Survivable Virtual Topology Routing under Shared Risk Link Groups in WDM Networks

Network survivability is one of the most important issues in the design of optical WDM networks. In this work we study the problem of survivable routing of a virtual topology on a physical topology with Shared Risk Link Groups (SRLG). The survivable virtual topology routing problem against single-link failures in the physical topology is proved to be NP-complete in [1]. We prove that survivable virtual topology routing problem against SRLG/node failures is also NP-complete. We present an improved integer linear programming (ILP) formulation (in comparison to [1]) for computing the survivable routing under SRLG/node failures. Using an ILP solver, we computed the survivable virtual topology routing against link and SRLG failures for small and medium sized networks efficiently. As even our improved ILP formulation becomes intractable for large networks, we present a congestion-based heuristic and a tabu search heuristic (which uses the congestion-based heuristic solution as the initial solution) for computing survivable routing of a virtual topology. Our experimental results show that tabu search heuristic coupled with the congestion based heuristic (used as initial solution) provides fast and near-optimal solutions.

Cooperative Learning Groups in the Eighth Grade Math Classroom

In this action research study of my classroom of 8th grade mathematics students, I investigated whether cooperative learning would lead to a better understanding of the mathematical concepts and thus more success for the students. I used my three eighth grade classes with two using cooperative groups and the third not. I discovered that the students who wanted to work in cooperative groups were more successful than they had been. I also discovered that the grouping itself has a great effect on how the group works together. The wrong grouping of students can lead to disaster and many headaches for the teacher. Overall the two classes that used cooperative groups did better grade wise than the one class that was taught using the traditional way of not using cooperative groups. As a result of this research, I plan to continue using cooperative groups but will be more aware of the students who are grouped together.

Cooperative Learning Groups in the Middle School Mathematics Classroom

In this action research study of my classroom of 8th grade mathematics, I investigated the inclusion of cooperative learning groups. Data was collected to see how cooperative learning groups affected oral and written communication, math scores, and attitudes toward mathematics. On the one hand, I discovered that many students enjoyed the opportunity to work within a group. On the other hand, there continues to be a handful of students who would rather work alone. The benefits outweigh the demands. Overall, students benefitted from the inclusion of cooperative learning groups. Oral explanations of solutions and methods improved during the study. Written expression also improved over this time period. As a result of this research, I plan to continue with the incorporation of cooperative learning groups in the middle school math classroom.

Contesting Sphere Boundaries Online: Private/Technical/Public Discourses in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Discussion Groups

The internet is fast becoming a means for people to obtain information, creating a unique forum for the intersection of the public, technical, and private spheres. To ground my research theoretically, I used Jürgen Habermas’s sphere theory. Habermas (1987) explains that the technical sphere colonizes the private sphere, which decreases democratic potential. In particular, the internet is a place for altering technical colonization of the private and public spheres. My research focuses on women’s health because it is a particularly useful case study for examining sphere tensions. Historically, the biomedical health establishment has been a powerful agent of colonization, resulting in detrimental effects for women and their health. The purpose of this study is to examine how the internet encourages expert and female patient deliberation, which empowers women to challenge the experts and, thus, make conversations between the private/technical spheres more democratic. I used PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) as a case to observe the changing sphere boundaries by studying the discourse that took place on multiple patient and doctor websites over a four-year period. Through my research, I found that the PCOS women challenge the biomedical model by appropriating medical language. By understanding the medical talk, the women are able to feel confident when discussing their health conditions with the doctor and with each other. The PCOS women also become lay-experts who have personal and medical experience with PCOS, reducing private sphere colonization. This case study exemplifies how female empowerment can influence expert culture, challenging our conventional understanding of democracy.