff of some of the opportunities presented by this rapidly developing field, and to educate non-specialists on some of the limitations of current techniques.

We begin with a high-level summary of the history of artificial intelligence research, in order to provide some context to the current wave of AI development. We discuss the drivers for the current growth in AI interest and, in particular, provide an explanation of the field of deep learning and the reason for its exponential growth over the last decade. We then discuss some emerging application areas that were chosen as they represent technologies that have advanced significantly over the last decade and, as such, provide new opportunities for applications in the military context. Finally, we discuss some enabling capabilities that need to be addressed by the ADF if they are to successfully embrace these emerging technologies.

“Where there is a will, there is a way”, a maxim I follow to achieve my goals. The spirit of innovation has allowed mankind to progress from sparse group of creatures to an extensive population that has dominated the globe. Growing up with an irrepressible likeness for innovation endeared my curiosity to creativity and thus my desire in improving current design and promoting new technological advances. It always reverberates in my mind to produce the kind of technologies read in books, and seen in movies or documentaries.

In my quest for innovation, I was ardent on going to college to garner the imperative knowledge needed to quench my burning passion. I took Electrical and Electronics Engineering as my major for it offered me eclectic choice of specialization in which the power and energy system I have strong inclination for was made available. During these five years, I enrolled in some electrical power systems courses (see transcript) and I had straight “A” in my core electrical power courses. These subjects sparked my research instinct when I realized I am fascinated by the prospects of being a part of such researches. The lack of self-confidence that plagued me during my first year here was due to lack of orientation and insufficient study skill. However, both my study skill and ability to process information has sharpened as evidenced by an improvement in my grades. I graduated with a GPA of 4.32 and I was ranked among the top 5% of my class.

My personal desire for knowledge has ignited my passion for research and thus my interest in power systems and energy management; this has triggered me to carry out a research work, though unpublished, on the “Renewable energy towards a sustainable power supply in Nigeria power industry” during my student internship at Ibadan Electrical Distribution Company (IBEDC), the largest electricity distribution company in Nigeria. I have come to discover that power systems and energy management perfectly aligns with my academic interest.

During my penultimate year in College, I also took active part in extracurricular activities where I sought out many opportunities to teach electrical engineering students. I volunteered as a tutor to teach my college peers some recondite electrical engineering courses such as: electrical power and principles, electrical power system analysis, power system protection and control and power system communication and control, my nature flair for these electrical power courses made my friends give me the sobriquet “Tesla”. These teaching experiences have confirmed that I have the desire and aptitude to convey my knowledge of power systems to others; it is my goal to be of service.

My undergraduate research project was centered on “GSM Based Overvoltage Protection for Distribution Board” under the supervision of Dr. A.I. Abdulateef. This project aimed at addressing a current problem regarding energy management as well as protection of electrical load from sustained overvoltage. In the process, I developed an algorithm for the operation of the device using C programming language. This project was exhibited at the Engineering Project Exhibition (EPEX) 2018 edition in my school and was later installed in my supervisor’s office.

Based on my research, I have realized that the graduate program in electrical engineering with a focus on power systems and energy management at the University of Tennessee Knoxville is the perfect next step to broaden my academic horizons further. UTK fits my aspirations as it provides a perfect blend of academic rigor, research facilities and a diverse environment to interact and learn from. The curriculum at UTK is holistic and objective and would serve as a vital cornerstone for obtaining knowledge in my intended field. I find that the types of research interest I have are in correspondence with several research faculty member at UTK, including Dr. Hector Pulgar, Dr. Kai Sun, and Dr. Leon Tolbert. All of these faculty members have research projects that involve Power Systems and Energy Management. I am greatly intrigued by Dr. Hector research on______ and Dr. Kai research on_____. UTK would provide me with great opportunity since its faculty research perfectly aligns with my academic interest.

My ultimate career goal is to become a University Professor. With the PhD, I will be able to integrate my diverse educational background in research as well as teaching. It is my goal to become highly skilled and to contribute real value to the projects of the faculty at the University of Tennessee.

I assure the admission committee that I will endeavor to surpass the expectations set forth for an incoming student, I believe my determination and tenacity in pursuit of knowledge along with my other qualifications can lead to success as a student in the graduate program at the University of Tennessee. I look forward to being part of this acclaimed university next fall.

This essay examines the contention that philosophy, not politics or positionality, drives geographers’ changing approaches to social difference. Through analyzing three social differences, namely gender, sexualities and children, this essay contends that philosophy, politics and positionality are all intrinsically intertwined and have all driven geographers’ changing approaches. However, this essay goes on to show that there exists the need to consider other drivers like the interaction between geography and other bodies of literature, in order to gain a fuller understanding of how geography has been shaped by particular drivers in the study of social differences.

Gender

In the area of gender, which is defined as the “different roles, qualities and responsibilities attributed to men and women in society” (Rogers et al., 2013), this essay argues that positionality and politics, more than philosophy, have driven geographers’ changing approaches, as women themselves have been responsible for bringing themselves to the forefront of the discipline through their writings, which has been facilitated by changing politics, like the women’s liberation movement.

Philosophy has also driven geographers’ changing approaches to gender.

Philosophically, gender has seen the change from positivism to feminism to a melding of feminism with other philosophies. Positivism has been influential in urban studies, which aimed to construct an epistemology based on empirical evidence to quantify geographical phenomena. As evidenced by the rise theory of urban ecology in the 1920s, whereby cities were conceptualised as environments like that of nature, governed by the same laws of Darwin (Brown 2002). Geography thus became interested in mapping the spatiality of the city with little regard to social differences like that of gender and race (Brown 2002). However, such an approach fell out of favour for being overly simplistic, with researchers becoming more aware of cultural and social processes. Then came the advent of feminism which women themselves challenged long-standing androcentrism, calling for academic attention to be directed at women (Huang et al. 2017). Feminism continues to shape current approaches to gender albeit to a smaller extent, with significant academic interest being directed in the manner in which it melds and contests other philosophies like post-structuralism and Marxism (MacKinnon 1982; Alcoff 1998). Therefore, philosophy has driven geographers’ changing approaches to gender, shaping the way gender was being studied at different times.

Positionality and politics have driven geographers’ changing approaches to gender. Looking at the development of urban theory, women’s work was not acknowledged by prominent male sociologists like Robert Park, as it was seen as politicised and illogical (Sibley 1995). Thus, the history of urban theory is seen to be attributed to the work of male sociologists with little regard to that of women, alluding to the masculinised view of knowledge which dominated then due to the overwhelmingly male academic field. In this case, we see the prominent role of positionality, with women writing themselves into the discipline, but their voices disregarded due to the politics of the time. In McDowell and Massey’s (1984) work, they examine how changing economic and employment structures in County Durham and Lancashire have affected the spatial distribution of work in relation to gender. In 19th century, County Durham had a distinct gendered division of labour, with coal mining being a male-only job, while women were responsible for domestic labour. In the 20th century, decimation of the mining industry and the rise of branch plants, which involved both male and female workers, resulted in a less gendered division of labour. Thus, the role of politics in this piece is evident, with economics changing politics of the time thus reshaping gender relations, causing women to be conceived as being of interest to the female authors of this piece. Therefore, the interdependent relationship between positionality and politics is evident, positionality caused women to be interested in writing about themselves, however their work was only considered with changing politics, on the other hand, politics resulted in women being conceived as worthy objects of study, with women academics writing about them. Hence, positionality and politics are equally important as both are intrinsically interdependent on each other in driving geographers’ changing approach to gender.

Sexualities

In the domain of sexualities, which is defined as “a person’s sexual orientation or preference” (Rogers et al. 2013), I argue that positionality, more so than politics or philosophy has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexuality.

Politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexualities by drawing initial attention to the subject and through societal changes which made sexuality more acceptable to academia. Sexualities first interested geographers through the development of gay neighbourhoods which were seen to be influencing gentrification. Castells’ (1983) work spearheaded interest in this area, by mapping specific gay neighbourhoods and commercial districts, he argued that the geography of gay men and lesbians were inherently distinct and attributed this to their corresponding gender roles and behaviour. This drew academic interest to the spatial basis of gay identity, and the central role that gay men had in urban gentrification (Binnie and Valentine 1999). The abolishment of the public-private dichotomy in geography was also seen to facilitate the study of sexuality in geography. In the past, geographers only focused on the public such as urban spaces, while sexuality was characterised as an inherently private issue (Holloway 2019). However, with societal changes, like first and second wave feminism, notions pertaining to sexuality changed, with it being seen as an topic that could be studied. Therefore, politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexualities by drawing initial interest to sexualities and by making it a topic that is acceptable to be studied in academia.

Geographers changing approaches to sexualities has been driven by various philosophies from positivism and subsequently feminism and post-structuralism. Sexualities first entered geographers’ radar through the creation of the concentric city model, which attempted to map the spatiality of cities, with the “zone of transition” seen as the place for vice and high levels of poverty (Clift and Carter 2000). This new concept directed research focused on vice in the city, such as that of prostitution which Reckless (1969) argued was intimately linked with the urban environment. However, the topic of sexualities then became ignored by geographers as evidenced by the adoption of the concentric city model into mainstream geography without mention of vice in the “zone of transition” (Holloway 2019). The rise of feminism resulted in feminists challenging sexual norms of rape and compulsory nature of intercourse, with sexuality seen to be constructed to serve men (Jeffreys 1997). Thus placing sexuality on geographers’ agenda, by highlighting the unequal power relations between men and women. Currently, studies in sexualities are not dominated by any particular philosophy, but rather researchers are mixing and matching various approaches in order to better comprehend sexuality (Holloway 2019). Therefore, philosophy has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexuality by dictating the changing focuses they had with regards to sexualities.

Positionality has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexuality as much of the initial and current literature has been overwhelmingly written by gay or lesbian geographers. In this domain, positionality plays two key roles, firstly by facilitating access to research populations. In Rooke’s (2009) study of a gay and lesbian community centre, she found that participants were more willing to share their life experiences when she presented herself as a white working-class lesbian researcher. Evidently in this case, the common shared identity of researcher and participant has facilitated access to the research population. Secondly, it allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of sexualities. By being gay or lesbian, the researcher is able to tap into their sexuality as a source of knowledge, thus supplementing their research (Cupples 2002). Furthermore, by being situated in the social difference they are studying, the researcher themselves are being subjected to lesser scrutiny than researchers who do not belong to the community being studied (McDonald 2013). These two reasons have resulted in the dearth of research in this area being published by gay and lesbian geographers, whose writings have placed sexualities on the agenda. Therefore, positionality has driven geographers’ changing approaches to social difference as it has allowed queer geography to be produced by queer geographers, thus shaping interest in this domain.

In the domain of sexualities, this essay contends that positionality has been the main driver of geographers’ changing approaches to social difference. Without queer geographers writing about themselves, there would be a lack of reliable literature pertaining to sexualities, which is the foundation on which other geographers were able to study sexualities.

Children

In the domain of children, I argue that philosophy nor politics or positionality has driven geographers’ changing approaches, but rather it has been driven primarily by the cross-disciplinary interaction between geography and other bodies of literature, such as the New Social Studies of Childhood (NSSC). The NSSC refers to a body of literature with the shared conceptualization of the child as a ‘being’, whereby “the child is conceived of as a person, a status, a course of action, a set of needs, rights or differences – in sum, as a social actor…” (James et al. 1998:207).

Geographers’ changing approaches to children have been driven by philosophy, with arguably feminism in particular having a more pronounced impact. Feminist investigations have often focused on collaborative methods, where the uneven power relations between researcher and participant is dismantled (McDowell 1992). Such a consideration is particularly crucial in children’s’ geographies as informants are usually children, whereby the implicit power relation between the two may favour the adult researcher by “general cultural notions of power and control” (Christensen 2004: 168). This has manifested in children’s geographies with researchers commonly asking participants how they wish to be represented (Weller 2006), which has in turn given agency and a voice to the children researched. Therefore, geographers’ changing approaches to children have been driven by philosophy influencing the manner in which children’s geographies research is being conducted.

In terms of positionality, geographers’ approaches to children have not been driven by it directly, but rather indirectly. With children being unable to place themselves on the agenda through writing about themselves, we see that majority of the literature in this domain have been written mostly by women (Holloway 2019). This can be attributed to women being the primary caregivers for children, thus spending more time with them and developing a deeper understanding of them (Valentine 2004). By influencing changing approaches only indirectly, positionality has not been a significant driver in influencing geographers’ approaches to children.

Politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to children as the changing status of children in society has resulted in them being conceived as a subject of interest for geographers. There has been a recent and intensifying significance being placed upon children’s rights as evidenced by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified in 1998 by all except two countries in the world. This concerted effort to recognize children’s rights signifies a prominent political shift whereby children are now seen as deserving of the same rights and protection as that of adults (Matthews and Limb 1999). Academic interest soon followed as evidenced by the subsequent creation and publication of the international journal Children’s Geographies in 2003, which has served as crucial site for discussion on issues affecting children and young people (Skelton 2013). Therefore, politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to children by resulting in them being viewed as a subject of interest for geographers.

However, the cross-disciplinary interaction between geography and other bodies of literature, like the NSSC remains the key driver behind geographers’ changing approaches to children. One key contribution from this interaction would be the establishment of the importance of place in the NSSC by geographers (Holloway and Valentine 2000). Robson (1996) through his study of West Africa which had what was perceived to be an anomalously high dependency ratio, questions the construction of childhood as a time of dependency by uncovering the active role children had in households. Such a finding fundamentally undermined the Western construction of childhood which fails to recognise the vital contribution children in the South made to household economic survival. Therefore, geographers’ changing approaches to children has been driven by cross-disciplinary interaction which has reconceptualised childhood for geographers.

With regards to children, geographers’ changing approaches have been mainly driven by the cross-disciplinary interaction of geography with other bodies of literature rather than that of philosophy, politics or positionality. As evidenced above, geographers are continuing to value-add to work in the NSSC, at the same time, the NSSC has reconceptualised childhood for geography, providing geographers with a new perspective on the issue, thus driving geographers’ changing approaches to children.

In conclusion, this essay contends that positionality and politics is important with regards to gender while positionality is important to sexuality in driving geographers’ changing approaches to social difference. However, as evidenced in the study of children, there is the need to consider beyond positionality, politics or philosophy as the only drivers of changing approaches, as factors like cross-disciplinary interaction with other bodies of literature may also drive geographers’ changing approaches.

Introduction

Classroom has been the second homeroom of our students. It is a place where they stayed for more than 12 years of their lives, shared experiences, met new friends, and many others. Hence, it plays a significant part to who they will become in the future. In the same manner, it is a learning space in which students are being taught. It is room where they gain knowledge and understanding on the different aspects of life. This is where most of the student’s skills where being trained and enhanced by the teachers in order to prepare them in their future endeavours. Likewise, it is where their attitudes and behaviours are being guided and developed for them to become a well-rounded citizen of the country.

Classroom plays a vital part in the learning process of the students, hence, learning environment should have to put into priority. According to Miller & Cunningham, nd., classroom environment encompasses a broad range of educational concepts, including the physical setting, the psychological environment created through social contexts, and numerous instructional components related to teacher characteristics and behaviour.

In this study, it will determine other aspects of classroom learning environment, such as classroom space and ventilation, student’s interest and participation, teacher support and encouragement, as well as fairness and clarity of the rules and tasks in the classroom, which may or may not have an effect to the academic performance of the students.

Learning starts from the time that the students enter the classroom. First to observe is the physical setting, as part of the environmental system, which might influence the student’s comfort and ability to learn. The classroom space and ventilation could have an effect to student’s interest to listen and participate in classroom activities. This has been justified in the study of Shamaki (2015) where he revealed that poor ventilation must be catered for and equally be discouraged so that the classroom temperature should be kept moderate in order not to hinder quality academic activities. Also, he found out that overcrowd does harm to learning mathematics, therefore, he recommended that government should make sure that the number of students per class should not exceed (40) forty. However, classrooms specifically in the public schools, are still catering more than 40 students in a class due to its shortage especially now that more classrooms are needed in the implementation of K-12 curriculum.

Second, students’ interest and participation, as one of the aspects in the classroom learning environment, could have an effect to student’s learning. Classroom participation can lead to interesting and fruitful discussions which results to a high level of energy and enthusiasm in the classroom learning environment. However, poorly managed participation can also lead to teacher’s frustrations and student confusion.

According to Ezike (2018), he reported that there is a significant relationship exists between academic interest of students and achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry. This result is tenable because of the role interest plays in various life activities including academics. It is a well-known/established fact that the decision to exert extra effort or even to engage in an activity is dictated by the level or degree of interest in an individual.

Furthermore, interest has to do with a learner’s predisposition to react positively in certain ways towards certain aspects of the environment and is usually developed in relation to and remains allied to more basic motives (Adeyemi, 2014). In the same way, situational interest which could be generated by the classroom environment is a potent medium that can be harnessed by teachers to motivate students’ interest in learning even by the disengaged and unmotivated students to more effectively learn for probable better performance (Kpolovie et al, 2014).

Third is the support and encouragement of a teacher which he/she plays a key role in the learning of the students. Teacher’s support is likely to influence both student’s learning goal orientation and task value. The implications of these statistically significant relationships between the learning environment dimension and student motivation and self-regulation (Velayutham, 2012). Student’s feeling that they are belong in the class keeps them motivated to achieve their goals in life. Giving them continuous support and encouragement makes them inspired and be better every day. On the contrary, teacher’s discouragement could results to student’s anxieties and poor academic performance.

Lastly, fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom. Classroom rules are identified as an integral part of effective classroom management as they are relatively simple to implement and focus on preventing challenging behaviors before they occur. There are two characteristics of classroom rules that were most important to their overall effectiveness were that the classroom rules were taught and that they were tied to positive and/or negative consequences. The majority of the experimental studies described how classroom rules were taught to students either through recitation, classroom discussion, or through modelling of examples and nonexamples. In addition, both descriptive studies noted that one of the key differences between more effective and less effective classroom managers was that classroom rules were taught to students in clear and effective ways (Alter, P. & Haydon, T., 2017).

Many studies also revealed the effect of classroom learning environment to the academic performance of the students.

According to Ezike, B. (2018), he concluded in his study entitled “Classroom Environment and Academic Interest as Correlates of Achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry in Ibadan South West Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria” that classroom environment is a vital factor that can affect academic achievement of learners. It has the potential to dictate the level of interest, motivation and subsequent commitment in any activity. Students’ academic interest is also crucial since it was found to have positively affected achievement in Chemistry.

Furthermore, as stated by Malik, R. and Rizvi, A. (2018), they revealed that the subscales “Involvement”, “Personal Relevance”, and “Emphasis on Understanding” were major predictors contributing towards classroom learning environment and students’ academic achievement whereas subscales “Investigation” and “Autonomy” have negative effect on the students’ academic achievement.

Moreover, Falsario, H., Muyong, R. & Nuevaespana, J. (2014) found out in their study entitled “Classroom Climate and Academic Performance of Education Students” that classroom climate could not influence academic per performance of BEED students. Classroom climate might not be the only factor contributing to their academic performance. Positively, there might be other factors contributing to it like their personal persistence and determination to have academic success wherever they are or they can still attain academic success regardless of classroom climate. However, for the BSED students there was a moderately low positive correlation between their academic achievement and classroom climate. To a certain extent, classroom climate had contributed to their academic performance. Teacher factor, class activities and general classroom atmosphere can significantly motivate them to attain academic success.

Indeed, classroom learning environment plays a major role in shaping the quality of academic performance of the students and this includes Mathematics. Understanding Mathematics is one of the important knowledge that students should have to learn. It is an integral part of the K to 12 curriculum and considered a key subject to many fields in education. One of the subject in this field of learning is General Mathematics. This is a core subject of Grade 11 students and pre-requisite of Statistics and Probability. It is one of the important subject not only in the point of view of getting academic qualification at school or college, but also a subject that prepares the students for the future as well as irrespective of which work of life they choose to be part of. Despite of its importance, it is still one of those subjects that is poorly understood by the students.

Creating a safe, positive classroom environment is a key factor to effective student’s learning. Hence, this study aims to determine the effect of the classroom learning environment to the academic performance of the students of San Mariano National High School-Main, San Mariano National High School.

Conceptual Framework

In this study, the identified variables are the classroom learning environment that may have or may not have a relationship with the final grade of students in their General Mathematics subject.

Figure 1 shows that classroom learning environment as independent variables particularly on the following aspects: student’s interest and participation, teacher support and encouragement, fairness and clarity of the rules and tasks in the classroom, and classroom space and ventilation. The dependent variable is the final grade of the students in General Mathematics subject.

• a. Student’s Interest and Participation
• b. Teacher’s support and Encouragement
• c. Fairness and Clarity of Rules and Tasks in the Classroom
• d. Classroom Space and Ventilation

Research Paradigm

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the classroom learning environment and the academic performance of San Mariano National High School students in General Mathematics. Specifically, this will seek to answer the following:

1. What are the perceptions of the students in their classroom learning environment as regards to:
   1. students interest and participation;
   2. teachers support and encouragement;
   3. fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom; and
   4. classroom space and ventilation?
2. What is the academic performance of the students in General Mathematics?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the perceived classroom learning environment and the academic performance of the students?

Hypothesis

The following Null Hypothesis (Ho) will be tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance:

There is no significant relationship between the perceived classroom learning environment and the academic performance of the students.

Importance and Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the following individuals:

Administrators. This study may guide the Principal and School Heads to create programs or trainings for the teachers to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills in improving classroom learning environment. Also, to give priority for classroom renovations and improving its physical facilities such as providing electric ventilations.

Teachers. This study may serve as their basis of evaluating student’s level of interest and participation in the classroom by making necessary adjustments in their strategy. Likewise, this study will assist the teachers to organize their classrooms to create a better learning environment in order to yield more positive atmosphere.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is limited in determining the classroom learning environment of San Mariano National High School based on perceptions of the students who are enrolled during the first semester of school year 2019-2020. This is design to cover the following aspects of classroom learning environment such as student’s interest and participation, teachers support and encouragement, fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom and classroom space and ventilation. This will excludes the teacher’s rating score in their classroom observation.

The respondents of the study covers those students who had finished their General Mathematics subjects.

Definition of Terms

To gain a better understanding and appreciation of this research, the following terms are operationally defined.

Classroom – This refers to a learning space, a room in which both children and adults learn (Wikipedia).

Learning Environment – This refers to an educational approach, cultural context and physical setting in which teaching and learning occur (Wikipedia).

Academic Performance – This refers to the final grade of the students in their General Mathematics during school year 2019-2020.

General Mathematics – This refers to the subject of the Grade 11 students taken during the first semester of the school year 2019-2020.

As a passionate teacher about teaching languages and experiencing different cultures, I am excited to apply for participation as a teaching assistant in the FLTA program that is funded by a prestigious and world-wide organization like Fulbright.

I got my BA in American Culture and Literature at Ankara University and it allowed me to learn more about the history, culture and literature of the US with the help of specific lessons about prose, poetry and theatre. In addition to my courses related to my subject of study, I took classes in the fields of Cinema Studies, Turkish Cinema, Film Criticism and Cultural Studies. My senior thesis was on the American-Armenian author William Saroyan. With the title “Saroyan’s Anatolia”, I had the chance to focus on notions like “border”, “identity” and “nation” in Saroyan’s work which motivated me to learn about different cultures and countries along with my own country.

Studying certain ethnic groups brought me a wider perspective and I started to focus on their relationship with the Turkish culture and media. Subsequently, I changed my academic discipline to pursue my studies in an interdisciplinary discipline and I got my master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies at Middle East Technical University (METU). I gained a wider perspective on both my academic interests and other fields like sociology and political science. Also, through this multi-layered perspective, I began to analyze literary works in a more sophisticated way.

Following my graduation from both different fields, I felt the lack of a theoretical repertoire in the field of teaching. Then, I took “pedagogical formation” at Gazi University for a year and I gained an academic perspective in the art of teaching. Furthermore, I had the chance to access various methodologies, especially for teaching English. Moreover, I have always been fond of languages and I worked in different language courses during my master’s period which enabled me to get familiarized with different types of students. In addition, I studied some basic French and I am studying Spanish now and through my own experience in Spanish, I am aware of the challenging atmosphere of learning a new language.

I have considerable experience at various universities, which allowed me to improve my social skills like organizing my time, expressing myself and addressing different kinds of people in various age groups. I am eager to face new challenges and I can take the responsibility to accomplish tasks. In short, I am ready to learn and share my own experiences, I would be very grateful if you would give me a chance to contribute to this project.

Except for my academic interests, I’ve been dancing flamenco for about ten years now and I had some stage experience with professional musicians. I visited Spain, attended a worldwide flamenco festival and worked with the masters of flamenco. It enabled me to meet the other dancers from all around the world and I have understood how important it is to share your own experience internationally both in a professional and in a personal way. FLTA is also a great opportunity for a language teacher and a life-long learner. I strongly believe that it would create a dialogue between my colleagues and with international students. Without a doubt, I will gain more experience by teaching my mother tongue and improve my skills in English.

When I return to my country, I am planning to continue my teaching career as an instructor in universities and get a certificate for teaching English to foreign students and I will improve myself about teaching Turkish in a professional way.

Finally, as an enthusiastic teacher, I strongly believe that I can teach Turkish through a filter that is aware of the cultural and geographical aspects of the language and as an American literature and cultural studies graduate, I suppose that I will contribute to the program both academically and professionally

Question 1: Critical awareness of issues surrounding current research in HCI

My chosen paper

Garbett, A., Chatting, D., Wilkinson, G., Lee, C. and Kharrufa, A. (2018). CHI ’18 Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Paper No. 7. In: CHI ’18 Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Paper No. 7. ThinkActive: Designing for Pseudonymous Activity Tracking in the Classroom [online] Montreal QC, Canada: ACM, p.13. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3173581 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018].

Research problem/question

The research was aimed at primary school children designed in helping to reflect upon “their own personal activity data in the classroom” CHI (2018 Paper p.1) [1]. ThinkActive is a system that fulfil the engaging of the children using pseudonymous avatars, which are used in promoting the reflection by using personal data, and displaying the data within the classroom incorporating an inside display for the participants to view their progress. ThinkActive was deployed over a six-week period using 30 primary school students which were “located within the top 1% of most deprived areas of the UK” CHI (2018 Paper p.7) [1]. ThinkActive exploits low-cost activity trackers and pseudonymous avatars which allow the students to reflect upon their events which will insure that they stay active. Researches reported on the “motivations, challenges, and opportunities for students, teachers, and third-party providers to engage in the collection and sharing of activity data with primary school children” CHI (2018 Paper p.1) [1]. The research was working in partnership with the “English Premier League Football club’s health and nutrition programme” CHI (2018 Paper p.1) [1]

What was already known about the topic?

Background information is used to expand upon key points by identifying and describing the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to existing literature. Background information was used within this research to determine the root of the problem being studied, appropriate context of the problem in relation to the theory, research and/or practice, its scope and the extent to which previous studies have successfully investigated the relevant problem which is currently being researched. Within this research the author discussed a research which was conducted to “identify the timing of changes in physical activity during childhood and adolescence.” This research helps the author to define when the participant physical activity begins to decline. In the conclusion of this research the author stated “Future policy and research efforts to promote physical activity should begin well before adolescence, and should include both boys and girls”. [2] The researches took this aspect into deliberation when conducting the research. Likewise, another research paper was emphasized regarding the QS (Quantified self) movement. “The QS movement has individual dispersed across the world— “Self-quantifiers” or “Quantified-selfer”—who are not only producing troves of data by virtue of simply doing about their daily business, but also they are now becoming conscious consumers of the data that they themselves are producing”. The research conducted used the participants data to monitor the activities of the children, which was then used for “the students, this would be a fun and healthy activity, with opportunities for competition and personal reflection, whilst developing their data literacy.” [CHI] Personal informatics helps people collect and reflect upon personal information to help them improve and grow by analysing the data captured. “Li et al [4] define personal informatics as systems that “help people collect personally relevant information for the purpose of self-reflection and gaining self-knowledge”. This research showed the important of collecting personal relevant information to self-reflect the participants activity tracking to allow them to gain self-knowledge of the process.

Does this research draw upon other disciplines as well as HCI?

Psychology was used within the research discipline to help participants collect personal data and reflect upon the results. Naturalistic observation helped participants be observed within their natural setting, information is obtained, and hypotheses and questions are formed for additional research. Likewise, participants view the data gathered and are able to gain self-knowledge. “Li et al [6] define personal informatics as systems that “help people collect personally relevant information for the purpose of self-reflection and gaining self-knowledge”. Sport sciences was a discipline within the research, it was used to engage participants within activities to make them more active. Technology was used to track the student’s activity and performance was monitored throughout the process. The participant was able to view their individual avatar anonymously and compete with their class mates. Studies show that there was a decline in physical activity in childhood and adolescence. “Four trajectories of change in total volume of physical activity were identified representing 100% of all participants: all trajectories declined from age 7 years.” [7] This research states that “efforts to promote physical activity” [7] is very important when children are growing up as it will improve their lifestyle for the future ensuring a healthier life.

“As HCI researchers our academic interest was in the design and deployment of these technologies within this complex interplay of stakeholders.” [CHI] The quote proposes the interest the researches had within the study. They have covered aspects of technology and deployed it to view the feedback of the human interaction of the interface design.

What is the original contribution of this paper?

Empirical contribution was researched to observe new knowledge through data gathering. “Initial understandings of participating in the practice of personal informatics primarily focuses on individuals in the process of engaging in data collection and reflection for positive behaviour change (or health monitoring) [5].”

“Wearable devices (Fitbit, Misfit Shine etc.) are frequently associated with an installed companion mobile application.”[CHI] Technology was used to gather data. Dataset collection helped determine the progress of the participant. The device was also an invention of a new system to determine the progress of the participants.

Question 2: Evaluate the outcome and consequences of the research

Explain why this research was done

The research was conducted to take a deeper inside aspect of social sense-making by reflecting on activities carried out through a range of aggregate personal data. The data was than visualised by the participants to monitor their progress. The research was carried out to engage participants in competing against each other for a healthier lifestyle “For the students, this would be a fun and healthy activity, with opportunities for competition and personal reflection, whilst developing their data literacy” [CHI]. It can be argued that many aspects were covered within this research such as sport science, psychology and HCI. Psychology was incorporated within the research to help participants collect personal data and reflect upon the results. Likewise, participants view the data gathered and are able to gain self-knowledge. Sport sciences was used as well within the research, to engage participants within activities to make them more active. Technology was used to track the student’s activity and performance was monitored throughout the process. The participant was able to view their individual avatar anonymously and compete with their class mates.

The research was mainly aimed to view the feedback of the deployed system and record the human interaction of the interface design. “As HCI researchers our academic interest was in the design and deployment of these technologies within this complex interplay of stakeholders.” [CHI] therefore main reason for carrying out this research was to see the way in which the participants were using the device to interact.

Who are the potential beneficiaries of this research?

• Funders
• Schools (Governing bodies)
• Future researchers
• Commercial companies
• Society (Mainly parents)
• Children’s

What are the potential benefits to the identified beneficiaries?

Beneficiaries Benefits

Children’s Children’s are the main beneficiaries from the study. The main aim for the study was to help the children reflect upon their personal activity within the classrooms. By doing so children’s will be more motivated, and increase their interest into carrying out physical exercise. The study helps them keep track of the activities which helps them reflect upon their progress. This also, helps them stay motivated and help increase the competition between the children into achieving a better score and a better lifestyle.

Schools (Governing bodies) Schools will also, benefit from the research as it will motivate the children to be more engaged within their physical activities. Using the device, it will create more challenges for the students and engage in a more active lifestyle. Governing bodies will be able to gather accurate results and data of physical education, and learn how to improve the health of its students. Additional funding can be provided for putting these techniques into practice.

Future researchers

Future studies can also be conducted due to the outcome of this research. It can help researches elaborate more on the research by conducting more research. This will help the research become more reliable and help determine new ways in which this aspect could be tested. Funds will be needed to conduct the studies for improving the wellbeing of children. Commercial companies can make financial income by selling parents the devices to allow them to track their children physical activity.

Primarily, the research can be very beneficial to the funders of the study. The data gathered can be used to generate a financial compelling of evidence and statistic for the funders. This will be generated by using the data gathered to determine new hypothesis of how to improve children’s engagement in activity. The research helps define the children’s participation to activity to encourage a more active approach to everyday actions by competing against each other.

Funders

To what extent do the authors demonstrate the potential significant / impact of this work?

The research based on the primary school children that have participated in the study have collected personal information within their classroom to obtain information, and hypotheses and questions are formed for additional research. The impact this has on the participants is, showing them the data which they have produced. This will make them more aware of their physical activities which they carry out within a day. The impact will also, be more visible as they will have the ability to improve and compete with other participants which will encourage them into a healthier lifestyle.

The author concludes the study within the social context delivered in the classroom, and did not deliver a full account of the problems that could possibly ascend which time may convey. Likewise, the design of the technology and deployment of the study was mainly focused on the HCI aspect of the research to see how the participants where interacting with the design of the technology. Allowing, the researches to get feedback on what to improve to improve the impact it has on the participants.

Question 3: Reflect on theory and practice in which new knowledge is established

Explain what research methods were used to obtain the findings in this paper

Applied research and field studies was used within the research to obtain the findings in the paper. applied research is research which seeks to solve practical problems. The problem within this study was engaging participants in physical activity to improve the problem which was addressed about obesity and depression. Applied research plays an important role in solving everyday problems which have an impact on life and health. The problem addressed was used to generate data and find new ways in which it could be improved. Furthermore, case studies were used to conduct background information which was used to determine what was already known about the topic this generated new ways in obtaining the finding of the research. The purpose is to understand and evaluate the problem to create better re-engineered solution.

What are the strengths and limitations of the research approach? Why were the methods suitable for the research?

Strengths Limitations

Semi-structured interviews allowed the researchers to gain an inside of the problem. They were able to track to what extent the participants were using the activity tracker, for carrying out physical activities to decrease obesity. The researchers were also able to find out how many students were actually wearing the activity tracker “You must have it on.’ […] some guys wanted to take it off, so we said, ‘Don’t ever take it off. It’s not going to do any harm.” [CHI] 80% of the participants wore the activity tracker for 32 days during the experiment. Reliability in the extent to which activities were recorded. The tracker activity can be argued that it is not reliable. The tracker cannot determine if the participant is actually carrying out a physical activity as they recognize any movement i.e. if the child was using a lot of hand gestures, rather than their body movement there will be no liability as the tracker will not be able to determine, and differentiate between the two meaning that the results could be slightly off.

Personal informatics helps people collect and reflect upon personal information to help them improve and grow by analysing the data captured. “Li et al [6] define personal informatics as systems that “help people collect personally relevant information for the purpose of self-reflection and gaining self-knowledge”. This research showed the important of collecting personal relevant information to self-reflect the participants activity tracking to allow them to gain self-knowledge of the process. Student engagement is another limitation as some lost their activity tracker. This can be argued to be a low amount of participant within the research as they needed a strong number to determine and gather results. “After just a day, one child lost their activity tracker. The teacher decided to make an example of them and their activity tracker was not replaced.” If all the students lost the activity tracker the experiment would have been a total loss, this would have limited the ability to gather data.

Participants allowed validity in the conclusion of the research. The use of participant made the research more reliable as the researchers were able to test what will happen and gather data which can be used to analyses the key aspect of the research.

The research was mainly aimed to view the feedback of the deployed system and record the human interaction of the interface design. “As HCI researchers our academic interest was in the design and deployment of these technologies within this complex interplay of stakeholders.” [CHI] therefore main reason for carrying out this research was to see the way in which the participants were using the device to interact. Likewise, another limitation can be that the participants are not interested and engaged within the research. This can sabotage the research as they may not be willing to commit and carry out any physical activities which will cause the results to be unreliable. Children’s cannot be monitored outside of school hours meaning that they can do whatever they like, they can refuse to wear the activity tracker which will also mean that the results will not be reliable as some students will commit and wear them outside of school hours. Changing the technology which is used can affect the user, whereby the way they use the device can affect the outcome of the research. The participant may not wear the device as instructed which will affect the results gathered. Longitudinal method is the research technique for the interaction model.

What assumptions underlie the use of the method(s)

Assumptions about an object under study can influence research in many ways. These preconceptions play a huge role in the research’s perspective, and can influence the research purpose. The qualitative research carried out at the beginning of the research created an idea within the researches mind, as the aspects from the background research helped determine aspects within the research, and impacted the way the research was conducted. Philosophical assumptions are “theoretical framework used by researchers to collect, analyze and interpret the data that is collected in a particular field of study.” [8]. It establishes the background which was used for coming to conclusion or a decision.

Does the paper demonstrate methodological rigour?

“Lincoln and Guba describe a series of techniques that can be used to conduct qualitative research that achieves the criteria they outline.” [9] The credibility within the research is established throughout the paper. They have conducted background qualitative research that achieves the criteria which the researchers are outlining. The qualitative research conducted involved utilizing different data sources within the same method to generate credibility and validity throughout the research. Transferability was also a technique used within the uses of conducting qualitative research. Showing that the findings have applicability within other contexts i.e. the study being used within a different context.

Credibility – confidence in the ‘truth’ of the findings [6] “Future policy and research efforts to promote physical activity should begin well before adolescence, and should include both boys and girls”. [2] The researches took this aspect into deliberation when conducting the research.

Transferability – showing that the findings have applicablity in other contexts [6]

Likewise, another research paper was emphasized regarding the QS (Quantified self) movement. “The QS movement has individual dispersed across the world— “Self-quantifiers” or “Quantified-selfer”—who are not only producing troves of data by virtue of simply doing about their daily business,

After watching lectures on the structure of bones, joints, and tissue made by cells, I became interested in the practice of manipulating the body to aid in the healing process. Through some research, I found a simple, non-invasive practice that physicians use that piqued my interest and made me want to master it – osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) or osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) is a treatment method offered by doctors, more commonly referred to as DOs, who have slightly different training and approaches than their counterpart MDs when caring for patients. They believe in the holistic approach to patient care which makes the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine so successful in their practice.

At first glance, you may think that osteopathic manipulative medicine is very similar to the practice used by chiropractors, however, osteopathic manipulative medicine takes a broader approach than muscle and joint adjustments because it encompasses the whole body and can aid in the treatment of a wide range of disorders. Its specialty is that it works by manipulating the body’s own bones and tissues to restore and help maintain optimal function through low-risk movements and techniques that could be used in place of surgery or prescription medication.

The techniques used are of particular interest; these range from simple adjustments such as cracking the patient’s back or neck to direct myofascial techniques such as killer fingers. The main categories of osteopathic manipulative medicine are cracking joints, muscle energy, strain counter strain, and myofascial release. Killer fingers is a technique that I particularly like. This technique applies pressure to the suboccipital muscles to relieve stress and tension in the head and neck. The release of tension helps maintain the necessary curvature in our necks, as well as relieve the terrible tension headaches that some experience when they are under a lot of stress.

Absolutely incredible and only fueled my interest were the cases where the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine treated conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to other conditions masquerading as serious heart disease such as congestive heart failure.

Of course, I realize that everyone’s body has its own unique makeup and that the application of osteopathic manipulative medicine depends on the individual, as not all techniques can assist in the body’s natural healing process, but to me, this type of treatment is limitless and extremely viable, which is why I chose to become a specialist in this field.

My childhood wasn’t necessarily the happiest of times. Growing up, my mother suffered a series of heart-related issues; it seemed as though she spent more time at the hospital than at home with her little girl. Being that I was a difficult child to put up with, especially as a single mother, and only made things worse because I refused to stay at home with a babysitter, I often accompanied my mom during her hospital visits. At the time, I didn’t understand what was going on or the severity of her sickness, but I knew that as long as we were at the hospital, the two of us were safe. It wasn’t just innocence or ignorance, but rather a deep trust in the doctors and their ability to help my mother. After countless hospital visits, I knew that I wanted to join this profession committed to helping others. Today, my mother is healthy and free of any serious heart complications, but I am just as motivated to make a profound impact on the lives of others the way the doctors did when I was a little girl.

Pursuing an education as a biological science major with a pre-medicine emphasis will provide me the foundation to successfully achieve my dream of becoming a medical professional. Many biology courses demand students to memorize insane amounts of information; oftentimes, you can find such students stressed in the library at 2 a.m. studying heaping piles of flashcards, preparing unbelievably detailed notes for anatomy, or simply crying over an organic chemistry textbook. If being a biology major was easy, I wouldn’t find it as rewarding as I do, nor would I even consider pursuing a degree in this field. If it didn’t challenge me, it wouldn’t change me as a person. Furthermore, while this may seem quite obvious if I wasn’t in love with biology, I wouldn’t force myself to study the sciences so intensely. My passion is learning about various realms of biology including genetics, anatomy, microbiology, and the list goes on. I take part in such classes with a smile on my face, as if this is my calling in life; I study biology simply for the joy of learning.

I have always had an insatiable desire for knowledge. I never seemed to understand how the majority of my peers did not find learning as fulfilling and encaptivating as I did; how could one not feel the overflowing joy of uncovering new realms of thinking? The mere idea that there is an endless bounty of information, an unfathomable number of subjects that one could never possibly uncover, brings me joy. There is always something new to discover, a new way to better myself, and what really makes learning one of the sweetest parts of life is that it is absolutely free, inexhaustible, and completely mine; no one can take away what I know.

While I undoubtedly love learning, there are some challenges that I face and most likely will continue to face as I progress through my academic career. Picture this, for example, it’s late at night and I am sitting at my desk feeling absolutely exhausted staring down at what seems to be a growing list of assignments and tasks that I must complete. I think to myself “Is this even worth it?”, “Why should I even try?”. No one likes to constantly sacrifice their sleep, time, and overall well-being to study for hours on end; at least, I don’t. Although learning may at times be overwhelming, I stop to wonder about where I will be in two, ten, or even twenty years from now. Whether it’s being at UIC doing what I love most or working alongside the greatest minds in the country on the next new innovative heart transplant procedure, I take that moment to stop and really think about what makes me excited to learn; I take that fuel from my daydreams and use it to ignite the flames of my love for learning. The payoff of learning will always trump any stress that I may experience. Not everyone has the privilege to learn, so even if there are times when I may find myself stressed and unmotivated, I will never take my education for granted.

2:00 p.m., tests were run to check for any brain activity. My favorite subject was Biology, but sadly I didn’t know enough about how the brain and nervous system worked to understand what was happening. 2:20 p.m., tests were repeated. 2.40 p.m., my father was officially diagnosed with brain stem death. The cause of death, a new word in my vocabulary, ‘encephalitis’. Through this trauma I was hooked, I wanted to understand, I wanted to know more, I wanted to study the brain, and became interested in the field of neuroscience.

I learned that my father had died due to his nervous system’s response to a virus. Through the Encephalitis Society, I became aware of the surreal ability of the brain and nervous system to rehabilitate from the cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral effects of the condition.

Consequently, I took Biology and Psychology at an A level with Geography added in to satisfy my environmentalist and conservationist ideals. This allowed me to thrive in a research-focused environment with an emphasis on practical learning.

I have always been interested in how the mind works, and I remember wondering if serial killers had the predisposition to kill whilst reading ‘Inside the Mind of Serial Killers: Why They Kill’. I found the answer was a mix of genetics and psychological factors. Several criminals have reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex which regulates emotional control and possible psychological trauma in early childhood. To further my interest, I shadowed a criminal barrister from Doughty Chambers and sat in on the defense of a sexual offense case. This was eye-opening and I went from watching documentaries on criminals to witnessing a live criminal trial and observing the response of the defendant.

I also observed behavior during my work experience at Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal in the Eating Disorder Unit and gained a better understanding of the psychological and genetic factors precipitating this illness. I observed psychologists and psychiatrists and interacted with patients observing their daily routines. This included CBT, DBT, and a variety of different medications to tackle both behavioral and genetic aspects of eating disorders.

Following my clinical experience, I explored other genetic illnesses, specifically neurodegenerative diseases. I discovered that the National Center for Biotechnology has predicted that these diseases will become a prevalent cause of death in the next 20 years, hence the urgent need for new drug treatments. This is of particular interest to me as my favorite topic in Biology is immunology and I am keen to understand how both the nervous and immune systems work. It is no coincidence that the majority of sufferers of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s have an already compromised immune response and I can’t fathom that after decades of research and millions of pounds, there is no cure.

I would relish the opportunity to study neuroscience, research, and decipher this complex organ. I hope to improve people’s quality of life and develop new cures in this field.