A comprehensive WebCT integration system

Murdoch University, in collaboration with industry partners, has developed a sophisticated middleware application (WebCTMan) between WebCT and other corporate systems, such as the Callista student records system, the Concept 1 human resources system and Murdoch’s own authentication system. This presentation will describe the architecture and functionality of this system. The impetus for WebCTMan was to enable Murdoch to change its student records database with minimal impact on our WebCT installation. However, WebCTMan now gives us great flexibility in managing our WebCT installation, enabling us to manage courses across teaching periods, and upgrade easily. This paper describes the context in which this system was built and gives an overview of its architecture. Courses in WebCTMan can have a status of active (where student details are updated nightly), inactive (where all students are orphans), and static (where student accounts are valid but not updated). Tools are available to change this status, and easily activate and deactivate courses. Different versions of courses are maintained for each teaching period, resolving the problem of overlap between semesters, when some students still have deferred examinations after the start of a new semester. In addition to managing students, WebCTMan provides functionality to manage staff and courses. Staff can request courses to be created or cloned from other courses. They can also create their own guest accounts and allocate tutors and markers to courses, and download class lists. Operators can create or rename courses on demand, as well as changing the roles of staff, including primary and secondary designers. A subset of functions is available to helpdesk operators, who can lookup details of both students and staff within the system

Recent Archaeological Research in Western Australia

A description of the general archaeological investigations in Western Australia. The article covers sections on general investigations and regional investigations

Atmospheric X-ray emission experiment for shuttle

An experiment designed to measure the spatial, temporal, and energy distribution of X-ray aurorae produced by precipitating electrons, is presented. The experiment will provide vital data on solar-terrestrial relationships that may lead to defining the transfer mechanism that causes certain terrestrial weather events and climatological behavior. An instrument concept is discussed, and is based on a spatially sensitive multiwire proportional counter, combined with collimators to produce X-ray images of the aurorae. An instrument pointing system, on which the counter can be mounted, will provide the required altitude control, and can be operated by a Spacelab payload specialist for full control over its observing and data taking modes

Measurement of phosphorus segregation in silicon at the atomic-scale using STM

In order to fabricate precise atomic-scale devices in silicon using a combination of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and molecular beam epitaxy it is necessary to minimize the segregation/diffusion of dopant atoms during silicon encapsulation. We characterize the surface segregation/diffusion of phosphorus atoms from a $\delta$-doped layer in silicon after encapsulation at 250$^{\circ}$C and room temperature using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and STM. We show that the surface phosphorus density can be reduced to a few percent of the initial $\delta$-doped density if the phosphorus atoms are encapsulated with 5 or 10 monolayers of epitaxial silicon at room temperature. We highlight the limitations of SIMS and AES to determine phosphorus segregation at the atomic-scale and the advantage of using STM directly

Fabrication and characterizations of proton-exchanged LiNbO3 waveguides fabricated by inductively coupled plasma technique

This Letter reports the use of an inductively coupled plasma technique for fabrication of proton-exchanged (PE) LiNbO3 (LN) waveguides. Planar and stripe waveguides have been formed in Y-cut LN which are difficult to obtain with the conventional molten acid method due to the occurrence of surface damage. Secondary ion mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and infrared absorption spectrum characterization results revealed that a uniform vertical PE profile with a single low order crystal phase has been directly obtained as a result of this unique process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of the treated surface revealed the existence of NbO as the cause for a sometimes darkened surface and confirms the ability to completely restore the surface to LN by oxygen plasma treatment. Atomic force microscopy measurement confirms that good surface quality has been maintained after regeneration of the surface to LN

Contemporary medical television and crisis in the NHS

This article maps the terrain of contemporary UK medical television, paying particular attention to Call the Midwife as its centrepiece, and situating it in contextual relation to the current crisis in the NHS. It provides a historical overview of UK and US medical television, illustrating how medical television today has been shaped by noteworthy antecedents. It argues that crisis rhetoric surrounding healthcare leading up to the passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 has been accompanied by a renaissance in medical television. And that issues, strands and clusters have emerged in forms, registers and modes with noticeable regularity, especially around the value of affective labour, the cultural politics of nostalgia and the neoliberalisation of healthcare

The incidence and make up of ability grouped sets in the UK primary school

The adoption of setting in the primary school (pupils ability grouped across classes for particular subjects) emerged during the 1990s as a means to raise standards. Recent research based on 8875 children in the Millennium Cohort Study showed that 25.8% of children in Year 2 were set for literacy and mathematics and a further 11.2% of children were set for mathematics or literacy alone. Logistic regression analysis showed that the best predictors of being in the top set for literacy or mathematics were whether the child was born in the Autumn or Winter and cognitive ability scores. Boys were significantly more likely than girls to be in the bottom literacy set. Family circumstances held less importance for setting placement compared with the child’s own characteristics, although they were more important in relation to bottom set placement. Children in bottom sets were significantly more likely to be part of a long-term single parent household, have experienced poverty, and not to have a mother with qualifications at NVQ3 or higher levels. The findings are discussed in relation to earlier research and the implications for schools are set out

Secondary school pupils' preferences for different types of structured grouping practices

The aim of this paper is to explore pupils’ preferences for particular types of grouping practices an area neglected in earlier research focusing on the personal and social outcomes of ability grouping. The sample comprised over 5,000 year 9 pupils (aged 13-14 years) in 45 mixed secondary comprehensive schools in England. The schools represented three levels of ability grouping in the lower school (years 7 to 9). Pupils responded to a questionnaire which explored the types of grouping that they preferred and the reasons for their choices. The majority of pupils preferred setting, although this was mediated by their set placement, type of school, socio-economic status and gender. The key reason given for this preference was that it enabled work to be matched to learning needs. The paper considers whether there are other ways of achieving this avoiding the negative social and personal outcomes of setting for some pupils