Developments in assessment and teaching methodologies in modern languages in England and France in response to educational reform (1975-1985)

This comparative study considers the main causative factors for change in recent years in the teaching of modern languages in England and France and seeks to contribute, in a general sense, to the understanding of change in comparable institutions. In England by 1975 the teaching of modern languages in the comprehensive schools was seen to be inappropriate to the needs of children of the whole ability-range. A combination of the external factor of the Council of Europe initiative in devising a needs-based learning approach for adult learners, and the internal factor of teacher-based initiatives in developing a graded-objectives learning approach for the less-able, has reversed this situation to some extent. The study examines and evaluates this reversal, and, in addition, assesses teachers' attitudes towards, and understanding of, the changes involved. In France the imposition of `la reforme Haby' in 1977 and the creation of `le college unique' were the main external factors for change. The subsequent failure of the reform and the socialist government's support of decentralisation policies returning the initiative for renewal to schools are examined and evaluated, as are the internal factors for changes in language-teaching - `groupes de niveau' and the creation of `equipes pedagogiques'. In both countries changes in the function of examinations at 15/16 plus are examined. The final chapter compared the changes in both education systems.

Risk assessment applied to comsumer products with reference to CE marking machines for use at work

New Approach’ Directives now govern the health and safety of most products whether destined for workplace or domestic use. These Directives have been enacted into UK law by various specific legislation principally relating to work equipment, machinery and consumer products. This research investigates whether the risk assessment approach used to ensure the safety of machinery may be applied to consumer products. Crucially, consumer products are subject to the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1987, where there is no direct reference to “assessing risk”. This contrasts with the law governing the safety of products used in the workplace, where risk assessment underpins the approach. New Approach Directives are supported by European harmonised standards, and in the case of machinery, further supported by the risk assessment standard, EN 1050. The system regulating consumer product safety is discussed, its key elements identified and a graphical model produced. This model incorporates such matters as conformity assessment, the system of regulation, near miss and accident reporting. A key finding of the research is that New Approach Directives have a common feature of specifying essential performance requirements that provide a hazard prompt-list that can form the basis for a risk assessment (the hazard identification stage). Drawing upon 272 prosecution cases, and with thirty examples examined in detail, this research provides evidence that despite the high degree of regulation, unsafe consumer products still find their way onto the market. The research presents a number of risk assessment tools to help Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) prioritise their work at the initial inspection stage when dealing with subsequent enforcement action.

The problem of appraising qualitative research

Qualitative research can make a valuable contribution to the study of quality and safety in health care. Sound ways of appraising qualitative research are needed, but currently there are many different proposals with few signs of an emerging consensus. One problem has been the tendency to treat qualitative research as a unified field. We distinguish universal features of quality from those specific to methodology and offer a set of minimally prescriptive prompts to assist with the assessment of generic features of qualitative research. In using these, account will need to be taken of the particular method of data collection and methodological approach being used. There may be a need for appraisal criteria suited to the different methods of qualitative data collection and to different methodological approaches. These more specific criteria would help to distinguish fatal flaws from more minor errors in the design, conduct, and reporting of qualitative research. There will be difficulties in doing this because some aspects of qualitative research, particularly those relating to quality of insight and interpretation, will remain difficult to appraise and will rely largely on subjective judgement.

The derivation and application of risk tolerability criteria

This research involves a study of the questions, "what is considered safe", how are safety levels defined or decided, and according to whom. Tolerable or acceptable risk questions raise various issues: about values and assumptions inherent in such levels; about decision-making frameworks at the highest level of policy making as well as on the individual level; and about the suitability and competency of decision-makers to decide and to communicate their decisions. The wide-ranging topics covering philosophical and practical concerns examined in the literature review reveal the multi-disciplined scope of this research. To support this theoretical study empirical research was undertaken at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency (ESA). ESTEC is a large, multi-nationality, high technology organisation which presented an ideal case study for exploring how decisions are made with respect to safety from a personal as well as organisational aspect. A qualitative methodology was employed to gather, analyse and report the findings of this research. Significant findings reveal how experts perceive risks and the prevalence of informal decision-making processes partly due to the inadequacy of formal methods for deciding risk tolerability. In the field of occupational health and safety, this research has highlighted the importance and need for criteria to decide whether a risk is great enough to warrant attention in setting standards and priorities for risk control and resources. From a wider perspective and with the recognition that risk is an inherent part of life, the establishment of tolerability risk levels can be viewed as cornerstones indicating our progress, expectations and values, of life and work, in an increasingly litigious, knowledgeable and global society.

Functional near vision assessment in presbyopia

The aim of this thesis was to develop standards of best practice for the subjective assessment of near visual function in presbyopia. Near visual acuity (VA) is a quick and simple measure but an assessment of the maximum reading speed and the smallest print size that can maintain this are equally important, to gain a better reflection of real world visual function. These metrics are dependent on the amplitude of accommodation (AoA) and often this must be evaluated using subjective techniques. Defocus curves are less susceptible than the push-up/push-down test to the influence of blur tolerance but their implementation must be standardised such that letter sequences and the order of lens presentation are randomised, to avoid memory effects, whilst the AoA should be quantified as the range of defocus for which only the best VA is maintained. In addition to such clinical assessments, subjective questionnaire evaluations are also important, to determine whether at least an individual’s needs are met. The Near Activity Visual Questionnaire (NAVQ) developed in this thesis can be used for this. Using these standardised near vision metrics it is shown that visual performance with monovision and multifocal contact lenses is comparable whilst initial outcomes of single optic ‘accommodating’ intraocular lens implantation are unlikely to be sustained in the long-term.

Design of a novel solar thermal collector using a multi-criteria decision-making methodology

Three novel solar thermal collector concepts derived from the Linear Fresnel Reflector (LFR) are developed and evaluated through a multi-criteria decision-making methodology, comprising the following techniques: Quality Function Deployment (QFD), the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Pugh selection matrix. Criteria are specified by technical and customer requirements gathered from Gujarat, India. The concepts are compared to a standard LFR for reference, and as a result, a novel 'Elevation Linear Fresnel Reflector' (ELFR) concept using elevating mirrors is selected. A detailed version of this concept is proposed and compared against two standard LFR configurations, one using constant and the other using variable horizontal mirror spacing. Annual performance is analysed for a typical meteorological year. Financial assessment is made through the construction of a prototype. The novel LFR has an annual optical efficiency of 49% and increases exergy by 13-23%. Operational hours above a target temperature of 300 C are increased by 9-24%. A 17% reduction in land usage is also achievable. However, the ELFR suffers from additional complexity and a 16-28% increase in capital cost. It is concluded that this novel design is particularly promising for industrial applications and locations with restricted land availability or high land costs. The decision analysis methodology adopted is considered to have a wider potential for applications in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable design. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geospatial data quality indicators

Indicators which summarise the characteristics of spatiotemporal data coverages significantly simplify quality evaluation, decision making and justification processes by providing a number of quality cues that are easy to manage and avoiding information overflow. Criteria which are commonly prioritised in evaluating spatial data quality and assessing a dataset’s fitness for use include lineage, completeness, logical consistency, positional accuracy, temporal and attribute accuracy. However, user requirements may go far beyond these broadlyaccepted spatial quality metrics, to incorporate specific and complex factors which are less easily measured. This paper discusses the results of a study of high level user requirements in geospatial data selection and data quality evaluation. It reports on the geospatial data quality indicators which were identified as user priorities, and which can potentially be standardised to enable intercomparison of datasets against user requirements. We briefly describe the implications for tools and standards to support the communication and intercomparison of data quality, and the ways in which these can contribute to the generation of a GEO label.

Enhancing student learning experience through a novel electronic coursework assessment and feedback management system

Recent National Student Surveys revealed that many U.K. university students are dissatisfied with the timeliness and usefulness of the feedback received from their tutors. Ensuring timeliness in marking often results in a reduction in the quality of feedback. In Computer Science where learning relies on practising and learning from mistakes, feedback that pin-points errors and explains means of improvement is important to achieve a good student learning experience. Though suitable use of Information and Communication Technology should alleviate this problem, existing Virtual Learning Environments and e-Assessment applications such as Blackboard/WebCT, BOSS, MarkTool and GradeMark are inadequate to support a coursework assessment process that promotes timeliness and usefulness of feedback while maintaining consistency in marking involving multiple tutors. We have developed a novel Internet application, called eCAF, for facilitating an efficient and transparent coursework assessment and feedback process. The eCAF system supports detailed marking scheme editing and enables tutors to use such schemes to pin-point errors in students' work so as to provide helpful feedback efficiently. Tutors can also highlight areas in a submitted work and associate helpful feedback that clearly links to the identified mistakes and the respective marking criteria. In light of the results obtained from a recent trial of eCAF, we discuss how the key features of eCAF may facilitate an effective and efficient coursework assessment and feedback process.

Nothing succeeds like moderation:a social self-regulation perspective on cultural dissimilarity and individual performance.

Addressing inconsistencies in relational demography research, we examine the relationship between cultural dissimilarity and individual performance through the lens of social self-regulation theory, which extends the social identity perspective in relational demography with the analysis of social self-regulation. We propose that social self-regulation in culturally diverse teams manifests itself as performance monitoring (i.e., individuals' actions to meet team performance standards and peer expectations). Contingent on the status associated with individuals' cultural background, performance monitoring is proposed to have a curvilinear relationship with individual performance and to mediate between cultural dissimilarity and performance. Multilevel moderated mediation analyses of time-lagged data from 316 members of 69 teams confirmed these hypotheses. Cultural dissimilarity had a negative relationship with performance monitoring for high cultural-status members, and a positive relationship for low cultural-status members. Performance monitoring had a curvilinear relationship with individual performance that became decreasingly positive. Cultural dissimilarity thus was increasingly negatively associated with performance for high culturalstatus members, and decreasingly positively for low cultural-status members. These findings suggest that cultural dissimilarity to the team is not unconditionally negative for the individual but, in moderation, may in fact have positive motivational effects.

The formulation of artificial reference standards for use within the ELISPOT assay

Whether to assess the functionality of equipment or as a determinate for the accuracy of assays, reference standards are essential for the purposes of standardisation and validation. The ELISPOT assay, developed over thirty years ago, has emerged as a leading immunological assay in the development of novel vaccines for the assessment of efficacy. However, with its widespread use, there is a growing demand for a greater level of standardisation across different laboratories. One of the major difficulties in achieving this goal has been the lack of definitive reference standards. This is partly due to the ex vivo nature of the assay, which relies on cells being placed directly into the wells. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to produce an artificial reference standard using liposomes, for use within the assay. Liposomes are spherical bilayer vesicles with an enclosed aqueous compartment and therefore are models for biological membranes. Initial work examined pre-design considerations in order to produce an optimal formulation that would closely mimic the action of the cells ordinarily placed on the assay. Recognition of the structural differences between liposomes and cells led to the formulation of liposomes with increased density. This was achieved by using a synthesised cholesterol analogue. By incorporating this cholesterol analogue in liposomes, increased sedimentation rates were observed within the first few hours. The optimal liposome formulation from these studies was composed of 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), cholesterol (Chol) and brominated cholesterol (Brchol) at a 16:4:12 µMol ratio, based on a significantly higher (p<0.01) sedimentation (as determined by a percentage transmission of 59 ± 5.9 % compared to the control formulation at 29 ± 12 % after four hours). By considering a range of liposome formulations ‘proof of principle’ for using liposomes as ELISPOT reference standards was shown; recombinant IFN? cytokine was successfully entrapped within vesicles of different lipid compositions, which were able to promote spot formation within the ELISPOT assay. Using optimised liposome formulations composed of phosphatidylcholine with or without cholesterol (16 µMol total lipid) further development was undertaken to produce an optimised, scalable protocol for the production of liposomes as reference standards. A linear increase in spot number by the manipulation of cytokine concentration and/or lipid concentrations was not possible, potentially due to the saturation that occurred within the base of wells. Investigations into storage of the formulations demonstrated the feasibility of freezing and lyophilisation with disaccharide cryoprotectants, but also highlighted the need for further protocol optimisation to achieve a robust reference standard upon storage. Finally, the transfer of small-scale production to a medium lab-scale batch (40 mL) demonstrated this was feasible within the laboratory using the optimised protocol.

Engaging employers as partners in work-based learning assessment:proposal for a quality enhancement framework

This paper seeks to advance research and practice related to the role of employers in all stages of the assessment process of work-based learning (WBL) within a tripartite relationship of higher education institution (HEI), student and employer. It proposes a research-informed quality enhancement framework to develop good practice in engaging employers as partners in assessment. The Enhancement Framework comprises three dimensions, each of which includes elements and questions generated by the experiences of WBL students, HEI staff and employers. The three dimensions of the Enhancement Framework are: 1. ‘premises of assessment’ encompassing issues of learning, inclusion, standards and value; 2. ‘practice’, encompassing stages of assessment made up of course design, assessment task, responsibilities, support, grading and feedback; 3. ‘communication of assessment’ with the emphasis on role clarity, language and pathways. With its prompt questions, the Enhancement Framework may be used as a capacity-building tool for promoting, sustaining, benchmarking and evaluating productive dialogue and critical reflection about assessment between WBL partners. The paper concludes by emphasising the need for professional development as well as policy and research development, so that assessment in WBL can more closely correspond to the potentially transformative nature of the learning experience.

Assessing aviation e-marketplaces:a multi-criteria approach

After a proliferation of logistics e-Marketplaces during the dot.com boom of 1998-2000, there has been a high rate of failure and survivals are developing much more slowly than expected. This is the case in the aviation industry where a large number of B2B e-Marketplaces emerged according to the focus of aviation companies’ strategies on electronic B2B in the late 1990s. However, the current use of e-Marketplaces in the industry is low and many of them have ceased trading. The traditional e-Marketplaces model has been characterised by poor quality portals and a lack of technical standards. Such an approach is unsustainable in today’s competitive scenario. Improvements in website quality attributes may strongly contribute to the simplification of website functionality by users and speed up communication with all supply chain partners. In this context, it appears critical to develop models for the evaluation of e-Marketplace web sites. This chapter, after a discussion about the development of e-Marketplaces in the transport and logistics service industry and its application in the aviation industry, proposes a multi-criteria model for assessing different types of aeronautic B2B e-Marketplaces.

Evaluating choices:the role of corpora in translation choices and target text assessment

Translation training in the university context needs to train students in the processes, in order to enhance and optimise the product as outcome of these processes. Evaluation of a target text as product has often been accused of being a subjective process, which does not easily lend itself to the type of feedback that could enable students to apply criteria more widely. For students, it often seems as though they make different inappropriate or incorrect choices every time they translate a new text, and the learning process appears unpredictable and haphazard. Within functionalist approaches to translation, with their focus on the target text in terms of functional adequacy to the intended purpose, as stipulated in the translation brief, there are guidelines for text production that can help to develop a more systematic approach not only to text production, but also to translation evaluation. In the context of a focus on user knowledge needs, target language conventions and acceptability, the use of corpora is an indispensable tool for the trainee translator. Evaluation can take place against the student's own reasoned selection process, based on hard evidence, against criteria which currently obtain in the TL and the TL culture. When trainee and evaluator work within the same guidelines, there is more scope for constructive learning and feedback.

Application of Methods of Multi-criteria Evaluation in Choosing a Method of Compression as a Means of Heightening the Information Security of System and Applied Objects

In this paper is proposed a model for researching the capability to influence, by selected methods’ groups of compression, to the co-efficient of information security of selected objects’ groups, exposed to selected attacks’ groups. With the help of methods for multi-criteria evaluation are chosen the methods’ groups with the lowest risk with respect to the information security. Recommendations for future investigations are proposed.

TQM in e-Learning: a Self-assessment Model and Questionnaire

Organizations are seeking new, integrated systems that enable rapid changes through early identification of opportunities and problems, tracking of progress against plans, flexible allocation of resources to achieve goals, and consistent operations. Total Quality Management (TQM) is an overall business strategy. It means that all activities of the company will be focused on satisfying all stakeholders of the company. TQM can be realised by using the EFQM model. The EFQM model is a tool that organizations may use as a framework for self-evaluation that enables an organization to identify its strengths and areas for improvement and the extent to which its operations and results are in line with the characteristics of an excellent organization. We focus on a training organisation or to the learning department of an organization. So we are limiting the EFQM model to the training /learning activities. We can apply EFQM perfect on the level of an activity (business line) of a company. We selected the main criteria for which the learner can play the role of assessor. So only three main criteria left: the enabling resources, the enabling processes and the (learning) results for the learner. We limited the last one to “learning results” based on the Kirkpatrick model.