Tactical enacting : a grounded theory : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

This research uses classic grounded theory methodology to produce a grounded theory of tactical enacting. Forty two participants were drawn from the population of learning advisors working in a variety of tertiary education organisations in New Zealand. Data consisted of field notes and transcripts from observations, interviews and a group workshop/discussion and were analysed using all procedures that comprise classic grounded theory methodology. The thesis of this thesis is that learning advisors express a concern for role performance and continually resolve that concern through tactical enacting. In tactical enacting, learning advisors are working tactically towards a variety of ends. These ends include a performance identity and a role critical to organisational agendas. A role critical to organisational agendas is one which makes a significant contribution to student success outcomes and organisational performance. Making a strong contribution to student success and organisational performance helps learning advisors construct the desired professional identity for themselves and establish their role as valuable in the eyes of others and the organisation. Tactical enacting means advisors perform their role tactically in order to meet their own professional standards as well as the needs and expectations of students and the organisation and to help secure their place within tertiary education. However, in tactical enacting, learning advisors constitute themselves as the performing subject, subject to and subjecting themselves to the performativity discourse of the contemporary tertiary education organisation. At the same time, in tactical enacting, learning advisors constitute themselves as the ethical subject in an effort not to be governed by performativity alone and to enable them to meet organisational, student and their own expectations of how they should behave. This research contributes to knowledge in three main areas. Firstly, to knowledge and practice in relation to professional roles and organisations; specifically, the learning advisor role in the contemporary tertiary education organisation in New Zealand. Secondly, to research; specifically, to the scholarship of learning advising, and, lastly, to research method; specifically, to classic grounded theory methodology, and to an approach that applies a Foucauldian analytical framework to a discussion of an emergent grounded theory

Describing typeforms: a designer's response

The paper sets out an overview of a pragmatic research investigation initiated within a doctoral enquiry, and which continues to inform design practice and pedagogy. Located within the fields of typography and information design, and very much concerned with design history, enquiry emphasized exploration of alternative design research methodologies in the production of a design outcome loaded with pedagogical ambition. The issue being addressed within the investigation was the limited scope of existing typeface classificatory systems to adequately describe the diversity of forms represented within current type design practice and thus, recent acquisitions to an established teaching collection in London. Addressing this issue unexpectedly came to utilize the researcher’s own design practice as a methodology for managing emergent enquiry, and for organizing and generating new knowledge through the employment of visual information management methods. A primary outcome of the enquiry was a new framework for the description of typeforms. This new framework will be described in terms of its operation, divergence from existing models and potential for application

The Politics of Vodou: Aids, Access to Health Care and the Use of Culture in Haiti

During the past few years, the AIDS campaign in Haiti has been targeting Vodou officiants and organizations. These awareness and training programmes in- form officiants about the transmission and prevention of AIDS, tests for HIV and anti- retroviral drugs, or even try to encourage them to become involved in a medical referral system. These culturalist interventions are grounded in an essentialist concept of culture that can have harmful effects on the targeted groups. The concept of culture underlying such interventions is deconstructed along with the categories of tradi- tional medicine and the ‘tradipractitioner’. An approach to public health is advocated that would contextualize medical pluralism in Haiti

Bilingual Proficiency Among California's Health Care Professionals

Explores the policy options for encouraging and measuring second-language competence among healthcare providers in California

Research Trends & Emerging Technologies for Genealogists

This study examines current research methods utilized by genealogists, and seeks to discover the impact of emerging tools and technologies on their information seeking needs and behaviors. When it became clear that there is a shortage of scholarly studies identifying the use of newer technologies (i.e. blogs, social media, and apps), an original survey for genealogists was created. Over four hundred genealogists were surveyed regarding their use of both traditional research methods (methods that have existed for many decades) and Internet/electronic resources, in order to demonstrate which new trends are emerging. The data from the survey might lessen the gap in current scholarly research. Technology is constantly changing, and the findings show which trends are currently being utilized the most by genealogists. The results indicate that genealogists are definitely using more technology to research their family trees. In fact, they adapt fairly quickly to new methods, relying heavily on technology and the Internet to conduct research and share information. Due to the ease of using technology, fewer and fewer genealogists rely on in-house visits to repositories to access original documents. The research concludes with a discussion on where the use of technology for genealogical research is headed, and what genealogists hope to accomplish by using new tools and technologies

Models of media analysis: a climate-change study

No abstract available

Naturalism and wonder: Peirce on the logic of Hume’s argument against miracles

How should we proceed when confronted with a phenomenon (or evidence which points towards a phenomenon) which baffles us? The term "miracle" is a convenient term on which to hang this question. It has a religious meaning, and the arguments I will be discussing are applicable to the case of deciding, for example, whether to believe in the Judaeo-Christian God, based on the reports of miracles offered by the Bible. However, one can generalise from this case to deeper issues about our attitude to the apparently inexplicable. By the apparently inexplicable I mean that which contradicts our most well-confirmed beliefs. This general question is the theme of this paper

Modelling and Optimisation of Single Junction Strain Balanced Quantum Well Solar Cells

In an attempt to find the optimum number of wells for maximum conversion efficiency a pair of otherwise identical strain balanced samples, one containing 50 wells and the other 65 wells have been characterised. The 65 well sample is found to possess a lower predicted efficiency than the 50 well sample, suggesting that the optimum well number lies between these values. Devices grown using tertiary butyl arsine (TBAs) are found to possess comparable conversion efficiencies to the control cells grown using arsine and slightly superior dark IV characteristics, indicating that TBAs may be substituted for arsine without loss of device efficiency and may even be beneficial to cell performance. Several fundamental refinements to the existing quantum efficiency model of are explored. Firstly, expressions for the strained band gaps are derived. A value for the conduction band offset is . determined using the difference in energy between the heavy and light hole exciton peaks in low temperature photo current scans and found to be 0.55??0.03. The magnitude of the el-hhl exciton binding energy is also estimated from these scans and found to be in excellent agreement with the value obtained from a simple, parameterized expression for the exciton binding energy. Finally, an absolute calculation for the absorption coefficient is incorporated into the quantum efficiency model and values for the heavy and light hole in-planes masses are obtained. The model is found to underestimate the level of absorption in the intrinsic region by an amount consistent with estimates of the magnitude of the reflection from the back surface. The conversion efficiency of a sample predicted using SOL is compared to an independently obtained value. Good agreement is observed between the two results (25.3% and 25.7% for 317 suns AM1.5D). Additionally, an optimum structure for illumination by the AM1.5D spectrum was found to be a 120A well ofIno.lGaAs.Imperial Users onl

Benefits and costs of introducing tariff choice in uncontested markets – A Report for Ofwat

1. Theoretical models indicate that allowing a regulated company to introduce optional (or self selecting) tariffs can make individual consumers (and consumers on average) better off and be profitable for the company, as long as the original (regulated) tariff remains available to all consumers. 2. The models contain some restrictive assumptions and limitations and may be difficult to apply in practice. 3. One particular assumption crucial to the benefits is that consumers choose the best tariff for themselves. More recent research on consumer behaviour in general and in utilities in particular show that this may not be the case. Much of the market literature has been concerned with the telecoms and energy markets. 4. There may be distributional concerns if some consumer groups are less likely to choose well, particularly if there are likely to be long term effects on the ‘base’ tariff. Such concerns are reflected in the current British energy regulator’s consultation on reducing tariff choice for both suppliers and consumers as a response to perceived failure of competition. This experience raises questions about the intrinsic value of choice for consumers. 5. Experience of optional metering in England and Wales provides some evidence of how residential water consumers have responded to that particular tariff choice. Other evidence on water consumer perceptions indicates that the assumptions made in theoretical models of tariff choice may not be applicable to this market. This may affect the applicability of welfare assessments made in the models. 6. We conclude by identifying some questions about the circumstances in which allowing optional tariffs (alongside a regulated base) is likely to be beneficial