Building-in quality rather than assessing quality afterwards: a technological solution to ensuring computational accuracy in learning materials

[Abstract]: Quality encompasses a very broad range of ideas in learning materials, yet the accuracy of the content is often overlooked as a measure of quality. Various aspects of accuracy are briefly considered, and the issue of computational accuracy is then considered further. When learning materials are produced containing the results of mathematical computations, accuracy is essential: but how can the results of these computations be known to be correct? A solution is to embed the instructions for performing the calculations in the materials, and let the computer calculate the result and place it in the text. In this way, quality is built into the learning materials by design, not evaluated after the event. This is all accomplished using the ideas of literate programming, applied to the learning materials context. A small example demonstrates how remarkably easy the ideas are to apply in practice using the appropriate technology. Given that the technology is available and is easy to use, it would appear imperative that the approach discussed is adopted to improve quality in learning materials containing computational results

Lubrication in hydrostatic extrusion

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Evaluation of Tweedie exponential dispersion model densities by Fourier inversion

The Tweedie family of distributions is a family of exponential dispersion models with power variance functions V (μ) = μ^p for p not between (0, 1). These distributions do not generally have density functions that can be written in closed form. However, they have simple moment generating functions, so the densities can be evaluated numerically by Fourier inversion of the characteristic functions. This paper develops numerical methods to make this inversion fast and accurate. Acceleration techniques are used to handle oscillating integrands. A range of analytic results are used to ensure convergent computations and to reduce the complexity of the parameter space. The Fourier inversion method is compared to a series evaluation method and the two methods are found to be complementary in that they perform well in different regions of the parameter space

Tertiary students with a disability or chronic illness: stigma and study

This paper explores ways to support the learning of students with a disability or chronic illness based on preliminary findings of a University of Southern Queensland study, and supporting secondary literature. It argues that for such students the capacity for greater control and management of their ‘learning journey’ is as important as access to specialised disability support services. This is because reframing support of students with a disability or chronic illness in terms of ‘choice’ and ‘self-management’ allows them to maintain their identity as ‘able, effective students’. This approach is supported by secondary literature, which affirms that for students with an invisible disability or chronic illness there is often a reluctance to be so – labelled because of the associated stigma. Instead, students often manage their illness by making particular choices about their learning, including their mode of study, and which courses to enrol in. This tendency is echoed by preliminary findings from a University of Southern Queensland (USQ) study based on the learning experiences of students with a chronic illness. These and other findings point to the centrality of the student learning experience and have implications for learning and teaching design within both enabling, and broader university curricula. The paper finishes by examining specific curriculum design responses to the issue of student disability, including the development of learning communities and the potential for more inclusive assessment modes and practices

Commercialisation of precision agriculture technologies in the macadamia industry

A prototype vision-based yield monitor has been developed for the macadamia industry. The system estimates yield for individual trees by detecting nuts and their harvested location. The technology was developed by the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Queensland for the purpose of reducing labour and costs in varietal assessment trials where yield for individual trees are required to be measured to indicate tree performance. The project was commissioned by Horticulture Australia Limited

The association of metacognitive beliefs with emotional distress after diagnosis of cancer.

Objective: Emotional distress after a diagnosis of cancer is normal and, for most people, will diminish over time. However, a significant minority of patients with cancer experience persistent or recurrent symptoms of emotional distress for which they need help. A model developed in mental health, the self-regulatory executive function model (S-REF), specifies that maladaptive metacognitive beliefs and processes, including persistent worry, are key to understanding why such emotional problems persist. This cross-sectional study explored, for the first, time whether metacognitive beliefs were associated with emotional distress in a cancer population, and whether this relationship was mediated by worry, as predicted by the S-REF model. Method: Two hundred twenty-nine participants within 3 months of diagnosis of, and before treatment for, primary breast or prostate cancer completed self-report questionnaires measuring anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, metacognitive beliefs, worry, and illness perceptions. Results: Regression analysis showed that metacognitive beliefs were associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and explained additional variance in these outcomes after controlling for age, gender, and illness perceptions. Structural equation modeling was consistent with cross-sectional hypotheses derived from the theory that metacognitive beliefs cause and maintain distress both directly and indirectly by driving worry. Conclusions: The findings provide promising first evidence that the S-REF model may be usefully applied in cancer. Further study is required to establish the predictive and clinical utility of these findings

Abuse around difference: a sociological exploration of gay men’s experiences of 'hate crime' and policy responses to it

This thesis explores gay men's experiences of 'hate crime' and its aftermath. The consequences of their victimisation and the meanings that participants in this research attached to the processes involved are described. Criminal justice policy concerning hate crime is based on the premise that it is more harmful to victims and communities than crime motivated by other factors. That, it has been argued elsewhere, is an assumption. Harmful consequences that participants associated with homophobic victimisation and the interaction of racism and homophobia in particular, are suggested by the accounts of victimisation and its consequences. While the immediate impact of hate-motivated victimisation and other offending were similar, many participants described a series of damaging consequences that flowed from their victimisation. These seemed contingent upon masculine norms that they had challenged, and the pervasive nature of homophobia that, it is argued, hampered effective responses to homophobic victimisation. Participants' experiences are considered alongside developments in criminal justice policy and practice about 'hate crime'. These are often presented as evidence that victims are now ‘at the heart of the criminal justice system’ in the UK. Yet many of the participants felt marginalised by their contact with state authorities, identifying few valued outcomes from having sought help and protection. Official accounts of improvements in police responses to 'hate crime' in London and police engagement with minority communities are compared with participants’ experiences. In parallel to criminal justice developments, support organisations have sought to improve their services to victims of hate crime. Their effectiveness is considered: the data suggests that aspects of their work that participants found unhelpful were similar to those of state authorities that were experienced as ineffective. A minority of participants valued the help they received, and implications of the study's findings for policing and support services are suggested

Australian diplomatic and technical inputs into the control of chemical weapon

This paper was originally presented at the conference 'Checking the Arms Race - Australia's Role in International Verification', held at Newport, NSW, 13-15 May, 1988, and organised by Scientists Against Nuclear Arms (SANA) and People for Nuclear Disarmament. It discusses Australia's diplomatic and technical contributions in negotiating a Chemical Weapons Convention, and in opposing the use and proliferation of chemical weapons, particularly in terms of the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Iran/Iraq war

Sunderland Software City: The Impact of a Collaborative Project to Develop the Software Industry within the North East of England

This paper uses a case study approach to evaluate the impact of a collaborative initiative within the North East of England which sets out to grow and sustain a software industry, based on the strengths of regional players. The project Sunderland Software City has the ambitious aim of developing the people, the infrastructure and the business and enterprise culture to create and sustain a software industry. This paper focuses upon the impact of the project, and presents some lessons learned to date