Investigation of the perceived usefulness of a StudyNet group discussion facility by international students

Postgraduate international students at UK institutions of higher education often find difficulty dealing with seminar-type discussions. An attempt was made to help students with this by utilising the group discussion facility of StudyNet. However, as most of the students were from East Asia, where education is often considered as essentially a passive process rather than something they have to do for themselves, it was felt necessary to investigate this to see how seriously they took such an activity. A questionnaire was therefore given to the students and the results analysed. Despite some criticisms, the students were generally found to understand the purpose of the activity and think it beneficial. Thus, overall, when activities are clearly seen to be related to the learning outcomes and integrated into the course, they can be used with confidence with East Asian students.Peer reviewe

Moral Development in the Military: The Efficacy of ROTC Morality Training at the Sophomore Level

The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is an accessions program designed to produce quality commissioned Officers for operational units, in support of strategic Department of Defense (DoD) objectives. The traditional program length of 4 years coincides with the average number of years required to obtain a baccalaureates degree in the United States, in part because a degree is required for program completion. The program goals are to develop candidates physically, mentally, and morally in order to ensure they can be entrusted with the highest levels of leadership required of a US citizen. This study aimed at assessing the moral development aspect of sophomore Naval ROTC students, specifically with regards to the efficacy of ROTC training. Navy ROTC, Air Force ROTC, and traditional (i.e., no military affiliation) sophomore students were asked to complete the online version of James Rest\u27s Defining Issues Test (DIT) version 2. Students were asked to complete 3 iterations: a pretest at the start of the Fall 2012 semester, a mid-test at the start of the Spring 2013 semester, and a post-test at the end of the Spring 2013 semester. On the basis of high attrition levels of participants among traditional student participants, that group was excluded from the final analysis. Both as compared to themselves over the three iterations, as well as compared to Air Force ROTC students across iterations 1 and 3, Navy ROTC students showed no statistically significant difference in the indices of moral interest (i.e., P score and N2 score). The results suggest that Navy ROTC training at the Sophomore level does not significantly increase moral development as measured by the DIT-2. Additionally, Navy ROTC training does not appear to have any greater efficacy in moral development than Air Force ROTC training, despite service-specific differences in training approaches

Steering in the same direction? : an examination of the mission and structure of the governance of providers of pathway programs

The purpose of the study was to examine the mission and structure of governance of three providers of pre-university pathway programs based in Australia and operating on a global basis. The aim of the research was to investigate changes, if any, to the purpose and form of governance in this sector for which virtually no research has been undertaken. The literature review of governance in the higher education sector on a global scale in relation to universities revealed an increasing trend toward a corporate style of management. The literature also revealed that the distributors of pathway programs are operating in a highly competitive international environment. It became apparent that models of governance are undergoing re-adjustment to meet the needs of the market and to ensure commercial viability for the content provider. As a result, new models are emerging and changing the approach to the manner in which governance is undertaken. The method of investigation for this study was a cross-case study of three major education providers engaged in the delivery of pathway education programs on a global basis. Each of the cases selected had a different ownership structure; - a public university; a not-for-profit education organisation; and a publically-listed corporation. By looking closely at the two main parts of the framework of institutional governance, firstly, at the structure (organisational form); and secondly, on the mission (purpose of the organisation) it was possible to determine the salient features of governance and draw a conclusion as to the governance model adopted. The use of Burton Clark’s (1983) Triangle of Co-ordination provided a theoretical framework to evaluate the models of governance and to place them in the relevant context; that is, dominated by one of the elements in the triangle: the government, the academy, or the market. In addition to the two central parts of governance, the elements of quality assurance and accountability that are fundamental to good governance were examined to provide additional evidence of the model adopted. The small-scale investigation revealed a convergence between public and private providers in their governance structures but not necessarily in their missions. The findings were that all three education organisations have adopted governance models that are based on corporate principles. However, while each of the entities had adopted a corporate structural mechanism this does not fully align with their stated missions. The examination of the mission and structure of the respective governance frameworks of each of the case studies showed a convergence to the market spectrum of Clark’s model

Fourth Report of State Highway Engineer and State Engineer of New Mexico, for the Seventh and Eighth Fiscal Years, December 1, 1918 to November 30, 1920

Part 2 only (Report of the State Engineer

Tiludronate and clodronate do not affect bone structure or remodeling kinetics over a 60 day randomized trial

Background Tiludronate and clodronate are FDA-approved bisphosphonate drug therapies for navicular disease in horses. Although clinical studies have determined their ability to reduce lameness associated with skeletal disorders in horses, data regarding the effect on bone structure and remodeling is lacking. Additionally, due to off-label use of these drugs in young performance horses, effects on bone in young horses need to be investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this randomized, experimental pilot study was to determine the effect of tiludronate and clodronate on normal bone cells, structure and remodeling after 60 days in clinically normal, young horses. Additionally, the effect of clodronate on bone healing 60 days after an induced defect was investigated. Results All horses tolerated surgery well, with no post-surgery lameness and all acquired biopsies being adequate for analyses. Overall, tiludronate and clodronate did not significantly alter any bone structure or remodeling parameters, as evaluated by microCT and dynamic histomorphometry. Tiludronate did not extensively impact bone formation or resorption parameters as evaluated by static histomorphometry. Similarly, clodronate did not affect bone formation or resorption after 60 days. Sixty days post-defect, healing was minimally affected by clodronate. Conclusions Tiludronate and clodronate do not appear to significantly impact bone tissue on a structural or cellular level using standard dose and administration schedules

Does the use of illicit drugs specifically class a drugs influence the crime rate?

Class A drugs are very potent substances with lethal side effects; they are considered the most dangerous of illicit drugs. The crime rate over the past decade has shown a rise and fall in the quantity of crimes committed due to drugs. Illegal drug traffickers, smuggling heroin, cocaine and other substances into the UK, Europe and U.S; are enticing more younger adolescents to join the craze. These traffickers conceal and manipulate their way into countries such as the UK where demand is always expanding. This paper will explore whether or not drugs, specifically Class A have an effect on the crime rate. In this paper, results are shown to indicate a minor positive correlation between the relationship of drugs and the crime rate; there is still a large proportion of uncertainty on the title at present. This review provides an outline of the typical users of drugs, how cocaine and heroin is trafficked into Europe and data concerning the link between drugs and the ever-rising crime rate. Keywords: crime rate, cocaine, heroin, legislation, class a, economic compulsive, psychopharmacological, systemic, drug la

Mixed layer temperature response to the southern annular mode: Mechanisms and model representation

Previous studies have shown that simulated sea surface temperature (SST) responses to the southern annular mode (SAM) in phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) climate models compare poorly to the observed response. The reasons behind these model inaccuracies are explored. The ocean mixed layer heat budget is examined in four of the CMIP3 models and by using observations- reanalyses. The SST response to the SAM is predominantly driven by sensible and latent heat flux and Ekman heat transport anomalies. The radiative heat fluxes play a lesser but nonnegligible role. Errors in the simulated SST responses are traced back to deficiencies in the atmospheric response to the SAM. The models exaggerate the surface wind response to the SAM leading to large unrealistic Ekman transport anomalies. During the positive phase of the SAM, this results in excessive simulated cooling in the 40°-65°S latitudes. Problems with the simulated wind stress responses, which relate partly to errors in the simulated winds themselves and partly to the transfer coefficients used in the models, are a key cause of the errors in the SST response. In the central Pacific sector (90°-150°W), errors arise because the simulated SAM is too zonally symmetric. Substantial errors in the net shortwave radiation are also found, resulting from a poor repre- sentation of the changes in cloud cover associated with the SAM. The problems in the simulated SST re- sponses shown by this study are comparable to deficiencies previously identified in the CMIP3 multimodel mean. Therefore, it is likely that the deficiencies identified here are common to other climate models