It's just another war!

This article describes the increasing use of private military corporations (PMCs) and the implications for International Humanitarian Law (IHL). After considering the development of the laws of war alongside the rise of corporations the author questions the likely effect this new development may have for sovereign states and the notion that only states have the right to control military power. The author argues that this development will have consequences for sovereign democracies, IHL and Human Rights

Information technology in practice a study conducted in the business education sectors of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear

This research is concerned with the impact and influence of information technology on the curriculum of Business Studies courses in Sunderland. Fifteen educational establishments from the tertiary, secondary and private training agency sectors participated in the research. Data was collected in the form of questionnaires completed by Tutors and Learners, interviews with Tutors and observation of classroom practice. No evidence was found of any communication link between educational institutions within the same educational sector, or between the tertiary, secondary and private sectors, to rationalise software, collaborate on resource provision or develop progression levels between sectors in Information Technology in the Business Studies Curriculum. Utilisation of information technology in the business studies curriculum was found to have a positive affect on extending the attention span, increasing the interest and heightening the motivation of learners generally. These factors are all the more evident when learners are using software which has colour, movement and graphics. Generally learners in a practical IT learning situation help each other in problem solving situations. There was no evidence of learners being absorbed in interaction with computers only. Learners from the secondary sector particularly enjoy IT and the suggestion is made that they perceive IT more for leisure purposes than business applications. The role of the Tutor has not moved towards that of Facilitator or Manager as a result of the impact of Information Technology and little evidence was found of true integration of Information Technology into the Business Studies Curriculum. Certain recommendations are made

Where have all the flowers gone? The future for academics

Creating space for reflection and creativity is problematic in the new corporatised university. This chapter explores the concepts of the ‘technopreneurial’ or ‘militarized knowledge factory’ of the privatising public university and what that means for the future of universities. Adopting aspects of resistance theory and notions from creativity theory this chapter aims to generate vision for ways to break the mould of a constraining neoliberalised space. Ideas for community, including using Community of Practice concepts, and other creative responses are proposed as possibilities to disrupt the drive to produce slaves of production. The creation of reflection time, pleasure and personal wellbeing for academics and why this might be essential are addressed

Enforcement of international law obligations concerning private military security corporations

This article considers the possibility of holding states responsible for wrongful acts committed by private military security corporations. The use of juridical entities in conflict zones present difficulties for accountability where they commit offences and breach international obligations. The Blackwater killings of Iraqi civilians in 2007 and the prospects of holding the corporate entity or the State accountable are utilised as a focal point for discussion. This article concludes that greater thought is required if victims are to be assured of genuine redress for wrongs

Focus on quality in healthcare in Ireland.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to summarise the recent debates and issues on the healthcare system in Ireland, which have come to the fore through media exposure. The implications for these debates on quality are suggested and questions are raised to stimulate further debate. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Recent reports and media opinion articles are reviewed in the light of the health reform programme and the increased prosperity due to the Celtic Tiger era in Ireland. FINDINGS: The Health Service in Ireland is not what it should be. Progress has been made but resistance at all levels is significant due to the mistrust and miscommunication between the managerial and clinical personnel which have built up during the past number of years. The trust of the public is at an all-time low. However, once patients are within the system they are satisfied with their care. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This is a discussion paper which raises more questions than answers and is timely with the focus on quality in healthcare, particularly now as Ireland prepares for a general election for a new government with healthcare a priority issue

Peer Assessment in Medical Science: An exploration of one programme’s approach to peer assessment including staff and student perceptions

Assessment in Higher Education (HE) is widely accepted as fundamental to the learning process. The assessment strategy employed in a programme plays a major role in how, what and when students engage and as such influences the depth of learning that occurs. A well-structured holistic approach to assessment within a programme can be of a major benefit to both students and academics. The use of Peer Assessment (PA) and other more formative tools assists in the development of self-directed independent learners. A critical evaluation of the effectiveness of programme assessment strategies and methodologies involves the analysis of the current practice and the perceptions of all involved. As a starting point in the development of a framework for the cohesive inclusion of PA in the B.Sc(Hons) Medical Science degree programme in GMIT this paper presents an exploratory review of the current assessment methodology in use. Methodologically, following a documentary analysis approach, the programme’s module descriptors were reviewed for content related to assessment methods in use. Staff and students of the programme were both surveyed to gain an insight into current practice and to document students’ perceptions of their experience of assessment and of peer assessment in particular. The main findings demonstrated a marked lack of transparency and detail in relation to assessment strategy in the module documentation. Staff are using diverse assessment methods in this programme, including PA, albeit at individual module level. Students’ perceptions and experiences of assessment and PA is overall positive. The programme and the students would benefit from a more structured programmatic approach to the inclusion of PA

Benchmarking first year assessment and standards across three institutions in the first year of a law program

For academics working in regional universities the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues on developing assessment tasks, setting criteria and marking guidelines can be limited. This in turn leads to questions about how we ensure that the learning outcomes and standards we are expecting and imposing on our students are appropriate. In particular how do we ensure that our students who come from such diverse backgrounds are performing at the same level as other law students and that the quality of their learning is equal to that of other institutions? With renewed emphasis on transparent standards and quality assurance, through both TEQSA and the development of Threshold Learning Outcomes in Law, a team of academics from three regional universities decided to try to find the answers to these questions. Determining that carefully designed assessment provides an effective measure of the standard of learning outcomes, the team embarked on a project to compare, cross-mark, benchmark and moderate assessment across the first year of law at the three universities

Ferrocenyl Chalcone Derivatives as Possible Antimicrobial Agents

The swift spread of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has quickly become a worldwide concern as infections spread from healthcare settings to the wider community. While ferrocenyl chalcones, which are chalcone derivatives with antimicrobial activity, have gained attention from researchers, further study is needed to assess their cytotoxicity. Ten newly developed chalcones, in which ring A was replaced with a ferrocenyl moiety and ring B contained increasing alkyl chain lengths from 1 to 10 carbons, were assessed. Using twofold broth microdilution, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of five of the ten compounds were lower against Gram-positive organisms (MICs from 0.008 mg ml−1 to 0.063 mg ml−1) than Gram-negative organisms (MICs = 0.125 mg ml−1). These novel ferrocenyl chalcone compounds were effective against three types of clinically isolated drug-resistant S. aureus, including an MRSA, and against other non-resistant clinically isolated and laboratory-adapted Gram-positive bacteria. The same compounds inhibited growth in non-resistant bacteria by potentially obstructing cellular respiration in Gram-positive bacteria. Images obtained through scanning electron microscopy revealed fully lysed bacterial cells once exposed to a selected compound that showed activity. The results indicate that these newly developed compounds could be important antimicrobial agents in the treatment of infections from clinically resistant bacteria

Diving into our digital future: defining IAMSLIC's digital architecture

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