June 2005: June is Great Outdoors Month

http://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/dacusdocsnews/1005/thumbnail.jpg

Challenges of Measuring Learning Outcomes for Property Students Engaged in Work Integrated Learning

Work integrated learning (WIL) or professional practice units are recognised as providing learning experiences that help students make successful transitions to professional practice. These units require students to engage in learning in the workplace; to reflect on this learning; and to integrate it with learning at university. However, an analysis of a recent cohort of property economics students at a large urban university provides evidence that there is great variation in work based learning experiences undertaken and that this impacts on students’capacity to respond to assessment tasks which involve critiquing these experiences in the form of reflective reports. This paper highlights the need to recognise the diversity of work based experiences; the impact this has on learning outcomes; and to find more effective and equitable ways of measuring these outcomes. The paper briefly discusses assessing learning outcomes in WIL and then describes the model of WIL in the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The paper elaborates on the diversity of students’ experiences and backgrounds including variations in the length of work experience, placement opportunities and conditions of employment.For example, the analysis shows that students with limited work experience often have difficulty critiquing this work experience and producing high level reflective reports. On the other hand students with extensive, discipline relevant work experience can be frustrated by assessment requirements that do not take their experience into account. Added to this the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has restricted both part time and full time placement opportunities for some students. These factors affect students’ capacity to a) secure a relevant work experience, b) reflect critically on the work experiences and c) appreciate the impact the overall experience can have on their learning outcomes and future professional opportunities. Our investigation highlights some of the challenges faced in implementing effective and equitable approaches across diverse student cohorts. We suggest that increased flexibility in assessment requirements and increased feedback from industry may help address these challenges.

Prevalence of risk factors for undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea is high in truck drivers on UK roads

Objectives To determine the prevalence of symptoms and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in truck drivers at a UK large truck stop. Methods Over a 5 day period, truck drivers completed a short questionnaire at a major UK ‘truck stop’. The questionnaire asked about OSA rist factors and symptoms, and included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Additionally, measurements of height, weight and collar size were taken. 148 truck drivers participated and within this random group the risk factors of OSA that were looked for were:men age over 40 y, obesity, parge neck circumference, smoking, high ESS and bed partner reporting snoring with witnessed apnoeas. Results Our sample were all men, with 82% aged over 40 y. 47% were obese (compared with 23% for UK men in general) and average neck circumference was 42 cm (compared with 38 cm for UK men in general – Martin et al 1997). 31% smoked (vs 21% for general population), and ESS averaged 2.1 points higher than expected for a healthy population (Johns et al 1997). Snoring was quite evident at 57% (compared wth 40% for men in general) and witnessed apnoeas were almost double (7%) compared with 3.8% given by Ohayon et al (1997) generally for men. Conclusion 8 key symptoms and risk factors of OSA have been found to be prevalent in a sample of truck drivers on UK roads, and to greater extent that for estimates in the general male population. Bed partners of truck drivers reporting witnessed apnoeas strongly suggests this group has a high potential for undiagnosed OSA. OSA sufferers are known to be at high risk of causing road traffi c accidents. This, together with the large size of trucks, then the potential for serious road crashes is great. Truck drivers, especially those who are obese, ought to be a high priority population for OSA screening.

Alzheimer's disease risk gene, GAB2, is associated with regional brain volume differences in 755 young healthy twins

The development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is under strong genetic control and there is great interest in the genetic variants that confer increased risk. The Alzheimer's disease risk gene, growth factor receptor bound protein 2-associated protein (GAB2), has been shown to provide a 1.27- 1.51 increased odds of developing LOAD for rs7101429 major allele carriers, in case-control analysis. GAB2 is expressed across the brain throughout life, and its role in LOAD pathology is well understood. Recent studies have begun to examine the effect of genetic variation in the GAB2 gene on differences in the brain. However, the effect of GAB2 on the young adult brain has yet to be considered. Here we found a significant association between the GAB2 gene and morphological brain differences in 755 young adult twins (469 females) (M = 23.1, SD = 3.1 years), using a gene-based test with principal components regression (PCReg). Detectable differences in brain morphology are therefore associated with variation in the GAB2 gene, even in young adults, long before the typical age of onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Decision fusion for reliable flood mapping using remote sensing images

Flood extent mapping is a basic tool for flood damage assessment, which can be done by digital classification techniques using satellite imageries, including the data recorded by radar and optical sensors. However, converting the data into the information we need is not a straightforward task. One of the great challenges involved in the data interpretation is to separate the permanent water bodies and flooding regions, including both the fully inundated areas and the wet areas where trees and houses are partly covered with water. This paper adopts the decision fusion technique to combine the mapping results from radar data and the NDVI data derived from optical data. An improved capacity in terms of identifying the permanent or semi-permanent water bodies from flood inundated areas has been achieved. Computer software tools Multispec and Matlab were used.

Metodologia de avaliação de rendimento de aerogeradores de pequeno porte utilizando perfis diários típicos de vento.

O crescimento do uso dos aerogeradores de pequeno porte em áreas urbanas em todo o mundo aponta para um mercado em expansão e extremamente promissor, principalmente no brasil, onde o potencial eólico é grande. tratando-se de máquinas pequenas existe interesse dos consumidores residenciais na sua utilização, seja para economia de energia ou por adesão às fontes alternativas. existe uma grande quantidade de fabricantes no mundo incluindo aerogeradores de alta, média e baixa qualidade. com isso surge a necessidade de criar métodos que avaliem estes produtos quanto ao seu rendimento energético, como ocorrem com as geladeiras, lâmpadas, fogões e outros, a fim de resguardar a qualidade deste equipamento ao consumidor. a proposta é criar um ciclo de teste (ou ciclo de ventos) baseado nos perfis de comportamentos diários de ventos urbano obtidos através de medições reais feitos pelo projeto sonda. esse perfil será usado para testar os aerogeradores de até 1 kw em laboratório, com auxílio de um túnel de vento a fim de determinar o rendimento energético do conjunto gerador, servindo como método para o aprimoramento desses aparelhos. outra possibilidade é o uso desta metodologia no programa brasileiro de etiquetagem, que classifica os produtos em função de sua eficiência energética. este trabalho também pode ser usado para acreditação de laboratórios de certificação que avaliam produtos em função de sua eficiência e/ou rendimento, visto que a acreditação é uma ferramenta estabelecida em escala internacional para gerar confiança na atuação de organizações que executam atividades de avaliação da conformidade.

Tomorrow's cities - a framework for building resilience

Urbanisation is the great driving force of the twenty-first century. Cities are associated with both productivity and creativity, and the benefits offered by closely connected and high density living and working contribute to sustainability. At the same time, cities need extensive infrastructure – like water, power, sanitation and transportation systems – to operate effectively. Cities therefore comprise multiple components, forming both static and dynamic systems that are interconnected directly and indirectly on a number of levels, all forming the backdrop for the interaction of people and processes. Bringing together large numbers of people and complex products in rich interactions can lead to vulnerability from hazards, threats and even trends, whether natural hazards, epidemics, political upheaval, demographic changes, economic instability and/or mechanical failures; The key to countering vulnerability is the identification of critical systems and clear understanding of their interactions and dependencies. Critical systems can be assessed methodically to determine the implications of their failure and their interconnectivities with other systems to identify options. The overriding need is to support resilience – defined here as the degree to which a system or systems can continue to function effectively in a changing environment. Cities need to recognise the significance of devising adaptation strategies and processes to address a multitude of uncertainties relating to climate, economy, growth and demography. In this paper we put forward a framework to support cities in understanding the hazards, threats and trends that can make them vulnerable to unexpected changes and unpredictable shocks. The framework draws on an asset model of the city, in which components that contribute to resilience include social capital, economic assets, manufactured assets, and governance. The paper reviews the field, and draws together an overarching framework intended to help cities plan a robust trajectory towards increased resilience through flexibility, resourcefulness and responsiveness. It presents some brief case studies demonstrating the applicability of the proposed framework to a wide variety of circumstances.

Qualitative evaluation of KA24 (Knowledge Access 24)

Durbin, J. & Urquhart, C. (2003). Qualitative evaluation of KA24 (Knowledge Access 24). Aberystwyth: Department of Information Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth. Sponsorship: Knowledge Access 24 (NHS)

Characterisation of Bioresorbable Composite Performance for Validation of New On-Line Process Monitoring Technology

There is an increasing interest in the biomedical field to create implantable medical devices to provide a temporary mechanical function for use inside the human body. In many of these applications bioresorbable polymer composites using PLLA with β-TCP , are increasingly being used due to their biocompatability, biodegradability and mechanical strength.1,3 These medical devices can be manufactured using conventional plastics processing methods such as injection moulding and extrusion, however there is great need to understand and control the process due to a lack of knowledge on the influence of processing on material properties. With the addition of biocompatible additives there is also a requirement to be able to predict the quality and level of dispersion within the polymer matrix. On-line UV-Vis spectroscopy has been shown to monitor the quality of fillers in polymers. This can eliminate time consuming and costly post-process evaluation of additive dispersion. The aim of this work was to identify process and performance relationships of PLLA/β-TCP composites with respect to melt-extrusion conditions. This is part of a wider study into on-line process monitoring of bioresorbable polymers as used in the medical industry.
These results show that final properties of the PLLA/ β-TCP composite are highly influenced by the particle size and loading. UV-Vis spectroscopy can be used on-line to monitor the final product and this can be utilised as a valuable tool for quality control in an application where consistent performance is of paramount importance.

HFCs e soluções alternativas viáveis

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

A prática do interacionismo sociodiscursivo da língua portuguesa escrita : projeto de reescrita textual

A dificuldade na produção da língua portuguesa escrita e a constante desmotivação dos alunos para escrever tem sido a grande preocupação dos educadores. Seguimos como fundamentação teórica da língua portuguesa escrita o interacionismo sociodiscursivo na abordagem da teoria de Bronckart e Bakhtin, o gênero discursivo segundo Bakhtin e a teoria do Habitus na concepção de Bourdieu, na intenção de reconhecer na língua escrita a manifestação concreta da competência linguística dos textos escolares e dos contextos sociais. Nessa perspectiva pretendemos analisar a prática interacionista sociodiscursiva e cognitiva da língua portuguesa escrita a partir dos textos dos alunos do ensino médio, e da reescrita dos textos de acordo com as orientações realizadas pelo professor. Conhecer o interacionismo sociodiscursivo na prática, nas produções textuais escritas dos alunos, foi o grande desafio da pesquisa. A partir da parte empírica foi possível verificar que os textos reescritos apresentaram avanço em vários aspectos, já que alguns alunos conseguiram sobressair em quesitos esperados pelo professor, mas outros alunos permaneceram presos ao primeiro texto sem modificação na estrutura ou argumentação, limitando-se às correções gramaticais. Nenhum aluno ousou recorrer a numa nova argumentação, ou ainda a uma nova estratégia em defesa dos argumentos propostos. Percebese a necessidade de novos caminhos que direcionem o professor em suas correções textuais capazes de motivarem os alunos a refletirem e que permitam que os alunos recorram à interação com o professor para melhorarem de maneira consciente as suas produções textuais.

Trabalho colaborativo : alavanca do desenvolvimento profissional docente

Longe vão os tempos em que a formação inicial dos docentes era tida como suficiente para o desempenho da profissão. Hoje, a sociedade e o poder político requisitam aos professores maior abrangência nas suas competências profissionais, no sentido de estes serem capazes de responder adequadamente às exigências que enfrentam. A tutela, por seu turno, responde com programas de apoio do tipo TEIP (Território Educativo de Intervenção Prioritária) à enorme variedade de alunos e contextos socioeconómicos. É no seio desta realidade que se coloca a questão: como implementar práticas colaborativas, potenciadoras do desenvolvimento profissional dos professores do Departamento de Matemática e Ciências Experimentais, numa escola TEIP? Fullan e Hargreaves (2001) defendem que só a existência de um trabalho conjunto, a responsabilidade partilhada, o empenhamento e o aperfeiçoamento coletivos, a maior disponibilidade para participar na difícil atividade de reflexão crítica, acerca do trabalho realizado, e uma cultura colaborativa é que poderão conduzir a progressos significativos, na melhoria dos resultados e, consequentemente, no real desenvolvimento profissional docente. Contudo, quer a abertura das salas de aula ao exterior, quer a inclusão de todos os alunos nas mesmas, representam ainda, e em geral, um desafio para muitos docentes. É neste contexto que se apresenta um projeto de formação que tem, como campo de análise, a formação de professores, centrada na escola e ancorada na colaboração e supervisão interpares. A formação referida visa: desenvolver uma cultura de positividade e propositividade; criar, promover, analisar e partilhar experiências e inovações realizadas em contexto; desenvolver experiências consequentes sob o ponto de vista do desenvolvimento profissional docente, ao nível da sala de aula; refletir, em conjunto, sobre estratégias exequíveis e indutoras da melhoria do comportamento e das aprendizagens dos discentes. Com estes propósitos, ancorar-se-á a oficina de formação na criação de tarefas a serem experimentadas em contexto, na observação de aulas e na experiência dos intervenientes, baseada na reflexão sobre as práticas e focalizada nos problemas correntes. A expectativa sobre os resultados a obter com esta formação é grande e alicerça-se no trabalho empírico levado a cabo, tendo os principais resultados apontado, claramente, no sentido da necessidade e disponibilidade, por parte dos docentes, para participarem numa oficina de formação cujos objetivos fossem os citados.

Data assimilation for state and parameter estimation: application to morphodynamic modelling

Data assimilation is predominantly used for state estimation; combining observational data with model predictions to produce an updated model state that most accurately approximates the true system state whilst keeping the model parameters fixed. This updated model state is then used to initiate the next model forecast. Even with perfect initial data, inaccurate model parameters will lead to the growth of prediction errors. To generate reliable forecasts we need good estimates of both the current system state and the model parameters. This paper presents research into data assimilation methods for morphodynamic model state and parameter estimation. First, we focus on state estimation and describe implementation of a three dimensional variational(3D-Var) data assimilation scheme in a simple 2D morphodynamic model of Morecambe Bay, UK. The assimilation of observations of bathymetry derived from SAR satellite imagery and a ship-borne survey is shown to significantly improve the predictive capability of the model over a 2 year run. Here, the model parameters are set by manual calibration; this is laborious and is found to produce different parameter values depending on the type and coverage of the validation dataset. The second part of this paper considers the problem of model parameter estimation in more detail. We explain how, by employing the technique of state augmentation, it is possible to use data assimilation to estimate uncertain model parameters concurrently with the model state. This approach removes inefficiencies associated with manual calibration and enables more effective use of observational data. We outline the development of a novel hybrid sequential 3D-Var data assimilation algorithm for joint state-parameter estimation and demonstrate its efficacy using an idealised 1D sediment transport model. The results of this study are extremely positive and suggest that there is great potential for the use of data assimilation-based state-parameter estimation in coastal morphodynamic modelling.