Promoting student retention in two FE colleges

The central question of this thesis is: How effective are strategies aimed at promoting student retention in Further Education (FE) colleagues? Non-completion is typically the result of combinations of risk factors, including demographic characteristics, financial constraints, students’ motivation, type of course, and students’ experiences of education. Therefore the ‘risk factors’ for students not completing courses vary in the degree to which they are within the control of colleges. While some researchers have made recommendations for improving student retention, a notable gap in the literature is research into the effectiveness of the existing strategies for improving student retention. Focusing on Business course in two London colleges, this research explores students’ and staff views on existing retention strategies. This is done through methods including questionnaire surveys involving a total of 419 students; interviews and a focus group with students; interviews with college managers and teachers; and classroom observations of a sample of teaching sessions. A central finding is that both students and staff highlighted strategies centred on motivation and teaching and learning as the most important for improving retention. These were also the strategies that were seen as being most effectively implemented, whereas strategies linked to student support services, the college environment and quality assurance processes were seen as being least effectively implemented. Students’ views were different however, with level 3 students and Black students most likely to rate the implementation of retention strategies favourably. These differences were more significant than differences between the two colleges studied. It is recommended that retention strategies that sort, support, connect and transform (cf. Beatty-Guenter, 1994) should be implemented in a more co-ordinated fashion that places teaching and learning at the centre and focuses on groups of students most at risk of dropping out, with more good practice sharing between colleges. An important recommendation from the findings is that differences between level 2 and level 3 students, and also between students from different ethnic backgrounds, point to the importance of targeting strategies on those groups most at risk of dropping out

Vegetable consumption pattern of households in selected areas of the old rivers state in Nigeria

The vegetable consumption pattern of households in selected areas in the old  Rivers State (now Rivers and Bayelsa States) in Nigeria was investigated. Areas studied were Port Harcourt the State capital, Igwuruta, Ahoada and Kaiama. Resultsshowed that mothers consumed 59 ± 0.45g to 130 ± 2.04g/person/day of   vegetables between the months of May and July, the peak season of vegetable production. Factors that influenced vegetable consumption were found to be chiefly season and culture. Other factors were availability/price for 43.8% of households in Kaiama, a riverine community, while taste and nutrition knowledge wielded minor influences. Leafy vegetables were consumed at least four times per week in Igwuruta and Port Harcourt, while households in Ahoada and Kaiama, where culture had strong influence, consumed them only occasionally. Vegetables consumed were mainly pumpkin leaves (Telfairia occidentialis) and okro (Abelmoschus esculentus) in areas where season played a strong role. In areas where culture had a strong  influence, bitterleaf, a leafy vegetable that undergoes rigorous process of squeezing and washing and is only scantly used in soups, was the vegetable of choice. Other vegetables less frequently consumed were Amaranthus hybridus, Pterocarpus spp.,Gnetum africanum and Piper guineense leaves. These were used chiefly in varioussoup dishes eaten as accompaniments with the starchy staples. Other dishes inwhich leafy vegetables were consumed were pottage in those areas of high  vegetable consumption, and occasionally in stew by all households investigated. Household size of 5 to 8 persons consumed their soup dishes between two and four days, while larger households of nine and above ate their soups in one day. However, households with deep freezer facilities stored their soup dishes for up to seven days. In spite of the reasonable consumption of vegetables during the peak season of production, reports of micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria are rife, indicating a need for intervention. Possible reasons for the high prevalence of  micronutrient deficiencies are seasonal variations in vegetable production,  inadequate processing and preservation of vegetables for all year distribution and culture which may limit adequate consumption of leafy vegetables even when they are in abundance. This situation underscores the need for nutrition education,  coupled with a program on dietary diversification to create awareness, increase production, processing, preservation and consumption of vegetables.Key words: Vegetable consumption, season, culture, nutrition education Le modèle de consommation de légumes tel que pratiqué par des ménages dans desrégions sélectionnées de l’ancien Etat de ‘Rivers’ (aujourd’hui Etats de Rivers et deBayelsa) au Nigeria a fait l’objet de recherche. Les régions étudiées étaient Port  Harcourt, la Capitale de l’Etat, Igwuruta, Ahoada et Kaiama. Les résultats ont montré que des mères consommaient entre 59 ± 0.45g et 130 ±  2.04g/personne/jour de légumes entre les mois de mai et de juillet, la saison  maximale de production de légumes. Il s’est avéré que les facteurs qui ont influencé la consommation de légumes étaient principalement la saison et la culture. D’autres facteurs étaient la disponibilité/le prix pour 43.8% des ménages de Kaiama, une  communauté riveraine, tandis que le goût et la connaissance en matière de nutrition ont joué une influence mineure. Les légumes verts étaient consommés au moins quatre fois par semaine à Igwuruta et à Port Harcourt, tandis que les ménages  d’Ahoada et de Kaiama, où la culture a une forte influence, ne les consommaient que de temps à autre. Les légumes consommés étaient principalement les feuilles de courge (Telfairia occidentialis) et okro (Abelmoschus esculentus) dans les régions où la saison jouait un grand rôle. Dans les régions où la culture a une forte  influence, la feuille amère, un légume vert qui subit un processus rigoureux qui consiste à le presser et le laver, et qui n’est utilisé que légèrement dans les soupes, était le légume favori. D’autres légumes moins fréquemment consommés étaient les feuilles d’Amaranthus hybridus, de Pterocarpus spp., devGnetum africanum et de Piper guineense. Ces légumes étaient utilisés surtout dans les différentes variétésde soupes mangées comme des accompagnements avec les aliments de base  riches en féculents. D’autres plats dans lesquels des légumes verts étaient  consommés étaient des potages dans ces régions de grande consommation de légumes, et de temps à autre en ragoût par tous les ménages qui ont fait l’objet de l’étude. Les ménages d’une taille de 5 à 8 personnes consommaient leurs plats de soupes entre deux et quatre jours, tandis que de plus grands ménages de neuf  personnes et plus mangeaient leurs soupes en une journée. Cependant, les  ménages qui ont des réfrigérateurs conservaient leurs plats de soupes jusqu’à sept jours. En dépit de la consommation raisonnable de légumes pendant la saison maximale de production, les rapports sur les carences en micronutriments au Nigeria vont bon train, indiquant une nécessité d’intervention. Les raisons possibles qui expliquent cette prévalence élevée des carences en micronutriments sont les variations saisonnières en production de légumes, un traitement inadéquat et une mauvaise conservation des légumes à répartir sur toute l’année, ainsi qu’une culture qui peut limiter une consommation adéquate des légumes verts même lorsqu’il y en a en abondance. Cette situation met en exergue la nécessité d’une éducation portant sur la nutrition, complétée par un programme sur la diversification  alimentaire en vue d’une prise de conscience, d’une augmentation de la production, du traitement, de la conservation et de la consommation des légumes.Mots-clés: Consommation de légumes, saison, culture, éducation portant sur la nutritio

Cassava Residues Could Provide Sustainable Bioenergy for Cassava Producing Nations

Many cassava producing nations lack suitable energy availability and sufficiency. Just 10% of the population in Haiti receive power from the national electric grid. The proportion is 7% for Mozambique. In both countries, deforestation is extensive due to dependence on wood and charcoal for 70 and 85% of energy requirement respectively. In the case of Ghana, although biomass accounts for 64% of national energy supply, the dependence on primary biomass energy sources like wood and charcoal has led to increased loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and health problems. Prospects for the use of cassava peeling residues as a source of biomethane to mitigate these constraints have received little attention. In this chapter, the advantages and benefits of biomass energy, along with the potential for cassava as a feedstock and rationale for anaerobic digestion are highlighted. Depending on the quantity of cassava root processed by individual countries, the energy recovered from cassava peeling residues could satisfy up to 100% of national energy requirements

Making of an Entrepreneurial University in the 21st Century - Global Universities as a Role Model

This paper looks at what it takes to make a university entrepreneurial in the 21st century, especially with the global trend of Entrepreneurship Education.  Universities need to be entrepreneurial so as to churn out graduates who will create, rather than seek jobs.  The high rate of unemployment globally, calls for this.  The paper focuses on the concept of and economic perspective of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Education as well as portraying universities as role model in teaching entrepreneurship in the 21st century. The paper finally suggested establishment of Entrepreneurship Centre in each university, fully equipped with resources; internet connectivity and a globally friendly delivery system and assessment for the teaching of Entrepreneurship Education in universities. Keywords: Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial University, 21st Century, Global universities, Entrepreneurship concepts, Economic perspective, Entrepreneurship Centre, Internet connectivity, Self-employment, Delivery system and assessment

Circular economy use of biomass residues to alleviate poverty, environment, and health constraints

Inadequate energy and water resources supply are major constraints contributing to poverty and poor health outcomes in developing economies. Low-income countries lack ready access to modern necessities such as electricity and potable water. On one hand, the scarcity of electricity and other clean energies compel reliance on traditional biomass for domestic fuels. On the other hand, harvesting firewood to meet energy needs leads to deforestation and environmental degradation. Furthermore, burning the wood for heat creates ecosystem perturbators such as toxicants, greenhouse gasses, and particulate matter. These pollutants portend adverse health concerns, including premature mortality. Globally, fine particulate matter air pollution alone causes about 3.3 million deaths annually. The contribution of this paper is to offer how circular economy targeted technologies could come to the rescue. In particular, utilizing biomass residues and wastes for briquette and pellet creation is highlighted. These densified fuel products could serve as green energies in domestic and industrial applications; and thus, help to attenuate poverty, and the adverse environmental and health consequences of traditional biomass