Single transferable vote with Borda elimination: proportional representation, moderation, quasi-chaos and stability

Modifying single transferable vote (STV) by removing candidates according to their Borda scores creates a new vote counting system (STV-B) that is not quasi-chaotic, results in proportional representation, and promotes the election of moderate candidates. Dummett, M.A.E. [1997. Principles of Electoral Reform. Oxford University, New York] noted quasi-chaos in STV and proposed the “Quota/Borda system” (QBS) as a solution. STV-B and QBS retain proportional representation from STV, permit some influence on candidate selection to occur between voting blocks thereby promoting moderate results, and are much more stable than STV when subjected to small changes in voter preferences. Under STV-B, and not QBS, a minority that shares some preferences may elect a candidate even if the minority is not a solid coalition.

Beyond satisfaction surveys: the development of an evaluation process for a postgraduate transferable skills program

Leadership, professional and other transferable skills are embedded in the expected attributes of Australian research postgraduates at the successful completion of their degrees. This paper reports on the development of an evaluation process for a postgraduate transferable skills program at The University of Melbourne, Australia. Existing and emerging evaluation practices and processes are examined in light of the literature on what constitutes 'good' evaluation of the type of program under consideration. The development of the process to go beyond the commonly used participant satisfaction surveys and to improve evaluation practices is described in detail. The results of the evaluation to date are provided and discussed in terms of their usefulness in incorporating particular improvements to the program. The implications for the evaluation of other programs of this type are considered.

Single transferable vote with Borda elimination : a new vote counting system

Dummett (1997) notes particular difficulties with single transferable vote (STV) and proposes an alternative vote counting system called "Quota/Borda system" (QBS) to remedy specific difficulties. I propose an alternative system, structurally related to QBS, which accomplishes similar solutions but has some significant differences. This alternative system is identical to STV in all aspects except one. It eliminates candidates in reverse order of their Borda scores rather than by their current ranking of first-place votes. I designate this system STV with Borda elimination (STV-B). STV-B and QBS share general features. They retain proportional representation from STV. However, they differ from STV is two critical manners. First, both permit some influence on candidate selection to occur between voting blocks. Second, they are much more stable than STV when subjected to small changes in voter preferences. Outcomes from STV-B differ from QBS outcomes in two ways. Under STV-B, a minority that shares some preferences may elect a candidate even if the minority is not a solid coalition, as is required for minorities under QBS. Further, QBS always selects Borda winners, either for a minority or overall. STV-B may reject a Borda winner through emphasis on each voter's most preferred candidates.

Developing student transferable skills through reflective porfolios

The development of transferable skills in students, ie those relevant to any future employment, is a common goal of degree programmes. Reflection is a mechanism frequently used in the training of medical and teaching professionals to develop self-awareness of personal skills levels that enable participants to become self-reflective practitioners. The intention in this research was to trial reflection for construction management and architecture students through a series of interventions to engage students in the explicit development of transferable skills and self-awareness. Students were required to keep a ‘diary’ or journal under specific skills headings: communication (involving active listening, conflict resolution, negotiation), team building, problem solving, report writing and presentation skills based on their experiences at university, work and in social situations. A range of learning resources were made available to assist students. The journals were analysed according to a recognised coding for the depth of their reflection . At the end of the semester, students were required to “apply” for a job description that required explication of the knowledge and skills that were intended to be further developed during the unit. In practice, few students appreciated the journaling and some were even hostile to the process, but all students demonstrated good appreciation of their abilities and skills in the job application – essentially a mechanism that required reflection. In conclusion, explicit reflection through journaling is not a universally popular practice, but tasks that appear to have some foundation in practicality that require reflection are more likely to be appreciated. Students depth of reflection was found to improve through practice.

Fiji’s sugar, tourism and garment industries : a survey of performance, problems and potentials

Sugar, tourism and garment industries are three of Fiji’s major industries. These industries have been undergoing some serious problems during the past decade. This paper analyses the performance of these industries, examines the problems besieging them, and looks at the potentials these industries have for the country. The paper also offers some suggestions which policy makers in Fiji could consider in order to ensure that these industries continue to benefit Fiji.

Towards a cyberspatial pedagogy : exploring synchronous online learning potentials

It has been a quarter of a century since William Gibson (1984) coined the term cyberspace in his seminal science fiction novel Neuromancer. Subsequently, a proliferation of online teaching technologies have emerged supporting Virilio’s (1991) contention that, “time and space have ceased to function as meaningful dimensions to human thought and action.” The aim of this presentation is to discuss and demonstrate the innovative modification of an online, synchronous learning environment, Elluminate Live! (eLive), which allows participants to transcend the spatial dimension. Specifically, we present an example of good practice which aimed to enhance student engagement by implementing a structured online tutorial series which replicated the entire first year psychology on-campus tutorial series in the eLive environment. We discuss Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) results which support the utility of this pedagogic strategy. Finally, we outline various challenges for the virtual teacher who wishes to implement a structured learning program in the eLive environment.
Gibson, W 1984, Neuromancer, Ace Books, New York, USA.
Virilio, P 1991, The aesthetics of disappearance, Semiotext(e), New York, USA.

Electrochemistry at negative potentials in Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ionic liquids

The bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) anion is widely studied as an ionic liquid (IL) forming anion which imparts many useful properties, notably electrochemical stability. Here we present electrochemical and spectroscopic evidence indicating that reductive decomposition of the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) anion begins at ~ −2.0 V vs. Fc+/Fc, well before the reported cathodic limit for many of these ILs. These processes are shown to be dependent upon the electrode substrate and are influenced by the water content of the IL. Supporting ab initio calculations are presented which suggest a possible mechanism for the anion decomposition. The products appear to passivate the electrode surface and the implications of this behaviour are discussed.

The potentials and pitfalls of social networking sites such as Facebook in higher education contexts

Popular social networking sites such as Facebook demonstrate an emerging opportunity for students and educators within formal higher education contexts to share ideas, celebrate creativity and participate in an environment which offers immediate feedback from others who belong within a specific network. As this is an emerging use of the technology, an autoethnographic approach has helped capture the potentials and pitfalls of incorporating social networking within higher education. The findings highlight implications for the key stakeholders in higher education.

Effect of surface roughness and electrostatic surface potentials on forces between dissimilar surfaces in aqueous solution

The first surface force measurements under electrochemical potential control between a metal and a ceramic surface across a liquid medium (water) are reported. Our experiments also investigate and reveal how increasing levels of surface roughness and dissimilarity between the potentials of the interacting surfaces influence the strength and range of electric double layer, van der Waals, hydration, and steric forces and how this contributes to deviations from DLVO theory at small distances within aqueous solution.

Potentials of social media for tacit knowledge sharing amongst physicians : preliminary findings

Tacit knowledge sharing amongst physicians, such as the sharing of clinical experiences, skills, or know-how, or know-whom, is known to have a significant impact on the quality of medical diagnosis and decisions. This paper posits that social media can provide new opportunities for tacit knowledge sharing amongst physicians, and demonstrates this by presenting findings from a review of relevant literature and a survey conducted with physicians. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten physicians from around the world who were active users of social media. Initial thematic analysis revealed eight themes as potential contributions of social web tools to facilitate tacit knowledge flow amongst physicians. The emergent themes are defined, linked to the literature, and supported by instances of interview transcripts. Findings presented here are preliminary, and final results will be reported after accomplishing all phases of data collection and analysis.

Using immersive and interactive approaches to interpreting traumatic experiences for tourists: potentials and limitations

This chapter uses three cases studies - the Melbourne Watch House Experience, the Titanic international travelling exhibition and the interpretation centre underneath the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin to discuss the ethics and politics involved in using strategies of interpretation that foster identification with victims.