608 research outputs found
Issues of partial credit in mathematical assessment by computer
No full textThe CALM Project for Computer Aided Learning in Mathematics has operated at Heriot‐Watt University since 1985. From the beginning CALM has featured assessment in its programs (Beevers, Cherry, Foster and McGuire, 1991), and enabled both students and teachers to view progress in formative assessment The computer can play a role in at least four types of assessment: diagnostic, self‐test, continuous and grading assessment. The TLTP project Mathwise employs the computer in three of these roles. In 1994 CALM reported on an educational experiment in which the computer was used for the first time to grade, in part, the learning of a large class of service mathematics students (Beevers, McGuire, Stirling and Wild ,1995), using the Mathwise assessment template. At that time the main issues identified were those of ‘partial credit’ and communication between the student and the computer. These educational points were addressed in the next phase of the CALM Project in which the commercial testing program Interactive PastPapers was developed. The main aim of this paper is to describe how Interactive Past Papers has been able to incorporate some approaches to partial credit which has helped to alleviate student worries on these issues. Background information on other features in Interactive Past Papers is also included to provide context for the discussion
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High-resolution (space, time) anthropogenic heat emissions: London 1970-2025
No full textThe anthropogenic heat emissions generated by human activities in London are analysed in detail for 2005–2008 and considered in context of long-term past and future trends (1970–2025). Emissions from buildings, road traffic and human metabolism are finely resolved in space (30 min) and time (200 × 200 m2). Software to compute and visualize the results is provided. The annual mean anthropogenic heat flux for Greater London is 10.9 W m−2 for 2005–2008, with the highest peaks in the central activities zone (CAZ) associated with extensive service industry activities. Towards the outskirts of the city, emissions from the domestic sector and road traffic dominate. Anthropogenic heat is mostly emitted as sensible heat, with a latent heat fraction of 7.3% and a heat-to-wastewater fraction of 12%; the implications related to the use of evaporative cooling towers are briefly addressed. Projections indicate a further increase of heat emissions within the CAZ in the next two decades related to further intensification of activities within this area
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Serotonin transporter gene variation and its association with cognitive vulnerability to depression
No full texttextDepression is a serious condition that affects a significant proportion of the population and causes substantial life impairment (Kessler et al., 2003). Cognitive models of depression vulnerability (e.g., Teasdale, 1988) posit that information processing biases for negative and positive stimuli play a critical role in the disorder. Change in negative thinking in response to dysphoric moods is referred to as cognitive reactivity and has been shown to be a risk factor for future increases in depression (e.g., Beevers & Carver, 2003; Segal et al., 2006). Interestingly, recent behavioral genetics research indicates that certain genes may influence cognitive factors associated with depression. The short allele of a polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with increased risk for depression in the context of life stress (Caspi et al., 2003); however, the psychological mechanisms that increase depression risk for short 5-HTTLPR allele-carriers have not been definitively identified. Recent work has begun to reveal an association between the 5-HTTLPR and cognitive factors associated with depression such as attention bias for emotional information (Beevers et al., 2007) and negative thinking style (Hayden et al., 2007). A pilot study (n = 156) revealed an association between 5-HTTLPR and cognitive reactivity for attention bias for happy faces. The current study (n = 180) extended and improved upon the pilot study’s methodology and examined the relationship between the 5-HTTLPR and cognitive reactivity for attention to sad and happy faces as well as cognitive reactivity for dysfunctional attitudes. Cognitive variables were assessed after a neutral mood induction and after a sad mood induction at two laboratory sessions separated by at least 24 hours. There was a significant association between the 5-HTTLPR and cognitive reactivity for attention bias for emotional faces among Caucasian participants. Specifically, the short allele was associated with increased bias for emotional faces after the sad mood induction compared to the neutral mood induction. There was a linear relationship between number of short alleles possessed by participants and increase in bias for emotional information. The 5-HTTLPR was not significantly associated with cognitive reactivity for dysfunctional attitudes, but the effect was in the expected direction. Results are discussed in the context of recent neuroimaging research and plasticity models of behavior genetics. Implications for a model of depression vulnerability integrating genetic, neural, and cognitive factors and future directions for similar behavioral genetics studies are discussed.Psycholog
Extending flexibility in an existing on-line assessment system
No full textThis paper seeks to extend the work of seventeen years of research and development in the field of computer aided assessment. Work began on the Computer Aided Learning in Mathematics (CALM) Project in 1985 at Heriot-Watt University (http://www.calm.hw.ac.uk/). But, more general issues of automatic assessment are now being considered in collaboration with UK Examination Boards, commercial companies (http://www.i-assess.co.uk/) and Scottish academics through the forum of the Scottish Centre for Research into On-Line Learning and Assessment (SCROLLA) (http://www.scrolla.ac.uk/). To set the debate in context some of the main results of the CALM Project will be briefly reviewed.
Two of the areas of research in SCROLLA are investigation into automatic assessment of higher order skills (Beevers et. al. 2003) and how traditional paper based questions translate into an equivalent on-line version using existing question types (Fiddes et. al. 2002). For example, the rewording of a question to allow it to be delivered in an assessment engine can mean that the student is provided with additional information that may not be available in the traditional paper based version, or the rewording may change the skills that are being tested. Some of these issues can be addressed by creating new question types to increase the flexibility given to the author in creating questions, and to increase familiarity of the students in the responses they can provide.
The assessment system CUE has been used in UK programs such as SCHOLAR (http://scholar.hw.ac.uk/), which provides a wide range of questions in a variety of subjects (Higher, Advanced Higher and A Level in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics). This provides a stable base from which CUE can expand. SCROLLA intends to provide CUE as a research and development resource for education institutions in Scotland from schools through to higher education over a range of subject areas. CUE provides an opportunity for exploring the research issues further and investigating possible solutions that more flexible question types may provide. Using examples chosen from Computer Science and Mathematics this paper will illustrate where some of the restrictions with currently available question types occur, and offer potential solutions for discussion and comment
A Framework for Assessing Instream Supporting Ecosystem Services Based on Hydroecological Modelling
No full textRiver systems provide diverse ecosystem services (ES), such as flood regulation (regulating), fresh water (provisioning), nutrient cycling (supporting), and recreation (cultural), among others. The construction of infrastructure (e.g., for hydropower, irrigation) enhances the delivery of tangible ES for example food or energy (generally provisioning) to meet human needs. However, the resulting change to river flows threatens both the ecological health of a river and its ability to provide intangible but vital ES, for example those which support the delivery of other services. Understanding these supporting ES processes in river systems is essential to fully recognise the impact of water resources development on ES delivery. Whilst approaches for assessing instream supporting ES are under development, to date few provide quantitative methods for assessing delivery. Thus, this paper sets out a framework for the assessment of instream supporting ES using hydroecological modelling. It links supporting ES delivery to fluvial hydrological indicators through the use of ecologically relevant hydrological indices and macroinvertebrate flow preferences. The proposed framework is demonstrated on the Beas River basin (Western Himalayas, India), and is flexible enough to be transferred to a basin-wide model, thereby allowing ES relationships to be accounted for in basin-wide water resources planning
Hematodinium infection seasonality in the Firth of Clyde (Scotland) nephrops norvegicus population: a re-evaluation
No full textHematodinium infections in Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus from the Clyde Sea area (CSA) population, Scotland, UK, have previously been undetected in summer. This study aimed to establish if the CSA is actually devoid of infected N. norvegicus in this season. Two PCR assays, an ELISA and 2 tests that detect only patent infection (pleopod and body colour methods) were applied in a 21 mo study. Patent infection was seasonal, appearing predominantly in spring, while subpatent infection diagnosed by ELISA and PCR was highly prevalent in all seasons. Generalised linear modelling supported this assertion, as sampling in September and February significantly increased the probability of finding infected N. norvegicus (p < 0.01); infections were predominantly subpatent and patent respectively, at these times. Therefore, Hematodinium seasonality in N. norvegicus populations is likely to have been an artefact of insensitive diagnostic tests. Light Hematodinium infections were found using PCR assays when patent infections were at their most prevalent and intense, suggesting that infection develops at different rates in different N. norvegicus individuals and that only a portion of the total number of infected N. norvegicus die within a single year. These new data were added to a long-term data series for the CSA (1990 to 2008), which showed that after an initial 5 yr epidemic period, prevalence stabilised at 20 to 25%. Comparisons with ‘susceptible-infected-recovered/removed’ (SIR) models suggest that this high prevalence is maintained through high birth rates of susceptible host N. norvegicus
The development and applications of the combined use of NMR and ultrasound
No full textThe objective of the research carried out in this report was to observe the first ever in-situ sonochemical reaction in the NMR Spectrometer in the megahertz region of ultrasound. Several reactions were investigated as potential systems for a sonochemical reaction followed by NMR spectroscopy. The primary problem to resolve when applying ultrasound to a chemical reaction is that of heating. Ultrasound causes the liquid to move and produces 'hot spots' resulting in an increase in sample temperature. The problem was confronted by producing a device that would counteract this effect and so remove the need to account for heating. However, the design of the device limited the length of time during which it would function. Longer reaction times were required to enable observations to be carried out in the NMR spectrometer. The fIrst and most obvious reactions attempted were those of the well-known ultrasonic dosimeter. Such a reaction would, theoretically, enable the author to simultaneously observe a reaction and determine the exact power entering the system for direct comparison of results. Unfortunately, in order to monitor the reactions in the NMR spectrometer the reactant concentrations had to be signifIcantly increased, which resulted in a notable increase in reaction time, making the experiment too lengthy to follow in the time allocated. The Diels-Alder Reaction is probably one of the most highly investigated reaction systems in the field of chemistry and it was this to which the author turned her attention. Previous authors have carried out ultrasonic investigations, with considerable success, for the reaction of anthracene with maleic anhydride. It was this reaction in particular that was next attempted. The first ever sonochemically enhanced reaction using a frequency of ultrasound in the megahertz (MHz) region was successfully carried out as bench experiments. Due to the complexity of the component reactants the product would precipitate from the solution and because the reaction could only be monitored by its formation, it was not possible to observe the reaction in the NMR spectrometer. The solvolysis of 2-chloro-2-methylpropane was examined in various solvent systems; the most suitable of which was determined to be aqueous 2-methylpropan-2-ol. The experiment was successfully enhanced by the application of ultrasound and monitored in-situ in the NMR spectrometer. The increase in product formation of an ultrasonic reaction over that of a traditional thermal reaction occurred. A range of 1.4 to 2.9 fold improvement was noted, dependent upon the reaction conditions investigated. An investigation into the effect of sonication upon a large biological molecule, in this case aqueous lysozyme, was carried out. An easily observed effect upon the sample was noted but no explanation for the observed effects could be established
The Calm before the storm! CAL in University Mathematics
No full textA Computer Aided Learning project in Mathematics (the CALM Project) is based at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It is one of the projects currently in receipt of funding from the Computer Board of the United Kingdom as part of the Computers in Teaching Initiative in British Universities.The CALM Project seeks to produce computer enhanced teaching packages which will back-up the conventional teaching of Calculus to large groups of first year engineering undergraduates at a typical Scottish University. The project has been underway for just over one year and some of the software prepared by the CALM team has been tested by one section of the class. During this testing period we have embarked on a formative evaluation of the software and of its impact on student learning practices.In this article the writers present an outline of the evaluation procedure. In addition, details are given of the software tools used to produce the CALM programs
Towards Intangible Freshwater Cultural Ecosystem Services:Informing Sustainable Water Resources Management
No full textRivers provide a range of Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) such as aesthetic values, sense of place and inspiration, which remain insufficiently studied due to challenges associated with the assessment of their subjective and intangible attributes. However, the understanding of CES remains important as they are strongly linked to human wellbeing. This study utilizes a questionnaire-based survey to capture views from two villages along the mainstream of the Beas River in India, to identify the CES it provides, to assess how local communities appreciate their importance and how they relate to river flows. In total, 62 respondents were interviewed. Findings show that the Beas River provides several CES but among these, spiritual/religious ceremonies and rituals, aesthetic values and inspiration benefits were indicated as absolutely essential to the local communities. Results also demonstrate that people’s perception of the quality of CES is sometimes linked to river flows. It can be concluded that the Beas River is crucial in the functioning and livelihoods of local communities as it lies within the core of their cultural, religious and spiritual practices. This study reinforces the need to consider the full suite of ecosystem service categories in sustainable water resources development, planning and decision making
The Garden City Utopia A Critical Biography of Ebenezer Howard
No full textEbenezer Howard is recognised as a pioneer of town planning throughout the industrialised world; Britain's new towns, deriving from the garden cities he founded, are his monument. But Howard was more than a town planner. He was first and foremost a social reformer, and his garden city was intended to be merely the first step towards a new social and industrial order based on common ownership of land. This is the first comprehensive study of Howard's theories, which the author traces back to their origins in English puritan dissent and forward to Howard's attempt to build his new society in microcosm at Letchworth and Welwy
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