129 research outputs found

    The Challenges of Setting Up a Teaching and Learning Institute to Inspire Tomorrow’s Professionals.

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    Presenters: Lisa Ward, Teaching and Learning Institute - Administration Manager, [email protected], tel: 01484 47 1578 and Jane Gaffikin, Teaching and Learning Institute – Staff Development Advisor, [email protected] Tel: 01484 47 3146. University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH Key words: Teaching, Learning, Employability, Students, Inspire Abstract: Background The University of Huddersfield is one of the Top Ten providers of Sandwich Education (one year work placement as part of a four year degree) in the UK. Our strategy aims ‘to produce employable and enterprising graduates’. We are committed to work placements to such an extent that they are ‘fee free’. We have a huge range of vocational courses and our scholarly courses also contain strong work integrated learning components. Our strapline is ‘inspiring tomorrow’s professionals.’ The University’s Teaching and Learning Institute was formed in 2010 to develop inspiring and innovative teaching. The Institute’s prime focus is to enhance and nurture cross disciplinary teaching and learning activities and consequently raise student aspirations. Work integrated learning whether via placement, enterprise or business partnerships is an important feature in preparing students for their future careers and an aspect of practice which the Institute will encourage. Raising the profile of the existing best practice both within the University and the wider community is crucial to the Institute’s success. Aims and Objectives The paper will explore: ‱ The background to the institute and why it was formed ‱ How the Institute has been set up and the challenges it faces ‱ How the Institute is supporting ‘inspiring tomorrow’s professionals’ o The University’s continuous commitment to and culture of work placements. o Completed Teaching and Learning projects that support the employability of students o Current and future Teaching and Learning projects to support the employability of students o Working in partnership with the Research and Enterprise agenda o Delivering effective staff development for academic and academic related support staff. o Recognising, celebrating and disseminating success, within the institution, nationally and internationally. Experiences covered and Issues Addressed The Institute’s key themes are: co-ordination, evaluation and dissemination. The paper will discuss the first few months of the Institute’s inception and the groundwork undertaken to ensure relationships and processes are in place to fully engage with the University community with the ultimate aim of enhancing the experience of our student population, as they become tomorrow’s professionals

    Theoretical studies of the historical development of the accounting discipline: a review and evidence

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    Many existing studies of the development of accounting thought have either been atheoretical or have adopted Kuhn's model of scientific growth. The limitations of this 35-year-old model are discussed. Four different general neo-Kuhnian models of scholarly knowledge development are reviewed and compared with reference to an analytical matrix. The models are found to be mutually consistent, with each focusing on a different aspect of development. A composite model is proposed. Based on a hand-crafted database, author co-citation analysis is used to map empirically the entire literature structure of the accounting discipline during two consecutive time periods, 1972–81 and 1982–90. The changing structure of the accounting literature is interpreted using the proposed composite model of scholarly knowledge development

    Awareness of HPV and cervical cancer prevention among Cameroonian healthcare workers

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cervical cancer, although largely preventable, remains the most common cause of cancer mortality among women in low-resource countries.</p> <p>The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer prevention among Cameroonian healthcare workers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire in 5 parts with 46 items regarding cervical cancer etiology and prevention was addressed to healthcare workers in six hospitals of Yaoundé, Cameroon. The investigators enlisted heads of nursing and midwifery to distribute questionnaires to their staff, recruited doctors individually, in hospitals and during conferences and distributed questionnaires to students in Yaoundé University Hospital and Medical School. Eight hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed, 401 collected. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16.0. Chi-square tests were used and P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean age of respondents was 38 years (range 20-71 years). Most participants were aware that cervical cancer is a major public health concern (86%), were able to identify the most important etiological factors (58%) and believed that screening may prevent cervical cancer (90%) and may be performed by Pap test (84%). However, less than half considered VIA or HPV tests screening tests (38 and 47%, respectively). Knowledge about cancer etiology and screening was lowest among nurse/midwives.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Knowledge of cervical cancer and prevention by screening showed several gaps and important misconceptions regarding screening methods.</p> <p>Creating awareness among healthcare workers on risk factors and current methods for cervical cancer screening is a necessary step towards implementing effective prevention programs.</p

    Beyond incommensurability: Jerusalem and Stockholm from an ordinary cities perspective

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    This paper’s core argument is that we should start creating theories that encompass different cities and include them in a more flexible and relational comparative framework. This must include a new urban terminology which does not continue the all-too-fashionable labelling of cities on a continuum between first world and third world, global North-West and South-East or as I emphasize below, including what have been labelled extremely contested cities in a more flexible and relational ordinary cities framework. To introduce such a comparative approach, I will examine Jerusalem and Stockholm via three contrastive and relational patterns: institutional segregation; urban violence; and non-governmental organization involvement in planning. In so doing, I point towards the necessity to open up research on extreme urban conflicts, suggesting that when assessing specific contextual patterns, those labelled as extremely contested cities (such as Jerusalem) share more similarities with other more ordinary cities (represented by Stockholm) than was previously perceived, often stemming from ethnic, racial and class conflicts revolving around issues of politics, culture and identity, among others

    Towards Urban Geopolitics of Encounter: Spatial Mixing in Contested Jerusalem

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    The extent to which 'geographies of encounter' facilitate tolerance of diversity and difference has long been a source of debate in urban studies and human geography scholarship. However, to date this contestation has focused primarily on hyper-diverse cities in the global north-west. Adapting this debate to the volatile conditions of the nationally-contested city, this paper explores intergroup encounters between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem. The paper suggests that in the context of hyper-polarisation of the nationally-contested urban space, the study of encounter should focus on macro-scale structural forces. In Jerusalem, we stress the role of ethnonationality and neoliberalism as key producers of its asymmetric and volatile yet highly resilient geography of intergroup encounters. In broader sense, as many cities worldwide experience a resurgence of ethnonationalism, illuminating the structural production of encounter may demarcate a broader function for reading contemporary urban geopolitics

    What Regulation, Who Pays? Public Attitudes to Charity Regulation in England and Wales

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    Funding for England and Wales’ Charity Commission has been cut by 48% between 2007 and 2016, impacting on its ability to deliver its core regulatory functions. Conversations around what charity regulation should look like and how it should be funded have therefore gained momentum. These debates, however, are not limited to England and Wales and in this paper we contribute to them by exploring public attitudes to these questions, presenting the findings of four focus groups. We find that while public knowledge of charity regulation is low, people are nonetheless clear that charities should be regulated. There is no clear preferred method of funding a charity regulator and a significant amount of complexity and nuance in public attitudes. People trust charities, but this can be eroded if they do not have confidence in how they operate. A visibly effective regulator supporting and supported by charities is central to maintaining trust

    Visual inspection with acetic acid as a cervical cancer test: accuracy validated using latent class analysis

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to validate the accuracy of an alternative cervical cancer test – visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) – by addressing possible imperfections in the gold standard through latent class analysis (LCA). The data were originally collected at peri-urban health clinics in Zimbabwe.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Conventional accuracy (sensitivity/specificity) estimates for VIA and two other screening tests using colposcopy/biopsy as the reference standard were compared to LCA estimates based on results from all four tests. For conventional analysis, negative colposcopy was accepted as a negative outcome when biopsy was not available as the reference standard. With LCA, local dependencies between tests were handled through adding direct effect parameters or additional latent classes to the model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two models yielded good fit to the data, a 2-class model with two adjustments and a 3-class model with one adjustment. The definition of latent disease associated with the latter was more stringent, backed by three of the four tests. Under that model, sensitivity for VIA (abnormal+) was 0.74 compared to 0.78 with conventional analyses. Specificity was 0.639 versus 0.568, respectively. By contrast, the LCA-derived sensitivity for colposcopy/biopsy was 0.63.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>VIA sensitivity and specificity with the 3-class LCA model were within the range of published data and relatively consistent with conventional analyses, thus validating the original assessment of test accuracy. LCA probably yielded more likely estimates of the true accuracy than did conventional analysis with in-country colposcopy/biopsy as the reference standard. Colpscopy with biopsy can be problematic as a study reference standard and LCA offers the possibility of obtaining estimates adjusted for referent imperfections.</p
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