Enthusing and inspiring with reusable kinaesthetic activities

We describe the experiences of three University projects that use a style of physical, non-computer based activity to enthuse and teach school students computer science concepts. We show that this kind of activity is effective as an outreach and teaching resource even when reused across different age/ability ranges, in lecture and workshop formats and for delivery by different people. We introduce the concept of a Reusable Outreach Object (ROO) that extends Reusable Learning Objects. and argue for a community effort in developing a repository of such objects

South West Uplands Initiative Evaluation, Final Report

In November 2010, the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) was commissioned by the Cornwall Development Company (CDC), South West Upland Initiative Partners and SWRDA to carry out a longitudinal evaluation study into the impact of the SWUI. The aim of this final report is to draw together, in one document, the key findings of the evaluation study presented in previous reports and to update the outputs achieved by June 2013

Vulnerability: Participatory Design, Older People and Researchers

Abstract Participatory design research is often used in work involving older people who are using digital technology. This type of research typically opens up both the researcher and the participant to vulnerabilities in the process. We discuss these issues of vulnerability as it relates to our current study using a local running group as platform for supporting older people in gaining confidence in integrating digital technologies in their everyday life. We discuss the over arching issue of older people, digital technology usage and participatory design. This provides the background for addressing points of awareness regarding empowerment, expectations, boundaries and loss for both the participants and the researcher

Teaching HCI through magic

We discuss our use of magic to enthuse students about HCI and teach core concepts. We describe the format we trialed with student groups with a wide range of background from whole year groups to groups of gifted students. We conducted post-event surveys with students for two events and obtained teacher feedback from five others. We discuss the results of that data, showing that magic can be effective method for teaching HCI. The same tricks have since been used as part of an Interactive Systems Design MSc course

A study in engaging female students in computer science using role models

An effective approach to engaging young women to take computing in higher education is to provide examples of successful female computer scientists. Can a print publication that combines core computing concepts with inspiring stories of women in the field be effective? In this paper, we describe a campaign that distributed a 60 - page booklet on women in computing to UK secondary schools. We analyse the initial response from teachers, and draw some general conclusions from the project. Teachers expressed strong enthusiasm for the booklet, and also report the desire for recruitment and retention of girls in their computing programmes. They had confidence in the potential for this booklet to inspire young women to take computing

Teachers' perceptions of the value of research-based school lectures

A major challenge facing secondary schools is to encourage students to take computing courses. One approach is to invite external speakers from universities or industry to give lectures. The cs4fn project, a large UK-based initiative to enthuse students about computer science, includes this approach. Speakers from Queen Mary, University of London, visit schools to talk to students about computer science research. Our interactive talks tell engaging research-based stories on topics such as artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction as well as using magic tricks to illustrate computing principles. We asked teachers to complete post-talk surveys online; in particular we were interested in whether they believed students’ perceptions of the subject had changed. They reported that their students’ views of computer science were improved, and that they felt students were more likely to take classes in computing in the future as a result of the talk

Past as global trade governance prelude: reconfiguring debate about reform of the multilateral trading system

This paper peers backwards into the history of the multilateral trading system and its development over the past half century as a means of considering what may lie beyond the horizon for the future of global trade governance. Its purpose is to underscore the necessity and urgency for root-and-branch reform of the multilateral trading system. It achieves this by comparing and contrasting the global trading system of 50 years ago with its modern-day equivalent and its likely future counterpart half-a-century hence. In so doing, the paper throws into sharp relief not only the inadequacies of global trade governance today but also the damaging consequences of not fundamentally reforming the system in the near future, with a particular emphasis on the past, present and future development of the world’s poorest and most marginalised countries

Serotonin controlling feeding and satiety

Serotonin has been implicated in the control of satiety for almost four decades. Historically, the insight that the appetite suppressant effect of fenfluramine is linked to serotonin has stimulated interest in and research into the role of this neurotransmitter in satiety. Various rodent models, including transgenic models, have been developed to identify the involved 5-HT receptor subtypes. This approach also required the availability of receptor ligands of different selectivity, and behavioural techniques had to be developed simultaneously which allow differentiating between unspecific pharmacological effects of these ligands and ‘true’ satiation and satiety. Currently, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2C and 5-HT6 receptors have been identified to mediate serotonergic satiety in different ways. The recently approved anti-obesity drug lorcaserin is a 5-HT2C receptor agonist. In brain, both hypothalamic (arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus) and extrahypothalamic sites (parabrachial nucleus, nucleus of the solitary tract) have been identified to mediate the serotonergic control of satiety. Serotonin interacts within the hypothalamus with endogenous orexigenic (Neuropeptide Y/Agouti related protein) and anorectic (α-melanocyte stimulating hormone) peptides. In the nucleus of the solitary tract serotonin integrates peripheral satiety signals. Here, the 5-HT3, but possibly also the 5-HT2C receptor play a role. It has been found that 5-HT acts in concert with such peripheral signals as cholecystokinin and leptin. Despite the recent advances of our knowledge, many of the complex interactions between 5-HT and other satiety factors are not fully understood yet. Further progress in research will also advance the development of new serotonergic anti-obesity drugs

Brownian motors: noisy transport far from equilibrium

Transport phenomena in spatially periodic systems far from thermal equilibrium are considered. The main emphasize is put on directed transport in so-called Brownian motors (ratchets), i.e. a dissipative dynamics in the presence of thermal noise and some prototypical perturbation that drives the system out of equilibrium without introducing a priori an obvious bias into one or the other direction of motion. Symmetry conditions for the appearance (or not) of directed current, its inversion upon variation of certain parameters, and quantitative theoretical predictions for specific models are reviewed as well as a wide variety of experimental realizations and biological applications, especially the modeling of molecular motors. Extensions include quantum mechanical and collective effects, Hamiltonian ratchets, the influence of spatial disorder, and diffusive transport.Comment: Revised version (Aug. 2001), accepted for publication in Physics Report