Content analysis of international research in geographical and environmental education : eighteen years of academic publishing

This paper examines the history of the IRGEE Journal in terms of its sustainable future. The development of geographical and environmental education is evaluated, as reflected from the articles published in the Journal “International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education” (IRGEE). A content analysis of all papers and forum sections which have appeared in the journal since Volume 1 Number 1 was published in 1992 has been conducted, examining the content of as many as 526 articles. The method was a content analysis, and revealed themes which have experienced an increasing or declining interest over the 18 years of publication of IRGEE (1992-2009), while other themes have remained current during this period. The main findings of this analysis are: a) the total number of articles has increased more than threefold, b) articles related to geographical education (sensu stricto) outweighed those related to environmental education, c) the themes “syllabi, textbooks, curricula” and “values, attitudes” attract the attention of researchers with increasing strength and d) emerging subjects, such as GIS and sustainability have appeared dynamically in the last years.

Open design of high pressure ratio radial-inflow turbine for academic validation

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are widely used in mechanical engineering. Although achieving a high level of confidence in numerical modelling is of crucial importance in the field of turbomachinery, verification and validation of CFD simulations are very tricky especially for complex flows encountered in radial turbines. Comprehensive studies of radial machines are available in the literature. Unfortunately, none of them include enough detailed geometric data to be properly reproduced and so cannot be considered for academic research and validation purposes. As a consequence, design improvements of such configurations are difficult. Moreover, it seems that well-developed analyses of radial turbines are used in commercial software but are not available in the open literature especially at high pressure ratios. It is the purpose of this paper to provide a fully open set of data to reproduce the exact geometry of the high pressure ratio single stage radial-inflow turbine used in the Sundstrand Power Systems T-100 Multipurpose Small Power Unit. First, preliminary one-dimensional meanline design and analysis are performed using the commercial software RITAL from Concepts-NREC in order to establish a complete reference test case available for turbomachinery code validation. The proposed design of the existing turbine is then carefully and successfully checked against the geometrical and experimental data partially published in the literature. Then, three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations are conducted by means of the Axcent-PushButton CFDR CFD software. The effect of the tip clearance gap is investigated in detail for a wide range of operating conditions. The results confirm that the 3D geometry is correctly reproduced. It also reveals that the turbine is shocked while designed to give a high-subsonic flow and highlight the importance of the diffuser.

Proceedings of the Interior Space in Other Places : An IDEA [Interior Design/Interior Architecture Educators Association] Symposium [Edited Volume of Proceedings]

Conference curatorial outline The focus of this symposium was to question whether interior design is changing relative to local conditions, and the effect globalization has on the performance of regional, particularly Southern hemisphere identities. The intention being to understand how theory and practice is transposed to ‘distant lands’, and how ideas shift from one place to another. To this extent the symposium invited papers on the export, translation and adoption of theories and practices of interior design to differing climates, cultures, and landscapes. This process, sometimes referred to as a shift from ‘the centre to the margins’, seeks new perspectives on the adoption of European and US design ideas abroad, as well as their return to their place of origin. Papers were invited from a range of perspectives including the export of ideas/attitudes to interior spaces, history of interior spaces abroad, and the adoption of ideas/processes to new conditions. Paralleling this trafficking of ideas are broader observations about interior space that emerge through specificity of place. These include new and emerging directions and differences in our understanding of interiority; both real and virtual, and an ever-changing relationship to city, suburb and country. Keeping within the Symposium theme the intention was to examine other places, particularly on the margins of the discipline’s domain. Semantic slippage aside, there are a range of approaches that engage outside events and practices enabling a transdisciplinary practice that draws from other philosophical and theoretical frameworks. Moreover as the field expands and new territories are opened up, the virtual worlds of computer gaming, animations, and interactive environments, both rely on and produce new forms of expression. This raises questions about the extent such spaces adopt or translate existing theory and practice, that is the transposition from one area to another and their return to the discipline.

(UN) Ethical practices and ethical dilemmas in universities : Academic leaders' perceptions

In this paper we report on the qualitative component of a study that explored middle level academic leaders’ experiences of (un)ethical practices and ethical dilemmas in their daily work. An electronic survey was distributed to academic leaders from universities across three Australian states. There are three major findings in this study. First, the messy context of universities is providing a fertile ground for ethical dilemmas to flourish. Second, the two main categories of unethical practices identified by participants were academic dishonesty and inappropriate behaviour towards staff and students. Third, the ethical dilemmas that emerged focused on the academic leaders’ strong sense of professional ethics that were in conflict with an ethic of care, supervisors’ directives, and the rules and policies of the organisation.

Slotted distributed space-time coding

Distributed space-time coding (DSTC) exploits the concept of cooperative diversity and space-time coding to offer a powerful bandwidth efficient solution with improved diversity. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of DSTC with slotted amplify-and-forward protocol (SAF). Relay nodes between the source and the destination nodes are grouped into two relay clusters based on their respective locations and these relay clusters cooperate to transmit the space-time coded signal to the destination node in different time frames. We further extend the proposed Slotted-DSTC to Slotted DSTC with redundant code (Slotted-DSTC-R) protocol where the relay nodes in both relay clusters forward the same space-time coded signal to the destination node to achieve a higher diversity order.

Space management in Malaysian government property: A case study

Cost implications related to the physical resources such as land and building in organisation is significant. Management entity of government or private sectors has often ignored the importance and the contribution gained from the physical resources towards their organisation. This source is a precious asset that can generate income if properly managed. This paper aims to explore the current trends in space management internationally, both from the government and private sector perspectives. A case study is conducted to study the level of effectiveness of space management in one of the government institutions in Malaysia. The findings from the case study will be compared with the current international trend of space management. The study will enrich the current understanding of space management in government properties, as well as to compare the level of space management effectiveness of government properties in Malaysia with the international trends and proposed suggestions to improve current practices of space management of Malaysian government’s properties. Keywords:

Stability and convergence of a finite volume method for the space fractional advection-dispersion equation

We consider the space fractional advection–dispersion equation, which is obtained from the classical advection–diffusion equation by replacing the spatial derivatives with a generalised derivative of fractional order. We derive a finite volume method that utilises fractionally-shifted Grünwald formulae for the discretisation of the fractional derivative, to numerically solve the equation on a finite domain with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. We prove that the method is stable and convergent when coupled with an implicit timestepping strategy. Results of numerical experiments are presented that support the theoretical analysis.

Future learning landscapes : Linking space, pedagogy + technologies

Presentation Structure: - THEORY - CASE STUDY 1: Southbank Institute of Technology - CASE STUDY 2: QUT Science and Technology Precinct - MORE IDEAS - ACTIVITY

Classification of the Johnson Space Center stratospheric dust collection

A review of 291 catalogued particles on the bases of particle size, shape, bulk chemistry, and texture is used to establish a reliable taxonomy. Extraterrestrial materials occur in three defined categories: spheres, aggregates and fragments. Approximately 76% of aggregates are of probable extraterrestrial origin, whereas spheres contain the smallest amount of extraterrestrial material (approx 43%). -B.M.

Progress toward a cosmic dust collection facility on space station

Scientific and programmatic progress toward the development of a cosmic dust collection facility (CDCF) for the proposed space station is documented. Topics addressed include: trajectory sensor concepts; trajectory accuracy and orbital evolution; CDCF pointing direction; development of capture devices; analytical techniques; programmatic progress; flight opportunities; and facility development.

Addressing a source of trouble outside of the repair space

A body of research in conversation analysis has identified a range of structurally-provided positions in which sources of trouble in talk-in-interaction can be addressed using repair. These practices are contained within what Schegloff (1992) calls the repair space. In this paper, I examine a rare instance in which a source of trouble is not resolved within the repair space and comes to be addressed outside of it. The practice by which this occurs is a post-completion account; that is, an account that is produced after the possible completion of the sequence containing a source of trouble. Unlike fourth position repair, the final repair position available within the repair space, this account is not made in preparation for a revised response to the trouble-source turn. Its more restrictive aim, rather, is to circumvent an ongoing difference between the parties involved. I argue that because the trouble is addressed in this manner, and in this particular position, the repair space can be considered as being limited to the sequence in which a source of trouble originates.

Academic wage structure by gender : the roles of peer review, performance, and market forces

We focus on understanding the role of productivity in determining wage structure differences between men and women in academia. The data arise from a pay-equity study carried out in a single Midwestern U.S. university over the 1996–7 academic year. Econometric results confirm that external market forces exert influence over both male and female salary. But peer review ratings play a significant role in male but not female earnings determination, with similar results for objective measures of research, teaching and service.

‘Hot chicks’, ‘better parties’ or academic stuff : perceptions of a regional university campus using Repertory Grid Analysis and Importance-performance Analysis

In the increasingly competitive Australian tertiary education market, a consumer orientation is essential. This is particularly so for small regional campuses competing with larger universities in the state capitals. Campus management need to carefully monitor both the perceptions of prospective students within the catchment area, and the (dis)satisfaction levels of current students. This study reports the results of an exploratory investigation into the perceptions held of a regional campus, using two techniques that have arguably been underutilised in the education marketing literature. Repertory Grid Analysis, a technique developed almost fifty years ago, was used to identify attributes deemed salient to year 12 high school students at the time they were applying for university places. Importance-performance analysis (IPA), developed three decades ago, was then used to identify attributes that were determinant for a new cohort of first year undergraduate students. The paper concludes that group applications of Repertory Grid offer education market researchers a useful means for identifying attributes used by high school students to differentiate universities, and that IPA is a useful technique for guiding promotional decision making. In this case, the two techniques provided a quick, economical and effective snapshot of market perceptions, which can be used as a foundation for the development of an ongoing market research programme.

Efficient solution of two-sided nonlinear space-fractional diffusion equations using fast Poisson preconditioners

We develop a fast Poisson preconditioner for the efficient numerical solution of a class of two-sided nonlinear space fractional diffusion equations in one and two dimensions using the method of lines. Using the shifted Gr¨unwald finite difference formulas to approximate the two-sided(i.e. the left and right Riemann-Liouville) fractional derivatives, the resulting semi-discrete nonlinear systems have dense Jacobian matrices owing to the non-local property of fractional derivatives. We employ a modern initial value problem solver utilising backward differentiation formulas and Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov methods to solve these systems. For efficient performance of the Jacobianfree Newton-Krylov method it is essential to apply an effective preconditioner to accelerate the convergence of the linear iterative solver. The key contribution of our work is to generalise the fast Poisson preconditioner, widely used for integer-order diffusion equations, so that it applies to the two-sided space fractional diffusion equation. A number of numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the preconditioner and the overall solution strategy.