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Entrepreneurship - the X factor
No full textStimulating enterprise and entrepreneurship across our higher education institutions is now seen by many governments as fundamental to driving economic success and social cohesion. The European Union promotes the 'fostering of entrepreneurial mindsets' for all young people. In the UK, the government and devolved administrations encourage and support increases in the scale and diversity of students and graduates taking up entrepreneurial opportunities
Numerical study of metal oxide heterojunction solar cells
No full textMetal oxide (MO) semiconductors have great potential for photovoltaic (PV) application owing to some optimal bandgaps and a variety of possible combinations of the materials. The progress is limited due to lack of high-quality materials, reliable process and theoretical study and models which can guide the development. This paper reports on the numerical modelling of MO semiconductor PV cells. The effects of the bandgap structure, material, doping concentration and layer thickness on the proposed oxide solar cells have been investigated. It was found that, in an ideal case of no defects and no interface states, wide-gap MO, CuO and Cu2O can form a heterostructure n+/p/p+ cell with efficiency up to 28.6%, demonstrating great potential for development
Judgements toward male and transgendered victims in a depicted stranger rape
No full textThere has been an increasing amount of research interest into perceptions of male rape in recent years. However, no research has assessed how people react when a transgendered person is raped. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of transgendered status and sexuality on victim blame and perceived severity in a depicted rape scenario. The sexuality of the victim was manipulated to include a heterosexual, homosexual, cross-dresser, female-to-male transsexual, and male-to-female transsexual. It was predicted that the heterosexual victims would be judged the most positively and that heterosexual male participants would make the most anti-victim judgments. One hundred thirty-three lesbian, gay male, and heterosexual members of the general population read a scenario depicting a rape and then completed a questionnaire measuring victim blame and perceived severity of the assault. Results conformed to the predictions. Results are discussed in relation to traditional gender roles and homophobia
The Conceptual Structure of IMS Learning Design Does Not Impede Its Use for Authoring
No full textIMS Learning Design (LD) is the only available interoperability specification in the area of technology enhanced learning that allows the definition and orchestration of complex activity flows and resource environments in a multirole setting. IMS LD has been available since 2003, and yet it has not been widely adopted either by practitioners or by institutions. Much current IMS LD research seems to accept the assumption that a key barrier to adoption is the specification's conceptual complexity impeding the authoring process. This paper presents an empirical study to test this assumption. Study participants were asked to transform a given textual design description into an IMS LD unit of learning using 1) paper snippets representing IMS LD elements and 2) authoring software. The results show that teachers with little or no previous IMS LD knowledge were able to solve a design task that required the use of all IMS LD elements at levels A and B. An additional finding is that the authoring software did not facilitate people in producing better solutions than those who used paper snippets. This evidence suggests that conceptual complexity does not impede effective IMS LD authoring, so the barriers to adoption appear to lie elsewhere
A cybernetic analysis of a university-wide curriculum innovation
No full textPurposeThis paper describes and analyses an approach to course design as part of a strategic, technology-inspired, cross-university intervention to widen participation. A curriculum framework was developed for students who wished to make their work the focus of their study and could not readily access current university provision. A deliberate assumption was made that this would require a technologically inspired response to teaching, learning and assessment.\textbfDesign/methodology/approach The approach taken was one of action research, by planning the curriculum framework, validating a course, delivery and review through interviews. Cybernetics was applied post-hoc to analyse the data generated.\textbfFindings Staff found the framework a useful source of inspiration and critique for current practices, although established practice and preconceptions could render the framework meaningless. The ideas in the framework are not enough to change the institution - authoritative sanction may be needed. The cybernetic concepts of variety and its absorption proved useful in analysing the framework, and highlighted weaknesses in the design of the framework regarding the organisation of teaching.\textbfResearch limitations/implications Clarity about strategic purpose when making a change intervention is vital - in this instance raising the level of critical debate was more successful than recruitment. The establishment of an independent unit may be a more successful strategy than embedding university-wide. Further work is required to understand how to market novel approaches. The action research shows that the University has the capability to develop curriculum designs that offer new groups of students? access to higher education while improving their work practice.\textbfOriginality/value The findings from interview confirm the value that peers attach to this development. Although the pedagogical design in this action research is based on previous work, the cybernetic analysis and conclusions are new
Developing digital awareness of academic staff in AME: what went right (action research).
No full textThe use of learning technology has become a central aspect of the student learning environment and experience. The past eight years there has been an increased pressure from the University of Bolton (UoB) to enhance the academic staff digital knowledge and expertise to support the teaching and learning process, and facilitate administrative roles. As technology becomes pivotal in the pedagogical and strategic changes facing Higher Education and specially in UoB, it is increasingly important to support academic staff and student in their process of enhancing their digital knowledge as easy as possible.Since the UoB last restructure which brought together three very differentiated subject areas (Art & Design, Cultural and Creative Studies and Education), which formed the School of Art, Media and Education (AME), academic staff in AME have been working with a wider range of other professionals, different level of technological skills (using technology to support the teaching and learning process) and being driven by a changing learning and teaching agendas. Sometimes these experience have been 'unhappy', but most of the time have been enriching for most.This poster intends to inform the challenges faced during the planning, development, implementation, and reviews of an e-Strategy in AME to facilitate digital support, collaboration, understanding and personal development to enhance the teaching and learning agendas in all three subject areas, and to update about the lessons learned and good practices attempting to close the gap in the 'academic digital divide' within the school.Key references:Balmer, Kim and Jones, Ian and Phillips, Barry and Stokes, Eleanor, British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), corp creator. (2009) Harnessing Technology: new modes of technology-enhanced learning: a case study series. Online http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1534/ DeBlois,Peter (2006): Leadership in Instructional Technology and Design: An Interview, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 12?17, Online http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0542.pdf Jisc: Learning Technology: key implications for academic staff. Jisc. Online www.jisc.ac.uk/career AME e-Strategic plan 2008-201
Improving written and verbal communication skills for international medical graduates: A linguistic and medical approach
No full textBackground: Adapting to UK communication styles can be difficult for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Reache Northwest provides education, training and support for internationally trained refugee and asylum seeking health professionals who are looking to return to work in the UK.Aims: A Safe and Effective Communication Skills course was designed by a team of language teachers and clinicians to provide IMGs with an understanding of the written, verbal and summarisation skills required in the UK work environment.Methods: A series of language exercises adapted to clinical situations was developed. These increased in complexity to the practical application of language skills in clinical settings using simulated patients. The combination of language and clinical tutors meant that feedback could be given from a language teacher's perspective, the clinical perspective and the cultural context.Results: The combination of language and clinical tutors meant that analysis of communication difficulties could be made from different perspectives and detailed, specific feedback could be given to each student in these areas.Conclusion: Using a combined linguistic and clinical approach can provide solutions to clinical communication problems that may otherwise be missed. This strategy could be extended to cover communication areas in other contexts
Structural and surface energy analysis of nitrogenated ta-C films
No full textSurface and bulk properties of the Filtered Cathodic Vacuum Arc prepared nitrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:N) films were characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), Raman spectroscopy, Atomic Force microscopy and contact angle techniques. An increase in the Nitrogen (N) content of the films is accompanied by a reduction in the sp3 fraction, confirmed via the deconvolution of the C 1 s XPS spectra. Critical Raman parameters such as peak position and peak width of the G band, defect ratio, ID/IG and skewness of the G line were analyzed as a function of N content. ToF-SIMS showed the variance of chemical composition with the increase in the sputtering depth. While some amount of incorporated oxygen and hydrogen were observed for all films; for high N content ta-C:N films signature of CN bonds was evident. Surface energies (both polar and dispersive components) for these ta-C:N films were analyzed in a geometric mean approach. Contact angle measurements using both deionized water and ethylene glycol reveal that upon the insertion of nitrogen into ta-C films, the initial change in the contact angle is sharp, followed by a gradual decrease with subsequent increase in N content. The variation of contact angle with increasing N content corresponds to an increase of the total surface energy with an increase of the polar component and a decrease of the dispersive component
Unchartered waters: what's next for ePDP
No full textBackground The workshop presents an update of the results and challenges faced during the implementation of pilot studies of exercises in two different faculties, at the University of Bolton (UoB): Faculty of Arts and Media Technologies (AMT), and Faculty of Advanced Engineering & Sciences (AES), as well as the progression to a University-wide implementation using open source electronic media. The inclusion of PDP (personal development planning) is a University requirement for all programmes and traditionally embedded through a text based/visual journal approach in Art and Design and blogs and journals in other departments. The experience has provided both faculties with relevant data to inform the newly created UoB ePDP working group to further develop ePDP and to explore optimum processes, infrastructure and research that needs to be undertaken to support future implementation and dissemination more effectively
