The what, the how and the why of the flipped classroom

This paper provides an introduction to, an overview of, and a consideration of some of the evidence for the adoption of flipped classroom techniques in higher education. Through a discussion of recent research papers on the subject, this paper concludes that there is strong evidence to support the adoption of flipped classroom techniques. However, the adoption of such techniques is worthwhile not because they can, in and of themselves, improve teaching and learning, but because they allow for more active approaches to teaching and learning to take place

The cause of universality in growth fluctuations

Phenomena as diverse as breeding bird populations, the size of U.S. firms, money invested in mutual funds, the GDP of individual countries and the scientific output of universities all show unusual but remarkably similar growth fluctuations. The fluctuations display characteristic features, including double exponential scaling in the body of the distribution and power law scaling of the standard deviation as a function of size. To explain this we propose a remarkably simple additive replication model: At each step each individual is replaced by a new number of individuals drawn from the same replication distribution. If the replication distribution is sufficiently heavy tailed then the growth fluctuations are Levy distributed. We analyze the data from bird populations, firms, and mutual funds and show that our predictions match the data well, in several respects: Our theory results in a much better collapse of the individual distributions onto a single curve and also correctly predicts the scaling of the standard deviation with size. To illustrate how this can emerge from a collective microscopic dynamics we propose a model based on stochastic influence dynamics over a scale-free contact network and show that it produces results similar to those observed. We also extend the model to deal with correlations between individual elements. Our main conclusion is that the universality of growth fluctuations is driven by the additivity of growth processes and the action of the generalized central limit theorem.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Supporting information provided with the source files

Populations in the Kepler field

Using a population synthesis model I have created a synthetic catalogue of stars in the Kepler field of view. This model has then been subjected to the same biases and selection effects inherent in the selection of stars for the Kepler transit survey mission. This produced a synthetic Kepler Input Catalogue (KIC) which was subjected to the Kepler Stellar Classification Program (SCP) method for determining stellar parameters. I achieve a satisfactory match between the synthetic KIC and the real KIC in the logg vs log Teff diagram. I find a median difference of ΔTeff = +500 K and ~ Δlogg = -0.2 dex for main sequence stars, although there is a large variation across parameter space. I find no significant difference between ΔTeff and Δlogg for single stars and the primary star in a binary system. I also re-created the Kepler target selection method and found that the binary fraction is unchanged by the target selection. The fraction of main sequence stars in the sample increases from 75% to 80%, and the giant star fraction decreases from 25% to 20%. I have then used the synthetic KIC to build a of synthetic sample of eclipsing binaries (EBs) in the Kepler field. Comparing the synthetic catalogue to the Kepler EB catalogue I find that the Kepler EB pipeline introduces significant biases into the derived temperature ratio and fractional radii. I then tested the effect of different initial mass ratio distributions (IMRDs) and initial binary fraction distributions (IBFDs). At this time, all distributions fail to match the data, such that their parameters can not be constrained. Modelling the population of asteroseismic binaries, where both stars have a detectable asteroseismic signal, have shown a way to constrain the IMRD for equal mass systems. This method is independent of the binary period and orbital orientation. The number of detectable asteroseismic binaries increases from 87 for the IMR parameter s = -0.5 to 256 for s = 1.0. The number of detectable asteroseismic EBs increases from 34.0 ± 6.0 (s = -0.5) to 59.0 ± 6.0 (s = 1.0). This number shows disagreement with the number of actual systems detected (2 for Porb < 40 days), which can not be explained by incompleteness alone

The Hero’s Journey in Higher Education : A Twelve Stage Narrative Approach to the Design of Active, Student-Centred University Modules

This paper outlines and makes the case for a new, twelve stage narrative approach to the design of university modules. The twelve stages in the narrative approach to module design mirror the twelve stages which comprise the hero’s journey in myth and legend, as discussed in the work of Campbell (1993) and Vogler (1985). The purpose of designing a university module to mirror the stages of the hero’s journey is twofold. Firstly, it is proposed that the use of a narratively-focused design will lead to a greater sense of satisfaction on the part of those taking the module, because the narrative approach considers, for example, the importance of beginnings and endings, as well as the emotional journey of the participants. Secondly, the narrative approach is constructed to create module designs which are active and student-centred, thus a very strong emphasis is placed on what the students will be doing in each of the stages. Throughout the paper each of the twelve stages is explained, and an example of what the teacher and students might do in each of the stages is given. This narrative approach to module design has been constructed primarily for teachers who would like to design their modules to be more active and student centred, but who are unsure how to go about this and would like a supportive framework within which the module can be designed

Educational videos – Tell me what you want, what you really, really want

Given the current popularity of educational videos, and given the time, effort and expense academics and institutions are investing to provide educational videos to students, it was thought worthwhile to evaluate whether students at the University of Northampton (UoN) actually want and use these resources. Moreover if it was found they do use educational videos, investigation was required to determine if they are in a format that students want. The study was carried out in two distinct stages. The first stage was a questionnaire which was followed by a focus group. It was found that students at Northampton do overwhelmingly use educational videos. Furthermore, the research found that students prefer videos to any other resource and that videos can increase motivation. Additionally, high-risk production strategies such as seeing the presenter on screen, and the use of animation, humour and quizzes were identified, and it was found that the use of music in an educational video was considered a negative component of a video. The optimum length of the video is less clear; however it is recommended they are kept to less than 10 minutes (although this is dependent upon the level of study of the student). The key recommendation when producing videos is to ensure they have been designed taking cognitive research into account. The key strength of a well-designed educational video, it is concluded, is to give the students something additional they cannot find in another resource, in a way which encourages effective learning

Neutrinos from beta processes in a presupernova: probing the isotopic evolution of a massive star

We present a new calculation of the neutrino flux received at Earth from a massive star in the $\sim 24$ hours of evolution prior to its explosion as a supernova (presupernova). Using the stellar evolution code MESA, the neutrino emissivity in each flavor is calculated at many radial zones and time steps. In addition to thermal processes, neutrino production via beta processes is modeled in detail, using a network of 204 isotopes. We find that the total produced $\nu_{e}$ flux has a high energy spectrum tail, at $E \gtrsim 3 - 4$ MeV, which is mostly due to decay and electron capture on isotopes with $A = 50 - 60$. In a tentative window of observability of $E \gtrsim 0.5$ MeV and $t < 2$ hours pre-collapse, the contribution of beta processes to the $\nu_{e}$ flux is at the level of $\sim90\%$ . For a star at $D=1$ kpc distance, a 17 kt liquid scintillator detector would typically observe several tens of events from a presupernova, of which up to $\sim 30\%$ due to beta processes. These processes dominate the signal at a liquid argon detector, thus greatly enhancing its sensitivity to a presupernova.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Jean Epstein and Photogénie : Narrative avant­ garde film theory and practice in late silent ­era French cinema

In 1921 Editions de la Sirène published Jean Epstein’s first book, Bonjour Cinema, a collection of writings which included the articles Magnification, and The Senses I (b). In both of these articles Epstein refers to photogénie, a term which he also used in many of his later writings on film, and which he made the central topic of two articles, one in 1924, On Certain Characteristics of Photogénie, and one in 1935, Photogénie and the Imponderable. Photogénie was an important concept for Epstein, although it was not only he that wrote about it. The term also appears in articles by Louis Delluc, Léon Moussinac, Ricciotto Canudo, Henri Fescourt and Jean‐Louis Bouquet, all published in France between 1920 and 1925. However, as silent cinema gave way to sound cinema the term faded from use, with only Epstein retaining his commitment to the term. When photogénie is written about today it is generally referred to as a mysterious, elusive, enigmatic, ineffable or indefinable term that refers to the magic of cinema, the essence or nature of cinema, and the power that cinema has to transform the everyday into something special. Photogénie is seen today as something vague, obscure, even mystical; something that was part of a more primitive attitude towards cinema. In this dissertation, Epstein’s writings about photogénie and two of this films are analysed in order that more light may be shed on this term, and photogénie is shown to be a rich and complex term that functioned on a variety of levels; cultural, theoretical and aesthetic. These various aspects of the term are considered in detail, as is the general context in which the term was used, and photogénie is shown not to be vague and obscure, but to be an argument for a new and distinctly modern way of thinking about cinema

Blogging and Language Development: An International Student's Perspective : Can keeping a blog improve students’ language skills and confidence?

Blogging and Language Development: An International Student's Perspective. Can keeping a blog improve students’ language skills and confidence? Poster presentation & video by Farmer, R. and Lefebvre, M. Learning Global Conference, The University of Northampton, 11th of May 201