An interactive approach to learning economics: The WinEcon package

Under the TLTP initiative, the Economics Consortium is developing an interactive computer‐based learning package called WinEcon. The package is directed at first‐year economics undergraduates, particularly those taking economics as a supplementary course. Using recent technological developments, the aim is both to facilitate a further increase in student numbers without a proportionate increase in teaching staff, and to provide a better method of student learning. Some key elements of WinEcon are set out in this paper and demonstrated by screens produced at Leicester University. Methods of presenting textual information that give the user control over accessing it are described. For learning difficult concepts, a visual active learning approach is discussed. It involves user interaction and step‐by‐step analysis. The importance of flexibility and choice is emphasized, and the capacity of the computer to assist in deepening and consolidating learning is shown

Does the euro dominate Central and Eastern European money markets?

The so-called German Dominance Hypothesis (GDH) claimed that Bundesbank policies were transmitted into other European Monetary System (EMS) interest rates during the pre-euro era. We reformulate this hypothesis for the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries that are on the verge of accessing the eurozone. We test this "Euro Dominance Hypothesis (EDH)" in a novel way using a global vector autoregressive (GVAR) approach that combines country-specific error correction models in a global system. We find that euro area monetary policies are transmitted into CEE interest rates, which provides evidence for monetary integration between the eurozone and CEE countries. Our framework also allows for introducing global monetary shocks to provide empirical evidence regarding the effects of the recent financial crisis on monetary integration in Europe.German Dominance Hypothesis, Global VAR, Central and Eastern Europe, monetary integration, European integration.

Participatory Radio in Flemingdon Park

Community radio stations are radio stations that are owned, operated and directed by the communities they serve. Typically non-commercial, they broadcast content that is relevant to their local communities, and may be produced by community members. Community radio stations broadcast from houses, schools, churches, union buildings and community centres. They usually have small broadcast ranges compared with commercial stations, but are nonetheless influential in the communities they serve, allowing people to make their voices heard, and to share ideas. Participatory radio is community radio that involves input from the community at all levels. This includes involvement of the community members in the decision-making process, from initiation to management, financing, administration, program production and evaluation. The participatory approach can strengthen a community by fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the station. Worldwide, community radio has become an important medium for participatory communication, promoting grassroots engagement with issues including education, gender inequality, agriculture, and poverty. Latin America has a strong community radio tradition, which began with isolated mining communities that began operating their own stations. Bolivia's community radio stations date from 1947 when a station called "Radio Sucre" was founded in the mining districts of Catavi and Siglo. "La Voz Del Minero", another mining community station, followed in 1949. Miners founded these community radio stations to resist the influence of an oppressive military government. 1 The number of community radio stations in Latin America continued to grow though the 1950s and 1960s. In times of political upheaval, when the military captured newspapers and radio stations, community radio stations provided listeners with trustworthy sources of information. While the number of stations has declined since the 1980s, most Latin American countries still have community radio stations serving rural communities in the local language, addressing issues relevant to local culture and needs.2 In Africa, radio is the most widely used medium for providing information to rural audiences. For remote farming communities, radio is often the only connection with the rest of the world. Radio reaches communities without phones or electricity (through battery-powered sets), and people who haven't learned to read or write. "Farm Radio" is an example of a participatory radio project in Africa that was very successful. The project involved radio stations in five African countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Mali, Ghana, and Malawi. Programs educated farmers on ways to improve their agricultural practices. The participatory radio model allowed farmers to participate at every level in the process. Farmers were surveyed about agricultural practices and needs, and helped design a series of radio programs aimed at improving food security through better farming practices. 3 A community radio station can make important contributions to a community, even if it isn't highly participatory. A small station may start out by playing music from its community, strengthening cultural identity and community pride. Stations also carry news and announcements that strengthen social networks. Eventually, community produced programs may contribute to sharing information on issues of importance to the community. Community radio stations also provide access to media skills training, facilitating capacity building

Sheet-crack cements in Marinoan (635 Ma) cap dolostones as regional benchmarks of vanishing ice-sheets.

Sheet-crack cements and coextensive intrastratal folds and breccias occur in a stratigraphically controlled, meter-thick zone, near the base of Marinoan (635 Ma) cap dolostones in slope settings. We demonstrate that sheet-crack cements on the margins of the Congo and Kalahari cratons are localized at a turbidite-to-grainstone transition, which records a transient fall in relative sea-level, preceding the larger glacioeustatic transgression. Sheet-cracks opened vertically, implying that pore-fluid pressure exceeded lithostatic pressure. When the margin of an ice-sheet retreats from a coast, a net fall in sea-level occurs in the vicinity, because of the weakened gravitational attraction between the ice-sheet and the nearby ocean. Augmented by glacioisostatic adjustment (postglacial rebound), the early regional fall in relative sea-level can mask the simultaneous rise in global mean sea-level caused by the addition of meltwater. We propose that sheet-cracks and related structures in Marinoan cap dolostones manifest pore-fluid overpressures resulting from rapid sea-level falls in the vicinity of vanishing ice-sheets.Earth and Planetary Science

Getting a Second Wind: Reviving Natural Rights Clauses as a Means to Challenge Unjustified Occupational Licensing Regulations

Occupational licensing refers to a government-imposed regulation which requires an individual to obtain a license before engaging in a certain line of work. Over the last several decades, occupational licensing regulations have expanded rapidly. While some of these regulations can be justified as a form of consumer protection (as in the medical industry), many simply operate as barriers to entry (as in the interior design industry). Furthermore, these regulations impose economic costs that fall disproportionately on those who are economically disadvantaged. Fortunately, bipartisan state legislative efforts have begun to make some progress in rolling back these regulations. However, because legislative reform is often slow, the bearers of these burdensome regulations often seek redress through the court systems. In a recent case, Ladd v. Real Estate Commission,1 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that certain licensing requirements violated the right to pursue one’s chosen occupation—a right it said was protected by the state’s natural rights clause enshrined in the Pennsylvania Constitution. We believe that Ladd’s conclusion is correct in light of the historical understanding of these natural rights clauses. Importantly, Pennsylvania is one of thirty-three states to have such a clause in its state constitution. These natural rights clauses provide an easy anchor point by which to argue that unjustified occupational licensing unduly interferes with one’s right to pursue a chosen occupation and, consequently, interferes with the rights guaranteed by the state constitution. Therefore, Ladd can serve as a powerful example of how to limit the breadth of occupational licensing through state court litigation in the majority of states

Developing a computer aided design tool for inclusive design

The purpose of this study was to investigate age-related changes in the performance of a range of movement tasks for integration into a computer aided design (CAD) tool for use in inclusive design

Alien Registration- Macdonald, Alexander C. (Bangor, Penobscot County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/11799/thumbnail.jp