Forlorn and Fervent: Religious Radicalization of the Meek

Compensatory Control Theory posits that the belief in an orderly and willed world that is under the control of external or personal forces is an innate human need, and people will use whatever sources of control are at their disposable to defend that belief. This thesis extends Compensatory Control theory by proposing external and personal sources of control are not entirely substitutable; rather they are disposition-dependent. This thesis specifically assessed whether participants with at least some forms of low but not high dispositional personal control would react with religious zeal following threat to external sources of control. Across two studies participants were measured for dispositional personal control and randomly assigned to an external control threat or no-threat condition. In Study 1, an unstable economic forecast heightened external control religious zeal among participants with low personal control dispositions. In Study 2, reflecting on a poor relationship heightened religious zeal on an independent religious zeal measure. These results help explain why different life events can trigger religious extremism for different types of people

Alkaline fuel cell technology - A review

The realm of alkaline-based fuel cells has with the arrival of anionic exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) taken a great step to replace traditional liquid electrolyte alkaline fuel cells (AFCs). The following review summarises progress, bottleneck issues and highlights the most recent research trends within the field. The activity of alkaline catalyst materials has greatly advanced, however achieving long-term stability remains a challenge. Great AEMFC performances are reported, though these are generally obtained through the employment of platinum group metals (PGMs), thus emphasising the importance of R&D related to non-PGM materials. Thorough design strategies must be utilised for all components, to avoid a mismatch of electrochemical properties between electrode components. Lastly, AEMFC optimisation challenges on the system-level will also have to be assessed, as few application-size AEMFCs have been built and tested.publishedVersio

Developing online learning with the 'Ripple Effect'

Online learning can often be a passive and somewhat ‘linear’ experience, with students working through content at a pace and level pre-determined by the curriculum to which they are aligned and with little or no opportunity to differentiate. The ‘ripple effect’ highlighted in this study adheres to the following format: a specific theme or concept is introduced to students. This theme can be likened to a pebble being dropped into water. Ripples emanate from this pebble (or theme) in concentric rings, with each ring examining the central concept at a deeper level of cognition than the level before it. Cardiff University’s School of Healthcare Sciences (HCARE) has developed a number of online, selfstudy resources for physiotherapy students based upon this ripple effect. Students are introduced to a concept, and are then invited to choose their own pathway through the resource in order to learn more about this central conceit, only stopping when they feel that their desired level of understanding has been reached. Key information that students must be aware of in order to complete their course of study is presented within the first two or three ‘rings’ of learning – any subsequent, deeper rings contain supplementary information and activities that students are not required by the curricula to know, but may choose to access in order to gain a deeper level of understanding beyond the knowledge that is required. This allows study to become self-directed and for students to take ‘ownership’ of their own learning

Connecting biology with psychology to make sense of appetite control

Eating more than is required to maintain bodyweight is weakly resisted physiologically, as appetite does not closely track body energy balance. What does limit energy intake is the capacity of the gut to accommodate and process what is eaten. As the gut empties, we are ready to eat again. We typically refer to this absence of fullness as ‘hunger’, but in this state, even when it is prolonged (e.g. by missing one or two meals), our mental and physical performance is not compromised because body energy stores are mobilised to sustain energy supply to our brain and muscles. We illustrate this by discussing research on the effects of missing breakfast. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it appears that missing breakfast leads to a reduction in total daily energy intake and does not impair cognitive function (in adequately nourished individuals). The problem with missing a meal or eating smaller meals, however, is that we miss out on (some of) the pleasure of eating (food reward). In current studies, we are investigating how to offset the reduced reward value of smaller food portions, by, for example, altering flavour intensity, food variety and unit size, in order to maintain overall meal satisfaction and thereby reduce or eliminate subsequent compensatory eating

Facebook - friend or foe?

The continuing growth of ‘the cyberspace era’ has brought with it a permanent change in the way that students interact and socialise (Wolfe, 2011). A major part of this change is the advent of social networking sites on the Internet, which have evolved to become virtual communities where people communicate, share information and, importantly, build and maintain ongoing relationships. Online social networking communities such as Facebook have become part of the daily life of many teenagers, with a potentially far-reaching impact on the way that they study and learn (Wolfe, 2011). In this paper, I shall be stating the case that social networking - and in this instance, Facebook - should not only be allowed in the classroom, but teachers should embrace how the social networking site can be used successfully as a part of the teaching and learning experience. I will, through research and evidence provided by my own practice, argue that not only does Facebook provide a useful setting for communication between learners and teachers, but both instils and hones a number of 21st century skills, as well as providing a powerful marketing tool for education establishments as a whole

Innovative lecture capture

In an era of MOOCs and flipped classrooms, lecture capture (though a popular choice with an increasing number of institutions) can often be a dull and passive experience for students who are required to watch lengthy films, often showing a static view of a lecturer speaking at a lectern, in their own time. There is no opportunity for interaction, and the length of the lecture is often detrimental to the student experience as the human brain cannot retain more than a small percentage of information relayed over such a long time span. Cardiff University’s School of Healthcare Sciences (HCARE) has developed a number of online lecture capture resources for students, but using an interactive approach. Footage is broken into a series of fifteen to twenty minute chunks, with interactive elements such as quizzes, drag and drop activities and text input areas (where students can record thoughts and feedback) placed between each ‘chunk’. Once students have worked through a film clip and its associated activities (thereby self-assessing what they have learnt) they can move on to the next clip, and so on. At the start of the activity students can download any presentation slides used in the lecture and at the end students are given links to relevant websites and to a lecture-based discussion forum where students can comment, ask and even answer peers’ questions. Fora such as this also assist in eradicating any sense of isolation an online student may feel, as it becomes the digital backbone of an asynchronous community

Review of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction—A Basic Approach

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