Evaluation of the City and Guilds Level 3 Adult 8umeracy Support Course at Merton College in the UK

This paper looks at the evaluation of the Level 3 Certificate in Adult Numeracy Support (City and Guilds 9484) course at Merton College. The latter is a general further education (FE) college and the main provider of post-16 education and training in the London Borough of Merton. The College also runs a number of higher education (HE) courses. The course was introduced into the School of Community Education following the college's successful bid to run a Level 3 course in numeracy in partnership with other colleges in the South London learning Partnership. The main objective of the evaluation of the course at Merton College was to find out how the course measured up to the standards specified by the DfES/FENTO Subject Specifications and echoed by City and Guilds in the Course handbook (City and Guilds, 2005) as well as the procedures specified in the Merton College College's Quality Assurance system. It was clear that the team was faced with challenges in understanding the level of the mathematics content required, and of linking this with strategies, methods and skills to teach adult numeracy learners. One critical observation the author made was the team's inability to change the course structure and content to suit the needs of the candidates. One other limitation of the course was the absence of information and computer technology use. Candidates were not introduced to adequate use of information and computer technology (ICT) as part of their learning. The author observes further that initial teacher education is a complex combination of knowledge as it requires specialist knowledge but at the same time much depends on experience and learning on the job. There is little doubt that the lack of thorough and systematic support for trainees in the place of teaching is a profound systemic weakness that impoverishes all teacher education programmes, not just those discussed in this paper African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 5 2007: pp. 49-6

Applying mathematics in real-life problems: A case study of two senior high schools in Ghana

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the extent to which senior high school students could apply mathematics in real life situations by examining the relationship between their performance on “routine” mathematical calculations and that on a “shortwriting” task related to the application of mathematics. It involved thirty boys and thirty girls from two Senior High Schools in Accra, the capital of Ghana in West Africa. All the sixty participants were in Form 1 (SHS1) at the time of the study. Data for the study was collected between June and August 2008 using tasks and interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques were used to analyse the data. The results of the study showed no significant gender differences in the students’ performance on both the routine and the short-writing tasks but showed marked differences between the students’ performance on the routine calculations and that on the short-writing task. The students’ mean score for the routine calculations was significantly higher than their mean score for the short-writing task as the difference between the two mean scores was statistically significant at the 0.1% level. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between the students’ performance on the two different tasks. The implications of the results for the teaching and learning of mathematics are discussed.Keywords: problem-solving, application, routine, task-oriente

Understanding participation and non-participation in sport amongst Black and minority ethnic groups in Wales

Like the other home nation sports councils, Sport Wales has a responsibility to increase participation, improve sporting performance and raise standards in sport and physical recreation. For some time the sports councils in the UK have been concerned that people from Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups may not be getting as much from sport as they might (e.g. the Sports Equity Index (Sport England, 2001)). The concern with increasing participation is multidimensional: it might serve to recruit new talent; allows sectors of society to enjoy what are thought to be the benefits of sport; and in so doing help to unite the nation. However, as recognised by the Equality Impact Assessment that was conducted by Sport Wales, there has been a shortage of research around sport participation by Black and minority ethnic communities. Thus, the current research is closely aligned with the aim of increasing participation and understanding non-participation. The research also addresses the identified need for further investigation into identified differences in participation between different equalities groups. This project, commissioned by Sport Wales, has been undertaken by the Institute for Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure (ISPAL) in conjunction with Ecorys. It is a response to the strategy, action plans and operational plans of Sport Wales that embrace diversity and inclusiveness. These policy and operational documents consider ethnicity alongside other protected characteristics and a concern to address poverty and deprivation by operating in conjunction with other agencies. The research reported here will help to establish what resonance people in Black and minority ethnic groups have with the goal of ensuring ‘a thriving sporting community, where all individuals feel safe, welcome and free from discrimination’ (Sport Wales, Equality And Diversity Operational Action Plan)

Application of laser Doppler velocimeter to chemical vapor laser system

A laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) system was used to measure iodide vapor flow fields inside two different-sized tubes. Typical velocity profiles across the laser tubes were obtained with an estimated +/-1 percent bias and +/-0.3 to 0.5 percent random uncertainty in the mean values and +/-2.5 percent random uncertainty in the turbulence-intensity values. Centerline velocities and turbulence intensities for various longitudinal locations ranged from 13 to 17.5 m/sec and 6 to 20 percent, respectively. In view of these findings, the effects of turbulence should be considered for flow field modeling. The LDV system provided calibration data for pressure and mass flow systems used routinely to monitor the research laser gas flow velocity

Development of a finite element model of decompressive craniectomy.

Decompressive craniectomy (DC), an operation whereby part of the skull is removed, is used in the management of patients with brain swelling. While the aim of DC is to reduce intracranial pressure, there is the risk that brain deformation and mechanical strain associated with the operation could damage the brain tissue. The nature and extent of the resulting strain regime is poorly understood at present. Finite element (FE) models of DC can provide insight into this applied strain and hence assist in deciding on the best surgical procedures. However there is uncertainty about how well these models match experimental data, which are difficult to obtain clinically. Hence there is a need to validate any modelling approach outside the clinical setting. This paper develops an axisymmetric FE model of an idealised DC to assess the key features of such an FE model which are needed for an accurate simulation of DC. The FE models are compared with an experimental model using gelatin hydrogel, which has similar poro-viscoelastic material property characteristics to brain tissue. Strain on a central plane of the FE model and the front face of the experimental model, deformation and load relaxation curves are compared between experiment and FE. Results show good agreement between the FE and experimental models, providing confidence in applying the proposed FE modelling approach to DC. Such a model should use material properties appropriate for brain tissue and include a more realistic whole head geometry.TLF acknowledges funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). AGK is supported by a Royal College of Surgeons of England Research Fellowship (funded by the Freemasons and the Rosetrees Trust), an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship and a Raymond and Beverly Sackler Studentship. PJH is supported by a NIHR Research Professorship and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.This is the final published version, also available from PLOS at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0102131

Bent crystal spectrometer for both frequency and wavenumber resolved x-ray scattering at a seeded free-electron laser

We present a cylindrically curved GaAs x-ray spectrometer with energy resolution $\Delta E/E = 1.1\cdot 10^{-4}$ and wave-number resolution of $\Delta k/k = 3\cdot 10^{-3}$, allowing plasmon scattering at the resolution limits of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) x-ray free-electron laser. It spans scattering wavenumbers of 3.6 to $5.2/$\AA\ in 100 separate bins, with only 0.34\% wavenumber blurring. The dispersion of 0.418~eV/$13.5\,\mu$m agrees with predictions within 1.3\%. The reflection homogeneity over the entire wavenumber range was measured and used to normalize the amplitude of scattering spectra. The proposed spectrometer is superior to a mosaic HAPG spectrometer when the energy resolution needs to be comparable to the LCLS seeded bandwidth of 1~eV and a significant range of wavenumbers must be covered in one exposure

Modelling of Brain Deformation After Decompressive Craniectomy.

Hyperelastic finite element models, with either an idealized cylindrical geometry or with realistic craniectomy geometries, were used to explore clinical issues relating to decompressive craniectomy. The potential damage in the brain tissue was estimated by calculating the volume of material exceeding a critical shear strain. Results from the idealized model showed how the potentially damaged volume of brain tissue increased with an increasing volume of brain tissue herniating from the skull cavity and with a reduction in craniectomy area. For a given herniated volume, there was a critical craniectomy diameter where the volume exceeding a critical shear strain fell to zero. The effects of details at the craniectomy edge, specifically a fillet radius and a chamfer on the bone margin, were found to be relatively slight, assuming that the dura is retained to provide effective protection. The location in the brain associated with volume expansion and details of the material modeling were found to have a relatively modest effect on the predicted damage volume. The volume of highly sheared material in the realistic models of the craniectomy varied roughly in line with differences in the craniectomy area.TLF acknowledges funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). BW is supported by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, the Max Weber-Programm and the Stiftung Maximilianeum. AGK is supported by a Royal College of Surgeons of England Research Fellowship (funded by the Freemasons and the Rosetrees Trust), a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Academic Clinical Fellowship and a Raymond and Beverly Sackler Studentship. PJH is supported by a NIHR Research Professorship and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10439-016-1666-

Demanding stories: television coverage of sustainability, climate change and material demand

This paper explores the past, present and future role of broadcasting, above all via the medium of television, in shaping how societies talk, think about and act on climate change and sustainability issues. The paper explores these broad themes via a focus on the important but relatively neglected issue of material demand and opportunities for its reduction. It takes the outputs and decision-making of one of the world’s most influential broadcasters, the BBC, as its primary focus. The paper considers these themes in terms of stories, touching on some of the broader societal frames of understanding into which they can be grouped. Media decision-makers and producers from a range of genres frequently return to the centrality of ‘story’ in the development, commissioning and production of an idea. With reference to specific examples of programming, and drawing on interviews with media practitioners, the paper considers the challenges of generating broadcast stories that can inspire engagement in issues around climate change, and specifically material demand. The concluding section proposes actions and approaches that might help to establish material demand reduction as a prominent way of thinking about climate change and environmental issues more widely. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Material demand reduction’

Clergy work-related satisfactions in parochial ministry: the influence of personality and churchmanship

The aim of this study was to test several hypotheses that clergy work-related satisfaction could be better explained by a multidimensional rather than a unidimensional model. A sample of 1071 male stipendiary parochial clergy in the Church of England completed the Clergy Role Inventory, together with the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Factor analysis of the Clergy Role Inventory identified five separate clergy roles: Religious Instruction, Administration, Statutory Duties (conducting marriages and funerals), Pastoral Care, and Role Extension (including extra-parochial activities). Respondents also provided an indication of their predispositions on the catholic-evangelical and liberal-conservative dimensions. The significant associations of the satisfactions derived from each of the roles with the demographic, personality, and churchmanship variables were numerous, varied, and, with few exceptions, small in magnitude. Separate hierarchical regressions for each of the five roles indicated that the proportion of total variance explained by churchmanship was, in general, at least as great as that explained by personality, and was greater for three roles: Religious Instruction, Statutory Duties, and Role Extension. It was concluded that clergy satisfactions derived from different roles are not uniform and that churchmanship is at least as important as personality in accounting for clergy work satisfaction